Counter-filler apparatus for counting pharmaceutical articles and for inserting the articles internally of bottles

1. A counter-filler apparatus for counting pharmaceutical articles and for inserting the articles internally of bottles, configured to be positioned between a vibrating conveyor, having a plurality of transport channels for transport of rows of pharmaceutical articles, and a conveying line, for conveying bottles which are to be filled with pharmaceutical articles, comprising:

a plurality of descent channels, each of which having an entry opening and an exit opening, wherein the apparatus is arranged with respect to the vibrating conveyor so that the entry openings of the descent channels are positioned in such a way that the pharmaceutical articles, having passed beyond an end of the transport channels of the vibrating conveyor, can fall by force of gravity into the entry openings of the descent channels, and thus fall into the descent channels and be conveyed towards the exit openings;

sensor means, which are positioned so as to detect the pharmaceutical articles that fall internally of each descent channel, and which are configured in such a way as to provide a datum relative to a quantity of pharmaceutical articles present internally of each descent channel;

an accumulation container, arranged below the descent channels and having an entry mouth for receiving the pharmaceutical articles exiting from the exit openings of the descent channels,

wherein the accumulation container is conformed in such a way as to comprise:

a first accumulation chamber;

a second accumulation chamber;

a first discharge mouth below of the first accumulation chamber;

a second discharge mouth below of the second accumulation chamber;

a separating wall, arranged so as to mutually separate the first accumulation chamber and the second accumulation chamber in a zone in correspondence of the entry mouth of the accumulation container and beneath the exit openings of the descent channels, and divide the entry mouth into a first entry section, for the first accumulation chamber, and a second entry section, for the second accumulation chamber, so that the first entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles in exit from the exit openings of a first group of the descent channels and the first accumulation chamber can store pharmaceutical articles, and the second entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles in exit from the exit openings of a second group of the descent channels and the second accumulation chamber can store pharmaceutical articles, so that pharmaceutical articles to be unloaded into a first bottle position, paused from the conveying line, beneath the first discharge mouth can be accumulated internally of the first accumulation chamber, and pharmaceutical articles to be unloaded into a second bottle position, paused from the conveying line, beneath the second discharge mouth can be accumulated internally of the second accumulation chamber,

the separating wall being mounted so as to be movable with respect to the exit openings of the descent channels so as to be positionable either:

in a first position, in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section and the second entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from an identical number of descent channels,

and at least in a second position, in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section and the second entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from a different number of descent channels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separating wall is movable with respect to the exit openings of the descent channels so as to be positionable in a second position, in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section, and therefore the first accumulation chamber, can receive articles from a smaller number of descent channels with respect to the second entry section, and therefore with respect to the second accumulation chamber, and in which the separating wall is also movable so as to be positionable in a third position in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section, and therefore the first accumulation chamber, can receive articles from a greater number of descent channels with respect to the second entry section, and therefore with respect to the second accumulation chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separating wall is predisposed to be set in rotation about a rotation axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the separating wall is mounted on a collar coupled to a shaft predisposed so that a part thereof is external of the accumulation container and it comprises motor means, for activating the shaft in rotation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first discharge mouth is openable/closable by means of a first hatch door, and wherein the second discharge mouth is openable/closable by means of a second hatch door.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising closing elements activatable to close the exit openings of the descent channels.