EP0045227A1 - Automatic container filling machine, in particular for foodstuffs - Google Patents

Abstract

1. An automatic apparatus for filling containers (5) particularly with preferably globular or short oblong food products, of the type comprising a feeding vibrating hopper (1) arranged above a first conveyor for a first series of containers (5) for feeding the said products into the said containers, and a device collecting the products possibly falling outside the said first containers, characterized in that the said device comprises a second conveyor for a second series of containers, arranged at a lower level (B) of the filling apparatus with respect to the said first conveyor and a guiding through (10) arranged between the said first and second conveyors and conveying the said products to the said second containers.

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic container filling machine, in particular with food products, preferably globular or short oblong, such as, for example, tomatoes, peas, pears, cherries, blackcurrants or strawberries.

Filling machines are already known comprising a vibrating feed hopper bringing the products to be packaged in containers passing over a conveyor arranged below said hopper.

However, it sometimes happens that products coming from the hopper do not enter the containers, in particular as a result of too much filling of the latter. In order to recover these products, the known fillers include a lower belt located under the first conveyor and which drives the products thus recovered to an elevating mechanism which brings back or recycles said products to the containers being filled.

Such fillers have several drawbacks.

First of all, the recovery and recycling of products which have not fallen into the containers risks losing time and increasing the duration of the entire filling process.

Furthermore, recycling itself involves risks of deterioration of fragile products, a certain part of the product can even be recycled several times before finally entering a container. Finally, it may be that a part of the product overflowing from the containers is not recovered by the lower belt but is scattered on the solo This of course leads to a waste of the product.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic filling machine ensuring perfect recovery and without loss of time of the products having overflowed from the containers to be filled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filling machine which makes it possible, moreover, to effectively control the filling of said containers.

For this purpose, the automatic container filler of the invention is of the type comprising a vibrating feed hopper, disposed above a first conveyor of a first series of containers, for bringing said products into said containers and it is characterized in that in order to collect the products which may fall outside said first containers it comprises a second conveyor from a second series of containers arranged at a lower level of the filler with respect to said first conveyor and a guide chute disposed between said first and second conveyors, and conveying said products to said second containers.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second aforementioned conveyors are connected together and form a single, endless conveyor, bringing the containers from their point of entry into the machine and from the aforementioned lower level, where they undergo a pre-filling, by the professionals duits conveyed by the aforementioned chute, at a higher level, under the feed hopper, for additional filling and towards their point of exit from the machine.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the filler also comprises a container filling control system comprising at least one weighing device comprising a weighing member connected to the movable element of the carriers which ensures the movement of the containers , said member reacting to predetermined weights, respectively maximum and minimum, of the containers being filled said device further comprising two switches, actuated selectively by said member during its reaction, to the first of which is controlled a stop command of the carriers and / or acceleration of the vibratory movement of the hopper and to the second of which is controlled a command to slow down said movement of the hopper.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the part of the upper level of the conveyor extending under said feed hopper and up to the point of exit of the containers from the machine and that located at the aforementioned lower level and bringing said containers from their point of entry into the machine, are arranged one above the other in the same vertical plane.

Thanks to its design, the machine of the invention eliminates any unnecessary recycling of the product in the filler since the overflow from the upper part of the conveyor is entirely recovered in the containers circulating at the lower level of this conveyor.

The entire packaging process can be accelerated. Furthermore, the risks of deterioration of the recovered product are practically zero. Finally there is no longer any risk of loss of products between the upper part of the transporter and the lower part of the latter where recovery takes place.

In addition, the device for controlling the filling of the containers of the invention makes it possible to increase the precision of this filling which is thus done in a fully automatic manner without human intervention. This device also makes it possible to avoid excess or lack of product in the containers to be filled.

• La figure 1 est une vue de côté, partiellement éclatée, de la remplisseuse selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue en coupe, de la remplisseuse selon la direction II-II de la figure 1.
• La figure 3 est une vue en coupe de la remplisseuse de l'invention selon la direction III-III de la figure 1, et
• La figure 4 est une vue schématique du dispositif de contrôle de remplissage des récipients selon l'invention.

The invention will be better understood and other objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the explanatory description which follows, made with reference to the appended schematic drawings given solely by way of example illustrating a mode of the invention and in which:

• Figure 1 is a side view, partially exploded, of the filler according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of the filler in the direction II-II of Figure 1.
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the filler of the invention in the direction III-III of FIG. 1, and
• Figure 4 is a schematic view of the container filling control device according to the invention.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the filler of the invention firstly comprises a hopper 1 for vibrating feed, preferably adjustable in height and driven by a motor assembly 2 advantageously provided with a speed variator.

The filler according to the invention also comprises one or more conveyors located at two different levels of the machine, at an upper level A below the level of the hopper 1 and at a level B lower than at level A.

The conveyor (s) are of the type constituted by a mobile element 4, carrying and ensuring the movement of the containers 5, this mobile element possibly being a cable or a belt moving in a sliding path 6. The conveyor further comprises guides 7 , normally fixed, consisting of horizontal bars 8, integral with supports 9 which may possibly be connected to the sliding path 6.

Between the two levels A and B of the conveyors is disposed a guide chute 10. The spacing of the lower edges of this chute may advantageously be selectively adjustable as a function of the size of the products passing through the filler. This adjustment will be made by a mechanism known per se.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention and more particularly illustrated by the figures, the conveyor used is of the endless type. For this, the two conveyor levels A and B are connected together by means of a ramp 11, of a type known per se and comprising a set of pulleys P ₁ , P ₂ , P ₃ guiding the belt or the cable 4 which, of course, is endless and which is brought from the upper level A to the lower level B of the transport tor by a driving pulley P ₄ driven by a motor element 30.

In the case of an endless conveyor, the guides 7 will extend only over the part of the conveyor conveying said containers, that is to say between the point of entry C of the containers into the machine and their point of exit D.

As is clear from the view of FIGS. 1 and 2, the part of the upper level A of the conveyor which extends under the feed hopper 1 and up to the exit point D of the containers and that located at the lower level B and bringing the containers from their point of entry C into the machine, are arranged one above the other in the same vertical plane.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, it can be seen that on a part E of the conveyor, preferably that located at the upper level A and extending between the hopper 1 and the exit point D of the containers of the filler, said guides are mounted so as to be able to oscillate transversely about an axis parallel to the axis of the sliding path 6.

For this, the guides, and more precisely the supports are fixed on an oscillating support 12 mounted on a drive shaft 13, extending under the sliding path 4. This axis is carried by bearings 14, integral with the frame of the filler. The drive of the shaft 13, and therefore of the support 12, the supports 9 and the corresponding guide parts is carried out by means of a set of connecting rods. This set of connecting rods comprises a first connecting rod 15 rigidly connected to the axis 13. The set of connecting rods is completed by a second connecting rod 16 articulated to the connecting rod 15. This connecting rod 16 is connected to an eccentric 17. This eccentric 17 is rotated by a motor element 18. The eccentric 17 communicates to the connecting rod 16 a movement sinusoidal rectilinear which is transformed into a rotational movement of the axis 13 by means of the connecting rod 15.

Of course, the horizontal bars 8 of the movable part E of the guides 7 will be connected to the other horizontal bars of the fixed part of the rest of the carriers by any known means, in particular by means of flexible connectors.

The oscillating part E of the conveyor can also be mounted according to a second embodiment, the principle of which is moreover similar to that of the embodiment which has just been described.

In this second mode the drive axis of the supports 9 is mounted above the sliding path, the drive of this axis can be done by a mechanism identical to that which has been described for the first embodiment.

Such oscillating guide systems of conveyors are moreover described in French patents No. 1,452,603 and 1,362,482 as well as in certificate of addition No. 85,024 relating to this latter patent, all belonging to the applicant.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the supports 9 can be connected to the support 12 by means of plates 19. These plates have a notch 20 allowing them to slide. relative to the support 12 and thus guide the guides 7 in an oblique plane relative to the vertical plane of the filler. The plates 19 will be blocked relative to the support 12 by any known means. The aforementioned oblique plane is materialized by the inclined axis of FIG. 2.

Referring now to Figure 4, we will describe the container filling control system according to the invention.

In this figure have been represented schematically the upper and lower levels A and B of the transporter. On each of these levels circulate, in the direction indicated by the arrows, series of containers 5 to be filled.

The container weighing device of the invention comprises a weighing member 21 connected to the movable element 4 of the conveyor. In the embodiment illustrated, this weighing member is constituted by a lever articulated to an axis 22. This lever is placed under the movable element of the conveyor, for example a belt and it is held, by means of a means return 23, such as a spring, in contact with the element 4 and movable between a high position and a low position. The spring 23 may be calibrated so that the lever reacts to predetermined, respectively maximum and minimum weights of the containers being filled passing over it with the movable element 4. For example if the containers 5 are insufficiently loaded, and have a weight less than the minimum acceptable weight, the lever 21 will move to a high position. On the contrary, if the containers 5 are too loaded and have a weight greater than the maximum acceptable weight, the lever will not will be in a low position.

In addition, the weighing device comprises for each weighing member, two switches 24 and 25. The switch 24 is controlled by a command 26 acting on the motor element 30 for stopping the conveyor and / or on the motor element 2 for the acceleration of the vibratory movements of the hopper.

The second switch 25 is controlled by another control 27 which also acts on the motor element 2 to slow down said movement of the hopper.

The lever 21 will be provided with any contact element 28 so that in its high position, the lever 21 actuates the switch 24 and in its low position the switch 25.

Note that Figure 4 shows the case where the control system includes two weighing devices located respectively at the upper and lower levels of the carrier.

Naturally, it would be possible to use a single weighing device, for example only at the upper level, or to use more than two of these devices.

Of course _- the weighing devices will be placed at suitable places in the conveyor, in particular on the parts of the latter situated substantially above the feed hopper 1. In addition, it is obvious that one can use for control systems 26 and 27 any suitable type of control, in particular electromechanical or electro control systems picnics.

The operation of the filler of the invention will now be described.

The containers 1 to be filled are brought, by known means, to the point of entry C into the machine. They are juxtaposed joined on the conveyor which, as a result of the starting of the driving element 30 makes them pass from the lower level B to the upper level A. The containers then circulate under the feed hopper 1 and they are then filled , preferably at reflux of the product to be packaged.

During this filling, the excess product which falls outside the containers passing under the hopper at level A, is recovered by the guide chute 10 which conveys it to the containers which circulate on the lower level B of the conveyor, in particular at in line with the hopper 1. Thus, these latter containers undergo a pre-filling, the filling being carried out definitively when, in their turn, they are transferred from the lower level B to the upper level A, directly under the hopper 1.

Furthermore, the containers of the upper level A which have just passed under the hopper 1 then pass into the oscillating part E of the conveyor, that is to say that where the guides are mounted on the oscillating support 12. The containers then undergo transverse oscillations which allow either a compaction or an evacuation of the product overflow. The containers are then brought to the exit point D where they are removed from the machine by any known means.

It should be noted that during the oscillations of the containers in the oscillating zone E of the conveyor, the products which would also be ejected from the receptacles would also be recovered by the chute 10 and poured into the receptacles then passing into the lower zone of the conveyor situated vertically of this oscillating zone.

Naturally, during the course of these operations, the weighing devices of the container filling control system can operate at any time separately or jointly. The detection of a weight lower than the minimum permitted weight either at the upper level for boxes during final filling or at the lower level for boxes whose pre-filling level is insufficient may cause the boxes not sufficiently filled with product and / or the acceleration of product supply. Furthermore, the detection of a weight greater than the maximum permissible weight for cans being final filled at the upper level and for cans already partially overfilled at the lower level causes the product supply to slow down.

Finally, it should be noted that according to a variant of the invention, the conveyor could be provided, at an appropriate location, in particular after the hopper, with a compacting piston, ensuring a movement of the containers from bottom to top and vice versa in a plane substantially vertical, in view, of course, of improving the compaction of the product in the containers.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and shown which has been given only by way of example. In particular, it includes all the means constituting technical equivalents of the means described, as well as their com pairings, if these are carried out according to his spirit and implemented within the framework of protection as claimed.

Claims (10)

1. Automatic container filling machine, in particular with food products, preferably globular or short oblong, of the type comprising a vibrating feed hopper disposed above a first conveyor of a first series of containers for bringing said products into said containers. , and a device for collecting products which may fall out of said first containers, characterized in that said device comprises a second conveyor of a second series of containers, disposed at a lower level of the filler with respect to said first conveyor and a chute guide disposed between said first and second conveyors and conveying said products to said second containers. 2. Filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned first and second conveyors are connected together and form a single, endless conveyor, bringing the containers from their point of entry into the machine and from the aforementioned lower level, where they are pre-filled with the products conveyed by the aforementioned chute, at a higher level under the feed hopper, for additional filling and, towards their point of exit from the machine. 3. Filler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spacing of the lower edges of the aforementioned guide trough is selectively adjustable depending on the size of the products. 4. Filler according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the part of the upper level of the conveyor extending under said feed hopper and up to the point of exit of the containers from the machine and that situated at the aforementioned lower level and bringing the containers from their point of entry into the machine are arranged one above on the other in the same vertical plane. 5. Automatic filling machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a container filling control system comprising at least one weighing device comprising a weighing device controlled by the mobile element of the conveyor which ensures displacement of the containers, said member reacting to predetermined maximum and minimum weights of the containers being filled respectively, said device further comprising two switches actuated selectively by said member during its reaction, to the first of which is controlled a stop command of the conveyor and / or of acceleration of the vibratory movement of the hopper and to the second of which is controlled a command to slow down the movement of the hopper. 6. Filler according to claim 5, characterized in that said weighing member is constituted by a lever, placed under said movable conveyor element and held by means of a return means, in contact with said element and movable between a high position in which it actuates the aforementioned second switch. 7. Filler according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the aforementioned weighing control system comprises two weighing devices mounted respectively with the first and the second conveyors, or, in the case of a single conveyor, endlessly, at the lower and upper levels of it. 8. Filler according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said conveyor comprises as a movable element a cable or a belt moving in a sliding path, as well as normally fixed guides surrounding said sliding path at least on the part of the conveyor conveying said containers, and in that, on a part of the conveyor, preferably on the part thereof extending after passing under the feed hopper in the direction of circulation of the receptacles, said guides are fixed on an oscillating support mounted on a drive axis extending above or below said sliding path, said axis being carried by at least one bearing secured to the frame of the filler and being rigidly connected to a first connecting rod articulated to a second connecting rod which is set in motion by an eccentric. 9. Filler according to claim 8, characterized in that the guides are connected to the aforementioned support by means of a sliding plate making it possible to orient said guides in an oblique plane relative to the vertical plane of the filler. 10. Filler according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveyor is provided with a compacting piston ensuring a displacement of the containers from bottom to top and vice versa in a substantially vertical plane.

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