Abstract: A tablet feeder has a partitioning member that allows tablets to be separated properly without causing any faults such as cracking in the pockets of the tablet array board. Tablets A accommodated in the tablet accommodating portion 2 are retained one by one into the pockets of the tablet array board 8, divided into two by the partitioning member 14, and thereafter discharged out at a discharge position. The partitioning member 14 has its partitioning portion 15 made up from a plurality of elastic bristles 17 in a comb-like shape.

Abstract: An ampule dispenser having a carrier for transporting plastic ampules arranged side by side and series-connected together in a strip in a longitudinal direction, a guide plate provided over a delivery end of the carrier for holding down the strip of series-connected plastic ampules, receiver for receiving the plastic ampule at the head of the strip fed from the delivery end of the carrier, and an ampule separator for separating the ampule at the head of the strip along a separating line provided between adjacent ones of the ampules.

Abstract: A sealing device which can form pouches with different widths, which is small in size, and which can minimize the waste of sheet material. To reduce the size of the device, a pair of second rotary shafts each carrying a longitudinal heating member having a cylindrical heating surface for feeding a two-folded packing sheet and sealing its side edges by coming into contact with the sheet are mounted on a pair of rotary shafts provided in the feed path of the sheet and each carrying a lateral heating member having an axial heating surface adapted to laterally contact the sheet and a surface not in contact with the sheet. To form a pouch from the sheet, the first rotary shafts are rotated by a first rotary drive unit to laterally seal the sheet by pressing the lateral heating members. Then, the side edges of the sheet are sealed by rotating the longitudinal heating members by rotating the second rotary shafts with a second rotary drive unit.

Abstract: A device and a method for continuously packing tablets in which the refilling of tablets can be done without stopping the device. The tablet packing machine has a case housing a plurality of tablet feeders. The case is also provided with backup tablet feeders and backup discharge channels through which tablets discharged from the backup tablet feeders are dropped into a hopper in the tablet packing machine. The backup tablet feeders are filled with tablets beforehand. When the stock of tablets in one or some of the tablet feeders decreases to a predetermined level, the backup tablet feeders containing the same kind or kinds of tablets are activated to discharge tablets from these backup feeders. Thus, it is possible to continuously discharge tablets and thus to pack tablets continuously without interruption.

Abstract: An ampule dispenser is capable of discharging ampules stored in a random manner one by one after arranging them in an orderly manner. A hole is formed in the bottom plate of an ampule housing. The bottom plate has a top surface sloping downward toward this hole. A push-up member adapted to be moved up and down through the hole has an ampule supporting portion on which a single ampule is placed at a time in a laid-down position. By moving the push-up member upward, the ampule supported on its supporting portion is raised to the highest position, where it slides down the sloping supporting portion and is discharged through a discharge port formed in the peripheral wall of the ampule housing.

Abstract: A drug packing apparatus capable of packing drug efficiently irrespective of the distances between a drug packing position and drug storage positions. Drugs dropped from one of a plurality of feeders in one of a plurality of feeder units are stopped by a first intermediate impeller. The drugs are then dropped onto a second intermediate impeller, and then into a discharge hole in a hopper and stopped by a hopper cover. By opening the hopper cover, the drugs on the hopper cover drop into the folded packing sheet. By rotating heater rollers by 180.degree., a pouch is formed with the drugs packed therein.

Abstract: A medicine packing apparatus includes medicine storage shelves for storing a large number of medicine containers having medicines contained therein, and a comparatively small number of medicine feeders on each of which one of the large number of medicine containers is set for feeding medicine in a quantity conforming to a prescription. Store location memory means and set location memory means are provided which respectively memorize data on the store location of each individual medicine in the storage shelves and data on set location of the medicine in the feeders. If a medicine container corresponding to a prescription is not present in the set location, a search is made in the storage shelves, and then the searched location of the medicine is indicated accordingly. When a medicine container taken out from the storage shelves is set on one of the feeders, an identification device provided on the medicine container is read by a reader, and data on the set location is stored into a set location memory.

Abstract: A drug tray is for containing all drugs prescribed for each patient, and includes a display unit for providing an indication of the drugs which have been placed in the tray. The display unit has a signal transmitter/receiver, drug type indicating switches, time key, reset key, etc. The drug tray eliminates the conventional need for a large shelf for collecting drugs needed for a number of patients.

Abstract: A control method of efficiently transporting and collecting drugs that have been prepared in a plurality of drug processing units arranged along a conveyor line. Arranged along the conveyor line are a drug pouch printer, a powdered drug processing units, a tablet processing unit, other drug processing unit, a drug inspection unit, etc. Buckets are fed on the conveyor by numerous rollers provided on the conveyor. The drug preparation steps for respective patients are started in the order of the entry of data for the respective patients. But the buckets for the respective patients are started not in this order but the bucket for the patient whose drugs have been prepared first is started first.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which can assign drugs to respective buckets running on a conveyor with accuracy and high efficiency and transport them. A case accommodates a plurality of storage/delivery conveyors. Near the drug inlets for the respective conveyors, displays are provided which indicate the prescription number. Buckets running on a conveyor each carry an IC card. A detector reads the data on the IC card of each bucket so that the drug indicated by the data will be discharged into a right bucket from the storage/delivery conveyor.

Abstract: A tablet packing device is proposed which accommodates a plurality of types of tablets and selectively discharges them from feeders for packing. A tablet is discharged from one of the feeders into a hole formed in a pocket plate. Since a shutter plate covers the hole, the tablet bounces on the shutter plate and settles down after a while. Thereafter, the shutter plate is rotated to open the hole to drop the tablet to a hopper. The tablet is then slid down along the inner wall of the hopper and, when a hopper cover provided at the bottom of the hopper is opened, it is dropped further therethrough. After the tablet has reached inside of the packing sheet which is folded into two, it is sealed in one packing bag as the heater rollers rotate. It is possible to save the time required to pack the tablets according to the tablet types by presetting the time required for each type of tablet to settle down from landing and discharging the tablet after lapse of the preset time.

Abstract: A feeder or dispenser for feeding tablets, capsules or the like. A rotor is mounted in a container or feeder body. The capsules put into the container are guided into channels formed at outer edge of the rotor at angular spacings and then into pockets formed nearer to the center of rotation than the channels. The capsules are discharged from the pockets one by one each time the pockets are aligned with a feed opening provided in the bottom plate of the container as the rotor rotates.