CLIAMS:We claim:
1) An automatic machine for sealing filled capsules, including a capsule loading and orienting unit comprising a hopper mounted on a housing and capsule orienting and transferring drums rotatably mounted in the housing one below the other underneath the hopper, a capsule sealing unit comprising a linear conveyor disposed underneath the housing for rotation in the horizontal plane about sealing rollers applied with a sealant liquid and a capsule drying unit comprising a drying chamber having a chain conveyor rotatable up and down in the vertical plane, wherein the chain conveyor consists of a pair of side chains spaced from each other and a plurality of oblong indexable carrier links located in the space between the side chains adjacent to one another lengthwise rotatably about the longitudinal axis thereof and detachably mounted to the side chains at the ends thereof and wherein the oblong indexable carrier links each consists of multiple faces, each face having capsule cavities of a different size longitudinally.
2) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each oblong indexable carrier link consists of two oblong indexable carrier link units held together adjacent to each other lengthwise, each oblong indexable carrier link unit having multiple faces and having capsule cavities of different sizes at each face thereof longitudinally.
3) The machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the oblong indexable carrier link units are pivoted at the ends thereof to a pair of end blocks and are separated from each other by a tie rod disposed between the oblong indexable carrier link units and fixed to the end blocks and wherein the oblong indexable carrier link units are held in position with a clamp, the end blocks being detachably mounted to the side chains.
4) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oblong indexable carrier links each is square or hexagonal shaped.
5) The machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the oblong indexable carrier link units each is square shaped or hexagonal shaped.
6) The machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clamp consists of a spring steel clamp.
,TagSPECI:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2014

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(Section 10 and Rule 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Automatic machine for sealing filled capsules

APPLICANTS

Sci-tech Centre, 7 Prabhat Nagar, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai 400 102, an Indian company

INVENTORS

Singh Jasjit, a British subject and Deshmukh Prakash Harischandra and Mestry Jitendra Jayant, both Indian nationals, all of Sci-tech Centre, 7 Prabhat Nagar, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai 400 102

PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION

The following specification particularly describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed :

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an automatic machine for sealing filled capsules.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dosages of pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals or certain food supplements are often filled in gelatin capsules for ease and convenience of being taken by the patients. A gelatin capsule consists of a capsule body or bottom and a capsule cap or closure. Capsule bodies are filled with dosages of the pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals or food supplements in various forms such as powder, pellets or liquid and are closed with capsule caps.

Filled capsules are generally sealed in an automatic machine including a capsule loading and orienting unit, a capsule sealing unit and a capsule drying unit configured to cooperate. The capsule loading and orienting unit comprises a hopper mounted on a housing and capsule orienting and transferring drums rotatably mounted in the housing one below the other underneath the hopper. The capsule sealing unit comprises a linear conveyor disposed underneath the housing for rotation in the horizontal plane about sealing rollers applied with a liquid sealant. The capsule drying unit comprises a drying chamber having a chain conveyor rotatable up and down in the vertical plane.

Filled capsules being fed through the hopper are oriented in the capsule orienting and transferring drums with their bodies directed downwards and caps directed upwards. Oriented capsules drop down on the linear conveyor disposed below the housing of the capsule loading and orienting unit under gravity. While moving on the linear conveyor, the capsules are coated with the liquid sealant on the sealing rollers at the joints (contact areas) between the capsule bodies and capsule caps of the capsules. Filled capsules applied with sealant at the joints between the capsule bodies and capsule caps are transported to the chain conveyor in the drying unit. Air is blown over the filled and sealed capsules being carried on the chain conveyor to dry the sealant coating at the joints between the capsule bodies and capsule caps of the capsules.

The chain conveyor in the drying chamber of the drying unit consists of a pair of side chains spaced from each other and a plurality of oblong carrier links located in the space between the side chains adjacent to one another lengthwise and detachably mounted to the side chains at the ends thereof. The chain conveyor is very long, typically 23.5 to 30.8 m long and consists of correspondingly large number of carrier links. Each of the carrier links is one piece construction and consists of a plurality of capsule cavities longitudinally at the upper surface thereof to accommodate the capsules to be carried on the chain conveyor.

The size of the capsule cavities in terms of geometry and dimensions of a set of carrier links of a chain conveyor is fixed. Therefore, in order to dry capsules of a different size and dimensions in the drying chamber, it is necessary to dismantle the carrier links mounted to the side chains of the chain conveyor and to mount a different set of carrier links having matching capsule cavities to the side chains to handle the capsules having a different size. Dismantling of one set of carrier links having a particular size of capsule cavities and assembling of a different set of carrier links having a different size of capsule cavities to accommodate capsules of a different size to the side chains is quite inconvenient, cumbersome, time consuming and labour intensive and reduces productivity. There is thus need for automatic machines for sealing filled capsules, which are simple in construction, cost effective, easy and convenient to operate, reduce labour and increase productivity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an automatic machine for sealing filled capsules, including a capsule loading and orienting unit comprising a hopper mounted on a housing and capsule orienting and transferring drums rotatably mounted in the housing one below the other underneath the hopper, a capsule sealing unit comprising a linear conveyor disposed underneath the housing for rotation in the horizontal plane about sealing rollers applied with a sealant liquid and a capsule drying unit comprising a drying chamber having a chain conveyor rotatable up and down in the vertical plane, wherein the chain conveyor consists of a pair of side chains spaced from each other and a plurality of oblong indexable carrier links located in the space between the side chains adjacent to one another lengthwise rotatably about the longitudinal axis thereof and detachably mounted to the side chains at the ends thereof and wherein the oblong indexable carrier links each consists of multiple faces, each face having capsule cavities of a different size longitudinally.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig 1 is a schematic elevation of an automatic machine for sealing filled capsules;

Fig 2 is a schematic side view of the capsule drying unit of the machine of Fig 1;

Figs 3, 4 and 5 are isometric view, front view and plan view of an oblong indexable carrier link of the chain conveyor in the capsule drying unit of Figs 1 and 2 according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig 6 is an exploded view of the oblong indexable carrier link of Figs 3 to 5; and

Figs 7 and 8 are isometric view and plan view of two oblong indexable carrier links of Figs 3 to 6 mounted to the side chains.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
The automatic machine 1 for sealing filled capsules (not shown) as illustrated in Figs 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings includes a capsule loading and orienting unit 2, a capsule sealing unit 3 and a capsule drying unit 4 configured to operate. The capsule loading and orienting unit comprises a hopper 5 mounted on a housing 6 and capsule orienting and transferring drums 7, 8 and 9 rotatably mounted in the housing one below the other underneath the hopper. The capsule sealing unit comprises a linear conveyor 10 disposed underneath the housing 6 for rotation in the horizontal plane about sealing rollers (not shown) applied with a liquid sealant (not shown).

The capsule drying unit comprises a drying chamber 11 having a chain conveyor 12 rotatable up and down in the vertical plane. The frame, base and mounting legs of the machine and supporting floor are marked 13, 14, 15 and 16, respectively. The rollers about which the linear conveyor 10 rotates are marked 17 and 18. The rollers about which the chain conveyor 12 rotates are marked 19 . 20 and 21 are idler rollers. Air inlet duct, air outlet duct and capsule exit chute of the capsule drying chamber are marked 22, 23 and 24 respectively.

As illustrated in Figs 3 to 8 of the accompanying drawings, the chain conveyor 12 consists of a pair of side chains 25 spaced from each other and a plurality of oblong indexable or rotatable carrier links 26 indexable or rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof. Each carrier link consists of two oblong indexable or rotatable carrier link units 27 held adjacent to each other lengthwise in the space between the side chains. The carrier link units are pivoted at the ends thereof to a pair of end blocks 28with pivot pins 29 tightened in the end blocks in holes 30 in the end blocks and in holes 31 at the ends of the carrier link units. The carrier link units are separated from each other by a tie rod 32 disposed between the carrier link units and tightened in holes 33 in the end blocks. The carrier link units are clamped in position with a spring steel clamp 34. The tie rod along with the spring steel clamp holds the carrier link units together and give rigidity to the carrier link. The carrier link units are square shaped and consist of capsule cavities 35 of different sizes at each face 35a thereof longitudinally. The end blocks are fixed to the side chains with mounting pins 36 tightened in holes 37 in the end blocks and corresponding holes 38 in the side chains.

During operation of the machine and capsule drying chamber, each time capsules of different sizes are required to be dried in the drying chamber, the spring steel clamps are disengaged from the carrier link units and the carrier link units are rotated about their pivot pins ie about the longitudinal axis thereof to align faces of the carrier link units having similar capsule cavities at the top thereof. The carrier link units are thereafter clamped in position with the spring steel clamps.

It is to be understood that each carrier link, instead of consisting of two carrier link units, can be a one piece square shaped indexable carrier link having capsule cavities of different sizes at each face thereof longitudinally. Each time capsules of different sizes are required to be dried, the carrier links are rotated to align capsule cavities of similar sizes. The carrier link may also consist of more than two carrier link units. Instead of square shaped carrier links or carrier link units, they also can be hexagonal shaped. The carrier link or carrier link units can be held together and mounted for rotation in a different manner. Such variations of the invention are obvious to a person skilled in the art and should be construed and understood to be within the scope of the invention.

According to the invention the indexable or rotatable oblong carrier links or indexable or rotatable oblong carrier link units having multiple faces with capsule cavities of different sizes can be turned easily about the pivot pins to align faces having capsule cavities of the same sizes and to handle capsules of different sizes in the drying chamber without having to dismantle the carrier links from the side chains and assemble a different set of carrier links having a different set of capsule cavities to the side chains. Therefore, it is quite convenient and easy to handle capsules of different sizes in the same chain conveyor of the drying chamber. As a result, labour is reduced and production time and productivity are increased. Carrier links comprising two or more carrier link units increase the effective number of capsule cavities and hence the number of capsules being dried and productivity. Furthermore, the indexable carrier links of the invention are also simple in construction and cost effective and can be retrofitted in the existing chain conveyors of drying chambers.

We claim:
1) An automatic machine for sealing filled capsules, including a capsule loading and orienting unit comprising a hopper mounted on a housing and capsule orienting and transferring drums rotatably mounted in the housing one below the other underneath the hopper, a capsule sealing unit comprising a linear conveyor disposed underneath the housing for rotation in the horizontal plane about sealing rollers applied with a sealant liquid and a capsule drying unit comprising a drying chamber having a chain conveyor rotatable up and down in the vertical plane, wherein the chain conveyor consists of a pair of side chains spaced from each other and a plurality of oblong indexable carrier links located in the space between the side chains adjacent to one another lengthwise rotatably about the longitudinal axis thereof and detachably mounted to the side chains at the ends thereof and wherein the oblong indexable carrier links each consists of multiple faces, each face having capsule cavities of a different size longitudinally.
2) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each oblong indexable carrier link consists of two oblong indexable carrier link units held together adjacent to each other lengthwise, each oblong indexable carrier link unit having multiple faces and having capsule cavities of different sizes at each face thereof longitudinally.
3) The machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the oblong indexable carrier link units are pivoted at the ends thereof to a pair of end blocks and are separated from each other by a tie rod disposed between the oblong indexable carrier link units and fixed to the end blocks and wherein the oblong indexable carrier link units are held in position with a clamp, the end blocks being detachably mounted to the side chains.
4) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oblong indexable carrier links each is square or hexagonal shaped.
5) The machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the oblong indexable carrier link units each is square shaped or hexagonal shaped.
6) The machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clamp consists of a spring steel clamp.
Dated this 23rd day of April 2015

(Jose M A)
of Khaitan & Co
Agent for the Applicants
Reg No IN/PA-44