APPARATUS TO COAT TABLETS; CONVEYOR MECHANISM TO TRANSPORT TABLETS THROUGH A DIPPING STATION AND A DRYER

摘要

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for coating a product (10) such as a medicament in the shape of a tablet. The apparatus includes a plurality of plates (50) for receiving and retaining the products and means for advancing the plates on a conveyor to various processing stations. At a dipping station, a dipping means lowers and raises at least one plate into a first coating tank (120) for coating at least a portion of the product. At a rotating station, a rotation means (70) rotates one of the plates containing the product for spreading the coating on the product. After rotation, a first elevator (302) transfers the plates from the conveyor (90) to a dryer (300) disposed above the conveyor. A second elevator (304) transfers the plates from the dryer back to the conveyor for further processing. The dryer includes complementary acting pusher bars (332) for transporting a plurality of plates horizontally along a plurality of vertically spaced guides. The plates are transported upward to traverse the guides through a first section of the dryer and downward through a second section of the dryer by the combined action of the first and second elevators and a mid-elevator (322). Several embodiments for the elevator are disclosed which include a lift bar mechanism (354), a continuous chain mechanism (376) and a lift rod system (400). IMAGE