BACKGROUND

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a hard gelatin capsule manufacturing machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a servo driven hard gelatin capsule manufacturing machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pharmaceutical capsules are typically made of gelatin, which is a thermo-gelling material. A hollow cap and a body shell are attached to each other to form a capsule. Conventional capsule manufacturing machines include a dipping section, a drying section, a table section, an automatics section, and a greaser section which work in conjunction to manufacture capsules.

In the conventional capsule manufacturing machines, the table section is driven by a first set of gears. The table section includes a receiving table, a set of sprocket chains, an elevating guiding member, and a bar pusher to guide a plurality of pin bars to the automatics section. All components of the table section are mechanically driven by the first set of gears and the speed of the table section is limited due to gear ratio of the first set of gears. The receiving table receives the plurality of pin bars from the lower deck kiln and places them on the set of sprocket chains. The plurality of the pin bars move towards the center of the table section due to the rotation of the set of sprocket chains. The elevating guiding member lifts each pin bar of the plurality of pin bars and rotates it to an angle. In an example, the angle is 90°. The bar pusher pushes each pin bar of the plurality of pin bars to the automatics section. In the existing table sections, the feed rate of the sprocket chains is limited and the desired speed of the capsule manufacturing machine is not achievable. The receiving table lifting movement is due to a cam and roller mechanism and it often experiences jerks due to its vertical reciprocating motion. These jerks results in fall of the pin bars on the sprocket chains. The unguided plurality of pin bars is stuck in between the set of sprocket chains and results in breakage of it which in turn increases down time of the capsule manufacturing machine. There is always a high chance of breakdown and also wear of mechanical parts. Moreover, back lashes disturb final motion of the plurality of pin bars. Thus, there is need for a capsule manufacturing machine with a table section that eliminates these jerks and also allows a user to set the feed rate of the set of sprocket chains thereby increasing productivity of the capsule manufacturing machine.

The automatics section is driven by second set of gears. The bar pusher pushes a set of pin bars to the automatics section. The automatics section includes a set of auto heads, a set of stripper assemblies, a pin bar assembly and a joiner block assembly. The set of auto heads reciprocates vertically up and down to collect and join the shells of the capsule bodies and caps on the pins of the set of pin bars. The pin bar assembly and the joiner block assembly are fixed, i.e., they do not move with respect to the capsule manufacturing machine. The joiner assembly includes a set of j oiner blocks. The set of stripper assemblies are mounted to the set of auto heads to strip the shells of the capsules bodies and caps from the pins of the set of pin bars in the pin bar assembly. Each stripper of the set of stripper assemblies has a pair of arms which needed to be opened by a pair of wedges. The pair of wedges is operated by cams and linkages. The auto head includes a set of collets, a set of knife bars, and a set of ejector rods. The set of collets collects the shells of the capsule bodies and caps and they are rotated against the set of knife bars for length setting. The trimmed shells of the capsules are pushed into the joiner blocks by the set of ejector rods. The joined capsules are pushed on to auto-to-greaser conveyor. The joined capsules on the auto- to-greaser conveyor are transferred to a delivery conveyor which brings the joined capsules out of the capsule manufacturing machine. The reciprocating motion of the auto head is due to a rack and pinion mechanism that drives the auto head. All the components of the automatics section are driven by a second set of gears and the desired speed of the capsule manufacturing machine is not achievable as the gear ratios of the second set of gears are limited. In the automatics sections of the existing capsule manufacturing machines, auto heads move up and down, which requires frequent alignment of the set of collets with the fixed joiner blocks. This hampers the productivity and production volumes. In the automatics sections of the existing capsule manufacturing machines, the strippers pierce and create pin holes on the capsule bodies and caps due to their shape. Therefore, there exists a need for a capsule manufacturing machine with automatics section that minimizes maintenance, mechanical motions and has perfect alignment system on all axes that are stripping, loading into the collets, length setting, cutting of the capsules, and joining the capsules.

The dipping section is driven by using mechanical arrangements, such as spur and helical gears. The dipping section includes a single pin bar pusher, a five-pin bar pusher, a dipping elevator, and a second elevator. The set of pin bars are pushed into the dipping section from the greaser section. The set of pin bars fall freely on to the slides where the single pin bar pusher drags the pin bars near to the five-pin bar pusher. The five-pin bar pusher pushes the collected pin bars to the dipping elevator. The dipping elevator dips the pin bars in the gelatin solution. When the pin bars come back to their original position, the five-pin bar pusher pushes the pin bars on to the second elevator. The second elevator spins twice to complete a so called "one and half rotation. When the pin bar does not fall due its own gravity, it leads to overlap of the pin bars in the dipping section and also causes mechanical damage to the capsule manufacturing machine. This results in stoppage of the capsule manufacturing machine for a certain amount of time until the blockage due to the overlap is cleared.

It is well known in the art that a conventional capsule manufacturing machine is driven by a single driving mechanism which includes a single motor and a main drive gear which provides power to run the entire machine. The main drive gear meshes with individual gears present in all sections of the capsule manufacturing machine to provide motion to various components. Over a period of time, the gears undergo wear and tear, which results in mechanical breakdown of the capsule manufacturing machine. The conventional capsule manufacturing machine utilizes gears to control and synchronize the relative motions and operations of various components. The operations of the various components are required to be synchronized to manufacture the industrial standard capsules. Gear ratios have to be set accurately in order to achieve the desired speed of the capsule manufacturing machine. Further, gears have finite gear ratios, which in turn limit the overall speed of the capsule manufacturing machine. In order to achieve the desired accurate gear ratios, the mechanical gears are required to be changed. However, changing of gears is a slow and time consuming process. Thus, it would be advantageous to achieve the desired speeds without the necessity of the changing gears. So there exists a need for a capsule manufacturing machine that achieves the desired speeds without any loss in the productivity.

In light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need for a capsule manufacturing machine that precisely controls and guides the pin bars, and that helps increase the overall productivity of capsule manufacturing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional capsule manufacturing machines. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the capsule manufacturing machine includes a table section driven by first set of servo motors, an automatics section driven by second set of servo motors, a dipping section driven by third set of servo motors, and a greaser section driven by fourth set of servo motors. The table section includes a receiving table for receiving pin bars, a set of block chains for transporting the pin bars, a bar lifter for lifting the pin bars, a set of bar positioners for positioning the pin bars, a radial guide for guiding the pin bars and a bar pusher for pushing the pin bars to the next section. The receiving table receives and places the pin bars on the set of block chains. The rotation of set of block chains results in movement of the pin bars towards the bar lifter. The bar lifter lifts the pin bars and the set of bar positioners holds the pin bars to push the pin bars on to the radial guide of the table section. The bar pusher pushes the pin bars to the next section. The automatics section includes a non-movable auto head, a gripper assembly, a movable pin bar assembly and a non- movable joiner block assembly, each driven by individual servo motors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings and examples. Such discussion is for purposes of illustration only. Modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention, set forth in the appended claims, will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art. Terminology used throughout the specification and claims herein is given its ordinary meaning except as more specifically defined: Fig. 1 represents a block diagram of various sections of a capsule manufacturing machine according to an illustrative embodiment of the disclosure; Fig. 2 represents a block diagram of various components of a table section for the capsule manufacturing machine, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 represents a block diagram of various components of an automatics section for the capsule manufacturing machine, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 represents a block diagram of various components of a dipping section for the capsule manufacturing machine, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "an article" may include a plurality of articles unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the Figures may be exaggerated, relative to other elements, in order to improve the understanding of the present invention. There may be additional components described in the foregoing application that are not depicted on one of the described drawings. In the event such a component is described, but not depicted in a drawing, the absence of such a drawing should not be considered as an omission of such design from the specification. Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be observed that the present invention utilizes a combination of system components which constitutes a hard gelatin capsule manufacturing machine. Accordingly, the components and the method steps have been represented, showing only specific details that are pertinent for an understanding of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of various components of the capsule manufacturing machine 100. The capsule manufacturing machine 100 includes a table section 102, an automatics section 104, a dipping section 106, a greaser section 108, an upper deck kiln 110, and a lower deck kiln 1 12.

Initially, a number of pin bars are immersed in a gelatin solution so that the gelatin solution sticks and takes the shape of the pins of the pin bars. The pin bars are of two types - one that takes the shape of the cap of the capsule and other that takes the shape of the body of the capsule. These pin bars are transported to the drying section with help of an elevating mechanism. The drying section has an upper deck kiln and a lower deck kiln for drying the gelatin that is accumulated on the pin bars. The dried pin bars enter the table section 102 from the lower deck kiln 112 by way of -a conveyor belt. From the table section 102, each pin bar from cap side and body side are pushed into the automatics section 104. In the automatics section 104, the cap and body shells are stripped, trimmed, and joined. The empty pin bars are then pushed to the greaser section 108 where grease is applied on the pins of the pin bars to remove the residual particles of the gelatin present on them and to make sure that the gelatin does not get stuck to the pin bars in the subsequent cycle. The temperature across the various sections of the capsule manufacturing machine 100 is controlled precisely so as to ensure uniform cooling of the capsules being formed.

The capsule manufacturing machine 100 of the present invention is a servo driven system where each section operates individually, and is driven by one or more individual servo motors. The table section 102, the automatics section 104, the greaser section 106 and the dipping section 108 are driven by first 1000, second 2000, fourth, and third 3000 sets of servo motors, respectively, where each set may include multiple servo motors to actuate different components of the respective sections. The upper and lower deck kilns 110 and 112 are driven by first and second sets of induction motors. The capsule manufacturing machine 100 consists of two parts substantially alike and operating in conjunction with and in parallel to each other. One of these parts produces a capsule body and the other produces a capsule cap. The body and the cap are then joined together to form a complete capsule, which is delivered from the capsule manufacturing machine 100. It will be understood that the two parts of the machine are placed adjacent to each other so that their operations are simultaneous. Only one of these is described in detail in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 so as not to obfuscate the present specification.

FIG. 2 represents a block diagram 200 of various components of the table section 102 for the capsule manufacturing machine 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The table section 102 includes a receiving table 202, a set of block chains 204, a bar lifter 206, a set of bar positioners 208 and a bar pusher 210. The receiving table 202 receives a plurality of pin bars from the lower deck kiln (not shown) of the capsule manufacturing machine. The receiving table 202 moves vertically up and down to collect and place the plurality of pin bars on to the table section 102. In an embodiment, the receiving table 202 works on a ball and screw mechanism and it is operated by using one or more of the first set of servo motors 1000. The receiving table 202 places the plurality of pin bars on the set of block chains 204 that are positioned in parallel and separated by a predefined distance. In an embodiment, the set of sprocket chains 204 are driven by one or more induction motors. The edges of the plurality of pin bars touch the upper side of the set of block chains 204 and due to the friction, the plurality of pin bars move towards the center of the table section 102. The bar lifter 206 collects and lifts each of the plurality of pin bars at a time. In an embodiment, the bar lifter 206 works on the ball and screw mechanism and it operates on one or more of the first set of servo motors 1000. The set of bar positioners 208 is positioned just below the radial guide 210 so as to push each of the plurality of pin bars received by the bar lifter 206 on to the radial guide 210. In an embodiment, the set of bar positioners 208 are driven by a rack and pinion mechanism. The radial guide 210 has a guide slit that guides each of the plurality of pin bars and due to curvilinear path of the radial guide 210, the each of the plurality of pin bars rums from a vertical position to a horizontal position. The bar pusher 212 is positioned just above the radial guide 210 to push the each of the plurality of pin bars into the automatics section of the capsule manufacturing machine. The bar pusher 212 moves in a horizontal reciprocating motion and it includes pushing members to push each of the plurality of pin bars into the automatics section 104 of the capsule manufacturing machine 100. In an embodiment, the bar pusher 212 works on the ball and screw mechanism and it operates on one or more of the first set of servo motors 1000. The first set of servo motors 1000 control the movement of the pin bars in the table section 102 and feed rate of the set of block chains can be set by accurately setting the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the induction motor.

Fig. 3 represents a block diagram 300 of various components of the automatics section 104 of the capsule manufacturing machine 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The automatics section is driven by the second set of servo motors. The automatics section includes a movable pin bar assembly 302, a non-movable auto head 304, a gripper assembly 306 and a non-movable joiner block assembly 308. The movable pin bar assembly 302 collects the each of the pushed plurality of pin bars from the bar pusher 212. The non-movable auto head 304 includes a set of collets 304a, a set of knife bars 304b and a set of ejector rods 304c. The non- movable joiner block assembly 308 includes a set of joiner blocks. The gripper assembly 306 is positioned near to the non-movable auto head 304. The movable pin bar assembly 302 reciprocates vertically to lift the each received plurality of pin bars. In an embodiment, the movable pin bar assembly 302 works on the ball and screw mechanism. The movable pin bar assembly 302 operates on one or more of the second set of servo motors 2000. The gripper assembly 306 includes first and second set of shafts, first and second sets of manifold holders and movably attached to the second set of shafts, an upper manifold and a lower manifold. The upper and lower manifolds include first and second set of stripping jaws, respectively which operate together so as to peel off the solidified gelatin halves from the pin bar. The first set of shafts is movably attached to the non-movable auto head 304. The first set of shafts works on the rack and pinion mechanism and is operated on one or more of the second set of servo motors 2000. The second set of shafts is fixedly attached onto the first set of shafts. The first and second sets of manifold holders move synchronously towards and away from each other. The first and second sets of manifold holders work on the rack and pinion mechanism and are operated on one or more of the second set of servo motors 2000. The first and second manifold holders hold the upper and lower manifolds respectively. The movement of the upper and lower manifolds results in stripping of the shells of the capsule bodies or caps from the pin bar. The set of collets 304a receive the stripped shells of the capsule bodies or caps and they are rotated against the set of knife bars 304b to trim the extended length of the shells. The set of collets, the set of knife bars and set of ejectors are driven by one or more of the second set of servo motors 2000. The set of ejector rods 304c push the trimmed shells of the capsule bodies or caps into the set of joiner blocks for joining of the shells to form desired capsules. The capsules that are formed are pushed into hopper which acts as a drop chute conveyor. The capsules fall from the hopper on to a delivery conveyor that take them out of the capsule manufacturing machine 100. All the components of the non-movable auto heads 304 are servo driven which allow the capsule manufacturing machine 100 to manufacture capsules with precise measurements up to microns. The cutting and joining processes are precisely controlled by servo motors which reduce the offsets in the measurements of the capsule sizes. The perfect length of capsules and major defects on the capsules shall be eliminated.

Fig. 4 represents a block diagram 400 of various components of the dipping section 108 for the capsule manufacturing machine 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The dipping section is driven by a third set of servo motors. The dipping section includes a bar titling guide unit 402, first and second bar pushers 404 and 406, and first and second elevators 408 and 410. The bar tilting guide unit 402 includes a cylindrical disk that has a groove to receive the pin bar through it. The cylindrical disk is operated by a set of gears which are driven by at least one of the third set of servo motors. The rotation of the cylindrical disk results in rotation of the pin bar. The first bar pusher 404 pushes the pin bar from the cylindrical disk on to a guide path. The first bar pusher 404 accumulates a set of pin bars over a time on the guide path. The second bar pusher 406 drags the accumulated set of pin bars on the guide path to the first elevator 408. The first elevator 408 dips the set of pin bars in a dipping container. In an embodiment, the dipping container has a gelatin solution. The first elevator 408 dips the set of pin bars in the gelatin solution. The set of pin bars that are dipped in the gelatin solution are pushed to the second elevator 410. The first and second elevators 408 and 410 are driven by at least one of the third set of servo motors. The second elevator 410 includes two disks that rotate the pin bar so that the gelatin solution on the pin bar is solidified. When the second elevator 410 reaches end of its vertically upward movement, a set of push members at the top of the second elevator 410 push the pin bar to a conveyor. The conveyor takes the pin bar on to the upper deck kiln. The controlled rotation of the pin bar by the cylindrical disk eliminates the overlap of the pin bars in the dipping section of the capsule manufacturing machine. The controlled rotation eliminates the time taken to reset the capsule manufacturing machine after overlap which in turn increases the productivity of the capsule manufacturing machine. In an embodiment, the greaser section 106 is driven by a fourth set of servo motors. In another embodiment, a pin bar has two rows of pins. The automatics section includes two auto heads on each side of the capsule body and capsule cap, two gripper assemblies, two joiner block assemblies and a pin bar assembly. One of the two gripper assemblies strips the shells from first row of pins of the pin bar and another gripper assembly strips the shells from second row of pins of the pin bar. Similarly, one of the two auto heads receives trims and joins the shells from the first row of the pin bar and another auto head receives trims and joins the shells from the second row of the pin bar. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the servo motor actuates the various components and mechanisms of the capsule manufacturing machine. The present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Although selected embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it may be understood that various substitutions and alterations are possible. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings may recognize additional various substitutions and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and as defined by the following claims.