AU598890B2

AU598890B2 - Method and plant for filling containers with a mixture comprised of at least two pasty and/or liquid products

Info

Publication number: AU598890B2
Application number: AU82735/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Roland Torterotot
Original assignee: Erca Holding SARL
Current assignee: Erca Holding SARL
Priority date: 1986-11-10
Filing date: 1987-11-10
Publication date: 1990-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-10
Also published as: AU8273587A; CA1295977C; EP0269507B1; EP0269507A1; DE3769934D1; JPH01502422A; ES2023208B3; WO1988003500A1

Description

=EU,1A4 614JLAIMM Zonae Industialle do Courtabtaut Avenue du Pacifique 91942 LES UILIS CEDEX VR YTT -4 _4 AU-AlI-82735/87 PC ura t~fORGANISATION IMONDIALE DE ;.?PPr fh7) /7TU 0 DEMANDE INTERNATIONALE PUBLIEE EN V'ERTU DU TRAITE DE COOPERATION EN MATIERE DE BREVETS (PCT) (51) Classification Internationale des brevets 4 Numn.ro de publication internationale: WVO 88/ 03500] 3/32 Al (43) Date de publication internationafe: 19 mai 1988 (19.05.88) (21) Numno de la demnande Internationale: PCT/FR87/00442 (74) Mandataire: HASENRADER, Hubert, Cabinet Beau de, Lom~nie, 55, rue d'Arnsterdam, F-75008 Paris (22) Date de d6p6t international: (FR).

novembre 1987 (10.11,87) (81) Etats d~sign~s: AU, JP, US.

(31) Numnros des demnandes prioritaires: 86/15651I 87/00531 87/09966 Publi~e A ine rapport de rechierchie jni'ernauionale.

(32) Dates de priorit6: 10 novembre 1986 (10.11.86) A ant/ l'expirion (lit tici priiu pour~ la mnodification 19 janvier 1987 (19.01.87) des, revendc.ros seIrphf~ ideelsmdfLa juillet 1987 (15.07.87) lionis Solu re~lles, (33) Pays tie priorit6: FR *7JU i 7 U L 198 (71) D~posant (pour toils les Etats d~sign~s saif US): ERCA HOLDING [FR/FR]: Zone Industrielle de Courtaboeuf, F-9 1942 Les Ulis C~dex

AUSTRALIAN

(72) Inventeur; et I -JUN! 988 I Roland (FR/FR]: Le Plessis-iMornay, Longvilliers, F- PATENT OFC 78930 Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines (54)Title: METHOD AND PLANT FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH A IMIXTURE COM,%PRISED OF AT LEAST T\O PASTY AND/OR LIQUID PRODUCTS (54)Titre: PROCEDE ET INSTALLATION DE RELMPLISSAGE DE RECIPIENTS AVEC UN MELANGE D'AU MOINS DEUX PRODUITS PATEUX ET/OU LIQUIDES (57) Abstract The method for filling containers with a mixture comprised of at least two pasty and/or liquid products is characterized in that there is provided an over-pressure atmosphere on top of the products 11) contained in the two storage tanks 10), in that the additive product (11) is introduced in c the base product by portions which are determined with respect to the s doses drawn from said base product so that during the introduction of a portion of additive product (11) in the base product there is formed in .3the doser-dispenser a product mixture dose which contains a portion of the additive product (11) similar to that which has just been introduced in said base product and through at least one zjection nozzle (20) of the doser-dispenser a product mixture dose containing constant and accu-3 rate proportions of each of said products 11) is conveyed into a contain- er (2 the additive product (I11) being metered in another volumetric dloser (14) while protecting it against oxidation by ambient air.

(57) Abr6&g Ce proc~d6 est caract~ris6 en ce que V'on 6tablit dans les deux reservoirs de stockage 10) au-dessus des produits 11) une atmosphere en surpression, on introduit dans le produit de base le produit additif (11) par portions dlterminies eu 6gard aux doses soutir~es dudit produit de base de telle sorte que lors de I'introduction, d'une portion du produit additif (11) dans le produit de base on r~alise dans le doseur-distributeur une dose du m~lange de produits qui contient une portion de produit additif(11I) identique di celle qui vient d'&tre introduite dans ledit produit de base et aX travers au momns une buse d'6jection (20) du doseur-distrihuteur on envoie dans un recipient (2 1) une dose de rnelange de produits contenant des proportions constantes et pr~cises de chacun desdits produits 11), le produit additif (11) tant dose dans un autre doseur volum~trique (14) tout en le prot~geant contre toute oxydation par l'air ambiant.

I I -1- FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a process and installation for filling recipients with a mixture of at least two pasty and/or liquid products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to such a process, wherein there is drawn from a first storage tank a basic product which is conveyed step by step in a general supply conduit connected to the draw-off outlet of said first storage tank, there is drawn from a second storage tank an additive product in a determined proportion with respect to the drawn-off portions or doses of the basic product, the additive product is mixed with the basic product and this mixture of products is passed into a volumetric metering/dispensing device which is provided with ejection nozzles, presents an inlet valve and an outlet valve, and of which the inlet is connected to the general supply conduit and by means of which exact quantities S 20 of this mixture are metered before ejecting them through said nozzles into at least one recipient.

Such a process is known in the industry of packing dairy products, particularly for mixtures of yoghurts with jam or fruit or for flavoured gelatin type milk desserts. In that case, the basic product is drawn from the first storage tank by means of a first pump delivering into a principal conduit 0eg* and the additive product is drawn from the second storage tank by means of a second pump before being added to the principal conduit immediately upstream of the mixer whose outlet is connected to a buffer vat in which is maintained a pneumatic excess pressure *e on the mixture of products and in which are provided two level probes which regulate the supply of this So 35 buffer vat between a minimum level of mixture and a maximum level, the mixture of products being trans- 1/ ferred under pressure to the different metering cham- -o

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bers of a known metering device, as disclosed, for example, in French Patent 2 067 983, before being expelled in metered quantities into the corresponding recipients through the nozzles of a known dispenser, as disclosed, for example, likewise in French Patent 2 067 983.

According to this known process, the minimum level probe in the buffer vat starts up the two pumps for supplying basic product and additive product respectively, and the maximum level probe stops said pumps which both work continuously during the cycle of filling the buffer tank. This modus operandi prei sents several drawbacks. In fact, the first pump frequently spoils the basic product, particularly when it is question of yoghurt. In addition, it is very difficult to adjust with precision the ratio Dl/D2 of the flow rates D1 and D2 of the first pump and of the second pump respectively, particularly when the flow rate D2 of the second pump is fairly low with respect to that, Dl, of the first pump.

Furthermore, after having been mixed in the mixer, the two mixed products may partially separate in the buffer vat due to their different densities.

Thus, a mixture of products arrives at the metering device which, once metered and transferred in portions to the recipients, comprises variable and imprecise proportions of basic product and additive product, from one recipient to another.

In addition, as this process employs long conduits between the first storage tank and the buffer vat and as the volume of the latter is fairly large, said process does not make it possible rapidly to change the nature of the mixture without losing an appreciable quantity of the first mixture at the moment of change to a second mixture of products.

,.0 -3t According to another proposition, the basic product is stored in a tank, the additive product is introduced in portions into the supply conduit, upstream of a mixer, and the mixture of products is introduced into a metering chamber of the metering/ dispensing device, which mixture, on leaving the metering/dispensing device, contains in each of the dispensed doses, a portion of additive product more or less identical to that introduced at the same time in said general supply conduit downstream of the mixer.

Although this proposition already presents a certain improvement, it is not perfect for several reasons: The exact metering of the additive product, so as always to obtain in the recipients the same precise quantity of additive product and consequently also the same quantity of basic product, raises problems, particularly when the additive products are to 20 sweet products such as jam, syrup or small pieces of fruit in a syrup, etc... In fact, as soon as a sweet product is in contact with the air, which frequently occurs ,due to the gap existing between the metering piston and the metering chamber and which enables the air to penetrate into the metering chamber and to act on the additive product, the sugar of the latter crystallizes under the effect of the oxysea* gen, particularly in said gap. The crystals of sugar 4 eventually hinder operation of the metering device 30 and finally block it.

The presence of a mixer in the general s,'pply conduit going from the tank for storing the basic 16. product to the device for metering/dispensing said eeoc basic product, as well as the arrangement of the point of injection of the additive product in the 3- tt -4general supply conduit upstream of the mixture do not enable a compact assembly of metering/dispensing device and recipient for storing the basic product to be produced.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks and to propose a process of the type mentioned at the beginning, which makes it possible to convey and meter the products to be mixed and the mixture of products with care and pre- 0locision and to change from one mixture of products to another without notable loss of the first mixture.

It is another object of the present invention to propose a process of filling of the type mentioned at the beginning, which makes it possible to reduce the risks of crystallization of sugar in the device for metering the additive product and preferably also considerably to reduce the volume of the general supply conduit between the tank for storing the basic S" product and the device for metering/dispensing it.

20 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects are attained within the scope of the process mentioned above, by establishing in the two storage tanks, above the products, an atmos-

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phere, if necessary sterile, in excess pressure in to avoid the admission of a polluted gas in said tanks and to drive the basic product into the on so$ supply conduit; introducing into the basic product the additive product in determined portions having regard to the drawn-off doses of said basic product 30so that, during introduction of a portion of additive product in the basic product, there is made in the metering/dispensing device a dose of the mixture of products which contains a portion of additive soft so. product identical to that which was just introduced said basic product; and, from the metering/dispen- )f sing device and through at least one ejection nozzle thereof, sending into a corresponding recipient each dose of mixture of products containing constant and precise proportions of each of said products, the additive product being metered in another volumetric metering device whilst protecting it against any oxidation by the ambient air.

Owing to this design, any detrimental mingling of the basic product and separation by decantation of the products of the mixture, as well as the instability of the proportions of each of the products contained in a dose of the mixture of products, are avoided. In addition, the fragile products conserve their initial structure, as is for example the case of stirred yoghurts which would otherwise lose their unctuous structure. Furthermore, the mixers may be eliminated between the tank for storing the basic product and the metering/dispensing device, and the additive product is prevented from crystallizing.

20 The invention also relates to an installation tc. for filling recipients with a mixture of at least two pasty and/or liquid products, of the type comprising a first tank for storing a basic product, at least one other tank for storing an additive product, a device for metering/dispensing a mixture of a portion of basic product and a portion of additive product and comprising at least one metering chamber presenting a metering piston provided with a control rod, a dispensing chamber connected to the metering chamber, an ejection nozzle, an admission valve provided upstream of the metering chamber and an ejection valve provided downstream of the dispensing chamber and upstream of the ejection nozzle, a general supply conduit connecting the outlet of the first tank to 35 the inlet of the metering/dispensing device, and -I A 1 [V 'l v°~C ['v at least one volumetric metering device comprising a metering cavity presenting a metering piston provided with a control rod, and capable of being connected, on the one hand, to the outlet of the other tank for storing the additive product and, on the other hand, to a point of injection located on the path of transport of the basic product between the outlet of the first storage tank and the ejection valve of the metering/dispensing device.

Such an installation presents a certain number of drawbacks residing particularly in the fact that the supply conduit comprises a pump which destroys the structure of the fragile basic products; a buffer vat provided between the outlet of the mixer and the inlet of the metering/dispensing device increases the volume of the mixture of products and prevents rapid replacement thereof by another mixture of products and, in addition, promotes separation by decantation of the products constituting the mixture.

S. S 20 In this known installation, problems of crystal- .lization of the sugar are encountered in the metering devices for the liquid or pasty sweet additives or *those comprising pieces of fruit in a syrup. In addi-

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tion, the presence of elements such as a mixer in the general supply conduit for the basic product and of a buffer vat give the mixture of products San additional volume upstream of the metering/dispensing device, which does not allow a compact assembly

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to be obtained and leads to losses of mixture of 30 products when changing the composition of the mixture of products.

It is also an object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks by proposing an installation in which the length of the connection conduits between the point of ejection of the mixture of pro-

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This object is attained according to the invention in that: the upper end of the storage tanks is connected to a source of gas under pressure, the admission valve in the metering chamber of the metering/dispensing device is provided at one of the ends of the general supply conduit, at the metering piston of the other volumetric metering device, the additive product is separated from the ambient air by a deformable partition, and the piston of the volumetric metering device and the piston of the metering/dispensing device are connected to control units actuated cyclically and in phase opposition, with the result that the piston 20 of the volumetric metering device ejects a dose of the additive product whilst the piston of the metering/ dispensing device effects its suction stroke.

It is ascertained that, thanks to the inven- Stion, several elements are eliminated, which, up to the present time, were a source of complications Sand which prevented efficient operation of the instalo. lation, and in particular a rapid change, without notable loss, of the composition of the mixture of products.

30 According to the process of the invention, the additive product is introduced in the basic product solely during the suction stroke of the metering/ dispensing device and the basic product is conducted 0e** i s ;directly from its storage tank to the corresponding *O 35 metering/dispensing device. The additive product f v 1) Vrl~ 9 9 .9 9 9*9* 999.

*9 9 99 .9 8contained in the other volumetric metering device is advantageously protected against any oxidation by the ambient air by permanently covering the rear or upper face of the piston of said volumetric metering device with the basic product. It is also possible to protect the additive product contained in the other volumetric metering device against any oxidation by the ambient air with the aid of a ndnelastic membrane or gusset surrounding, in tight lo0manner with respect to the additive product, that part of the piston and the piston rod in contact with said ambient air. When it is desired to change the mixture of products, the composition of the mixture of products is changed by injecting into the 15basic product another additive product different from the first additive product.

It is advantageous to use between the bottom of the first tank for storing the basic product and the inlet in the metering/dispensing device, one 2Osole valve which establishes a cyclic connection between said first tank and the general conduit.

The additive product is injected into the basic product downstream of the admission valve and upstream of the ejection valve of the metering/dispensing 25device, either for example in the basic product contained in the general conduit, or for example in the basic product contained in the metering/dispensing device.

The metering piston of the volumetric metering and the metering piston of the metering/dispensing device are advantageously connected together by a mechanical transmission so as to effect their suction and delivery strokes in phase opposition.

The deformable partition separating the additive product contained in the volumetric metering device from the ambient air is constituted either by a non- V r -9elastic flexible membrane defining a side of the metering cavity, the metering piston being located on one side and the additive product being located on the other side of said membrane, or by a nonelastic deformable gusset fast, on the one hand, with the metering piston and, on the other hand, with the body of the metering device, surrounding the lower end part of the piston rod and capable of penetrating in the metering cavity.

It is advantageous if the volumetric metering device comprises a meuering body which is fixed to the bottom of the first tank for storing the basic product, and presents at least one metering cavity receiving without notable lateral clearance the metering piston, opening via its upper end in the bottom of said first tank and comprising at its lower end a plug of a valve with three ways capable of conneco: ting said metering cavity either to the tank for storing the additive product or to the point of injec- 20 tion of said additive product in the basic product, and the deformable partition separating the additive product contained in said volumetric metering device from the ambient air is constituted by the basic product contained in said first tank and covering the upper face of the metering piston and a part of the control rod thereof. The admission valve provided on the general supply conduit may serve both as outlet valve of the first tank for storing the basic product, and as admission valve in the metering 30 chamber of the metering/dispensing device and may be provided at the upstream end of the general supply conduit and in the bottom of the first storage tank.

The metering/dispensing device advantageosly comprises, in a vertical cylindrical enclosure of which 99 d 0the upper end is fast with the bottom of the first storage recipient and opens out therein, from top to bottom, the metering chamber, the dispensing chamber, the ejection valve and the ejection nozzle.

In that case, the downstream end of the general supply conduit opens out in id vertical cylindrical enclosure at the join of the upper metering chamber and the lower dispensing chamber. The outlet of the volumetric metering device opens out either downstream of the admission valve of the metering/dispensing device, in the general supply conduit, or in a conduit for connection between the metering chamber and the dispensing chamber of said metering/dispensing device.

The bottom of the first tank for storing the basic product may advantageously be constituted by a bottom unit in which are provided at least one housing for the admission valve of the metering/ dispensing device, at least one housing for the upper part of the cylindrical enclosure of said metering/ S 20 dispensing device and at least one channel forming at least a part of the general supply conduit. In that case in particular, the volumetric metering device for the additive product presents a body which is fixed on a lateral face of the bottom unit of the first storage tank, comprises a metering cavity in which is hermetically displaced the metering piston separating said cavity into a lower chamber and an •me• upper chamber, and a part of the control rod of said piston, part disposed in this upper chamber and sur- 30 rounded by a gusset hermetically fixed, on the one hand, on the rear face of said piston and, on the other hand, on the metering body at the place where S0". the latter is traversed by said control rod.

o•• a The volumetric metering device comprises a connection valve with the aid of which its metering

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fu NT C I I_ l I I ll -11cavity may be connected alternately to the outlet of the tank for storing the additive product or to the point of injection of the additive product in the basic product. The alternate connection valve and the admission valve of the metering/dispensing device are preferably connected in one valve of the slide type capable either of establishing a connection between the lower chamber of the metering cavity and the tank for storing the additive product and simultaneously of interrupting the connection, on the one hand, between the tank for storing the basic product and the metering/dispensing device and, on Sthe other hand, between said metering cavity and the point of injection of the additive product in the basic product, or of establishing a connection, on the one hand, between the tank for storing the basic product and the metering/dispensing device and, on the other hand, between said metering cavity and the point of injection of the additive product 20 in the basic product, and simultaneously of interrupting the connection between t';e lower chamber of the metering cavity and the tank for storing said additive product.

In that case in particular, the upper chamber of the metering cavity of the volumetri c metering device is permanently connected to the tank for storing the additive product and is capable of being connected to the lower chamber thereof via a branch conduit and the connection valve interposed in said 3G branch conduit. The piston of the volumetric metering device and the gusset are preferably made in one piece by cutting from a block of synthetic material.

The dispensing chamber may terminate, at its lower end, in a truncated body provided with a vertical cylindrical bore hermetically receiving a mobile obturation rod which forms with the latter the ejec- S tion valve, coaxially traverses the vertical cylindri- Ni T r I -12cal enclosure, hermetically penetrates in the tank for storing the basic product and is capable of being retracted inwardly of the dispensing chamber to clear the passage of the ejection nozzle, constituted by said bore in said truncated body. The mobile obturation rod may also be designed so as partially to emerge downwardly of the vertical cylindrical enclosure and comprise in its lower part located at the level of the dispensing chamber when it occupies its high position, an ejection channel opening out laterally, at each of its ends, on the outer face of said rod by at least one lateral orifice. In that case, the mobile rod serves, on the one hand, as ejection valve, and, on the other hand, as ejection nozzle, and is mobile between, on the one hand, a low position in which it penetrates to the bottom of a recipient to be filled and in which the upper lateral orifice still lies in the dispensing chamber, whilst its lower lateral orifice lies below the cylin- 20 drical bore of said truncated body and, on the other hand, a high position in wlhich the lower lateral orifice of the rod lies inside said bore and is obtu- 4* rated from the outside.

In the event of the obturation rod not emerging downwardly of the enclosure of the metering/dispensing device, it may present stirring members at the level of the dispensing chamber. When the metering/dispensing device comprises an obturation rod, it may also present an annular metering piston which slides hermetically in the metering chamber both along the obturation rod and the inner face of the cylindrical enclosure which opens out in the bottom of the tank for the basic product.

This design makes it possible to produce a .:35 very compact filling installation and to dispense with a metering/dispensing device with multiple tW-u I -13- 7// nozzles as many mixtures of different products as there are nozzles, or to rapidly change for a given nozzle the composition of the mixture of products, without notable loss of products.

Another advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that any stagnation of product(s) is avoided both in the meteriig 'device for the additive product and in that for the mixture of products and in the valve with multiple functions, namely, admission valve for the metering/dispensing device and valve for alternate connection, on the one hand, between the tank for storing the additive product or the upper chamber of the metering device for the additive product and the lower chamber of the said metering device, and, on the other hand, between the lower chamber or outlet of said metering device and the point of injection of the additive product in the basic product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OP THE DRAWINGS 20 The invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodisee ment of the filling and metering installation.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the filling and metering installation.

sees Fig. 3 is a schematic view in elevation of .vi a third embodiment of the filling and metering installation.

30 Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of the filling and metering installation.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a fifth embodiment of the filling and metering installation according tc the invention.

S" 35 Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of a transverse -14section through a sixth embodiment of the installation for filling recipients with a mixture of at least two products.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view in vertical section of the metering device for the additive product and of the admission valve of the metering/dispensing device, along VII-VII of Fig. 8, this view differing from that shown in Fig. 6 in that the rod of the metering device is slightly inclined with respect the vertical in order to be nearer the tank for storing the basic product without being hindered by said tank, the alternate connection valve being in a position in which the two ends of the metering cavity are connected to each other.

Fig. 8 is a plan view along a plane determined by the broken line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7, the position of the connection valve being that of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of a vertical section through the metering device for the additive @4 *6 I 20product, along a plane parallel to that of Fig. 7, and determined by line IX-IX of Fig. 10, the alternate connection valve being in a position in which the 4.

lower chamber of the metering device is connected 94 to the point of injection in the basic product.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the metering device along broken line X-X of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section through the piston and the gusset of the metering device for the additive product, and Fig. 12 is a schematic view, partly in section, of a seventh embodiment of the installation similar to those of Figs. 3 and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS :66o *Referring now to the drawings, and firstly 35 to Figs. 1 to 4, the installation for filling recipients with a metered mixture of products comprises a first storage tank 1 containing a basic, or plain product 2 such as a plain yoghurt, stirred or not, a fresh white cheese or milk to be gelified, a general supply conduit 3 which connects the outlet 4 of the first tank 1 to the inlet 5 of a metering/dispensing device 6 via a valve 7, for example of the diaphragm type of which the control chamber 8 is connected alternately by means of a conduit 9 either to a source of compressed air or to a source of vacuum.

The installation further comprises at least one second storage tank 10 which contains an additive product 11 such as jam or an aromatic essence and of which the outlet 12 is connected via a short secondary conduit 13 to a volumetric metering device 14 of which the outlet is connected to a point of injection of the additive product in the basic product 2 on its path between the outlet 4 of the storage tank 1 and an ejection valve of the metering/dispensing 20 device 6. As may be seen in Fig. 1, this point of me injection 15 may be in the general conduit 3 or, according to Fig. 3, at the inlet of the metering o. chamber 16 of the metering/dispensing device 6, or elsewhere, as will be seen hereinafter. This metering chamber 16 may at the same time serve as chamber for mixing the basic product 2 which enters therein 0004 •eem as soon as the admission valve 7 is open and the additive product 11 which is driven directly into em e said metering chamber 16 through conduit 17 provided me mm between the point of injection 15, such as said chamber 16 and the outlet of the volumetric metering device 14 (cf. for example Fig. The first storage tank 1 is connected, with the aid of a conduit 19 fixed at its upper end, to a source of preferably sterile gas under pressure and comprises, if necessa- At Ii L0 I. .I -16ry, a minimum level probe 18a and a maximum level probe 18b which control for example supply of this tank 1 with the basic product 2 through a connection 19a.

The outlet of the metering/dispensing device 6 which will be described hereinafter is constituted by at least one, and preferably a plurality of ejection nozzles 20, through which the metered quantities of the mixture of products are introduced into corresponding recipients 21.

In order to be able rapidly to change the composition of the mixture of products, it is advantageous to associate with the volumetric metering device 14 or with any technically equivalent device, at least one additional storage tank 10' which contains an additive product 11' whose nature, flavour or taste is different from that of the first additive product 11. In order to avoid an untimely mixture between the additive products 11 and 11', a stop 20 valve S, S' is interposed between the outlet of each of the two tanks 10 and 10' and the inlet of the volumetric metering device 14.

Fig. 1 shows, parallel to a first mixing and metering line connected to the outlet 4 of the first tank 1 for storing the basic product 2, a second Smixing and metering line comprising the same elements as the first line, namely a general conduit 3a, a io metering/dispensing device 6a, a second tank for storing an additive product lla, etc... This 30 second line being identical to the first, the same S elements thereof are designated by the same references as those of the first line, but completed by the S. letter Instead of having in an installation two of 35 all the elements, except for the first storage tank A-Li. 1, it may also be provided that one metering/dispen- 'i'

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-17sing device 6 be supplied with several different mixtures of products. The metering/dispensing device 6 may thus comprise two rows of six metering chambers 16 which are supplied in four's by three different mixtures of products.

In this example are found a general supply conduit 3 connected to the outlet 4 of the first tank 1 for storing a basic product 2, and from which are derived in parallel three branch conduits each associated with at least one second storage tank or 10a each containing a different additive product 11 or lla, with a volumetric metering device 14 delivering the corresponding additive product in the branch conduit upstream of the mixer, and with a group of four metering chambers 16 of the metering/ dispensing device 6. As in the preceding example, each volumetric metering device 14 may be associated with an additional tank 10' or 10'a containing yet another additive product 11' or ll'a. Of course, 20 the different conduits also comprise the stop valves and check valve necessary for avoiding any untimely mixture between the products. As in the preceding example, starting and stopping of each metering device 14 are controlled at the beginning and end of the suction stroke of the metering/dispensing device 6, with the result that these volumetric metering Qoo* devices 14 inject into the branch conduit a determined "I 'quantity of the additive product only during the o suction stroke of the pistons of the metering/dispensing device 6.

S* In other words, any volumetric metering device 14, whether it be of known type or not, is switched on intermittently so that it expels a metered quantity or portion of the additive product 11 towards the 35 point of injection 15 thereof in the basic product

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-18- 2, point such as the metering chamber 16, solely during the suction stroke of the piston 22 of the metering/dispensing device 6.

Fig. 2 schematically shows an assembly of a plurality of metering/dispensing devices 6 and of metering devices 14 for four different additive products 11, each of the metering/dispensing devices 6 being connected to a common tank 1 for storing the basic product 2 and to one of the metering devices 14 in a number identical (for example twelve) to that of the metering/dispensing devices 6 and connected by group of three, for example, or individually to the tank 10 containing an additive product whose nature cr flavour is different from the additive products of the other tanks.

As may be seen in Fig. 3, the tight tank or 10' for storing the additive product 11 or 11i', whose upper part is constantly connected to a source luo S of preferably sterile gas under pressure, is associa- SC S 20 ted with a volumetric metering device 14 which comprises a metering body 23 fixed to the bottom 24 of the tank 1 for storing the basic product 2. In this metering body 23 is made at least one metering cavity 25 whose lower part may be connected through the plug of a three way valve 26 which performs the role of an alternate connection valve, either to conduit 13 and to the tank 10 or 10' for storing the additive product 11 or 11', or to conduit 17 and to the point of injection 15 of the additive 30 product in the basic product 2, point 17 constituted in this example by the metering chamber 16 of the metering/dispensing device 6. A metering piston 27 is slidably mounted without notable lateral clearance 6500 in the vertical cylindrical metering cavity 25 which opens out in the bottom 24 of the tank i. The upper

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-F A- N c$ 19part of the metering piston 27 may therefore, if necessary, penetrate in tank 1 and in any case is covered the basic product 2 contained in said tank i. This upper part of the metering piston 27 is fast with a control rod 28 disposed vertically in the tank 1 and connected to a control mechanism (not shown) located outside the tank i, with the aid of a plate 29 and a connecting rod 30 hermetically traversing a sterile lock chamber 31.

The metering/dispensing device 6 schematically shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 12 is described in French Patent No. 2 067 983 and will be described hereinafter only when necessary for understanding the invention.

This metering/dispensing device 6 comprises in particular, in its metering body 32, the lower metering chamber 16 which, on the one hand, is capable of being connected, through the admission diaphragm

N..

valve 7 controlled pneumatically for example, to the very short section of the general conduit 3 connected directly to the bottom of the tank 1 and which, r on the other hand, is connected, at its outlet, by a connecting conduit 33, to a dispensing chamber 34 and to the ejection nozzle 20 of the metering/ dispensing device 6, a pneumatically controlled ejection diaphragm valve, 35 for example, being capable of obturating the nozzle 20 which is placed above and, if necessary, in the recipient 21 to be filled.

,The upper side of the metering chamber 16 of the metering body 32 is defined by a non-elastic flexible membrane 36 in the form of a skirt which surrounds the metering piston 22 provided in the pper chamber 60 of the metering device 6 above the membrane 36. The upper chamber 60, permanently connecb ted to a source of vacuum, is hermetically traversed by a piston rod 37 of which the upper end bears against a member of a control mechanism shown schema-

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T Si I tically in Fig. 4. The movements of the metering pistons 22 and 27 of the metering/dispensing device 6, on the one hand, and of the volumetric metering device 14, on the other hand, are synchronized in phase opposition, with the result that the volumetric metering device 14 ejects its additive product 11 into conduit 17 only during the ascending, i.e. suction, stroke of the piston 22 of the metering/dispensing device 6.

Of course, the metering chamber 25 of the volumetric metering device 14 is also connected cyclically, via the plug of the three-way valve 26 or any other equivalent valve system, either to the outlet of the tank 10 for the additive product 11, or to the conduit 17 going to the metering/dispensirg device 6. During the ejection stroke of the piston 22 of the metering/dispensing device 6, the connections between the metering chamber 16 and, on the S. one hand, the general conduit 3 or the tank 1 and, 9* 20on the other hand, the metering cavity 25 are interrupted by the admission valve 7 and the valve 26 respectively. On the other hand, the ejection nozzle is open during the ejection stroke of the piston 22 of the metering/dispensing device 6.

It will further be noted that the two vertical movements, opposite as far as their directions are concerned, of the two metering pistons 22 and 27 are preferably perfectly synchronized as far as their sinusoidal cyclic speeds are concerned. By reason the kinematic link between the two pistons 22, 27, a perfect, constant and precise proportionality i may be made between each dose of additive product pt 2 and each dose of mixture of products.

A variant of the embodiment shown in Fig.

353 consists in that the ejection conduit 17' coming in cuse hemtrigchmer2 o h vouercmteigdvc 1 sas onetdcci from the metering cavity 25 (cf. conduit 17' in broken' lines) of the metering device 14 of the additive product 11 does not open out into the metering chamber 16 of the metering/dispensing device 6, but into the conduit 33 for connection between the metering chamber 16 and the dispensing chamber 34 of the metering/dispensing device 6. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the additive product includes pieces of fruit, for example, all the more so as, thanks to this variant, the additive product can be metered very close to the ejection nozzle 20 of the metering/dispensing device 6.

It should be noted that, in order to meter small quantities of additive product precisely, it is always advantageous to employ metering pistons 27 such as shown, in Fig. 3, i.e. pistons without diaphragm. When the quantity of additive product to be metered is greater, a metering device known for example by French Patent 2 067 983 may be em- S" 20 ployed. According to the embodiments shown in Figs.

4 and 12, the volumetric metering device 14 for the .additive product 11 thus has substantially the same structure as the metering part of the metering/dispensing device 6. In fact, the piston 27 of the metering device 14 is provided with a sort of membrane which is flexible and non-elastic and which is in the form of a half-inverted cap covering the front face and the lateral face of said piston 27 and is hermetically fixed, over its periphery, to the mete- 30 ring body 23. In this way, the control rod 28 and the piston 27 are never in contact with the additive product 11 passing through the metering cavity of the metering device 14 and the latter is maintained perfectly tight with respect to the outside. The -7I

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-22secondary conduit 13 connected to the outlet of the tanK 10 for the additive product 11 opens out into the metering cavity 25 via an inlet valve 26a, for example of the diaphragm type controlled pneumatically, and the outlet conduit 17 of said cavity opens out, according to the example of Fig. 4, in the general conduit 3 upstream of the metering/dispensing device 6, and, according to the example of Fig.

12, in the conduit 33 for connection between the metering chamber 16 and the dispensing chamber 34 of the metering/dispensing device 6. This outlet conduit 17 is provided with a check valve 26b opening in the direction of the general conduit 3 (Fig. 4) or of the connection conduit 33 (Fig. 12) and closing in the direction of cavity 25. Of course, in these embodiments too, the pistons 22 and 27 of the metering/ dispensing device 6 and of the metering device 14 respectively are moved synchronously and in opposite directions so that, when one, for example piston 22, effects its ascending suction '3troke, the other, for example piston 27, makes its descending expulsion or delivery stroke. Although, in Figs. 4 and 12, the bottom 24 of the tank 1 is shown at a relatively large distance from the admission valve 7 of the metering/dispensing device 6 and the outlet conduit 17 of the metering device 14, to render the drawing \e\e clearer, said bottom 24 of the tank 1 is in fact very close to those members 7, 17 in order to make a very compact assembly.

The upper ends of the control rods 37 and 28 of the metering pistons 22 and 27 respectively each cooperate with a control unit, these control units being actuated synchronously and in phase oppoe* sition and may be connected kinematically by a control mechanism 62 as shown schematically in Fig. 4.

*1t .1 /-23- This control mechanism 62 comprises, outside a gear box 63 driven by a motor, on each lateral face, a horizontal control bar 64, 65 against which bears, without being fast therewith, the upper end of the corresponding piston rod 37 or 28 of the metering/dispensing device 6 and of the voluretric metering device 14 respectively. The ends of each horizontal bar 64 or 65 are each associated with one of the rotating discs of a pair of discs 66 or 67.

The shafts 68 or 69 of each pair of discs 66 or 67 are disposed in a horizontal plane parallel to that of the control bars 64 or 65 whose ends are eaclh articulated on an eccentric supporting lug or 71 of one of the two rotating discs associated with a bar 64 or 65 and continuously driven in rotation. Of course, the lugs 70 or 71 associated with a control bar 64 or 65 are also disposed in the same 00** horizontal planes.

0* It should be noted that the supporting lugs 0' 20 71 associated with the bar 65 cooperating with the piston rod 28 of the metering device 14 for the addi- 0. tive product 11 are offset in rotation by an angle equal to 1800 with respect to the supporting lugs of the bar 64 cooperating with the piston rod 37 of the metering/dispensing device 6. In this way, the piston 22 of the metering/dispensing device 6 is in low position corresponding to the beginning of its ascending, so-called suction stroke, whilst piston 27 of the volumetric metering device 14 is in high position corresponding to the beginning of its descending, so-called ejection stroke. Since the stroke of the piston 22 of the metering/dispensing device 6 is greater than that of piston 27 of the volumetric metering device 14, the distance between the supporting lugs 70 and the axis of the correspon-

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NT

24ding rotating shaft 68 is greater than that between the supporting lugs 71 and the corresponding shaft 69.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 is a very compact version of the invention. In this case, both the metering device 14 for the additive product 11 and the metering/dispensing device 6 which already receives here a metered mixture of the basic product 2 and the additive product 11 as well as the ejection nozzle 20 are fast with the bottom 24 of the tank 1 for storing the basic product 2, said bottom here being materialized by a sort of plate or thick block.

The general supply conduit 3 is extremely short and comprises at its upstream end, level with the bottom block 24 of the storage tank i, an admission valve 38 constituted for example by a horizontal slide housed in a recess in the bottom block 24 and cyclitoo. cally establishing a connection between the tank S 1 and the supply conduit 3 during the suction stroke of the metering/dispensing device 6, this valve 38 acting as admission valve for the basic product 2 S in the metering chamber 16.

This metering/dispensing device 6 integrates at the same time, in a vertical cylindrical enclosure 39 fixed by its upper end in an appropriate housing in the bottom block 24, from top to bottom, the metering chamber 16, the dispensing chamber 34, the ejection valve 35 and the ejection nozzle Beside the admission valve 38 is disposed, e: e S. 30 likewise in the bottom block 24, the metering device 14 for the additive product 11, with the result that its metering cavity 25 is connected through the threetoo.

way valve 26 and the extremely short conduit 17 to the general conduit 3 downstream of the admission valve 38 and upstream of the metering chamber 16.

i j. q tion valve, coaxially traverses the vertical cylindrithe upper face of the bottom 24 of the tank 1 for the basic product 2. The lower or downstream end C I The pisof the g eneral conduit 3 which14 is hort opens out half way up the verticalt 2, sinclosure 39, at the junction of the upperylindrica metering cavity 25 opens out on lower dispensing chamber 34 of the metering/dispensing device 6.

The ejection valve 3 is, in the case of the the basic product 2. The lower or downstream end left-hand metering/dispensing device 6, constituted outy vertical cylindrical bore 40 made in the trunca- the juncted body 41 forming both the lower end of the dispenlower dispensing chamber 34 and the ejection nozzle ring/di20, and by 10 device 6.

The ejection valve 35 is, in the case of the left-hand metering/dispensing device 6, constituted by a vertical cylindrical bore 40 made in the truncated body 41 forming both the lower end of the dispensing chamber 34 and the ejection nozzle 20, and by an obturation rod 42 hermetically penetrating in said bore 40 and capable of being retracted inwardly of the dispensing chamber 34 in order to clear the passage constituted by the bore 40. This obturation j 20 rod 42 passes coaxially through the cylindrical enclosure 39 and penetrates hermetically in the tank 1 where it is connected by a rod assembly 43 to a control mechanism (not shown). In the lower part, i.e.

at the level of the dispensing chamber 34, the obturarod 42 presents stirring members 44 inclined outwardly and downwardly.

The metering piston 22 is in this case made S in the form of an annular piston sliding in tight manner in the metering chamber 16 both along the rod 42 and the inner face of the enclosure 39, the upper face of said piston 22 being covered I -26by the basic product 2 since the enclosure 39 also opens out in the bottom 24 of the tank 1. The annular piston 22 is connected, on its upper face, to a tubular control rod 37 which penetrates in the tank 1 like rod 28 of the piston 27 and is connected to a control mechanism which controls the suction stroke of the piston 22 during the ejection or descending stroke of the piston 27 for the additive product 11. The descending or ejection stroke of the piston ]0 22 stops slightly above the opening of the general conduit 3 in the enclosure 39 (cf. position of the piston 22 in dotted lines).

The embodiment shown in Figs. 6 to 11 also constitutes a very compact veision of the filling and metering installation.

It should firstly be noted that, to render the drawing clearer, the general conduit 3 has been indicated in dotted lines on the left-hand side of e Fig. 6 as if it were disposed behind the plane of Fig. 6; in fact, it lies in front of this plane, as shown in Fig. 8. In this particular case, the e* admission valve 7, the general conduit 3, the upper half of the metering/dispensing device 6 and a part of the connecting conduit between the volumetric metering device and the point of injection 15 of the additive product in the basic product 2 are proeeoc vided in a block which constitutes the bottom 24 0:0 0 0 of the tank 1 for storing the basic product.

As shown in the drawing, the installation comprises a storage tank 1 which contains a basic product 2 and which is here disposed transversely and above the path of the successive rows 45 of reci- •i pients 21. In the bottom block 24 of this tank 1 is formed at least one general supply conduit 3 and, preferably, as many general conduits are arranged

NT

-27as there are metering/dispensing devices 6, each general conduit 3 connecting an outlet 4 of the tank 1 to the inlet 5 of a metering/dispensing device 6. In the bottom body 24 is made a transverse housing 46 which presents a dish element 46a of semi-cylindrical form extended upwardly by parallel vertical walls 46b so as to open out in the storage tank and define by their upper end the outlet opening 4 of the tank i, and which receives a cylindrical body or slide 47 forming part of the admission valve 7 of the metering/dispensing device 6. This admission valve 7 comprises, in the present case, at the bottom of the dish element 46a at least one pair of dispensing orifices 3a and 3b to which is connected the upper or upstream end of the general conduit 3, these two dispensing orifices 3a and 3b being separated from each other by a small partition 3c and adapted to be connected through the cylindrical body 47, one (3a) to the bottom of the tank 1 and the other (3b) to the metering chamber 25 of the metering device "14 for the additive product. The body 47 made as horizontal slide is capable of hermetically covering the dispensing orifices 3a and 3b and of moving axially and comprises, for each general conduit 3, a vertical passage 48 capable of aligning on the orifice 3a and a bent passage 49 capable of aligning on the *.Oa orifice 3b and of which the axes lie in the same vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of the horizontal of the slide 47 as the axis of the vertical

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t 30 passage 48.

The vertical part 49a of the bent passage 49 is juxtaposed with respect to the vertical passage 48 and may open out at the bottom of the semi-cylindrito cal dish element 46a, either in the dispensing orifice o ee

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G jV 'r -28- 6* 0 *5

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3b (Figs. 9, 10) of the general conduit 3, or in the orifice 50a (Figs. 7, 8) of a conduit 50 which goes towards the lower chamber 25a of the metering cavity 25 of the metering device 14 for the additive product and which serves for said lower chamber as inlet conduit, the orifice 50a being located beside the orifice 3b on the horizontal path of displacement of the vertical part 49a of the bent passage 49, path parallel to the horizontal axis 53 of the cylindrical slide 47.

The horizontal part 49b of -he bent passage 49 is disposed above the vertical part 49a thereof and may open out, opposite the semi-cylindrical wall 46a, either in orifice 51a (Figs. 9, 10) of a conduit 51 which is connected to the lower chamber 25a of the metering cavity 25 of the volumetric metering device 14 for the additive product and which serves as outlet conduit similarly to conduit 17 or 17', or in orifice 52a of a conduit 52 which is permanently 20 connected to the outlet 13 of the tank (not shown) for the additive product (Figs. 7, 8).

The transverse, semi-cylindrical dish element 46a of the transverse housing 46 therefore comprises, beside the dispensing orifice 3a, the dispensing orifice 3b which both simultaneously connect the general conduit 3, when the vertical passage 48 merges with the orifice 3a and the bent passage 49 with the orifice 3b, on the one hand, to tank 1 for the basic product 2 and, on the other hand, to the outlet conduit 51 of the metering device 14 (right-hand side of Fig. the axes of orifices 3a and 3b lying in the same vertical plane perpendicular to the axis 53 of the semi-cylindrical dish element 46a and of the cylindrical slide 47 whose diameter is identical, to within the slide clearance, to that of the dish @0SS S S

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*0OS 0* B. S

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S 55 5 0 pa S S B S 55 i* illii ii -29i i 1 1 0 *0 0 element 46a or to the distance between the two vertical extension walls 46b of the transverse housing 46. It will be easily understood that, in this embodiment, the point of injection 15 of the additive product 11 in the basic product 2 lies in the general conduit 3, immediately below the orifices 3a and 3b and their separating partition 3c, the vertical passage 48 and the bent passage 49 being in that case used as nozzles for injecting the basic product 2 and the additive product 11 respectively in the general conduit 3.

In this embodiment, the admission valve 7 performs not only the function of an outlet valve of the storage tank 1 and admission valve for the metering/dispensing device 6, but also the function of an inlet valve and an outlet valve of the metering device 14 for the additive product so that the lower chamber 25a of the metering cavity 25 of this metering device 14 may be connected alternately either via 20 secondary conduit 13 to the tank for storing the additive product (Figs. 7, or to the metering/ dispensing device 6 via the general conduit 3 (Figs.

9, The structure of the metering device 14 for the additive product is designed so as to avoid any stagnation of product in the different conduits and chambers of said metering device. To that end, the metering cavity 25 comprises a part 25b of cylindrical shape in which hermetically moves the metering piston 27 which is provided with a seal 27a and divides this metering cavity 25 into a lower chamber whose end part is widened with respect to the cylindrical part 25b, and into an upper chamber 25c whose end part likewise widens with respect to the cylindrical part 25b of the metering cavity 25. The upper 9 9 0 0@ p 0500 r chamber 25c is permanently connected to the tank for storing the additive product via the secondary conduit 13. In this way, the upper or rear face of the metering piston 27 is constantly covered by the additive product. The rear face of the piston 27 is fast with the control rod 28 which passes through the upper chamber 25c and the end part thereof widened as a chamber for passage 54 before passing in tight manner outside through the metering body 23 which, likewise in this case, is disposed either very close to the bottom block 24 of the storage tank 1 and preferably is fast and fixed on a lateral face of said bottom block 24. That part of the control rod 28 which lies in the upper part 25c and in the chamber for passage 54 is surrounded by a gusset 55 whose maximum diameter is less than the diameter of the chamber 25c and which is disposed in said chambers *25c and 54 and hermetically fixed on the one hand vco". to the upper or rear face of the metering piston 0 a 20 27 and, on the other hand, to the metering body 23 at the place where said rod 28 leaves said metering body 23. It is therefore sure that the additive pro- ,educt found in chambers 25c and 54 above or behind the piston 27 and around the control rod 28, i.e.

gusset 55, is separated from the ambient air and protected against any oxidation, crystallization or outside pollution.

Conduit 52, permanently connected to the outlet of the tank 10 for storing the additive product 11 30 0r to the secondary conduit 13 of said tank, advantageously opens out in the chamber for passage 54 or upper end of the metering cavity 25 and constitutes, *see in cooperation with the bent passage of the slide a U 47 in appropriate position and with the inlet conduit 3550, a branch or bridge conduit thanks to which the

/IV

T 0' -31i/ upper end of the metering cavity 25, i.e. the upper chamber 25c and the chamber for passage 54 may be cyclically connected to the lower end of said cavity i.e. to the lower chamber 25a thereof which constitutes the veritable metering chamber. This particular arrangement guarantees that the additive product cannot stagnate in the upper chamber 25c and is driven out of chambers 25c and 54 in the direction of the lower chamber 25a through the branch conduit 49, 1050, 52 (Fig. 6, left-hand side and Figs. 7 and 8) upon each recoil or upward suction stroke of the metering piston 27. In that case, the cylindrical slide 47 lies in the position in which the bent passage 49 connects the inlet conduit 50 of the metering 14 to the conduit 52 going towards the tank of additive product, whilst the vertical passage 48 is obturated at its lower end by the wall of the semi-cylindrical dish element 46a (Figs. 7 and 8).

mee It will be readily understood that this posiof the cylindrical slide 47 corresponds to the position of closure of the admission valve 7 so that, as soon as the ejection valve 35 of the metering/ dispensing device 6 opens, a metered quantity of the mixture of products (basic and additive) may expelled therefrom and be introduced into a reci- 0: pF pient 21 (cf. left-hand side of Fig. 6) by the descent of the annular metering piston 22 along the obturation rod 42 to above the opening of the general conduit 3 in the vertical cylindrical enclosure 39 at the junction of the upper metering chamber 16 and the o lower dispensing chamber 34 defined by said enclosure 39. In that case, the annular piston 22 attains the position indicated for the right-hand metering/dispen- I RAQ ,I "vc 6 o th itr fpout (ai n diie a -32sing device 6 of Fig. 6, whilst the obturation rod 42 is still engaged in recipient 21 (cf. left-hand metering/dispensing device 6 of Fig. 6) to allow flow of the mixture of products through the lower ejection channel 56 made in the lo''er part of the obturation rod 42 and opening at its two ends on the outer cylindrical face thereof, on the one hand, with the aid of oblique ejection orifices 57 connecting to the outside the lower end of said channel 56 and directed downwardly and outwardly near the lower end of said rod 42 above an O-ring 58 fast with said end and, on the other hand, with the aid of upper radial bores 59 connecting to the outside, i.e. to the dispensing chamber 34, the upper end of said channel 56 and disposed at such a point of said rod 42 that, even in extreme low position thereof, these bores 59 are located inside the dispensing chamber 34 (cf. left-hand side of Fig. When the O-ring 58 is applied against the vertical cylindri- 20cal bore 40 made in the truncated body 41 of the ejection valve 35 provided at the lower end of the dispensing chamber 34, the ejection orifices 57 of said ejection valve 35 are obturated (right-hand side of Fig. 6) and the annular piston 22 may begin 25 its upward suction stroke, from its low position (right-hand side, Fig. 6) to arrive in high position (Fig. 6, left-hand side) from which a fresh descending ejection stroke may be made. It should be noted that the lower end of the obturation rod 42 which is mobile 30 vertically between a high position in which the ejeco, tion valve 35 is closed (right-hand metering/dispeng* sing device 6 of Fig. 6) and a low position in which its lower end is engaged at the bottom of a recipient 21 (left-hand metering/dispensing device 6 of Fig.

356), performs not only a role as obturator element of the ejection valve 35, but also the role of ejec- 1LT T"V 01

I

-33- 7 tion nozzle thanks to the ejection channel 56, the ejection orifices 57 and the upper radial bores 59.

A similar arrangement is, moreover, schematically indicated on the obturation rod 42 of the right-hand metering/dispensing device of Fig. Of course, as soon as the ejection valve closes and before the beginning of the ascending or suction stroke of the annular piston 22 of the metering/dispensing device 6, the cylindrical slide 47 is driven into its other end position (cf. Fig.

6, right-hand side and Figs. 9 and 10) in which the inlet valve 52a of the volumetric metering device 14 is closed and the outlet valve 51a of said volumetric metering device 14 and the admission valve 7 of the metering/ dispening device 6 are open. In that case, the vertical passage 48 of the slide 47 of the admission valve 7 establishes communication between the tank 1 for storing the basic product and the general conduit 3 (or the inlet of the meteso 20 ring/dispensing device 6) ani- the bent passage 49 of said slide 47 connects the outlet of the meteiring device 14 for the additive product (conduit 51) to the general conduit 3 (or the inlet of the metering chamber 16 of the metering/dispensing device 6).

oo 25 In this way, .the 'bent passage 49 of the slide 47 of of the admission valve 7 constitutes, in cooperation with the orifices 50a, 52a or 51a, 3b, an alternate connection valve 26, on the one hand, between the tank for storing the additive product or the upper 30 chamber 25c of the metering device 14 for the additive product and the lower chamber 25a of said metering device 14 and, on the other hand, between the lower chamber 25a of the metering cavity 25, or outlet conduit 51 of said metering device 14 and the point of injection 15 (general conduit 3) of the additive product in the basic product 2. It goes without saying Sthat the piston 27 of the metering device 14 makes L77 -34its descending stroke for expelling the additive product whilst the annular piston 22 makes its ascending suction stroke, the movements of these pistons 22, 27 being synchronous, but of opposite directions to each other.

During the descending stroke of the piston 27, a certain quantity of additive product 11 is sucked into the upper chamber 25c which enlarges as said piston descends during its stroke of delivery or expulsion of the product 11 previously metered in the lower chamber During the ascending stroke of the piston 27, which constitutes the suction stroke of the additive product 11 in the lower chamber 25a of the metering cavity 25, the quantity of additive product 11 contained in the upper chamber 25c is expelled 9. therefrom and sent, with another quantity of product 11 coming from conduit 13, towards the lower chamber 25a via branch conduit 49, 50, 52 (cf. Figs. 7 and 20 Any stagnation of the additive product in one of the chambers of the metering cavity 25 is thus avoided.

As already mentioned with respect to the lefthand metering/dispensing device 6 of Fig. 5, the 25 obturation rod 42 (Fig. 6, right-hand metering device 6) may also be solid over the whole of its length and, by its lower end, serve as obturator for the vertical cylindrical bore 40 of the truncated body 41 of the ejection valve 35 provided at the lower end of the dispensing chamber 34 of the metering/ dispensing device 6. In that case, the truncated body 41 provided with its cylindrical bore 40 performs the function of the fixed ejection nozzle 20. To open the ejection valve 35, it is then necessary r L to displace the obturation rod 42 upwardly and to return the lower end thereof inside the dispensing chamber 34 with a view to clearing more or less the vertical bore 40. In the zone of the dispensing chamber 34, the obturation rod 42 presents, if necessary, stirring members 44 such as more or less oblique vanes.

According to an advantageous feature of the volumetric metering device 14, the metering piston 27 and the gusset 55 including its flange 55a for securing on the metering body 23 at the place where the control rod 28 passes out of the chamber for passage 54 and the upper chamber 25c, are made from the same block of synthetic material such as polytetra- 15 fluoroethylene. As may be seen in Fig. 11, the gusset 55, made of the same material as the piston 27 by bore of the block of material has a lower diameter slintly greater than that of the control rod 28, nore followed by a tapping of superposed successive 20 annular grooves 55b whose section along a radial plane is an isosceles triangle whose base rests against said rod 8, the tops or bottoms of these annular grooves being located on a cylindrical envelope whose diameter is smaller than the diameter 25 of the piston 25. On the outer side of the starting block are cut or threaded superposed annular grooves 55c each intercalated between two inner annular grooves 55b, the radial section of these outer grooves also being in the form of an isosceles triangle 30 whose base is located on the cylindrical envelope surrounding, in imaginary manner, the gusset 55 whose wall 55d in the form of a cylindrical accordeon alternately separates an inner groove 55b from a superposed adjacent outer groove 55c. The .upper end of the gusset 55 terminates in the securing flange 55a which com- Vi

J

36prises a tubular part 55e connected to the upper end of the wall 55d of the gusset 55, and an annular securing disc 55f, the inner diameter of the tubular part of the securing flange 55a being equal to the outer diameter of the control rod 28. The securing flange 55a is hermetically mounted on the metering body 23 and thus prevents any leakage of fluid from outside to inside, and vice versa, of the metering device 14. The lower end 28a of the control rod 28 is threaded and screwed in a blind tapping 27b of the piston 27. Of course, the profile of the inner grooves 55b and of the outer grooves 55c is not necesarily triangular with pointed tops or bottoms; it is also possible to render the profile of these tops or bottoms more or less rounded.

The modus operandi of the installation is readily understood: The basic product 2 flows by itself when it is sufficiently liquid or is driven under the effect 20 of the excess pressure prevailing in the tank 1 in the principal conduit 3 towards the metering/dispensing device 6 in units of volume corresponding to the volume either of a dose of basic product 2, or of a dose of the mixture of basic and additive products 2 and 11 respectively sucked during a suction stroke in the chamber 16 of the metering/dispensing device 6. During each advance step of the product or mixture of products in the principal conduit 3, which corresponds to the period of suction of the 4 30 metering/dispensing device 6, there is injected either into the principal conduit 3, or into the metering chamber 16 or into the connecting conduit 33, a quantity or portion of additive product 11 which either corresponds to the volume of additive product 11 -37contained in the volume of the mixture of products metered in a chamber 16 of the metering/dispensing device 6, or is added to the volume of the basic product 2 metered in said chamber 16, the successive doses or portions of the additive product 11 being metered in the metering cavity 25 of the metering device 14. The basic product 2 and the additive product 11 are mixed either in the general conduit 3, or in the metering chamber 16, or in the connecting conduit 33 or in the dispensing chamber 34, before being ejected in a proportioned mixture through the ejection nozzle S* e C b r 4 *O S* C *i

Claims

1. A process for filling recipients with a mixture of at least two pasty and/or liquid products, wherein there is drawn from a first storage tank a basic product which is conveyed step by step in a general supply conduit connected to the draw-off outlet of said first storage tank, there is drawn from a second storage tank an additive product in a determined proportion with respect to the drawn-off portions or doses of the basic product, the additive product is mixed with the basic product and this mixture of products is passed into a volumetric metering/ dispensing device which is provided with ejection nozzles, presents an admission valve and an ejection valve, and of which the inlet is connected to the general supply conduit and by means of which exact quantities of this mixture are metered before ejecti.g them through said nozzles into at least one recipient, *o process comprising the steps of:

999. 9 9. 9 9 9 0000 O0 99* 9 9 99* o *o oooe oo establishing in the two storage tanks, above the products, an atmosphere, if necessary sterile, in excess pressure in order to avoid the admission of a polluted gas in said tanks and to drive the basic product into the supply conduit, introducing into the basic product the additive product in determined portions having regard to the drawn-off doses of said basic product so that, during introduction of a portion of additive product in the basic product, there is made in the metering/ dispensing device a dose of the mixture of products which contains a proportion of additive product identical Ie 'C,3 .zO T C.) _1 FR87/00442 SWO 88/03500 PCT/FR87/00442 4/9 I~ -39- to that which was just introduced in said basic pro- duct, and, from the metering/dispensing device and through at least one ejection noz-zle thereof, sending into a corresponding recipient each dose of mixture of products containing constant and precise proportions of each of said products, the additive product being metered in another volumetric metering device whilst protecting it from any oxidation by the ambient air. 2. The process of Claim i, wherein the additive product is introduced into the basic product solely I during the suction stroke of the metering/dispensing device. 3. The process of Claim i, wherein the basic ]5 product is conducted directly from its storage tank to th corresponding metering/Oispensing device. 4. The process of Claim 1, wherein the additive product contained in the other volumetric metering device is protected from any oxidation by the ambient Si.: 30 air by permanently covering the rear or upper face e• of the piston of said volumetric metering device CC CC with the basic product. The process of Claim 1, wherein the additive product contained in the other volumetric metering 25 device is protected from any oxidation by the ambient air by means of a non-elastic membrane or gusset surrounding, in tight manner with respect to the additive product, that part of the piston and of the piston rod in contact with said ambient air. y 1 6. The process of Claim 1, wherein the composition of the mixture of products is changed by injecting into the basic product another additive product diffe- rent from the first additive product. 7. The process of Claim i, wherein the additive product is injected into the basic product downstream of the admission valve and upstream of the ejection valve of the metering/dispensing device. 8. The process of Claim 1, wherein one sole valve is employed between the bottom of the first tank for storing the basic product and the inlet into the metering/dispensing device, which valve esta- blishes a cyclic connection between said first tank, the general conduit or metering/dispensing device and the outlet of the volumetric metering device for the additive product. 9. The process of one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the additive product is injected into the basic pro- *l 20 duct contained in the general conduit. 10. The process of one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the additive product is injected into the basic pro- duct contained in the metering/dispensing device. 11. An installation for filling at least one reci- 25 pient with a mixture of at least two pasty and/or liquid products, of the type comprising a first tank for storing a basic product, at least one other tank for storing an additive product, a device for metering/ dispensing a mixture of a portion of basic product and a portion of additive product and comprising at least one metering chamber presenting a metering ir- l 1 ~L i piston provided with a control rod, a dispensing chamber connected to the metering chamber, an ejection nozzle, an admission valve provided upstream of the metering chamber and an ejection valve provided down- stream of the dispensing chamber and upstream of the ejection nozzle, a general supply conduit connec- ting the outlet of the first tank to the inlet of the metering/dispensing device, and at least one volumetric metering device comprising a metering cavity presenting a metering piston provided with a control rod, and capable of being connected, on the one hand, to the outlet of the other tank for storing the additive product and, on the other hand, to a point of injection located on the path of trans- port of the basic product between the outlet of the first storage tank and the ejection valve of the metering/dispensing device, wherein the upper end of the storage tanks is connected 20 to a source of gas under pressure, o the admission valve in the metering chamber of the metering/dispensing device is provided at one of the ends of the general supply conduit, at the metering piston of the other volumetric metering device, the additive product is separated from the ambient air by a deformable partition, and 9999 eo the piston of the volumetric metering device and Sthe piston of the metering/dispensing device are connected to control units actuated cyclically and in phase opposition, with the result that the piston of the volumetric metering device ejects a dose of the additive product whilst the piston of the metering/ dispensing device effects its suction stroke. VIA4 NOT I ~,~AJT C. 1 0 *0 S S @0 0@ S S S 12. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein it comprises, for each volumetric metering device for additive product, at least two storage tanks of which each contains a different additive product, at least two connecting conduits provided between the inlet of the volumetric metering device and the outlet of one or the other of the two storage tanks as well as at least two stop valves of which each is mounted on one of said connecting conduits. 13. The filling -installation of Claim 11, wherein the metering piston of the volumetric metering device and the metering piston of the metering/dispensing device are connected together by a mechanical trans- 15 mission. 14. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein the deformable partition separating from the ambient air the additive product contained in the volumetric metering device is constituted by a non-elastic fle- xible membrane defining one side of the metering cavity, the metering piston being located on one side and the additive product being located on the other side of said membrane. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein the deformable partition separating from the ambient air the additive product contained in the volumetric metering device is constituted by a non-elastic defor- 30 mable gusset fast, on the one hand, with the metering piston and, on the other hand, with the metering body, surrounding the lower end part of the piston rod and capable of penetrating in the metering cavity. 16. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein 0 0 05 0 OS SS 5 Se S 4 55 *e S S i I -43- the volumetric metering device comprises a metering' body which is fixed to the bottom of the first storage tank for the basic product, and presents at least one metering cavity receiving without notable lateral clearance the metering piston, opening by its upper end in the bottom of said first tank and comprising, at its lower end, an alternate connection valve ca- pable of connecting said metering cavity either to the tank for storing the additive product or to the point of injection of said additive product in the basic product, and the deformable partition separating from the ambient air the additive product contained in said volumetric metering device is constituted by the basic product contained in said first tank and covering the upper face of the metering piston and a part of the control rod thereof. e* 17. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein S* the admission valve of the metering/dispensing device 20 provided on the general supply conduit serves both as outlet valve of the first storage tank for the basic product, and as admission valve in the metering chamber of the metering/dispensing device. 0* e 25 18. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein the admission valve in the metering chamber of the metering/dispen ing device is provided at the upstream end of the general supply conduit and in the bottom of the first storage tank. e* 19. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein the metering/dispensing device comprises in a vertical cylindrical enclosure of which the upper end is fast with the bottom of the first storage tank and opens out therein, from top to bottom, the metering chamber, -,gC A' c 'A'i 0' -44- S/ the dispensing chamber, the ejection valve and the ejection nozzle and the downstream end of the general supply conduit opens into said vertical cylindrical enclosure at the junction of the upper metering cham- ber and the lower dispensing chamber. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein the outlet of the volumetric metering device opens out either in the metering chamber downstream of the admission valve of the metering/dispensing device, or in the general supply conduit, or in a connecting conduit between the metering chamber and the dispen- sing chamber of said metering/dispensing device.

1521. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein the bottom of the first tank for storing the basic product is constituted by a bottom block in which are provided at least one housing for the admission valve of the metering/dispensing device, at least housing for the upper part of the cylindrical enclosure of said metering/dispensing device and at least one channel forming at least a part of the general supply conduit. 0 00 0 oo 0o g* S 0000 0000 00 00 0

2522. The filling installation of Claims 11 and 21, wherein the volumetric metering device for the additive product presents a body which is fixed on a lateral face of the bottom block of the first sto- 4 rage tank, comprises a metering cavity in which herme- S 30tically moves the meteripr piston separating said cavity into a lower chamber and an upper chamber, and part of the control rod of said piston, part disposed in this upper chamber, is surrounded by a gusset hermetically fixed,, on the one hand, on rear face of said piston and, on the other hand, ~I :t 1 4 I on the metering body at the point where the latter is traversed by said control rod. 23. The filling installation of Claim 11, wherein the volumetric metering device comprises an alternate connection valve with the aid of which its metering cavity may be alternately connected to the outlet of the tank for storing the additive product or to the point of injection of the additive product in the basic product and said alternate connection valve and the admission valve of the metering/dispensing device are joined to iorm one sole valve of the slide of type capable either of establishing a connection between the lower chamber ,f the metering cavity OS 95 15 and the tank for storing the additive product and simultaneously of interrupting the connection, on the one hand, between the tank for storing the basic product and the metering/dispensing device and, on ag the other hand, between said metering cavity and the point of injection of the additive product in the basic product, or of establishing a connection, on the one hand, between the tank for stdring the cc.. basic product and the metering/dispensing device and, on the other hand, between said metering cavity 25 and the point of injection of the additive product in the basic product, and simultaneously of interrup- ting the connection between the lower chamber of sthe metering cavity and the tank for storing said o S 30additive product. 24. The filling installation of Claim 23, wherein the upper chamber of the metering cavity of the volu- metric metering device is permanently connected to the tank for storing the additive product and is capable of being connected to the Tower chamber there- "NlT 0,o ~NT O that the piston 27 of the metering device 14 makes :i -46- AA Ab A 'A r A. A. p APAA AC A. .*A A of via a branch conduit and the alternate connection valve interposed in said branch conduit. The filling installation of one of Claims and 22, wherein the piston of the volumetric mete- ring device and the gusset are made in one piece by being cut out from a block of synthetic material. 26. The filling installation of Claim 19, wherein the dispensing chamber terminates at its lower end in a truncated body provided with a vertical cylindri- cal bore receiving in hermetic manner a mobile obtura- tion rod which forms therewith the ejection valve, coaxially traverses the vertical cylindrical enclo- sure, penetrates hermetically in the storage tank for the basic product and is capable of being retrac- ted inwardly of the dispensing chamber to clear the passage of the ejection nozzle constituted by said bore of said truncated body. 27. The filling installation of Claim 19, wherein the dispensing chamber terminates, at its lower end, in a truncated body provided with a vertical cylindri- cal bore hermetically receiving a mobile obturation rod which coaxially traverses the vertical cylindrical enclosure, hermetically penetrates in the tank for storing the basic product, comprises in its lower Dart located at the level of the dispensing chamber when it occupies its high position, an ejection chan- nel opening laterally, at each of its ends, on the outer face of said rod via at least one lateral ori- fice or bore and said mobile rod serves, on the one hand, as ejection valve in cooperation with said bore and, on the other hand, as ejection nozzle, via the ejection channel and its lateral orifices and bores and is mobile between, on the one hand, V2, 77 .7 I I -47- ai S Si **Or S. S *r t. 5* c b r a low position in which it penetrates to the bottom of a recipient to be filled and in which the upper lateral bore still lies in the dispensing chamber whilst its lower lateral orifice lies below the cylin- drical bore of said truncated body and, on the other hand, a high position in which the lower lateral orifice of the rod lies inside said bore and is obtu- rated with respect to the outside. 28. The filling installation of Claim 26, wherein the obturation rod presents stirring members at the level of the dispensing chamber. 29. The filling installation of one of Claims 26 and 27, wherein the metering/dispensing device comprises an annular metering piston which hermetical- ly slides in the metering chamber both along the obturation rod and the inner face of the cylindrical enclosure which opens out in the bottom of the tank for storing the basic product. A process for filling recipients with a mixture of at least two pasty and/or liquid products, substantially as herein described. 31. An installation for filling at least one recipient with a mixture of at least two pasty and/or liquid products, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 20th day of March, 1990. ERCA HOLDING Dy Its Patent Attorneys, ARTHUR S CAVE CO 4**S S OS 0 5 *i S S S OS