US2044118A - Pasteurizer - Google Patents

Description

PAS TEURIZ ER Filed Feb. 6, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1936- G. J. HUNTLEY ET AL PASTEURIZER Filed Feb. 6, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fieorye J .Zherfi J JWQIYZ W.M 90 9M W June 16, 1936.

G. J., HUNTLEY ET AL PASTEURI ZER Filed Feb. 6, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PASTEURIZER George John Huntley, Baltimore, and Robert James Stewart, Catonsville, Md, assignors to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of New York Application February 6, 1932, Serial No. 591,430

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to pasteurizers for pasteurization of various materials and is particularly applicable in connection with the sterilizing of bottled or other sealed foods. A very important object of the invention resides in a construction wherein the containers are caused to travel in one bath while in one position and through another bath in a reversed position,

thereby obtaining agitation and consequent treatment of the entire food body.

The present invention further is useful as a sterilizer and processor for foods of various types in addition toits particular function as a pasteurizer.

A further object of the invention is to conserve the heat as much as possible and, therefore, the conveyor means is permitted to travel through the heated bath, but moves externally of the cooling bath.

An additional object of the invention is to have each of the baths wholly within a suitable casing and wherein the walls of the casing provide the conveyor runways.

An added object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the conveyor lifts the material carried above the level of the cooling bath at one end of the casing, so that material may be fed and withdrawn without the use of any complicated mechanism.

In addition to these objects, another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby the material is withdrawn from the heating bath and is subjected to a preliminary cooling during its transfer from the heating bath to the cooling bath, so that in the case of bottles there will be no opportunity for cracking incident to a rapid change in temperature.

We also employ a very eflicient heating system in connection with the heating bath which can be effectively controlled and whereby the bath is maintained above pasteurization temperature during the initial passage of the material to be pasteurized therethrough.

A further advantage of the present invention consists in the provision of automatic means for closing the receptacles in which the containers are carried along by the conveyor. Also, we provide a receptacle whereby the fluid of each bath will have full access to all material which is travelling in the receptacles through the bath.

The pasteurizer is a very simple construction embodying relatively few parts and is character ized by a rigidity and sturdiness such that wear is reduced to a minimum and the possibility of breakage in the normal operation of the machine is negligible.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections of the ends of the machine the two views showing the entire machine in longitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the machine.

Figure 4 is a section through two of the receptacles.

Figure 5 is a top View of a portion of the con- 5 veyor and an associated receptacle.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 will indicate the casing of the machine which is preferably of a suitable metal and of rectangular form.

The casing will be supported on a base of any desired conventional form H.

The casing forms the lower chamber and preferably this chamber comprises the heating bath l2, extending throughout the length of the casmg.

Supported a suitable distance from the top of the casing is the second or cooling chamber I3, which, it Will be observed, is of less longitudinal and lateral dimensions than the chamber I2. This cooling chamber I3 is formed of metal and is dish-shaped or provided with inclined ends l4. At one end the chamber I3 is provided with a transverse partition l5, which will provide an overflow trough, there being a suitable outlet in the base of the trough as shown at IS.

The cooling chamber is preferably supported upon an insulated bridge or horizontal partition wall indicated as a whole at IT, which comprises the metal frame members i 8 within which is con- I tained any suitable insulating material I9. The insulated area extends throughout the length of the bottom of the cooling chamber. At one end, the frame members forming the insulating chamber are extended to provide a suitable pan 28 for a purpose which will later be described. At the other end, the frame members are extended as shown at 25 to form a suitable guard, the purpose of which will also be later set forth.

The material is moved through the respective chambers upon a conveyor of any suitable endless type. The conveyor is indicated at 22 and is driven by any suitable prime mover such as a motor 23 preferably mounted upon the top of the casing. J ournalled in the casing walls are shafts 24, which are disposed at the ends of the casing, preferably beneath the inclined walls I 4 of the cooling chamber. Upon these shafts are mounted the sprockets 25, there being a pair of such sprockets at each end of the casing, one of each pair being at each side of the cooling chamber. The sprocket at the left of Figure 1 is preferably driven by the prime mover through the medium of reduction gearing and suitable chain connection 26.

Mounted on the walls of the casing are the conveyor runways or guides which are indicated at 21 for the cooling chamber and 28 for the heating chamber.

It is to be noted that the guideways 21 are disposed at the lower end or bottom of the cool- 00 ing chamber, while the guideways 28 are disposed adjacent the level of the bath in the heating chamber. The lower member of the guideway 28 preferably extends the full length of the casing, While the upper member thereof terminates adjacent the sprocket wheel at each end of the casmg.

The guideways for the cooling chamber, it will be observed, are supported by the casing and are disposed outside of the cooling chamber. The lower member of each guideway 21 extends substantially throughout the length of the bottom of the chamber, while the upper guideway likewise extends throughout the length of the chamber, but is curved upwardly as shown at 23 adjacent the sprocket members at each end of the casing.

The conveyor 22 rides upon the respective guideways and moves within the heating chamber I2 and externally of the cooling chamber I3 as best illustrated in Figure 3.

The conveyor is adapted to carry suitable slatted receptacles 29 which are mounted on the conveyor in a manner which will now be described.

These receptacles 29 are shown in Figures 3 and 4, are provided with slatted sides and slatted bottoms and tops, so that the material of the baths may readily circulate therethrough. The receptacles are preferably rectangular and a plurality of them will be mounted on the conveyor. Within the receptacles will be disposed, for example, bottled milk and other materials to be pasteurized, and the receptacles are of such shape that these containers will fit therein and not be subjected to such free movement as might precipitate breakage.

Extending from each end of the receptacles are arms 32, the lower ends of which are secured to brackets carried by the conveyor through the medium of bolts or rivets 3|. In this manner, the receptacles 29 are fixed to the conveyor and the receptacles occupy reversed positions in travelling through the respective baths as shown in Figure 3. In the same manner the containers within the receptacles will have their positions reversed, so that the material in the container will be thoroughly agitated and treated, which is very important in any pasteurizing process.

The arms 32 may be integral with each end wall of the receptacle or basket or may be connected thereto in any suitable manner as desired.

The brackets 30, it will be noted, are disposed between the linkage connections of the conveyor as illustrated in Figure 5 and as a consequence thereof as the conveyor chain is reversed, it will reverse the position of the receptacles and the containers therein.

Each receptacle is provided with a hinged top, which comprises a U-shaped member 33 which extends substantially throughout the longitudinal dimension of the receptacle, but which is of less transverse dimension as will be clear from Figure 4. The U-shaped member is secured to hinged brackets 34 attached to each end wall of the receptacles at one side thereof and is provided with a pair of projections 35, which are spaced apart as shown in Figure 3 and cooperate with latch members 36 formed on the adjacent or other side wall of the receptacles. These latches 36 may be integral with the adjacent side wall of the receptacle or may be secured thereto in any desired manner. However, it is necessary that the latch member, as well as the projection 35, possess the necessary resiliency to obtain a secure connection for the closure.

Instead of using two latches and two projections 35, 36, we may simply employ a single centrally disposed projection and latch, if desired, since the U-shaped frame member 33 is possessed of the required rigidity.

Secured within the U-shaped frame 33 and projecting upwardly therefrom is a trip member 37, the function of which will now be described.

It is to be observed that the conveyor runways 2?, in cooperation with the sprockets, move the conveyor and the receptacles 29 mounted thereon above the level of the cooling bath at each end of the casing. Referring to Figure 2, it will be observed that the receptacles are shown both with the closure secured and with the closure open upon its hinge. An attendant will stand adjacent the casing and manually spring back the two latches 36 to open the receptacle and withdraw the bottles or other containers which have passed through the pasteurizing baths. At the same time, bottles or other material to be treated will be placed in the receptacles so opened and as they are carried downwardly by the sprocket, the trip members 3'! engage a cooperating stationary cam member 38 which extends laterally from the wall of the casing. This cam member 38 by its engagement with the trip member 3'! forces the projections and latch members to engage each other and lock the closure in position. The cam member 38, it will be observed, has an inclined portion 39 upon which the curved surface 40 of the trip member rides and a bent portion 4| which engages the apex of the curved portion and forces the end thereof under the latch member. In this manner, the closures are automatically applied and locked before the receptacles are reversed and before they enter the heating chamber.

At the opposite end of the casing or as best shown at the left in Figure 1, the sprocket carries the receptacles upwardly above the level of the bath in the cooling chamber and during such transfer from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber, the receptacles are sprayed by means of a nozzle arrangement 42 which is adapted to throw a spray of cooling water upon the receptacles and the containers therein. In this manner, the temperature of the receptacles and containers will be gradually reduced and there will not be such a rapid change as would produce cracking of the containers were they moved directly from the heating chamber into the cooling chamber.

This spray arrangement 42 is adapted to throw a spray throughout the length of the receptacle and eifectively cools them down to prevent the objectionable result just described.

In this connection, it will be noted that the pan 20 will act to collect any water dripping from the receptacles and is provided with a suitable outlet 43 connected to a drain outlet for recirculation.

The extension member 2! and inclined end portion .4 acts to bafile the hot vapors from the heating bath and prevent the major portion of the vapors from rising to the operating end of the machine.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, as well as to Figures 1 and 2, it is to be noted that the receptacles are provided with projections 45, which extend below the bottoms thereof. These projections are provided with tapered edges 45 and it is their purpose to take up the thrust which results when the receptacles are being carried about the sprockets. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that as the receptacles move about the sprockets, the tapered edges of the adjacent projections engage each other, so that there is no opportunityfor strain to distort "the receptacles or interfere with theirrigid connection on the conveyor. V

The heating chamber I2 is provided with a heating means which comprises steam nozzles 46' connected to a pipe line 41. The heating chamber I2 is divided or partitionedby means of a baffle plate 48, which extends transversely across the bottom of the chamber and is of a height to just permit clearance of the'adjacent wall of the receptacles, as shown inFigure 3. The baffle plate 48 has a contour such as to substantially coincide with the outline of the lower portion of the receptacles and their associated supporting arms 32 and is provided at its bottom edge with feet 48 which are preferably angle irons, whereby the partition member may be supported on the bottom of chamber l2 and moved back and forth at will. In this manner, the sizes of the compartme'nts A or B may be regulated by simply moving the partition member in one direction or the other.

The position of the baffle plate 48 may be changed to form a pre-heating chamber of a variable length tosuit the material and the conditions under which treatment is required .and substantially isolates this part of the heating chamber from the other. The receptacles initially enter the smaller section of the chamber and we preferably heat the water therein or other liquid of the bath to .a temperature well above that of pasteurization, as for example from to and possibly higher; To accomplish this, we provide along each wall, but spaced therefrom, a suitable distance, the pipe connections 41 from which lead a number of inwardly directed nozzles 46. This will enable us to use steam injectors and we may also interpose between the two pipe lines a third or centrally disposed pipe line having several injectors if desired. In the usual operation of the machine the containers and their contents are received from the filler at relativelyhigh temperatures, say, 90-l20 F., and it is found that by maintaining this end of the pasteurizer chamber at the relatively high temperature for a comparatively short period, the containers are brought more quickly up to the pasteurizing temperature with the result that a greater capacity is obtained from a given size machine.

To the left of the battle plate or in the greater area of the chamber l2, we are enabled to use an arrangement generally indicated by the numeral 48a (Fig. 1) consisting of a multiplicity of steam injectors if desired and still produce the required pasteurization temperature of the bath. These injectors may be variously arranged to obtain uniform temperature throughout the bath.

It will be understood that by reason of the steam injector arrangement just disclosed not only are we able to provide an initial heating of the receptacles, but as well to conserve the use of steam in the chamber by having the containers at such a temperature that for the greater portion of their travel through the chamber the heating means can be most efficiently employed without need of any auxiliary heating apparatus.

The cooling water will be supplied to the chamber l3 by means of pipes 50 and such cooling water as will be needed enters the chamber at the end opposite that at which the heated receptacles and containers are initially immersed in the cooling fluid. The advantage of this resides in eliminating a too reduced temperature at the entrance end of the cooling chamber. In the operation of the apparatus, it will be understood that the conveyor chain moves at a slow speed, due to the use of reduction gearing. The bottles are placed in the receptacles and thereafter the closures are secured through engagement with the trip member 38. By reason of the fixed connection of the receptacles to the conveyor, the receptacles and the containers therein. enter the heating chamber l2 upside down or in reversed position and travel therethrough in such position. This initial reversing serves to agitate the material which is highly desirable. In the entrance 'portion A of the heating chamber, the containers are subjected to the high temperatures described to thereby acquire throughout such a temperature as will permit them to continue through the machine and be subjected to the lower temperatures prevailing in the section B of the chamber and still be perfectly pasteurized. At the end of the section B, the receptacles are lifted by the sprocket and carried past the cooling spray 42. At the same time, their positions will reverse whereby the containers are returned to the normal or upright position and thence passed into the cooling chamber at its point of highest temperature. As the receptacles pass in their reversed position from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber, they are naturally agitated, which likewise produces a very desirable result, enabling the complete pasteurization of whatever materials are being treated.

The temperature of the cooling chamber both decreases as the receptacles travel therethrough toward the feed end and reaches its lowest point substantially where the receptacles are lifted from the cooling bath adjacent to the cold water inlet 50. The attendant pulls back latches 36 and opens the closures 33 and since the conveyor is moving at such a slow speed, not only has time to remove the pasteurized bottles or other containers, but to insert another batch of unprocessed containers thus making a continuous cycle of operation.

It will be noted that the conveyor chains do not enter the upper or cooling chamber and we find an important advantage resides in such construction, namely that since the conveyor chains are in heated condition, they will be prevented from affecting the temperature of the water in the cooling chamber and at the same time they u will enter the heating chamber still possessed of a sufiicient temperature as not to produce an objectionable efiect on the temperature of the heating bath. In other words, by disposing the conveyor chains externally of the upper chamber, the heat loss will be reduced to a minimum.

The invention is very simple in construction and has, as will be noted, relatively few parts, so that it will not in the normal operation be liable to suchstrains or wear as would result in breakage with resultant stopping of the machine.

The casing is provided with a cover and may have hoods at the ends enclosing the raised structure, if desired, or the casing walls may be extended to allow use of a cover to enclose all of the parts. However, a suitable opening must be provided at the feed end to allow the attendant to insert and remove the containers under process.

It is to be observed that at the ends of the pasteurizer, the receptacles are supported by the conveyor chains. In this manner, for example, at the left hand end of the machine where the receptacles are lifted from the heating chamber, they are carried upwardly and then permitted to swing down into the cooling chamber, 1. e.,

to pass over the edge of the adjacent wall of the cooling chamber and be gradually immersed in the cooling liquid. At the opposite end the receptacles are similarly raised from the cooling bath. It is to be noted that at each end the inclination of the'upper member of each guideway 21, as shown at 28', will aid in controlling the swing of the receptacles as they pass into the cooling chamber and when carried therefrom at the other end.

It will be understood that while we have indicated the upper chamber as the cooling chamber, that the position of the chambers may be reversed and the machine operated by changing the direction of the drive, whereby the upper chamber will be used as the heating chammr.

While we have referred to the invention as particularly adapted for pasteurizing operations, it will be clear that it may be used as a sterilizer with equal facility and the temperatures of the respective baths adjusted appropriately.

Furthermore in the processing or cooking of foods, the present apparatus is useful since the speed of movement of the food through the baths may be controlled as well as the temperatures of the baths. In this manner a highly effective processing machine is obtained.

In connection with the use of the machine as a sterilizing or processing apparatus either of the superposed chambers may constitute a heating chamber and cooling chamber, and likewise both chambers may be suitably heated in accordance with the particular cooking or sterilizing operation.

We claim:

1. A-pasteurizer comprising superposed cooling and heating chambers, a conveyor for moving containers therethrough, said conveyor having receptacles fixed thereto for supporting the containers, the said receptacles having one position while travelling through one of said chambers and a reversed postion while travelling in the other chamber, conveyor sprockets at the ends of the chambers, and means on said receptacles engaging each other while the receptacles are moving over the sprockets for taking up thrust incident to the change of position of the receptacles.

2. A pasteurizer comprising superposed cooling and heating chambers, a conveyor for moving containers therethrough, said conveyor having receptacles fixed thereto for supporting the containers, the said receptacles having one position while travelling through one of said chambers and a reversed position while travelling in the other chamber, conveyor sprockets at the ends of the chambers, and means on said receptacles contacting each other while the receptacles are moving over the sprockets for taking up thrust incident to the change of position of the receptacles, said means comprising aligned projections having their respectve contacting edges beveled.

3. A pasteurizer comprising superposed cooling and heating chambers, a conveyor for moving containers therethrough, said conveyor having receptacles fixed thereto for supporting the containers, the said receptacles having one position while travelling through one of said chambers and a reversed position while travelling in the other chamber, conveyor sprockets at the ends of the chambers, and means on said receptacles engaging each other while the receptacles are moving over the sprockets for taking up thrust incident to the change of position of the receptacles, said means comprising aligned projections extending from one end wall of each receptacle.

4. A pasteurizer comprising a casing forming a lower chamber having a bath therein, an upper chamber supported by said casing and having a bath therein, said upper chamber terminating 10 short of the ends of the casing, one of the baths being a heating bath and the other bath being a cooling bath, a conveyor guideway on the casing, a conveyor moving on said guideway and carrying receptacles for con- 15 tainers through said chambers and the baths therein, the portion of said guideway adjacent the heating bath being positioned within said bath and the portion of the guideway adjacent the cooling bath being positioned exteriorly of 20 said bath.

5. In a pasteurizer, the combination of a horizontal pasteurizing bath casing, a conveyor provided with receptacles for holding containers to be subjected to pasteurization, said conveyor being movable longitudinally of said casing, and a transverse baifie plate dividing said bath casing into two chambers, one of said chambers being heated to a temperature above pasteurization temperature and the other being heated to a 30 lower temperature, said conveyor moving the containers from said latter chamber to the other chamber, said partition being provided with a cut-out portion to permit the passage of receptacles therethrough without free movement of the bath liquid from the highly heated chamber.

6. A pasteurizer comprising superposed heating and cooling chambers, an endless carrier disposed to have two horizontal runs, one run being arranged in each of said chambers for presenting 40 containers to the respective chambers, said carrier supporting the containers in one position while travelling through one chamber and in reversed position while travelling through the other chamber. 45

'7. A pasteurizer comprising superposed heating and cooling chambers, an endless conveyor disposed to have two horizontal runs, one run being arranged in each of said chambers, said conveyor having receptacles fixed thereto for supporting 50 containers, the said receptacles having one position while travelling through one of said chambers and a reversed position while travelling through the other chamber.

8. A pasteurizer comprising a casing forming a lower chamber having a bath therein, an upper chamber supported by said casing and having a bath therein, said upper chamber terminating short of the ends of the casing, one of the baths being a heating bath and the other bath being a cooling bath, a conveyor guideway on the casing, a conveyor moving on said guideway and carrying receptacles for containers through said chambers andthebaths therein,the portion of said guideway adjacent one of the baths being positioned within said bath and the portion of the guideway adjacent the other bath being postioned exteriorly of the latter bath.

GEORGE JOHN I-IUNTLEY. 70 ROBERT JAMES STEWART.

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