US3589414A

US3589414A - Rotary gravity high-speed filler

Info

Publication number: US3589414A
Application number: US710051A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Risser
Original assignee: U S BOTTLERS MACHINERY CO
Current assignee: U S BOTTLERS MACHINERY CO
Priority date: 1968-03-04
Filing date: 1968-03-04
Publication date: 1971-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1988-06-29

Abstract

A rotary gravity high-speed filling apparatus for the automatic filling of plural containers of glass or plastic delivered to the apparatus, each with a predetermined quantity of a product or liquid to be dispensed. The filling mechanism successively raises and lowers the individual filling stems into the spaced containers, and is provided with a main distributing valve and adjustable cam means for controlling the flow of the liquid supplied by gravity to the filling stems with any overflow directed to an overflow system including an overflow tank having a diffuser plate whereby any product overflow is directed to the sides of the tank and maintained quiescent. Each filling stem is lowered into its aligned container and provided with concentric tubular members including a free-floating outer tubular member and a spaced inner tubular member whereby upon lowering the stem to dispensing position into a container by the adjustable cam, the inner tubular member exposes its filling opening for dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid to its container. All product flow to the filling stems and overflow therefrom is directed downhill and the individual filling stems require no internal packing or seals and the concentric tubular members provide a plastic-to-metal sliding fit.

Description

United States Patent [72] lnvenlor James A. Risser Northbrook, Ill. 1211 Appl. No, 710,051 [22] Filed Mar. 4, 1968 1451 Patented June 29,1971 [73] Assignee U.S. Bottlers Machinery Company Chicago, 111.

[54] ROTARY GRAVITY HIGH-SPEED FILLER 7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

521 US. (:1 1411147, l4l/45,l4l/288,141/292 [51] Int. Cl B65h 43/60 [50] Field otSearch 137/590; 210/538; l4l/44,45,59,62, 115, 147, 152, 177, 285, 286, 288,291, 292, 295, 296, 301, 368,131, 134; 222/318;285/302 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,164,360 12/1915 Kiefer 141/288 2,172,102 9/1939 141/291 2,401,124 5/1946 Walker et al. 141/1 l5 3,056,436 10/1962 Fechheimer et a1. 141/147 X 3,168,123 2/1965 Pellerino etal. 141/152X 3,175,591 3/1965 Manas....; 141/295 3,386,480 6/1968 Riesenberg... 141/147 2,639,077 5/1953 Risser 141/59 X 3,093,165 6/1963 Risser 141/147 X 3,284,114 11/1966 McCord,Jr. et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1927 Great Britain OTHER REFERENCES German Printed Application. Stork 1,146,394.3-1963 Primary Examiner-Laverne D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-Edward J Earls AnorneyWilson & Geppert overflow tank having a diffuser plate whereby any product overflow is directed to the sides of the tank and maintained quiescent. Each filling stem is lowered into its aligned container and provided with concentric tubular members including a free-floating outer tubular member and a spaced inner tubular member whereby upon lowering the stem to dispensing position into a container by the adjustable cam, the inner tubular member exposes its filling opening for dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid to its container.

- All product flow to the filling stems and overflow therefrom is directed downhill and the individual filling stems require no internal packing or seals and the concentric tubular members provide a plastic-to-metal sliding fit.

PATENTEU JUN29 I97! SHEET 1 OF 4 ROTARY GRAVITY HIGH-SPEED FILLER The present invention relates to a novel rotary gravity highspeed filler for automatically filling containers with a predetermined quantity of liquid.

One of the objects of the present invention is in the provision of a novel filling stem or nozzle assembly functioning asa valve for permitting the product to be dispensed to enter the container to be filled upon lowering of the stem into discharge position by an adjustable cam and exposing the fill opening in the inner tube of the filling stem, and the construction and operation of the filling stern.

This filling stem embodies a novel construction and manner of adjustably mounting a sealer rubber and tube clamp assembly on the telescoping outer tube, the sealer rubber being mounted on the tube clamp assembly and the latter provided with a tube clamp bushing, a tube clamp ferrule and a tube clamp in the form of a threaded nut, all encompassing the outer tube of the filling stem and detachably clamped thereto for adjustably mounting the sealer rubber upon the outer tube.

The present invention further comprehends a novel rotary gravity filling machine for filling plural containers in which all product flow is downhill, thus allowing any overflow at the end of the filling cycle to exhaust to atmospheric pressure and thereby eliminating any back pressure that may develop in the overflow system. In the novel filling stem assembly there is provided a tube body having a relatively large cavity in which is collected the overflow and from which it is discharged out of the overflow passage faster than anyproduct may rise into this cavity from the annular space between the inner and outer tubes.

Another important object is the provision of novel. filling stern devoid of any packing or internal seal within the filling stem, thus providing a more simple, cleaner and sanitary construction and assembly, as well as the elimination of friction drag or indeterminable loads that must otherwise be overcome by means of springs or excessive weights to activate a sliding tube assembly.

A further object of the present invention is the provision in the filling stem assembly of a novel tube bushing encompassing the inner filling tube and formed separately from the tube body. This tube bushing formed of a plastic composition or material has the following basic functions:

1. It provides a plastic-to-metal sliding fit and in the event of wear, it rather than the encompassed inner tube needs replacing.

2. The external dimensions and external thread of this tube bushing is intended to remain the same for assembly in the tube body, although the size of the central opening or bore is to be varied to accommodate different sizes of inner filling tubes.

3. The tube bushing is provided with a cupped recess at its upper end for collecting a small amount of liquid leakage in the event of a momentary clog in the overflow system. This collected product is returned to the inner chamber in the tube body when the back pressure has been relieved.

The present invention further comprehends a novel assembly of an outer tube and nut at the upper end of the tube, the nut being mounted in the central opening or passage in the bottom of the tube body. This tube and nut assembly is also interchangeable with various size stems so that a prospective customer need only purchase an inner tube, an outer tube and bushing when requiring a different diameter tube assembly.

As there are no seals or packing in the stem and the outer tube is free-floating, this filling machine requires a minimum sealing weight to handle the maximum head pressure that may be delivered to a given container. Optional sealing weights are available in one-pound increments, there being three shown to yield a total extra weight of 3 pounds mounted on the tube body, in addition to the weight of the tube head which approximates l pounds.

By providing the present machine with a ring-type cam, it is possible to handle extremely lightweight plastic containers. In this event, the tube slide, tube body and inner tube would not be permitted to add any weight when sealing these lightweight containers. Only the tube body and optional sealing weights together with the outer tube and sealer rubber would rest on top of the container providing the seal necessary to determine the fill height in the container.

In the event the containers to be filled are extremely strong or have a very large diameter which might produce a large pressure differential across the sealer rubber face, it is possible to lower the ring cam so as to introduce the additional weights of the slide and tube body.

The present invention further comprehends a novel main distributing valve connected to an inlet pipe supplying the product for filling the containers. This product is supplied to the main distributing valve by gravity or, if desired, by some external pressure. This valve which contains the only packing in the filling machine, has a stationary discharge manifold assembly at the center with the exterior or housing of the valve rotating with the filling machine. The stationary discharge manifold comprises three annular discs, an upper disc, a

- center disc and a lower disc,'the lower face of the upper disc and upper face of the lower disc having aligned annular recesses to conformably receive therebetween the annular center disc which is suitably affixed in the annular recess of the lower disc, and the upper and lower discs suitably connected as bywelding. The lower disc is also recessed on its under surface and provided with a flat valve seat for preventing flow to a limited number of the discharge ports from the bottom of the discharge manifold to the filling stems.

As the valve or manifold housing rotates with the filling machine, the centrally mounted stationary manifold allows the product to be fed to all but about five of the filling stems elevated by the cam. As the inner manifold is connected to the inlet pipe, by loosening the inlet pipe support the operator can vary or adjust the position of the inlet manifold so that the inoperative tubes can be placed across the front of the machine, or toward the infeed side or the discharge side of the cam, depending upon his requirement.

For example, if one is filling only glass containers and there is no deformation of the glass due to internal pressure, when commencing the withdrawal of the filling stem from the container the puff or squirt" so common with plastic containers is not experienced. For this application the operator positions his cutoff manifold whereby the inoperative tubes lie across the front of the machine which in no way affects the filling time available from the time the filling stem is lowered on the cam until it is withdrawn from the container.

If the operator is filling lightweight plastic containers capable of substantial deformation under pressure, the cutoff manifold would be positioned so that the flow to the filling stem is stopped some time prior to the removal of the filling stem by means of the adjustable cam.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in frontv elevation of the assembled filling machine.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the filling machine.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the inlet and the discharge manifold assembly for supplying the liquid to be dispensed to the plural and successive filling tubes.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a filling tube assembly being lowered to filling position in a container or bottle.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the lower end of the filling stem of FIG. 4, including the inner tube with its tube tip, and the telescoping outer tube.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of FIG. 4 but in which the filling tube assembly is lowered to filling position exposing the discharge opening in the inner tube.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged view of FIG. 6 with the inner tube lowered from the outer tube and the inner tube opened for filling operation.

FIG. 8 is a disassembled perspective view of the novel sealer rubber and components of the tube clamp assembly.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the sealer rubber and components assembled on the filler tube or stem.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section of the overflow tank assembly.

Referring to the rotary filling machine disclosed in the drawings, in the novel filling machine containers or bottles 10 to be filled are deposited upon a belt or conveyor 11 supported upon a feed bed 12 and directed in single file into successive pockets or recesses of a feed star 13 and from the latter onto a revolving base or bed plate 14 upon which each successive empty container is received and aligned in properly spaced relation beneath one of a plurality of filling tube as semblies l5 rotatable with the bedplate, the conveyor being synchronously timed to the feed star. The containers when filled are removed from the bedplate by means ofa discharge star 16 depositing the filled containers onto the discharge end 17 of the conveyor for removal and closure or other subsequent operations, in a conventional manner.

Each filling tube assembly is connected at 18 to a main distributing valve 19 having a discharge manifold connected to an inlet pipe 20 from a source of supply of the product for filling the containers. The valve body 21 (FIG. 3) has a cover 22 encompassing the discharge end of the inlet pipe 20, a packing ring 23 bolted to the cover at 24 and a packing gland 25 sealing about the inlet pipe 20 to seal the liquid supply from the atmosphere. The cover 22 and the base 26 of the manifold body are externally flanged and bolted together at 27 and sealed by O-rings 28.

In the base are plural outlets 29 each having a nipple 3] connected to a flexible discharge tube 32 opening into a head 33 of a filling tube assembly 15, and a drain tube 34. The cover 22 has a drain pipe 35 connected to a flexible drain tube 36, the

drain tubes

34 and 36 connected to an overflow tank 37.

In the manifold body 21 encompassing the stationary inlet pipe 20 is a plate 38 mounted on the inlet pipe with openings 39 receiving the upper end of drive pins 40 affixed at their lower end by threaded engagement with an upper manifold disc 41 having an annular recess 42 in the underside receiving an annular intermediate or center disc 43, the lower annular portion of the center disc seating in annular recess 44 on the upper face ofa lower disc 45, the upper disc 41 and the lower disc 45 being rigidly connected as by welding. The lower face of the lower disc 45 being recessed at 46 and provided with a flat seat 47 providing valve means for closing off discharge to a limited number of the ports or outlets 29, as hereinafter explained.

The manifold cover 22 is connected at 49 (FIG. 1) to one end of a tie bar 51, the other end of the tie bar being connected to the upper end of a vertical tie rod 52 at 53. The tie rod 52 adjacent its upper end 54 extends through a horizontal slide ring 55 and at its lower end projects through the rotatable bedplate 14 and is affixed to and rotated by a rotating ring gear 50. Mounted on the slide ring 55 are vertical slide bars or gibs 56 each carrying a slide roller 57 intermediate its upper and lower ends, each gib affixed to and carrying at its lower end at 56 a filler tube assembly 15 rotating with the bottles or containers to be filled with the slide rollers movable into contacting engagement with a ring cam 58 and ring tube raising section 58. Thus raising and lowering of the successive filling tube assemblies 15 is effected by means of the slide rollers 57 each carried by a slide bar or gib 56 when engaging the inclined cam surfaces 59 and 59 of the cam tube raising section 58. The downwardly inclined cam surface 59 as the filling tube assemblies rotate in a clockwise direction permits the weight of each filling tube assembly to lower as the slide roller follows the downward incline of this cam surface until the filling tube enters the container therebelow and is positioned tor filling its container, and when each container is filled, its slide roller 57 and the filling tube therebelow are elevated by the roller riding over the inclined cam surface 59 which thereby removes each filling tube from its filled container.

Each filling tube assembly 15 includes the tube head 33 affixed to a slide bar 56 by an attaching means or bracket 60, each head having an inwardly and downwardly inclined internal passage 61 connected by a threaded nipple at 62 to a flexible tube 32 discharging its contents inwardly by gravity flow into an opening 63 communicating with the upper end of an inner filling tube 64 which is connected to the tube head 33 by a gasket 65, nut 66 and O-ring 67. This inner tube 64 extends downwardly through a flexible plastic bushings 68 having an externally threaded stem 69 threaded at its lower end into a longitudinal passage 71 extending through a tubular body 72 having a downwardly and outwardly inclined passage 73 at one side connected to a flexible discharge tube 74 for draining off by gravity flow any excess liquid collecting in the annular passage 71 between the interior of the tubular body 72 and the encompassed inner tube 64. The lower end of the tubular body 72 is sealed by a gasket 76 and a threaded nut 77 providing a closure about an outer tube 78.

The upper end of the outer tube 78 encompassing and spaced from the inner tube 64 is affixed to the nut 77 and opens into the annular passage 71 through which any overflow incident to the filling operation is exhausted upwardly and is discharged through the downwardly and outwardly inclined port 73 and drained by gravity through the discharge tube 74. By inclining the

ports

61 and 73 as shown, all liquid product flows down-hill.

Adjustably mounted on the outer tube 78 in vertically spaced relation to the tubular body 72, is an adjustable assembly comprising an annular sealer rubber 79 tightly encompassing the lower tubular end 82 of a tube clamp bushing 81 having an upper tubular end 83 and an intermediate flange 84 seating upon the rubber 79. The upper tubular end 83 of the tube clamp bushing 81 is externally threaded at 85 and internally tapered at 86 to receive the externally tapered lower end 87 of a tube clamp ferrule 88, the upper externally tapered end 89 of this ferrule being received in an internally threaded and externally knurled nut or tube clamp 91 having an internally tapered reduction 92 at its upper end. By means of the nut or tube clamp 91, the sealer rubber 79 can be readily adjusted vertically on the outer filler tube 78 to any desired position, depending upon the dimensions of the containers to be filled. Such adjustment merely requires unscrewing of the nut or tube clamp to release pressure on the ferrule 88, adjusting the sealer rubber and bushing to the desired height, and again tightening the nut or clamp 91.

The filling stem of the tiller tube assembly comprises the inner filling tube 64 affixed at its upper end to the head 33 by the nut 66 and the telescoping outer filling tube 78 affixed at its upper end to and depending from the nut 77 at the base of the tubular body 72, with the lower end of the inner tube closed by means of a closure or tip 93 affixed to the lower end of the inner tube 64. This tip has an annular shoulder 94 receiving a sealing or O-ring 95 at the lower end of the inner tube and the latter provided with an opening 96 for the discharge of the liquid to be dispensed from the inner tube when the latter is lowered from the end of the outer tube 78 as in FIGS. 6 and 7.

When the inner tube 64 is raised by its slide bar 56 and the cam 58 to close and seal against further discharge of the liquid as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower end of the outer tube 78 seats against the O-ring 95. In this closed position any liquid entrapped in the annular space 97 between the

telescoping tubes

64 and 78 and reaching the annular space 71 in the tubular body 72, flows outwardly therefrom by gravity through the inclined port 73 to the discharge tube 74 and is returned to the overflow tank 37.

In FIGS. 4 and 6, the tubular body 72 is shown provided with annular weights 98 shown mounted on and encompassing the tubular body 72 carrying the outer tube 78. These added weights on the free-floating outer tube are optional as this machine has been designed for use with a minimum sealing weight necessary to handle the maximum head pressure that may be delivered to a given container whether of glass or lightweight plastic.

As all product flow is downhill, drainage is readily effected. By operating the overflow pump, the operator can completely drain the machine quickly and most effectively with the exception of a small amount of product which may be trapped in the filling stem or nozzle and this may be quickly removed by mere opening of the stems.

Mounted in the base of the machine upon support studs 99 supported above a lower baseplate 101 is the overflow tank 37 having a cover 102 in which is mounted plural depending inlet pipes 103 each connected to a discharge tube or flexible hose 74, these inlet pipes discharging any overflow onto and over the inclined circumferential edge of a diffuser disc 104 depending from and mounted in spaced relation to the cover by plural spacers 105. Extending upwardly through the base or bottom 106 of the overflow tank 37 is a stand pipe 107 which acts as an indicator for the operator in the event of a faulty overflow pump. in that event the liquid rises in the tank 37 to the top of the stand pipe 107 and drains to the floor through the dischargepipe 110, rather than over the top of the tank 37 and into the interior of the filling machine. The quiescent liquid is withdrawn from the base of the tank 37 through a drain lead 100 by means of an overflow pump 108 and motor 108 and an overflow tank drain assembly including a drain valve 109 and drain pipe 111.

The filling machine has suitable vertical uprights or standards 113 about the base 99 to provide a stationary frame in which is rotatably mounted the filling mechanism with its manifold housing, by means of suitable motor-drive mechanism rotating the ring gear 50 and connected bedplate M, together with the spaced tie rods 52 which rotate the manifold housing in the upper portion of the machine, slide ring 55, slide bars 56 and filling tube assemblies 15.

At the top of the stationary standards or uprights 113 is mounted a cover 114 receiving the inlet pipe and an encompassing inlet pipe support 115 clamped onto the inlet pipe 20. The inner manifold assembly being fixed and connected to the inlet pipe 20, by loosening the inlet pipe support, the operator can adjust the position of the inlet manifold by adjusting the plate 38 connected to the inner manifold assembly and to the inlet pipe 20 and pipe support 115 so that the inoperative flexible tubes 18 can be located or placed across the front of the machine, or slightly to the infeed side of the cam 50 or to the discharge side of the cam, depending upon which of the tubes 18 is to remain inoperative. For example, if he is filling only glass containers, the flat seat 47 on the cutoff manifold would be so positioned that the inoperative filling tubes are across the front of the machine and in no way affect the filling time available from the time the filling stem is lowered on the ring cam 58 to the time the filling tube is withdrawn from the bottle. However, if the operator is handling a lightweight plastic container subject to substantial deformation under pressure, he would position his cutoff manifold whereby the flow to the filling tube or stem is stopped prior to the removal of the tube by means of the ring cam 58 with its cam tube raising section 58".

After the flow to the filling tube has been stopped by the manifold system, the internal pressure in the container is relieved due to the overflow system being open to atmospheric conditions. This allows the liquid level to be determined in the sealed container while the filling tubes are in proper position and the pressure in the container is atmospheric. In other words, the present invention provides for an accurate fill point when the container is in its normal shape, rather than a fill point when it is ballooned out of shape by internal pressures.

The ring cam 58 and its cam tube raising section 58 is vertically adjustable by means of adjusting screws 116 and cam studs 117, the screws being threaded at the lower end into a retainer nut 118 in a cam stud bearing 119 bolted to the ring cam, and at the upper end each adjusting screw carries a sprocket 120 and chain 121 manually rotated by a hand wheel 122 on one of the adjusting screws for adjusting the height of the ring cam.

lclaim:

1. In a rotary gravity feed filling machine for filling containers to a predetermined level, means for filling successive containers including a main distributing valve connected to a source of product supply and controlling flow of product to said successive containers, multiple supply tubes rotatable with said machine with each supply tube connected at one end to said valve from which the product is dispensed and flows downhill through the supply tubes, vertically movable filling stems each connected to the lower discharge end of a supply tube with overflow from said filling stems discharged downhill to an overflow tank, each filling stem including a head receiving the product to be dispensed from said distributing valve, an inner filling tube having its upper end affixed to the head for passage of the product thereinto, a tubular body below said head, an outer filling tube encompassing and concentric with said inner filling tube affixed to said tubular body and free floating in said machine, a nonmetallic bushing in said tubular body, said inner filling tube slidable within and projecting through said bushing and vertically movable relative to said bushing and outer filling tube, said filling stem being devoid of any packing, said concentric filling tubes being spaced-apart with the inner filling tube receiving and supplying the product to be dispensed to the container to be filled and the annular space formed between the filling tubes providing for the passage and discharge of overflow, and the lower end of the inner filling tube is closed and has sealing engagement with the lower end of the outer filling tube, but the inner filling tube is provided with an opening adjacent the lower end for discharge of the product into a container when the lower end of the inner filling tube is moved downward relative to the outer filling tube and further including resilient sealing means on the outer filling tube adapted to engage the open mouth of the container to be filled, said resilient sealing means includes a sealing member encompassing the outer filling tube, and clamping means for adjustably mounting said sealing member along the outer filling tube including a tube clamp bushing carrying said sealing member and having an externally threaded tubular part and an internally tapered surface, a ferrule encompassing said outer filling tube and having external opposed tapered surfaces intersecting at an intermediate ridge, and a tube clamp having an internally threaded tubular part to receive the externally threaded part of the tube clamp bushing and an internally tapered surface, said tapered surfaces in said tube clamp and said tube clamp bushing being complementary to and conformably receiving the externally tapered surfaces on said ferrule whereby threading said tube clamp onto said ferrule and tube clamp bushing secures the tube clamp bushing and the sealing member onto the outer filling tube.

2. ln a rotary gravity filling machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said main distributing valve includes a rotatable housing carrying the multiple supply tubes each supplying product to one of the filling stems, the interior of said valve including a stationary manifold for discharging product flow to said supply tubes.

3. In a rotary gravity filling machine as set forth in claim 1, including an overflow tank having a transverse diffuser plate upon which the overflow is discharged and directed to the sides of the tank and to the bottom of the tank to relieve turbulence and aeration.

4. In a rotary gravity feed filling machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said tubular body has an internal bore open to the annular passage between the inner and outer filling tubes for receiving and discharging in a downflow direction overflow to the overflow tank, and said bushing has an upper radial flange with a recessed upper surface.

5. in a rotary gravity feed filling machine as set forth in claim 1, including one or more weights to be added to said tubular body to aid the gravity-actuated downward movement of track for raising and lowering said inner filling tube.

7. In a rotary gravity feed filling machine as set forth in claim I, in which said inner filling tube is moved vertically downward relative to said outer filling tube a distance suffi' cient to fully uncover the opening in the inner filling tube.

Claims

2. In a rotary gravity filling machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said main distributing valve includes a rotatable housing carrying the multiple supply tubes each supplying product to one of the filling stems, the interior of said valve including a stationary manifold for discharging product flow to said supply tubes.

5. In a rotary gravity feed filling machine as set forth in claim 1, including one or more weights to be added to said tubular body to aid the gravity-actuated downward movement of said outer filling tube, and cam means for lowering the inner filling tube relative to the outer filling tube when the resilient sealing means engages the container to expose the opening in the inner filling tube for dispensing a predetermined quantity of the product into the container.

6. In a rotary gravity feed filling machine as set forth in claim 5, in which said cam means includes an adjustable cam track for raising and lowering said inner filling tube.

7. In a rotary gravity feed filling machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said inner filling tube is moved vertically downward relative to said outer filling tube a distance sufficient to fully uncover the opening in the inner filling tube.