The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 22, 1977
Filed:
Feb. 18, 1976
Austin E Pillon, Sandwich West, CA;
ITL Industries, Inc., Newark, OH (US);
Abstract
A pharmaceutical pill counter incorporating a rotating pill bowl and a stationary guide that cooperatively guide pills in single file to an exposed slide having a main portion that feeds prescription and stock bottle slide portions under the control of a gate. Each slide portion has a downwardly inclined orientation with an exposed channel shape to guide the pills downwardly while permitting the slide portions to be easily cleaned. The slide is preferably integrally defined by an upper housing portion of molded plastic and is located at a corner of the housing so that the prescription and stock bottle slide portions direct the pills to opposite sides of the corner. The gate includes a lower end pivotally mounted at a lower extremity of a common junction of the slide portions and an upper end that is moved along an upper extremity of this junction to direct the pills in the proper direction. The gate initially directs the pills to the prescription bottle slide portion until a photoelectric sensor along the main slide portion has sensed a programmed number of pills and then directs the remaining pills to the stock bottle slide portion. The rotating bowl and stationary guide are preferably molded from plastic and the guide includes a central hole that receives a removable upper end of a bowl drive shaft. A portion of the guide projects into the main slide portion to prevent rotation of the guide as the drive shaft rotates the bowl. A removable plastic shield is positioned over the slide and includes lower deflector portions that control the trajectory of pills as they leave the slide.