US3479793A

US3479793A - Device for filling sterile liquids,especially carbon dioxide containing beverages,into sterile bottles made of synthetic material

Info

Publication number: US3479793A
Application number: US598376A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heinz Evers
Original assignee: Interstabella AG
Current assignee: Interstabella AG
Priority date: 1965-12-13
Filing date: 1966-12-01
Publication date: 1969-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-25
Also published as: CH450198A; FR1502233A; IL26957A; GB1138550A; NL6617314A; ES334488A1; NO117780B; SE304700B; LU52521A1; AT273703B; BE690478A

Description

3,479,793 ALLY TO Nov. 25, 1969 H. Ev s DEVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS, ESPECI CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING BEVERAGES, IN

STERILE BOTTLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1966 Nov. 25, 1969 H. EVERS 3,479,793

DEVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS, ESPECIALLY CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING BEVERAGES, INTO STERILE BOTTLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL 1, 1966 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

Nov. 25, 1969 H EVERS 3,479,793

D ALLY EVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS, ECI

CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING ERAG INTO STERILE BOTTLES M OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 1, 1966 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 25, 1969 H. EVERS 3,479,793

DEVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS, ESPECIALLY CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING BEVERAGES, INTO STERILE BOTTLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 1, 1966 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 NVENTOR.

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H. EVERS 3,4 DEVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS ESPECIALLY Nov. 25, 1969 CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING BEVERAGES INTO STERILE BOTTLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAI '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 1, 1966 INVENTOR. 621M BY 2 f M) M 0 3,479,793 LLY INTO H. EVERS Nov. 25, 1969 DEVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS, ESPECIA CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING BEVERAGES,

STERILE BOTTLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 1. 1966 isw/a-iyd 09 INVENTOR.

DEVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS, ESPECIALLY CARBON DIOXIDE CQNTAINING BEVERAGES, INTO STERILE BOTTLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 1, 1966 i 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Fig.8

INVENTOR.

nited States Patent 3,479,793 DEVICE FOR FILLING STERILE LIQUIDS, ES-

JPECIALLY CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING BEVERAGES, INT 0 STERILE BOTTLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL Heinz Evers, Hamburg-Grossflottbek, Germany, assignor to Interstabella A.G., Chur, Switzerland Filed Dec. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 598,376 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 13, 1965, E 30,652 Int. Cl. B67: 7/00, 3/10; B65b 3/02 US. Cl. 53-112 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Carbon dioxide beverages nowadays, as a rule, are still distributed in glass bottles. Glass bottles are made at glass factories; transported to the bottling place, where they are washed, dried, and checked for cleanliness, filled with the aid of compressed air in the bottle filling apparatus, with the air being expelled to a considerable extent by the liquid. The empty space remaining when filling the bottle is largely evacuated air before the bottle is closed, by releasing carbon dioxide, for instance, when causing beer to froth. After the content of the bottle has been used up, the bottle is returned and, together with the bottles newly supplied from the glass manufacturer passes anew through the cycle of washing, filling, closing,

In another known method, beer is sterilized by heating or filtration; the glass bottles are rinsed after having been washed, with Water containing chemicals, so that air which has entered the bottles during transport, will become sterile. The counter pressure used for filling is generated during the filling operation With carbon dioxide in the place of compressed air so that all the air is displaced from the bottle prior to filling. It is obvious that this involves the disadvantage that remainders of the chemicals within the water used for rinsing the bottles may still remain therein and thus Will get into the liquid ready to be packaged.

As, in the known method, with consideration to the fragile nature of the glass bottles, the apparatus performing the filling and closing operations always will allow only one row of bottles to pass through, and considerable speeds are produced during the transport of the glass bottles which brings about a considerable amount of troublesome noises and danger of breakage.

A method for filling sterile liquids, in particular carbon dioxide containing beverages, into sterile bottles of syn thetic material, is proposed by the inventor in which the production of the bottles of synthetic material, the filling and closing operations are carried out in spatially different but directly adjacent places and in which the bottles of synthetic material which are sterile because of the forming temperature to which they have been subjected during the production, are guided to the place of filling and closing Within a sterile plant while maintaining their sterile condition. In this manner, the washing and rinsing of the bottles may be eliminated. The bottle of synthetic material, in addition, constitutes a type of package that "ice may be thrown away, so that further treatment of returned bottles is not necessary.

The invention is especially concerned with the problem of improving and simplifying the method oflmaking sterile bottles of synthetic material and of filling and closing said bottles of synthetic material.

In accordance with the invention, this problem is solved in that the bottles of synthetic material are pneumatically transported from the place of bottle production to the place where the bottles are filled and closed by compressed air or a vacuum. The properties of the synthetic material are in this manner used in a new and progressive way, said properties forming the base for a simplification and improvement of the entire filling and closing operation. Principally, such a pneumatic transport, be it by means of vacuum or compressed air, very much resembles the function of a pneumatic tube system. A bottle made of synthetic material when formed in a suitable manner will be able to withstand the stresses it is subjected to during such transport, but a glass bottle Will not. This applies particularly with respect to the design of the bottle of synthetic material in accordance with the German Patent 1,071,519. The low Weight of said bottle of synthetic material which has a detrimental effect on transport methods usual with glass bottles, in the case of pneumatic transport has a favourable effect. This manner of transport in addition is distinguished for its low noise development which is an advantage inherent to the bottle of synthetic material as compared to a glass bottle.

The invention is furthermore distinguished the feature that the hot gases remaining inside the bottle from the production of the bottles are removed by vacuum or compressed air. When using compressed air, it is recommended in accordance with the invention, to sterilize the compressed air so as to avoid also in this place the infiuence of non-sterile air on the bottle still warm or hot, respectively, from the production thereof.

The invention is still improved by the feature that a plurality of bottles of synthetic material are manufactured simultaneously; are simultaneously transported to the filling station and closure station; and are simultaneously filled and closed.

With the aid of the invention, it is possible to reduce the speed considerably, thus on the one hand considerably reducing the troublesome noises and, on the other hand, rendering the design of the inividual machines essentially simpler and safer in operation.

-In accordance with the invention, to carry out the process, a pneumatic bottle transport device is arranged between a device to manufacture bottles of synthetic material and a device to fill and close, and if desired or required, to rinse bottles of synthetic material with carbon dioxide. The axis of pneumatic transport essentially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the bottles and the bottles are supplied in this direction from the machine arranged in the rear of the transporting device to erform the filling operation. Thus, with this device, the bottles are longitudinally of the pneumatic conveying device in the manner of a pneumatic tube. It is furthermore recommendable to carry out the invention in such a manner that a plurality of bottle producing devices, pneumatic bottle conveyors and bottle fillers and closing machines are arranged horizontally side by side and that one common control mechanism is provided for one group formed by one bottle producing machine, one bottle conveyor, one bottle filling machine, and one bottle closing machine. In this manner, the result of the apparatus will have an output which will be high in spite of a low conveying speed.

Further improvements and suitable developments of the invention are illustrated in the attached drawing showing some embodiments of the invention in a simplified manner. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 shows a plant to carry out the invention in a schematic and partially perspective view,

FIG. '2 shows an embodiment of another plant to carry out, the invention,

FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a machine to evacuate the bottles and to rinse them with carbon dioxide. This machine may be employed in connection with one of the plants shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,

" FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional view taken on a bottle filling and bottle closing machine which may be used in connection with one of the plants shown in FIGS. 1 and'2,"

FIG. 5 is a schematic and partially diagrammatic View of another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. '6 is a partially sectional view of a machine for evacuating the bottles, pre-rinsing the bottles with carbon dioxide, for filling and closing the bottles of synthetic material for use within the plant shown in FIG. 5,

' FIG. 7 is a schematic and partially perspective view to illustrate another embodiment of the invention, and

j FIG. 8 is a schematic and partially perspective view in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

In accordance with FIG. 1, the synthetic material is supplied in the form of a powder or in a granulated condition to a plant 3 to produce bottles of synthetic material from a silo 1 via a conveying device 2, and is formed in said machine into bottles of synthetic material of a suitable shape and design. The system 3 is designed in particular as a bottle blowing plant and, in a manner known per se, is provided with an cxtruder to extrude the plasticized synthetic material.

The finished bottles while still at the temperature of production are taken out of the mold, in particular the blowing mold,'and supplied to a pneumatic conveying device 9 through a vacuum generator 4; said conveying device may be designed as compressed air or vacuum type conveyor. If the pneumatic conveying device 9 is designed as a vacuum conveyor, the vacuum generator 4 may simultaneously serve to generate the vacuum pressure for the pneumatic conveyor and to remove the hot gases from the bottles coming from the bottle blowing machine.

As will be seen from FIG. 1, there are ten bottle producers arranged in parallel in the form of a battery, with the pneumatic conveying device 9 being correspondingly subdivided into ten conveying strands.

In the example of embodiment shown in FIG. I, the pneumatic conveyor conveys into a bin 5 for empty bottles which may be kept under a carbon dioxide or sterile air atmosphere. For this purpose, the empty bottles are supplied to the bin 5 for empty bottles on the upper side thereof, and CO gas is supplied thereto from below via a line 19 from a C system 7. The bottles are supplied to a pre-rinsing device 6 from the bin for empty bottles via an exit opening 20.disposed at the bottom, said prerinsing apparatus being shown in more detail in FIG. 3 which will be described in more detail in the following. In the empty packaging material or bottle bin 5, thus, there is maintained a carbon dioxide atmosphere so that air which is not sterile cannot enter the bottles.

The pre-r'insing apparatus 6, on the one hand, is in connection with a vacuum pump 22 through a line 21 and, on the other hand, is in connection with the CO station 7 via a line 23, said CO station supplying to the rinsing'apparatus 6 CO gas under an overpressure. In addition, the pie-rinsing apparatus 6 has supplied thereto through the line 24, a C0 gas subjected to a vacuum. After the empty bottles have been filled with CO gas in 'the'pre-rinsing apparatus 6, they arrive at the filler and closing mechanism which is generally designated at 11, and of which one embodiment is shown in more detail in FIG. 4. This apparatus will be described in more detail in the following. In this filling and closing apparatus 11,

ten rows of bottles or batteries of botltes are simultaneously filled and closed under counter pressure. From the filler and closing apparatus 11, the closed bottles arrive at the packing apparatus 14 by means of a transporting device 25, said packing device including a bottle syphon. The empty cartons 26 are supplied to the packing apparatus 14 via the track 27 and, aft-er having been charged with filled bottles by means of the bottle syphon, arrive at a cartons closing machine 15. From here, the closed cartons filled with bottles are supplied to a palletizing machine 16 in a manner known per se.

Instead of using carbon dioxide gas another inert gas, e.g. nitrogen, may be used.

The system shown in FIG. 2 ditfers from the one shown in FIG. 1 only in that the empty package bin 5 is kept in a carbon dioxide atmosphere, is eliminated. The pneumatic conveyor 9 thus conveys directly through its mouth opening 28 to the pre-rinsing apparatus 6. The vacuum and compressed air generator for the operation of the pneumatic bottle conveyor 9 is not particularly shown in FIG. 2. In a corresponding manner, also the blowing apparatus to remove from the bottle the hot gases which are still contained therein from its production is not shown.

Under certain circumstances, a bonnet may be arranged above the pre-rinsing apparatus 6 and the filling and closing apparatus 11, in order to keep this apparatus in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide or sterile air, so that also in case of eroneous operation or in case of defects in the apparatus, the entrance of non-sterile air is avoided.

For the machines which are described by way of FIGS. 36, it is assumed that an output of, for instance, 10,000 bottles per hour is required. As in the example of the embodiment, ten rows of bottles are arranged in parallel side by side, this means an output of 1,000 bottles per hour for each row.

The drums used in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the pre-rinsing apparatus 6 and the filling and closing apparatus 11 are for handling 10 radially extending bottles which means about revolutions per hour for the drum. This, with the assumed output of 10,000 bottles per hour is an extraordinarily low speed which leads to a corresponding reduction in noise, a corresponding increase in safety of operation and in the output of the overall plant.

In accordance with FIG. 3, the pre-rinsing appartus 6 consists of a rotatable drum 31 which is rotatable about an axis 29 in the direction of the arrow 30. On the periphery of said drum, there are provided, uniformly spaced over the periphery, ten holders 32 for fitting the bottles 33 thereon and for receiving them. In the interior of the drum, there is a vacuum chamber 34, which extends over three bottles; a C0 vacuum chamber 35 which extends over two bottles; and a C0 overpressure chamber 36 which extends over one bottle. The vacuum chamber 34 is connected to the vacuum pump 22 already mentioned above, via the line 21. The CO vacuum chamber 35 is connected to a C0 vacuum source via a line 24, and the CO overpressure chamber 36 is connected to the CO station 7 which is subjected to an overpressure, through line 10.

The drum 31 is rotated intermittently at the above mentioned speed of 1.7 revolutions per minute in such a manner that always a new empty holder is arriving in front of the ejection orifice 20 of the empty package bin or the ejection orifice 28 of the pneumatic conveyor. Ten such openings are arranged in parallel on the drum 31. Simultaneously, ten empty bottles are closed on the correspond ing holders 32 of the drum under vacuum or overpressure. They are here loosely clamped on the holders in a manner which is not shown in more detail.

In zone 34, the bottles are at first subjected to a vacuum, thereupon they are pre-rinsed in the zone 35 with carbon dioxide in the vacuum region, said bottles being held in both

zones

34 and 35 essentially by vacuum pressure without any mechanical pressing effect. In zone 36, the carbon dioxide pressure is increased so that now the bottle 33 is shot from the drum 31 onto the filling and closing mechanism.

This filling and closing apparatus is shown in FIG. 4. It likewise comprises a drum 8. The bottles proper are supported on bottle plates 9 and are moving in cups 37, which are fastened on the drum 8. The up and down movement of the ten bottles 33 arranged on the periphery is controlled for instance, by means of a stationary cam disc 38 with rollers 39 rolling thereon which are bearing on the bottle plates 9 via rods 40. To return the bottles 33 and the bottle plates 9, return springs (not shown) are used in a manner known per se.

The bottle filling apparatus may be formed in a manner of a counter pressure or special filler and is designated 41, while the closing machine is designated with the reference numeral 42. In the example of embodiment under review, said closing machine serves to provide the bottles with a closure cap. The drum 8 moves intermittently in the direction of the arrow 43. The closing machine moves to and fro in rhythm with the drum 8, namely from the left hand end position 41a to its right-hand end position 41b. Also the closing machine 42 is moving to and fro in a corresponding manner in rhythm with the forwrad running movement of the drum 8. After the bottle filling machine 41 has filled the bottles, it moves forwardly with the bottle as far as the station 41b. From the filling station on, the bottle has been moved downwardly so that now the bottle filling apparatus 4112 may move backward into the position 410. From this position onward, the next bottle is moving upwardly until it engages the bottle filling apparatus in order to be filled now in the position 41. The mode of operation of the bottle closing machine is similar.

In the filler 41, at first, the necessary carbon dioxide pressure is established in the bottle and the bottle is filled under counter pressure. In the free space 12 of the filled bottle, only carbon dioxide is present which was displaced while the bottle was filled with liquid and, owing to the greater weight carbon dioxide has in comparison with aid, remained in the bottleneck.

The closing by means of the closing machine 42 takes place in the usual manner. For completeness sake, attention is drawn to the fact that, naturally, the control of the movement of the bottles may be effected not only from a stationary cammed disc via mechanic connection links but also in any other manner, especially hydraulically, electrically, or electro-hydraulically.

The plant shown in FIG. 5 is largely in conformity with the one shown in FIG. 2. Here, however, a conveying fan is provided for the pneumatic conveying system 9, which supplies sterile compressed air for cleaning the bottles and for conveying them. The air flow is adapted to the intermittent rotation of a series-connected drum 18 which is provided in connection with the evacuation of the bottles, the CO pre-rinsing, the filler and closing apparatus and is shown in more detail by way of FIG. 6. A cleaning blower 4 is arranged in front of the conveying blower 17, said cleaning blower 4 being intended to remove the major portion of the hot gases from the bottles made of synthetic material coming from the bottle producing machine 3, and being designed either in the form of a vacuum blower or compressed air blower. The pneumatic conveyor 9 has its orifice 28 obliquely directed downwardly towards one of the gondola-like cages 44 of the drum 18. This drum 18 in turn has bottles supplied thereto in one row in side-by-side arrangement. There are twelve gondola-like cages supported on the drum 18 equally spaced on the circumference of the drum, said gondola-like cages extending in parallel with the axis of rotation of the drum which is intermittently moved forward in the direction of the arrow 45. Each cage 44 is pivotally supported about an axis 45, and comprises a guiding roller 46 which is guided on a stationary cam path 47. In this manner, the position of the gondola-like cages is controlled such that they are first aligning themselves towards the

mouth

48, 28 of the pneumatic conveyor by means of which bottles may be shot-in.

Thereafter, the cages are erected in the region of the bottle evacuation device 48, the CO pre-rinsing apparatus 49, the filler 50 and the closing apparatus 51, and finally, the cage is slightly pivoted in a counterclockwise direction so that the bottle syphon 52 may take the finished closed bottles out of the container 44 and may place them in the carton 26. Thereafter, the cage is again returned to its upright position, in order to be filled again with a row of bottles-ten in the example of embodiment under reviewafter a rotation through about 180. The

devices

48, 49, 50 and 51 are provided with openings capable of up and down movement in order to bring them into engagement with the bottle opening. The evacuation of the bottles, the pre-rinsing, filling, and closure under counter pressure takes place in a usual manner so that it is not necessary to deal in detail with the special design of these machines.

The embodiments in accordance with FIGS. 7 and 8 differ from what has been previously described essentially in that for the filler, the closing apparatus, and the bottle evacuating device and CO pre-rinser, as the case may be, instead of a drum rotatable about an axis, a conveyor is employed which is continuously and intermittently moved in the horizontal plane. In both devices, one single cleaning and conveying air blower 4 serves to clean the bottles and to convey the bottles in the pneumatic conveyor, said conveying air blower 4 being preferably designed in the form of a syphon blower. The endless conveyor shown in FIG. 7 which moves the bottles intermittently in the horizontal plane is designated with 53. On this conveyor, in the example of embodiment, there are arranged six cages 54 which are each serving to receive ten bottles. Into the first ones of these cages, the bottles are shot from the mouth 28 of the pneumatic conveyor. Then, in a manner which is principally in conformity with the above described embodiments, the -bottle evacuator 48, the CO prerinser 49, the counterpressure filler 50, the closing apparatus 51, and the bottle syphon 52, follow. For the bottle syphon, a vacuum pump 55 is provided; the vacuum pump for the bottle evacuating device being referenced 56.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 8. The endless conveyor performing an intermittent feeding movement is referenced 57. On this conveyor, there are provided altogether only four bottle receiving devices 58. There are only one counterpressure filler 50, one bottle closing apparatus 51, and one bottle syphon 52 cooperating with this conveyor, said bottle syphon however being in cooperation, in this embodiment, with a compressor 59. The bottle is pre-evacuated in a manner known per se and is pre-rinsed and filled with carbon dioxide by the counter pressure filler 50 rather than a special machine. The embodiment shown at least by way of FIG. 8, is distinguished for its special simplicity and low constructional expense and space requirement, without impairing the quality and quickness of the sterile fillmg.

The bottles of synthetic material themselves may suitably be coined in the blowing or bottle producing machine 3. The coining operation then preferably directly follows the bottle production machine 3, that means is placed in front of the pneumatic conveying device 9. The labelling machine, however, suitably is placed behind the closing machine, however, is not shown nor described in more detail, because in this respect the invention does not differ from the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for packing a sterile liquid, such as carbon dioxide containing beverages, into bottles of synthetic plastic material comprising, in combination, a rotatably cylindrical member assembly adapted to be moved intermittently in a closed processing path, means for detachably fastening a plurality of said bottles on said assembly along a row which extends perpendicularly with respect to saidpath, filling elements for filling the bottles of a first row of said rows of bottles simultaneously, closing elements for closing simultaneously the bottles of a second row of said rows of bottles which is arranged behind said first row on said assembly in the direction of said intermittent path, said fastening means comprising gondola-like cage members adapted to receive said bottles, means forrotatably supporting said cage members on said rotatable cylindrical member, and guide elements for changing the angular position of said cage members on said rotatable cylindrical member.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said guide elements comprising a stationary cam surface, and follower elements operatively connected to said cage members and adapted to engage said stationary cam surface.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 in which the rotatable axes of said cage members are arranged on a curve which extends eccentrically with respect to the rotational axis of said rotatable cylindrical member.

4. A machine for packing a sterile liquid, such as carbon dioxide containing beverages, into bottles of synthetic plastic material comprising, in combination, a supporting assembly comprising a first and a second rotatable cylindrical member intermittently driven in synchronization, means for detachably fastening a plurality of said bottles on the outer surface of said first cylindrical member and having their opening directed towards the center of said first cylindrical member, said means fastening said bottles on the outer surface of said first cylindrical member arranging said bottles along a row which extends perpendicularly with respect to the path of movement of the bottles, filling elements for filling the bottles of a first row of said rows of bottles simultaneously, closing elements for closing simultaneously the bottles of a second row of said rows of bottles which is arranged behind said first row on said assembly in the direction of the path of movement of said bottles, a stationary vacuum chamber, a stationary underpressure inert gas chamber, and a stationary superpressure inert gas chamber within the interior of said first cylindrical member, openings provided in said first cylindrical member for connecting the interior of said bottles successively with the interior of said vacuum chamber, of said underpressure inert gas chamber and of said superpr'essure inert gas chamber, means for conveying said bottles from said first to said second cylindrical member, said filling and closing elements arranged above the upper circumference of said second cylindrical member, evacuating elements for evacuating said bottles, and rinsing elements for filling said bottles with an inert gas before filling said bottles with said sterile liquid.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 having in combination means for radially alternating said bottles on said second-cylindrical member, said filling and said closing elements being alternated with respect to said second cylindrical member on a circular path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,729,378 1/1956 Pujol Y Font 531 12 2,908,124 10/1959 Hagen 53112 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.