GB1489006A - Apparatus and method for dividing and dispensing fluent materials into uniform volume units - Google Patents

Abstract

1489006 Packaging fluent material ; metering; loading hoppers MATTHEWS MACHINE CO Inc 15 May 1975 [29 May 1974] 20590/75 Headings B8C B8N and B8S Apparatus for dispensing fluent material such as sugar, salt, pepper, mustard or catsup in discrete units comprises a drum 91 rotatable about a horizontal axis and having around its periphery a series (as shown two axially spaced series) of metering chambers 120 each chamber having an inlet 143, 144 for receiving material from the drum, an outlet 90 for discharging material into containers such as packets or bottles, and a helical flow path between the inlet and the outlet, a storage container 200 for the material, a horizontal screw conveyer 221 for transferring material from the storage container to the drum 91, and means for sensing the level of material in the drum and for controlling operation of the screw conveyer 221 accordingly to maintain the level within limits. A further screw conveyer 210 may supply the conveyer 221 from the container 200. As shown a web of adhesive-coated sheet material such as paper is fed from a roll 40. When the roll 40 is depleted a roller 42 and pivoted arm close a switch 47 to give a warning or stop operation of the apparatus. The web is fed to a slitter folder 61 which divides the web longitudinally into two strips and folds each strip longitudinally, the folded strips 45A, 45B then being passed to units 70, 71 having electrically-heated bars 75 for forming transverse seals to define pockets in the strips. The pocketed strips 45A, 45B are then passed through respective air openers 83 to which pressurized air is supplied. The pressurized air passes through channels 88, 89 (Figs. 14 and 16) in blocks 86, 87 between which the strips are fed and creates a venturi effect which opens the mouths of the pockets. The strips are then fed past the periphery of the drum 91 in alignment with the series of metering chambers 120. As the drum rotates fluent material enters the chambers 120 at position P-1 (Fig. 5), and at position P-2 excess material falls back into the drum while a unit volume of material is trapped by a screw 138, 139 in the chamber. The unit volume of material is passed by the screw to a spout 90 as the drum rotates and at position P-3 is discharged into a pocket in the strips. After filling, the pocketed strips 45A, 45B are passed to a sealer 355 which comprises pairs of opposed heated bars 411, 412 and 413, 414 defining wavy paths for the top edges of the pockets which are thereby sealed before the strips are cut at 370 by blades 435, 436 into individual packets. The packets are ejected into a carton on a discharge conveyer 381, a cam 390 rotating with the drum 91 and actuating a switch 391 serving to count the packets into the cartons. A paddle 293 is mounted in the drum 91 on one end of a shaft 290 within the screw conveyer 221, two radial arms 310, 311 (Fig. 18) being attached to the other end of the shaft. When there is sufficient fluent material in the drum 91 the paddle 293 is dragged around by rotation of the drum and turns shaft 290 so that arm 311 contacts a two-position microswitch 300 to stop the conveyers 210, 221. However when the level of fluent material in the drum falls below the end of the paddle 293, the paddle assumes a vertical position and arm 310 contacts the microswitch 300 to start up the conveyers 210, 221 to replenish the drum 91. A photo-electric detector 56 may be provided to sense registration marks on the packet material and to adjust the speed of drive rollers 50. 80 if necessary in order to locate the transverse seals effected by units 70, 71 properly. If the rollers 430, 432 are driven by a magnetic clutch then by adjusting the slippage of the clutch the tension of the strips 45A, 45B passing around the units 70, 71 can be varied in order to regulate the width of the transverse seals.