JPH0450851B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Claim 1: A pedestal 3, a casing 41, and a peripheral wall portion 7a disposed within the casing, rotatably supported around a horizontal axis 5 by a bearing mechanism, and having a multi-hole portion at least partially. a drum 7 having a drum 7, a drive mechanism for rotating the drum 7, and a drum 7 which is removably held by the pedestal 3 and/or the casing 41 in the operating position and which allows gas to flow through the perforated portion of the peripheral wall portion 7a. The drum 7 is in contact with the peripheral wall portion 7a in order to allow the flow to flow.
In the particle coating apparatus, the drum 7 has an outlet 7g for taking out the particles, and the outer outlet is at least partially connected to the peripheral wall. is provided in the portion 7a, and the drum 7
At the rotating position, it includes the deepest part of the drum and is configured to be closed and opened by a closing member 13 rotatably held by the drum 7,
The drum 7 is provided with an adjustment mechanism 17 that allows the closing member 13 to be rotated without relying on muscular strength and that maintains the closing member in a position that closes the outlet 7g when the door ram is rotated. The adjustment mechanism 17 and the closing member 13 are configured to control the gas supply and discharge when the closing member 13 closes the outlet 7g and the gas supply and discharge guide device 131 contacts the drum 7 and the drum rotates. guide device 131
The casing 41 has a casing bottom 41a, 341 with an opening 41e, 341e that can be closed airtight by a closing member 107, 307, Based on the opening, the casing 41 can airtightly seal the space containing the drum 7 from the surrounding outside air, and the casing bottom 41
The openings 41e, 341e provided in the drum 7 are arranged in such a way that the particles present in the drum 7 can reach from the drum through the outlet 7g and the openings 41e, 341e in the casing bottom 41a, 341. An adjustment mechanism 223 is disposed below the deepest part of the drum 7 and adjusts the closing members 107, 307 for closing the openings 41e, 341e of the casing bottoms 41a, 341 without relying on muscle power. Particle coating device 2 characterized in that a peripheral wall portion 7a of the drum 7 having at least partially perforated portions is generally cylindrical, and on both sides of the peripheral wall portion there are perforated portions. A compact tapered conical portion 7c, 7d without a cylindrical surface is followed by a closing member 13 for closing the outlet 7g, which is pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the axis of rotation 5 of the drum 7. 2. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the coating device is held in a.

3 The adjustment mechanisms for adjusting both closing members 13, 107, 307 are respectively pneumatic adjustment mechanisms 1
7,223. Coating device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: 7,223.

4. A closing member 307 for closing the opening 341e of the casing bottom 341 is slidably guided and sealed with a packing 345 that can be expanded and pressurized. A coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The drum 7 has an opening 73 on one end face, and at least substantially the opening 73 and the multi-hole portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a which is momentarily located within the range of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131. gas guiding means 145,1 for directing gas into and out of said drum 7 through only said drum 7;
19, 123, 159 are provided, the coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The gas guiding means are arranged in the casing 41 in a connecting piece 45 fixedly with respect to the casing.
, and the connecting tube piece has an opening 7 on the end side of the drum 7.
6. The coating device according to claim 5, wherein the coating device is at least substantially in contact with the conical wall portion 7d of the drum 7, which surrounds the drum 7.

7. The casing 41 has an opening in the area of the connecting tube piece 45 that is selectively closed and opened by the closing member 63, which opening is located in the tube of the connecting tube piece 45 facing away from the drum 7. A gas guiding means is formed by a port, and a gas guiding means is connected to the connecting pipe piece 45 from above between the pipe port of the connecting pipe piece 45 closer to the drum 7 and the pipe port on the side facing away from the drum 7. Claim 6 having an open conduit 123
Coating device as described in section.

8. Shutoff mechanism 119 with adjustable gas guiding means;
159, and the blocking mechanism connects the end opening 73 of the drum 7 to the forced air blower 1 for supplying gas.
11 or suction blower 151 for sucking out gas
The coating device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the coating device is configured to selectively communicate with the coating device.

9 A cylindrical bearing 25 having two bearing races 25a, 25b and a plurality of rolling elements for supporting the drum 7 is located away from the end opening 73 of the drum for introducing or deducting gas. Claim 5, which is arranged on the shaped peripheral wall portion 7a side.
8. The coating device according to any one of items 8 to 8.

10 The drum 7 has a toothed ring 31 on one end side.
and the toothed ring is drive-coupled via a toothed belt 37 to a gear 35 which is rotatably supported on the pedestal 3 by a drive device 33. 9. The coating device according to any one of items 9 to 9.

11 The casing 41 is connected to the rotation axis 5 of the drum 7
The flap cover has an opening that can be closed by flap covers 91 and 93 on both sides of a vertical plane extending through the flap cover, and the flap cover can be pivoted to open and close about a pivot axis located above the opening. The coating device according to item 1.

12 The gas supply/discharge guide device 131 opens one of the openings of the casing 41 that can be closed by the flap covers 91 and 93 from the operating position where it is located inside the casing 41 and is in contact with the drum 7. 12. The coating device according to claim 11, wherein the coating device is configured to be movable through the casing and away from the casing.

13 a guide 171 that slidably guides the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 when moving away from or toward the drum 7; at least one locking mechanism 177 for locking the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 at least in the operating position; 179 is provided, and the gas supply/discharge guide device 131
13. The coating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein in the operating position the tube piece 139 is fluidly connected to the housing 41 by means of two mutually separable connecting members 135, 37.

14 The casing 41 is a U-shaped casing wall 41
d, the U-shaped casing wall forming two side walls and a cover wall transitioning to the side walls, and limiting the opening that can be closed by flap covers 91, 93; Moreover, the flap covers 91 and 93 each extend from the side wall to the cover wall in the closed position.
The coating device according to any one of items 1 to 13.

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a frame, a casing, a drum disposed within the casing, rotatably supported by a bearing mechanism, and having a circumferential wall portion at least partially having multiple holes; Particles of a type comprising a drive mechanism for rotation and a gas supply/discharge guide device held by the pedestal and/or the casing and for causing gas to flow through the perforated portion of the peripheral wall portion; In particular, it relates to a coating device for drug particles such as tablets.

Regarding the concept of "drug particles" mentioned in this specification, it should be noted that "drug particles" are solid drugs or at least
This term refers to a so-called solid drug dosage form such as a solid drug having a jacket, ie, a tablet, a pill, and a capsule.

BACKGROUND ART A tablet coating device comprising a cradle, a drum rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation, and a drive for rotating the drum is known from US Pat. No. 3,601,086. be. The drum has a central opening on one end face.

The drum is closed at its other end and is connected to and supported in the drive by a rotating pin flanged to the end. The drum has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion with multiple holes. A suction shoe is rotatably held in the frame within the area of one lower drum image area, and can be pressed onto the cylindrical wall part by means of a pneumatic cylinder via a link. The suction shoe is connected to the suction blower via a flexible hose conduit, so that when the coating device is in operation, air is forced from the inner chamber of the drum through the cylindrical perforated wall section through the suction shoe and the hose conduit. be rescued. The tablets to be coated are introduced into the drum through an opening in one end of the drum and, after application of the coating, are removed from the drum again through the same opening.

Known commercially available devices constructed in principle in accordance with the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,086 include:
A casing is provided which completely surrounds the drum, and air is introduced into the casing from above and then sucked into the drum, with the majority of the air being perforated in the cylindrical peripheral wall section of the drum. The flow passes through the multi-hole section. Incidentally, the casing of a commercially known coating device is
One end face of the drum has a closable casing opening in the area of the opening provided in the end face.

The tablets collect in the lowest part of the drum when the drum is at rest, so that in order to remove the tablets they must be lifted in some manner into the end opening of the drum. In other words, tablet removal is difficult with the known coating devices available on the market. In some cases, the coating that has been painstakingly applied to the tablet may be damaged when the tablet is lifted and removed.

Coating equipment, but also drums in particular, must be cleaned from time to time, and at least at the time of conversion of the processed product. For adequate cleaning, the drum must be brushed inside and out. However, in the coating apparatus disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,601,086, the interior of the drum can only be accessed from one side. This makes cleaning the inside of the drum extremely difficult. This is especially true in the case of relatively large drums whose dimensions, measured in the direction of the axis of rotation of the drum, can amount to approximately 5 m.

Moreover, the suction shoe can be moved relatively little away from the drum, which again impairs the cleaning of the drum outer surface and the suction shoe.

Yet another drawback of the coating device disclosed in U.S. Pat. This also makes access difficult and requires a relatively large amount of space, approximately as much space as the drum itself, as shown in the drawings of the above-cited patent.

When the door provided to close said casing opening is opened to inspect the charge in the drum during the process of coating the tablets, a strong undulating air flow causes a high proportion of the dislodged coating material. This is also a disadvantage, as it frequently occurs that the drum is leached along with the water into the surrounding atmosphere.

When using one coating device, sometimes a relatively large amount of tablets and sometimes a relatively small amount of tablets may be loaded. Tablets also have different flow characteristics related to their size, shape, and other properties. For these reasons, the tablet layers produced during rolling can each have a different extent.

The suction port has a US Patent No.
No. 3601086 does not disclose this in detail.
In the known commercially available coating device constructed in accordance with the US patent, the suction opening is restricted by a fixed restriction member. By the way, when a tablet layer with a relatively large spread as measured along the circumference of the drum is generated when the drum rotates, air is guided only through a relatively small portion of the charged tablet, and this This reduces the efficiency of the coating process. On the contrary, the tablet layer has only a relatively small extent along the circumference of the drum;
Of course, if the suction port does not cover the entire suction port, most of the air will pass through the tablet layer and be sucked in, which will of course significantly reduce the efficiency of the coating device.

The coating device known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,086 and the coating devices known on the market are also exclusively designed for operating modes of the type in which air is sucked from the drum into the suction shoe. Identified. However, it has been found that this mode of operation gives unsatisfactory results in certain applications.

During operation of the above-mentioned commercially known coating equipment, at least a large portion of the pressurized air is passed through a plurality of holes perforated in the cylindrical peripheral wall portion of the drum before the pressurized air reaches the tablet bed. It flows into the drum through the holes, thereby heating the peripheral wall of the drum and also the parts of the casing that come into contact with the heated air. This causes energy loss and
Among other things, the disadvantageous result is that the tablets from which the sugar-containing solution is removed in order to apply the coating often stick to the heated drum casing when they come into contact with the drum casing. The known coating devices are therefore not at all or only very suitable for applying sugar-containing coatings to tablets.

After all, it can rotate around a horizontal axis of rotation,
A tablet coating device with a drum having a cylindrical circumferential wall is known from US Pat. No. 3,834,347. The cylindrical circumferential wall of the drum has no perforations over most of the area, but only in four relatively narrow zones extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum and distributed over the entire circumference of the drum. It has a department. Each perforated peripheral wall zone is
The drum is shielded from the surrounding air by a hood attached to the outside. These hoods are
delimits four suction passages which rotate together with the drum during operation and which are connected to a stationary suction conduit through a suction air coupler arranged on one end face of the drum at a predetermined rotational position of the drum; be done. The drum circumferential wall has an outlet for taking out the tablets between the two suction passages, and the outlet has a lid that projects toward the outside of the drum circumferential wall.

In the coating device disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,834,347, after coating the tablets, the tablets can be relatively easily discharged from the drum through the outlet. However, in this known coating device, the suction channel and the suction air coupler are poorly cleaned and their cleanliness cannot be visually checked in practice.
This is a very serious drawback for the production of drugs, where high requirements are placed on cleanliness.

A sugar coating candy manufacturing device is known from German Patent No. 1225035, which has a frame and a drum rotatable about a horizontal axis. The drum has two rolling rings, each rolling ring having two rubber-lined rollers pivoted on a seat on the pedestal.
supported on two drive rollers. In short, the drum does not have its own bearings, but is merely supported by drive rollers. The drive motor and transmission are housed in the catch below the drum. The drum has openings on both end faces and also has an outlet in the region of the peripheral wall for removing the processed product, which can be closed by a flap.

In the apparatus for producing sugar-coated candy, which is known based on the above-mentioned West German Patent No. 1225035, the peripheral wall of the drum does not have a perforated portion, and the layer of candy tablets present in the drum during operation is removed. No means are provided for drawing air through the floor. The rolling ring and drive roller of the drum,
There is also not enough space between the seat and the drive roller shaft which is mounted above the seat to accommodate the suction shoe.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks of the known coating devices and, in particular, to coat the particles present in the drum in a simple manner and in a short amount of time. From the drum
It is also desirable to be able to conduct the gas through the drum wall by means of a guide device for gas supply and discharge, which allows for good removal from the casing surrounding the drum and which does not interfere with cleaning. and the space required for the bearing-drive mechanism for supporting and driving the drum and the casing surrounding the drum is to be made as small as possible compared to the dimensions of the drum when viewed in plan; The purpose is to conduct air or other gases, as the case may be, through the bed of tablets present in the drum in order to produce as favorable an air or gas flow as possible for the coating process.

The constituent means of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems starting from the coating device known from the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. a drum which is rotatably supported about a horizontal axis and has an at least partially perforated circumferential wall portion; a drive mechanism for rotating the drum; and a drive mechanism for rotating the drum; a gas supply/discharge guide device which is removably held by a casing, is in contact with the peripheral wall portion in order to allow gas to flow through the multi-hole portion of the peripheral wall portion, and is removable from the drum; A device for coating particles, in particular pharmaceutical particles, such as tablets, of the type, in which the drum has an outlet for removing the particles, the outlet being provided at least partially in the peripheral wall portion, and in which the drum rotates. The position includes the deepest part of the drum and is configured to be closed and opened by a closing member rotatably held by the drum,
The drum is provided with an adjustment mechanism that allows the closing member to be rotated without relying on muscular strength and that maintains the closing member in a position that closes the outlet when the drum is rotated, and the adjustment mechanism and The closing member is configured to allow passage along the gas supply/discharge guide device when the closing member closes the outlet and the gas supply/discharge guide device contacts the drum and the drum rotates. wherein the casing has a casing bottom with an opening that can be closed in a gas-tight manner by means of a closing member, and the casing closes the space containing the drum to the surrounding air due to the closable opening. The opening provided at the bottom of the casing is designed to be airtightly sealed.
is arranged below the deepest part of the drum and in the bottom of the casing so that the particles present in the drum can reach the bottom from the drum through the outlet and the opening in the bottom of the casing. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the closing member for closing the opening without relying on muscle strength.

The drum is rotatable in the housing about a rotational axis that is at an angle to the vertical, particularly preferably horizontal.

The drum has an opening in the center of one end face, and the gas enters the drum only through this opening and the multi-hole part of the cylindrical wall part which is momentarily located in the area of the guide device for gas supply and discharge. Advantageously, guiding means are provided for guiding the gas into the drum and out of the drum. Furthermore, a nozzle holder having a nozzle can be inserted into the interior of the drum through the end opening of the drum. In an advantageous embodiment of the coating device, the drum can also have an opening on the other end. The opening is used to allow an arrangement for cleaning and for checking the cleanliness of the drum, in which case the automatic particle feeder extends slightly into the drum through the opening.

Further, the closing member for closing the outlet of the drum may or may not have a multi-hole portion. When the drum has a multi-hole portion, the multi-hole portion of the drum extends continuously around the drum rotation axis.
The closing member of the drum is constituted by a pivotable flap, which is kept in the closed position by, for example, at least one pneumatic adjustment mechanism and which can be pivoted in the opening direction and in the closing direction. can. Advantageously, the coating device is provided with a casing that surrounds the drum and seals it gas-tight against the surrounding atmosphere and with a casing bottom located below the drum. The casing can have an opening which is also sealed in a gas-tight manner, for example by a pneumatically adjustable pivotable or slidable closing member.

When the coated tablets are to be removed from the drum, the drum is held in a rotational position in which the removal opening of the drum and the closing member that closes the removal opening are positioned below the drum. More precisely, the drum is stopped at a rotational position in which the outlet includes the deepest part of the drum and is held in that position by the drive device. If the casing is provided with a casing bottom with a closable opening, it is advantageous if the outlet of the drum and the opening in the casing bottom at least partially overlap in plan view. It is particularly advantageous if there is, in which case the outlet of the drum is located in an opening in the bottom of the casing in plan view. In this case, both the closing element for the drum outlet and the closing element for the casing bottom opening can be moved starting from a closed position into an open position, with the closing element arranged on the drum protruding through the opening in the casing bottom. be able to. The tablets can thus slide off the drum under the action of gravity.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the tablet coating device with the flap covers on both sides of the casing opened and turned, and Fig. 2 is a view opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of the tablet coating device shown on a somewhat reduced scale with the flap covers on both sides of the casing turned closed;
4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view along the line -- of FIG. 1, shown somewhat schematically with the flap cover swiveled closed; FIG. Figure 6 is an enlarged rear view of the gas supply/discharge guide device and the drum part, looking into the casing with the flap cover open and turned in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the drum rotation axis. A diagram showing the guide device and the drum part viewed from the right side of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 shows one end surface of the drum and the drum section disposed on one end surface of the drum with the drum outlet and the bottom opening of the casing shown closed. Fig. 8 is a partial view of the device corresponding to Fig. 7 showing the drum outlet and casing bottom opening with the drum outlet and casing bottom opening open, and Fig. 9 shows the casing bottom opening. FIG. 4 shows a variant of the closure element for closure;

[BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION] Next, embodiments of the present invention and variations thereof will be explained in detail based on the drawings.

The tablet coating device shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has a pedestal 3 which rests on a chamber floor 1 and is constructed, at least in part, from sections welded together. A drum 7 is rotatably supported on the pedestal 3 about a horizontal axis of rotation 5.

The circumferential wall of the drum 7, which is substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation 5, has a cylindrical wall section or circumferential wall section 7a in its central part. The cylindrical peripheral wall portion is
As can be seen from FIG. 4, it has a multi-hole portion formed by a large number of holes 7b. However, the holes are shown in an exaggerated size to make the drawings easier to understand. In the circumferential direction, the multi-hole holes 7b are evenly distributed over the entire circumference of the cylindrical wall portion 7a. On the other hand, since the multi-hole portion does not extend over the entire width (measured parallel to the axis of rotation 5) of the cylindrical wall portion 7a, there is still no cylindrical wall portion on either side of the multi-hole portion. Each has a perforated ring surface. Each side of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a is followed by a conically tapered unperforated wall portion 7c, 7d, respectively. The narrow ends of the conical wall portions 7c, 7d of the drum are followed by small cylindrical edges 7e, 7f. A disk 9, which projects radially outward from the edge 7e, is fixedly attached, that is to say welded, to the edge 7e. The disc is additionally connected to the wall part 7c at its outer edge by a cylindrical ring 11, which is also secured by a welded joint.

The cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a has an outlet 7g for taking out the tablet. The outlet 7g has conical wall portions 7c, 7 measured parallel to the axis of rotation 5.
d over the entire width of the cylindrical jacket part 7a and can be closed by a closing member 13, which is connected by means of a hinge 15 to the axis of rotation 5.
It is connected to the drum 7 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the . The closing member 13, for example, also has a perforation, and the outer surface of the closing member 13 has a smooth and continuous cylindrical shape in the closed position (looking out of the hinges 15 at both edges of the cylindrical peripheral wall part 7a). It has transitioned to the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 7a. Note that, as will be explained in detail later, the closing member 13 is connected to the drum 7.
It is selectively kept in the closed or open position by at least one pneumatic adjustment mechanism 17 mounted on the. Incidentally, inside the drum 7, there are blades (not shown) fixed to the drum for transporting the tablets.
is located.

The pedestal 3 has one yoke 3a (a fourth
(see figure left hand), the uppermost part of the yoke forms a vertically oriented quadrilateral frame. A ring 19 is rigidly fixed, ie welded, to the frame. The ring 19 has a screw 23
The outer race 25a of the bearing 25 is removably fixed thereto. In addition, ring 19 and outer lace 2
A spacer ring 21 is arranged between the spacer ring 5a and the spacer ring 5a. The inner race 25b of the bearing 25 is the outer race 25
It is rotatable relative to the disk 9 and is detachably fixed to the disk 9 by a screw 27. A rolling element is arranged between the outer race 25a and the inner race 25b of the bearing 25. In short, bearing 25
is designed as a rolling bearing, for example a ball bearing, and is intended to support the drum 7 both radially and axially. The drum 7 is supported solely by bearings 25 arranged on one side of the perforated cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a and on one end face of the drum. By the way, inner and outer lace 25b,
25a are sealed to each other by one lip packing (not shown) on each side of the rolling elements or spheres, so that no lubricant leaks from the bearing.

A toothed ring 31 having a tooth row 31a is removably fixed to the outer peripheral edge of the disk 9 by a plurality of screws 29. Drive unit 33 with pneumatic or electric motor and transmission (see Figure 1)
is fixed to the frame 3 on one side of a vertical plane extending through the axis of rotation 5 of the drum 7 and at approximately the height of the lower part of the drum peripheral wall. Drive device 33
has a gearwheel 35 which is operatively connected to the toothed ring 31 via a toothed belt 37, which is not shown in FIG.

As a precaution, I would like to add that screws 23, 2
Ring 1 connected to each other by 7 and 29
9. Spacer ring 21, outer race 25a, disk 9, inner race 25b, and toothed ring 31,
In addition to the screws, they may also be non-rotatably connected to each other by well-fitting pins.

The coating device has a casing fixed to the frame 3 and indicated generally by 41, which comprises a casing bottom 41a arranged somewhat below the drum 7 and the drive 33, two casing ends. It consists of walls 41b, 41c and a U-shaped casing wall 41d, and the U-shaped casing wall has two
two side walls and a curved cover wall transitioning to the side walls. The casing 41 provides a dust-tight sealing of the drum 7 located inside it and a somewhat, particularly preferably completely gas-tight seal from the surrounding environment. Casing bottom 41a
For example, it forms a slight downward slope toward both sides from a center line extending parallel to the rotation axis 5. On the two housing end walls 41b, 41c or directly on the frame 3, one substantially cylindrical connecting tube 43, 45 coaxial with the axis of rotation 5 is fixed in each case. One connecting piece 43 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening limited by the inner surface of the cylindrical edge 7e of the drum 7 and penetrates slightly into the cylindrical edge 7e with some play. are doing. The other connecting tube piece 45 has approximately the same diameter as the cylindrical edge 7f of the drum and substantially abuts against the cylindrical edge 7f. The casing 41 has two intermediate walls 47, 49 extending at right angles to the axis of rotation 5, the intermediate wall 47 extending within the cylindrical ring 11 and the intermediate wall 49 extending within the cylindrical edge 7f of the drum. It is located within the range of the abutment area between the connecting tube piece 45 and the connecting tube piece 45. A large part of the drum 7, in particular the perforated cylindrical peripheral wall part 7a, is connected to the two intermediate walls 4 of the interior of the casing.
It exists within the space limited by 7,49. Both intermediate walls 47, 49 have openings corresponding to the connecting tube pieces 43, 45, and at these openings the connecting tube pieces 43 or a ring surrounding the abutting portion is fixed to the intermediate walls 47, 49. ing. Cylindrical ring 11 or conical wall portion 7d
An additional ring is fixed to the ring, which covers the ring fixed to the intermediate walls 47, 49 from the central part of the drum 7, and together forms a labyrinth seal. At the same time, the openings in the intermediate walls 47 and 49 are sealed in a splash-tight manner.
The drive device 33 is also partially connected by an intermediate wall 47 and partially (not specifically shown).
The intermediate wall 47 of the casing interior is secured by the shell plate.
The space located between 49 and 49 is liquid-tightly sealed.

A nozzle holding tube 51 in which a predetermined number of spray nozzles 53 for spraying the coating substance is fixed penetrates the connecting tube piece 45 and enters into the dom 7 . The casing 41 at the casing end wall 41c
The protruding part of the nozzle holding tube 51 that protrudes from is bent upward and is connected to a tube 55 which is also bent and extends above the drum 7 and parallel to the axis of rotation 5. Guide to 5
7 forms a part of the telescopic insertion/extraction tube guided inside. The casing end wall 41b of the telescoping tube has a flange connection for connecting the supply conduit for the substance to be sprayed and the nozzle holding tube 51 is connected to the drum 7 and for cleaning and inspection operations. It can be pulled out so that it can be completely removed from the connecting tube piece 45.

The casing end wall 41b has an opening, which is made at least to some extent gas-tight by a closing member 59 constituted by a pivotable and closable door or a removably mounted plate. Can be occluded. In the closed position shown in FIG. 4, the closing element 59 rests particularly tightly against the connecting tube 43.

The housing end wall 41c has an opening in the area of the connecting tube 45 that can be closed by a closing element 63, which is constituted by two lockable swing doors 65, 67. . double door 6
5 and 67 overlap each other within the range of the eccentrically arranged nozzle holding tube 51 in the closed position;
Each of the nozzle holding tubes has a sealed notch through which the nozzle holding tube passes.

The cylindrical edge 7e of the drum peripheral wall forms a central circular opening 71 coaxial with the rotational axis 5 on the drum end face side closer to the bearing, together with the connecting tube piece 43 inserted into the cylindrical edge. are doing. Further, the cylindrical edge 7f of the drum peripheral wall forms an opening 73 coaxial with the rotational axis 5 on the side of the drum end facing away from the bearing 25, together with the connecting tube piece 45 that is substantially aligned with the cylindrical edge 7f. is forming. Closing member 59,6
3 is removed or opened, the interior of the drum 7 is accessible from the outer chamber surrounding the casing 41 through the two openings 71, 73. The inner dimensions, ie, the inner diameters of the openings 71 and 73 are equal to the maximum outer diameter of the drum 7, ie, the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7.
It is at least 25%, particularly preferably at least 40%, of the outer diameter of a. The internal dimension or internal diameter of the openings 71, 73 is also preferably at least 300 mm, particularly preferably at least 450 mm. The outer diameter of the drum 7 may be, for example, 1250 mm, and the inner diameters of the openings 71 and 73 may be 600 mm.

Further openings are provided in the casing end wall 41c and are sealed by cover plates 81, 83, 85 which are removably fixed by screws or snap members. Further, a power distribution board 87 having various indicators and operators is arranged on the casing end wall 41c.

The top of the casing 41 is constituted by a metal strip 89. Flap covers 91, 93 are attached to the metal strip 89 by hinges on both sides of a vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation 5. The flap cover is in the closed position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (a position where the flap cover is locked and closes the opening in the U-shaped casing wall 41d).
From there, it is pivoted upward to the open position shown in FIG. 1 and supported by the struts. Said U-shaped casing end wall 41
d has a further opening below the flap cover 93, which is closed by a removably fixed cover plate 95.

One opening 41e is also provided in the casing bottom 41a of the casing 41. The opening is the fourth
It can be closed by a closing member 107 shown in the closed position in the figure, the construction of which will be described below. The pedestal 3 is configured to leave a free space between the floor surface 1 and the casing bottom 41a in which a cart 97 can be accommodated. The trolley 9
Reference numeral 7 has a handle, a container 99 in the form of a petal or tank that opens upward, and a discharge port 101 that can be closed and connected to the container.

Inside the casing 41 a plurality of nozzles are arranged for spraying water or other cleaning liquid. However, in Figure 4, only one nozzle is marked 1.
03. Furthermore, inside the drum 7, there is at least one nozzle holding tube 51.
Two cleaning liquid spray nozzles 105 are arranged. Said nozzles 103, 105 are connected via conduits (not shown) to a source of cleaning fluid provided with a pump.

A forced air blower 111 for supplying air includes a filter 113, a heater 115, and a shutoff mechanism 119.
It is connected to the connection part 12 of the conduit 123 via the conduit 117 containing the casing 4.
1 through the casing from the upper side of the connecting tube piece 45.
It is open to The guide device 131 for supplying and discharging air or gas is arranged inside the casing 41, and moreover, with respect to the rotation axis 5, it is arranged in the lower quadrant located on the left side of the vertical plane passing through the rotation axis 5 in FIG. There is. The gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is guided so as to be shiftable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 5, as will be described later. The gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is moved from an operating position in close contact with the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a of the drum 7 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to a cleaning position separated from the drum 7 by a gap. manually shifted to another end position defined by The width of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 measured parallel to the rotation axis 5 is at least equal to the axial length range of the multi-hole portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a. In this case, the gas supply/discharge guide device is designed in such a way that the hinges 15 can pass through on both sides of the gas supply/discharge guide device when the drum 7 rotates.

As can be seen particularly clearly from FIGS. 5 and 6, the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 includes a slightly bent (FIG. 3) rigid tube piece that extends approximately in the direction of the axis of rotation 5. 133 is fixed. The tube piece 133 is connected to the gas supply/discharge guide device 13.
1 has one ring-shaped connecting member 135 fixed to the end. The other ring-shaped connecting member 137 is connected to the rigid tube piece 13
9, and the tube piece itself is attached to the casing 4.
1 and, by extension, to the pedestal 3.
The tube piece 139 opens into a conduit 141 which extends vertically upwards and projects above the casing 41 and has a tube connection 143 at its upper end.
When the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is in the operating position, both ring-shaped connecting members 135 and 137 are connected to one another.
abutting one another in two contact planes, which contact planes extend in the vertical direction and lie at a certain angle with respect to the shift direction of the guide device for gas supply and discharge, particularly preferably at a maximum
It forms an angle of 45°. In this case, the contact plane is located such that the two ring-shaped connecting members 135, 137 can be separated by shifting the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 away from the drum. It is particularly advantageous if at least one of the two connecting parts 135, 137 has an elastically deformable sealing ring.

When the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 assumes the operating position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, both connecting members 1
35, 137 create a gas-tight connection between the two tube pieces 133 and 139. On the other hand, when the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is shifted outward away from the drum from its operating position, both connecting members 135, 137 are disconnected from each other, and the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is accordingly At the point of gas supply, the connection with tube piece 139 is severed.

It should be noted that a releasable tightening mechanism may be provided for engaging both coupling members 135, 137 in the operating position and drawing them towards each other. In this case, the tightening mechanism is moved from a tightening position in which the two connecting members 135, 137 are pulled toward each other by a slight operation, for example, by pivoting a lever, to a tightening position in which the two connecting members 135, 137 are pulled toward each other by shifting the gas supply/discharge guide device. It is configured to be brought into an open position where the members are severed from one another.

The pipe connecting portion 143 is connected to the suction blower 151 via a conduit 145 that includes a blocking mechanism 147 and a filter 149 . Conduits 117 and 145
are connected to each other by conduits 153, 157 which bypass the cut-off mechanisms 119 and 147 and cross-bridge, and each of the conduits also has one cut-off mechanism 155, 159 installed therein. . The shutoff mechanisms 119, 147, 155, and 159 have passages that can be shut off by so-called ventilation valves. As suggested in the introduction, the forced air blower 11
1. Suction blower 151, filters 113, 14
9. Heater 115 and cutoff mechanism 119, 147,
Contrary to the illustration of the schematic diagram in FIG. 1, the elements 155 and 159 do not necessarily need to be placed above the casing 41, but may be placed at any arbitrary location outside the casing 41. Also, just to be sure, the conduits 153, 157 and the blocking mechanisms 155, 159 can be omitted, and in that case,
Shutoff mechanism 11 installed in conduits 117 and 145
9,147 will no longer be necessary.

Next, the configuration of the air or gas supply/discharge guide device 131 will be explained in detail based on FIGS. 5 and 6.

A guide 171 is arranged above the casing bottom 41a fixed to the horizontal frame of the pedestal 3, and the guide is configured, for example, in the form of a drawer, and is fixed to the casing 41 or directly to the pedestal 3. It has a rail that extends perpendicularly to the axis of rotation 5 of the drum and is arranged horizontally, or that extends diagonally from the drum with a gentle slope downward or upward from the horizontal plane. There is. A carriage is shiftably guided by rollers or sliding surfaces along the rail, and the carriage itself has a running path, along which the rollers or sliding surfaces guide gas supply and discharge. The device 131 is slidably guided. The gas supply/discharge guide device has a hand grip 173 which can be gripped externally through an opening 175 formed in the casing 41 when the flap cover 91 is pivoted upward. As a result, the gas supply/discharge guide device 131
is, as already mentioned, shifted from the operating position shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6 until it reaches the stop, away from the drum, into the end cleaning position also mentioned above. . Manually operable locking mechanisms 177, 179 are also provided, which can be, for example, spring-loaded, automatically locking and manually releasable pins or, for example, guides for supplying and discharging gas. It has a lock bar that is placed on the device and can be manually rotated back and forth,
The locking mechanism also makes it possible to lock the carriage and/or the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131 at least in the operating position and, if necessary, in the end cleaning position. The shifting distance between the two positions is at least 30 cm, for example about 50 cm, so that in the end cleaning position there is a correspondingly large gap between the drum 7 and the gas supply/exhaust guide device. In the end cleaning position, the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131 can be lifted out of the carriage and completely separated from the rest of the device.

The guide device 131 for gas supply and discharge is essentially constructed as a hollow box and, on the side facing the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a of the drum 7 in the operating position, has a configuration coaxial with the axis of rotation 5 of the drum. have. The gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is open in the region facing the drum, in other words,
This side has an opening that communicates with the hollow chamber.
The opening has one opening on each of two oppositely spaced sides.
The two seals 181 each form an arc coaxial with the axis of rotation 5 of the drum. In the operating position, the two seals 181 each contact a solid edge section of the cylindrical jacket part 7a. At the lower end of the opening, the opening is
It is limited by a seal 183 extending parallel to the axis of rotation 5 of the drum. An arcuate plate 185 coaxial with the rotational axis 5 of the drum is fitted into the upper portion of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 . The plate is connected in a gas-tight manner to the wall of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 at its upper edge and at both side edges. There are three gasket holders 187, 189, 19 on the side of the plate 185 closer to the drum 7.
1 is fixed. These seal holders are offset from one another on an arc extending around the axis of rotation 5 of the drum and have, for example, the shape of a U-shaped groove that is open toward the drum 7. Patsukin 193, as shown in Figure 6,
It can be selectively fitted into one of the three seal holders, for example the lowest seal holder 191. The displaceable gasket 193 extending parallel to the axis of rotation 5 forms the upper limit of the opening of the gas supply/discharge guide device and is connected to the other gaskets 181, 1.
83, it is elastically deformable and has a strap shape, and has a lip (tongue) facing the drum, and in the operating position of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131, it is in close contact with the drum 7 like the other gaskets 181 and 183. are doing. Also, four packskin 181, 183,
The ends of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 are in close contact with each other (in that case, the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 may be connected), and in short, the inner chamber of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is open in the operating position of the gas supply/discharge guide device. It is connected to the drum in at least a somewhat gas-tight manner via the drum.

Next, based on FIGS. 7 and 8, the closing member 13
The configuration of and 107 and its operating means will be explained.

Two hinges 15 are arranged on either side of the perforation of the cylindrical jacket part 7a and outside the perforation and are fastened, for example, to the imperforate edge zone of the cylindrical jacket part 7a, and The pivot axis of the hinge 15 is located on the outside of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a. The closing member 13 is supported on the hinge 15 by an angle lever 201 at each of its ends. The pneumatic adjustment mechanism 17 has a cylinder 199, which at one end is connected to the drum 7.
It is pivoted by a joint 203 provided in the conical wall section 7d of the drum, the pivot axis of which, like the pivot axis of the hinge 15, runs parallel to the axis of rotation 5 of the drum. A piston 205 is guided within the cylinder 199, and the piston shaft of the piston is connected to the shaft pin of the hinge 15 through a crank arm 207, and the shaft pin itself is fixed to the angle lever 201 in a relatively unrotatable manner. is combined with

The cylinder 199 also contains a pressure spring which acts on the piston 205 and which, when the cylinder is under no pressure, is directed towards the end position which keeps the closure member 13 in the closed position shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. Once the piston 205 is pressed. If necessary, it is also possible to provide a seal which seals the closure member 13 against the cylindrical wall portion 7a in the closed position.

A pressurized air conduit 209 is connected to the pressurized air connection of the cylinder 199, the main part of which extends along the outer surface of the conical wall section 7d,
The end remote from the pneumatic cylinder is guided on the inside of the cylindrical edge 7f and has a connecting half 211 for pressurized air. A stereotactic pressurized air source (not shown) is provided via at least one valve located on or operated from the switchboard 87 and a pressurized air conduit held at least in part in the cradle 3 or casing 41. and is connected to the other pressurized air connection half. When the drum 7 rotates, one pressurized air connection half 211 is connected to the drum 7 by means of a retainer.
In addition, the other pressurized air connection half is attached to the stationary frame 3 or to the housing 41 by means of retainers. One of the two pneumatic connection halves is
Being releasable or at least movable from said holder by manual operation, both pressurized air connection halves ensure that the drum 7 is
When the swing doors 65, 67 are in the rotational position shown in the figure and open, they can be detachably connected to each other. If the two connecting halves are connected to each other, the cylinder 199 of the adjusting mechanism 17
By actuating a valve, it is possible to supply pressurized air, which causes the closing member 13 to pivot downward from its closed position into the open position shown in FIG. It remains in the release position until the exhaust pressure of 199 degrees.

In short, the closure element 13 can only be opened when the two pneumatic connection halves are connected to one another. The electro-pneumatic control of the device also includes a switch which ensures that the drive 33 of the drum 7 can only be activated when the closing member 13 is in the closed position and the two pneumatic connection halves are disconnected from each other. It is even more advantageous to have the means. The switching means may be, for example, a connecting half 211 for pressurized air.
The other coupling half can have a limit switch incorporated in the other coupling half, which changes the switch state and controls an electric relay or valve when the two coupling halves are coupled, to control the drive device 3.
It is configured to interrupt the power supply to the three electric motors or the pressure supply to the pneumatic motor.

It is also advantageous to arrange a manually operable stop switch member and other control means on the switchboard 87. The control means operates a switch member for stopping the rotating drum as shown in FIG.
It is to be stopped at the rotational position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In the rotation position regulated for drum ejection, that is, tablet ejection, at the time of ejection or ejection, the ejecting port 7g and the closing member 13 are closed to the drum 7.
That is, it is located almost at the lowest position of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the take-out ports 7g may be arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane passing through the rotation axis 5 of the drum in the take-out rotating position. However, the outlet must not extend outside the range of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131, and therefore, the gas supply/discharge guide device 13
1 and the dimensions of the outlet itself, the lower drum quadrant is arranged somewhat asymmetrically with respect to the vertical plane at the rotating position at the time of extraction, and is separated from the gas supply/discharge guide device 131. You can move it towards . However, it is advantageous for the outlet 7g to form or include the lowest part of the cylindrical wall part 7a in the rotational position for the outlet.

When the drum 7 occupies the rotational unloading position, the opening 41e of the casing bottom 41a is at least partially below the unloading opening 7g of the drum 7. The opening 41e has larger dimensions than the outlet 7g in plan view, so that the opening 41e completely surrounds the outlet 7g in plan view, that is, in vertical projection. is advantageous.

The closing element 107 for closing the opening 41e in the housing bottom 41a can be designed, for example, as a flap, which is supported by a hinge 221 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the axis of rotation 5 of the drum. has been done. Closing member 10
At least one pneumatic adjustment mechanism 223 is provided for opening and closing 7;
It has a cylinder disposed below the casing bottom 41a and a piston connected to the closing member 107 via a joint. Casing bottom 41
a, and optionally the closure member 107 is adapted to fluid-tightly seal the opening 41e when the closure member 107 is in the closed position shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7. It is particularly advantageous to have a seal. When opening, the closure member 107 is pivoted downward into the release position shown in FIG. If the closing member 13 also reaches the release position, the closing member 13
may partially protrude through the opening 41e as the case may be.

Next, the operating mode of the coating apparatus of the present invention will be explained. First, a batch of tablets to be coated passes through one opening 71 or 73 to the drum 7.
It is charged inside. The opening is then closed again and the drum 7 is moved by the drive 33 to the sixth
It is rotated in the direction of arrow 195 shown in the figure. The loaded tablets are moved by the rotation of the drum 7 into the quadrant of the drum 7 where the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is arranged. The tablet dose or tablet layer can then be limited, for example, by a limiting surface 197 shown in dashed lines in FIG. When the drum 7 rotates, a coating material in liquid form, ie in the form of a suspension, is supplied through the tube 55 and the nozzle holding tube 51 and is sprayed onto the tablets by means of the spray nozzle 53 . Furthermore, a filter 113, a heater 115 and a conduit 123 are supplied by a forced air blower 111.
Filtered heated air or, if appropriate, protective gas is blown into the drum 7 via. Air or protective gas is sucked into the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 by passing through the charged tablet and the hole 7b in the opening range of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131, and is sucked into the gas supply/discharge guide device 131. The air flows from the air through a conduit 141 to a suction blower 151 via a filter 149 .

Once the tablets have been coated, the drum 7 is stopped at the rotational position during ejection or removal. Closing members 13 and 107 are then opened, so that the tablets slide down from drum 7 through outlet 7g and opening 41e into container 99 of carriage 97 and are transported by the carriage.

At least the majority of the tablets contained in the drum are automatically ejected from the drum during drum ejection, solely due to the force of gravity acting on the tablet charge. If the remaining tablets remain stuck inside the drum, the operator can, for example, use a suitable tool to push the remaining tablets from one end of the drum towards the outlet 7g. In short, tablet removal is performed quickly and easily.

Both the forced air blower 111 and the suction air blower 151 are designed and controlled so that approximately ambient atmospheric pressure is created within the drum 7 during the coating operation.
On this basis, it is possible to temporarily open one of the two closing parts 59 or 63 for inspection during the coating operation, with the result that a considerable amount of air can enter the drum or Air and vacuum coating material cannot escape from the drum.

The above-mentioned adjustability of the packing 193 allows the drum circumferential range or drum angular range for sucking air from the drum 7 into the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131 to be adjusted depending on the amount and motility of the tablets loaded into the drum 7. Allows for adaptation. In this way, it is possible to make the suction range, ie, the effective opening of the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131, spread over almost the entire inserted tablet, and not beyond that.

For some applications, the air or gas is not drawn from the drum 7 into the gas guide device 131, but rather is drawn from the gas guide device into the drum, whereby the tablets are It may be advantageous to vortex it to a greater or lesser degree. Such a processing operation is performed when the normally open shutoff mechanism 11
9 and 147 and instead open the normally closed shut-off mechanisms 155 and 159.

The drum 7, the spray nozzle 53, the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131 and other parts of the device must be cleaned from time to time, especially when the product, ie the tablets and/or the coating material, is changed. This cleaning is facilitated by nozzles 103 and 105.
That is, it is possible to draw water or other cleaning liquids onto the drum 7 from the inside and outside by means of the nozzles. For example, the cleaning liquid may be applied while the closing member 107 remains closed.
It is led out through an outlet provided at the lowest part of the casing bottom 41a or pumped out. However, during cleaning, the closing member 107 in the casing bottom 41a also opens and the cleaning liquid is poured into the trolley 97.
container 99 or some other container.

However, in most cases it is not sufficient to simply spray the drum 7 and the casing interior in order to obtain satisfactory cleanliness. Closing elements 59 and 63 are particularly preferably constructed as doors.
By opening, the interior of the drum can be accessed from both end faces of the drum, making it possible, for example, to brush the inner surface of the drum. In that case, the nozzle holding tube 51 is temporarily withdrawn from the drum. Also, a partially curved flap cover 91
By pivoting and 93 upwards, the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a can be accessed from both sides and from above, so that the outer surface of the drum can also be brushed. Further, when the flap cover 91 is opened, the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 can be shifted to the cleaning end position. In the operating position, the guide device 131 for gas supply and drainage is located completely inside the housing 41, whereas in the cleaning end position it is located at least partially, and particularly preferably completely, outside the housing 41. are doing. Further, if necessary, it is possible to lift the gas supply/discharge guide device from the carriage of the guide 171 configured in a drawer shape and completely separate it from the pedestal 3 and the casing 41. In short, when the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 is shifted back from the cleaning end position to the working position, both ring-shaped connecting members 135, 137 supply gas to the tube piece 139 mechanically and rigidly connected to the pedestal 3. Discharge guide device 1
31 automatically reoccupies the position where the gas connection can be made.

In short, the parts to be cleaned are the closure member 59,
By opening or removing the flap covers 63 and flap covers 91, 93, quick and good access is made possible, and at this time, the gas supply/discharge guide device 131 can also be quickly and easily separated from the drum 7. After the cleaning operation, the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131 is brought back into its working position and the flap covers 91, 93 as well as the closing members 59,
63 is closed and locked by retaining means or otherwise secured in the closed position.

The bearing 25 and the toothed ring 31 are such that the maximum distance from the adjacent edge of the cylindrical wall portion 7a is approximately the maximum outer diameter of the drum (measured along the axis of rotation 5), i.e. the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall portion 7a. 40%, particularly preferably for example up to about 30%. This component consists of the main parts of the device, namely the pedestal 3, the drum 7, and the bearings 2 of the drive/transmission means 31, 33, 35, 37 for driving the drum.
5. It helps to keep the plan dimensions of the casing 41 and of the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131 in the operating position relatively small compared to the drum dimensions, which makes it possible to reduce the requirements in terms of accessibility and the requirements of the device. Extremely efficient in terms of space. The main parts, namely, the forced air blower 111, the suction air blower 151, the filters 113 and 149, and the heater 115
and a blocking mechanism 119, 14 which is not necessarily necessary.
The plan dimensions of the entire device excluding 7, 155, 159 are, in short, only relatively slightly larger than the plan dimensions of the drum 7. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the plan view dimension a of the main portion measured in the direction perpendicular to the rotational axis 5 of the drum is the maximum of the outer diameter of the drum 7, that is, the outer diameter of the thickest drum portion.
1.5 times, particularly preferably approximately 1.3 times. The plan dimension b of said main part, measured parallel to the axis of rotation 5, is also at most twice, particularly preferably at most 1.8 times, the dimension of the drum measured in the same direction. The casing measured parallel to the axis of rotation 5, taking into account only the original cradle and casing, ignoring some small parts protruding from the cradle and casing, in particular the nozzle holding tube 51 and tube 55. - The ratio of the plan dimension b' of the frame to the drum dimension measured in the same direction can be equal to or less than 1.6, particularly preferably equal to or less than 1.5.

In connection with this, it should be noted that, depending on the case, it is also possible to separate the switchboard 87 from other devices.

The coating device according to the invention can be implemented in various variants.

For example, the casing bottom surrounding the drum can be configured in the form of a tank, as shown for casing bottom 341 in FIG. An opening 341e corresponding to the opening 41e is provided at the deepest portion of the casing bottom 341. Guide 34 fixed to the casing bottom 341 or the device stand
3, the closing member 307 is slidably guided in the horizontal direction, for example parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. Closing member 307 closes opening 34 shown in FIG.
It is possible to shift from a closed position in which the opening 1e is closed to a released position in which the opening is opened. The closing member 307, which corresponds in purpose to the closing member 107, is shifted, for example, with a pneumatic adjustment mechanism, which comprises a cylinder fixed to the underside of the casing bottom 341 and a cylinder fixed to the underside of the casing bottom 341, and said closing member 307 and a piston connected to the piston. For example, the cylinder is
It incorporates a return spring that engages the piston and maintains the closure member 307 in the closed position when the cylinder is depressurized.

The casing bottom 341 has means for forming a downwardly open groove extending along the edge of the opening 341e. A packing 345 that completely surrounds the opening 341e is fitted into the groove.
The packing has a generally rectangular molded cross-section and a hollow chamber 345a, and is elastically deformable, in particular capable of expanding its cross-sectional area. Hollow chamber 345
a is sealed from the surrounding outside air and the conduit 3
Via 47, a schematically illustrated pressure air control device 349
and is fluidly connected. The pressure air control device includes:
It has means for inflating the gasket 345 with pressurized air after the closure member 307 is closed and for applying negative pressure from the gasket 345 before or during the opening of the closure member 307. When the closure member 307 is in the closed position and the gasket 345 is inflated, a lip or rib provided on the underside of the gasket is pressed against the closure member 307 to seal the opening 341e in a fluid-tight manner. When the closure member 307 is shifted by releasing pressure from the seal 345, the closure member 307 can be shifted relatively easily.

The closure member 107 shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and 8 can be sealed in the closed position with an inflatable and compressible gasket in an equivalent manner. It is likewise possible to provide inflatable and compressible gaskets for sealing the closure elements 59, 63 and the flap covers 91, 93 and, if appropriate, the cover plates 81, 83, 85.

The drum can also be driven without a transmission with a toothed belt, but via a transmission with a chain wheel and chain or with gears that mesh directly with one another. In addition, the bearing for supporting the drum and the tooth ring rigidly connected to the drum are limiting members that limit the central opening provided in the end surface of the drum when viewed in a projected view parallel to the rotational axis of the drum. The limiting member must be constructed and arranged so that it is located outside the limiting member, or in any case forms at least a part of the limiting member itself.

As already mentioned, if the closing member 13 also has a multi-hole section, the multi-hole section of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 7a extends virtually continuously along the entire circumference of the drum. However, the closing member for closing the outlet of the drum may be constructed as a full-wall type without holes, without providing a multi-hole portion. In this case, the perforations of the drum are always continuous along the entire circumference of the drum, ignoring interruptions by relatively narrow closing members.

It is also possible to provide separate packings for the packing holders 187, 189, 191 of the gas supply/discharge guide device 131. In that case, in order to define the opening area of the gas supply/exhaust guide device 131, it can be arbitrarily selected whether or not to fit the packing into all the packing holders 187, 189, 191, and in each case, the The lower packing will determine the opening area. In addition, as shown in the figure, there are three gasket holders 187, 189, 19.
Instead of using one, it is also possible to provide other numbers of seal holders. In addition, instead of the gasket 193 that can be fitted in various positions, a gasket 193 that is slidably guided along an arc coaxial with the rotational axis of the drum and can be continuously adjusted by an adjustment mechanism. It is also possible to provide a seal.
Furthermore, it is also possible to make the lower limit of the opening of the gas supply/exhaust guide device variable.

It is also possible to use a simple sliding guide in place of the drawer type guide for the gas supply/discharge guide device. It is also possible to omit the guide mechanism altogether and to detachably fix the gas supply/discharge guide device to the device pedestal in its operating position. In this case, the device pedestal can include a pedestal that can support and position the gas supply/discharge guide device in the operating position. It is also possible to provide a manually operable locking device so that, for example, the gas supply/discharge guide device can be quickly disassembled for cleaning and quickly reassembled after cleaning. The rear wall of the gas guide device remote from the drum can have at least one opening that can be selectively sealed gas-tight and opened by a closing member, for example a door. When the gas supply/exhaust guide device is used for air circulation, the door is closed, whereas it is of course opened during cleaning. If the gas supply/discharge guide device has such a closable opening, the gas supply/discharge guide device may be fixed in a non-removable manner, since it is no longer necessary to remove it during cleaning.

Also, only one pneumatic adjustment mechanism 17, 2, respectively.
Instead of 23, it is also possible to provide each pair of adjustment mechanisms. Furthermore, instead of a pneumatic or other non-muscularly actuated adjustment mechanism, it is also possible to provide, for example, a hydraulic or electric adjustment mechanism.