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, 2006
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
TITLE OF INVENTION
Dip moulding method and machine for making capsules with source indicator
APPLICANTS
Sci-tech Centre, 7 Prabhat Nagar, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai 400 102, Maharashtra, India, an Indian company
INVENTORS
Singh Jasjit, a British national and Deshmukh Prakash and Rodrigues Thomas Felix, both Indian nationals and all of Sci-tech Centre, 7 Prabhat Nagar, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai 400 102, Maharashtra, India, an Indian company
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 INVENTION
This invention relates to a dip moulding method and machine for making capsules with source indicator.
Each of the expressions "source indicator" and "source indicating sign" as used in the specification is intended to signify and include one or more logos, devices, emblems, marks, signs, graphics, numerals, letters or colours or combinations thereof serving as indication of source of origin of the capsules and/or the contents of the capsules.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Capsules made of materials selected from gelatin, cellulose or starch are generally used for filling dosage forms of products like pharmaceuticals or neutraceuticals. The capsules are generally made in two pieces namely capsule bodies and capsule caps and joined together. Dip moulding method is commonly used for making capsules. The dip moulding method is carried out in an automatic capsule making machine comprising capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds. Each of the capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds comprises a pin bar having a plurality of mould pins. The profiles of the mould pins correspond to the respective capsule bodies and capsule caps. The capsule body moulds and the capsule cap moulds are moved on the machine parallel to each other and are dipped simultaneously into a liquid bath of the material of the capsule bodies and capsule caps maintained at a predetermined temperature and viscosity. Dipping of the mould pins in the liquid material is upto a predetermined depth so as to form a film or coating of the material around the mould pins corresponding to the shapes of the respective capsule bodies and capsule caps. The moulds are withdrawn from the liquid material and rotated intermittently so as to
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allow the coating to set and take the shape of the respective capsule bodies and capsule caps. The capsule bodies and capsule caps formed on the mould pins are dried in a drying chamber with hot air and the capsule bodies and capsule caps are stripped from the respective mould pins by stripping devices. The capsule bodies and capsule caps are cut to the required sizes, joined together and ejected from the machine and colleted in drums or containers. Filling of the dosage forms in the capsules is carried out separately in capsule filling machines.
Manufacturers of capsules and manufacturers of products to be filled in the capsules are generally different. Product manufacturers usually buy empty capsules from the capsule manufacturers and fill the empty capsules with the products. Details of the product manufacturers and products are usually printed on the capsules and / or on the packagings of the capsules. During printing, there are possibilities of some of the capsules and / or their packagings not getting printed fully. There are also possibilities of the printing being smudged or partly missing on some of the capsules and/or their packagings. In such cases it will be practically impossible to know the details of the capsule manufacturers and/or product manufacturers. Besides, because of the capsule manufacturers and product manufacturers being different, unscrupulous persons / manufacturers can easily buy empty capsules from the capsule manufacturers and fill them with their products and print the capsules and / or the packagings with the details of reputed manufacturers of similar products and thus pass off spurious products as the products of the reputed manufacturers. This will not only cause financial losses and serious damage and injury to the reputation and goodwill of the reputed manufacturer but also serious damage and injury to the purchasers of the spurious capsules, especially in the case of pharmaceuticals and neutraceuticals.
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OBJECTS OF INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a dip moulding method for making capsules with source indicator which indicates the source of origin of the capsules and / or the products filled in the capsules, especially to prevent counterfeiting of the products.
Another object of the invention is to provide a dip moulding method for making capsules with source indicator which method is simple and convenient to carry out.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic capsule making machine for carrying out the dip moulding method for making capsules with source indicator which indicates the source of origin of the capsules and / or the products filled in the capsules, especially to prevent counterfeiting of the products.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a dip moulding method for making capsules with source indicator, which method is carried out with capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds, each of the capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds comprising a pin bar having a plurality of mould pins corresponding to the capsule bodies and / or capsule caps to be formed therewith and having a source indicating sign engraved therein.
According to the invention there is also provided an automatic capsule making machine for carrying out the dip moulding method for making capsules with source
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indicator, the machine comprising capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds, each of the capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds comprising a pin bar having a plurality of mould pins corresponding to the capsule bodies and / or capsule caps to be formed therewith and having a source indicating sign engraved therein.
The following is a detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figs 1 and 2 are partial elevation and partial bottom view of a capsule body mould according to an embodiment of the invention;
Figs 3 and 4 are elevation and bottom view of a capsule body formed with the capsule body mould of Figs 1 and 2;
Figs 5 and 6 are partial elevation and partial bottom view of a capsule cap mould according to an embodiment of the invention;
Figs 7 and 8 are elevation and top view of a capsule cap formed with the capsule cap mould of Figs 5 and 6; and
Fig 9 is elevation of a capsule formed with the capsule body mould of Figs 1 and 2 and the capsule cap mould of Figs 5 and 6.
The capsule body mould 1 as illustrated in Figs 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings comprises a pin bar 2 having a plurality of capsule body mould pins 3. 3a is
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a groove around the mould pins 3 at the upper ends thereof. The mould pins are engraved with the source indicator letters ACG so that the capsule bodies 4 formed by the dip moulding method in an automatic capsule making machine comprising the mould pins of Figs 1 and 2 also will have the letters ACG engraved in the side wall thereof as is seen in Figs 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings. The capsule bodies also will have a rim 4a around them at the upper ends thereof corresponding to the grooves 3a around the mould pins 3. The capsule cap mould 5 as illustrated in Figs 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings comprises a bar pin 6 having a plurality of capsule cap mould pins 7. 8 represents air vents provided through the mould pins The pins are engraved with the source indicator letters ACG so that the capsule caps 9 formed by the dip moulding method in an automatic capsule making machine comprising the mould pins of Figs 5 and 6 also will have the letters ACG engraved therein as is seen in Figs 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings. 10 is a groove around the capsule cap mould pin at the bottom thereof so as to form a corresponding internal groove (depression) 11 in the capsule cap at the top thereof. Air vents 8a in the capsule caps correspond to air vents 8 in the capsule cap mould pins 7. The capsule bodies and capsule caps are joined together by pushing the capsule bodies into the capsule caps when the rims 4a of the capsule bodies snap fit in the respective grooves 11 in the capsule caps and form capsules as illustrated in Fig 9 of the accompanying drawings.. The capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds can be made of any heat resistant mechanically strong material. Preferably, they are made of stainless steel. The capsule bodies and capsule caps can be made of materials selected from gelatin, cellulose or starch. The letters ACG or any other source indicator or source indicating sign can be impressed or engraved in the capsule body mould pins and / or capsule cap mould pins by techniques such as chemical etching,
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laser engraving, embossing or electrolysis. The letters ACG or any other source indicator or source indicating sign impressed, deeply formed, engraved or engraved in the capsule bodies and/or capsule caps form a permanent sign or mark so as to indicate the source of origin of the capsules and / or the products filled in the capsules in that the source indicator or source indicating sign can be specific to the capsule manufacture and / or product manufacturer. Even if printing of the details of the manufacture of the products is missed out on some of the capsules and/or the packaging of the capsules or is partially missed out or smudged on some of the capsules and /or on the packaging of the capsules, the source indicating sign in the capsules will still be present in the capsules so as to indicate the source of origin of the capsules or the products filled in the capsules. The invention is particularly useful as a safeguard against drug counterfeiting and spurious drugs and as an effective tool for consumer protection. The manufacturers of the capsules and/or the manufacture of the products can have separate signs engraved in the mould pins and the capsules. The invention also avoids the possibility of unscrupulous manufacturers/persons procuring empty capsules from capsule manufacturers and filling them with spurious products and printing the capsules and / or the packagings with the names of reputed manufacturers of similar products and passing off the spurious products as the products of the reputed manufacturers of similar products. In the event of dispute over the genuineness of the capsules and/or the products filled in the capsules, the source indicating sign in the capsules will be proof of the source of the capsules and/or the products filled in the capsules. The source indicating sign can be provided in the capsule body mould pins or in the capsule cap mould pins or both depending on whether the sign is required to appear both in the capsule bodies or in the capsule caps. The location of the letters ACG or any other source indicating sign
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on the mould pins can vary. The letters ACG are only a typical example of the source indicator or source indicating sign. The grooves 3a around the capsule body mould pins and grooves 10 around the capsule cap mould pins are optional in which case the capsule bodies and capsule caps formed will be without the respective rims 4a and grooves 11, respectively. The capsule cap and capsule body comprising the source indicating sign engraved therein can be easily incorporated in an automatic capsule making machine thereby rendering the machine simple in construction.
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We Claim:
1. A dip moulding method for making capsules with source indicator, which method is carried out with capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds, each of the capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds comprising a pin bar having a plurality of mould pins corresponding to the capsule bodies and / or capsule caps to be formed therewith and having a source indicating sign engraved therein.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source indicating sign is engraved on the capsule body mould pins and / or on the capsule cap mould pins by chemical etching, laser engraving, embossing or electrolysis.
3. An automatic capsule making machine for carrying out the dip moulding method for making capsules with source indicator, the machine comprising capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds, each of the capsule body moulds and capsule cap moulds comprising a pin bar having a plurality of mould pins corresponding to the capsule bodies and / or capsule caps to be formed therewith and having a source indicating sign engraved therein.
4. An automatic capsule making machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the source indicating sign is engraved on the capsule body mould pins and / or on the capsule cap mould pins by chemical etching, laser engraving, embossing or electrolysis.
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5. Capsules with source indicator made by the method as claimed in claim 1 or 2
or by the machine as claimed in claim 3 or 4.
Dated this 7th day of May 2007
(Prita Madan)
of Khaitan & Co
Agent for the Applicants
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ABSTRACT
A dip moulding method and machine for making capsules with source indicator. The capsule body moulds (1) and capsule cap moulds (5) each comprises a pin bar (2, 6) having a plurality of mould pins (3, 7) corresponding to the capsule bodies (4) and / or capsule caps (9) to be formed therewith and having a source indicating sign engraved therein (Figs 1 and 5).