Container filling machines for filling containers with discrete articles (such as pharmaceutical pills, cosmetic items, hardware components, candies, nuts, etc. . . . ) are known in the art. Such container filling machines are able to take a large supply of discrete articles and transport them towards a container, while ensuring that a desired number of the discrete articles are placed within the container. However, existing container filling machines are plagued with numerous deficiencies that often render them ineffective and inefficient.
Existing container filling machines for placing discrete articles within containers typically use a vibration tray in order to space the discrete articles from each other and move the discrete articles towards multiple paths that ultimately lead towards the containers. However, the speed at which such vibration trays can move the discrete articles forward is generally quite limited. In addition, the discrete articles that leave the vibration trays are often very closely packed together, which makes them difficult to count. This lack of speed, and inability to accurately separate the discrete articles, makes the container filling machine less efficient and potentially less accurate than it could be.
In light of the above, it is clear that there is a need in the industry for an improved container filling machine that alleviates, at least in part, the deficiencies of the prior art.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds