DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A CONSTITUENT PART OF A TABLETING MACHINE, USE THEREOF, AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING A POSITION OF A CONSTITUENT PART OF A TABLETING MACHINE

Abstract

In a first aspect, the invention relates to an apparatus for supporting a component of a tableting machine, the apparatus comprising as components an upper part, an intermediate element and a lower part. In further aspects, the invention relates to a tableting machine comprising a described apparatus and a method or use of the apparatus for adjusting a position of a component of a tableting machine. By means of the proposed apparatus, in particular the feeder support of a tableting machine and thus preferably the position of the filling device above the die table can be easily, quickly and reproducibly adjusted, preferably during machine set-up, but also during operation of the rotary tableting machine, in such a way that material loss is minimized.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A tableting machine comprising an apparatus (10) for supporting a component of a tableting machine, the apparatus (10) comprising precisely one upper part (12), precisely one intermediate element (14) and precisely one lower part (16), characterized in that the upper part (12), the intermediate element (14) and the lower part (16) are arranged one above another, and mutually contacting surfaces (12U, 14O, 14U, 16O) of the parts (12, 14, 16) are each formed to correspond, so that the upper part (12) and the intermediate element (14) are formed to be slidable relative to one another in a first spatial direction (18), and the intermediate element (14) and lower part (16) are formed to be slidable relative to one another in a second spatial direction (20).

17. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the component of the tableting machine is at least one of a feeder support or a filling device.

18. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the first spatial direction (18) and the second spatial direction (20) constitute a substantially right angle with each other.

19. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the mutually contacting surfaces (12U, 14O, 14U, 16O) of the upper part (12), of the intermediate element (14) and of the lower part (16) are formed corresponding to one another in such a way that the upper part (12) can be swiveled about a swivel axis which corresponds to a first spatial direction (18) and the intermediate element (14) can be swiveled about a swivel axis which corresponds to the second spatial direction (20).

20. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the upper part (12) has a flat upper surface (12O) and at least one of a cylindrical lower surface (12U) or the intermediate element (14) has a cylindrical upper surface (14O) and a cylindrical lower surface (14U).

21. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein a shape of the lower surface (12U) of the upper part (12) corresponds to a shape of the upper surface (14O) of the intermediate element (14).

22. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein a shape of the lower surface (14U) of the intermediate element (14) corresponds to a shape of the upper surface (16O) of the lower part (16).

23. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the apparatus (10) comprises adjusting spindles (22) or scales (24).

24. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the apparatus (10) comprises at least one of belleville springs (26) or clamping elements (28).

25. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the tableting machine comprises a turret, a die table with die sockets, and a filling device for filling the die sockets, wherein the filling device is installed on a feeder support and wherein the feeder support is mounted on the upper part (12) of the apparatus (10) and allows at least one of adjustment or setting of the feeder support relative to the die table.

26. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the apparatus (10) is unmovably installed on at least one of a housing or a support plate of the tableting machine.

27. The tableting machine of claim 16 wherein the apparatus (10) is attached to a support column (30) within the tableting machine, the support column (30) preferably being installed on a support plate.

28. A method comprising the step of: using an apparatus (10) to set or adjust a position of a component of a tableting machine or both, wherein the apparatus (10) comprises precisely one upper part (12), precisely one intermediate element (14) and precisely one lower part (16), wherein the upper part (12), the intermediate element (14) and the lower part (16) are arranged one above another, and mutually contacting surfaces (12U, 14O, 14U, 16O) of the components (12, 14, 16) are each formed to correspond, so that the upper part (12) and the intermediate element (14) are formed to be slidable relative to one another in a first spatial direction (18), and the intermediate element (14) and lower part (16) are formed to be slidable relative to one another in a second spatial direction (20).

29. A method comprising the step of: adjusting a position of a component of a tableting machine wherein an apparatus (10) is provided for supporting a component of the tableting machine, wherein the apparatus (10) comprises precisely one upper part (12), precisely one intermediate element (14) and precisely one lower part (16) which are arranged one above another and wherein mutually contacting surfaces (12U, 14O, 14U, 16O) of parts (12, 14, 16) of the apparatus (10) are respectively formed with respect to each other such that the parts (12, 14, 16) are slidable with respect to each other, wherein a spatial direction (18) in which the upper part (12) and the intermediate element (14) can move with respect to one another and the spatial direction (20) in which the intermediate element (14) and the lower part (16) can move with respect to one another are arranged substantially perpendicular to each other and lie in a plane.

Description

[0062] The invention is described in more detail by the following figures; it shows:

[0063] FIG. 1 View of a preferred embodiment of the invention with a retaining column

[0064] FIG. 2 Sectional view through a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0065] FIG. 1 shows a view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus (10) with a retaining column (30). In particular, the components (12, 14, 16) of the apparatus can be seen, namely the upper part (12), the intermediate element (14) and the lower part (16). In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the upper part (12) has a flat upper surface (12O) on which a feeder support (not shown) can be placed. Furthermore, the upper part (12) has a lower surface (12U) which is cylindrical in shape. In particular, the lower surface (12U) of the upper part (12) is curved outwardly, this type of curvature being referred to within the meaning of the invention as a convex configuration of the lower surface (12U) of the upper part (12).

[0066] Also shown is the intermediate element (14), the upper surface (14O) of which corresponds to the lower surface (12U) of the upper part (12). The upper surface (14O) of the intermediate element (14) has an inward curvature, which within the meaning of the invention is referred to as a concave configuration of the surface. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the curvatures of the upper surface (14O) of the intermediate element (14) and the lower surface (12U) of the upper part (12) correspond to each other, which is referred to as “corresponding to each other” within the meaning of the invention. It is preferred within the meaning of the invention that the region between the upper part (12) and the intermediate element (14) of the apparatus (10) is referred to as the y-axis swiveling region, since a rotation of the upper part (12) in the curvature of the intermediate element (14) preferably takes place about a y-axis, the position of which is preferably defined by the cylindrical configuration of the upper surface (14O) of the intermediate element (14) and/or the lower surface (12U) of the upper part (12). Within the meaning of the invention, this y-axis is preferably also referred to as the swivel axis, wherein the movement of the upper part (12) in the curvature of the intermediate element (14) preferably takes place in a first spatial direction (18).

[0067] The lower surface (14U) of the intermediate element (14) is preferably also cylindrical in shape, in particular convex. The shape of the lower surface (14U) of the intermediate element (14) preferably corresponds to the shape of the upper surface (16O) of the lower part (16) of the apparatus (10), it being preferably meant within the meaning of the invention that the curvatures of the lower surface (14U) of the intermediate element (14) and of the upper surface (16O) of the lower part (16) correspond to one another and that the intermediate element (14) can move, in particular rotate, in a sliding manner in the curvature of the lower part (16). It is preferred within the meaning of the invention that the region between the intermediate element (14) of the apparatus (10) and the lower part (16) is referred to as the swivel region of the x-axis, since a rotation of the intermediate element (14) in the curvature of the lower part (16) preferably takes place about an x-axis, the position of which is preferably defined by the cylindrical configuration of the upper surface (16O) of the lower part (16) and/or the lower surface (14U) of the intermediate element (14). Within the meaning of the invention, this x-axis is preferably also referred to as the swivel axis, wherein the movement of the intermediate element (14) in the curvature of the lower part (16) preferably takes place in a second spatial direction (20).

[0068] Also shown in FIG. 1 is a support column (30) which, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, can comprise a height adjuster which can, for example, be integrated in the support column (30).

[0069] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through a preferred embodiment of the apparatus (10) to illustrate further possible components of the apparatus. In particular, a scale (24), a belleville spring (26) and adjustment spindles (22) are shown, whereby an adjustment spindle (22) preferably represents a possible embodiment of an adjustment element within the meaning of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0070] 10 Apparatus [0071] 12 Upper part [0072] 12 Upper surface of the upper part [0073] 12U Lower surface of the upper part [0074] 14 Intermediate element [0075] 14O Upper surface of the intermediate element [0076] 14U Lower surface of the intermediate element [0077] 16 Lower part [0078] 16O Upper surface of the lower part [0079] 18 First spatial direction [0080] 20 Second spatial direction [0081] 22 Adjustment spindle [0082] 24 Scale [0083] 26 Belleville spring [0084] 28 Clamping device [0085] 30 Support column