Automated solid pharmaceutical product packaging machine

1. A method for dispensing solid pharmaceutical products to a product package having a plurality of cavities comprising the steps of:

providing a template having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities;

providing a temporary storage member having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities;

selectively dispensing one or more solid pharmaceutical products from a plurality of different drug sources into each of said plurality of template cavities;

substantially simultaneously transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities; and

transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of temporary storage member cavities to a further array of cavity locations, wherein the pharmaceuticals are transferred substantially simultaneously from a plurality of template cavities into a corresponding plurality of temporary storage member cavities which are located beneath the template; and further wherein cavities of the template are being filled while the pharmaceuticals located in the further array of cavity locations are being transferred for further automated processing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said template includes a bottom plate having a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of product package cavities and wherein said step of transferring the solid pharmaceuticals from said plurality of template cavities includes sliding said bottom plate relative to said template to transfer the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

providing a collector member comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities; and

wherein the solid pharmaceutical products are transferred to said plurality of cavities of said collector member prior to transferring the solid pharmaceutical products to the product package cavities.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said temporary storage member includes a bottom plate having a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of product package cavities and wherein said step of transferring the solid pharmaceuticals from said plurality of temporary storage member cavities includes sliding said bottom plate relative to said temporary storage member to transfer the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said step of selectively dispensing further includes providing relative motion in two generally perpendicular directions between said template and a funnel to selectively locate said funnel over individual ones of the cavities of said template.

6. An automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine for dispensing solid pharmaceuticals into a product package having a plurality of cavities comprising:

a template comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to the plurality of cavities of the product package, wherein the plurality of cavities of the template are arranged in an array and the template receives pharmaceuticals transferred from dispensers;

a temporary storage member, said temporary storage member comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to the plurality of cavities of the product package for receiving pharmaceuticals from said template; and

wherein pharmaceuticals are substantially simultaneously transferred from said template to corresponding cavities of said temporary storage member and from said temporary storage member to a further array of cavity locations, the pharmaceuticals being transferred substantially simultaneously from the plurality of template cavities into a corresponding plurality of temporary storage member cavities which are located beneath the template; and further wherein cavities of the template are being filled while the pharmaceuticals located in the further array of cavity locations are being transferred for further automated processing.

7. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 6 , wherein a bottom plate of said template includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of cavities and wherein said bottom plate is slidingly engaged with said template to align said plurality of apertures with said plurality of cavities.

8. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 6 , wherein a bottom plate of said temporary storage member includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of cavities and wherein said bottom plate is slidingly engaged with said temporary storage member to align said plurality of apertures with said plurality of cavities.

9. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 6 , further comprising a collector member comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities for receiving pharmaceuticals from said temporary storage member.

10. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 9 , wherein a bottom plate of said collector member includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of cavities and wherein said bottom plate is slidingly engaged with said collector member to align said plurality of apertures with said plurality of cavities.

11. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 6 , wherein relative motion is provided in two generally perpendicular directions between said template and a funnel to selectively locate said funnel over individual ones of the cavities of said template.