GB2137970A

GB2137970A - Liquid Filling Apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2137970A
Application number: GB08310163A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Francois Roos; Kobi Ribeli
Original assignee: KOHLER BROTHERS Ltd
Current assignee: KOHLER BROTHERS Ltd
Priority date: 1983-04-14
Filing date: 1983-04-14
Publication date: 1984-10-17
Also published as: GB2137970B; GB8310163D0

Abstract

A liquid filling apparatus comprises a pair of closure removal members 28,32; and a pair of filling heads 26,30 mounted on a movable plate 22; and container holding means 42,44. Plate 22 is movable relative to the holding means 42,44 so that whilst a first container is being filled by filling head 26, a second container, provided with its closure in situ, is presented to the removal member 32. Thus, when said second container is being filled by filling head 30, a third container is presented to cap removal member 28. The simultaneous handling of two container speeds up the overall filling process. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Liquid Filling Apparatus According to the invention a liquid filling apparatus includes; a) a frame; b) a support member mounted movably relative to the frame; c) a first filling head adapted to fill liquid into a container and being mounted on the support member; d) a first closure removal member adapted to remove a closure from a container prior to filling of the container by the first filling head; e) a first holding means for holding a container while the first removal means removes the closure from the container and while the container is being filled by first filling head; f) a second filling head adapted to fill liquid into a container and being mounted on the support member; g) a second closure removal member adapted to remove a closure from a container prior to filling by the second filling head;; h) a second holding means for holding a container while the second removal means removes the closure from the container and while the container is being filled by the second filling head; i) control means for causing the support member to be moved and the filling heads and closure removal members operated so as to place the first closure removal member in position relative to the first holding means for removing a closure from a container, which is to be filled, at the same time the second filling head being adapted to fill a container held by the second holding means for filling purposes, and thereafter the support member being adapted to be moved so as to repeat the procedure by placing the second closure removal member in position relative to the second holding means for removing a closure from a container, which is to be filled, whilst the first filling head is being adapted to be placed in position to fill a container held by the first holding means.

The container may be a flexible container (eg. a bag or a pouch) having a pouring opening closable by means of a closure member which is removable for filling purposes.

A container support may be provided mounted relative to the frame for supporting a container while being filled. The support may have two trays situated at the first and second holding means respectively, and the trays being mounted on a shaft which is rotatable for causing a filled container to slide off the tray for packaging or dispatch purposes.

The liquid, which is to be filled, may be any suitable liquid, such as wine.

The movement of the support member and operation of the filling heads may be automatically controllable or by means of a foot control or manual push button.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

In the drawings there is shown in Figure 1 a front view of a liquid filling apparatus in accordance with the invention; and Figure2 a side view of the apparatus seen along arrow II in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the liquid filling apparatus 10 includes a frame 12 which comprises a base 14, two spaced upright sides 16, 18, and a cross.top member 20, which contains all electrical and pneumatic equipment.

As the liquid flow control into containers is wellknown, no detailed description is given thereof and only the parts essential to the present invention are described.

On the cross top member 20 a reciprocatingly slideable support panel 22 is provided, which reciprocates horizontally in a direction,indicated by arrow 24, and vertically in a direction indicated by arrow 25.

At the left the support 22 carries a first filling head 26 and a first closure removal device 28, and on the right hand side the panel 22 supports a second filling head 30 and a second closure removal device 32.

The cross top member 20 supports a holding means for holding a container, namely a pouch or bag. The holding means is adapted to grip the neck of a bag, and comprises a first holder 34 on the left and second holder 36 on the right. These holders 34, 36 are stationary and are mounted on the member 20 and not on the slidable panel 22.

The holders 34, 36 may be of any suitable type namely to grip the neck of a bag, eg. by having a slotted plate adapted to engage around the filling neck of a bag.

Below the panel 22 a flexible bag support 38 is provided. It comprises a shaft 40 and two trays 42 and 44. The trays are located under the first and second holders 34, 36 respectively. The shaft 40 is pneumatically tiltable to move the trays 42, 44 into the position indicated by dotted lines 42.1 and 44..1 in Figure 2 for discharging a filled bag to a position for packaging or despatch.

During operation a bag, which is to be filled, and of which the closure already has been removed (as described below), would be connected to the first holder 34. The bag is vacuumed and/or purged whilst attached to the first holder 34. At that moment a second bag, from which the closure still has to be removed, would be placed into the holder 36. The first filling head 26 now is above the holder 34. The first bag then is filled by means of the first filling head 26. When the bag has been fully filled, the second removal device 32 would be operated (eg.

pneumatically by the operator pressing a push button). The device 32 then would remove the closure member from the bag by moving the panel 22 upwardly as indicated by arrow 25.

Thereafter the panel 22 is moved to the right as indicated by arrow 24 (also pneumatically by means of automatic sequencing control or push button when in manual mode) so that the filling head 30 comes to the filling position above the holder 36. Whilst the bag at the holder 34 is being filled, the bag at the second holder 36 is vacuumed and/or purged.

The panel 22 is lowered and the bag on the right is then filled by the filling head 30. While filling on the right, the filled bag on the left is closed and then ejected from the holder 34, and by tilting the tray 42 slides down. An empty closed bag is fitted to the holder 34.

When the bag on the right is full, the filling head and neck of the pouch are purged, the panel 22 is lifted automatically and the procedure is repeated.

The arrangement is suggested has the particular advantage that a filled bag can be removed on one side, and an empty bag.fitted, while the filling operation continues on the other side. Thereby an optimum cycle time can be achieved.

Claims

1. A liquid filling apparatus, which includes a) a frame; b) a support member mounted movably relative to the frame; c) a first filling head adapted to fill liquid into a container and being mounted on the support member; d) a first closure removal member adapted to remove a closure from a container prior to filling of the container by the first filling head; e) a first holding means for holding a container while the first removal means removes the closure from the container and while a container is being filled by the first filling head; f) a second filling head adapted to fill liquid into a container and mounted on the support member; g) a second closure removal member adapted to remove a closure from a container prior to filling by the second filling head;; h) a second holding means for holding a container while the second removal means removes the closure from the container and while a container is being filled by the second filling head; i) control means for causing the support member to be moved and the filling heads and closure removal members operated so as to place the first closure removal member in position relative to the first holding means for removing a closure from a container which is to be filled, at the same time the second filling head being adapted to fill a container held by the second holding means for filling purposes, and thereafter the support member being adapted to be moved so asto repeat the procedure by placing the second closure removal member in position relative to the second holding means for removing a closure from a container, which is to be filled, whilst the first filling head is being adapted to be placed in position to fill a container held by the first holding means.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the container is a flexible container (eg. a bag or a pouch) having a pouring opening closable by means of a closure member which is removable for filling purposes.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which a container support is provided mounted relative to the frame for supporting a container while being filled.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the support has two trays situated at the first and second holding means respectively, and the trays being mounted on a shaft which is rotatable for causing a filled container to slide off the tray for packaging or dispatch purposes.

5. An apparatus as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, in which the liquid which is to be filled is wine.

6. An apparatus as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, in which the movement of the support member and operation of the filling heads is automatically controllable or by means of a foot control or manual push button.

7. An apparatus as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, in which vacuum and/or purging means is provided adapted to vacuum and/or purge a container prior to and after filling and while held by the first or second holding means.

8. A liquid filling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.