US2197588A

US2197588A - Bottle filler

Info

Publication number: US2197588A
Application number: US170104A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl A Namur
Original assignee: SPECIALTY BRASS Co Inc
Current assignee: SPECIALTY BRASS Co Inc; SPECIALTY BRASS COMPANY Inc
Priority date: 1937-10-20
Filing date: 1937-10-20
Publication date: 1940-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1957-04-16

Description

C. A. NAMUR pril I6, 1940.

BOTTLE FILLER Filed oct. 2o, 1957 nSlrleetrs-Sheei'. 1

77W r 6 1 4g@ @g 7%? nf a @ri/@ma 5525?? www n .l A E a pri 16, 1940. C A; NAMUR 2,197,588

BOTTLE FILLER I Filed 0G12. 2Q, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 V 3 50 m i E lg' 2? /2 u MJ) 35 ununnnjiwgf f C. A. NAMUR April 16, 1940.

BOTTLE FILLER Filed oct. 2o. 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' 9 T, w53 smym f, mi] @m N Patented Apr. 16, 1940 *UNITED stares BOTTLE FILLER Carl A. Namur, Kenosha, Wis.,

assignor to Specialty Brass Company, Incorporated, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 20, 1937, Serial No. 170,104

\ 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a bottle filler and the apparatus is especially useful in connection with a milk bottle lling machine. Other uses will be obvious. y

An object of the invention is to provide a bottle filler of simple construction by which milk bottles and the like can be readily filled without overlling and without any drippage of liquids from the valve, the valve mechanism functioning l04 automatically in the release of air from the bottle as the bottles are filled, then sealing the bottle against overlling, and then permitting the inrush of air to release the vacuum after the bottle is lled Other .specific objects and advan- 15- tages will appear as the specification proceeds. The invention is illustrated, in a preferred ernbodiment, by `the accompanying drawings, in

whichy y Figure 1 is a broken vertical sectional View of 20A an apparatus embodying my invention, the valve being shown in closed position; Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse sectional View illustrating a detail of the apparatus; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. l

but showing the air valve in open position; Fig. f

4, a'bottom plan view of the valve structure, the View being taken as indicated at line t of Fig. 3; and` Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. l but showing the valve in fully opened position.

In the illustration given, A designates a milk 3Q.. vat or tank equipped with the usual inner lining A', the tank being a part of a lling machine and normally equipped with a number of discharge valves. For the purpose of description,

it is believed unnecessary to describe, however,

35.. but one valve, As shown in the drawings, the tank A is provided with an opening Ill in whichis threadedly secured a sleeve II, the lower portion of the sleeve being engaged by a nut I2.

Slidably supported within the sleeve II is a Lills: hollow valve stern I3 which is provided at an intermediate position with oppositely arranged inletyopenings I4. `Above the inlet openings I4 eX- tends a seat portion l5 which seals the openings from the interior of the tank when the valve stem 45'; is in the closed position illustrated in Figs. l and 2. The valve stem is equipped at its lower end with a flange I6 equipped with four ears II having inwardly extending lug portions Ill.y The stem isalso provided on its inner side with an inwardly extending lia-nge I9 providing a constricted outlet. At its upper end, the valve stem I3 is provided with a cylindrical extension 2li provided interiorly withaseat 2l in which is supported a 55washer 22,.,v `Acotter pin 23 extends through the cylindrical extension 20 an air tube 24.

The air tube 24 is provided at its lower end with outwardly ared sides 25 which engage the ends of the flange I9 of the valve stern I3 so as to effectively seal the lower end of the valve stem I3. At its upper end, the air tube is provided with oppcsitely disposed rectangular air spaces 26. As shown more clearly in Fig, 1, the air tube 24, when the valve is in closed position as shown in Fig. 1, has its upper end spaced below the top of the vat and can therefore move freely upward with the valve stem for a limited distance.

An air valve plug 2l is normally supported in fixed position so as to seal the air tube 24 when it is in lowermost position.. The frustoconical plug `is carried by the valve plug stem 28 secured to a cro-ss strip 29 with which the tank A is equippedy by spring means which normally maintains the plug in fixed positionbut which, in case of emergency, permits a yielding of the plug so as to prevent injury to the machine or to a bottle caught thereunder. The upper end of the'stem 28 is secured in an enlarged plug 3B by means of short pins 3|; The upper end of the plug 3l] is apertured to receive an end portion 32 of a spring 33, the other end of theA spring 33 being passed through yan aperture 34within a tting 35 carried by the cross piece 29. By this means, the stem 2B is normally held in'xedvposition so that plug 21 does not move. `In the case of an accident. however, where a bottle should be thrust against the plug, the plug is permitted to yield, thus protecting the bottle and the' apparatus. K

In order to effect a seal with the bottle an also to provide means fori breaking the vacuum created when the bottle is about to be withdrawn from the filler, I prefer to provide a resilient sealing member 36 yfor enclosure within the space provided by the ears Il and flange I6. The annular sealing member 36.01? rubber or other suitable material is preferably provided with a tapered inner lip member 3l which follows the flange portion I9 of the valve stem I3 and also provides a chamber 38 between the seal and the flange I6. The chamber 38 provides a space for receiving air which may be released to break the vacuum when the bottle is to be removed. It will be noted Vthat the seal 36 is suspended upon the ear portions I8 and is moved upward against the flange IE when engaged by a bottle 39. A-coil spring 40 is located between flange I6 and the nut I2 and tends to urge the valve stem I3 downwardly to the closed position shown in Fig. 1.

, In the operation ofthe device, a bottle 39 is and frictionally engages supported upon the usual platform provided in a filler machine, and the platform is raised so as to press the upper open end of the bottle neck against the seal 36. Prior to the engagement of the seal 36 with the bottle 39, the valve parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the plug 2l sealing the lower end of the air tube 24 and the ared mouth 25 of the air tube closing the lower constricted end of the valve stem I3. Engagement with the bottle 39 causes the seal 36 to be lifted against the ange I6 and the valve stem I3 is raised to the position shown in Fig. 3, the air tube 24 being raised also because of its frictional engagement with cotter pin 23, thus opening the air tube at its lower end. Air may now pass from the bottle freely through the tube 24 and out through the apertures 2G at the top of the tube. In this position, it will -be noted that the upper end of the air tube 24 has now struck the spring arm 32 which prevents further upward movement of the air tube, Continued upper pressure by the bottle causes the valve stem I3 to leave the lower flared end 25 of the air tube and to reach the fully opened position shown in Fig. 5. In this position, the liquid within the tank A may pass through the openings I4 into the interior of the stem I3, thence outwardly through the open end of the stem into the bottle.

. If the platform remains raised sufficiently long enough, the bottle is filled. If it remains raised only a short time, the bottle will be partially iilled. In normal practice, the platform remains raised long enough to fill a pint bottle, but only long enough to half fill a quart bottle. In the case of a quart bottle, the platform either raises the same bottle to the same valve or moves it to a second valve of similar construction to complete the iilling. Overfilling is prevented by engagement of the bottle neck with the seal 3S which confines the liquid within thevalve stem and the bottle.

In the upward movement of the bottle, the seal 36 is first pressed against the flange It while still providing a chamber 38 which is open to the interior of the bottle. However, as the bottle is moved upwardly to the position shown in Fig..5, the lip 3l of the seal36 is pressed tightly against the flange I9. 'I'his pressure serves to close the chamber 38, substantially sealing the chamber and the air contained therein from communication with the interior of the bottle.. Normally when the bottles are filled in filling machines, a certain amount of vacuum is created in the bottle top, this vacuum being sufficient if no means of breaking it were provided, to cause the bottles to adhere tightly to the ller valve or seal. In the present case, when the bottle is being withdrawn, the lip 3l of the seal 36 permits the air within chamber 38 to be released and this serves to break the vacuum, thus permitting the bottle to break away cleanly from the seal 36.

It will be observed that the timing of the valve can be modified considerably by changing the length of the tube 24, thus increasing or decreasing the distance between the top of the tube and the spring 32. Also, the length of the seat I5can be-modified so as to hasten or retardy the lling of the stem I3. In the operation of the valve, the oating valve 3B serves to completely seal the stem `with the bottle so as to prevent overfilling of the bottle while at the same time preventing any drippage of liquid from the valve while the bottles are being changed or,

in factl at anytimewhilethe valve is in closed position.

The spring 33, -Wliile ordinarily maintaining the stem 28 and plug 21 in a xed position relative to the air tube and valve stem, permits upward movement of the stem 28 and plug 21 in case of accidental misplacement of bottles, etc. so as to prevent injury thereto and to the filler apparatus.

While in the description given, I have shown but a single filler valve, it will be understood that the lller tank A will be ordinarily equipped with a number of such valves and that also platform means of regular and known construction will be employed for raising and lowering the bottles and rotating them to bring them under various valves, this apparatus being old and well known in the art and no detailed description thereof being necessary.

While in the specification given, I have shown a single valve structure in detail for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that the principles disclosed with respect to such structure may be embodied in different forms without departing from the spirit of my invention. foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in View of the prior art.

I claim:

l. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, a hollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having apertures adapted to communicate with said tank when the stem is raised, means closing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passing through said last mentioned means and frictionally engaged thereby, said tube being supported for a limited vertical movement, means carried by said air tube for closing the lower end of said valve stem when the latter is in lowermost position, and resiliently supported means for normally closing said air tube when in lowermost position.

2. In combination with a valve stem equipped at its lower end with a flange, a resilient seal supported by said ange and providing therewith an air chamber closed from communication with the interior of a bottle applied to said seal, said resilient seal having a lip portion adapted to yield under the weight of said bottle to open the contents of said chamber into communication with the interior of the bottle. y

3. In combination with a hollow valve stem equipped at its lower end with a flange, means for breaking the vacuum within said stem when a bottle is withdrawn therefrom, said means comprising a resilient seal providing with said flange an air chamber closed from communication with the interior of said stem and having a tapered lip portion adapted to yield when said bottle is partially removed to open said chamber into communication with said stem.

4. In combination with a liquid tank provided with a discharge sleeve, a hollow valve stem guided therein and provided at its' lowerv end with a flange, an air vtube within said sleeve, substantially fixed means for closing the end of said tube at its lowermost position,v means carried by said air vent tube for closing said Valve stem when in lowermost position, and a flexible re'- silient seal adapted to be engaged by the neck of a bottle and providing with said flange an air chamber 'closed from communication With the interior of the bottle, said seal serving to open said chamber when tension is exerted thereon by the partial withdrawal of said bottle.

5. In combination with a liquid tank provided The Cil

with a sleeve equipped discharge opening, a holu low valve stem guided in said sleeve, a fixed plugr stern supported in said sleeve', a plug carried by said plug stem and normally closing said air tube when the latter is in lowermost position, said air tube also serving to close said valve stem, a flange carried by said valve stem, inwardly extending ears supported in spaced relation by said valve stem, a movablysupported resilient seal extending about said valve stem and movably supported by said ears, said seal being cut away to provide an air chamber closed from the interior of a bottle applied to said seal between it and said flange, and spring means normally urging said valve stem toward lowermost position.

6. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, a hollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having apertures adapted to communicate with said tank when the stern is raised, means closing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passing through said last mentioned means, said tube being supported for a limited vertical movement, means carried by said air tube for closing the lower end of said valve stem when the latter is in lowermost position, and means for normally closing said air tube when in lowermost position.

7. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, a hollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having apertures adapted to communicate with said tank when the stem is raised, means closing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passing through said last mentioned means and connected therewith for relative movement, said tube being supported for a limited vertical movement, means carried by said air tube for closing the lower end of said valve stem when the latter is in lowermost position, and means for normally closing said air tube when in lowermost position.

lowermost position.

9. In combination with a liquid tank equipped with a discharge sleeve, a hollow valve stem guided in said sleeve, said stem having apertures adapted to communicate with said tank when the stem is raised, means closing the upper end of said valve stem, an air vent tube passing through said last mentioned means, means carried by said air tube for closing the lower end of said valve stem when the latter is in lowermost position, and means for normally closing said air tube when in lowermost position.

CARL A. NAMUR.