US3150785A - Pill counting device - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 29,

E. W- CLASEN FILL COUNTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 24. 1962 L 32 74 sz 6e 62 7' /N NTom 50 E Dwn/an .CLASENI H/s ATTORNEY United States Patent O M 3,150,785 PILL CUUNTING DEVICE Edward W. Clasen, 6500 Chippewa St., St. Louis, M0. Filed Dec. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 246,777 1 Ciairn. (Cl. 214-1) The present invention relates generally to counter devices adapted to facilitate and expedite the segregation of a definite number of small articles from a mass of similar articles collected in a relatively large container.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel device for use by establishments that deal in pharmaceutical items such as pills, tablets and the like.

Such establishments purchase these products in bulk, and the instant invention contemplates a simple device whereby desired specific numbers of such items can be segregated from the bulk containers for packaging and bottling without the necessity of handling and counting each individual item.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide novel means whereby a specific number of pills, tablets and the like may be expeditiously segregated from a mass of them untouched by human hands.

To this end the invention teaches, a device of simple construction that includes a tray member, a removable cover member therefor, and a partition bar adapted to control the number of items counted by the device as will appear. Thus, the device of the present invention is comprised of but three components or elements.

Preferably but not necessairly, the three components are fabricated of plastic material. With respect to the tray member and the partition bar, the material whereof these are fabricated may be opaque if desired, but it is considered essential that the cover member be fabricated of transparent material.

The tray member is rectangular as viewed in plan, and includes a bottom wall or base portion surrounded by three coextensive upstanding walls, and a fourth upstanding wall that is less than coextensive whereby to provide a discharge opening at one corner of the device when the cover member is in place.

Formed in the bottom wall or base portion of the tray member is a plurality of sockets that open upwardly, and are each adapted to releasably capture a pill or tablet when the device is employed as will be explained.

The cover member has an angular recess provided at one corner thereof, said recess forming in conjunction with the adjacent portions of two of the upstanding walls, an opening for entry into the tray of pills to be counted.

Complemental means are provided on two of the upstanding walls of the tray member and along two marginal edges of the cover member, whereby proper placement of said cover member is facilitated and assured.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated on a sheet of drawings that accompanies this speciication, and a more comprehensive understanding of said invention may be had from the detailed description that follows with reference to said drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a medicinal tablet or pill counting device embodying the concepts of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the tray member of the invention with the therewith associated cover member removed;

FIGURE 3 is a right side elevational view of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1; Y

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 1 and of FIG- URE 4;

3,l5@,735 Patented Sept. 29, 1964 FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 6 6 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 7 7 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is an isometric view of the removable cover member per se;

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of a partition bar provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced dowels that depend from the bottom face thereof;

FIGURE 10 is a rear elevational view of said bar;

FIGURE l1 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIGURE l2 is a fragmentary sectional view on a further enlarged scale illustrating one of the sockets of the invention with a tablet or pill in captive position therein;

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURE 12, illustrating said socket with a tablet or pill of another configuration in captive position therein;

FIGURE 14 is a view similar to FIGURES l2 and 13, illustrating one of the dowels of the partition bar seated in said socket; and

FIGURE 15 is a view on a greatly reduced scale, illustrating the final step in the achievement of the objectives of the invention In the course of the detailed description that follows with reference to the drawings, it is to be understood that the terms tablet and pill are considered to be synon mous, and that the terms left, right, upper, lower and so on, refer to the various elements as they appear in the drawings.

The pill counting device of the present invention is preferably rectanguiar and is designated as a whole by the numeral 2t). It includes a tray member generally designated 22, a cover member generally designated 24, and a partition bar generally designated 26.

The tray member 22 is comprised of a bottom Wall or base portion 28, a front wall Sil, a rear wall 32, a left side wall 34, and a right side wall 36. As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, the rear and side walls of the tray are coextensive with the base portion 28. The front wall 36 however, terminates leftwardly of the right side wall 36 to provide a vertical edge designated 33. The left side wall 34 is provided with an integral upwardly projecting elongated rectangular lug 40, and the right side wall 36 is provided with an integral upwardly projecting further elongated rectangular lug 42, the said lugs being oppositely disposed, as shown.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the base portion 23 has formed therein a plurality of pill receiving sockets that total one hundred. These sockets are designated by the numerals 46, and as seen to best advantage in FIGURE 7, each socket 46 includes an arcuate cavity portion 48 that merges upwardly into an annular pill receptive opening 50. The peripheral wall dening each opening 50 is vertically disposed for reasons to appear.

As sho-wn particularly in FIGURE 2, the hundred sockets 46 are disposed in a determined pattern comprised of ten longitudinal and ten transverse rows. The left end longitudinal row of `sockets 46 is spaced inwardly from the wall 354 a distan corresponding at least approximately with the diameter of one socket opening 5t). The right end longitudinal row of sockets is spaced inwardly from the wall 36 a distance corresponding at least approximately with the combined diameters of three socket openings Sii. The rearward end transverse row of sockets is spaced forwardly from the wall 32 a distance corresponding at least approximately with the combined diameters of two socket openings Si). The forward end transverse row of sockets is spaced rearwardly from the wall Sii a distance corresponding at least approximately with the combined diameters of three socket openings 5t?.

The spacings described serve to facilitate operation of the device 20, `as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The areas described are identilied in the drawings by the numerals 54, 56, 58, and 60.

The cover member 24 appears per se in FIGURE 8. As there seen, it is comprised of a transparent plate 62 having a front marginal edge portion 64, a rear marginal edge portion 66, a left side marginal edge portion 68, and a right side marginal edge portion 70.

Formed in the left edge portion 68 is an elongated recess or notch '72 that is adapted, when the cover member 24 is in place atop the tray 22, to embrace the lug 40. Formed in the right edge portion 7 d is a further elongated recess or notch 74 that is adapted, when the cover member 24 is in place atop the tray 22, to embrace the lug 42.

The rear edge portion 66 of the cover member and the right edge portion 70 thereof, are coextensive with the corresponding walls 32 and 36 of the tray. The front edge portion 64 and the left edge portion 68 however, are not coextensive with the corresponding walls 30 and 34 of the tray. In other words and as shown, the upper left portion of the plate 62 is cut away to provide an angular recess defined by a secondary forward marginal edge portion '76, and an intermediate edge portion '73.

Frein the foregoing, it should be apparent that when the cover member 24 is in place atop the tr-ay member 22, what is termed a rectangular loading opening 80 will be defined by the corner section of the front and left side walls 30 and 34 respectively, in conjunction with the cut away edges 76 and 78. Furthermore, it should be apparent that a discharge opening 82 will be defined by the vertical edge 38 of the front wall 30, and the thereto adjacent corner sections of the right side wall 36, of the base member 28, and of the cover member plate 62 (FIG- URES 4 and 5).

It is to be observed at this point in the description, that the difference in length of the lug 40 relatively to that of the lug 42, and the corresponding differences with respect to the complemental notches 72 and 74, are provided in order to facilitate and assure the appropriate placement of the cover member.

The partition bar 26 is shown per se in FIGURES 9 through 11. It consists of a rectangular main body 84, and a pair of spaced dowels 86 that depend from the lower face 88 of said body. Dimensionwise, the length of the main body 84 of said bar is slightly less than the distance obtaining between the inner faces of the tray side walls 34 and 36. Cross-sectionalwise, said main body 84 is square, and when employed as suggested for example by broken lines in FIGURE 7, the upper surface 83 thereof would lie in a plane slightly below the cover member 24. The depending dowels 86 are spaced in such fashion that when the partition bar 26 is employed, they will seat in the pair of correspondingly spaced socket 46 of any one of the transverse rows. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the dowels are so spaced that they will seat in the second and ninth sockets of the transverse rows, as shown by broken lines in FIGURE 7.

It is noted that as viewed in top plan (FIGURE 9), the dowels 86 are located forwardly of the longitudinally centerline of the partition bar main body 34. Consequently when said bar is in a selected position as suggested by broken lines in FIGURE 2, the forward face 90 of its main body 84 would lie between adjacent transverse rows of sockets 46. It is also to be noted with particular reference to FIGURES l and 6, that the secondary forward edge portion 76 of the cover member 24 overlies the forward end transverse row of sockets 46.

In order to explain the time-saving and sanitary utility of the instant device, it will be assumed that the proprietor of -a pharmacy purchases pills in bulk, for example in lots of 50,000. The pills are sold at retail in boxes or bottles that are labeled to contain a certain number of pills. Ordinarily, the label indicates that the container holds either ten, twenty, or thirty pills, and so on, the maximum usually being one hundred.

When the shipment is delivered to the pharmacy, it will furthermore be assumed that the proprietor from past sales experiences, decides to package the bulk lot of pills as follows: 500 bottles each to contain thirty pills; 300 bottles each to contain eighty pills; bottles each to contain one hundred pills. Heretofore, such an operation had been a tedious one, obviously requiring too much time, finger handling, and so on. Weighing has been tried, but has produced many complaints, particularly with respect to pills of the expensive variety.

In order to condition the device 20 for use in filling the thirty-pill bottles, the partition bar 26 would rst be positioned in the tray 22 with the dowel pins 86 seated in the second and ninth sockets 46 of the fourth transverse row rearwardly `from the front wall St). This position is suggested by broken lines in FIGURE 2, and indicated by the reference character A. Thereupon, the cover member 24 would be positioned atop the walls of the tr-ay 22 with the complemental lug ttl-notch 72, and lug 42- notch 74 arrangements Iassuring proper positioning of said cover member t-o define the loading opening 80. It will be appreciated that the device 20 would thus be in condition for use over and over again as often as desired.

Assuming now that the 50,000 pills repose in a suitable container, and that an ordinary hand scoop is available, an undetermined quantity of said pills would be scooped from the container and entered into the counting device 20 via the opening 80, it being of course understood that said device would be resting on a level surface, such as a table or the like.

Next, slight circular or side to side motion would be manually .applied to the device. In consequence of such movements, thirty pills will automatically seat themselves in the thirty exposed sockets 46, the area 54 serving to insure the seating of one pill in each of the three left end row sockets, the seated position of a pill P being particularly illustrated on an enlarged scale in FIGURES 12 and 13.

Thereupon the left side of the device 20 would be lifted whereby to tilt the tray slightly, and cause the noncaptured or excess pills to slide rightwardly into the area 56 along the right side wall 36. With the device 20 held in such tilted position, the surplus or excess 'pills would then be returned to the bulk container via the discharge opening 82. The provision of the annular pill receptive openings 50 that constitute the upper end portions of the sockets 46, play an important role during the tilting and excess pill discharge operations. In other words, inasmuch as the inner peripheries of the openings 50 are defined by vertical surfaces, captive pills P will not be dislodged, nor can they escape from the sockets 46 during these operations.

The final step of the operation is schematically illustrated in FIGURE 15. This step is comprised of rst tilting the device 20 from the horizontal to a vertical position, and then slanting it downwardly at the front into close proximity with the mouth of the bottle to be filled. In consequence of these manipulations of the device, the thirty therefore captive pills will automatically gravitate from the sockets onto the area 56 and the right side wall 36, whence said pills will flow into the bottle as suggested, via the discharge opening 82.

Assuming that the desired 500 thirty-pill bottles had been lled, the device 20 could be quickly conditioned for use in filling each of the desired 300 eighty-pill bottles. Removal of the cover member 24, shifting the partition bar 26 from the position indicated at A to the position thereof indicated at B in FIGURE 2, followed by replacement of said cover member would be all that is required. Obviously of course, comparatively larger quantities of pills would be scooped from the bulk container and fed into the device 20 via the loading opening 80.

Assuming now that the desired 300 eighty-pill bottles had been filled in accordance with the previously described procedure, the device 20 could be quickly conditioned for use in filling each of the 110 bottles with one hundred pills. Removal of the cover member 24, removal of the partition bar 26, followed by replacement of said cover member would be the only steps required. The provision of the area 58 facilitates the automatic capture of pills P by the sockets 46 of the transverse row most remote from the front wall 30 of the tray 22.

In the View of the foregoing description and especially in View of the comprehensive drawings, it is believed that a more than adequate disclosure of the instant invention has been presented. In other words, it is deemed apparent that in the process of filling twenty-pill containers, the partition bar 26 would be positioned one transverse socket row forwardly from the position thereof indicated at A. In the process of filling fifty-pill containers, the partition bar 26 would be positioned two transverse socket rows rearwardly from the position thereof indicated at A, and so on.

It is common knowledge that the pharmaceutical tablets and pills currently sold are not uniform from a diametrical standpoint. It is therefore to be understood that the present inventive concept accordingly contemplates larger or smaller socket embodiments than those exemplarily illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings.

What 1 claim is:

A pill counting device comprising in combination:

a rectangular tray member including a base portion, upstanding front, rear, and a pair of opposed left and right side walls, said rear and side walls being coextensive with the base portion, said front wall being less than coextensive therewith to terminate in a vertical edge portion removed from the adjacent one of said side walls;

a plurality of sockets each adapted to receive one pill formed in the upper surface of the base portion, said sockets being formed in a determined pattern comprised of ten longitudinal and ten transverse rows, the total number of sockets being one hundred, each socket including an arcuate cavity portion that merges upwardly into a vertically formed annular opening adapted to releasably retain a pill captive in said socket;

a first area of the upper surface of said tray member base portion provided between the left side wall and the adjacent left end longitudinal row of sockets, the extent of said area corresponding at least approximately with the diameter of one of said sockets;

a second area of the upper surface of said tray member base position provided between the right side wall and the adjacent right end longitudinal row of sockets, the extent of said area corresponding at least approximately with the combined diameters of three ot' said sockets;

a third area of the upper surface of said tray member base portion provided between the rear wall and the adjacent rearward transverse row of sockets, the extent of said area corresponding at least approximately with the combined diameters of two of said sockets;

a fourth area of the upper surface of said tray member base portion provided between the forward wall and the adjacent forward transverse row of sockets, the extent of said area corresponding at least approximately with the combined diameters of three of said sockets;

a partition bar consisting of a rectangular main body and a pair of dowels that depend from the lower face of said body, said dowels being located forwardly of the longitudinal center-line of said main body, and being in determined longitudinally spaced relationship, whereby when said bar is positioned in the tray, said dowels are adapted to seat in a pair of correspondingly spaced sockets of a selected transverse row of sockets;

a removable transparent cover plate for the tray member;

means provided on the tray and complemental means provided on the cover plate whereby to facilitate proper placement of the plate atop said tray, said means consisting of a iirst elongated rectangular lug projecting upwardly from said left side wall, a second further elongated rectangular lug projecting upwardly from said right side wall, a first elongated notch formed in one side marginal edge portion of the cover plate and adapted to embrace said first lug, and a second further elongated notch formed in the opposite side marginal edge portion of said plate and adapted to embrace the second lug aforesaid;

an angular recess formed in the left forward corner of the cover plate, said recess defining in conjunction with the adjacent corner portions of the front wall and the left side wall a loading opening for entering into the tray an undetermined quantity of pills; and

a pill discharge opening below the right forward corner of the cover plate, said opening being defined by the vertical edge portion aforesaid of the front wall, and the adjacent corner portions of the base and right side wall of said tray member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,536,127 De Philip Jan. 2, 1951 2,812,076 Mistretta Nov. 5, 1957 2,863,572 Bethard Dec. 9, 1958' ,2,899,097 Haskins v .v. Aug. 1l, 1959

Images