US3127071A

US3127071A - bingham

Info

Publication number: US3127071A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-31

Description

D. W. BINGHAM CAN FILLING APPARATUS March 31, 1964 Filed June 11, 1962 \NVENTOR DAVID w. B\NGHAM BY mm m ATTORNEYS March 31, 1964 D. w. BINGHAM CAN FILLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 11, 1962 \NVENTOR I DAV\D w. BlNGHAM ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,127,071 CAN FILLING APPARATUS David William Biugham, Brighton, Victoria, Australia,

assignor to l), W. Bingham & Company Proprietary Limited, Victoria, Australia, a corporation of Victoria Filed June 11, 1962, Ser. No. 201,687 Claims priority, application Australia June 15, 1961 7 (Ilaims. (Cl. 222380) This invention relates to apparatus for filling cans, jars and other containers with liquids, pastes or like substances. The appaartus is of that type which includes one or more lling heads having a measuring chamber and an associated piston for receiving and delivering under pressure, predetermined quantities of the liquid or other substance to the cans to be filled.

The invention is particularly applicable to that type of can filling apparatus described and illustrated in my prior Australian patent specification No. 231,624 in which each filling head includes relatively rotatable fixed and movable valve members which are apertured and adapted to control the admission to and delivery from the measuring chamber in the cylinder of the material being fed to the cans. The valve members disclosed in the aforesaid earlier Australian patent specification are particularly suitable for use in connection with the filling of jams, sauces, pastes and similar materials. Although they are also capable of being employed for controlling the delivery of relatively thin liquids, they are in that event subject to slight leakage and consequently are not entirely satisfactory for handling such liquids.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved can filler of the kind indicated which is capable of efiiciently handling a particularly wide range of materials including relatively thin liquids. The improved can filler includes a redesigned assembly of fixed and movable valve members which are adapted to reduce the possibility of leakage developing to an absolute minimum even when handling relatively thin liquids.

In order to more clearly describe the present invention reference is now made by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of a filling head and portion only of a bulk storage vessel of can filling apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section on the line 11-11 of FIGURE 1 showing the transfer port in the fixed valve member in registry with the inlet port in the oscillatable valve member;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the oscillatable valve member partially rotated so that the outlet port of the oscillatable valve member and the discharge port of the fixed valve member are in registry;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of FIGURE 3 showing in particular the configuration of the discharge port in the fixed valve member;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section on the line V-V of FIG- URE 1 showing a portion of the transfer and discharge ports in the fixed valve member.

The improved can filling apparatus includes a bulk storage vessel 6 for the liquid or other material which is provided on the exterior of its side wall 7 with mounting means for a plurality of circumferentially spaced filling heads 8 located above any suitable type of conveyor (not shown) for the cans to be filled.

The assembly of filling heads 8 and the bulk storage vessel 6 are mounted in any suitable manner so as to rotate bodily in relation to a stationary main supporting frame (not shown) in such a manner that the movements of the vessel and the can conveyor are synchronised so as to operatively position a can beneath each filling head as it passes over the conveyor.

3,127,071- Patented Mar. 31., 1964 Each filling head includes an upright cylinder 9 having a reciprocatory piston 11 therein, the lower end portion of the cylinder forming a measuring chamber 12 for the liquid or other material in the storage vessel. The stroke or" the piston 11 may be varied so as to deliver different predetermined quantities of said liquid or other material.

The means employed for reciprocating the piston may consist of a laterally projecting arm 15 carried by the piston so as to extend through a longitudinal slot 13 in the cylinder, the outer end of the arm carrying a roller 14 engageable by an inclined cam track. Alternatively a striker or any other suitable means may be employed for reciprocating the piston. The operative position of the cam track is preferably adjustable so as to vary the stroke of each piston as aforesaid.

Coaligned ports

16, 17 are formed in the walls of the storage vessel and each cylinder preferably near the bottom of the vessel so that its contents may flow into each cylinder during the upstroke of its piston.

Associated with the foregoing is a control valve assembly for each filling head, each assembly consisting of relatively rotatable fixed and oscillatable valve members adapted for detachable connection within the lower end portion of each cylinder.

In accordance with the present invention the fixed valve member 18 is of substantially cup-shaped formation having a base portion 19 and an upstanding annular side Wall 21 adapted for slidable connection Within the lower end portion 22 of its cylinder which is counter-bored for this purpose so that the inner surface 23 of the side wall forms a continuation of the inner surface 24 of the cylinder and thus enables the associated piston 11 to enter the cup-shaped fixed valve member 18 near the end of its down-stroke and closely approach the bottom thereof. This is advantageous as it reduces to a minimum the amount of material remaining in the control valve assembly after each filling operation and thus assists in avoiding undesirable dripping from each filling head when a can is not located thereunder.

The fixed valve member is provided with any suitable sealing means and means for retaining it in the desired operative position within the bottom of its cylinder. The sealing means may consist of a circular groove formed around the base portion of the fixed valve member so as to accommodate an O-ring 26 or the like adapted to bear against a stepped shoulder in the bottom of the cylinder.

The retaining means for the fixed valve member may consist of a radial locking screw and a locking ring 27 having a flange 23 extending inwardly beneath the fixed valve member and being adapted to screw onto the lower end of the related cylinder.

A transfer port 2? and a circumferentially spaced discharge port 31 (see FIGURE 4) are formed in the base portion 19 of the fixed valve member. The transfer port consists of an open-ended passage one end of which is adapted to register with an admission port 17 in the cylinder wall whilst the opposite end of the transfer port communicates with said measuring chamber 12 through the upper surface of the base portion 19. It will thus be seen that the open ended passage forming transfer port 29 extends downwardly along the annular side wall 21 of the fixed valve member in the form of a slot 32 and then inwardly across the base portion 19 and upwardly therethrough.

The discharge port 31 is preferably of circular formation in plan and the outer end portion of the discharge port is counter-sunk or counter-bored so as to reduce the effective length of the discharge port to a minimum. Thus the outer end portion or mouth 33 of the discharge port is preferably inclined outwardly and downwardly whilst the inner end portion 34 of the port may be substantially parallel sided thus shortening the effective length of the discharge port. Where these walls merge, the discharge port is defined by a substantially knife edged circular lip 36 which thus opposes any tendency of the liquid or other material to remain in the discharge port.

The aforesaid oscillatable valve member 37 is of substantially disc-like formation in plan and is adapted to form a relatively close rotatable fit within the annular side Wall of the fixed valve member 18. The rotatable valve member 37 may be provided with an axial locating boss 38 depending from its lower face and adapted for accommodation within an axial recess 34 formed in the base portion of the fixed valve member. This recess 39 is preferably of stepped formation so as to accommodate the lower end portion of a valve spindle 41 which depends through the aforesaid piston 11 and is connected at its lower end to the oscillatable valve member for example by passing through a suitably shaped hole in the central portion thereof.

The rotatable valve member 37 is also provided with an inlet port 42 and a circumferentially spaced outlet port 43 adapted to register with the transfer and discharge ports in the fixed valve member respectively. In this case the outlet port may be of circular formation in plan but the inlet port is preferably of elongated formation so as to provide an appropriate margin for registry with the trans fer port 29 of the fixed valve member.

The oscillatable valve member 37 is preferably relativel-y thin and preferably formed of or coated with hard chrome or like metal so that wear will be reduced to a minimum. The mating flat faces of the fixed and oscillatable valve members may be lapped or otherwise finished in any suitable manner so as to provide a desirable close maximum surface contact between these parts was to avoid leakage.

Yieldable means are provided to urge the oscillatable valve'member 37 towards the fixed valve member 18 to maintain close engagement between the valve members. The yieldable means may consist of a spring coiled around the upper end of valve spindle 41 and held under compression between a pair of opposed shoulders one of which is located on the spindle 41.

Each of the aforesaid valve spindles 41 is preferably provided at its upper end with one or more laterally projecting arms 44 adapted to be periodically engaged by strikers (not shown) on the main frame so as to automatically effect the desired relative movement between the fixed and oscillatable valve member whilst the filling heads 8 and bulk storage vessel 6 are bodily rotating.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the improved valve assembly is of particularly simple and inexpensive construction and that in addition it is capable of being readily fitted to and removed from the bottom of its cylinder for cleaning purposes when required.

The valve design enables the associated piston to closely approach the top of the oscillatable valve member 37 at the bottom of its stroke with the result that a minimum quantity of liquid or other material remains in the discharge port after each can has been filled.

By locating the oscillatable valve member within the substantially cup-shaped fixed valve member 13 so that the transfer port may extend upwardly through the base portion of the fixed valve member, the possibility of leakage occurring even when relatively thin liquids are being handled is either eliminated entirely or at least reduced to a minimum.

Although the improved valve assembly is particularly adapted for use in connection with a can filling machine of the kind indicated it will be obvious that its use is not limited thereto and that it may be readily incorporated in other can filling machines. For example it is obviously unnecessary for the filling heads to be bodily rotatable as on the contrary each filling head may be stationary and other mechanism employed for effecting the desired 4 relative movement between the fixed and oscillatable valve members. Furthermore it is to be understood that the apparatus is not limited to filling cans and may be used for filling other containers.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can filling apparatus for filling cans with liquid, paste or like material comprising a filling head having a cylinder with an upright axis and defining a measuring chamber, an associated removable piston axially reciprocable within said cylinder, a bulk storage vessel for storing the liquid, said filling head being capable of periodically receiving in its measuring chamber liquid from said bulk storage vessel, said liquid being subsequently expelled under pressure from said measuring chamber by said piston, said cylinder being open at its lower end and being provided with a detachable control valve assembly for controlling the admission of the liquid to said measuring chamber from said bulk storage vessel and the subsequent discharge thereof, said detachable control valve assembly including a fixed valve member of substantially cup-shaped formation having a base portion and an upstanding endless side wall having an internal diameter equal to that of the bore of said cylinder, means for detachably connecting said fixed valve member within the lower end of said cylinder to lengthen the bore thereof and form a part of said measuring chamber for receiving said piston, a transfer port comunicating at one end through the upper surface of said base portion with said measuring chamber and the other end through the base portion to deliver liquid to said measuring chamber from the bulk storage vessel, a discharge port extending through said base portion between the upper and lower surfaces thereof and through which said liquid is discharged from said measuring chamber, an oscillatable valve member of disc-like form rotatably mounted within the fixed valve member with its lower face and peripheral edge portion in close slidable engagement with the upper surface of said base portion and the inner surface of the upstanding side wall respectively, an inlet and an outlet port in said oscillatable valve member and extending between its upper and lower faces, and means for oscillating said oscillatable valve member so as to successively register said inlet andoutlet ports with said transfer and discharge ports respectively in such a manner that when the transfer port is open the discharge port is closed and vice versa.

2. A can filling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein is provided yieldable means urging said oscillatable valve member towards said fixed valve member to maintain the close engagement between said valve members.

3. A can filling apparatus comprising a bulk storage vessel for storing liquid, paste or like material, a filling head having a cylinder with an upright axis and defining a measuring chamber, an associated removable piston axially reciprocable within said cylinder, said measuring chamber being capable of periodically receiving liquid from said bulk storage vessel, which is subsequently discharged under pressure from said measuring chamber by said piston, said cylinder being open at its lower end and being provided with a detachable control valve assembly for controlling the admission of the liquid to said measuring chamber from said bulk storage vessel and the subsequent discharge thereof, said detachable control valve assembly including a fixed valve member of substantially cup-shaped formation having a base portion and an upstanding endless side wall, means for detachably connecting said fiixed valve member within the lower end of said cylinder, a transfer port in said fixed valve member and extending between an admission port in the side wall of said cylinder and the upper surface of said base portion to deliver liquid to the measuring chamber from said bulk storage vessel, a discharge port extending through said base portion between the upper and lower surface thereof and ES through which said liquid is discharged from said measuring chamber, an oscillatable valve member of disc-like form rotatably mounted within the fixed valve member with its lower face and peripheral edge portion in close slidable engagement with the upper surface of said base portion and the inner surface of the upstanding side wall respectively, yieldable means urging said oscillatable valve member towards said fixed valve member to maintain the close engagement between said valve members, an inlet and an outlet port in said oscillatable valve mernher and extending between its upper and lower faces, the inner surface of said endless side wall forming a continuation of the inner surface of said cylinder so as to enable the piston to extend into the cup-shaped valve member during its delivery stroke and closely approach the upper face of said oscillatable valve member, means for oscillating said oscillatable valve member so as to register successively said inlet and outlet ports with said transfer and discharge ports respectively in such a manner that when the transfer port is open the discharge port is closed and vice versa.

4. A can filling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the endless side wall of said fixed valve member is of substantially annular form in cross section and of such dimensions as to be slidably and sealably receivable within the lower end portion of said cylinder, the internal diameter of which is enlarged for this purpose, said transfer port extending for part of its length crosswise through said base portion and merging into a slot formed in the exterior of said annular side wall, the lower part of said slot being bounded by the adjacent inner face of the cylinder wall and the upper part of the slot merging with the admission port in the side wall of the cylinder.

5. A can filling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said discharge port is of circular formation at its upper end and bounded at its lower end by a substantially knife edged circular lip which merges upwardly into a downwardly diverging mouth and thereby reduces the effective length of said discharge port so that in use, any tendency of the liquid to remain in the discharge port or on the knife edged lip is reduced to a minimum.

6. A can filling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said oscillatable valve member is in the form of a substantially flat and parallel faced disc provided with an axial locating boss depending from its lower surface for rotatable engagement within an axial recess formed in said base portion.

7. A can filling apparatus associated with a bulk storage vessel for storing liquid, paste or like material, comprising a filling head having a cylinder with an upright axis and defining a measuring chamber, and an associated removable piston axially reciprocable within said cylin der, said measuring chamber being capable of periodically receiving liquid from said bulk storage vessel which is subsequently expelled under pressure from said measuring chamber by said piston, said cylinder being provided at its lower end with a detachable control valve assembly for controlling the admission of liquid to said measuring chamber from said bulk storage vessel and the subsequent discharge thereof, said control valve assembly including a fixed valve member of substantially cup-shaped formation having a base portion and an upstanding endless side wall, said cylinder being open at the lower end, means for detachably connecting said fixed valve member within the open lower end of said cylinder, a transfer port in said fixed valve member and extending for part of its length crosswise through said base portion and communicating at one end with said measuring chamber through the upper surface of said base portion, the opposite end of said transfer port merging into a slot formed in the exterior of said endless side wall, the lower part of said slot being bounded by the inner face of the cylinder wall and the upper part of the slot merging with an admission port in the side wall of the cylinder which is in direct communication with the bulk storage vessel, a discharge port extending through said base portion between the upper and lower surfaces thereof and which is circumferentially spaced from said transfer port, an oscillatable valve member of disc-like formation in plan mounted within the fixed valve member with its lower face and peripheral edge portion in close slidable engagement with the upper surface of said base portion and the inner surface of the upstanding side wall respectively, yieldable means urging said oscillatable valve member towards said fixed valve member to maintain the close engagement between said valve members, an inlet and an outlet port in said oscillatable valve member and extending between its upper and lower faces, the inner surface of said endless side wall forming a continuation of the inner surface of said cylinder so as to enable the piston to extend into the cupshaped valve member during its delivery stroke and closely approach the upper surface of said oscillatable valve member, an axial locating boss depending from the lower surface of said oscillatable valve member and an axial recess in the top of said base portion to rotatably engage said axial boss, said discharge port being of circular formation at its upper end and bounded at its lower end by a substantially knife edged circular lip which merges into a downwardly diverging mouth and thereby reduces the effective length of said discharge port, and means for oscillating said oscillatable valve member so as to register successively said inlet and outlet ports with said transfer and discharge ports respectively in such a manner that when the transfer port is open the discharge port is closed and vice versa.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,254,190 Baker June 22, 1918 1,485,222 Ginty Feb. 26, 1924 3,085,594 Spragens Apr. 16, 1963

Claims

1. A CAN FILLING APPARATUS FOR FILLING CANS WITH LIQUID, PASTE OR LIKE MATERIAL COMPRISING A FILLING HEAD HAVING A CYLINDER WITH AN UPRIGHT AXIS AND DEFINING A MEASURING CHAMBER, AN ASSOCIATED REMOVABLE PISTON AXIALLY RECIPROCABLE WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, A BULK STORAGE VESSEL FOR STORING THE LIQUID, SAID FILLING HEAD BEING CAPABLE OF PERIODICALLY RECEIVING IN ITS MEASURING CHAMBER LIQUID FROM SAID BULK STORAGE VESSEL, SAID LIQUID BEING SUBSEQUENTLY EXPELLED UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID MEASURING CHAMBER BY SAID PISTON, SAID CYLINDER BEING OPEN AT ITS LOWER END AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A DETACHABLE CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR CONTROLLING THE ADMISSION OF THE LIQUID TO SAID MEASURING CHAMBER FROM SAID BULK STORAGE VESSEL AND THE SUBSEQUENT DISCHARGE THEREOF, SAID DETACHABLE CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FIXED VALVE MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY CUP-SHAPED FORMATION HAVING A BASE PORTION AND AN UPSTANDING ENDLESS SIDE WALL HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETER EQUAL TO THAT OF THE BORE OF SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID FIXED VALVE MEMBER WITHIN THE LOWER END OF SAID CYLINDER TO LENGTHEN THE BORE THEREOF AND FORM A PART OF SAID MEASURING CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING SAID PISTON, A TRANSFER PORT COMUNICATING AT ONE END THROUGH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BASE PORTION WITH SAID MEASURING CHAMBER AND THE OTHER END THROUGH THE BASE PORTION TO DELIVER LIQUID TO SAID MEASURING CHAMBER FROM THE BULK STORAGE VESSEL, A DISCHARGE PORT EXTEND-