US2014750A - Apparatus for sterilizing containers - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1935. STEGEMANN 2,014,750

vAPPARATUS FOR STERILIZING CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 29, 1932 3'Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 17, 1935. F. STEGEMANN 2,014,750

APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 29, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 34 3 4, a, v D 4 4'1 18 31 19 27 5 33' 21 l u- 2 12, r 15 Filed Dec. 29, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 K14 If Patented Sept. 17, 1935' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ArrARA'rUs roa srnamzmc CONTAINERS Application December 29, 1932, Serial No. 649,386 In Germany February 10, 1932 9 Claims.

The filling of bottles with liquid and subsequently the closing of the same by means of individual machines which however are interconnected by means of a conveyor arrangement so that an associated automatic or semi-automatic aggregate is obtained, is known. Nevertheless in the aggregates so formed the bottles are filled without attention being given to the sterile mode of operation.

According to the method constituting the subject of the present invention the aggregate known per se is to be used for the sterile filling and sterile closing of bottles with corresponding individual machines converted for sterile operation and if necessary also a conveyor arrangement adapted for ensuring the maintenance of the sterile condition. As with the present state of the art, the bottles coming from the cleaning machine are not sterile. According to the present process an automatic or semi-automatic sterilizer is provided in front of the filling machine in association with the conveyor or incorporated with the conveyor arrangement between the cleaning machine. and the filling machine. In carrying out the process, this sterilizer may be the last station of the cleaning machine or the first preliminary treating station of the filling machine or the bottles on the conveyor arrangement between the cleaning machine and the filling machine may be subjected to the sterilization by an auxiliary sterilizing apparatus during the conveyance on the conveyor arrangement. In.- .order to carry out the sterile treatment of the bottles up to the closure of'the same, in further development of the method, the filler associated with the aggregate and subsequently the closure machine are also constructed for sterile opera.- tion. A further improvement of the aggregate is afforded in that parts of the conveyor arbe applied on a large scale. Material advantages are thereby aiiorded to large branches of industry. Thus for example in the manufacture of beverages from fresh fruit juices it is made possible to fill the fruit or grape juices free from bacteria into bottles, unfermented and sterile. Here the sterile operation is of greatest importanceasotherwise in the case of a treatment which is not free from bacteria, the juices ferment 6- whereas with perfect sterile filling they last without limit. Hitherto the filling of these juices on a. large scale has not been possible in the absence of suitable machines and thus the turnover of this beverage which is important from the point 10 of view of economics has been small. Alsothe present process affords important possibilities to the brewery, thereby altering fundamentally the handling of bottled beer. Hitherto the beer has been rendered sterile by heating in the bottles for attaining the property of keeping for protracted periods (export beer) In this way important nutriment materials were destroyed and thefiavour of the beverage was altered in an unfavourable manner. Since a recent filtration method makes it possible to sterilize the beer in the cold, the large scale industry has lacked suit-.

able arrangements for filling the beer ,in a sterile manner into sterile bottles.

The present process also renders this possible. However not only beverages but all other liquids which have to be filled into vessels in a-sterile manner can be handled with the plant according to the present process.

The process of sterilization of the vessels is carried out in such manner that the vessels are continuously sterilized and the sterilization me-, dium is completely removed from the vessel after a'more or less long period of operation. In particular a gas is used. for sterilization and after its action on the inner walls of the bottle'ls driven out by another gas which is neutral and .is free from bacterial. The bottles pass through as their motion or in the opposite direction.

If sulphurous acid or the like is used as sterilization agent then either moist air can be added for attaining a. better effect or else, and this appears more simple, the sulphurous acid is passed directly through water. Thereby the sulphurous 0 acid vapours carry water particles along with them or take up water vapour and thus convey withthem into the vessel to be treated the moisture which is requisite for sterilization.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a complete cleaning, sterilizing, filling and closure applying aggregate with automatic charging of the cleaning machine and with circular sterilizer and Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically an equivalent aggregate with semi-automatic cleaning machineand longitudinally extending sterilizer. Figs. 3 to '7 show arrangements for sterilizing the vessels or bottles. Fig. 3 is a section through an embodiment of the entire apparatus. Fig. 4 shows the connection of the individual inlet'valves in a modified form. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through an inlet'valve or inlet socket of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 in the filling position. Fig. 6 shows a section through the corresponding distributing apparatus of the arrangement. Fig. 7 shows an arrangement for moistening with water the sulphurous acid which is to be used as sterilizing medium.

The cleaning machine I, Fig. l, transfers the bottles automatically to the band conveyor 2.

From this the cleaned bottles first pass to the sterilizer 3 in which if desired the sterilizing medium is again removed in a sterile fashion. Then the bottles pass over the conveyor band 2 to the sterile filler 4, then back to the conveyor band 2 and on to the sterile closure applying machine 5 andthen back again to the conveyorband 2.

Even if a sterilizing station is incorporated therewith the cleaning machine need not operate automatically with delivery from and to the conveyor band for carrying out the present process. It is sufiicient .if as shown in Fig. 2 the bottles or vessels are placed on the conveyor 2 manually. In Fig. 2 thesterilizer is shown as a longitudinally extending machine 5 which passes the bottles directly to the sterile filling machine 4. In this case the sterilizer itself constitutes the conveyor bringing the bottlesto the filling station. The filling machine could also work directly with the closure applying machine in a similar way.

However in order'to extend the process also to those closures which cannot be closed by machines, e. g., yoke closures, it is not necessary to include the closure machine in the aggregate.

The particular construction of sterilizer shown in Fig. 3 has a stationary pedestal 1 on which is mounted the rotary tablet which carries the cylinders 3 actuated in known manner by compressed air foriifting the plates ll supporting the bottles II. The table 3 carries a pillar l2 which has at the top a plate l3 carrying the individual inlet sockets l4. In the centre of the column I2 is a stationary tube l5 about which is disposed a double stuffing box It which is connected by means of the tube [1 with the annular space H which is connected with the individual lifting lcylinders 3. Compressed air is introduced into the centre of the tube II by the tube ll.

Each inlet socket l4 has a valve I! which seats against the sealing surface 23. Secured to this valve is the blower pipe 2| which dips into the bottle II, and is rigidly secured to the sleeve 22 and passes through the funnel 23 for centering the bottle. The sleeve 22 carries at the top a sealins surface 24 and the centering funnel has a sealing surface 23. The sleeve 22 is connected with a pipe 21 by way of a non-return valve 23, the pipe 21 leading to a distributor 23. The tube 21 is resiliently yielding so that under the pressure of the centering funnel 23, the sleeve 22 can move upwardly somewhat so that itssealing surface 24 abuts against the seating 23 of the inlet socket II. In this way a seal is provided between socket l4 and sleeve 22 and at the same time a'seal with respect to the centering funnel 23 is furnished at 25 so that the gas penetrating into the inlet socket l4 through the pipe 30 when the valve I3 is raised, must pass into the blower pipe 2| through the lateral aperture 3| therein without being able to escape into the outer air. This arrangement is provided at each of the inlet sockets l4.

The pipes 21 from the sleeves 22 lead to the chamber 32 of the distributor 28 which is con- 1 nected with the outer atmosphere by way of a tube 33, if necessary by way of a filter.

The pipes 30 from the inlet sockets I4 are secured to the rotary head 34 of the distributor in which is disposed the fixed cone 35 which has 11 three bores. One bore connects with the pipe 33 already mentioned; another bore is connected with a pipe 36 by means of which the sterilizing medium is introduced into the device. The third bore connects with a tube 31 through which a gas, 2 such as air free from bacteria, is introduced for washing the sterilizing medium out of the bottles. In the rotation of the head, the apertures of the tubes 30 in the rotary head 34 of the distrlbutor 28 pass in the corresponding positions 2 over recesses 33 and 39 in the stationary head 35 which in turn are connected with the pipes 36 and 31, Fig. 6. In this way first the sterilizing medium and then the gas (sterile air) serving for washing out the sterilizing medium are di- 3 rected in succession into the pipes 30. It is however also possible to introduce the sterilizing medium in such way that for a short time it is blown into the bottle and then left in the bottle without further supply of sterilizing medium or a with a reduced supply before the scavenging agent drives the sterilizing medium out of the bottle again.

The rotary part of the distributor 28 is sealed relatively to the stationary part 33 by means of 4 the stufling box 43, an annular chamber 4| being provided on the cone 35 and being connected by way of the bore 42 with the pipe 33 leading to the outer atmosphere. In this-way any sterilizing gas which passes between the sealing surfaces 4 of the head and the cone 33 is prevented from exerting a pressure against the stufllng box 43. This gas is led into the outer atmosphere from the chamber 4| by way of the aperture 42 and the pipe 43.

The mode of operation of the arrangement is as follows:

The table I and with it the pillar l2 and the distributing sockets 14 secured thereon are rotated. The bottles to besterilized are positioned I in known manner on the plates ll of the lifting cylinders and then at the appropriate position are lifted by the lifting pistons so that the blower pipe 2| dips into the appropriate bottle. The centering fimnel 23 has already brought the bottle into the correct position and seals it at the top. At the same time by pressing the bottle against the centering funnel the blower pipe 2| is lifted so that the seal 23 of the funnel 23 abuts against the lower part of the sleeve 22 and this with its sealing surface 24 abuts against the seating 23 of the distributing socket l4. In addition the valve II is raised from its seatinl 20 against the action of a superimposed spring. In the meantime the tube 33 of the corresponding inlet socket has arrived at the groove 33 of the cone 3' so that the sterilizing medium now passes through the tube 33 into the tube 33 and thus into the inlet socket l4. As the valve ll isopenthegaspassesthromhtheborefl into the blower pipe 2| and thus into the bottle l9. It flows through the bottle and can escape therefrom through the annular space 43 which is provided between the bore of the centering funnel 23 and theblower pipe 2|. The sterilizing gas then passes into the sleeve 22 and opens the nonreturn valve 26 so that it can pass through the pipe 21 into the chamber 32 of the distributor and thence through the pipe 33 into the outer atmosphere.

In the meantime in the further motion of the entire table the appropriate tube 30 has left the groove 38 of the cone .35 and it remains closed until it comes in fornt of the groove 39 ot the distributor cone 35, Fig. 6, which groove is connected 'with the pipe 31. The scavenging gas, which may be air which has been rendered free irom bacteria, now passes through the pipe 31 into the tube 30 and thus in-the same way into the blower pipe 2| whereby this air washes the sterilizing medium out of the bottle Ill, said medium escaping into the outer atmosphere by way of the non-return valve 26 and the pipe 21 as 'well as the chamber 32 and the pipe 33.

The space between the groove 38 and the groove 39 is so dimensioned that the sterilizing medium remains for a predetermined period in the bottle and thus kills all the germs or bacteria contained therein.

The same operation is repeated for each individual bottle. The bottles then leave the device completely sterilized and freed from the sterilizing medium wholly or only in part and can be directly transferred to the filling and closing appliances, which if desired may be connected with the arrangement by some suitable conveyor arrangement. Also the filling members could be in- 1 corporated in the sterilizing device after the sterilizing members so that. the filling of the bottles with liquid is eiiected in the same apparatus.

As soon as the bottles are removedfrom the machine after lowering the plates II, the centering funnel 23 again moves downwardly and the valve l9 closes under the action of its spring, so that no gas can escape into the outer atmosphere should the inlet socket perform the next cycle in the absence of a bottle.

In the embodiment of the arrangement shown in Fig. 4,' substantially the same arrangement is provided, but in this, case the sterilizing gas emerging from a bottle does not pass into the outer atmosphere directly but into the preceding bottle before it passes to the outlet so that the same gas passes through the individual bottles in succession. In order to attain this, every sleeve 22 is connected with the inlet socket l4 for the nextbottle above the non-return valve 23 by means of a flexible pipe 44. The valve l9 of each socket is in addition constructed as a double valve so that at the top a valve face 52 can also close the aperture of the pipe 45 connected thereto. The pipe 45 leads to the next pipe 30' and serves as a bridging conduit in the event of no bottle being positioned on the plate in which case the valve l9 correspondingly seals its-lower seating. In this construction the pipe 21, Fig. 3, is no longer necessary and is omitted. In Fig. 4 the bottle is missing from the position 11 and accordingly the centering funnel 23 is at the bottom of the blower pipe 2|. The sterillizing gas thus passes from the groove 33 of the cone 35 Fig. 6 through the pipe 33' into the in-'- let socket M for the met bottle, position I, and. as the valve I9 is open at the bottom, the gas passes into the bottle and subsequently through the sleeve 22 by way of the ball valve 23 through the pipe 44 into the next inlet socket l4, position II. As there is no bottle here, the valve I9 of this socket is closed at the bottom but at the top the aperture of the bridging pipe 45 is exposed so that the' gas can now flow directly through this pipe into the pipe 30' of the third inlet socket l4, position 111, and so on through each bottle to the subsequent bottle.

In this construction two further grooves 46 and 41, Fig. 6, are provided on the fixed cone 35 of the distributor 23 which connect the corresponding pipes 30 with the chamber 32 and thus by way of the pipe 33 with the outer atmosphere. Thus the gas passes through the bottles in positions I and III and then passes through the corresponding tube 39' and to groove 36 by way of the pipe 33 into the outer atmosphere.

In the next position IV the pipe 39 is connected with the groove 39 so that the scavenging air now passes through the bottle through the pipe 30', and then at 41 back into the chamber 32 and from thence by way of 33 into the outer atmosphere. The spacing of the grooves 33, 46, 25 39 and 41 is correspondingly chosen in order to be able to make the period of operation of the sterilizing medium and the period of scavenging shorter or longerin accordance with the desired relationships.

In the example shown the sterilizing medium and the scavenging medium flow through the bottles in the same direction as the bottles move through the apparatus. One or both media however could be directed throughthe bottles in counter-current to this direction of motion.

In some circumstances, for the purpose of increasing the effect. of the sterilizing medium, air and particularly moist air can be admixed therewith.

The process can be used not only for bottles but also for vessels of any kind. It is not limited to gaseous sterilizing media.

An arrangement is shown in Fig. 7 which serves for moistening the sterilizing medium with wa- 45 ter or with any other liquid exerting a favourable influence on the sterilization.

The container 49 provided with two covers 48 is constructed as a glass cylinder. It is half filled with water or H2303. The S0: gas is 50 introduced through thepipeill which extends almost down to the bottom of the container. It passes through the water, collects in the upper part of the container and flows out of the container through the pipe 5| 'into the vessels to be'sterilized. The pipe- SI of Fig. 7 is connected with the tube 36 of Fig. 3. In the passage through the water it takes up so much moisture that the effect of the sterilization is materially improved.

Instead of making the container wholly of glass it may of course be made only in part of transparent material or provided with a suitable window or equipped with a device for indicating the liquid level.

tunnel and a blower pipe, a sl v arranged on said nozzle between said socket and said funnel, said sleeve being displaceable with the blower pipe and being equipped with sealing surfaces to engage the inlet socket and centering funnel, and a conduit having a non-return valve connecting the sleeve with the outer atmosphere.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inlet nozzle has an inlet socket, a centering funnel and a blower pipe, a sleeve arranged on said nozzle between said socket and said funnel,

said sleeve being displaceable with the blower pipe and being equipped with sealing surfaces to engage the inlet socket and centering funnel, and a conduit having a non-return valve connecting the sleeve with the outer atmosphere, the blower pipe having a head serving as a closure valve of the inlet socket, said valve being lifted by pressure of the vessel urged against the blower pipe.

4. In apparatus for sterilizing vessels, centering funnels, a rotatable table having lifting members for urging the vessels against the centering funnels, inlet sockets each having a valve disposed above each centering funnel, sleeves arranged between said socket and funnels and attached to blower pipes, a source of gaseous sterilizing fluid, a source of sterile compressed air, a distributor for connecting said sockets with said sources in succession, said distributor having a chamber, and conduits connecting each of said sleeves with said chamber and means for discharging waste gas to the outside atmosphere.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the distributor'comprises a stationary cone on which seats a head rotatable with the table and serving as a housing, the conduits leading to the inlet sockets being connected with, said housing, the ends of said conduits terminating adjacent grooves in the cone, said grooves being connected by conduits with the source of gaseous sterilizing fluid and with the source of compressed sterile air.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the distributor comprises a stationary cone on which seats a head rotatable with the table and serving as a housing, the conduits leading to the inlet sockets being connected with said housing,

the ends of said conduits terminating adjacent grooves in the cone, said grooves being connected by conduits with the source of gaseous sterllizing fluid and with the source of, compressed sterile air, said distributor cone fitting said housing with fluid sealing surfaces, the cone being provided with a recess for collecting gas passing the sealing surfaces.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the distributor comprises a stationary cone on which seats a head rotatable with the table and serving as a housing, the conduits leading to the inlet sockets being connected with said housing, the ends of said conduits terminating adjacent grooves in the cone, said grooves being connected by conduits with the source of gaseour. sterilizing fluid and with the source of compressed sterile air, said distributor cone fitting said housing with fluid sealing surfaces, the cone being provided with a recess for collecting gas passing the sealing surfaces, and a tube leading to said distributor, some of said conduits being disposed in said tube, said tube being connected with conduits for supplying compressed air to the lifting members.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which a plurality of said inlet nozzles are provided, said nozzles being connected by means of a bridging conduit with a sterilizing fluid supply conduit to the following inlet nozzle, said bridging conduit being opened and closed by means of a valve according to whether a vessel is missing or is present beneath the corresponding inlet nozzle.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which a plurality of said inlet nozzles are provided, said nozzles being connected by, means of a bridging conduit with a' sterilizing fluid supply conduit to the following inlet nozzle, said bridgpipe of the inlet nozzle.

. FRIEDRICH smamnn.

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