FILING APPARATUS FOR A ROTARY PRESS

Abstract

A filling apparatus comprises a filling material reservoir and a filling chamber that is connected to the filling material reservoir with a filling opening configured to dispense filling material into cavities in the rotary press. A first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel with one or more stirrer blades and a second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel with one or more stirrer blades are arranged in the filling chamber. The first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel has at least one of a different geometry, a different direction of rotation, or a different rotary speed, than the second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel.

Claims

1. A filling apparatus for filling cavities in a rotary press, the filling apparatus comprising: a filling material reservoir; a filling chamber connected to the filling material reservoir and having a filling opening configured to allow filling material to pass through; a first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel having at least one stirrer blade; and a second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel having at least one stirrer blade; wherein the first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel and the second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel are disposed in the filling chamber, and wherein the at least one stirrer blade of the first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel has at least one of a different geometry, a different direction of rotation, or a different rotary speed, than the at least one stirrer blade of the second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel.

2. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel and the second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel are disposed along a common rotary axis in the filling chamber.

3. The filling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel and the second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel are rotatably driven on concentric rotary shafts.

4. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stirrer blade of one of the first and second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheels comprises a flat bar.

5. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stirrer blade of one of the first and second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheels comprises a round bar.

6. The filling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one stirrer blade comprising the round bar is disposed in the filling chamber above the at least one stirrer blade comprising a flat bar.

7. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stirrer blade of the first and second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel each lie in a same plane.

8. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stirrer blade of the first and second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel each lie in different planes.

9. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stirrer blade of one of the first and second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheels has one or more offsets.

10. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or more additional rotatably driven stirrer blade wheels disposed in the filling chamber, the one or more additional rotatably driven stirrer blade wheels having at least one of a different geometry, a different direction of rotation, or a different rotary speed, than the first and second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheels.

11. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional filling chamber.

12. The filling apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising at least one additional rotatable driven stirrer blade wheel disposed in the at least one additional filling chamber.

13. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control apparatus configured to control rotary speed and direction of rotation of the first and the second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheels.

14. A rotary press comprising; a rotor configured to be rotated by means of a rotary drive, the rotor comprising, an upper punch guide for upper press punches, a lower punch guide for lower press punches, and a die plate disposed between the upper punch guide and the lower punch guide, the die plate having a plurality of cavities, wherein the upper press punches and the lower press punches are configured to interact with the plurality of cavities in the die plate, a filling apparatus configured to house filling material and dispense the filling material into the plurality of cavities in the die plate; at least one upper pressing apparatus and at least one lower pressing apparatus configured to interact with the upper press punches and the lower press punches to press the filling material into the plurality of cavities in the die plate to form pellets; and an ejection apparatus configured to eject the pellets from the plurality of cavities.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to figures. Schematically,

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevation view of a rotor of an embodiment of a rotary press, and

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rotor of the embodiment of the rotary press from FIG. 1.

[0022] The same reference numbers refer to the same objects in the figures unless indicated otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The rotary press shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in particular the rotary tablet press, comprises a rotor that is rotationally driven by a rotary drive (not shown) with a die plate 10 which has a plurality of cavities 12. Referring to FIG. 1, the cavities 12 can, for example, be formed by holes in the die plate 10. The rotor further comprises a plurality of top or upper punches 14 and lower or bottom punches 16 that rotate synchronously with the die plate 10. An upper punch 14 and a lower punch 16 are assigned to each cavity 12. The axial movement of the upper punch 14 and lower punch 16, during the rotation of the rotor is controlled by upper control cam elements 18 and lower control cam elements 20. The rotary press moreover comprises a filling apparatus 22 which has a filling chamber 24. As shown in FIG. 1, a first stirrer blade wheel 26 and a second stirrer blade wheel 28 are arranged superimposed in the filling chamber 24. As shown, the stirrer blade wheels 26, 28 are rotatably driven by a common rotary drive. The embodiment of the stirrer blade wheels will be further explained below with reference to FIG. 2. The filling apparatus 22 moreover comprises a filling material reservoir 29 which is connected by a feed section 31 to the filling chamber 24. As shown, the filling material reservoir 29 is funnel-shaped. In an embodiment, the filling material present passes under the force of gravity from the filling material reservoir 29 via the feed section 31 into the filling chamber 24. The filling material may then pass via a filling opening provided in the bottom side of the filling chamber 24 into the cavities 12 of the die plate 10 under the force of gravity.

[0024] In an embodiment, the rotary press comprises a pressing station 30. The pressing station 30 possesses a pre-pressing apparatus with an upper pre-pressing roller 32 and a lower pre-pressing roller 34, as well as a main pressing apparatus with an upper main pressing roller 36 and a lower main pressing roller 38. Furthermore, the rotary press comprises an ejector station 40, in the present case with a scraper 42 which supplies the pellets 44, in particular tablets, produced in the rotary press to a pellet discharge 46 for further processing.

[0025] A control apparatus for operating the rotary press is shown with reference number 48. The control apparatus 48 is connected by lines (not shown) to, inter alia, the rotary drive of the rotor and the rotary drive of the stirrer blade wheels 26, 28 of the filling apparatus 22.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the first stirrer blade wheel 26 has a plurality of stirrer blades 50 that are connected at the same height to a rotary shaft 54. The stirrer blade wheel 28 also possesses a plurality of stirrer blades 52 which are also connected at the same height to the rotary shaft 54. The stirrer blades 52 of the second stirrer blade wheel 28 are located in a horizontal plane in the example shown in FIG. 2. In particular, no part of the stirrer blades extend in the same direction as the rotary shaft 54. The stirrer blades 52 of the second stirrer blade wheel 28 are made from a flat bar. The stirrer blades 50 of the first stirrer blade wheel 26 contrastingly do not lie in a horizontal plane, but are rather offset in each case. Moreover, the stirrer blades 50 of the first stirrer blade wheel 26 are made from a round bar.

[0027] During operation of the rotary press, the rotor is rotatably driven at a rotor rotary speed set by the control apparatus 48. At the same time, the stirrer blade wheels 26, 28 are rotatably driven at a rotary speed controlled by the control apparatus 48. During the rotation of the die plate 10, the cavities 12 run below the filling opening in the filling chamber 24. As explained, the filling material to be pressed is added to the cavities 12 through the filling opening. The filling height is specified by the bottom punches 16 which partially enter the cavities 12. In the region of the pressing station 30, the filling material located in the cavities 12 is pressed by the upper punches 14 and lower punches 16, i.e., successively by the pre-pressing rollers 32, 34 and main pressing rollers 36, 38. After pressing the filling material, the upper punches 14 can be withdrawn from the cavities 12, and the produced pellets 44 are ejected by the lower punches 16 onto the top side of the die plate 10 such that they are scraped off of the top side of the die plate 10 by the scraper 42 and supplied to the pellet discharge 46 for further processing.

[0028] As shown, the different configurations or designs of first rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel 26 and the second rotatably driven stirrer blade wheel 28 ensure optimum loosening of the filling material in the filling chamber 24 on the one hand, and optimum transportation of the filling material into the cavities 12 on the other hand.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0029] 10 Die plate

[0030] 12 Cavities

[0031] 14 Top punches

[0032] 16 Bottom punches

[0033] 18 Upper control cam elements

[0034] 20 Lower control cam elements

[0035] 22 Filling apparatus

[0036] 24 Filling chamber

[0037] 26 First stirrer blade wheel

[0038] 28 Second stirrer blade wheel

[0039] 29 Filling material reservoir

[0040] 30 Pressing station

[0041] 31 Feed section

[0042] 32 Upper pre-pressing roller

[0043] 34 Lower pre-pressing roller

[0044] 36 Upper main pressing roller

[0045] 38 Lower main pressing roller

[0046] 40 Ejector station

[0047] 42 Scraper

[0048] 44 Pellets

[0049] 46 Pellet discharge

[0050] 48 Control device

[0051] 50 Stirrer blade

[0052] 52 Stirrer blade

[0053] 54 Rotary axis