US1772933A - Method of treating the contents of containers - Google Patents

Description

W. B. FENN Aug. I2, 1930.

METHOD OF TREATING THE CONTENTS OF CONTAINERS Original Filed Feb. 15, 1927 Patented Aug. 12, 1930 ITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE WILLIAM B. FENN, OF PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MARGARET FENN, 0F PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK METHOD OF TREATING THE CONTENTS OF CONTAINERS Original application filed February 15, 1927, Serial No. 188,310. Divided and this application flied December 22, 1928.

This invention relates broadly to a novel method of vacuumizing, sterilizing and sealing containers.

The general object of this invenaion is the provision of a method of vacuumizing, sterilizing and sealing containers holding perishable products.

These and other objects are successfully obteined by means of this invention.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 168,310, filed February 15, 1927 for Method and means of sealing containers.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, arrangement, location and relative arrangement of parts and steps of procedure as will appear from the following disclosure.

Referring to the drawings there is shown 1n-- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a container provided with the valve of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3'is a bottom plan view of the cover for the container showing the bottom of the valve;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the valve disc; and

F ig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the modern methods of vacuumizing,

sterilizing and sealing containers the two main requisites are speed of operation and uniformity of product. Many methods have been devised for carrying out these operations but none of them are particularly adapted to meet the rapid production requirements of the present date. It is, therefore, one of the purposes of this invention to provlde a valve structure for containers that permits of a high rate of production in canning procedure. I have found that by use of containers equipped with valves of the type about to be described by me that a suitably constructed machine will thoroughly and completely vacuumize, sterilize and seal cans or other containers at the rate of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty per minute.

Serial at. 327,788.

Referring to the drawings, the container is shown at 14. This container may be of the usual metallic type or any other type as, for

center of this closure is shown a raised cylindrical portion which is depressed into a plane disc-like center at 4 to'provide an annular pocket 3. An opening 5 is provided in the center of the plane surface 4 and is preferably circular. It will be noticed that at the base of the projection the diameter is slightly less than the diameter of the remaining portion and serves to hold therein a valve disc shown generally at 10. This disc consists of a central fiat portion 6 having a raised circular hump 7 and having its edges curved as at 8. The edges are scalloped or notched as shown at 9. A suitable sealing compound is placed within the pocket at 3, as shown at 11, and serves to form an air and liquid-tight joint as will appear shortly. To seal the container it is necessary to force the valve rigidly against the plane surface 4. so that the hump 7 projects through the opening 5. To do this suitable clamping devices force the base portion of the projection 3 at the point where it runs into the closure body itself, as shown at 12, radially inwardly so that the valve disc looking at Fig. 2 is firmly forced against the can top so as to seat firmly in the sealing compound 3. A suitable clamping device would consist, for instance, of a plurality of arcuate jaws which, when finally forced together radially to form the ba'se of the projection in its final shape, would form a complete circle This container has been particularly devised to aid in carrying out a process developed by me which I will now describe and which is essential to get rapid production. The containers after they have been filled with the product to be sealed therein are fed to a machine having a suitable resilient seat therein to receive the raised portions of the container top which forms a valve. It may be pointed out here that before the containers are sealed that the valve 6 merely fits loosely in the projection and is held there by reason of the fact that the base portion of the projection is of slightly less diameter than the valve disc. The introduction of the container into this machine provides an airtight connection between the topof the raised portion of the container and a conduit which connects to the vacuumizing device. At the same the container is completely vacuumized the whole structure including the container is rotated through 180 so as to invert the container. Steam is then immediately fed to the interior of the container through the same conduit as before. This inversion of the container is one of the essential features of my method which permits a high rate of production. I have found that the steam quickly and rapidly travels to every portion of the container to carry out this sterilizing and other functions in a minimum period of time. As soon as the sterilizing operation is completed the clamping jaws which have served to both hold the container on the seat of the machine and to aid in its inversion are forced inwardly radially to further reduce the diameter of the raised portion at 12 was to simultaneously close the container and seal it by embedding the valve'disc in the sealing compound. The sealing compound serves to stop up all openings, especially the notches on the periphery of the valve disc. Instead of steam I can, of course, use any desired heated medium as water, air, or other gases, or syrups.

It will apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a novel form of container and method of treating the same which is relatively simple in construction and which permits of rapid and accurate processing.

I am well aware that many changes in the details of construction relative to the arrangement of parts and association of steps will readilyoccur to those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of my invention and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to theparticular features pointed out by me for illustrative purposes, but rather to the spirlt and scope of the invention as defined. l'nthe appended claims;

medium to the interior of said can and sealing I thevalve.

2. The method of treating containers and their contents comprising vacuumizing a container, inverting the container, treating the container with a heated fluid under pressure and simultaneously closing and seahng said container.

3. The method of vacuumizing containers havin a valve therein which comprises h'olding said valve open, removing the gases therefrom, inverting the can, supplying a heating medium to the interior of said can and simultaneously closin and sealing said valve.

4. The metho of treating perishable products within containers comprising the steps of removing the gases therefrom, inverting the container, supplyin a heated gaseous medium to the interior 0 said container and simultaneously closing and sealing the container.

5. In the method of vacuumizing containers having a valve therein the steps of bolding said valve open, removing the gases therefrom, Suppl ing a heated gaseous medium to the interior thereof, and simultaneously closing and sealing the valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 21st day of December A. D.,

WILLIAM B. FENN.

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