US2426809A - Position retaining mechanism for filling valves - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2,1 41. I I H. b. MAR-5* ,426,8

" POSITION RETAINING MECHANISM FOR FILLING VALVES Filed Dec. 30,. 1943 2 Shets-Shej; 1

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H llhw k 1- H. D. AYARS POSITION RETAINING MECHANISM FOR FILLING VALVES Sept. 2, 1947.

Filed Dec. 50, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 2, 194? UNETED STATES PATENT OFFEQE POSITION RETAINING MECHANISM FOR FILLING VALVES Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a can filling machine and more particularly to the valve unit for controlling the discharge of the liquid product from the measuring pocket into the can. In m prior Patent No. 2,362,793, granted Nov. 14, 1944, a filling machine is shown wherein the discharge of the liquid product from a measuring pocket into the can is controlled by a rotary valve which is actuated by a stationary cam for closing the valve. The present invention has to do with a valve such as shown in my co-pending application and an object of the improvement is to provide a means whereby when the rotar valve is moved to closed position through contact of the control arm therefor with a stationary cam, the valve will be yieldingly retained in said closed position so that it cannot rebound or creep back to a position where dripping will occur,

A further object of the invention is to provide a discharge valve of the above type having a plurality of discharge openings with means for preventing the liquid product from being diverted outside of the can that is being filled.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in vertical section through the lower end of a measuring pocket showing the valve for controlling the discharge therefrom and embodying the improvement for preventing the liquid product from being thrown outside of the can being filled.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structural features shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away to show the control arm for closing the valve and also showing the cam which is actuated by the control arm for turning the valve to a closed position.

Figure 3 is a side view of a portion of the valve housing and showing in said elevation the mounting for the control arm which turns the valve to closed position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3.

The invention is shown as applied to a filling machine of the type disclosed more in detail in my prior Patent No, 2,362,793, granted Nov. 14, 1944. Mounted for rotation with the tank is a series of measuring pockets which are filled with the liquid product while the tank is moving through a portion of its travel. The improvement has to do with the control valve which closes the pocket during filling and which opens the pocket for discharging the contents to the can for filling the same. Referring to the drawings more in detail, the valve unit which is associated with each of the measuring pockets includes a housing I which is an extension of the measuring pocket and a part thereof. This housing I is closed by an integral partition member 2 and the partition member 2 carries a hub sleeve 3 in which a valve stem 4 is mounted. The partition 2 is provided with a series of discharge openings 5, 5. As shown in Figure 2 there are seven of these discharge openings. These discharge openings are controlled by a rotatable valve 6 which is secured to the lower end of the valve stem i. The valve stem is provided with a head i which fits in a recess in the IOWeI face of the valve 6. Mounted on the stem is an elastic pad 8 and a washer 9 which bears against the upper side of this elastic pad and yieldingly clamps the same against the upper end of the hub. A bolt IE3 is utilized for securing this washer 9 to the stern of the valve.

The valve disk is provided with a series of openings H, II. There is one opening for each discharge opening. These valve openings are slightly larger than the discharge openings 5, 5. The under face of the valve is provided with a recess l2 in which is located the valve opening II. There is preferably provided a depending rib it which surrounds the opening II and this Valve opening has its inner face tapered outwardly. At tached to the lower side of the valve and rotatable therewith is a guard ring it. The inner face of the guard ring is disposed at a slightly greater distance from the center of rotation of the valve than the openings ll in the valve. This inner face of the guard ring i4 is of less diameter than the can which is to be filled which is indicated at C in Figure 1. When the valve is turned so as to bring its openings l i into register with the openings 5, then the liquid product in the measuring pocket is discharged into the can beneath the valve unit. It sometimes happens that pulp in the liquid product will catch on the edge of the valve and cause the stream flowing from the measuring pocket into the can'to be deflected outwardly away from the center of th valve so that said stream passes outside of the can. This guard ring which is placed between the valve and the can serves as a means for preventing this discharging of the liquid product by streams which pass outside the can. Any such stream which is deflected at the valve opening will contact with the inner face of the guard ring and be deflected back into the can.

The rotary valve 6 is provided with a radially projecting support I5 on which is mounted an arm i6 that is adapted to move the valve to open position when a can has been placed beneath the valve unit for filling. The construction and operation of this valve opening means is fully set forth in my prior patent and further description is not thought necessary. As a further means for controlling the valve 6, there is provided a projecting portion I'l which carries a gear segment l8 concentric with the axis of rotation of the valve. The valve housing I is provided with two spaced bracket arms l9 and 26; mounted in these bracket arms is a shaft 2| carrying a gear wheel 22 which meshes with the gear segment It},

Located between the bracket arms l9, 20 and rigidly attached the shaft is a control arm 23. This control arm is carried by a split sleeve which surrounds the shaft and the sleeve is clamped to the shaft by a suitable bolt indicated at 24 in broken lines in Figure 2. Alongside of the path of travel of the measuring pocket is a cam rail 25. Mounted on the cam rail is a control cam 26. This control cam 26 contacts with the arm 23 and serves as a means for closing the valve after the liquid product has been fully discharged from the measuring pocket.

After a can is placed beneath a measuring pocket, then the control valve 6 is turned to'open position by the arm I6 contacting with the stationary cam as set forth in my prior patent. When the can is nearly filled, it is desirable to partially close the valve so as to provide a very small dribble stream for the final filling of the can. This is accomplished by the arm 23 contacting with the stationary finger alongside of the path of travel of the valve unit and this will turn the arm to the position shown in broken lines'in Figure 2. This is the position of the arm when it contacts with this closing cam 26. The closing cam which has an inclined face eccentric to the aXis of rotation of the tank will cause the arm to turn to the full line position in Figure 2. This closes the valve. So far, the structure for closing the valve is similar to that shown in my prior patent. The improvement resides in providing the lower bracket arm 20 with a lateral extension 27. The shaft 2| has a fiat section 28. A steel block 29 is pressed by means of a spring 30 against the shaft. A screw 3| threaded into the extension 2! serves as an abutment for the spring 30. This fiat section 28 is so disposed in the shaft that the steel block will contact therewith when the valve is moved to closed position. This provides a'yielding meanswhich holds the valve in closed position and prevents it from jumpin back or overthrowing when the control arm 23 contacts with the cam 26 and leaves the same. The amount of pressure of the block against the shaft can be adjusted by turning the screw 3!. The bushing 32 in which the shaft rotates is cut away so as to permit this block to contact with the shaft at all times. The block does not prevent free rotation of the shaft but does yieldingly hold the shaft when the valve has moved to open position.

While there is shown a coil spring operating to press a block against a fiat section of the shaft, it will be understood that various other ways may be utilized for yieldingly holding the valve in its closed position without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a plurality of discharge openings, a rotary valve for controlling said openings, said valve having a gear segment concentric to the axis of rotation of said valve, a gear meshing with said gear segment, a shaft mounted in bearings travelling with the measuring pocket for supporting and operating said gear, an arm attached to said shaft for turning the same for closing the valve and spring actuated means in said bearing for holding said shaft from turning when the valve is in closed position.

2. In a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a plurality of discharge openings, a'rotary valve for controlling said openings, said valve having a gear segment concentric to the axis of rotation of said valve, 9. gear meshing with said gear segment, a shaft mounted in bearings travelling with the measuring pocket for supporting and operating said gear, an arm attached to said shaft for turning the same for closing the valve, and yielding means bearing against said shaft, said shaft having a flat portion adapted to be contacted with by said yielding means when the valve is in closed position.

3. In a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a plurality of discharge openings, a rotary valve for controlling said openings, said valve having, a gear segment concentric to the axis of rotation of said valve, said measuring pocket having projecting bracket arms providing bearings for a, shaft, agear cam mounted on said shaft and meshing with said gear segment, an arm mounted on said shaft between said bracket arms, a stationary cam member adapted to contact with said shaft arm for moving the valve to closed position, and spring actuated means for holding the shaft from turning when the valve is in closed position.

4.1a a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a plurality of discharge openings, a rotary valve for controlling said openings, said valve having a gear segment concentric to the axis. of rotation of said valve, said measuring pocket having projecting bracket arms providing bearings for a shaft, 2. gear cam mounted on said shaft and meshing with said gear segment, an arm mounted on said shaft between said bracket arms, a stationary cam member adapted to contact with said shaft arm for moving the valve to closed position, one of said bracket arms having an extension, a block mounted in a bore in said extension and adapted to engage the shaft, a spring bearing on said block and an adjustable abutment screw bearing on said spring, said shaft having a flat portion disposed so as to contact with said block when the valve has been turned to closed position. v

5. A valve for controlling the discharge of liguid into a receptacle comprising a housing forming part ofa-measuring pocket and having the lower end thereof closed except for a plurality of concentrically spaced discharge ports, a valve plate rotatably supported by the housing and in abutting relation with the outer face of said ported portion, said valve plate having a plurality of spaced ports therethrough concentric with and Number adapted to be aligned and disaligned with the ports in the housing, said valve having a depending guard ring carried thereby, the inner face of which is cylindrical and disposed so as to surround thjeports in the valve for aiding in directing the liquid product passing through said ports into the recepta'cle'beneath the valve.

HARRY D. AYARS.

REFERENCES orrE The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,986,252 Couran Jan, 1, 1935

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