US1115248A - Pasteurizing apparatus for liquids in bottles. - Google Patents

Description

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PASTEURIZING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY'ZZ, 1914,

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Patented 001; 2'7,

3 'SHEETSSHEET l.

wi'wwooao 0. B. SGHIER. PASTEUBIZING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1 914,

1 1 1 5,,Q4i8 Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0. B. SGHIER. PASTEURIZING APEA -R'ATUS FOR LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1914,

Patented 0011.27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET S.

OSCAQBI B. SGHIEE, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

PASTEUEKIZING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES.

mime is.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied 53ft. 19M.

liatemted idiot, 2'2, Serial No. arouse.

To all "whom it may concern Be it known that I, OsoAu B. SCHIER, a

citizen of the United States residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Pasteurizing Apparatus for Liquids in Bottles; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had. to the ac companying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the fingers and letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention relates to apparatus for pasteurizing beverages and food products, and particularly such products are held in bottles or similar containers.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of compact formand small dimensions having a very large capacity and requiring but a small volume of heated liquid for the pastcurizing operation.

A further object is to provide a pasteuria ing apparatus'with which bottled goods may be pasteurized without liability of recontamination and with which goods in bottles having closures o'l' a destructiblc character, such, for example, as the ordinary fiber disks commonly used in milk bottles may be successfully pasteurized without destroying the elliciency of the closures, impairing their usefulness as closures, or subjecting their outer surface to the action of the pasteuri2-' ing liquid.

The lUlLIl'lJlOl] consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter described and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a more or less diagrammatic character of an. appara tus embodying the present improvements; Fig. 2 is a. detail sectional elevation on an enlarged scale through two of the pasteiui ing tanks with the farrier frames in position therein. Fig. 3 is a detail partial section in a plane at right angles to Fig. 2. showing one side of the carrier frame and tank with a section of one of the couv'eyer chains. Fig.4 is a section substantially cor responding to the section of Fig. 3, showing the arrangement adopted for holding bottles or containers of different size or height.

link for cooperation with the carrier frames. Fig. 5 is an elevation showirfg the mechanism for advancing the carrying frames in the tanks from one end to the other. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of one of the carrying frames showing the seats in cross section.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The apparatus adopted for illustrating the present invention is one primarily designed for pasteurizing milk, although it Will be understood that it is. competent for -use in pasteurizing any beverages or food stalls held in containers of a Water proof character. The entire operation or pasteurizing may be carried on with the apparatus illustrated by placing the cold milk in the raw state in the bottles hot or cold, and passing them through tanks filled with a pasteurizing liquid, preferably water of successive degrees of temperature, ranging from that of the temperature of the milk or bottles up to the highest temperature of pasteurization, approximately one hundred hot pasteuriting liquid is discharged from the pastcurizmg apparatus and embodies a bank or series of pipes vertically superposed, and over the outside of which the cold raw milk flows, whereby the heat units of the pastcurizing liquid raise the ten'uwrature oil theraiv milk, and in exchange the pasteuriz ing liquid by the raw milk cooled, so that the raw milk reaches a temperature approximating that temperature at which the pasproximating the temperature at which the teurizingliquid enters the regenerative apparatus, and the pasteurizing liquid reaches a temperature approximating the temperature at which the raw milk enters the pastcurizing' ap aruiup, at which time the pastcurizingr liquid is then I discharged from the regenerative apparatus and a modified arrangement of the conveyor l back to the pasteuriting apparatus, entering at an appropriate point to begin again the cycle of pasteurization. By this con tinuous process the heat energy is materially conserved and the cooling cost of operation reduced. In the apparatus illustrated, the heated milk is placed in the bottles or containers by a suitable filling apparatus and the closures applied, the bottles having been placed in boxes for convenience in handling when they are ready for treatment in the apparatus.

Generally stated, the apparatus embodies a series of horizontally arranged tanks located one above the other, spaced apart only a suii icient distance to admit of the transfer of the carrying frames from one tank to the other and at the ends extending alternately beyond each other in opposite directions to permit of the convenient transfer of the carrying frames, there being a circulating system for conveying the pasteurizing liquid from one tank to another, and for maintaining the proper water level in all of the' tanks. The carrying frames in which the boxes of bottles are placed are adapted to travel through the tanks on suitable tracks or ways, being advanced by feeding mechanism operating on the last carrying frame placed in the tank, thus dispensing entirely with the necessity of employing conyey'ers cooperating "with each individual carrying frame, while in the tanks.

- vcyers are provided at the ends of thetanks for transferring the carrying frames from one tank to the other and froni the top to the bottom of a series of tanks, the order. of operation preferably employed being to place the carrying frames having the boxes of filled bottles in. one end of the lowermost tank, push them forwardly successively to the opposite end of the lowermost tank, then transfer them successively to the next higher tank, and so on through the whole series of tanks, the upper tanks being maintained at a low temperature while the lower tanks are maintained at a high temperature, whereby the heating and cooling operations will'be g lual, but as rapid as the character of the containers will permit. The milk is sub jected to a pasteurizing temperature for a period long enough to insure the destruction of pathogenic or other bacteria which can be destroyed by a single heating operation.

The series of'tankshereinbefore referred to are indicated in Figs. 1 and 53 of the accompanying drawings by the letters A, A, A The lowermost tank A is of greater length than tanks A and A and the tanks A and A are positioned to extend alter natcly beyond each other at opposite ends. All of the tanks are preferably formed of sheet metal of suitable gage and at their upper edges they are reinforced by angle irons a, adapted to form tracks or ways ex- Elevating conmovable oi;

tending longitudinally of the tanks throughout their entire length. The circulation of water through the tanks and from one takn to the other is preferably accomplished by connecting pipes B. Which at their lower ends communicate directly'with one end of the 76 tank and at their upper pnds communicate with compartments in the end -of the tank formed by partitions C aud'theend Wall of the tank, the upper edges of which are at the proper height to maintain the Water level in the tanks at a proper height to submerge the receptacles or containers to Within a fraction of an inch below the mouth of the containers, and so as not to cause their complete submergcnce, as will hereinafter appear. The pipes B through which the water is circulated dowi'n'ardly through the series of tanks connect the tanks at opposite ends alternately; thus the water is caused to flow through each tank in succession from one end to the other.

The carrying frames in which the boxes or bottles are placed are formed by end frames 1) connected by cross rods (4', (Z at the topand at the bottom by slats a of invered V-shape with the sides at an angle of I about The carriers thus formed are of generally rectangular shape and will fit within the tanks with a fair degree, of accuracy, being supported therein by rollers D at each end, prefe ably journaled on the center .c'ross rod (Z and adapted to travel on thoways formed by the angle iron edges of the tanks. The top edges of the end frames D are inclined, preferably in both direc- 1 0 tions from the center and stationary, re-

movable covers E arc-provided therefor, which will overlie and protect all of the bottles held in the frame from any drippings or liquid which may fall. from carriers above, and the covers are preferably provided with edge gutters for corn ducting any liquid which may fall on the covers off to one end of the carryrug frames, where it can flow into the tank with the least possible liability of being splashed intp the mouths of the bottles within the frame.

At each end the carryiug frames are pro? vided with projecting ears D such ears being extended laterally beyond the carrying rollers l) and beyond the tracks formed by the angle iron edges of the tankf 'ihese ears or brackets D'- form handles by which the carrying fran'ies are lifted and transported by the conveyors to be presently described.

The construction of carrying frames described will permit of the frames being positioncd close together in the tanks whereby they will occupy the minimum longitudinal space and at the same time they may be advanced by pressure applied to the cud of a line of carrying frames held in the tank and any one of them may be withdrawn u 'iwardly without catching or interfering nuance with the adjacent frames or sides of the tank, inasmuch as there are noproject-ions which will interfere with each other.

For lifting the carrier frames from one tank to another and depositing them in position for traveling in the tanks, conveyors are provided which are conveniently in the form of sprocket chains 1*", arranged on each side of each end of the tanks, and adapted to travel over and be guided by guiding sheaves and sprocket wheels and f, whereby each vertical reach of the chains will extend from a lower to a higher tank, the upwardly moving reach passing from the projecting end of the lower tank to a point above the upper tank, thence horizontally over the end ofthe upper tank and thence downwardly. At suitable intervals on the sprocket chains and projecting inwardly or toward the opposite 'chain of the pair constituting each conveyer, are a series of projections F adapted to engage the lugs or brackets D on the carrier frames. The projections F may conveniently take the form of knobs or knob-shaped rollers, as shown in Fig. 3, which will seat in the under side of the brackets D and be retained therein by the downwardly extending lips d of the brackets, so that the carrier frames will be suspended from the pr jections during their transference from one tank to the other, and

the projections will automatically move downwardly. out of engagement with the said brackets when the carrying frame has been deposited in the upper tank. I

It will be understood that there is one of the conveyors such as just described, extending'from one end of each lower tank to the corresponding end of the next higher tank, the arrangement of conveyers being at opposite ends of the succeeding tanks, whereby carrying frames deposited in one end of the tank, must be pushed along to the opposite end before they are in position for cooperation with the elevating conveyor for carrying them to the next higher tank. The carrying frames are thus caused to follow a path back and forth across the apparatus as they progress upwardly.

Motion may be imparted to the several conveyers by any suitable driving mechanism, not shown, and this driving mechanism may be intermittent in its action or continuous, in which latter case the projections F are spaced apart a'proper distance to permit the carrying frames to reach the proper positions for cooperation therewith on the elevating side before a projection F arrives at the, point where it will engage the brackets on the ends of the carrying frames. in order that the timing may be easily and properly coiirdinated, the carrying frames are progressed through the tanks with an intermittent movement preferably through a driving mechanism operated by one of the sprocket wheels 7 which is in mesh with the elevating conveyor. I

A convenient arrangement of mechanism for moving the carrying frames through the tanks is shown in Fig. 5 and consists of a crank G connected with the sprocket wheel 7" and adapted to operate a pull rod g extending to the opposite end of the tank and provided with a spring-pressed dog 9' which will automatically engage successive carrying frames and draw the same forwardly, thereby advancing the whole line of carrying frames located in the tank. Conveniently, the dog 9 will cooperate with projections on the ends of the carrying frames, such, for example, as the projecting ends of the cross rods 45.

The complete and orderly handling of the carrying frames mechanically or with the least possible manual labor requires that means he provided whereby they may all be brought back to a given starting point where the boxes of filled and capped bottles to be pasteurized are placed therein, and ,while,u1r der some circumstance, it may be more convenient to remove the boxes of bottles from the carrying frames at another point, still, with the apparatus illustrated, the removal of the boxes containing the bottles of pasteurized i'nilk and the insertion of new boxes of bottles to-be pasteurized may be conveniently performed at one point, and to accomplish either or both of the results stated, it is preferred to arrange long verticallyextending conveyors at opposite ends of the pasteurizing apparatus, one of said conveyers,-that indicated by the reference letter H,at its.

upper end being deflect-ed over guiding sheaves t, so as to cooperate with and lift the carrying frames from the end of the uppermost tank and then convey them downwardly through a suitable doorway or open ing in the floor or platform I (where the bottles are placed in position therein, and

thence over and down into the end of the lowermost tank A.

As hereinbefore stated, in the practical operation of the apparatus, it is preferred that the milk shall be preliminarily heated in bulk, and in order to avoid any cooling during the time the milk is being transferred from the filling and capping station to the lowermost tank, and if desired to supply additional heat to the bottles, the carrying frames held by the conveyor L are adapted to pass into a hot air chamber M in the form of a stack with walls of heat insulating material, said stack having .a

tanks preferably being graduated 'up to the the end. of the lower tank L frames are conducted up into the hood NI.-

controlling devices R, whereby certain of J to the highest degree, that is to say, it should. 25'

" the temperature of the topmost tank is about curved cover or hood M and terminating at the lower end at a mint immediatel over 'lne carrv ng and thence down through the chamber )1 whereby their heat is c nserved, and if de sired additional heat is supplied by ruling the temperature of the chamber, and for this purpose heating pipes N may be arranged therein in any ordinary way.

The temperature of the pasteurizing liquid in the several tanks is maintained by any suitable heating apparatus, such,,for example, as steam or heating coils, arri'inged in or closely around the tanks, or steam pipes R arranged to discharge into the tanks, such heating apparatus for the several tanks is independently controllable as by ordinary the tanks may be kept hot and others at. successively lower temperatures, it being the design of the particular apparatus illustrated to have the lowermost tank .V heated be heated to approximately l lh F., while 40, the temperature of the intermediate highest temperature. If desired more than one of the lower tanks may be kept at the highest temperature, in order to provide an adequatelnilding of the milk at the destructive temperature.

The arrangement oi-- the tanks is such that a continuous proce :ion of closely arranged carrying frames will be passing through the apparatus at all. lllYXOS, there being. no opportunity for lost space, except at the points where the eonveycrs transfer the carrying frames from one tank to another. This result would be impossible. of attainment, were the carrying frames conveyed through the tanks by the same conveyers which tr: is'l'cr them from one level to another. inzu-rmnch as the minimum spacing would lmvoto hc the spacing required during the transfer stages, and the transfer can only he ell'cctcd when the carrying frames are spaced a considerable distance apart, inasnnn-h as the direction of movement must be changed, and 1 mcc allowed to prevent inll'l'fOl'QTlfl.

From Fig. 3 it will be seen that the knoblike projection I which cooperates with, the bracket D is mounted on one of the pintles forming the joint between adjacent links of the conveyer, but it is obvious that this specific construction may be Varied, and g in Fig. -.la constriwtion is shown in which the projection F i mounted on an armrpro jecting from an intern'iediate point on one of the links F". Obviously, either arrangement may be. employed and other arrangcments a ill suggest themselves to those skillet} in the art.

From Fig. 4 it will also be noted that the terent depths. The boxes Q are of full depth and adapted for the reception of large sized bottles, while the box Q is of less depth a nd adapted for the reception of smallL-r sized bottles. Both boxes are supported on the inverted V-shaped cross slats a of the carrying frames and are preferably bottomless, but provided with cross pieces of rolls f/ on which the bottles rest, thereby giving free access to the pasteurizing liquid or water contained in the tanks for controlling the temperature of the contents of the. bottles.

Where boxes of different heights, as shown in Q and Q, are passing through the tanks at the same time, it is, of course, necessary that the box of shallower depth, Q, should have supporting legs or slats for preserv-- ing the proper height of the bottle within the tanks, for it is desired in this apparatus to advance the bottles through the tanks with their upper ends or mouths just above the water level and in such position that no water can reach the disks used for closing the bottles.

By providing the boxes with open'bottoms the pasteurizing liquids will have access to the bottles therein contained, and by providing the inverted V shaped slats (Z in the carrying frames a slight upward motion will be given to the pasteurizing liquid surrounding the bottles while the carrying frames are being advanced through the tanks. This motion, however,- will not be sufficient to create waves or-eddies, which would cause the pasteurizing liquid to rise or splash over the mouths of the bottles and wet the disks forming the closuresthereof, resulting in a recontaminat-ion of the milk or other liquid being pasteurized. i

The tanks which are maintained the uniform. highest temperature, for example, the two lower tanks, do not require an active circulation of water such as is desirable withthe upper tanks where the temperature of the milk is being reduced, and hence the water may be drawn from one of the first temperaturereducing tanks through a pipe 19 to an overflow tank 16. From tank 16 the hot Water is pumped through pipe 17 to the regenerator coils a from which it passes after being cooled as aforedescribed to one of the'upperv tanks A. The toptank is preferably artificially cooled to bring the milk down to the temperature at which it may be most successfully preserved.

For preliminarily heating the milk in bulk hit is preferably discharged from the storage misses chine 12, Where the hot bottles in the boxes are filled with hot milk and transferred over the slide-Way 13, to the conveyer-L by which they are carried to the'lower tank A all as heretofore described.

Having thus described my invention, what bmation with a series of superposed pass I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettors Patent is,-

1. In a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination with a series of superposed pasteurizing tanks, of a series of independent carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized, coiiperating Ways and supporting rollers on the carrying tanks and frames, respectively, transfer mechanism for transferring the carrying frames from one tank to another tank at a different level separable cooperating devices on the transfer mechanism and carrying frames, whereby the carrying frames are detached from the transfermechanism When deposited in a tank, andmeans for advancing the carrying frames through the tanks in immediate proximity to each other, substantially as described.

2. In a pasteurizing apparatus, the com bination with a series of superposed pasteurizing tanks, each having Ways extending longitudinally thereof, a series of independent carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized having supports thereon cotipen' atlng with sald ays, and means for advancing the carrying frames longitudinally of the tanks 1 close proximity to each other and with an intermittent movement, of

transfer mechanism for transferring the carrying frames from one tank to another at different level, and spaced engaging members on the transfer mechanism, whereby, during the transfer stage the carrying frames will be spaced from each other, substantially as described.

In a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination with a series of superposed pasteur izing tanks arranged to extend alternately beyond each other at opposite ends, carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized and means for guiding said carrying frames longitudinally of the tanks, of means for trans ferring the carrying frames from one tankto another at a different level, said. transfer mechanism operating vertically with relation to the nojecti-ng ends of the tanks, and means for advancing the carrying frames longitudinally of the tanks with an intermittent movement.

l. in a pasteurizing apparatus. the (our bination with a series of superposed per-tour izing tanks arranged with their (Eds projecting alternately in opposite directions, and a series of carrying frames for the goods to'be pasteurized, of means for guiding the carrying frames longitudinally ofthe tanks and for advai'u'ting the carrying frames while in the tanks, and transfer mechanism embodying conveyors movable vertically from tank may be deposited in the end of the next adjacent tank at a different level.

5. In a pasteurizing apparatus, the come teurizing tanks having Ways extending iongitudinally thereof, a series of independent carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized having supports traveling on said Ways, means for advancing the carrying frames longitudinally of the tanks, and means for transferring the carrying frames from each tank to the next succeeding tank at a different level, of c'onveyers extending vertically at the ends of the series of tanks and adapted to transfer the carrying frames to and from the bottom and top tanks of the series, to and from the pointswhere the goods are deposited and removed from the carrying frame. i

6. In a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination with a series of superposed pasteurizing tanks having longitudinal Ways at their upper edges, a series of carrying frames having supporting rollers traveling on said Ways, means for-advancing the carrying frames through the tanks, and means for transferring the carrying frames from one tank to another at different levels, of a liquid circulating system embodying pipes loading from the lower tanks to the next succeeding tank at a higher level, and a diaphragm forming a chamber in the end of each tank with which the circulating pipe communicates, the upper edges of each diaphragm forming the edge over which the discharge from the tank takes place, whereby the Water level in the tanks may be maintained at a uniform height. I

7. In a nsteurizing apparatus, the combination. with a series of superposed pasteurizing tanks, a series of carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized, means for transferring the carrying frames from one tank to another at a different level and means for advancing the frames longitudinally of the tanks, of a vertically arranged con'veyer at one end of the series of tanks for transferring the carrying frames from the filling point to the first tank of the scrics, and a heat chamber tl'irough which said vertically arranged conveyer passes to the first tank of the series.

8. Tu a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination with a series of superposed pasteurizing tanks. :1 series of carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized, guides extanks to the other, conveyers arranged at opposite ends of adjacent tanks for transferrinpj' the carrying frames from one tank to the next tank of the series at'a different level, said conveyers embodying, sprocket chains having spaced projections thereon and cooperating brackets on the carrying frames with which said projections'engage for lifting the carrying frames out of one tank and depositing said frames in the next succeeding tank.

9. In a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination With a pasteurizing tank, of a series of carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized, each embodying end frames having brackets projecting therefrom and transfer 'fnechanism' embodying vertically arranged sprocket chains having oppositely extendin projections for cooperation With the bracliets projecting at the ends of the frames.

10. In a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination with a series of superposed pastenrizing tanks, means for advancing carrying frames longitudinally of said tanks, and means for transferring carrying frames from one tank to another at a difierent level, of carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized, and covers extending over each of said carrying frames for protecting the goods contained therein from the drippings from tanks and frames above the same.

11 In a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination with a series of superposed pasteurizing tanks, means for advancing the carrying frames longitudinally of said tanks, and conveyers for transferring said carrying frames from a tank at one level to a tank at a difierent level, of carrying frames for the goods to be pasteurized, and covers for said carrying frames having edge gutters for conducting drippings laterally for discharge into the tanks.

12. In a pasteurizing apparatus, the combination With a pasteurizing tank and carrying frames for the bottles to be pasteurized, of boxes in which the bottles are mounted, having open tops, closed sides, and openings at the bottom with inclined slats for directing an upward current into the boxes to thereby effect a circulation of the liquid around the bottles.

' OSCAR B. SCHIER.

\Vitnesses:

C. M. Sijrrrxc, GRAN SANENVIM, Jr.

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