CA1167809A - Variable volume, positive displacement sanitary liquid dispensing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A filling machine for dispensing sometimes viscous liquid in measured amounts to containers wherein a carrier sup-ports a plurality of individual containers with open upper ends for lateral orbiting movement with a central tank, a pump and valve assembly orbits with the carrier and has a plurality of rotary valves, communicating with outward passages from the tank and with piston pumps, and also, communicating the piston pumps with dispensing openings arranged above the containers. The pistons of the pumps are controlled by a pivotal cam track which can be swung to various positions to change the extent of the suction stroke of each piston, when operated by an actuating mem-ber. The machine is particularly designed for disassembly and for cleaning, the pump and valve assembly having indi-vidually detachable housings for each pump and valve sus-pended on radial supports.

Description

1~ 67E~3 The invention particularly relates to container filling machines of the type useful in the environment designated in U.S. Patent No. 3/800~400 and more particularly relates to improvements in machines of the type disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 3,601,288. While not limitecl to the dispensing of charges of material into plastic containers, the machine is particularly useful in dispensing a predetermined quan tity of fluid, or semi-fluid product from a supply which is contained in a tank or the like, and typical products may include yogurt and milk.

According to the invention, there is provided in a machine for dispensing liquid and semi-liquid material and the like in measured amounts to containers and having a supply tank with a plural~ty of circumferentially spaced radial tank out-let openings; a frame; carrier means rotatable thereon forsupporting a multiplicity of containers with open upper ends mounted for lateral orbiting movement wlth said tank; drive means for revolving the carrier means through 360; a Eiller pump and valve assembly, mounted to orbit with the carrier means, and connected with said tank, the assembly having a plurality of passages communicating with the tank outlet openings, the assambly also having a plurality of separate pump communicating passages, and a plurality of separate dispensing openings disposed above the path of movement of the carrier means and the containers thereon; the said pas-sages being arranged in radially aligned sets in valve hous-ings, each valve housing having a tank outlet passage, a pump communicating passage, and a dispensing opening; said assembly also including a valve for each valve housing with passage means in the valve in one position feeding material to the pump communicating opening from the tank outlet pas-sage and in another position feeding material from the pump communicating passage to the dispensing opening; first valve actuating means located adjacent the orbital path of the carrier and said valvesin an orbital position to actuate the valvesto communicate the tank outlet passages with the pump communicating passages; second valve actuating means located ,,~

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adjacent the orbital path of the carrier means and said valves in a downstrQam orbital position to actuate the val-ves to block the tank outlet passages to the pump and com-municate the pump passages with the dispensing openings;
the first and second valve actuating means being peripherally spaced to define a pump filling portion of the orbit and a dispensing portion o different orbital extent; and a ver-tically extending pump cylinder on said assembly for each passage set having one end in communication with the pump communication opening of the set; each pump cylinder having a piston mounted thereon for reciprocating movement in a suc-tion and ejection stroke; the pistons having rod portions extending from opposite ends of the cylinders connected with followers which are actuatable to provide the stroke of the pistons and determine the amount of material moved by a pump pistonout of thedispensingopening of each valvehousing; a peri-pherally extending, arcuate suction stroke controlling cam track extending angularly around only a portion of the orbi-tal path of the carrier substantially from one valve actuat-ing means to the other to define the pump ~illing suctionportion of the orbit, and mounted by the frame for pivotal movement in a vertical plane about one of its ends; the cam track having a follower engaged surface facing away from said cylinders and extending from said one end to an opposite free end; cam positioning means connected to swing the free end of the cam track upwardly and downwardly and hold it in a vertically selected position which determines the suction strokes of the pistons; a peripherally extending arcuate dispensing stroke controlling cam track extending angularly around a remaining portion of the path of the carrier means from said second valve actuating means back toward the first valve actuating means in a downstream direction, the dispens-ing stroke cam track having a follower engaged surface facing oppositely to the surface of the suction stroke controlling cam track for positively moving the pistons in their dis-pensing strokes; the dispensing stroke controlling cam track being spaced vertically from the free end of the pump filling stroke cam track a distance greater than thP vertical extent of the followers sufficiently to permit the free end of the ;78~

pump filling stroke cam track to assume a range of vertical positions and the followers to proceed orbital~y beyond said free end before engaging the dispensing stroke controlling cam track.

Other features of the invention will be pointed out specifi-cally or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, sectional, side elevational view of the filling machine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional, elevational view more particularly illustrating the dispensing valve assembly and associated parts;

Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view illustrating positions o~ the pump piston controllirlg cams and the abutments or shifting the dispensing valve handles to rotate the valves;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view of one of the abutments illustrating the mechanism for retracting it when no container is in position to receive a charge of material from the pump;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating the man-ner in which the valve and pump housings are mounted for ready disassembly;

~igure 6 is a front elevational view of one of the puump housings;

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of one of the valve housings; and Figure ~ is a diagrammatic side elevational view with the curvilinear cams shown as though they were linear, the chain lines illustrating another position of the swingable cam and the cam follower roller.

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Referring now more particularly to the accompanying draw-ings~ the machine is shown as having a frame F supporting an upstanding sleeve 10 which has a flange lOa bolted to the frame at 11. Bearings 12 and 13 mounted by sleeve 10 journal a central shaft 14 which is adapted to be driven by a spur gear 15 connected with any suitable source of rotary power.

A rotatable tank mounting cage, to be later described, supports a liquid illed tank 16 for rotation with the shaft 14. Also mounted for rotation with the assembly are a plurality of pump housings ~, pins 17 being provided to locate the housings A in place surrounding the outlet por-tion 16a of tank 16 as shown. It is to be understood that the outlet portion 16a has an outlet passage 18 and that the number of housings A depend on how many conta:iners are to be supported on the machine and filled during the revo-lution of shaft 14. The passages 18 are in radial align-ment with passages 18a provided in the pump housings A, which, as Figure 2 indicates, are sandwiched between the tank outlet portion 16a and a plurality of valve housings 19 which are-mounted outboard radially of each pump housing A. As Figure 2 indicates, seal rings 20 are provided around outlet portion 18 in slots 21 provided in each hous-ing A to seal passages 18 and 18a at the juncture of hous-ings A and outlet portion 16a, and circular seal rings 22are provided in slots 23 in the housings 19 to seal ths passages 18a and passages l9a provided in the housings 19 at the juncture of the housings 19 and A.

Each pump housiny A includes a dependent cylinder 24 within which a pump piston 25 is mounted, the upper part 25a of each pump piston 25 being slotted to receive a sealing O-ring 26 as shown. Each valve housing 19 is provided with a frustoconically shaped recess R communicating with an associated passage l9a to receive a rotary frustoconical valve 27 whic,h later will be more particulary described, and it will be saen that a pump cylinder 24 is positioned opposite each recess R and valve 27. Springs 27b retained by removable retainers 27a secured in the outer ends of the recesses R urge valves 27 inwardly and a sealing ring 27d is provided as shown. Openings 29 are provided in the radial outer wall of each pump cylinder 24, so that when a valve 27, with its port system 30, is in the position shown in Figure 2, it communicates the passage 19a with the filling passage 31 above piston 25 via a-port 29. Each port system 30 includes ports 30a and 30b, and a port 30e perpendicular to port 30b, and i~ the Figure 2 position, ports 30a and 30b communicate passage l9a with pump cylin-der 24. Each pump housing A carries a container supporting peaestal 32 having a partly enclosing side wall 32a for supporting an open topped yogurt container ~ which is in position to be filled through a dispensing opaning 33 provided above each pedestal 32 in communication with each valve recess R. It is to be understood that, when the ~ valve 27 is rotated approximately 90 from the suction position in which it is shown in Figure 2, port 30e of angle shaped passage system 30 will communicate with the dispensing opening 33 and deliver material ejected by the pump piston 25a through port 29 and the port 30b of pas-sage system 30 to dispensing op~ning 33 via port 30e.
Mounted below valve housings 19 are a pair of semi-circular, detachable, orbiting, condensate collecting and spill trays 34, each having passages 34a beneath each opening 33 formed by riser walls 35 which are of greater height than the tray outer lips 36.

It will be seen that each pump piston 25 includes an upper stem part 25b and a lower stem part 25c, joined by a coup-ling 37.

The rotatable tank supporting annulus frame or cage C, which is journalled by a bearing 39, includes a top plate 41 to which an under plate 42 is bolted as at 43. Under ~\ i plate 42 is bolted to the annulus as at 44. Depending from plate 42 is the flange 40 which is welded to shaft 14 and may be bolted to plate 42 as a~ 45. A pin 46 centrally disposed in openings 47, 48 and 49 in members 42, 41, and a bottom pla~e 16b for tank 16~ respectively, is provided as shown to ald in locating the parts for assembly.

As Figure 1 indicates, a guide ring 50, bolted to the cage C intermediate it length as at 51, mounts slide bearings 52 for the pump piston lower stem parts ~5c, and a further guide ring 53 with slide bushings 54 for ~he piston stem parts 25c is al 50 provided.

~igure 1 shows a pump piston 25 in both an upper and lower position. To guide each piston in its vertical travel relative to cage C and to prevent piston rotation, a guide means in the form of a laterally pro~ecting follower xoller 55 is received within a recessed guideway 56 formed in cage C. Each roller 55 is mounted on a threaded stem 55a receivea in a threaded opening 57 provided in a block 58 fixed to the lower stem part 2Sc of each piston 25.

The vertical position of each piston 25 at any kime is determined by the vertical position of a cam follower rol-ler 59 which is mounted in a block 60 dependent from each block 58. The vertical position of each roller 59 is in-fluenced by eithex an upper arcuate cam part 61 or a lower annular cam part 62, dependent on its orbital position.
The lower cam part 62 is fixedly secured to an angle plate 64 which is fixedly secured to frame F. The upper cam part 61 is pivotally secured as at 65 to a brace 66 projecting in-wardly from frame F and mounted for vertical swinging movement upwardly and downwardly relative to fixed cam part 62 to vary the lower limit position of each plunger 25 and deter-mine the volume of liquid dispensed according to the size of the container being filled. To accomplish the desired adjustment of upper cam part 61, a nut 67 pinned to the end of the cam part 61 as a~ 68, receives a screw 69 which is journalled by frame F as at 70. A gear 71 on the lower end of screw 69 is in mesh with a worm gear 72 fixed on an adjusting shaft 73 which is fixed against axial movement journalled by frame F. Preerably, a hand wheel 74 may be providad on shaft 73 to permit its manual rotation or, if desired, the shaft 73 could be motor driven. The lowermost positions of cam 61 and roller 59 are indicated at 61' and 59' respectively in Figure 8.

Figure 3 schematically depicts the positions o~ the cam parts 61-62 and control or actuation abutments 75 and 76 for the valve 27. These abutments are provided in the rotary path of the levers or handles 77 which are pinned as at 77a to the stem portion 27a of each valve 27, handles 77 having stems 77b received in bores ~7e provided in the outer end of each valve 27. The abutment 75 is ~ixed in position and arranged to rotate the valves 27 approximately 90 degress when the ends of the handles 77 strike them, to a suction position in which the port systems 30 is in com-munication with passages l9a and-out of communication with openings 33. This occurs after the charge of material has been delivered to the container at a time when the pump pistons 25 are in "up" position. Abutment 76 normally reverses each valve 27 because it is a~ a different level in position to engage the opposite upper end of each handle 77 and cause it to swing in the opposite direction. It is to be observed, however, ~hat the abutment 76 is retract-able from normal position, for example when no container is in position to receive a charge cf material from the pump, to a position in which it is radially out of the path of the handles 77 and will not activate them to move the valve bodies 27 to a dispensing position. For this reason, abutment 76 is mounted on a bar 78 ~Figure 4) hav-ing stems 78a received in bushings 79 provided in a sole noid casing 80. The stems 78a are in surrounding relation with a solenoid core 81 and spring 82 is provided to ii7~

normally force bar 78 to outer normal positionu Certain critical parts are fabricated and assembled in a particular manner to permit their ready disassembly for periodic cleaning purposes. In addition, a "clean-in~
place" system is provided which is used to clean the parts on a daily basis. Figures 5 through 7 particularly indi-cate the manner in which the housings 19 and A are supported by the tank bottom plate 16b in the manner which permits them to be easily disassembled from the cage C. It will be observed that the outer perimeter of plate 16b is a fourteen-sided polygon and it will further be observed that threaded openings 83 are provided in the tank part 16b at the junctures of the mounting walls of the portions 16b to accommodate radially extending support members in the form of studs 84.

As Figure 6 particulaxly indicates, the housings A in front elevation are substantially T-shaped and include converging recesses 85 from which the housings A are SU5~
pended on studs 84. ~ikewise, (~ee Figure 7) the housings 19, which also axe generally T-shaped in front elevation, have converging recesses 86 to similarly suspend the housings 19 on the studs 84. Clamp washers 87 provided on the studs 84 may be secured by nuts 88 within recesses formed by shouldering the housings 19 as at l9c, and as will be seen have wedge walls 87a which engage with simi-larly inclined walls 89 on the housings 19 to clamp the housings 19, and thereby the housings A, securely in posi-tion. To disassemble the housings 19 and A for cleaning and obtain access to passages 18, it is merely necessary to back off the nuts 88 and lift the housings 19 and A
vertically from the studs 84. It is extremely easy like-wise then to ~imply replace them in position again and tighten nuts 88 when re-~assemhly is to be effected.

~hen it is desired to clean the critical parts of the ~67~

assembly "in place", the semi~circular trays 34 are removed and plug members 90 (Figure 7) are pushed up into position in the recessed openings 91 provided in housings 19 sur-rounding dispensing openings 33. Each plug 90 includes a shoulder portion 90a snugly fit~ing into opening 91 and has a O-ring or other suitable seal 92, as shown. To se-cure the plugs ~0 in position, outboard walls 93 thereon have bayonet slots 94 for receiving pins 95 provided on the housings 19 and the plugs9Q are twisted to engage the pins 95 in the slots as the plugs 90 are moved into posi-tion. Leading upwardly from each housing 19 from plug receiving chamber 91, is an exit port 96 leading to a tube 97. Tube 97, as indicated in Figure 1 leads back into tanX 16.

In order to clean the assembly in place, each of the reces-ses 91 in each housing 19 is fitted with a plug 90 and water introduced through the tube 98 into the interior of tank 16 is then recirculated through the housings A and 19 back to the tank 16 via ports 96 and tubes 97. Only one tube 97 has been ~hown in Figure 1 but it is to be under-stood that each of the housings 19 may have a hose 97 or that a manifold (not shown) can be provided to which ports 96 lead and that a single tube may then lead from it back into tank 16. When a water flush has been accomplished, one of the valves ~7 can be removed to drain the water from the system. Thereafter the process can be repeated with a sanitary cleaning solution, and suitable water and cleaning solution flushes can be alternated until the de-sired sanitaE~ cleaning has beejn accomplished.

It is believed that the operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description. In practice, as indicated in Figure 3, a star wheel 99 is provided to deliver containers to each pedestal 32 as the pedestals move past the pockets 99a in the star wheel.
Just prior to the time that a particular pedestal 32 reaches the container loading position, abutment 75 has been engaged by the handle 77 of the particular housing 1~
to rotate the particular valve 27 through substantially 90 to the "fill" position. At this time, the piston 25 is in its lowermost position, riding on the lower fixed cam 62.
As the particular asse~bly rotates around, fixed cam 62 (see Figure 8) moves the piston 25 upwardly to dîspense fluid to the container and by the time fixed abutment 75 is reached, the dispensing operation has been completed.
When the opposite end of handle 77 contacts abutment 75, the valve 27 is reversed to bring the valve 27 to the Fig-ure 2 position, and the suction stroke of the pump piston 25 can begin. Ry the time a container reaches the star wheel 100 and is removed by it, valve 27 has completely closed and the position of star wheel 100 is such that its pockets l~Oa engage and remove the container from each pedestal 32 at a point slightly downstxeam from the fixed abutment 75.

It is the upper cam 61 which moves the piston 25 downwardly in the suction stroke indicated in Figure 3. As Figure 8 demonstrates, the pivotal position of cam 61 determines the length of the suction stroke within certain predeter-mined limits to handle the volume requirements of various containers. In Figure 8 the two extreme bottom positions of the follower rollers 59 are shown at 59 and 59' respec-tively. When-the roller 59 is in the position indicated in solid lines in Figure 8, it can move across to!the cam surface of cam 62 in the path x and bypasses part of the cam surface 62.

Claims (4)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a machine for dispensing liquid and semi-liquid material and the like in measured amounts to containers and having a supply tank with a plurality of circumferen-tially spaced radial tank outlet openings; a frame;
carrier means rotatable thereon for supporting a multipli-city of containers with open upper ends mounted for lateral orbiting movement with said tank; drive means for revolv-ing the carrier means through 360°; a filler pump and valve assembly, mounted to orbit with the carrier means, and connected with said tank, the assembly having a plural-ity of passages communicating with the tank outlet openings, the assembly also having a plurality of separate pump com-municating passages, and a plurality of separate dispensing openings disposed above the path of movement of the carrier means and the containers thereon; the said passages being arranged in radially aligned sets in valve housings, each valve housing having a tank outlet passage, a pump communi-cating passage, and a dispensing opening; said assembly also including a valve for each valve housing with passage means in the valve in one position feeding material to the pump communicating opening from the tank outlet passage and in another position feeding material from the pump communi-cating passage to the dispensing opening; first valve ac-tuating means located adjacent the orbital path of the carrier and said valves in an orbital position to actuate the valves to communicate the tank outlet passages with the pump communicating passages; second valve actuating means located adjacent the orbital path of the carrier means and said valves in a downstream orbital position to actuate the valves to block the tank outlet passages to the pump and communicate the pump passages with the dis-pensing openings; the first and second valve actuating means being peripherally spaced to define a pump filling portion of the orbit and a dispensing portion of different orbital extent; and a vertically extending pump cylinder on said assembly for each passage set having one end in communication with the pump communication opening of the set; each pump cylinder having a piston mounted thereon for reciprocating movement in a suction and ejection stroke;
the pistons having rod portions extending from opposite ends of the cylinders connected with followers which are actuatable to provide the stroke of the pistons and deter-mine the amount of material moved by a pump piston out of the dispensing opening of each valve housing; a peripher-ally extending, arcuate suction stroke controlling cam track extending angularly around only a portion of the orbital path of the carrier substantially from one valve actuating means to the other to define the pump filling suction portion of the orbit, and mounted by the frame for pivotal movement in a vertical plane about one of its ends;
the can track having a follower engaged surface facing away from said cylinders and extending from said one end to an opposite free end; cam positioning means connected to swing the free end of the cam track upwardly and downwardly and hold it in a vertically selected position which deter-mines the suction strokes of the pistons; a peripherally extending arcuate dispensing stroke controlling cam track extending angularly around a remaining portion of the path of the carrier means from said second valve actuating means back toward the first valve actuating means in a downstream direction, the dispensing stroke cam track having a follower engaged surface facing oppositely to the surface of the suction stroke controlling cam track for positively moving the pistons in their dispensing strokes; the dis-pensing stroke controlling cam track being spaced vertical-ly from the free end of the pump filling stroke cam track a distance greater than the vertical extent of the followers sufficiently to permit the free end of the pump filling stroke cam track to assume a range of vertical positions and the followers to proceed orbitally beyond said free end before engaging the dispensing stroke controlling cam track.

2. The apparatus as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said frame has a sleeve internally journalling a driven central shaft and externally journalling cage means supported from one end of said central shaft; the cage means externally guiding the pistons for reciprocatory movement vertically.

3. The apparatus as set forth in Claim 1, wherein support members project radially from the tank and said pump cylin-ders and valve housings are each formed in individual sets of pump and valve housings which have conversing recesses at their sides permitting their suspension from a pair of said support members; and releasable means are provided for clamping each set of housings individually in position.

4. The apparatus as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said valve housings have means surrounding said dispensing openings to receive plug members; and passages in said housings lead from the inner faces of said plug members through the housings to exit ports.