A storage and dosing station for storage and dispensing dosed quantities of solid drug portions. A stationary part of the station is to be mounted to a frame of an apparatus for packaging solid drug portions, the stationary part comprising a first part of a dispensing device. A controller and a drive for driving an individualizing mechanism for dispensing separate solid drug portions is comprised by the first part. A detachable part is coupled to the stationary part and comprises a storage container for receiving a plurality of solid drug portions. A second part of the dispensing device, and an information memory means is comprised in the second part. Information reading means on the stationary part are coupled to the controller, wherein the information reading means can read information stored in the information memory means, if the detachable part is coupled to the stationary part. The information memory means store data that are used by the controller to control the operation of components of the dispensing device.

One embodiment provides a pharmaceutical counting device (160, 800) including a base portion (810) and a counting tray (830) provided on the base portion (810). The counting tray (830) is tilted about a first axis to empty medications into a first package and tiled above a second axis to empty medications into a second package. The pharmaceutical counting device (160, 800) also includes a camera system (950) to capture images of the counting tray (830), the packages, and a label on the packages. The pharmaceutical counting device (160, 800) verifies whether a correct number and type of medications are received on the counting tray (830).

A filling machine for filling containers with items includes an item conveyor, and a bulk feeder for feeding items onto the item conveyor. The bulk feeder includes a hopper and a feed assembly, where the feed assembly includes an item collecting compartment for collecting items from the hopper. A pusher is movable through the collecting compartment to push items in the collecting compartment onto the item conveyor.

A filling machine for filling containers with items includes an item conveyor, and a bulk feeder for feeding items onto the item conveyor. The bulk feeder includes a hopper and a feed assembly, where the feed assembly includes an item collecting compartment for collecting items from the hopper. A pusher is movable through the collecting compartment to push items in the collecting compartment onto the item conveyor.

A rectangular blank has sides X and Y, where a and b are side dimensions, h is height, and r is width, or width reduced by height h, of the periphery region R of the finished packaging. The method includes: producing folding lines B in the blank parallel to side Y at these distances from the latter: B.sub.1: a.sub.1=h; B.sub.2: a.sub.2=h+a; B.sub.3: a.sub.3=2h+a; severing of two severing lines T, each starting from opposite sides X, along one of the folding lines B, or the extension thereof; selecting the distance between two end points E.sub.T of the severing lines T which are closer to an axis of symmetry S.sub.1 parallel to the side X, such that the distance corresponds to a side B″ of the finished packaging or length of a side M of a packaging insert.

A method for selectively feeding rolls of paper coming out of a log saw unit (10), wherein the log saw unit (10) comprises (n) feeding channels (12) for feeding logs (11) towards a cutting device (13) provided at the outlet with (n) unloading belts (14) in a number equal to the feeding channels (12), comprises a step of generating a stop signal relating to a portion of a packaging unit downstream of the log saw unit (10) further to the detection of accumulation of rolls (11′) and/or of stopping of a packaging machine, as well as a step of attributing said stop signal to a feeding channel/sub-group of feeding channels (12) operatively associated with the portion of the packaging unit, called “feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping”, wherein the method—upon receipt of the stop signal—comprises at least the steps of: ending the cutting of the log (11) in progress on all of the (n) feeding channels (12) of the log saw unit (10), selectively stopping the forward movement of a new log (11) towards the cutting device (13) just in the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping through the stopping of the forward movement of the carriers (15) of the carrier device (16) of the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping, proceeding without interruption in the operative feeding channels (12), namely those not subject to the stop signal, with the cutting of the logs (11) in succession.

A method for selectively feeding rolls of paper coming out of a log saw unit (10), wherein the log saw unit (10) comprises (n) feeding channels (12) for feeding logs (11) towards a cutting device (13) provided at the outlet with (n) unloading belts (14) in a number equal to the feeding channels (12), comprises a step of generating a stop signal relating to a portion of a packaging unit downstream of the log saw unit (10) further to the detection of accumulation of rolls (11′) and/or of stopping of a packaging machine, as well as a step of attributing said stop signal to a feeding channel/sub-group of feeding channels (12) operatively associated with the portion of the packaging unit, called “feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping”, wherein the method—upon receipt of the stop signal—comprises at least the steps of: ending the cutting of the log (11) in progress on all of the (n) feeding channels (12) of the log saw unit (10), selectively stopping the forward movement of a new log (11) towards the cutting device (13) just in the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping through the stopping of the forward movement of the carriers (15) of the carrier device (16) of the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping, proceeding without interruption in the operative feeding channels (12), namely those not subject to the stop signal, with the cutting of the logs (11) in succession.

A drug supply device includes: a plurality of cassettes configured to eject a drug one by one; and a control device configured to set a plurality of groups including a plurality of cassettes selected from among the plurality of cassettes. The control device selects a cassette that performs a drug ejection operation from each of the plurality of groups such that a number of tablets of a drug to be ejected from the plurality of cassettes that perform the drug ejection operation is each levelled in one of the plurality of group and among the plurality of groups.

A filling system includes a conveyor for moving containers to be filled along a conveyance path and a drop chute with an outlet above the conveyance path. A drive for the drop chute includes a primary drive frame movable along a first axis and a secondary drive frame mounted on the primary drive frame for movement therewith, the secondary drive frame movable relative to the primary drive frame along a second axis, wherein the second axis is transverse to the first axis. A filling machine with a rotating disc assembly is also provided.

A drug packaging unit is disclosed. The drug packaging unit includes a storage portion separately discharging a plurality of units of a drug, a supply portion supplying the drug to a drug packaging member, a detection portion detecting a drug supply error by detecting the drug passing through the supply portion, an adjustment portion adjusting the number of units of drug discharged out of the supply portion, and a driver/controller individually driving the storage portion and the supply portion, thereby putting the drug on standby to be discharged. With this structure, it is possible to reduce a drug packaging time and it is easy to control drug supply.