GB1142550A - Apparatus for filling receptacles with liquid or paste-like products under aseptic conditions - Google Patents

Abstract

1,142,550. Filling barrels etc.; container filling machines. MOLDAVSKY NAUCHNOISSLEDOVATELSKY INSTITUT PISCHEVOI PROMYSHLENNOSTI. 29 Aug., 1967, No. 39433/67. Headings B8C and B8T. Apparatus for filling a band &c. 4, Fig. 1, with liquid or pasty substance under aseptic conditions comprises a dispenser with a chamber 1 engaged sealingly over the barrel &c. bunghole, a pipe 10 feeding steam to the chamber and barrel &c., another pipe 11 feeding sterilized liquid &c. to the chamber and barrel &c., air being removed from the barrel &c. during filling through a servo-controlled valve 24, 27, Fig. 2, and the dispenser including a bung-removing and replacing head 14, 17. The apparatus may be automatically controlled by the pressure developed in the barrel 4 as the liquid is supplied, but in the form shown is controlled automatically by the weight of the barrel and its contents. In use, an empty barrel 4, with its bung screwed home, is placed upon a platform 35, Fig. 1, of a scales, thus automatically energizing a motor 29 to drive a lifting screw &c. 2, 30 and raise the barrel against the open lower end of the dispensing chamber 1. The bung 39, Fig. 3, has a square socket 41 which engages the correspondingly-shaped lower end of a bung-unscrewing shaft 14, Fig. 2, having spring-biased bung-engaging and holding shoes 17. If the lower end of the bung-engaging shaft 14 does not slide straight into the bung socket 41, a spring-biased nut 20 engaging a worm 12 on the shaft allows the latter to slide a little upwards. When the top of the barrel 4 has engaged firmly against a sealing ring 9 around the open mouth of the dispensing chamber 1, the motor 29 is automatically switched off and a motor 40 switched on. The latter drives through a worm and worm-wheel 18 and a sliding key to the shaft 14, which rotates in the nut 20 thus unscrewing the bung 39, the holding shoes 17 retaining the bung as the shaft is screwed upwards away from the barrel 4. The bung 39 having been fully withdrawn, steam is admitted through the pipe 10 to the dispensing chamber 1 and the barrel 4, until they are sterilized. Next a simple servo 13 is energized to project a tube 24 into the barrel bunghole, the tube opening through a chamber and port 27, 28 to atmosphere to allow venting of air from the barrel. Simultaneously, sterilized liquid &c. is admitted by a valve 3 through the pipe 11 to the dispensing chamber 1 and the barrel 4. When the barrel 4 has been filled, its increased weight acts through the scales 35 &c. to shut the valve 3 and stop the flow of sterilized liquid. The servo 13 is energized to withdraw the valve 24, 27 from the bunghole, and the motor 40 drives to re-insert the bung 39 in the bunghole. The air-valve 24, 27 and the distributing chamber 1 are sterilized by passing steam through them, and the motor 29 operates to lower the barrel 4, drawing the bung 39 off the shaft 14.