GB2178015A

GB2178015A - Filling bottles

Info

Publication number: GB2178015A
Application number: GB08617175A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George William Bird
Original assignee: Cooperative Wholesale Society Ltd
Current assignee: Cooperative Wholesale Society Ltd
Priority date: 1985-07-25
Filing date: 1986-07-15
Publication date: 1987-02-04
Also published as: GB8617175D0; GB8518852D0

Abstract

Containers 26 are filled with a liquid by locating an empty container 26 on a horizontal turntable 20 which rotates continuously about its central vertical axis and introducing a predetermined major part of the liquid into the container whilst the container is on the rotating turntable 20. The partially filled container is then transferred to a second horizontal turntable 31 which also rotates continuously about its central vertical axis, during which transfer the fob resulting from the first filling step disperses. Whilst the container is on the rotating turntable 31 the filling of the container is completed whereupon the container is removed from the turntable 31 for further processing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method of and apparatus for filling bottles This invention relates to a method of filling a containerrand apparatus therefor.

Fobbing of a product being bottled is a condition dependent on the nature ofthe product and is caused by air and the speed offilling of the bottle. Fobbing manifests itself as the frothing ofthe product in the bottle. Fobbing can therefore result in inaccuracies in the volume ofthe product introduced into the bottle which inaccuracies are governed by strict tolerances as to their allowability by H. M. Customs and Excise.

In orderto maintain accuracy offill it is therefore required to operate a bottling plant at a "minimum fobbing condition" although this results in a slow filling speed and thus a low level of production.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of filling a container with liquid comprising the steps of placing a predetermined major part of the liquid in the container atafirst filling stage, transferring the containerto a second filling stage, and completing the filling ofthe containerwith the liquid at said second filling stage.

Preferably said container is initially one of a plurality of empty containers which are conveyed in succes sion towards said first filling stage at a predetermined rate. The method may further comprise the step of conveying in succession the filled containers away from said second filling stage atthesame predetermined rate asthe empty containers are conveyed towards the fi rst fi 11 ing stage.

In preferred constructionsthefirstfilling stage comprises a substantially horizontal turntable adapted and arranged for continuous rotation about its central vertical axis, means for locating individuallythe containers on and removing them from the turntable, and a pluralityoffilling headsfordelivering the liquid, and the second filling stage comprises a second substantially horizontal turntable adapted and arranged for continuous rotation about its central vertical axis, means for locating individuallythe containers on and removing them from the second turntable, and a plurality of filling heads for delivering the liquid.

Preferably the method further comprises the step of sequentially locating each of said empty containers in a presented one of a series of predetermined positions equally spaced around the firstturntable, each of said positions being disposed beneath one of a series of said first filling heads which are adapted for rotation with the first turntable, then transferring each ofthe succession of partially filled containers from the firstturntable in sequence to a presented one of a second series of predetermined positions equally spaced around the second turntable, each of the positions of said second series being disposed beneath one of a series of said second filling heads which are adapted for rotation with the second turntable, and sequentially removing the filled containers fromthe second turntable.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail. The description makes referenceto the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which shows a plain viewofthe bottlefilling apparatus according to the invention.

There is shown in thefigure a bottle filling appar- atus comprising a first bottle filling stage 10 and a second bottlefilling stage 11 both ofwhich are po- wered by a common drive mechanism 12. Said drive mechanism comprises an electric motor 13 driving a first belt 1 4which in turn rotates a shaft 15 mounted in bearings 16. The shaft 15 drives the operating mechanism 17 of the second bottle filling stage 11 and, byvirtue of a second belt 18,theoperating mechanism 19 ofthefirst bottlefilling stage 10.

The first filling stage 10 comprises a horizontal turntable 20 or carousel which is rotated continuously in the direction of arrow 20a about a vertical pin 21 by the operating mechanism 19, which also drives, again continuously, a bottle feeding wheel 22 and a bottle removing wheel 24 about respective vertical pins 23, 25. Bottles 26 disposed in an approach passage 27 are advanced towards the feeding wheel 22 by means of a helical screw member 28 rotating about its horizontal lengthwise axis.The feeding wheel 22 is recessed to accept one bottle at a time and with the aid of an arcuate surface of a guiding member 29 deposits said one bottle ontheturntable 20 in the adjacent one of series of predetermined positions equally spaced around theturntable 20, the next bottle in the approach passage 27 being deposited in the next predetermined position on the turntable and soon.

Associated with, and located directly above, the predetermined positions is a series of respective first filling heads (not shown) which are adapted and arranged to rotate at the same speed as theturntable 20, thereby remaining above the bottles 26 located in the respective predetermined positions.

While each bottle is on theturntable 20 and thus beneath its associated first filling head the bottle is filled to about 90% of its capacity whilst the turntable 20 is rotating. The bottle removing wheel 24 which is also recessed then removes each partially filled bottle individually and with the aid ofthe guiding member 29 deposits the bottles into a transfer passage 30. It will be appreciated that the bottle removing wheel 24 is synchronised with the bottle feeding wheel 22 therebyto maintain a steady rate of bottle feed/removal.

The bottles then enter an approach passage 37 for the second bottlefilling stage 11 which comprises a horizontal turntable 31 rotated continuously in the direction of arrow 31 a about a vertical pin 32 bythe operating mechanism 17. The second turntable 31, in a similarfashion to the turntable 20, has a series of equally spaced predetermined positions which are associated with a series of respective second filling heads (not shown) which rotate with the turntable 31 to remain located directly above said respective predetermined positions on the turntable 31. The second filling stagefurthercomprises a bottle feeding wheel 33, a bottle removing wheel 35 and respective vertical pins 34,36 a helical screw member 38, a guiding member 39 and a final transfer passage 40 leading to a further production stage, all of which operate in a similarfashion to the corresponding components of thefirst bottlefilling stage 10 and require no further explanation as to their operation.

While each partially filled bottle 26 is on the turntable 31 and is thus beneath its associated second filling head the remaining 10% of its capacity is introduced whilstthe turntable 31 is rotating. To optimise the filling process the relative motions of the two turntables 20; 31 a nd therefore th e speeds of the bottle feeding wheels 22,33 and bottle removing wheels 24; 35 are such that the two bottle filling stages 10; 11 operate on the same number of bottles in a given time.

It will be appreciated that the transfer of each 90% full bottle between the first and second filling stages allowsthefob resulting from the first filling stageto disperse before the second filling step is effected.

Thistherefore results in theturntables 20; 31 and their respective filling heads operating at speeds above those which produce the minimum fobbing condition in apparatus consisting of one filling stage.

Furthermore, the stated ratios in which the bottles are filled are arbitrary and depend largely upon the nature ofthe products being bottled.

It will also be appreciated that two separate drive mechanisms may powerthe respective bottle filling stages as long as the drive mechanisms are synchronisedto allowthefilling stages to operate with the same frequency.

It will also be apparentthat it is possibleto have apparatus in which the two filling stages coincide, onefilling head being associated with each predetermined position and adapted to deliver large and small volumes of liquid alternately. In such an arrangement said large amount of liquid is introduced into an empty bottle and then the turntable moves the partially full bottle together with its associated filling head around the turntable a predetermined distance whereupon the filling head is activated to deliver said small amountofliquid to the bottle. Thefilled bottle is then removed for further processing.

Anothertype of apparatus could providetwoturnt- ables adapted and arranged forstepwise rotation and one filling head for each turntable. Each bottle would stop underthefirstfilling head, be transferred to the second tu rnta ble, and then stop u nder the second filling head before removal.

Claims

1. Amethod offilling a container with liquid com- prising the steps of placing a predetermined major part of the liquid in the container at a first filling stage, transferring the container to a second filling stage, and completing the filling of the container with the liquid at said second filling stage.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said containerisinitiallyoneofa pluralityofemptycon tainerswhich are conveyed in succession towards said first filling stage at a predetermined rate.

3. Amethod as claimed in claim 2furthercomprising the step of conveying in succession the filled containers away from said second filling stage at the same predetermined rate as the empty containers are conveyed towards the first filling stage.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the containers are moving continuously through the first and second filling stages and throughout the transfer between the two filling stages.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first filling stage comprises a substantially horizontal turntable adapted and arranged for continuous rotation about its central vertical axis, means for locating individuallythe containers on and removing them from the turntable, and a plurality of filling heads for delivering the liquid.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5,wherein the second filling stage comprises a second substantially horizontal turntable adapted and arranged for continuous rotation about its central vertical axis, means for locating individually the containers on and removing them from the second turntable, and a plurality of filling heads for delivering the liquid.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further com- prising the step of sequentially locating each of said empty containers in a presented one of a series of predetermined positions equally spaced around the first turntable, each of said positions being disposed beneath one of a series of said first filling headswhich are adapted for rotation with the firstturntable, then transferring each ofthe succession of partially filled containers from the first turntable in sequence to a presented one of a second series of predetermined positions equally spaced around the second turntable, each of the positions of said second series being disposed beneath one of a series of said second filling heads which are adapted for rotation with the second turntable, andsequentially removing thefilled con tainersfromthe second turntable.

8. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the operations of the two filling stages are driven by a single motor.

9. A method of filling a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illus- trated in the accompanying drawing.