GB2604415A

GB2604415A - Apparatus for the filling of a container with a flowable material

Info

Publication number: GB2604415A
Application number: GB2112808.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Parmar Chandra
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-09-08
Filing date: 2021-09-08
Publication date: 2022-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2041-09-08
Also published as: GB202014085D0; GB202112808D0; GB2604415B

Abstract

Apparatus has a hopper 2 with outlets 10 leading to cavities 48 which are rotatable 16 between a receiving position and a dispensing position. Dispensing can be spontaneous or promoted by paddle 6. The cavities 48 can be on a rotor 16 in a housing 18. The receiving position can be 180° from the dispensing position. There can be multiple cavities axially arranged on an insert 26 in the rotor and multiple inserts radially arranged around the rotor. The inserts can have different sized cavities for different dosages. The insert can slidably interlock with a slot with an overhang on the rotor. The hosing can match the rotor, inserts and cavities such that it seals the cavities. The apparatus can fill trays with a predefined dose of granular material.

Description

Apparatus for the filing of a container with a. flowable material The invention to which this application relates is apparatus for use in the filling of a container such as a "pod", sachet or the like, with a flowable material which may, most typically, be in the form of a powder or granular material.

In particular, although not necessarily exclusively, the invention is directed towards the provision of apparatus which is modular and adaptable and for use with regard to the filling of relatively small volumes of flowable material into containers as part of a filling operation so as to fill a container in for example the form of a sachet or pod, with a relatively small quantity in terms of volume and/or weight, of the flowable material. Typically, the material held in the sachet can then either be removed and used directly such as, for example., in relation to a foodstuff or a pharmaceutical purpose, or in the form of seeds or the like (Jr alternatively, may be used in combination with other flowable materials and/or other items, such as, for example, as an ingredient for a food recipe.

In any use, there is a need to be able to fill the container with a required quantity of the flowable material and to repeatedly do this accurately for a plurality of containers so as to ensure that each container has a required quantity of the flowable material located therein whilst, at the same time, ensuring that the filling operation is efficient and economical, does not overfill and generates minimum waste Typically, once the container has been filled with the required quantity of flowable material, the container will be sealed to retain the flowable material therein and can then be opened at a. later date for use of the contents.

Conventionally, the filling ofcontainers in the manner and for the purpose described above, can be undertaken for filling large numbers of containers, typically using automated apparatus which is installed in a processing factory or, alternatively, can be performed manually for filling a relatively small number of containers. It has been found that this leaves a significant market area for which suitable apparatus is not available as the apparatus which is available is designed for use on a relatively large scale and therefore is expensive to purchase and install. This therefore means that often, filled sachets or containers are purchased from a relatively large scale manufacturer which makes the same relatively expensive to the purchasing company. Alternatively, or the apparatus which is available for small scale filling is wasteful and time-consuming and is also labour intensive to operate which, again, makes the filling of the containers expensive.

Furthermore, the apparatus which is conventionally available, is typically designed for the specific filling of a particular form of container such as, for example, apparatus may be provided which allows the filling of containers in the form of sachets only or, may be provided for the filling of containers in, for example, the form of pods only. The lack of adaptability limits the use of the apparatus and the attractiveness of the apparatus to potential users.

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide apparatus which allows improved adaptability in relation to the ability to fill, selectively, different types of containers such as, for example, in the form of sachets or pods or the like and to allow the filling of the same to be achieved with a degree of efficiency and economy so as to ensure that the filled containers meet the requirements of the end user.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for the filling of a plurality of containers with a flowable material, said apparatus including at least one hopper in which a quantity of flowable material is located, a plurality of cavities located downstream of one or more outlets of said hopper to receive therein, respectively, a quantity of the flowable material and movement means to move said cavities between a first position in which the same receive the flowable material, to a second position at which the flowable material is dispensed from said cavities into respective containers.

Typically, the movement means allows the movement of the said cavities from the said first position to the second position by rotating about an axis so as to move said cavities, in one embodiment, through 180 degrees between said first and second positions.

In one embodiment, a set of said cavities are located in a spaced configuration along a member and the cavities in the set are located along a longitudinal axis of the member.

In one embodiment, one member is provided along an axis which is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of die movement rotor. In another embodiment a plurality of said members are located along the said longitudinal axis.

Typically, a number of members are located along a. plurality of angularly offset axes and which are substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the movement rotor.

In one embodiment, said longitudinal axis of the movement rotor is the same as the axis of rotation of the movement rotor.

In one embodiment, each of the members includes a.t least one cavity located therein but more typically, includes a plurality of linearly spaced cavities.

In one embodiment, the set of cavities in a respective member, are provided of die same size, shape and volume. Alternatively, cavities in the same set may be provided of different sizes, shapes and/or volumes.

In one embodiment, a series of members are provided for use and the particular configuration of the cavities of said members, differs between the members so as to allow the selection of the members which are to be located in the rotor for a particular use of the apparatus. Typically there will be a greater number of members than there are location means on the movement rotor so that different members can be selectively used on the movement rotor so as to allow the particular volumes and/or shapes of the cavities, and hence quantity of flowablc used to fill the containers, to be selected.

It will therefore be appreciated that the apparatus is adaptable both in terms of volume of flowable material which is used to fill the containers and also, the shaping of the cavities can be selected so as to control the manner in which the containers are filled.

In one embodiment, the movement rotor is elongate with location means provided along the same and angularly offset around the periphery of the rotor so as to locate the said members. Typically the angular offset ensures that at a given time, when a first member (Jr series of members are provided ill location mea.ns at the first position, a second member or series of members are provided in location means at the second position.

In one embodiment, the location means include engagement formations which match with engagement means provided on said members so as to enable the said members to be retained in position with the rotor.

In one embodiment, the movement means includes a body in which a. housing is formed and in which housing the movement rotor and members are located for rotation. Typically, the walls of the housing act to retail' the members in position in the location means on the movement rotor.

Typically the housing includes connecting passages from the hopper and to the dispensing means.

In one embodiment, the members are introduced to, and removed from, the said location means by sliding the same in a direction along said longitudinal axis.

Typically, the hopper in which the flowable material is initially provided, can be selectively partitioned so as to allow an available quantity of the flowable material to always be available for one or a set of cavities located on the moveable means at that tune of use of the apparatus.

In one embodiment the partition means can also be used to separate different types of flowable materials which may be provided in different sections of the hoppers.

In one embodiment the apparatus can be used to fill a single row of containers simultaneously or, alternatively multiple rows of containers may be filled.

In one embodiment, the hopper partitioning may be achieved by one or more moveable portions which can be slid into the required position within the hopper so as to define sections of the hopper with specified volumes. Alternatively, the flowable material or materials may be located in a series of separate, hoppers with each hopper being provided and located so as to supply one or a set of the said cavities which may be located along a linear axis. In another embodiment the

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hoppers of the flowable material may be remote from the movement rotor and cavities and the flowable material is passed from the hopper to the cavities by connecting hoses or channels In one embodiment, downstream of the dispensing means, the container or containers which are to be filled, are located on a support surface which, in one embodiment, may be fixed or, in another embodiment, relative movement may be possible between the support surface and the dispensing means so as to allow a series of containers which are located on a holder, to be positioned, typically in a step wise manner with regard to the dispensing means so as to allow all of the said containers to be filled with a flowable material and then removed.

In one embodiment, the containers are provided in the form of a series of capsules or pods which, once filled with the flowable material are then sealed with a closure material.

In an alternative embodiment, the said containers are provided in the form of sachets and sachet forming apparatus is located downstream of the dispensing means. In one embodiment the sachets, are formed as the filling of the same with the flowable material occurs.

Typically, the rotor is located in a housing and the dimensions of the outer surface of the movement rotor and the housing walls, are such as to effectively seal the flowable material in the respective cavities as the movement rotor is moved between the first and second positions.

In one embodiment, each of the dispensing means is provided independently so that for each cavity, when at the second position, there is provided a dispensing means which receives the flowable material from the cavity which is positioned with respect to that particular dispensing means only.

Typically, the at least one hopper is provided with agitation means located in the same and which move to agitate and separate the flowable material so as to allow the same to be sufficiently flowable as to pass from the hopper and into the respective cavities of the members.

In one embodiment, the operation of the agitation means is manual but more typically is motorised and the rotation of the rotor movement means, may be manual or motorised.

In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a. stand and the stand is provided to be moveable with respect to other apparatus so as to allow the same to be selectively positioned to receive the flowable material and then dispense the same into the contaniers.

In one embodiment, the portion of the apparatus which includes the hopper and dispensnig means, is positionally adjustable with respect to the support surface and stand so as to allow the height of the same to be adjusted.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figures la-d illustrate components of the apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 2a-c illustrate one embodiment of the components of the apparatus in a configuration for use; Figures 3a-b illustrate a further embodiment of the apparatus and the configuration for use; Figures 4a-d illustrate an embodiment of the apparatus in use to dispense a flowable material; Figure 5 illustrates a further embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 illustrates the apparatus in accordance with the invention in conjunction with apparatus for forming sachet containers; Figures 7a and b illustrate the apparatus including a stand in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 8a and b illustrate the movement rotor in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 9a and b illustrate the body and housing into which the rotor of Figures 8a and 13 is located; ligures 10a-d illustrate a member with cavities in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 11a-d illustrate a. further embodiment of a member with cavities in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and Figures 12a and b illustrate side plate and pivot rod components in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figures la-d, there are illustrated the components of the apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

In Figure la, there is shown a first assembly of the apparatus in which there is provided a hopper 2 in which the flowable material is located, and an agitating device 4 is provided in the hopper to be rotated about axis 6 a.s indicated by arrows 8 so as to agitate the flowable material and keep the same sufficiently separate so as to be flowable through the outlet 10 of the hopper towards movement means including a movement rotor 12. 't he rotor 12 is moveable in a rotational manner as indicated by arrows 14 about longitudinal axis 16. In this embodiment, the movement rotor 12 is located within a housing 18 and the dinwnsions of the housing 18 and the movement rotor 12 are such that there is a close fit between the same as the movement rotor to move cavities 44 between fir. st and second positions.

The movement rotor is shown in greater detail in Figure lb and it will be seen that the same includes a series of, in this embodiment, elongate location means 20 which are angularly offset around the periphery of the outer wall 22 of the movement rotor

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12 and each of winch has an elongate 'axis substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis 16 of the movement rotor 12. In this embodiment the movement rotor 12 is shown with four spaced apart location means for receipt of members or cartridges 26 but it should be appreciated that an alternative number of location means may be provided and the choice may be made with respect to the required dosage volumes and space available on the movement rotor peripheral wall. It is also possible that a selection of differently configured movement means may be provided to be selectively used. Each of the location means are provided with walls 24 which act as engagement means to engage with one or more members 26 which can be slid into position from one or either ends of the movement means as indicated by arrows 28,30 in Figure lb. In the embodiment shown in Figures lb and c the sidewalls 32,34 of each of the members are tapered so that when in position in the respective location means 20, the same cannot move outwardly from the movement means in a direction away from the longitudinal axis 16 and so thereby support the members in position in the movement means without the need for engagement and disengagement of specific engagement fixings, which reduces assembly time and changeover time.

Referring now to Figures 8a and b, there is illustrated another embodiment of the movement rotor 12 in accordance with the invention and it will be shown that the embodiment includes the movement rotor of a desired length and with an axial channel 16 which receives therethrough a pivot rod 84 shown in Figure 12b which lies along the longitudinal axis 96 of the movement rotor. The movement rotor 12 includes, once more, a series of location means 20 spaced apart around 90° and, in this embodiment, the sidewalls 24 are provided to be substantially perpendicular to the base walls 25 of each of the location means 20.

Thus, the same locate and receive respective members 26, examples of which are shown in Figures 10a-d and 1 la-d and which are provided with respective cavities 44 located therealong which are provided with the required dimensions for the quantity of material which is to be received therein. The sidewalls 32,34 of each of the members as shown in Figures 10a-d and 11a-d are provided in this embodiment to be substantially parallel and have chamfered corners 85 so as to allow the cartridges to be received in the respective location means 20. the members 26 are then retained in their respective locations means by moving the movement rotor with the members 26 located therein, axially, along axis 16 into the housing 98 of the body shown in Figures 9a and b and the fit between the inner walls 100 of the housing and the outer wall 22 of the movement rotor 12 and the outer shaped face 92 edges of the members 26, are such that the cartridges a.nd members are retained in location in the location means 20 in the movement rotor 12 and can not move outwardly therefrom during rotation of the movement rotor 12 when within the housing, and this also acts to retain the flowable material in the cavities as the movement rotor moves the members between the first, and second position within the housing 98 of the body 106.

As shown, for example, in Figures la-d, alternative or additional engagement means may be provided to retain the cartridges or members 26 with the movement means 12 as is described now.

1,eading from the movement means, are dispensing means 36 which has an exit 38 and which are positioned with respect to a. container 40 which is to be filled with a quantity of the flowablc material. As indicated in Figure la, in this embodiment, the sequence of containers 40 are located on a conveyor system 42 so as to be moveable, typically in a stepwise manner, in the direction of arrow 43 so as to sequentially move each container to lie underneath an exit 38 of the dispensing means.

As shown in Figure lc, each of the members 26, has a set of cavities 44 located at spaced intervals therealong. Each of the cavities 44 is provided, when the members are located in the movement means, to have their opening 46 located at the periphery of the movement means and so, when in the first position 48, shown in Figure la., the cavity openings in the member 26 in one of the location means 20 of the movement member underlie the outlet 10 of the hopper so that flowable material flows from the hopper into the cavities 44 of that member to fill the same. Tt will be appreciated that all of the cavities in the set of cavities in the same member will be filled substantially simultaneously when in the first position and the movement rotor then rotates, as indicated by arrows 14, to bring the filled cavities 44 of the member 26 to the second position 50 which, in this embodiment is 180 degrees offset from the first position so as to allow the flowable material to leave the cavities 44 through the opening 46 and move into the dispensing means 36 and from the exit 38 into the underlying containers 40 to fill the same with the required quantity of material.

It will be seen from Figure lc, that the members which are provided for use with the apparatus may be varied in as much that, for example, in member 26'. the cavities 44 which are provided are of the same size as those provided in member 26 but are provided at a further spacing apart than in member 26, in members 26" and 26', the cavities 44 are of different depths in respective members and the length of the members are less than those of members 26 and 26'. In member 26'" the member is of the same length as the members 26" and 26" but the shape of the cavities 44 are different. It will therefore be appreciated that these differences, in addition to other possible alterations in depth and/or the size of the cavities, mean that when the members are selectively fitted into position on the location means 20 of the movement means, this allows the adaptation of the apparatus to allow the filling of different size of containers, different ingredients into different containers and/or different types of containers. Typically, a greater number of members will be available to be used selected to be than are locations means 20 so that adaptation of the apparatus is possible with the only requirement being to select the particular members which are to be fitted in the location means 20 at that time of use.

Turning now to I igures 2a-c, there is illustrated the apparatus in an embodiment similar to that shown in Figure 1a, and the same reference numerals are used for the same components. It is shown how the agitation means 4 can be provided as a series of bars 56 which are arranged so as to provide the maximum effect on the agitation of the flowabk material in the hopper and the same can be driven as indicated by arrow 49 by a motor.

It is also shown in Figure 2c that the members selected to be located with the movement means 12 are the members 26' so that, in this embodiment, there are provided six cavities in the set on each member. It is also illustrated in Figure 2c that each of the cavities 44, when the member has reached the second position 50, empties the flowable material held therein, into an independent dispensing means 36, each of which has an exit 38, which is positioned above the particular open container 40 into which the flowable material is to be provided. Thus a row of cavities 44 are filled simultaneously and independently and it should be appreciated that the number of cavities in a row On a member 26 may alter and is dependent upon the particular selection of member or members, and the configuration of cavities on the selected members.

Referring now to Figures 3a and b, a further embodiment is illustrated and in this case, the apparatus includes a partition 52 which is selectively positioned in the hopper so as to create two hopper portions 2, 2' and, in this embodiment, a first type of flowable material can be positioned in hopper 2 and another flowable material positioned in hopper 2'. Furthermore, agitation means 4,4' are provided so as to operate in respective portions of the hopper and, furthermore, two smaller length members 26" and 26" are selectively positioned at each location means 20 on the movement means 12 and, as shown, the cavities of the member 26", have a reduced depth with respect to the cavities of the member 26", so that the containers which are filled via the dispensing means 36 will be filled with a smaller amount of the flowable material and with a different flowable material than those containers 40' which are filled from the dispensing means 36' and hopper portion 2'.

Figures 4a-d illustrates the sequence of operation of the apparatus in accordance with one embodiment and illustrates a flowable material 54 in position in the hopper 2 and in Figure 4a, the flowable material enters the cavities 44 of a member 26 which is located in the first position 48. the movement means 12 is then rotorted as indicated by arrows 14 to bring the member 26 to a 90 degrees offset position as shown in Figure 41i and the next set of cavities of the member 26 now at the first position 48 are filled Further movement of the movement means 12 in the direction of arrows 14 moves the member 26 towards the second position 150 and leaves the housing 18 and so allow the flowable material 54 to start to leave the cavities 44 of the member 26 as illustrated by arrow 58 in Figure 4c and hence enter the dispensing means 36 and exit the dispensing means exit 38 to start to fill the open container 40.

Further rotortion of the movement means then moves the member 26 back into a seal with the housthg 18 with the said container 40 having being filled with the flowable material 54 and is moved away from the exit 38 of the dispensing means 36 as indicated by arrow 43 and so the process is then repeated for each member and cavities therein as the movement of the rotortion means 12 occurs.

It will therefore be appreciated that there is a synchronised movement of the containers 40 which are to be filled in conjunction with the speed of movement of the movement means 12 so as to ensure that an empty container 40 is always positioned under the exit 38 when the flowable material starts to enter the dispensing means from a cavity 44 at the second position 50.

Figure 3 illustrates a further arrangement of the apparatus in which there is provided a flowable material 54 in the hopper 2 and two side-by-side agitation means 4 are provided which supply, respectively, outlets 10 which respectively lead to first and second movement means 12 which, are operated simultaneously, with respective members 26 located therewith so as to supply two dispensing means 36 simultaneously and thereby allow flowable material to leave respective exits 38 and fill two containers 40 simultaneously in two different rows. In this embodiment two side by side dosage units are effectively provided for selectively filling containers with different ingredients and/or different quantities of ingredients and again it should be appreciated that a greater number of side by side dosage units may be provided.

Figure 6 illustrates the apparatus in a similar form to that shown in, for example, Figure la, and in this embodiment the apparatus is used in conjunction with one possible form of sachet forming apparatus 60 which, in this embodiment, includes two supplies of sachet laminated film 62,64 which are supplied simultaneously, as indicated by arrows 66, to a location 68 adjacent and underneath the exit 38 of the dispensing means 36 so that the flowable material 54 from the cavity moves as before, as indicated by arrow 70 to lie between the films 62, 64 and then be located within the sachet at the location 72 and subsequently is sealed within the sachet by the movement of the upper and lower sachet edge sealer 74 so as to form the sealed sachet 76. It should be appreciated that the apparatus in accordance wit the invention can also be used in conjunction with other embodiments of sachet forming apparatus and techniques.

Figures 7a and 7b illustrate the apparatus provided as part of a stand 78 which, in this embodiment is provided with wheels 80 to allow the apparatus to be moved to and from an appropriate location on a packaging and/or a filling line and also to allow the location of the dispensing means exits 38 to be located at the respective height with regard to the support surface on which the containers are provided or the sa.chets a.re formed by means of the adjustable height as indicated by arrows 82.

There is therefore provided apparatus which can be used in a number of different locations and with different container forms and which is adaptable between the particular uses in an efficient manner.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention is therefore adaptable in terms of its potential uses and can be rendered suitable for both high and low volume production processes and, as a result is attractive for use by small and large business operations alike. Furthermore, the adaptation can be performed relatively quickly and efficiently with only a minimum number of parts being required to be changed.

Typically, a rotor rod 84 is engaged through the movement rotor 12 and locates with first and second side plates 86 at opposing ends 88,90 of the rotor rod so as to form support for location of the movement 12 rotor.

Claims

Claims 1 Apparatus for the filling of one or more containers with a flowable material, said apparatus including, at least one hopper in which a quantity of flowable material is located, dispensing means including one (Jr more cavities located downstream of one or more outlets of said hopper to receive therein, respectively, a quantity of the flowable material and wherein rotatable movement means are provided to move said cavities between a first position in which the same receive the flowable material and a second positicm at which the flowable material and a second position at which the flowable material is dispensed from said cavities into respective containers.
2 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the dispensation of the flowable material into a plurality of said containers from a plurality of said cavities occurs siinultmeouslv.
3 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said movement means includes a movement rotor located in a housing of a. body.
4 Apparatus according to any of the precechng claims wherein the movement means allows the movement of sets of said cavities from the said first position to the second position by rotation about an axis.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the said cavities are moved from the said first position to the second position through 1800.
6 Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a said set of said cavities are located in a spaced configuration along a member.
7 Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said set of said cavities are spaced along an axis which is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the movement rotor.
8 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein a. plurality of sa. d members are located along a location means of said movement rotor.
9 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claians wherein the movement rotor includes a number of location means for respective members and are located along angularly offset axes which are substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the movement rotor.
Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the said longitudinal axis of the movement rotor is the same as the axis of rotation of the movement rotor.
11 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein each of the cavities in a respective member is provided of the same size, shape and volume.
12 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein a series of members are provided for use with the apparatus and the configuration of cavities in respective members, differs between the members so as to allow the user selection of a member or members which are to be located in the movement rotor so as to configure the movement rotor for a particular use of the apparatus.
13 Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein there are a greater number of members available for selection than there are location means so that different members can be selectively used on the movement rotor so as to allow the particular volumes and/or shapes of cavities and the quantities of flowable material used to fill the containers to be selected.
14 Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the angular offset of the location means ensures that when a first member or series of members are provided at the first position, a second member or series of members are provided at the second position.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the location means include engagement formations which match with engagement formations provided on said members so as to enable the said members to be retained in the location means.
16 Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the engagement formations are in the form of side walls of the location means which diverge towards an opening at the outer surface of the movement rotor.
17 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the walls of said housing act to retain the members in position in the location means when the movement rotor is located in the housing.
18 Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the members are introduced to and removed from the said location means by sliding the same in a direction along the said longitudinal axis of the movement rotor.
19 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the hopper in which the flowable material is provided is selectively partitioned.
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein downstream of the dispensing means, the one or more containers which are to be filled are located on a support surface and relative movement is possible between the said containers and the dispensing means so as to allow a series of containers which are located on a holder to be positioned with regard to the dispensing means so as to allow the said containers to be filled with the flowable material and then moved.
21 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the containers are in the form of any of capsules, pods or sachets which, are open during filling with the flowable material and are then sealed.
22 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein when the movement rotor is located in the housing the dimensions of the outer walls of the movement rotor and the walls of the housing walls substantially seal the flowable material in the respective cavities as the movement rotor moves between said first and second positions.
23 A method of filling a plurality of containers with a flowable material. said method comprising the steps of providing a hopper in which a quantity of the flowable material is available locating dispensing means intermediate the said hopper and said containers, said dispensing means including one or more members which are selectively positionable with a movement rotor each of said members including one or more cavities therein having the required dimension to allow the dispensing of the desired quantity of flowable material into one or more containers and locating said members with said movement rotor at spaced, angularly offset location means to allow the movement means to move the members and cavities and cavities therein from a first position in which the flowable material enters the cavities from the hopper and a second position angularly offset from the first position, which allows the said flowable material to be dispensed into said respective containers.