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 THE INVENTION
Machine for producing capsules accurately filled with microtablets
APPLICANTS
Sci-tech Centre, 7 Prabhat Nagar, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai 400 102, Maharashtra, India, an Indian company
INVENTORS
Krishna Mukund and Singh Karan, both Indian nationals and both of Sci-tech Centre, 7 Prabhat Nagar, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai 400 102, Maharashtra, India
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed :

FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a machine for producing capsules accurately filled with
microtablets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical machine for producing capsules like gelatin capsules filled with microtablets of products like pharmaceuticals or neutraceuticals includes a microtablet handling turret comprising a circular tub disposed for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of sets of microtablet holding holes at the circumference of the bottom thereof radially equidistantly spaced apart from one another. The circular tub is configured to rotate intermittently at intervals about a microtablet filling station and a microtablet ejection station in a cycle of operation of the machine. The microtablet handling turret also comprises a stationary circular bottom plate disposed below the circular tub in sliding contact with the bottom thereof and having a set of openings at the circumference thereof at the microtablet ejection station matching and aligning with a set of microtablet holding holes in the circular tub taking position at the microtablet ejection station during the intermittent rotation of the circular tub. A microtablet feed hopper is located at the microtablet filling station in order to feed microtablets into the sets of microtablet holding holes in succession.
The machine also includes a capsule handling turret located in the proximity of the microtablet handling turret and comprising a circular table disposed for rotation about a

vertical axis in the same direction as the circular tub and having a plurality of capsule holding pockets or sets of capsule holding pockets radially equidistantly spaced apart from one another at the circumference thereof. The circular table is located below the circular tub with the circumference of the circular tub overlapping the circumference of the circular table. The circular table is configured to rotate intermittently at intervals about a plurality of stations including a capsule orienting and loading and separating station, a capsule body and capsule cap presence sensing station, a capsule body filling station, an unopen capsule ejection station, a filled capsule body closing station, a closed capsule ejection station and a capsule holding pockets cleaning station in a cycle of operation of the machine.
The intermittent rotational movements of the circular tub and circular table at intervals is controlled and synchronized by a PLC (Programmable Logic Control) in such a way that in a cycle of operation of the machine, the microtablet ejection station of the circular tub and capsule filling station of the circular table coincide at one time and the circular table with a capsule body located in a capsule holding pocket or capsule bodies located in a set of capsule holding pockets and having its mouth or their mouths oriented upwardly and taking position at the capsule filling station at that time aligns below a set of microtablet holding holes of the circular tub filled with microtablets of the required dosages and taking position at the microtablet ejection station at that time. The said set of microtablet holding holes at the microtablet ejection station get connected to the capsule body or bodies through the said set of openings in the bottom plate and through one or

more microtablet transfer conduits vertically positioned between the bottom plate and circular table and mounted to the bottom plate.
As a result, the microtablets in the said set of microtablet holding holes drop down under gravity into the capsule body or capsule bodies via the said set of openings in the bottom plate to form the required dosages. During further indexing of the circular tub, the circular tub moves to the microtablet filling station. During further indexing of the circular table, the circular table moves to the following stations namely unopen capsule ejection station, filled capsule body closing station, closed capsule ejection station and capsule holding pockets cleaning station to perform the respective operations. A chute is located at the filled capsule ejection station in order to collect the filled capsules. The chute comprises one or more parallel passages or channels for the closed capsules to roll or slide down to a filled capsule collector.
In such a machine in order to form capsules of accurate and correct dosages of microtablets, the number of microtablets being filled in the capsule body or bodies at the microtablet ejection station coinciding with the capsule filling station must be the same and the microtablets getting filled in the capsule body or capsule bodies must be in good physical condition. However, while feeding the microtablets into each of the sets of microtablets holding holes in the circular tub of the microtablet handling turret, there are chances that the required number of microtablets may not get into each of the microtablet holding holes in a set of microtablet holding holes. There are also chances that the

microtablets in each of the microtablet holding holes in a set of microtablet holding holes may not drop down or get transferred into the respective capsule body or bodies.
There are also chances that all or some of the microtablets being fed into the microtablet holding holes of each set of microtablet holding holes and getting transferred into the respective capsule body or bodies are damaged and defective. One or more of these possibilities or circumstances will cause dosage and weight variations of the filled capsules. This is not only desirable and acceptable but also will have serious consequences, especially in the case of pharmaceuticals or neutraceuticals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention the circular tub is configured to rotate intermittently at intervals in a cycle of operation of the machine about a microtablet filling station, a first inspection station, a microtablet ejection station and a second inspection station. A microtablet feed hopper is located at the mictrotablet filling station and the bottom plate of the microtablet handling turret comprises a set of openings at the ejection station matching and aligning with a set of microtablet holding holes at the bottom of the circular tub. The intermittent rotational movements of the circular tub and circular table are configured in such a manner that in a cycle of operation of the machine the microtablet ejection station of the circular tub and capsule filling station of the circular table coincide at one time and the circular table with a capsule body located in a capsule holding pocket or capsule bodies located in a set of capsule holding pockets with the mouth or mouths

thereof oriented upwardly and taking position at the capsule filling station at that time aligns below a set of microtablet holding holes of the circular tub filled with microtablets of the required dosages and taking position at the microtablet ejection station at that time and the set of openings in the bottom plate get connected to said set of microtablet holding holes at the microtablet ejection station and to the capsule body or bodies at the capsule filling station through a microtablet transfer conduit or conduits vertically positioned at the capsule filling station between the bottom plate and circular table and mounted to the bottom plate. A first sensor is located at the first inspection station to sense a set of filled microtablet holding holes and a second sensor is located at the second inspection station to sense a set of empty microtablet holding holes. The chute comprises a rejector for rejecting inaccurately filled capsules and an electronic control is provided for operating the rejector based on input from the sensors.
According to the invention inaccurately and insufficiently filled capsules are sensed through the sensors and rejected through the rejector and good capsules are collected in order to ensure accuracy and correctness of dosages of microtablets. As a result, dosage and weight variations of the filled capsules are eliminated. This is particularly advantageous in the case of pharmaceutical or neutraceuticals in respect of which dosage and weight variations will have serious consequences.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

Fig 1 is a plan view of the machine for producing capsules accurately filled with
microtablets according to an embodiment of the invention;
Fig 2 is an elevation of the machine of Fig 1;
Fig 3 is an enlarged view at A in Fig 2;
Fig 4 is a partial view of a circular tub, bottom plate and circular table of the machine of
Fig 1;
Fig 5 is a plan view of the chute of the machine of Fig 1 with the flaps in the closed
condition;
Fig 6 is a crosssection at A-A in Fig 5;
Figs 7 is a partial view of the chute of the machine of Fig 1 with a flap in the open
condition thereof; and
Fig 8 is a schematic diagram of the electronic control, solenoid operated direction control
valves, pneumatic cylinders and closed circuit digital (CCD) cameras of the machine of
Figl.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The machine 1 for producing capsules accurately filled with microtablets as illustrated in Figs 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings includes a microtablet handling turret 2 comprising a circular tub 3 mounted on a vertical shaft 4 disposed for rotation about a vertical axis using bearings 5 and 6 in a housing 7 which is mounted on the top plate 8 of the machine. 9 is an indexer (electric motor) for indexing or rotating the vertical shaft and the circular tub intermittently at intervals. The circular tub 3 comprises a plurality of sets

of microtablet holding holes 10 at the circumference of the bottom 11 thereof radially equidistantly spaced apart from one another (Fig 1). Each of the sets of microtablet holding holes comprises a pair of two rows of microtablet holding holes (Fig 1). 12 is a stationary circular bottom plate disposed below the circular tub in sliding contact with the bottom thereof.
13 is a capsule handling turret located in the proximity of the microtablet handling turret and comprising a circular table 14 mounted on a vertical shaft 15 disposed for rotation about a vertical axis in the same direction as the circular tub using bearings 16, 17 in a housing 18 which is mounted on the top plate 8 of the machine. 19 is an indexer (electric motor) for rotating the vertical shaft 15 and the circular table 14 intermittently at intervals. The circular table 14 comprises a plurality of sets of two capsule holding pockets 20 radially equidistantly spaced apart from one another at the circumference thereof. One capsule holding packet 20 of each set of capsule holding pockets is aligned with a pair of rows of capsule holding holes of each set of microtablet holding holes and the other capsule holding pocket of each set of capsule holding pockets is aligned with the other pair of rows of capsule holding holes of each set of microtablet holding holes.
The circular table 14 is disposed below the circular tub 3 with the circumference of the circular tub overlapping the circumference of the circular table and the pairs of rows of capsule holding holes of each set of capsule holding holes aligned with the sets of capsule holding pockets. The circular table is configured to describe intermittent rotational movement about a plurality of stations including a capsule orienting and loading and

separating station 21, a capsule body and capsule cap presence station 22, a capsule body filling station 23, an unopen capsule ejection station 24, a filled capsule body closing station 25, a closed capsule ejection station 26 and a capsule holding pockets cleaning station 27 in a cycle of operation of the machine. 28 is a chute located at the filled capsule ejection station and comprising two passages or channels 29 for the closed capsules to roll or slide down. 28a is a support for the chute.
The circular tub 3 is configured to rotate intermittently at intervals in a cycle of operation of the machine about a tnicrotablet filling station 30, a first inspection station 31, a microtablet ejection station 32 and a second inspection station 33. 34 is a microtablet feed hopper located at the microtablet filling station. The bottom plate 12 of the microtablet handling turret 2 comprises a set of openings 35 at the ejection station matching and aligning with a set of microtablet holding holes 10 at the bottom of the circular tub. The intermittent rotational movement of the circular tub 3 and circular table 14 are configured in such a manner that in a cycle of operation of the machine the microtablet ejection station 32 of the circular tub and capsule filling station 23 of the circular table coincide at one time.
At that time, the circular table with a pair of capsule bodies 36 (Fig 3) located in a pair of capsule holding pockets 20 in the circular table and having the mouths thereof oriented upwardly and taking position at the capsule filling station aligns below a set of microtablet holding holes in the circular tub filled with microtablets and taking position at the microtablet ejection station. And the set of openings 35 in the bottom plate at the

microtablet ejection station get connected to the capsule bodies at the capsule filling station through microtablet transfer conduits 37 vertically positioned at the capsule filling station between the bottom plate and circular table and mounted to the bottom plate and the microtablets in the said set of microtablet holding holes travel or fall down into the respective capsule bodies via the set of openings 35 in the bottom plate and the transfer conduits 37. During further indexing of the circular table, the circular table moves to the following stations thereof to perform the respective functions.
38 is a first image sensor comprising a closed circuit digital (CCD) camera located at the first inspection station 31. 39 is a second image sensor comprising a second closed circuit digital (CCD) camera located at the second inspection station 33. The chute comprises a flap 40 disposed in an oblong slot 41 formed across each passage 29 in the chute (Figs 5 to 7). The flap is hinged (hinge marked 42 in Fig 7) at one end thereof to the chute and connected at the other end thereof to the piston rod 43 of a vertically located pneumatic cylinder 44. The piston of the pneumatic cylinder is marked 45. 46 is an electronic control comprising a microprocessor controlling the operation of the pneumatic cylinder through a solenoid operated direction control valve 47 connected to the cylinder side and piston side of the pneumatic cylinder (Fig 8). Air inlet and air exhaust of the direction control valve are marked 48 and 49, respectively. The microprocessor is also connected to the CCD cameras 38 and 39. The microprocessor comprises images of a set of empty microtablet holding holes and a set of microtablet holding holes filled with the required number of microtablets of good physical condition constituting the required dosages as reference images stored in the memory thereof.

During operation of the machine the cameras at the first inspection station and second inspection station capture the images of a set of capsule holding holes filled with microtablets and a set empty capsule holding holes in each cycle of operation of the machine, respectively. The images received from the cameras are continuously compared with the reference images in the microprocessor. If and when the images received from one or both the cameras do not tally with the reference images in the microprocessor, the microprocessor operates the respective solenoid operated direction control valve. As a result, the cylinder side of the respective pneumatic cylinder gets connected to the air inlet 48 of the direction control valve and the piston side of the pneumatic cylinder gets connected to the air exhaust 49 of the direct control valve. The piston 45 moves up in the pneumatic cylinder under the air pressure being built up in the cylinder side of the pneumatic cylinder and the flap 40 gets lifted up in the oblong slot 41 in the passage 29 of the chute 28.
Inaccurately and insufficiently filled capsules at the closed capsule ejection station 26 of the circular table fall down into a reject capsule collector bin (not shown) or the like located below the oblong slot. After the defective capsule has fallen down through the oblong slot, the microprocessor operates the direction control valve to connect the piston side of the pneumatic cylinder to the air inlet and cylinder side of the pneumatic cylinder to the air exhaust. Air flows into the piston side of the pneumatic cylinder and under air pressure in the piston side of the pneumatic cylinder, the piston and piston rod move down in the pneumatic cylinder and the flap also moves down with the piston rod to its

original position and closes the oblong slot. Accurately filled capsules being ejected at the capsule ejection station roll or slide down to a good capsule collector (not shown) through the passages in the chute.
During operation of the machine, filling of the microtablets and ejection of the microtablets take place as usual at the microtablets filling station 30 and microtablets ejection station 32. However, according to the invention accurately and inaccurately filled capsules are sensed and differentiated. Only accurately filled capsules are collected and defective and inaccurately filled capsules are rejected at the filled capsule ejection station 26. As a result, dosage and weight variations are avoided. This is very advantageous especially in the case of pharmaceuticals or neutraceuticals in respect of which dosage and weight variations will have serious consequences.
The above embodiment of the invention is by way of example only and should not be construed and understood to be limitative of the scope of the invention. Several variations of the invention are possible without deviating from the scope of the invention. Depending upon the number of filled capsule to be produced in each cycle of operation of the machine and the dosages thereof, the number of capsule holding pockets or number of sets of capsule holding pockets and numbder of capsule holding pockets in each set of capsule holding pockets and correspondingly the number of microtablet holding holes in a set of microtablet holding holes and arrangement or pattern thereof will vary. There can be one or more than two passages or channels in the chute depending upon the

number of capsule holding pockets or the number of capsule holding pockets in each set of capsule holding pockets.
The number of raising and lowering means will vary accordingly. Instead of closed circuit digital (CCD) cameras, other sensors or image capturing or sensing sensors or devices can be used. The number of inspection stations and number of sensors at the inspection stations can vary. The rejector configuration and construction can be different. Instead of the arrangement or configuration of pneumatic cylinder and direction control valve and flap in an oblong slot, there can be other configuration or construction of the rejector. Linkage or hydraulic cylinder can be used to raise and lower the flap in the oblong slot. Such variations in the construction and configuration of the invention are obvious to a person skilled in the art and are be construed and understood to be well within the scope of the invention

We claim
1) A machine for producing capsules accurately filled with microtablets including a microtablet handling turret comprising a circular tub disposed for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of sets of microtablet holding holes at the circumference of the bottom thereof radially equidistantly spaced apart from one another and a stationary circular bottom plate disposed below the circular tub in sliding contact with the bottom thereof and a capsule handling turret located in the proximity of the microtablet handling turret and comprising a circular table disposed for rotation about a vertical axis in the same direction as the circular tub, the circular table comprising a plurality of capsule holding pockets or sets of capsule holding pockets radially equidistantly spaced apart from one another at the circumference thereof, the circular table being disposed below the circular tub with the circumference of the circular tub overlapping the circumference of the circular table and further being configured to describe intermittent rotational movement about a plurality of stations including a capsule orienting and loading and separating station, a capsule body and capsule cap presence sensing station, a capsule body filling station, an unopen capsule ejection station, filled capsule body closing station, a closed capsule ejection station and a capsule holding pockets cleaning station in a cycle of operation of the machine and a chute located at the filled capsule ejection station and comprising one or more passages for the closed capsules to roll down, wherein the circular tub is configured to rotate intermittently at intervals in a cycle of operation of the machine about a microtablet filling station, a first inspection station, a microtablet ejection station and a second inspection station and a microtablet feed hopper is located at the microtablet filling station and the bottom plate of

the microtablet handling turret comprises a set of openings at the ejection station matching and aligning with a set of microtablet holding holes and wherein the intermittent rotational movements of the circular tub and circular table are configured in such a manner that in a cycle of operation of the machine the microtablet ejection station of the circular tub and capsule filling station of the circular table coincide at one time and the circular table with a capsule body located in a capsule holding pocket or capsule bodies located in a set of capsule holding pockets with the mouth or mouths thereof oriented upwardly and taking position at the capsule filling station at that time aligns below a set of microtablet holding holes of the circular tub filled with microtablets of the required dosages and taking position at the microtablet ejection station at that time and the set of openings in the bottom plate get connected to said set of microtablet holding holes at the microtablet ejection station and to the capsule body or bodies at the capsule filling station through a microtablet transfer conduit or conduits vertically positioned at the capsule filling station between the bottom plate and circular table and mounted to the bottom plate and wherein a first sensor is located at the first inspection station to sense a set of filled microtablet holding holes and a second sensor is located at the second inspection station to sense a set of empty microtablet holding holes, the chute comprises a rejector for rejecting inaccurately filled capsules and an electronic control is provided for operating the rejector based on input from the sensors.
2) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each is an image sensor and the rejector comprises a flap disposed in an oblong slot formed across each passage in the chute, the flap being hinged at one end thereof to the

chute and connected at the other end thereof to a raising and lowering means to open and close the oblong slot and the electronic control is a microprocessor.
3) The machinery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the raising and lowering means comprises a pneumatic cylinder disposed below the flap and having the piston rod thereof connected to the flap at the said other end thereof and the microprocessor is connected to the pneumatic cylinder through a solenoid operated direction control valve and is further connected to the image sensors, the microprocessor being programmed to operate the pneumatic cylinder through the solenoid operated direction control valve and raise and lower the flap in the oblong slot to open and close the oblong slot based on images input from the image sensors and reference images stored in the microprocessor.
4) The machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the image sensors are closed circuit digital (CCD) cameras.