US3143179A

US3143179A - Automatic control means used in the filling of containers

Info

Publication number: US3143179A
Application number: US61751A
Authority: US
Inventors: Faisandier Jacques
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-10-15
Filing date: 1960-10-10
Publication date: 1964-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-04

Description

Aug. 4, 1964 J. FAISANDIER 3,143,179

AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS USED IN THE FILLING 0F CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 10. 1960 lizzvezzior Faisazz/d ber United States Patent 3,143,179 AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS USED IN THE FILLING 0F CONTAINERS Jacques Faisandier, 32 Blvd. Felix Faure, Chatillon-sous-Bagneux, France Filed Oct. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 61,751 v Claims priority, applicationFrance Oct. 15, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. :177120) This invention relates to the filling of a container with a liquid or gaseous fluid, the flow of which is controlled by a valve, the latter being adapted to cause a break in the continuity of flow automatically as soon as the contents have reached a certain weight.

One object of the invention is to achieve this result whatever the filling time or, which amounts to the same thing, whatever the conditions, in particular the pressure conditions, upstream the valve.

With this object in view, the invention uses a .servocontrol causing an opening of the valve proportional to the difference between the weight to be obtained and the instantaneous weight.

According to apreferred embodiment, the container is placed during the filling operation on a balance or the like and one detects, by means of a hydraulic servocontrol device and without any appreciable resistant force, the position of the balance-beam, the movement of which is amplified, the said servo-control device causing the progressive closing of the valve as a function of the position reached by the balance-beam, complete closure being obtained as soon as the balance-beam reaches an extreme position corresponding to the predetermined weight which is to be obtained for the contents.

Another object of the invention is that the valve should be acted on only during the last fraction of fillings, so as not to reduce the duration of the latter substantially.

One embodiment of the invention will be described hereunder, with reference to the accompanying drawings, although it is not intended to restrict the scope of the invention to or by the specific feature or features of the example chosen for illustration.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagram of the complete installation.

FIGURE 2 shows in diagrammatic cross-section the force amplifying servo-control.

On the pan 1 of a balance there is disposed the container 2, the filling of which is controlled by the valve 3 in series on a supply pipe 4, bringing the fluid from any source or tank.

The movement of the pan 1 is transmitted to the vertical balance-beam 5 by any mechanical transmission means known in the art, shown diagrammatically at 6, or by any equivalent means.

The movement of the balance-beam 5 is amplified by the force-amplifying servo-control, shown in FIGURE 1 by a simple rectangle 7 in dotted lines, and shown in details in FIGURE 2.

The output movement at 8 is transmitted by a system of rods 38 or a flexible shaft or any equivalent transmission means to the valve 3.

In FIGURE 2 there are shown again the balancebeam 5 and the rod 8, which transmits the output movement, this rod being integral with the piston 9 of the cylinder 10. To this cylinder is joined the usual valve distributor 11, the slide-valve of which is constituted by a double piston, defining an intermediate chamber in permanent communication, through the pipe 12, with the source of pressure, constituted here by the tank 13 and the pump 14 (FIGURE 1). The end faces of the slide-valve 11 are in communication with the tank 13 through the pipes 15, 16, and the pipe 17 and the filter 18 (FIGURE 1). A safety valve 19 is provided in by-pass between the supply and return pipes.

The slide-valve is subjected to the action of a spring .20 and the position of the slide-valve in such that, in its neutral position, the two pipes 21, 22 which, according to the movements of the slide-valve, supply the cylinder or put 'it in communication with the tank, are obturated by the pistons of the slide-valve.

The transmission of'the balance-beam movement to the slide-valve 11 of the distributor is effected as follows:

The balance-beam 5 carries a bracket 23, on which is mounted a headed screw 24, and adjustable height of which is maintained by a nut 25. This screw is regulated so that its head comes to bear, but only after a of the total travel, on the heel 26 of a balance-beam or floating lever 27, articulated at 28 to a rod 29 integral with the piston9 of the cylinder. 30 is a balancing counter-weight. The movement of the balance-beam 27 is transmitted 'to a "second balance-beam 31 by a centre knife-edge 32. The balance-beam 31 also rests on a fixed knife-edge 33 and transmits its movement via a knife-edge 34 in a cup 35 of which rests the point of a rod 36 integral with the slide-valve 11. At 37 is provided a leakage return.

Operation is as follows:

Slide valve being supposed in the neutral position represented, pipes 21 and 22 being closed by the lands of the slide-valve, as represented if now the balance-beam 5 rises, it comes to bear on the heel 26. The articulation 28 acting temporary as a fixed point, the

levers

27 and 31 rotate clockwise, rod 36 is raised and hence the slide-valve 11 is raised, and with pressure being admitted to the cylinder by the pipe 21 whilst the pipe 22 is put in communication with the tank, the piston 9 and rod 29 descends; the feed back movement is transmitted through the balance-

beams

27 and 31, and causes the slide-valve to return in said neutral position and obturate 21, 22, thus stopping the movement. But as in reality the rising movement of the balance-beam 5 is continuous, the output movement at 8 is progressive and follows step by step, taking into account the amplification, the rising movement of the balance-beam 5, and does not stop until the moment the end of the balance-beam 5 reaches a predetermined height, corresponding to filling of the container.

When the container is removed from the balance, the lowering movement of the balance-beam 5 allows the slide-valve 11 to be lowered, under the action of the spring 20, which puts the pipe 22 under pressure and causes re-ascending of the piston 9, the movement of which is subject to the movement of the balance-beam 5 for the same reasons given above.

By way of indication only it is pointed out that with a total travel of the balance-beam of 40 mm. during complete filling, hence a travel of 4 mm. for the control of the valve, the device allows an output travel of 20 mm. with a force of 150 kg. for a pressure of 20 kg/cm. supplied by the pump. Precision is 1/500, viz grammes for total weight of 50 kg .of contents. The associated time constant of the servo-control device is 0.7 second.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for automatically delivering to a container an amount of material to satisfy a predetermined weight limit, in combination a scale support adapted to receive a container, material feeding means positioned to discharge material into said container, first balancing means supporting said support for vertical displacement by the weight of said container and of the material discharge into said container, a second balancing means actuated by said first balancing means, a hydraulic servo-control mechanism including a valve distributor including a slide valve, and a piston-type jack responsive to the movements of said slide valve, said slide valve and said piston-type jack being operatively connected to said second balancing means, control means :for' said feeding means operable by said jack, whereby the rate ofdischarge into the container is reduced as the container is filled, and discharge into the container is stopped accurately when the predetermined weight of 'material has been discharged into the container.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said second balancing means includes a floating lever device responsive to the movements of said first balancing means and responsive to the movements of the piston of the jack, and is operatively connected to said slide valve,

so that motion of said slide '-valve is proportional to the algebraic sum of the movements of said first balancing means and said piston.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said floating lever device is disposed at an adjustable distance from said first balancing means, whereby a dead stroke is provided so that the servo-control mechanism is only operative during the last portion of the filling process.

and said balance beam, and between said balance beam and said slide valve.

"6. An apparatus for automatically delivering to a container an amount of material to satisfy a predetermined weight limit, in combination a scale support adapted to receive a container, material feeding means positioned to discharge material into said container, balancing means supporting said support for vertical displacement pro portional to the change of weight of said container and the material discharged into said container, servo-control means operatively engaged by said balancing means during the latter part of said discharge from said feeding means, said servo-control means receiving the output movement of said balancing means as an input movement proportional to the diflerence between the weight to be obtained and the instantaneous weight of the material that has been delivered, said servo-control means being adapted to amplify said input movement and to provide an'amplified output movement proportional to the movement of said input movement, whereby said control means for said feeding means is operated by the output movement of said mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent Great Britain Sept. 29, 1954

Claims

6. AN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DELIVERING TO A CONTAINER AN AMOUNT OF MATERIAL TO SATISFY A PREDETERMINED WEIGHT LIMIT, IN COMBINATION A SCALE SUPPORT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CONTAINER, MATERIAL FEEDING MEANS POSITIONED TO DISCHARGE MATERIAL INTO SAID CONTAINER, BALANCING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SUPPORT FOR VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT PROPORTIONAL TO THE CHANGE OF WEIGHT OF SAID CONTAINER AND THE MATERIAL DISCHARGED INTO SAID CONTAINER, SERVO-CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY ENGAGED BY SAID BALANCING MEANS DURING THE LATTER PART OF SAID DISCHARGE FROM SAID FEEDING MEANS, SAID SERVO-CONTROL MEANS RECEIVING THE OUTPUT MOVEMENT OF SAID BALANCING MEANS AS AN INPUT MOVEMENT PROPORTIONAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WEIGHT TO BE OBTAINED AND THE INSTANTANEOUS WEIGHT OF THE MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN DELIVERED, SAID SERVO-CONTROL MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO AMPLIFY SAID INPUT MOVEMENT AND TO PROVIDE AN AMPLIFIED OUTPUT MOVEMENT PROPORTIONAL TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID INPUT MOVEMENT, WHEREBY SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID FEEDING MEANS IS OPERATED BY THE OUTPUT MOVEMENT OF SAID MECHANISM.