GB1571400A

GB1571400A - Case filling device

Info

Publication number: GB1571400A
Application number: GB5309576A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GREEFA MACHINENBOUW BV
Current assignee: GREEFA MACHINENBOUW BV
Priority date: 1975-12-19
Filing date: 1976-12-20
Publication date: 1980-07-16
Also published as: FR2335400A1; IT1067575B; DE2656644A1; FR2335400B1; NL164819C; NL7514869A; DE2656644C2; NL164819B

Description

(54) CASE FILLING DEVICE (71) We, GREEFA MACHINEBOUW B.

V., a Corporate body duly organised and existing under the laws of the Netherlands of Tricht, the Netherlands, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to apparatus for use with a plurality of similar open-topped cases for filling the cases one by one with vulnerable buoyant products, for example fruit.

French patent specification No.

1.511,134 describes such an apparatus, in which a reservoir filled with water or other liquid in which the products will float communicates with a shallow basin likewise filled with the liquid into which the products are introduced to float and in which they are advanced towards the reservoir. A frame is mounted in the reservoir and affords a track which extends above and below the liquid surface, along which track an assembly of a support for a case and an open-bottomed box can be moved up and down as a whole.

The bottom of the box is spaced above the support so that a case can be interposed between them, and the rim of the open bottom of the box is shaped and dimensioned to conform to the upper edges of the interposed case. The assembly of the box and the support can be moved upwardly and downwardly along the track so as first to submerge a case interposed between them in the reservoir. with the box partly submerged above it, for filling the case, and then to raise the case above the liquid level after it has been filled. A guiding device is mounted in the basin and has an underneath guiding surface, submerged in the liquid, along which the advancing floating products proceed and by which they are guided into the interior of the box above the interposed case.In French specification No. 1,511,134 the guiding device comprises a forwardly and downwardly inclined stationary screen.

When a valve near the lower end of the inclined screen is opened, a fluid flow moving towards the box is generated in the liquid in the basin by a suction pump connected thereto, and this fluid flow carries the floating products along beneath the screen, whose inclined underneath surface progressively submerges them until they pass into the box above the interposed case via an aperture in its side wall. The products will float in the liquid in the box, and as soon as the layer of floating products in the box has attained a certain thickness, the valve will be closed to stop the fluid flow and the assembly of the support, with the interposed case on it, and the box will be raised upwards so that the products in the box will descend into the case.The liquid will escape via the open walls of the box and via the crevices generally present in the case, as the latter rises above the liquid surface for removal.

It will be appreciated that the delivery end of the forwardly and downwardly inclined screen of French specification No.

1,511,134 must be at a certain minimum distance below the liquid surface in the submerged box, roughly corresponding to the filling height in the box, in order that a sufficiently deep layer of the floating products shall accumulate in the box to ensure that the case below it will be adequately filled. In order to advance the products along the underside of the downwardly inclined screen to this considerable depth, a considerable liquid flow is needed involving a displacement of a substantial volume of liquid, and consequently a large suction pump. As a result the speed of the liquid flow in the basin and reservoir will be fairly high.

The present invention has as one of its objects the provision of a case filling apparatus which is an improvement on that of French specification No. 1,511,134.

According to the present invention apparatus for use with a plurality of similar open-topped cases for filling the cases one by one with vulnerable buoyant products, for example fruit, comprises a reservoir filled with water or other liquid in which the products will float when introduced into the reservoir, an assembly of a support for a case and an open-bottemed suction chamber spaced above the support to receive one of the cases interposed between the bottom of the chamber and the support, the open bottom of the suction chamber having a rim shaped and dimensioned to conform to the upper edges of the interposed case. and the assembly of the support and the suction chamber being mounted and guided for upward and downward movement as a whole in such a manner that the assembly can be lowered until the suction chamber is partially submerged in the liquid in the reservoir (its lowered position) with the interposed case fully submerged beneath the open bottom of the chamber, and can be raised into a position in which the interposed case is above the liquid surface, means for causing the products floating in the reservoir to advance towards the suction chamber, and a guiding device mounted to extend below the surface of the liquid in the reservoir, the guiding device having a downwardly-directed underneath guiding surface which bears on the floating products to submerge them as they are advanced towards the chamber, and being arranged to guide the submerged products into the interior of the suction chamber when the latter is in its lowered position, the apparatus further including an air suction pump which is connected to the interior of the chamber and is operable to create a depression in the air pressure in the chamber above the liquid surface therein when the chamber is in its lowered position, whereby the liquid level in the suction chamber rises above that in the reservoir outside the chamber.

The raising of the liquid level in the suction chamber by the creation of the depression therein by the air suction pump will in use take place whilst the products are being guided into the interior of the chamber, so that the liquid level will rise simultaneously with the increase in thickness of the layer of floating products in the chamber. Thus the building up of a sufficiently thick layer of floating products to fill the case can be achieved with the delivery end of the guiding device situated at a level nearer to the liquid level in the reservoir outside the suction chamber, than would otherwise be-possible, and the floating products will therefore not have to be so deeply submerged when travelling beneath the guiding device.If the products are advanced towards the suction chamber wholly or in part by a liquid flow created by a pump, the speed of the liquid flow may then be lower than if the products had to be more deeply submerged below the guiding device. This reduced speed of flow ensures that the products will be subject to more gentle treatment in the reservoir and the risk of damage to them will be lower.

A further advantage of a reduced speed of liquid flow in the reservoir arises in cases where the reservoir includes, in addition to a well in which the case support and suction chamber are submerged, in the lowered position of the latter, a shallower basin in which the guiding device extends, with a collecting channel for the products along which the products are advanced to the guiding device.

In a known case filling apparatus for a fruit sorting plant, the basin is mainly constituted by the collecting channel which is fairly wide at its upstream end where a plurality of parallel conveyor channels lead into it, in each of which conveyor channels products of a certain size and/or weight are present see British patent specification No.

1,363,568). Between the extremity of each conveyor channel and the beginning of the collector channel a small lattice gate is situated through which the liquid but not the products may pass. If there is a high speed of liquid flow in the conveyor channels and the collecting channel, the products may accumulate in front of the gates and obstruction and damage may occur. A reduced speed of liquid flow, such as the present invention makes possible, reduces the rush of such accumulation and resultant damage to the product.

The guiding device may be movably mounted, and be arranged to be advanced bodily to extend into the interior of the suction chamber when the latter is in its lowered position.

In one construction the guiding device may comprise a conveyor belt whose lower run provides the underneath guiding surface for the floating products and propels them forwardly towards and into the interior of the suction chamber. Preferably the conveyor belt is forwardly and downwardly inclined, its leading end being situated approximately centrally above the interposed case when the conveyor belt is advanced into the interior of the suction chamber in its lowered position.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one specific embodiment of the invention as applied to a fruit sorting plant, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the last part of a sorting plant for fruit such as apples, in which the extremities of the conveyor channels, the collecting channel and the case fil ling device are shown, and Figure 2 up to 6 inclusive are side views, partly in longitudinal section, of the case filling device and of the collecting channel.

In Figure 1 a total of six conveyor channels 1-6 is shown, each of which is constructed and arranged as a gutter filled with water in a known manner, and in which products, such as apples, sorted according to weight and/or size, are afloat. Of course, any number of conveyor channels may be used.

In a known manner, a converging collecting channel 7 (triangular in plan view) is connected to the extremities of the conveyor channels. Between the extremities of the individual conveyor channels and the collecting channel latticed gates are situated which may be opened and shut at will. As soon as a sufficient quantity of apples is concentrated in one of the conveyor channels, the associated gate is opened and the apples will flow from this particular conveyor channel into the collecting channel 7. The gates of the other conveyor channels will then remain shut. All this is part of the prior art.

The apples inside the collecting channel 7 are now required to be transferred to a stack case inside the case filling device.

These stack cases 8 are conveyed transversely on a roller conveyor 9A (see Figure 1) and are delivered onto a roller conveyor 9.

Reference is now made to Figure 2. The downstream end portion of the collecting channel 7 comprises a shallow basin 7A forming part of a reservoir 10 into the well 1 OA of which a case 8 is to be placed. In and above the reservoir well 10A a fixed vertical frame 11 is situated along which a vessel, the so-called suction chamber 12, can be moved up and down vertically. At a certain distance under the suction chamber 12 a short roller conveyor 13 is situated. This roller conveyor 13 and the suction chamber 12 can be moved up and down along the frame 11 as a unit. When the roller conveyor 13 has assumed the position as shown in Figure 2, the upper surface of this roller conveyor 13 will be aligned with the upper surface of the roller conveyor 9, upon which an empty case 8 is placed.Also, both roller conveyors 9 and 13 will be aligned with a further roller conveyor 14 for carrying off a filled case 8'.

In Figure 2 it is assumed that the case 8' has been filled with apples in a manner not described so far. The empty case 8 will push the filled case 8' away from under the suction chamber 12 and the filled case 8' is carried off via the roller conveyor 14.

Over the basin 7A, longitudinally directed rails 15 are mounted on which a small trolley 16 can travel. Upon this trolley is mounted a forwardly and downwardly inclined conveyor, consisting of a belt 17 with gripping means 18 extending transversely with respect to said belt. A baffle plate 1 7A is provided below the belt and is movable between the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3. The greater part of the length of this downwardly-inclined conveyor belt 17 extends in the water bed in the reservoir 10.

Before the apples emerging from one of the conveyor channels 1-6 are let into the collecting channel 7, an empty case 8 is conveyed towards the bottom of the reservoir well 10A. For that purpose, the case 8 is placed onto the upper side of the conveyor 13 below the lower side of the suction chamber 12. The distance between the lower side of the suction chamber 12 and the upper side of the conveyor 13 is slightly greater than the height of the case 8.

Together with the conveyor 13, the suction chamber 12 is now moved vertically downwards along the frame 11. The case 8 will then show an inclination to float and will be pressed against the flange-shaped lower edge 19 of the suction chamber 12.

The suction chamber 12 is shaped like a rectangular box which is closed on all sides except for the lower side. However, the front wall is provided with a door 20 which can be moved up and down over an opening in the lower part of the front wall. The purpose of this door 20 will appear from Figure 3. When the suction chamber 12 with the case 8 is moved downwards to the required depth, the door 20 will be lifted up so that the trolley 16 is allowed to proceed to the left in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 3 until the front part of the conveyor belt 17 extends into the interior of the suction chamber 12. Since the lower part of the front wall of the suction chamber 12, in which wall part the door 20 is situated, is also now immersed in the water, the space in the suction chamber 12 above the water level will remain shut off from the atmosphere.

The lower end of the conveyor belt 17 is now situated more or less over the middle of the case 8, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

A water pump 22 is connected to the basin 7A and, therefore, to the directly communicating reservoir well 10A, which pump provides for circulation of water in the various conveyor channels 1-6 and in the collecting channel 7 and basin 7A, as indicated by arrows C in Figure 4. The water circulation in the collecting channel 7 and basin 7A carries the floating fruit towards the chamber 12 so that it encounters the conveyor belt 17. The discharge flow through the pump 22 is carried to the entrance end of the conveyor channels 1-6 via a duct 23. This pump 22 also exerts a suction upon the interior of the submerged case 8 via the crevices in the side walls and in the bottom of said case.

The conveyor belt 17 is put into motion and will move in the direction of the adjacent arrows B shown in Figure 3. The apples floating in the collecting channel 7 and advanced by the water flow therein will land against the lower side of the conveyor belt 17. Due to the motion of the conveyor belt 17 they are carried along and down until they pass around the leading end of the conveyor belt 17, and will accumulate above the conveyor belt 17 in the suction chamber 12 as shown in Figure 4. At the same time, a vacuum pump 21 situated on the suction chamber 12 is put into operation and creates a depression (a partial vacuum) in the space within the suction chamber 12 above the water level therein. Therefore, the water level in the chamber 12 will rise, and consequently the accumulating layer of apples floating therein will assume a position as shown in Figure 4.

When the entire collecting channel 7 is emptied in this manner, the conveyor belt 17 is stopped, and the trolley 16 is moved to the right in the direction of the arrow A' with the conveyor belt (see Figure 5). The door 20 is then shut again, and the assembly of the suction chamber 12 and the conveyor 13 is raised on the frame 11.

The interior of the suction chamber 12 is thus put into communication with the atmosphere so that the depression will disappear.

The apples will tend to be sucked into the case 8 due to the suction power exerted by the pump 22.

All the apples will descend from the chamber 12 and enter the case 8. Since the upward pressure on the case due to its buoyancy will now have been removed, there is once again a certain clearance between the upper edge of the case 8 and the flange 19 of the suction chamber 12. The filled case is now pushed out of the case filling device by an empty case 8' 'as shown in Figure 6, and transferred to the conveyor 14.

Meanwhile, the collecting channel 7 has been re-filled with a new load of apples emerging from the same conveyor channel or from another conveyor channel.

The filled cases may then be transferred to a packing post where the apples are packed to be forwarded.

Of course, it is not essential that the basin 7A which accommodates the belt 17 be made up as one with the collecting channel.

It will also be possible to transfer the products from the collecting channel or the conveyor channel to the basin by means of a conveyor, and from there to the chamber 12 via said obliquely directed conveyor 17. In that case, the basin 7A with the reservoir well 1 0A will form a different fluid circuit from that made up by the collecting channel and the conveyor channels of the sorting plant.

Instead of a driven conveyor belt 17 it is also possible to use a plate or other guide which is movably mounted in the reservoir, or which is stationary.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for use with a plurality of similar open-topped cases for filling the cases one by one with vulnerable buoyant products, for example fruit, which comprises a reservoir filled with water or other liquid in which the products will float when introduced into the reservoir, an assembly of a support for a case and an open-bottomed suction chamber spaced above the support to receive one of the cases interposed between the bottom of the chamber and the support, the open bottom of the suction chamber having a rim shaped and dimen signed to conform to the upper edges of the interposed case, and the assembly of the support and the suction chamber being mounted and guided for upward and downward movement as a whole in such a manner that the assembly can be lowered until the suction chamber is partially submerged in the liquid in the reservoir (its lowered position) with the interposed case fully submerged beneath the open bottom of the chamber, and can be raised into a position in which the interposed case is above the liquid surface, means for causing the products floating in the reservoir to advance towards the suction chamber, and a guiding device mounted to extend below the surface of the liquid in the reservoir, the guiding device having a downwardly-directed underneath guiding surface which bears on the floating products to submerge them as they are advanced towards the chamber, and being arranged to guide the submerged products into the interior of the suction chamber when the latter is in its lowered position, the apparatus further including an air suction pump which is connected to the interior of the chamber and is operable to create a depression in the air pressure in the chamber above the liquid surface therein when the chamber is in its lowered position, whereby the liquid level in the suction chamber rises above that in the reservoir outside the chamber.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which the guiding device is movably mounted, and can be advanced bodily to extend into the interior of the suction chamber when the latter is in its lowered position.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the guiding device comprises a conveyor belt whose lower run provides the underneath guiding surface for the floating products and propels them for

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. bottom of said case. The conveyor belt 17 is put into motion and will move in the direction of the adjacent arrows B shown in Figure 3. The apples floating in the collecting channel 7 and advanced by the water flow therein will land against the lower side of the conveyor belt 17. Due to the motion of the conveyor belt 17 they are carried along and down until they pass around the leading end of the conveyor belt 17, and will accumulate above the conveyor belt 17 in the suction chamber 12 as shown in Figure 4. At the same time, a vacuum pump 21 situated on the suction chamber 12 is put into operation and creates a depression (a partial vacuum) in the space within the suction chamber 12 above the water level therein. Therefore, the water level in the chamber 12 will rise, and consequently the accumulating layer of apples floating therein will assume a position as shown in Figure 4. When the entire collecting channel 7 is emptied in this manner, the conveyor belt 17 is stopped, and the trolley 16 is moved to the right in the direction of the arrow A' with the conveyor belt (see Figure 5). The door 20 is then shut again, and the assembly of the suction chamber 12 and the conveyor 13 is raised on the frame 11. The interior of the suction chamber 12 is thus put into communication with the atmosphere so that the depression will disappear. The apples will tend to be sucked into the case 8 due to the suction power exerted by the pump 22. All the apples will descend from the chamber 12 and enter the case 8. Since the upward pressure on the case due to its buoyancy will now have been removed, there is once again a certain clearance between the upper edge of the case 8 and the flange 19 of the suction chamber 12. The filled case is now pushed out of the case filling device by an empty case 8' 'as shown in Figure 6, and transferred to the conveyor 14. Meanwhile, the collecting channel 7 has been re-filled with a new load of apples emerging from the same conveyor channel or from another conveyor channel. The filled cases may then be transferred to a packing post where the apples are packed to be forwarded. Of course, it is not essential that the basin 7A which accommodates the belt 17 be made up as one with the collecting channel. It will also be possible to transfer the products from the collecting channel or the conveyor channel to the basin by means of a conveyor, and from there to the chamber 12 via said obliquely directed conveyor 17. In that case, the basin 7A with the reservoir well 1 0A will form a different fluid circuit from that made up by the collecting channel and the conveyor channels of the sorting plant. Instead of a driven conveyor belt 17 it is also possible to use a plate or other guide which is movably mounted in the reservoir, or which is stationary. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for use with a plurality of similar open-topped cases for filling the cases one by one with vulnerable buoyant products, for example fruit, which comprises a reservoir filled with water or other liquid in which the products will float when introduced into the reservoir, an assembly of a support for a case and an open-bottomed suction chamber spaced above the support to receive one of the cases interposed between the bottom of the chamber and the support, the open bottom of the suction chamber having a rim shaped and dimen signed to conform to the upper edges of the interposed case, and the assembly of the support and the suction chamber being mounted and guided for upward and downward movement as a whole in such a manner that the assembly can be lowered until the suction chamber is partially submerged in the liquid in the reservoir (its lowered position) with the interposed case fully submerged beneath the open bottom of the chamber, and can be raised into a position in which the interposed case is above the liquid surface, means for causing the products floating in the reservoir to advance towards the suction chamber, and a guiding device mounted to extend below the surface of the liquid in the reservoir, the guiding device having a downwardly-directed underneath guiding surface which bears on the floating products to submerge them as they are advanced towards the chamber, and being arranged to guide the submerged products into the interior of the suction chamber when the latter is in its lowered position, the apparatus further including an air suction pump which is connected to the interior of the chamber and is operable to create a depression in the air pressure in the chamber above the liquid surface therein when the chamber is in its lowered position, whereby the liquid level in the suction chamber rises above that in the reservoir outside the chamber.

wardly towards and into the interior of the suction chamber.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claims 2 and 3 in which the conveyor belt is forwardly and downwardly inclined, its leading end being situated approximately centrally above the interposed case when the conveyor belt is advanced into the interior of the suction chamber in its lowered position.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, in which a side wall of the suction chamber which is adjacent to and faces towards the guiding device is provided with an opening having a door for closing it, the opening being wholly below the liquid surface when the suction chamber is in its lowered position. and in which the guiding device guides the submerged products into the interior of the suction chamber through the said opening.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 when dependent on Claim 2 or Claim 4, in which the guiding device can be advanced bodily to extend through the said opening in the suction chamber side wall into its interior, when the chamber is in its lowered position.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the reservoir includes a well into which the assembly of the suction chamber and case support is lowered in the lowered position of the suction chamber, and a shallower basin leading into the well, in which basin the guiding device extends, and a collecting channel constituting or leading into the basin, there being a plurality of separate conveyor channels upstream of the collecting channel and communicating therewith through separately-openable gates, the collecting channel and the conveyor channels being filled with liquid, and there being a liquid pump connected'to the basin and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and recirculate it through the conveyor channels and the collector channel back to the basin, the pump thereby creating a liquid flow in the upper part of the basin towards the suction chamber, which flow comprises the means for advancing the floating products towards the suction chamber.

8. Apparatus for filling cases with vulnerable products, e.g. fruit, substantially as specifically described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.