CHARLES R ACKLEY
Vehicle Board in Philadelphia, PA

4327825, May 4, 1982

Feb 11, 1980

6/120679

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia

B65G 4714

198380

In a turning and orienting apparatus of the type adapted to transport capsules in a plurality of pockets or the like, which pockets are formed in a continuously moveable transport conveyor, and wherein said apparatus is further adapted to rectify the capsules, which have body portions and cap portions of greater transverse dimensions than the body portions, and wherein a vacuum is provided to shift the capsules into the desired rectified position, a capsule positioning guide is provided to retain each capsule in its pocket immediately prior to its being subjected to the vacuum. The capsule positioning guide then releases the capsule as it is subjected to the vacuum. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the capsule positioning guide is pivotally mounted adjacent the capsule transport conveyor so that it can be easily moved out of its operative condition adjacent the transport conveyor for easy cleaning thereof.

4189996, Feb 26, 1980

Dec 12, 1977

5/859303

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R.W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B41F 1736

101 37

In an apparatus adapted to transport and imprint indicia around the circumference or portions thereof, of generally cylindrical objects, such as capsules, an improved object carrying device and capsule guide are disclosed that facilitate non-smear processing and easy ejection of the capsules from the device after printing. The capsule guide and carrier are provided with corresponding relief portions formed therein so that indicia imprinted on the capsules are not smeared as the objects are spun about their axes during printing. The capsule carrier includes a pocket to receive and transport the capsules along a predetermined path. The pocket is defined by a pair of opposed wall members that may be bevelled to facilitate easy ejection of the capsules from the carrier printing. Also, for imprinting upon one or both sides of tablets, pills, and the like, a pair of grooved capsule guides are disposed along opposed sides of the transport device. The grooves are aligned with each other and disposed in facing relationship to provide a track upon which the respective sides of the object are transported by the carrier.

4372437, Feb 8, 1983

Apr 7, 1980

6/137850

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B65G 4724

198380

An improved gauging assembly for a capsule orienting and turning apparatus is disclosed. Many capsules are picked up in a rotary conveyor which arranges them first in an upright arrangement relative to the path of movement of the conveyor, some capsules arranged caps-up and some bodies-up. The gauging assembly cooperates with air means to tilt the body portions of the bodies-up capsules in the machine direction while retaining the caps-up capsules substantially untilted so that all the cap portions can subsequently be shifted in a sidewise direction by a subsequent sideward-directed air suction means. Those capsules which are arranged caps-up are not affected by the first means because of the gauging block which prevents substantial tilting movement; the cap portions of these capsules are then drawn sidewise by a sidewardly-directed vacuum. The gauging assembly defines a passageway extending in the direction of conveyor movement and comprises a ceiling member and contiguous sidewall member. One side of the passageway is defined by edge portions of the longitudinally oriented pocket portions which are provided in the rotary conveyor.

4193343, Mar 18, 1980

Mar 29, 1978

5/891292

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B41F 1736

101 35

In a pellet marking apparatus of the type comprising, a frame, printing means comprising a design roller and a resilient printing roller mounted on the frame, an ink reservoir mounted on the frame, hopper means into which a multiplicity of pellets or the like are to be loaded, and a conveyor for transporting the pellets from the hopper and presenting them to the printing means for marking the pellets with the desired indicia, the improvement comprising hinge means for moving the printing means between an operative position in which the design roller is immersed in the ink reservoir and the printing roller is in position to contact pellets on the conveyor, and a dwell position in which the design roll is not in contact with the reservoir and the printing roller is spaced from the conveyor in a position so as not to contact pellets thereon. The hinge means functions to permit quick replenishment of the ink reservoir when dry without necessitating removal of the design roll, printing roll, or any other member from the mechanism.

4479573, Oct 30, 1984

Feb 4, 1983

6/463972

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B65G 4724

198399

An improved gauging assembly for a capsule orienting and turning apparatus is disclosed. Many capsules are picked up in a rotary conveyor which arranges them first in an upright arrangement relative to the path of movement of the conveyor, some capsules arranged caps-up and some bodies-up. The gauging assembly cooperates with air jets to tilt the body portions of the bodies-up capsules in the machine direction while retaining the caps-up capsules subsequently untilted so that all the cap portions can subsequently be shifted in a sidewise direction by subsequent sideward-directed vacuum ducts. Those capsules which are arranged caps-up are not affected by the air jets because of the gauging block which prevents substantial tilting movement; the cap portions of these capsules are then drawn sidewise by a sidewardly-directed vacuum. The gauging assembly defines a passageway extending in the direction of conveyor movement and comprises a ceiling member and contiguous sidewall member. One side of the passageway is defined by edge portions of the longitudinally oriented pocket portions which are provided in the rotary conveyor.

4393973, Jul 19, 1983

Jul 16, 1980

6/169437

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B65G 4724

198384

A capsule rectification and transport device is disclosed. Means are provided for removing occasional improperly positioned capsules from the transported array. The capsules are carried in spaced apart pockets. When a capsule is undesirably mis-oriented with the cap portion thereof facing the wrong side of the predetermined path, a rotatable pick-off wheel grasps the cap portion, removes the capsule and drops it into a hopper.

4437559, Mar 20, 1984

Sep 1, 1978

5/939066

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B65G 4724

198397

A capsule rectification and transport device is disclosed. Means are provided for removing occasional improperly positioned capsules from the transported array. The capsules are carried in spaced apart pockets. When a capsule is undesirably mis-oriented with the cap portion thereof facing the wrong side of the predetermined path, a rotatable pick-off wheel grasps the cap portion, removes the capsule and drops it into a hopper.

4208962, Jun 24, 1980

Feb 6, 1978

5/875454

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B41F 1736

101 35

Apparatus adapted to transport and print around the circumference or portions thereof, and on an endwise portion of the capsules is provided. The apparatus comprises a hopper and capsule transport means adjacent said hopper to receive the capsules from the hopper. The capsules are transported to a wrap-around printing station wherein the desired indicia are imprinted on the capsule as it is spun about its longitudinal axis. At another printing station located along the capsule transport means, a printing roll imprints the desired indicia upon an endwise portion of the capsule. The capsules are rectified, i. e. , all the cap portions of the capsule are disposed along the same side of the transport means so that the desired markings may be imprinted upon corresponding portions of each capsule.

4216714, Aug 12, 1980

Sep 11, 1978

5/941292

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B41F 1736, B65G 4724

101 40

Method and apparatus for printing upon capsules is disclosed which also includes means for restraining freshly printed capsules from adhering to the printing roll. The capsules are restrained against adherence to the printing roll by the interposition of a stripping plate between the print roll and the capsule transport conveyor at a position immediately downstream from the printing location in which the capsules are brought into contact with the printing roll. In another embodiment of the invention, the printing roll is cleaned by the provision of a rotatable cleaning roll.

4254704, Mar 10, 1981

Aug 22, 1978

5/935772

Charles E. Ackley - Oreland PA
Charles E. Ackley - Philadelphia PA

R. W. Hartnett Company - Philadelphia PA

B41F 1736, B65G 4714, B65G 4724

101 37

An improved capsule receiving conveyor bar to be carried by a transport conveyor of a capsule transport and printing device is disclosed. The conveyor bar includes a bar member and an insert attached thereto. The insert comprises a plurality of capsule receiving pockets formed therein. When the capsules are to be transported and subjected to a spin printing operation, each of the pockets comprise at least one recessed pocket portion so that indicia imprinted on the capsules in loci corresponding to the recessed portions will not smear as the capsules are rotated about their longitudinal axes during the spin printing operation.