US3552453A - Method and apparatus for filling containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Empty cans are fed to a multiple filling head turret, and as the turret rotates the filling heads are turned through four positions. In the first position the filling head rotor valve is indexed allowing venting to the atmosphere. In the second position a vacuum is drawn in the can. At the third position dual passages allow syrup to flow into the container while the vacuum channel remains open. In the fourth position the primary syrup passage remains fully open while the vacuum is drawn through the restricted portion of the vacuum channel, drawing off the remaining air, excess syrup and foam, insuring complete filling of the can.

Description

United States Patent lnventors Robert R. Hall;

Sherman 1-1. Creed, San Jose, Calif. 739,233 June 24,1968 Jan. 5, 1971 FMC Corporlilon Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee San Jose, Cali a corporation 1' Delaware METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS 1 Field of Search l37/625.31 (US. on] 141/7, 8, 44, 4 5, 4750 57-59, 62, 69,115,116, 119, 286, 201

Primary Examiner-Laverne Geiger Assistant Examiner-Edward J. Earls AttorneysF. W. Anderson and C. E. Tripp ABSTRACT: Empty cans are fed to a multiple filling head turret, and as the turret rotates the filling heads are turned through four positions. In the first position the filling head rotor valve is indexed allowing venting to the atmosphere. In the second position a vacuum is drawn in the can. At the third position dual passages allow syrup to flow into the container while the vacuum channel remains open. In the fourth position the primary syrup passage remains fully open while the vacuum is drawn through the restricted portion of the vacuum channel, drawing off the remaining air, excess syrup and foam, insuring complete filling of the can.

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SHERMAN H. CREED AT TORNE YS 'PATENTEU JAN 5 l97| SHEET u [1F 4 INVENTORS. ROBERT R. BALL I 3.1m FINAL FILL PQSITIQN SHERMAN H. CREED ATTORNEYS METHOD AND APPARATUS FORFILLING cONTAINERs BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention Thepresentinvention relates to machines for filling con-' tainers with liquid and is particularly-concerned with an improved filling head by which the cans are filled with syrup to a predetermined height in machines known as syrupers.

2. Description of the Prior Art g The Hoar US. Pat. N0.2,070,302 discloses a three-position valve having (I) an atmospheric vent position; (2) a vacuum onlyposition; and (3) a liquid filling with auxiliary vacuum position.

The apparatus disclosed by the Boucher US. Pat No.-

3,I72,434 has a four-position valve having (I) a position where the valve is closed; (2) a vacuum only position; (3) a position in which the syrup passageis open anda vacuum is" simultaneously drawn through a radial slot; and (4) a position where the vacuum passage is closed and the syrup passage registers with the radial slot, discharging a small quantity of syrup to completely fill the container.

The Ardron US. Pat. No. 2,546,418 describes a four-position filling head by which the container is (I) initially vented to the atmosphere; (2) then subjected to a vacuum. At (3) the vacuum is cut offand the container'is'filled by thepressure differential and gravity, until the air remaining inthe container produces a pressure balance. At (4) an auxiliary vacuum connection draws off residual air and syrup, allowing the container to fill to the displacer pad.

7 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The filling heads of the present invention may be employed in a container-filling machine (or-syruper) such as that'disclosed in the copending application Ser. No. 717,5 82 by Creed filed on Apr. 1, I968,\assigned to the FMC Corporation. For details of the machine structure not required for understanding of the present invention reference may be-made to the Creed application. I

A principal object of the present invention-is to'speed up the filling operation. This is accomplished by vacuumizing the can during the last three steps of a four-step filling cycle. Another object is to minimize the amount of liquid drawn through the vacuum passage during the final vacuum-filling portion of the filling. cycle.

These objects and other advantages are attained by a four position filling head having'vent, vacuum, initial fill and final opens both a syrup channel and the vent passages in thevalve body and displacer-pad to the syrup reservoir. A new vacuum channel is established, which continues to draw a vacuum on the container. The syrup flows rapidly from the reservoir into the container, due to the pressure. differential between the vacuum in the container. and the syrup which is at atmospheric pressure in the reservoir, as well as due to the force of gravity. The syrup channel is augmented by use of the ventpassages in the valve body and displacer pad, .thereby providing dual fluid flow paths to the container. Also, filling of the interstices in the container is'assured due to the continuedvacuum being drawn on the container and its contents.

The fourth position of the rotor is the final fill position, for completion of the filling process or topping-off. The vacuum channel remains open. However, the vacuum channel now has a reduced cross section, resulting in a reduced rate 0f air.

removal from the can. In thisposition, the principal 'syrup channel remainsopen, but it is no'longer' augmented by the vent passages. As the can becomes full, or during the topping off process, the remaining air and excess syrup are drawn from BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a central vertical section of'a filling machine including the filling heads of the present invention;

FIG. 2'is an enlarged plan'of a valve assembly;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through a valve assembly;

FIG. 3A is a sectiontaken on line 3A-3A'of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective diagram of the filling head;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section through a portion of the filling head looking on'line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 6, 8 and 10 are diagrams similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the different valve positions insequence and resulting flow paths;

FIGS. 7, 9 and 11 are sections similar to FIG. 5,'also illustrating the different valve positions in sequence;

FIG. 9A is a fragmentary section taken on line 9A-9A of FIG. 9; and Y FIG. 9B is a fragmentary section taken on line 9B-9B 'of FIG. 9;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE sYRuPER" shaft 28 projecting down from the reservoir. The shaft" 28i's rotatably'mounted in the machine frame by an upper bearing 30 on a tube 31 projecting from a frame cross brace 33, and' on a lower bearing 34 on a lower'cross brace 36. The cross braces connect to vertical supports 38-and 39.

. At the bottom of the reservoir a vacuum'chamb'er 40"is pro vided by a sealed cover pIate'I41fThe'vacuum chamber'is m nected-by'a pipe 42 to a trap tank-44. The-trap tank 44'is con-' nected by pipe 46to a vacuum source indicated at V, by'which the chamber 40 is maintained under a vacuum that is in the .order of 17% inches of mercury. This structure is knownin the art and .its details are notcritical tothis invention.

Liquid, such as syrup or fruit juice, with which the cans are to be filled, is maintained at the desired workinglevel in the reservoir 26in a conventional manner. Liquid and air that enter the vacuum chamber 40, as a result of the operation'of the filling heads 20, are drawn from the chamber through the pipe 42and into the trap tank 44, where the liquid is separated" from the air and returned to thereservoir 26 by pipes 45.

. A drive 50 rotates the turret 24 in the direction indicatedby arrows52' (FIG. I). The drive includes a'right angledrive 54 having apower inputshaft=56 that is connected by a sprocket and chain arrangement 58 with a source of power (not shown) such as an electric motor; A poweroutputshaftfiO, of the right angle drive 54, has'a pinion 62 fixed thereon that meshes with a larger gear "64 which in turn is secured to the turret shaft 28 to rotate the-turret upon operation of the drive 50L Thus, the circular array of fillingheads 20,'which are mounted on the turret, is advanced in a circular path in the direction or arrows 52.

The can-filling heads 20 each includes rotary valves and these valves form the subject matter of the present invention. As the turret rotates, the valves are indexed by star wheels 68 and fixed cams 70, in a well-known manner.

Referring to FIGS. l3, each filling head 20 has a valve body 72, a valve rotor 74 and a displacer pad 76. The valve bodies 72 are fixed to a cylindrical wall 78 ofthe reservoir 26 and project therefrom in a horizontal plane. The valve rotors 74 are rotatably mounted on the valve bodies and are rotated about their own axes by the star wheels 68. The entire valve assemblies follow a circular path about the central vertical axis of the syruper.

During a filling cycle, open top cans C are brought up against gaskets 80 which surround the displacer heads 76, by a generally helical ramp structure 93 of the syruping machine. as in the Creed application. As the turret rotates, the star wheel 68 turns the valve rotors 74. This cyclically connects the cans to the vacuum chamber 40 through ports 84 formed in the peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber, to vacuumize the cans. In other positions of the valves, the cans are connected to the reservoir 26 through ports 86 at the bottom of the reservoir, in order to fill the cans with liquid.

As described in the Creed application, various can guides are supported by an upper ring 88 on the valve bodies 72. The ring 88 mounts the upper ends of vertically extending rollers 90, which rollers are more than twice as long as the height of the cans C to accommodate vertical motion of the cans during their passage through the syruper. The lower ends of the rollers are supported on a frame ring 91. The rollers 90 associated with each filling head 20 provide pockets in which cans are seated for guided vertical movement during rotation ofthe turret. The helical ramp 93 raises and lowers the cans as the turret rotates. The cans are radially confined by a helical guide rail 92 as they are carried around by the turret. This rail, in cooperation with rollers 90, causes a smooth guiding and advancing action as the cans are raised by the ramp.

Also mounted on the upper ring 88 are three studs at each can pocket. These are paired studs 94 and an inner stud 95 (FIG. 2). The lower ends of the studs are tapered so that if the mouth of the can being guided upward by cooperating rollers 90 toward a filling head is distorted, the can will be cammed into a more circular configuration. The studs also center the cans with respect to the valves as they approach the filling heads. Thus the rollers 90 and the studs 94 and 95 cooperate in assuring that the mouths of the cans will be substantially circular and properly oriented to encircle displacer pads 76 and seat against the gaskets 78. The aforesaid studs form part of the invention in the aforesaid Creed application.

FILLING HEAD Having described a machine that includes the filling heads of the present invention, the latter will now be described in detail. As previously mentioned, each filling head is composed ofa star wheel 68, a rotor 74, a valve body 72, a displacer pad 76 and a can-sealing gasket 78. The valve body is formed in two halves (FIG. 3), bonded together.

The rotor 74 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is rotatably mounted on the lower end of a stub shaft 96, the upper end of the shaft being secured at 97 to a reservoir bowl flange 97a. A spring 98 (FIG. 3) presses the valve rotor 74 into sealing engagement with the body 72. The star wheel 68 drives the rotor 74 by means ofa noncircular connection 99, seen in dotted lines in FIG. 2.

As seen in FIG. 4, et seg., the rotor contains a through vent passage 100 to atmosphere, a blind concavity forming a vacuum channel 102 and a blind, generally triangular concavity forming a syrup channel 104. The vacuum channel 102 is generally crescent shaped, having notch 102a at its midposition for alignment with a primary port 110 in the valve body, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. The vacuum channel 102 can also be aligned with a vacuum gallery 106 in the valve body, in all but the vent position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The vacuum channel 102 is necked down in both width and depth at 102b (FIG.

9A) for restrictive connection with the vacuum gallery 106, in the final fill position seen in FIGS. 10 and 11. The purpose of the varying cross section of channel 102 is to allow air to be drawn from the can at a high rate during the vacuum and ini' tial fill positions, but to reduce that rate in the final fill position. This minimizes carryover of the syrup into the vacuum trap 44.

As mentioned, the valve body 72, as shown in FIG. 9, contains a vacuum gallery 106 which leads to the vacuum chamber 40 through ports 84 in the wall of vacuum chamber 40 (FIG. 1). Also formed in the valve body is a syrup gallery 108 (FIGS. 3, 10 and 11), which leads through ports 86 (FIG. 3) to the reservoir 26 (FIG. 1). The valve body also contains the large primary port 110 (previously mentioned) which extends elear through the body, and a smaller, secondary port 112 which is angled through the body (FIG. 4). The valve body also has a through vent passage 114 (FIG. 4).

Screwed to the bottom of the valve body 72 is the displacer pad 76 (FIG. 3) which determines the empty space between the syrup level and the top of the open container C. The pad contains a vent passage 116 extending therethrough, and which is always aligned with the vent passage 114 of the body (FIG. 4). Also, and as seen in FIG. 4, in the Vent Position," the vent passage 100 of the rotor 74 is aligned with the body vent passage 114, and hence with the displacer vent passage 116, so that the three passages vent the container to the atmosphere.

The displacer pad contains a group of large diameter blind passages 118 connected by a gallery 119 (FIGS. 3 and 3A). The pad also has a group of smaller diameter passages 120 connected by a separate gallery 121 within the pad.

The can-sealing gasket surrounds the displacer pad (FIG. 3), and seals against the underside of the valve body 72. The gasket closes the lip of the container C during the filling operation.

OPERATION Cans which have been previously filled with material such as cling peach halves are advanced into the filling machine by a conveyor (not shown). For a detailed description of the can induction into the machine, see the aforesaid Creed application Ser. No. 717,582, incorporated herein by reference.

Rollers advance the cans that are seated in the roller pockets in the direction of arrow 52, FIG. I. The cans are then slid upward along the rollers 90 by the ascending portion of ramp 93 until they reach the filling heads 20. If the cans are misoriented or out of round they will be properly oriented and/or cammed into circular configuration by the bevels of studs 94 and 95. This assures that the upper rims of the cans will be substantially circular and properly seated on the filling head 20 as the cans approach the horizontal portion of the ramp 93.

As the cans advance along the horizontal portion of the ramp the can lips or rims are sealed against the can-sealing gasket 80(FIG.3).

FILLING SEQUENCE VENT POSITION (FIGS. 4 AND 5) Upon reaching the horizontal portion of the ramp the can engages the filling head 20 whose rotor 74 is in the vent position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this position, vent passages 100, 114 and 116 are in line, thereby venting the can C to atmosphere through the rotor passage 100, which is always open to atmosphere.

The vacuum gallery 106 formed in the valve body 72 is blanked off by the rotor 74. The syrup gallery 108 in the valve body leads to the syrup channel 104 in the rotor, but the latter makes no connection with any other passages, and hence blanks off the syrup gallery 108, in the vent position. Thus only an atmosphere vent connection is established with the can, as described above.

' the vent 114 in the body (FIG. 11) is blanked off by vAcuuM rosirioutrros. 6 AND. 7)

Upon advancingapproximately l 5 5from the can induction point the star wheel 68 engages the first of four fixed cams 70,

' turning the rotor approximately 90.-] his brings the-filler head to the vacuum position, as illustrated in'FIGS. 6 and 7 In this position, the notch 102a;of, the'vacuum channel 102 is oriented over the primary'port 110 that extends through the valve body 72.. The bodyportl is always open to the gallery 119 and hence to the ports1l8 in the displacer pad 78 (FIG 3A). This opens a continuous passagefrom the can, through the group of large dia'meterpassages 118 of the displacer pad,

through the primary port 110, reyersely through the .blind notch 102a in the rotor, and back down through the vacuum, gallery 106 in the valve body 72. A vacuum now is drawn in the can from port 84in thevacuum chamber 40. v

In the vacuumposition, the air. vent 100 in the rotor. is blanked off. by the valve body 72 (FIG. 7). The blind syrup channel 104'in the rotor 74 is'alsoblanked off by the valve body,- thereby closing the syrup gallery 108 in the valve body (FIG. 7).

The can: is-vacuumized to about l7/ 2 inches ofmercury,

preparing it for rapid'filling. INITIAIa I-ILL POSITION (FIGS. 8 AND 9 vent position of FIGS. 4 and 5, at which the can is vented to atmosphere. Thus breaks the vacuum on the can, releasing the can for withdrawal. The filled containers descend on ramp 93 and are then advanced onto a discharge conveyor (not shown) for removal from the syruper 22.

' As can be seen, although filling is hastened by vacuumizing the can during both the initial and the final fill positions, dur- After a rotation of approximately 25, during which the v vacuum is drawn, the second fixed cam. 70 engages the star wheel 68 causing'the rotor to turn to the initial fill position,'in-

dicated in FIGS; 8 and 9. In this position, the larger end of the vacuum chamber. 102 in the rotor .74 is brought over the secondary portl12 in the body 72. This continues to draw a vacuum on the can C. but the vacuum is now drawn through V the secondary port 112 and hence through the smaller diameter passages 120 leadingto gallery 121 of the displacer head 76., 1

- v Syrup is introduced as follows The blind. syrup gallery 104 in the rotor 74 now connects to both the primary port 110 in the body 72, and to the vent port 114 in the body. The blind syrup channel 104 in the rotor always connects to the syrup gallery 108 in the'body 72. Syrup entering the channel 104 can now leave via the primary port 110, which port is always connectedtothe gallery 1.19 and hence to the ports 118 in the displacer pad. These lead directly to thecan.

Additionally, the syrup gallery 104 in the rotor now opens to the vent passage 114 in the body; Since the bodyvent passage 1'14 always'opens to thecan via the vent passage 116 vided; Syrup now flows from the reservoir 26 through port 86, (FIGS. 1 and 3) the syrup gallery 108 in the body, reverses at rotor channel 104, and flows down through the previously described'body and displacer pad passages into the can. The syrup flows rapidly into the can, due to the gravity head on the reservoir, as well as due to the vacuum on the can. Vacuumizing the can during the initial fill position also insures that all of the interstices between the material in the can are filled, because air in is not trapped therein.

FINAL rrr.L POSITION (nos o AND 11) When the turret has rotated the filling head 20 and the cans through an additional 60, the can will have been subin the displacer pad 76, and additional syrup channel is proing the latter position flow through the various vacuum ports is throttled somewhat. This retains the rapid fill advantage of vacuumizing as well as withdrawing foam, etc., but this withdrawal of foam (and possibly some liquid) is minimized.

' Although the best method of carrying out the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that modification and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be the subject matter of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A method of filling containers such as cans or the like with liquid, comprising the successive steps of venting the container to the atmosphere; closing the vent and drawing a .vacuum in the container; initially filling the container by introducing a filling liquid under atmospheric pressure into the vacuumizedcontainer while continuing to draw a vacuum in the'container; and finally filling the. container while continuing to draw a vacuum thereon for drawing off foam, air and some 7 excess liquid to ensure complete filling of said container to a predetermined height.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of reducing the rate of vacuum withdrawal during final filling with respect to initial filling to minimize the withdrawal of excess liquid during the final filling step.

3. A container-filling machine having a liquid source under atmosphere'pressure and a separate vacuum source, at least one filling head including a valve body element with vacuum and filling galleries for respective connection to the vacuum and liquid sources, and an indexed valve rotor element, a container-receiving displacer pad element and a container-sealing gasket wherein the improvement comprises passage means provided in said elements to vent the container to atmosphere in a vent position of the rotor element, passage means in said elements for drawing a vacuum in the container when said rotor element is in a vacuum position; passage means in said element for rapidly filling liquid under atmospheric pressure into the container and for simultaneously evacuating air from the container when said rotor element is in an initial fill posistantially filled with syrup. The rotor is again turned 90to the final fill position. shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. This position resembles the previous one, with the exception that the necked down portion 102b of the vacuum channel 102 now 1 overlies the vacuum gallery 106 in the body. This throttles the tion, and passage means in said elements for topping off the container by simultaneously filling and evacuating the container when said rotor element is in a final fill position.

4. The filling machine of claim 3, wherein the evacuation I passage means is of reduced size in the final fill position.

5, A container filling machine having a liquid source under atmospheric pressure and a separate vacuum source, at least one filling head including a valve body, a rotor indexable into four positions and a container-receiving displacer pad fixed to said body, independent liquid and vacuum galleries in said valve body connected respectively to the liquid and vacuum sources wherein the improvement comprises primary and secondary ports and avent passage extending through said valve body for communication with said galleries; said rotor includes an atmospheric vent'passag'e therethrough, a blind filling cavity in continuous communication with the liquid gallow of said valve body, and a blind vacuum channel of which a portion has a restricted section; saidldisplacer pad having while the vacuum channel effects communication between the vacuum gallery and the secondary port in said valve body.

6. The filling machine of claim 5, wherein said restricted section of the rotor vacuum channel effects vacuum communication in the final fill position.

7. The filling machine ofclaim 5 wherein the vent passage in said valve body is in communication with the filling cavity in the initial fill position.

Claims (7)

1. A method of filling containers such as cans or the like with liquid, comprising the successive steps of venting the container to the atmosphere; closing the vent and drawing a vacuum in the container; initially filling the container by introducing a filling liquid under atmospheric pressure into the vacuumized container while continuing to draw a vacuum in the container; and finally filling the container while continuing to draw a vacuum thereon for drawing off foam, air and some excess liquid to ensure complete filling of said container to a predetermined height.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of reducing the rate of vacuum withdrawal during final filling with respect to initial filling to minimize the withdrawal of excess liquid during the final filling step.

3. A container-filling machine having a liquid source under atmosphere pressure and a separate vacuum source, at least one filling head including a valve body element with vacuum and filling galleries for respective connection to the vacuum and liquid sources, and an indexed valve rotor element, a container-receiving displacer pad element and a container-sealing gasket wherein the improvement comprises passage means provided in said elements to vent the container to atmosphere in a vent position of the rotor element, passage means in said elements for drawing a vacuum in the container when said rotor element is in a vacuum position, passage means in said element for rapidly filling liquid under atmospheric pressure into the container and for simultaneously evacuating air from the container when said rotor element is in an initial fill position, and passage means in said elements for topping off the container by simultaneously filling and evacuating the container when said rotor element is in a final fill position.

4. The filling machine of claim 3, wherein the evacuation passage means is of reduced size in the final fill position.

5. A container filling machine having a liquid source under atmospheric pressure and a separate vacuum source, at least one filling head including a valve body, a rotor indexable into four positions and a container-receiving displacer pad fixed to said body, independent liquid and vacuum galleries in said valve body connected respectively to the liquid and vacuum sources wherein the improvement comprises primary and secondary ports and a vent passage extending through said valve body for communication with said galleries; said rotor includes an atmospheric vent passage therethrough, a blind filling cavity in continuous communication with the liquid gallery of said valve body, and a blind vacuum channel of which a portion has a restricted section; said displacer pad having passages aligned with the primary and secondary ports and the vent passage of said valve body; said or rotor having a vent position in which the vent passages of said rotor and valve body are in alignment and the vacuum gallery is blanked off, a vacuum position in which the vacuum channel effects communication between the primary port and vacuum gallery of said valve body and the filling cavity is blanked off, initial and final fill positions in which the filling cavity effects communication between the liquid gallery and primary port in said valve body while the vacuum channel effects communication between the vacuum gallery and the secondary port in said valve body.

6. The filling machine of claim 5, wherein said restricted section of the rotor vacuum channel effects vacuum communication in the final fill position.

7. The filling machine of claim 5 wherein the vent passage in said valve body is in communication with the filling cavity in the initial fill position.

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