DISCHARGE CHUTE FOR A TABLET MACHINE AND A METHOD FOR SORTING PELLETS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN A TABLET MACHINE

Abstract

The invention relates to a discharge chute (1) for a tablet-making machine, and to a method for sorting tablets after they have been produced in a tablet-making machine. The discharge chute (1) is characterised in that the channels (4, 5, 6, 13), into which the tablets are guided and/or sorted after they have been produced, are arranged on two planes (2, 3), the sorting of the tablets taking place with tandem sorting devices (7, 14). A sorting device preferably comprises two bars (8, 9, 10, 11), which are preferably designated as sorting bars (8, 10) and as separating bars (9, 11). The sorting bar (8, 10) preferably comprises a linear drive (17), which is preferably connected by means of a rocking lever (22) to the separating bar (9, 11). If the sorting bar (8, 10) moves upwards out of the rest position into the sorting position, the separating bar (9, 11) falls downwards automatically and frees the opening of the sorting channel.

Claims

1. A discharge chute (1) for a tablet machine comprising a first channel (4) and one or more further channels (5, 6, 13) for receiving pellets, characterized in that the discharge chute (1) comprises a first upper level (2) and a second lower level (3), wherein the two levels (2, 3) are provided arranged one above the other and the first upper level (2) comprises the first channel (4), as well as entrances for the further channels (5, 6, 13), wherein the discharge chute (1) comprises one or more sorting devices (7, 14) which are designed to release or block at least some of these entrances, whereby the pellets are divided into subsets of pellets.

2. The discharge chute (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the subsets of pellets passes into the second level (3) via at least one of the further channels (5, 6, 13).

3. The discharge chute (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sorting devices (7, 14) each comprise a first web (8, 10) and a second web (9, 11), wherein the webs (8-11) are connected to one another via a linear drive (17) in such a way that an upward movement of the first web (8, 10) causes a downward movement of the second web (9, 11) and vice versa.

4. The discharge chute (1) according to claim 3 characterized in that the webs (8-11) of the sorting devices (7, 14) extend obliquely and/or essentially in parallel to a movement of a pellet flow in the first channel (4) in the first upper level (2) of the discharge chute (1).

5. The discharge chute (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the linear drives (17) are provided fastened to a bottom of the second lower level (3) of the discharge chute (1).

6. The discharge chute (1) according to one or more of claims 3 to 5 characterized in that the discharge chute (1) comprises sensors, which are designed to monitor the movement of the webs (8-11) of the sorting devices (7, 14) with respect to reaching their end positions.

7. The discharge chute (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first channel (4) is designed as a continuous channel at the end of which there is an outlet (20) for a first subset of pellets.

8. The discharge chute (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first upper level (2) comprises entrances for a second channel (6), third channel (5), and fourth channel (13), which are designed to receive a second, third, and fourth subset of pellets, wherein sections of the corresponding channels (5, 6, 13) comprise openings in a bottom of the first upper level (2).

9. The discharge chute (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second and third subset of pellets pass through the openings in the bottom of the first upper level (2) into the second lower level (3).

10. The discharge chute (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fourth subset of pellets passes into an outlet (18) for the fourth subset of pellets, wherein this outlet (18) is part of the first upper level (2).

11. The discharge chute (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second lower level (3) comprises an outlet (19) for the second and third subset of pellets.

12. A method for sorting pellets after they are produced in a tablet machine, wherein the pellets are guided by one or more sorting devices (7, 14) in a discharge chute (1) of the tablet machine into different channels (4, 5, 6, 13) of the discharge chute (1), wherein the sorting devices (7, 14) each comprise a first web (8, 10) and a second web (9, 11) which are connected to one another via a linear drive (17) in such a way that an upward movement of the first web (8, 10) causes a downward movement of the second web (9, 11) and vice versa.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the discharge chute (1) comprises a first upper level (2) and a second lower level (3), wherein the pellets pass into the discharge chute (1) at the height of the first upper level (2) and are guided by one or more sorting devices (7, 14) to outlets (18-20) of the discharge chute (1), wherein at least one outlet (18 or 20) is part of the first upper level (2) and at least one further outlet (19) is part of the second lower level (3).

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the discharge chute (1) comprises two sorting devices (7, 14), wherein the pellets are guided using the first sorting device (7) from a first channel (4) into a third channel (5) and the pellets are guided using the second sorting device (14) from a first channel (4) into a fourth channel (13).

15. The method according to one or more of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the pellets, which are rejected by means of compressed air at a scraper on a die plate of the tablet machine, are guided into the second channel (6).

16. The method according to one or more of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the pellets which are guided into the second channel (6) or third channel (5) are collected in a fifth channel (15), wherein the fifth channel (15) is part of the second lower level (3) of the discharge chute (1).

Description

[0055] The invention will be described in greater detail in reference to the following figures, in the figures:

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of the tablet discharge chute

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of the tablet discharge chute

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a section through a preferred embodiment of the tablet discharge chute

[0059] FIG. 4 shows an illustration of the coupled adjustment of two webs of a sorting device

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of the tablet discharge chute (1). In particular, FIG. 1 shows a section through the proposed discharge chute (1). The linear drives (17) for the sorting devices (7, 14), which can preferably also be referred to as gates, are fastened on the bottom of the lower level (3) of the discharge chute (1). Furthermore, the outlet (19) for the collecting channel (15) is shown, in which the tablets from the bad channel (6) and the reject channel (5) collect after they have fallen through openings in the bottom of the first level (2) and thus have passed into the collecting channel (15) of the second level (3). The outlet (18) for the sample tablets is concealed in FIG. 1 by the outlet (20) for the good tablets, but is arranged behind it.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of the tablet discharge chute (1). In particular, FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the upper level (2) of the proposed tablet discharge chute (1). In the proposed discharge chute (1), a maximum of two channels (4, 5, 6, 13) are arranged next to one another, although the discharge chute (1) preferably comprises a total of four channels (4, 5, 6, 13) for sorting pellets. This advantageous arrangement of the channels (4, 5, 6, 13) is preferably enabled by the fact that the discharge chute (1) comprises two levels (2, 3) which are arranged one above the other. This advantageously makes it possible for the discharge chute (1) to function as a 4-lane chute which is usually twice as wide. In addition, the discharge chute (1), which is placed on two levels (2, 3), enables a completely different division of the individual channels (4, 5, 6, 13) than is known from conventional discharge chutes from the prior art. The plan view also shows the outlet (20) for the good tablets, which is part of the upper level (2) of the discharge chute (1).

[0062] FIG. 2 also shows the following details of the invention: The “good” tablets are guided by the tablet scraper on the die plate into the right good channel (4) of the tablet discharge chute (1). The good channel (4) is located in the upper level (2) of the proposed discharge chute (1). When the tablet machine is started and stopped or in the event of material feed problems, the tablets are automatically rejected by the sorting web (10) of the first sorting device (7) and guided into the collecting channel (15), which is located in the lower second level (3) of the discharge chute (1). If sample tablets are required from the production of goods, they are guided into the sample channel (13) using the sorting web (8) of the second sorting device (14). Flawed individual tablets are guided via the pneumatic individual sorting into the left inlet of the tablet discharge chute in the upper level (2) of the discharge chute (1), to which the bad channel (6) connects. The flawed tablets fall down through the bottom opening into the second level (3) of the discharge chute (1) and land in the collecting channel (15).

[0063] The discharge chute (1) comprises a center wall (12) which divides the discharge chute (1) into two substantially similarly sized side halves. The center wall (12) comprises openings (16, 21) through which the tablets can pass from the good channel (4) into the reject channel (5) or into the sample channel (13). The first opening (16) in the center wall (12) represents the entrance (16) for the reject channel (5). This entrance (16) can be blocked or closed using the separating web (11) of the first sorting device (7) so that no tablets can pass into the reject channel (5). The second opening (21) in the center wall (12) represents the entrance (21) for the sample channel (13). This entrance (21) can be blocked or closed using the separating web (9) of the second sorting device (14) so that no tablets can pass into the sample channel (13). According to the invention, it is preferred that the sorting web (10) and the separating web (11) form the first sorting device (7) and that the sorting web (8) and the separating web (9) form the second sorting device (14). For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the sections of the first channel (4) and of the fourth channel (13) comprise openings for dust extraction devices.

[0064] FIG. 3 shows a section through a preferred embodiment of the tablet discharge chute (1). In particular, FIG. 3 shows further details and the function of the sorting devices (7, 14). On the right side of FIG. 3, the sorting web (8) of the second sorting device (14) is in the working position, which is also referred to as the extended position of the sorting web (8). The separating web (9) of the second sorting device (14) is in the lower position, which is preferably also referred to as the idle or bottom position. When the separating web (9) of the second sorting device (14) is in the idle position, the sample tablets, which preferably come from the good channel (4) or from the first subset of pellets, can pass into the sample channel (13). The two webs (8, 9) of the second sorting device (14) are preferably coupled by a rocker (22). This rocker (22) is rotatably connected to the sorting web (8) on the right side and is fixedly mounted in the middle.

[0065] On the left side, the return springs of the separating web (9) of the second sorting device (14) are applied to the lever (22). When the sorting web (8) is moved upwards by the linear drive (17), the rocker (22) is also pivoted and thereby allows the separating web (9) to move downwards due to the spring force.

[0066] If the sorting web (8) is pulled down, the separating web (9) is automatically raised by means of the rocker (22). The underlying mechanism for the sorting devices (7, 14), which enables the webs (8, 9 and 10, 11) to be coupled, is preferably located in the lower, second level (3) of the proposed tablet discharge chute (1), namely in the example of the invention shown in FIG. 3 on the right side of the collecting channel (15). The linear drives (17) are located in the center under the carrier plates of the sorting webs (8, 10) and are each detachably fastened to the bottom plate of the lower level (3) using a quick-release fastener. For the purposes of the invention, it is preferred that the sorting webs (8, 10) are preferably also referred to as first webs, while the separating webs (9, 11) are preferably also referred to as second webs.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows a center wall (12), which has two openings (16, 21), in the center of the discharge chute (1). The first opening represents the entrance (16) of the reject channel (5), while the second opening represents the entrance (21) of the sample channel (13). In the front right region of the upper level (2) of the discharge chute (1), the bad channel (6) is located, which picks up tablets found to be flawed directly from the die plate of the tablet machine, which were separated from the “good” tablets using a blast of compressed air at the tablet scraper, wherein the “good” tablets form the first subset of pellets that pass into the good channel (4). The first level (2) of the discharge chute (1) is preferably at the same height as a horizontal plane of the die plate, which corresponds to the surface of the die plate.

[0068] FIG. 4 shows an illustration of the coupled adjustment of two webs (8 and 9 or 10 and 11) of a sorting device (7 or 14) of the proposed discharge chute (1). The two separating webs (9, 10) of the first and second sorting devices (7, 14) can be seen in the foreground. The dividers (9, 10) have a recess on their underside, the edge of which interacts in each case with a rocker (22). The interaction of the rocker (22) and the linear drives (17) ensures that an upward movement of a sorting web (8, 11) results in an upward movement of the corresponding separating web (9, 10) and vice versa. The coupling mechanisms that enable the coupled movement of the webs (8 and 9 or 10 and 11) of the sorting devices (7, 14) are preferably housed in the region of the lower level (3) of the discharge chute (1), preferably below the good channel (4), which is part of the first level (2) of the discharge chute (1).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0069] 1 tablet discharge chute [0070] 2 first, upper level of the discharge chute [0071] 3 second, lower level of the discharge chute [0072] 4 good channel or first channel [0073] reject channel or third channel [0074] 6 bad channel or second channel [0075] 7 first sorting device [0076] 8 sorting web for sample tablets or sorting web of the second sorting device [0077] 9 separating web for sample tablets or separating web of the second sorting device [0078] 10 sorting web for reject tablets or sorting web of the first sorting device [0079] 11 separating web for reject tablets or separating web of the first sorting device [0080] 12 center wall [0081] 13 sample channel or fourth channel [0082] 14 second sorting device [0083] 15 fifth channel or collecting channel [0084] 16 entrance for the reject channel [0085] 17 drive for the sorting webs, linear drive [0086] 18 outlet for sample tablets [0087] 19 outlet of collecting channel [0088] 20 outlet of good channel [0089] 21 entrance for the sample channel [0090] 22 rocker