US3613746A

US3613746A - Container-filling apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: US3613746A
Application number: US876345A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard A Smith; Chester L Gutowski
Original assignee: Heinz Co H J
Current assignee: Kraft Heinz Foods Co
Priority date: 1969-11-13
Filing date: 1969-11-13
Publication date: 1971-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-19
Also published as: NL7016581A; GB1339283A; CA936140A

Abstract

This machine for aseptically filling containers, particularly bottles and jars, with sterile, cold, sluggish flowing product, such as ketchup and chili sauce, has parallel conveyors extending through an elongated steam-filled enclosure wherein the bottles, after being preheated, move single file in groups of a specific number, first through an air-purging section of the enclosure where air is removed therefrom and replaced with steam, after which the group of steam-filled bottles pass into a filling section where the bottles are lifted against filling spouts, and as a product supply valve opens, an initial injection of products into each bottle condenses the steam and the resulting vacuum causes the product to almost instantly fill the bottles, which are then lowered and carried out of the machine while another group enters from the purging section. The operations on one conveyor are 180* out of phase with those on the other, so that while bottles on one conveyor are being purged in one section and filled in the next, purged bottles on the other conveyor are moving into the filling section and the filled bottles are being conveyed out of the filling section.

Description

nitecl States Patent 3,393,49l 7/1968 Burton eta] Inventors Richard A. Smith Gibsonia; Chester L. Gutowski, Pittsburgh, both of Pa. Appl. No. 876,345 Filed Nov. 13, 1969 Patented Oct. 19, 1971 Assignee H. J. Heinz Company Pittsburgh, Pa.

CONTAINER-FILLING APPARATUS AND METHOD 22 Claims, 18 Drawing Figs.

[1.5. CI 141/5, 141/11, l4l/47,99/ l82 Int. Cl B65!) 1/04, B65b 3/04 Field of Search l4l/l-8:47 -64:65-70 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examinerl louston BE, Jr.

Attorney-Parmelee, U tzler & Welsh ABSTRACT: This machine for aseptically filling containers,

particularly bottles and jars, with sterile, cold, sluggish flowing product, such as ketchup and chili sauce, has parallel conveyors extending through an elongated steam-filled enclosure wherein the bottles, after being preheated, move single file in groups of a specific number, first through an air-purging section of the enclosure where air is removed therefrom and replaced with steam, after which the group of steam-filled bottles pass into a filling section where the bottles are lifted against filling spouts, and as a product supply valve opens, an initial injection of products into each bottle condenses the steam and the resulting vacuum causes the product to almost instantly fill the bottles, which are then lowered and carried out of the machine while another group enters from the purging section. The operations on one conveyor are l80 out of phase with those on the other, so that while bottles on one conveyor are being purged in one section and filled in the next, purged bottles on the other conveyor are moving into the filling section and the filled bottles are being conveyed out of the filling section.

VACl/Uli PRODUCT PATENTEUucTwmw sum 010! 10 3.613Jd6 PEODUCT' INVENTOR-S' RICHARD 4. SMITH and CHESTER L. GUTOWSK/ PATENTEDDCT 19 ISTI SHEET [12 10 RICHARD A. SMITH and hair Altar/rays PATENTEUOCT 19197l sum U30F 1o INVENTORS RICHARD 4. SMITH and CHES El? L. GUTOWS/(l [1 l1 Mair Alfarnays PATENTEUUET 19 l97l SHEET USUF 1O ium mm H F m5 1m m mam INVENTORS RICHARD 4. SMITH and H10 4 Mar/lays CHESTR L. GUOWS/(l PATENTEDBBT 19 an SHEET UBUF 1O F F If I I INVENTORS RICHARD A. SMITH and CHESTER L. GUTOWSK/ Mair Attorneys PATENTEDUBT 19 197i SHEET 10UF 1O CONTAINER-FILLING APPARATUS AND METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to aseptically filling containers, and especially to filling thick, normally slow flowing liquids into bottles, jars or other containers to which a cap is subsequently supplied.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention was developed primarily for the aseptic filling of ketchup and chili sauce and like sluggish flowing products into bottles, jars or other containers, and will be hereinafter described in connection with the filling or bottling of these products, and particularly the aseptic filling of such products in a relatively cold condition, but this is by way of illustration, and does not exclude various other products to which it is applicable.

Ketchup and chili sauce made with tomatoes are commonly bottled on conventional rotary bottle-filling machines where the product is introduced into the bottles at a temperature of about 190 F. Since these products are high-acid products, this temperature is as high as is necessary to prevent spoilage. 036141869 filled bottles are then immediately capped, after which they are placed on a conveyor and sprayed with water until the filled bottles are cool. Then they are dried and passed on to the labeling machine. This spray cooling is time consuming and requires extensive conveying apparatus and large amounts of water.

Consideration has also been given to cooling the freshly prepared product under sterile conditions before it is bottled and then delivering it out of contact with hair to conventional filling machines in steam-filled rooms or enclosures to provide an aseptic atmosphere, but the operation of the rotary filling machine under these conditions with its various sliding and moving parts is destructive to such parts or the bearings in which they move, since adequate lubrication cannot be maintained. Also as the product cools, it becomes less fluid, so that the bottle-filling machines cannot operate at the desired speed. In an application filed by us, Ser. No. 823, 010, filed May 8, 1969 space we have disclosed a process for aseptically filling tins or relatively large containers where relatively large diameter filling spouts can be used, but this is not well suited to filling ketchup and chili sauce bottles and jars. The present invention is in the nature of an improvement on the method of and apparatus for filling bottles of James B. Anderson, Ser. No. 759,274, filed Sept. 12, 1968, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,5 70,556 and assigned to our assignee.

OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention provides a method of and apparatus for aseptically filling bottles or other containers with a cold product in which the bottles move into a steam-filled enclosure where they are first preheated and then the air is sucked out of them and steam from the enveloping atmosphere replaces the air. Unlike the filling of bottles in conventional rotary bottle-filling machines, the steam-filled bottles, arranged in a group traveling in a straight path are arrested in their travel under a row of filling heads, and relative vertical movement takes place between the group of bottles and the row offilling heads, so that a nozzle is projected into each bottle, and the bottle, still filled with and surrounded by steam, is sealed against a sealing ring or gasket that surrounds the nozzle. All of the filling nozzles depend from a supply manifold to which the product is supplied through a single valve. When the bottles are sealed against the seals on their respective nozzles, the supply valve to the manifold is opened, and a little spurt of product is instantly ejected into each bottle. This condenses steam in the bottle, drawing more product into the bottle by the vacuum created by the condensing steam. In an instant, all of the steam will have been condensed and the filling of the bottle to the top completed. After the short time interval required to fill the bottles, the filling valve closes, and in so doing creates a negative pressure in the manifold that sucks the product in the nozzles enough to prevent drip. Then a reverse relative vertical movement between the bottles and filling nozzles takes place to withdraw the nozzles from the bottles. The volume or displacement of the nozzles is such that when a nozzle withdraws from a bottle, the liquid level in the bottle drops to the required level for a small head space to be left in the neck of the bottle.

In The filled bottles then move out of the machine through a steam-filled enclosure to the cap-applying machine, while another group of bottles, which had been purged of air and filled with steam while the preceding group was being filled with product, is moved into position to be filled with the product.

In its preferred from, the machine has two parallel lanes, with operating mechanisms alternating to effect filling of a group of bottles in one lane as the group of filled bottles are moved out of the other lane and replaced with other bottles to be filled; that is, one lane operates out of phase with the other, so that vertically moving parts as hereinafter described largely counterbalance one another and the outflow of filled bottles to the label-applying machine is practically constant. All operations are electrically sequenced so that once set up for operation, an operator is required only to watch the operation and stop the machine should a malfunction occur. All heavy work-performing parts or mechanisms are located outside of and below the enclosure so that bearings and lubricated connections are not exposed to steam. An incidental but important advantage is that the product in entering the bottle, does not entrain air, as it does in other types of filling machines, and steam which does contact the product is immediately condensed.

A most important advantage is that the product may be cold so that the filled and capped containers may be immediately labeled with no cooling and drying of the filled containers, as is necessary when the product is heated to a sterilizing temperature for bottling.

In the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the machine:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the entire machine, certain parts being only schematically shown;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal section on a somewhat larger scale in the plane of line II-lI of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation on a somewhat larger scale of the machine shown in FIG. 1, but with the delivery conveyor and filled bottle-removing conveyor partly removed;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the switching mechanism over the delivery conveyor;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation with certain parts broken away on a larger scale than FIG. 3, showing the section of the machine in which air is removed from the bottles and replaced with steam, sometimes herein referred to as the air removal section;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section in substantially the plane of line VIVI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a similar section in the plane of line VII-VII of FIG. 8;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation with portions of the enclosure removed and with certain parts broken away of the bottlefilling section of the machine, the view being on a larger scale than FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the bottle conveying and lifting mechanism in the bottle-filling section, the frame and housing being eliminated;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the operating crank mechanism under the bottle-filling section taken on the line X-X of FIG. 11;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mechanism shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation ofa single filling spout;

FIG. 13 is a similar view to FIG. 12 showing the spout open for discharge of product into the bottle;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevation on a larger scale of the fiow control of product into the filling manifolds;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation of one of the star wheels;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary top plan view of the conveyor chain and star wheel apart from the rest of the machine; and

FIG. 18 is a schematic wiring diagram for one-half of an operating cycle, and the other half of the diagram (not shown) is a duplicate ofthe circuits shown in this figure.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout, 1 designates generally the machine frame having vertical supports at various locations therealong, and parallel horizontal sections 2 along each side for substantially the full length of the machine. There are two parallel

link conveyor chains

3 and 30 extending lengthwise along the machine, the upper reach of conveyor chain sliding on a continuous longitudinally extending support 4 and the top reach of chain 3a riding on a similar support 411. The lower reaches of the chains ride on strips 5 and 5a respectively.

The two chain conveyors pass around sprocket wheels 6 and 6a at the discharge end (right end as viewed in the assembly drawings) and these sprocket wheels are fixed on a common shaft 8 having a drive sprocket 9 at one end thereof. There is a drive motor and speed-reducing unit 10 near the base of the machine, and a sprocket chain 11 driven by this unit passes around sprocket wheel 9 to continuously drive both conveyors 3 and 3a, the top reach of each moving toward the discharge end. At the discharge end there is a wider take away conveyor 12 with one end located between the sprocket wheels 6 and 6a. This end of the take away conveyor passes around a sprocket wheel on a shaft 13 on the outer end of which is a drive sprocket I4 and a sprocket chain 15 passing around sprocket 14 which also passes around another sprocket wheel 16 on shaft 8, the arrangement being such that the take away conveyor 12 moves at the same speed as, or somewhat faster than, the conveyor chains 3 and 3a. b Just in advance of the sprocket wheels 6 and 6a are guides 17 whereby bottles being carried on conveyors 3 and 3a are switched over onto the take away conveyor 12.

The other ends of the conveyor chains 3 and 3:: pass around sprocket wheels 18 and 18a respectively fixed on shaft 19. There is a bottle delivery conveyor 20 wider than the conveyors 3 and 3a that extends between the sprockets l8 and 18a and between the bottle-receiving (left) ends of the conveyors 3 and 3a, but with the top reaches of all three conveyors flush. The conveyor 20 passes around a sprocket wheel on a shaft 21 to the right of shaft 19, and which is operatively connected to shaft 19 by sprocket wheel 22 on shaft 21, sprocket chain 23 and sprocket wheel 24 on shaft 19. The arrangement is such that when conveyor chains 3 and 3a are operating, they will rotate shaft 19 and thereby drive delivery conveyor 20, preferably at a faster speed than conveyors 3 and 3a, sprocket 22 being smaller than sprocket 24.

There is a tunnellike like enclosure extending from a point over the delivery conveyor 20 having a bottom 25, sidewalls 26, end walls with restricted

openings

27 and 28, and a top 29-30, the top 30 being at the right end of the machine as viewed in FIGS. 1,2 and 3 being higher than top 29 at the forward end.

Just outside the entrance end of the tunnel there is i a switching arrangement for directing incoming empty bottles onto one and then the other of the conveyors 3 and 3a with an overhead operating mechanism outside the tunnel. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottles approaching the filling machine are carried on conveyor 20 in a centered single file between a pair of fixed guides 20'. At the ends of these guides there is a supporting frame 31 having a vertical pivot pin 32 from which is suspended a crosspiece 33 of inverted U-shape or arch shape. Near the opposite ends of the crosspiece 33 are fixed guide rails 34, forming in effect an extension of guides 20', and along with the crosspiece 33 they can pivot on pin 32.

The opposite ends of the guide rails 34 move in an are from the position shown in full lines in FIG. 4 where they register with guides 35-36 to a position where they register with guides 36-37, thus directing the travel of the bottles into alternate lanes. This shifting of guides 34 from directing bottles in one lane and then the other is effected by a double-acting fluid pressure cylinder-piston unit 38 wherein the cylinder is pivotally secured at one end at 39 to a fixed bracket 40 on the machine frame. The piston is controlled by an electromagnet valve with oppositely acting electromagnets or solenoids (see diagram FIG. 18). The piston rod is pivotally connected at 41 to one arm of a bellcrank 42 that is pivoted to a fixed frame member at 43. The other arm of the bellcrank has a depending pivot pin 44 connected to a crosspiece of inverted U-shape 45. The inverted

U-shape crosspieces

33 and 45 hold the guide rails 34 in spaced parallel relation, but allow the bottles to move under them.

As seen in FIG. 2, the two lanes formed by

guides

35, 36 and 37, terminate inside the enclosure at angular separator guides 46 through which the two lines or lanes of bottles are guided in diverging diagonal paths onto

conveyors

3 and 3a, 3 being at what may be termed for convenience the near" side of the machine, and 3a is at the far" side. Extending along each of these conveyors from the separator guides 46 are parallel guides 47 along conveyor 3 and 470 along conveyor 3a. By reference to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the guide rails 47 and 470 are close to the bottoms of the bottles. There are higher guide rods 48 and 48a above 47 and 470 respectively, to prevent bottles from falling over sideways. The guides 47-48 along conveyor chain 3 terminate at a star wheel 50 and 470-48 terminate at star wheel 500 which is transversely aligned with star wheel 50. The star wheels are counting wheels that intermittently allow a predetermined number of containers to pass it and then lock to restrain the passage of more containers until the star wheel latches are released, as hereinafter more fully explained.

By reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be seen that near the entrance of the tunnel like enclosure there is a transverse steam manifold from which depend four pipes 56 that connect into four longitudinally extending perforated pipes 57 through which steam is introduced into the tunnel along the path of travel of the two lines of bottles, one on each conveyor, the tunnel being kept full of steam at all times during operation of the machine. Steam is supplied to the manifold through pipe 58, valve 59, pipe and vertical pipe 61, the valve 59 being outside the casing, but as seen in FIG. 6,

pipes

60 and 61 are inside.

The star wheels 50 and 50a are intermittently operated, and as seen in FIG. 17 they form a stop to block the travel of the bottles while the conveyors 3 and 3a operate continuously. Assuming that the machine fills a group of 20 bottles at at a time, the distance from the star wheel 50 and 50a to the separator is sufiicient to accommodate more than 20 bottles. Assuming that the bottles are cold when they enter the tunnel to the separator should accommodate more than 40 bottles. so that they will be raised to the temperature of the steam before they are purged of air and filled with steam, as hereinafter described. Since the conveyors 3 and 3a are continuously operating, the bottles are crowded against one another. being stopped by the star wheel or other counting and blocking means, so that the center-to-center distance is equal. In FIG. 2 the two lines of bottles are partially indicated by the concentric circles, but actually both conveyors are kept full of bottles well ahead of the entrance to the enclosure, and normally there are bottles on the supply conveyor 20 ahead of the bottle-switching arrangement.

Above the top 29 of the tunnellike enclosure are two suction tube manifolds 65 and 65a extending longitudinally above the

conveyors

3 and 30 respectively. Each manifold has a row of depending suction tubes 66 therefrom that pass through openings in the top 29 of the enclosure with the center-tocenter distance between the tubes corresponding to the center-to-center distance between the bottles. These tubes and the manifold from which they depend are raised when bottles are moving along with the conveyor over which they are positioned, but when a row of bottles is stopped by the star wheel counting means, the manifold over that line of bottles is lowered so that one tube enters each one of the bottles lines up against the star wheel. This part of the machine is herein sometimes referred to as the air-purging section.

The operation of the apparatus involves sucking the air out of each bottle from close to its bottom, and as the air is removed, the dense atmosphere of steam in the enclosure, supplied through pipes 57, replaces the air inside the bottles, the suction tubes being of smaller diameter than the neck opening in the bottle so that the steam will be sucked in as the air is removed and so completely fill the bottles with steam. While the air is being replaced with steam in the row of bottles on one conveyor 3a, the star wheel restraining the other row of bottles on conveyor 3, filled with steam, releases them to be carried into the bottle-filling section of the machine, and vice versa, so that when one manifold is raised over one conveyor, as 3 in FIG. 6, the other one is lowered.

To effect this movement of the manifold 65, there are two parallel vertical slide rods 70 at the near side of the machine and two similar rods 70a at the other side (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The upper ends of these rods each have a clamp 71 that is clamped around one or the other of the suction manifolds, the clamps of rods 70 holding the manifold 65, and the claims on rods 70:: holding manifold 65a. These rods pass through slide bearings 72 on the machine frame, and the lower ends of rods 70 are fixed in the ends of a connecting bar 73 while rods 70a are similarly fixed to a connecting bar 73a.

There is an adjustable link 74 attached to and depending from the middle of connecting bar 73. Its lower end (see FIGS. 5 and 6) is pivotally attached to a crank arm 75 fixed on a rock shaft 76 that is carried in fixed bearings 77. There is a second crank arm 78 on shaft 76 having a link 79 pivotally attached to its outer end, Similarly there is a connecting link 74a attached to and depending from connecting bar 73a. The lower end of this link is pivotally connected to a crank arm 75a attached to shaft 760 that is carried in bearings 77a. Crank arm 75a is on the opposite side of the axis of rotation of its shaft from its counterpart 75, so that when both shafts rotate through an arc in a clockwise direction, link 74 is pulled down to pull rods 70 down and lower the manifold 65 and its depending suction tubes, while clockwise rotation of shaft 76a will swing crank 750 up to thrust up on connecting bar 73a and rods 70a to raise manifold 65a and its depending suction tubes, and rotation of shafts 76 and 76a in the opposite direction will reverse the movement of the two manifolds. Shaft 76a has a second crank arm 78a fixed thereto and an operating rod 80 is pivotally connected to arm 78a, as is also link 79 on crank arm 78. With this arrangement the reciprocation of rod 80 (by means hereinafter described) rotates shafts 76 and 76a simultaneously in the same direction at the same speed and distance to alternately raise one suction manifold and lower the other.

Each suction manifold 65 and 65a has an upwardly extending suction pipe thereon designated 85 and 85a respectively, these pipes being in transverse alignment. As best seen in FIG. 6, each of these pipes is slidably fitted into a closed tube 86 and 86a at the ends of the cross pipe 87 to which is connected pipe 88 leading to a vacuum pump (not shown). It will be seen that when manifold 65 is raised, its pipe 85 extends up into closed tube 86, shutting off the suction from cross pipe 87 so that air is not drawn into the system through the raised tubes 66, but the upper end of tube 850 is below the cross connection 87, its suction tubes 66 being projected down into the bottles B close to. the bottom of the bottles so that air will be sucked from these bottles and steam from the enveloping atmosphere drawn in. When manifold 65 lowers and 65a raises, this condition will be reversed. The arrangement of the fitment 87 into which tubes 85 and 85a slidably fit provides a simple double-valving arrangement for the suction manifolds.

BOTTLE-FILLING SECTION OF THE MACHINE After the 20 bottles on one of the conveyors 3 or 3a in the example here assumed have had the air removed, and are filled with stream and the suction tubes 66 have been raised clear of them, the star wheel counting means 50 will operate to pass them into the bottle-fitting section of the machine. In this section there are two similar manifolds 90 and 90a fixed above the cover 30 of the tunnellike enclosure, one of these, 90, being located over the conveyor 3, and the other, 90a, over the conveyor 3a. Each of these manifolds has a number of similar filling spouts 91 depending therefrom, the center-tocenter distance of the spouts lengthwise of the manifold being the same as the center-to-center distance of the bottles to be filled, which is the same as the center-to-center distance of suction tubes 66.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show these filling tubes in detail. Each comprises a tube 92 depending from an individual sealing plate 93 that is bolted to the underside of the manifold with an intervening gasket. The plates may have some longitudinal clearance for the bolts 94 to allow for some slight adjustment of the tubes to insure correct spacing for the bottles to be filled. At the lower end of each tube 92 there is screwed an inverted gasket-retaining cup or connecter element 95. There is a sealing bushing 96 in the cover 30 around each tube where the tube passes through the cover. Each element has a cavity 97 in its lower end. There is a tube 98 of smaller diameter than the tube 92 extending through the element 95, and which has a flanged upper end confined in the element 95 against the lower end of tube 92. It constitutes in effect a reduced extension of tube 92 and is the spout or nozzle that is projected into the neck of a bottle to be filled. There is a spider or guide bridge 99 in the element 95 that forms a guide for a rod 100 that extends down through tube 98. This rod is guided near its lower end by spaced webs or spider elements 101. At the lower end of each rod 100 is a cap 102 that is an inverted cone to guide its insertion into the neck of a bottle, and which normally seats against the end of tube 98. This cap has a trun' cated conical plug 103 extending upwardly therefrom into the lower end of which the rod 100 is secured. A light compression spring 104 confined around the upper end of the rod between spider 99 and a nut 105 on the upper end of rod 100 urges the rod up to hold the cap against the lower open end of tube 98. This cap is in effect an antidrip device, more than a valve. In the cavity 97 of element 95 there is a rigid plastic washer 106 that is only a spacer, one or more of these washers being used for bottles of different heights. Below washer 106 is a resilient sealing washer 107 of a rubberous character against which the top of a bottle may be pressed into sealing airtight contact as indicated in FIG. 13.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15 there is a supply pipe 110 through which ketchup, chili sauce or like slowflowing or sluggish sterile product, usually cooled below 90 F., is supplied through valves 111 and 1110 to the product manifolds 90 and 90a respectively. The outlets from these valves into the manifolds are through pipes 112 with flanged couplings 113 (FIG. 14 There is a cylinder and piston unit 114 and 1145a respectively at the right end of each valve 111 and 1110. Each piston in each piston and cylinder unit 114 and 114a 113 reciprocates a valve element (not shown) control the flow of product from the supply pipe into the respective manifolds. At the outer end of each cylinder the piston rod is connected to a lever 116 or 116a, as the case may be. Lever 116 operates a switch 117 at one limit of its throw, and switch 118 at the I other limit of its throw, and lever 116a operates corresponding The reciprocation of each piston is remotely controlled by an electrically operated four valve, 121 for cylinder 114, and 121a for cylinder 114a.

According to the method of filling the bottles, the product manifolds 90 and 90a are filled with product, as is each tube 92. The product is not under any appreciable pressure. The bottles from which the air has been removed, and which have been filledwith steam in the preceding section of the machine, are raised against sealing washers 107 of the several filling tubes. As the piston 114 (in the case of manifold 90) moves to the right and opens its product supply valve from the source of supply, a slight pressure is generated in manifold 90 sufficient to spring each of the cap elements 102 open and spray a small amount of the relatively cold product into each bottle. This condenses the steam in the bottles, and product is sucked into the bottles a typical ketchup bottle filling in about one-half second or less. Since each bottle is highly evacuated, each bottle will be filled to the top, and the vacuum will be relieved so that the bottle will lower freely away from the sealing washer 107, and as the tubes 98 are withdrawn by the lowering of the bottles, the level of product will drop since the tubes. are no longer displacing product, leaving exactly the desired amount of head" space between the product level in the bottle and the lip of the bottle. The reverse operation of the piston in cylinder 90, which occurs just before the lowering of the filled bottles takes place, creates a slight suction in the manifold that withdraws product at the very tips of the filling nozzles, and under the influence of springs 104, the caps 102 will seat against the ends of tubes 98 to prevent drip. This same operation follows when cylinder and piston unit 114a operates to open and close product supply valve 11a. While the manifolds 90 and 90a are normally full of product, barometric pressure restrains it from flowing out the filling tubes when the product supply valve 111 or 111a, as the case may be, is closed.

With this explanation of the way filling takes place, the mechanism for raising and lowering the bottles may be explained, and the purpose of so moving them will be understood.

First, it should be noted that there is a second star wheel 125 spaced from star wheel 50 along conveyor 3, and star wheel 125a correspondingly positioned along conveyor 3a. Star wheels 125 and 1250 in each case are removed from the respective star wheels 50 and 50a a distance equal to the length of a row of 20 upright bottles, plus a slight space of 15's.,

inches, for example. This provides clearance between the bottles in the purging section and those in the filling section to avoid any possibility ofinterference between the bottles in the two sections when those in the filling section raise and lower in the manner herein described. As the bottles travel from the purging section into the filling section, they press together under the action of the continuously moving conveyor 3 or 3a with the leading bottle against a star wheel 125 or 125a, as the case may be, thus assuring that the bottles will crowd together and each bottle will be centered under a filling spout.

As most clearly seen in FIGS. 9 and 11, there is a beam or channel member 130 under conveyor chain 3, its support 4 and its return reach support 5, and a similar channel member 1300 under conveyor 30. There are upright supports 131 attached to each of these channels, and their upper ends are attached to longitudinally extending strips 132, each strip having a runner 133 along its top edge. As shown in the left side of FIG. 7 and in FIG. 9, the runners 133 are below the bottles which are riding on the chains, but on the right side of this figure channel 1300 is raised, so that strips 132 and runners 133 have lifted the bottles off the chains and pressed the lips of the bottles against the sealing washers 107 of the filling spout assemblies as heretofore described. There are ports 134 on the uprights 131 to which are attached side guide strips 135, corresponding to 47, and guide rods 136 and 136a corresponding to guide rods 48 and 48a and which are in alignment with said guides, as seen in FIG. 3, when the beam on which they are carried is in its lowermost position, that is the position shown in FIG. 8. This arrangement is duplicated at the far side of the machine where there are posts 134a with guides 135a and 136. In FIG. 7 the channel 130 and the parts carried thereby are in the lower position, while 130a and its parts are at their uppermost limits of travel.

The beams or channels 130 and 1300, like the bars or beams 73 and 73a of the air-purging section, move l out of phase with each other, one being up when the other is down. Also 73 and are 180 out of phase with each other, 130 holding the bottles elevated when the suction tubes 66 of manifold 65 are entered in the bottles, and likewise 73a and 130a are 180 out of phase. The mechanism for raising and lowering beams 130 and 130a in alternating fashion is much like the mechanism for raising and lowering the manifolds and suction tubes. Beam 130 has a depending adjustable link 140 that is attached to the free end of a crank arm 141 that is free on a cross-shaft 142, this cross-shaft being carried in bearings 143. Shaft 142 has a second crank arm 144 adjustably fixed thereon with an offset terminal 144' that is engaged under arm 141. This shaft has a third crank 145 fixed thereon, to the outer end of which is connected a link 146. There is a parallel cross-shaft 147 in bearings 148 that has one crank 149 fixed thereon connected at 150 to the lower end ofa piston rod 151 forming part of a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit 152. Shaft 147 has freely rotatable thereon a crank 153, the outer end of which is connected to an adjustable link 140a (see FIGS. 7, 10 and 11) extending down from beam 130a, and there is adjustably fixed on shaft 147 another crank having a lug 155' that extends under crank 153. Still another crank 156 on shaft 147 has its outer end connected to link 146 and also to rod 80 (previously described) that goes forward to crank 78a on shaft 760.

The arrangement is such that when shaft 142 rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 11, the lug on crank 144 will come under crank 141 to lift it, but when this shaft rotates in the opposite direction, link 140 with the parts which it carries (including 20 full bottles) will lower by gravity. but when beam 130 reaches its lower limit, 144 may continue to move from crank 141, providing a lost motion connection such that shaft 142 can rotate through a greater are than crank arm 141. There is a similar lost motion connection between crank 153 and crank 155-155'. The extent of relative or lost motion can be adjusted by adjusting the position of adjustably

fixed cranks

144 and 155 on their respective shafts, andthe lost motion is desirable so that piston rod 151 may travel its full stroke, but rods 140 and 140a move only enough to press a bottle of predetermined height against the sealing gaskets 107. Lost motion such as this is desirable for accommodating containers or bottles of different standard heights.

Assuming piston rod 151 to be in the extended position shown in FIG. 11 and it is raised, it will rotate shaft 147, moving crank 155 down, and crank 153 will follow it, lowering rod 140a. At the same time crank 156, acting through link 146. will rotate shaft 142 clockwise and crank 144, moving into contact with crank 141, will raise it to lift rod 140 to raise cross-channel 130 and the parts carried on it. lifting the bottles off the chain 3. Crank 153 lowers its rod 1400, while crank 141 raises its rod 140 because of the direction of these cranks being reversed relative to their respective axes of rotation on their respective shafts.

When shaft 147 is rocked through the operation of piston rod 151 and cylinder 152, motion is also transmitted through crank 156 to rod 80 to operate the suction tube manifold raising and lowering mechanism previously described (FIG. 5), so that rods 70 push up to raise the manifold 65 to lift the suction tubes out of the bottles on conveyor 3 in the purging section at the same time that the filled bottles in the filling section are lowered back onto the conveyor 3, whereby the air-purged steam-filled bottles are prepared to move forward into the filling section as the filled bottles are discharged from the machine. Also as rods 70 are raised, rods 70a and manifold 65a are lowered, entering the air exhaust tubes 66 into the bottles on conveyor 3a in the purging section and raising the bottles in the filling section above the conveyor into engagement with the filling spouts on the far side of the machine. Thus as purged and filled bottles on one conveyor are readied for the next increment of travel, the bottles on the other conveyor are purged of air in one section and the preceding airpurged group filled in the filling section. There are guide rods 130' attached to the channel 130, and which slide in guides 130", to maintain the channel 130 level as it moves up and down, and there are similar guide rods and guides for channel 130a.

All of the counting

star wheels

50, 50a and 125 and 125a are of like construction, such as star wheel 50 in FIG. 17. Each star wheel is keyed to its own shaft, but only the shafts 50' are on the near side of the machine shown in the drawings, but the mechanisms about to be described are duplicated on the far side of the machine, but operate 180 out of phase with those on the near side.

Starting with star wheel 125, its shaft 125' drives a reducing gear 170 that turns a cam disk 170', which, however, is held from turning by a latch means 171 with a solenoid 172 to release it. When latch 171 is released, the pressure of the bottles then resting on the continuously moving conveyor chain 3 causes them to rotate the star wheel. Since, in the example here assumed, there are full bottles, with five vanes on the star wheel, the star wheel will make four full revolutions to rotate cam 170' one full revolution to enable the latch 171 to spring back into locking position. Until a full group of 20 bottles pass the star wheel the cam 170' will hold the latch open, but 20 bottles will complete a revolution of the cam, and the latch, being spring-biased, will snap into a latching notch in the cam 170' to hold it against rotation. When latch 171 releases the cam, latch extension 171 drops away from switch 173, opening a circuit through which the raising or lowering of piston 151 with its cylinder 152 is controlled, so that this mechanism cannot operate if a filled bottle should remain on the conveyor 3 in the filling section of the machine, and not more than the allotted 20 bottles can pass.

Counting star wheel 50 has its shaft 50' operatively connected to a similar reducing gear 175 with a cam disk 175 which is normally held from turning by latch 176, this latch having a solenoid 177 to release it. When the latch 176 is released, the pressure of the bottles will rotate the star wheel which, like star wheel 125, must rotate four complete revolutions to bring its latch-receiving notch back to latching position. Also, when the latch 176 is released, its extension 176' drops away from switch 178, so that switch opens, and it is in series with switch 173 so that both

switches

173 and 178 must be closed for the machine to cycle. Therefore, unless and until 20 purged and steam-filled bottles pass into the filling section, this star wheel will not operate, so there can be no vacant position under a filling spout, but when 20 bottles have passed the star wheel 50, it will again be latched. There are similar star wheel cam latches 171a and 176a for the star wheels 125a and 5011. As an additional safety measure, there is a flag switch 180 hereinafter sometimes designated as advance bottle-monitoring switch," in advance of the bottle-switching device in series with the

switches

173 and 178 and in series with switches 173a and 1780 so that if there is not a supply ofbottles to be filled in each ofthe lanes leading to conveyors 3 and 3a, the next filling cycle in either lane will not occur. In other words, the opening of switch 180 will not stop the machine except on completion of the cycle then taking place, assuring that there can be no cycle without an adequate run of empty bottles reaching the machine. The switch 180 is preferably a time delay switch which would not open when there is a temporary gap oftwo or three bottles or so that would quickly be closed.

The operation of the machine may be described in connection with the diagram in FIG. 18. By way of preliminary explanation, and as previously mentioned, it should be kept in mind that in FIG. 15 for purposes of illustration, the piston of cylinder 114 is shown in the retracted position and the piston of cylinder 114a is shown in the extended. position. However the normal position for each piston would be the retracted position in which the valves 111 and 111a respectively are -lll closed. It should also be borne in mind that when the cross bar 73 in FIG. 5 is in the elevated position shown, the cross bar 73a is in its lowermost position, so that the downstroke a is shown in the extended of 73 for switching operations is comparable to an upstroke of bar 73a.

It will be noted in FIG. 5 that one of the vertical support bars has a vertical series of switch elements thereon with the elements at three different levels. There is a switch-operating element 181 on the end of bar 73 for operating these switches. At the top there are a pair of switches SA and SA. Below this there is a single switch SB and at the bottom there are switches SC and SC. All of these are normally open, but are closed by engagement with contact 181 as it moves up and down with bar 73 between its upper and lower range of travel.

Since the two lanes are duplicates of each other, but out of phase, the circuits for one side are shown, and the circuit for the other side is the counterpart. It should be kept in mind, however, that when the parts on the near side are in the position shown in FIG. 5, the suction tubes 66 will have exhausted the air from the containers positioned under them, and in the filling section ahead, the filled containers have been lowered back onto the conveyor 3 ready for discharge from the machine. At the same moment the air exhaust tubes on the other side will be projected into the containers in the other lane, and in the section ahead, the containers to be filled will be sealed against their respective filling spouts.

With this condition, the operation of the filling valve on the far side will sequence the operation on both sides. Starting with the parts in the position just before the bar 73 has moved high enough for element 181 to contact switch SA, supply valve 111a and its operating cylinder 114a for the far lane will be closed, and switch lever 1160 will be located between contacts 117a and 1190. There is a latch-in relay at 182. While it is here shown in diagram as two relays side by side, it is in fact a single unit with a solenoid for closing upper contacts and a solenoid for closing a lower set of contacts. In the diagram therefore, they have been labeled Top" and bottom." At the time here assumed, the solenoid 183 for the top contacts will have been previously operated to close top contacts 183 and bottom contacts 184 will be open.

As lifting bar 73 continues to move up, assuring that the bottles in the far lane are pressed snugly against the gaskets around their filling nozzles, element 181 closes switch SA, whereupon line current, designated llOV flows through switch SA, from line L, through wire and closed switch 119a, then through line 190 across closed top contacts 183 of the latch in relay to line 195. A branch from line leads to the primary of a stepdown transformer 196 to the other line, here designated for clarity as a ground symbol marked 1 10V. This induces a low-voltage current to energize the 0" or open side of solenoid valve 121, the circuit from the transformer being through the valve open solenoid at 121 through wire 197 to the ground side of the transformer. This energizes cylinder 114a to open product supply valve 111a and move lever 116a. As the lever 116a opens, it opens switch 116a, but its travel under pressure in cylinder 114a will continue until this lever closes switch 118 a to operate the close side of valve control 121 and reverse the operation of the valve. Before the reversal of the valve actually takes place, due to slight overtravel which occurs, switch 120a will be momentarily closed, closing a circuit through bottom solenoid of latch in relay 82 to close bottom contacts 184 and open top contacts 183, so that the operation will not repeat when lever 116a returns to close switches 117a and 119a in preparation for the next cycle. It takes the containers only a half second or so to fill, so that this operation takes place quickly.

When the top latch in relay contacts 183 are closed to energize line 195 and transformer 196, relay 198 is momentarily closed to operate electromagnet 199N to operate valve 200 to send air into container guiding switch cylinder 38 to operate the lane switch to a position where bottles or other containers are switched into the near lane. Magnet 199F is operated in the other half cycle from the corresponding switching elements of the filling valve on the near lane to send containers into the far lane when the near lane is filling.

Also, when line 195 is energized to energize the transformer 196, an impulse is sent from line 195 through line 201 to energize the star or counter wheel release latch means, such as

solenoids

172 and 177 to release the cam disks for the near

lane star wheels

125 and 50, respectively, so that while containers in the far lane are being filled in one section and purged of air in the preceding secton, the filled containers in the near lane are discharged from the filling section, airpurged containers are moving from the purging section into the filling section, and preheated containers on the entry end of the apparatus move up into air-purging position and replacement containers move into the preheating zone from the operation of the switch cylinder 38 as above described.

When the latches for the star wheels release, the

switches

173 and 178 drop open. These switches are in series with each other and with line 190, lower latch in relay contacts 184 (which were closed when switch operating lever 116a closed switch 120a momentarily, as above explained) line 202, advance bottle-monitoring switch 180, line 203. From 203 the current path is from switch 173, through switch 178, line 204, bar operated switch SA to line 205. Line 205 leads to an electromagnet 206U that opens a fluid pressure valve to admit pressure to the lower end of cylinder 152 to raise the containers in the near lane to effect the other half cycle of the two-lane filling operation. It will be seen, however, that the operation of cylinder 152 cannot take place unless bottom latch-in relay contacts 184 are closed, there is a supply of containers to be processed at the monitoring switch 180, switch SA is closed and the star wheel counter latches have been latched, closing

switches

173 and 178. The latches for these counter star wheels of course cannot close unless and until containers (in the operation here assumed) have moved out of the filling section, rotating the star wheel counter just the exact number of turns, and star wheel counter has delivered exactly 20 air-purged containers into the filling section.

When magnet 206 is momentarily energized to raise piston 151, this will lower bar 73 with its switch-operating extension 181, opening switches SA and SA, but since electromagnet 206U has operated a fluid pressure valve, piston rod 151 will continue to rise. As switch-operating element 181 moves past switch SB, an impulse will be sent from line L through line 207 to energize the top relay magnet of latch-in relay 182, closing top contacts 183 and opening contacts 184, so that this relay is conditioned for its next operation. An impulse will also be sent through line 208 to the corresponding latch-in relay for the near lane counterpart (not shown) of latch-in relay 182, but its top contacts would already have been closed when 181 moved in its previous up travel so that this impulse through line 208 would, at this stage, have no effect, just as the next up travel of 181 past switch SB will have no effect on latch-in relay 182, since it will have been operated on the down traveljust described.

Switches SC and SC are operated when 181 reaches its low point of travel to operate the near lane filling valve and circuits which are the counterpart of those described, and for that reason, and for clarity of disclosure, are not diagrammed.

Throughout the diagram, ground symbols marked 1 10V" are connected to a return current supply line (not shown) but which is indicated at L it is designated 110V purely for identification, since this is a normal value for commercial lowvoltage outlets, but it could be a voltage ofgreater or less magnitude. Ground symbols not marked are return lines to the transformer 196.

it has been noted that container-supply-monitoring switch 180 is a time delay switch which, if opened, will not immediately break the circuit, so that if there should be a temporary gap of three or four bottles in the supply of bottles or other containers to the apparatus, it would not open circuit 203, since that number may occur for an instant now and then with adequate time for the deficiency to be made up in advance of the air-purging section of the apparatus. Of course if switch does open due to an insufficiency of containers, the machine will complete the half cycle which is taking place at that moment, but will not begin the other half cycle until switch 180 is closed. It is only when cylinder 152 requires reversing that the opening of switch 180 will prevent operation. A half cycle of the machine as the term is here used, means the operation which occurs on one upstroke of piston rod 151 or one downstroke, or the discharge of 20 filled bottles from one lane with the other 20 being filled but still elevated, whereas a full cycle is a complete discharge of 20 filled bottles from each lane.

Since the bottles are filled by suction, the relatively cold slow flowing sterile liquid fills the bottles almost instantly and uniformly in a sterile environment because the entire tunnellike enclosure is filled with steam. The chain is practically the only moving part in the enclosure other than the nylon bearings for the star wheel shafts, and the bearings for the shafts that carry the chain sprockets are outside the enclosure, as are the rock shafts and operating pistons and cylinders A machine built to accommodate 20 bottles on each side has a short operating cycle so that filled bottles are delivered to a capping machine in rapid succession. It is not possible for the machine to operate unless there is an adequate supply of bottles, and unless the counting means comprising star-wheeldriven cams rotate exactly 360, corresponding in the example given, since the latch means 171 and 176 cannot otherwise close, and until they close, switches 173 and 178 cannot close and the machine cannot cycle.

Not only does the use of parallel conveyor units and duplicate systems with one side 180 out of phase with the other produce a more nearly continuous flow of filled containers from the machine, but the weights of upwardly moving parts on one side of the machine nearly counterbalance the weight ofdownwardly moving parts on the other side, Also. on the same side of the machine the downwardly moving suction manifolds in the purging section tend to counterbalance, at least partially, the simultaneous upward lift of the bottles in the filling section on the same side. This counterbalancing reduces the size and pressure required for cylinder-piston unit 152 and its pressure pump and power requirements.

When the filled containers leave their respective lanes. they are transferred to the conveyor 12 where they are carried to a capping machine. This conveyor is also enclosed so that a sterile steam-filled atmosphere can be maintained around the containers until closures are applied. For clarity of illustration. such enclosure is not shown, but it corresponds to a similar arrangement shown in our copending application Ser. No. 823,0l0, filed May 8, i969, disclosing an aseptic container filling apparatus more especially designed for filling larger and wider mouthed containers than the apparatus here shown.

It is a desirable result of this invention that there is no entrainment of air in the product as it fills the containers, because of the air having been removed from the containers. and replaced with steam.

We claim:

1. The method of aseptically filling a container having a filling opening with a sluggish flowing, relatively cold liquid product which comprises:

a introducing the container into a steam-filled environment into which steam is constantly introduced,

b. sucking the contained air out of the container by a suction tube inserted into the container close to the bottom thereof and replacing the air with steam from the steamfilled environment,

c. sealing the filling opening against a sealing gasket through which a filling tube projects into said opening while the bottle remains in said steam-filled environment,

d. drawing the product through the filling tube by effecting condensation of the steam in the container, and

e. withdrawing the filling tube from the container to lower the liquid level in the container.

2. The method defined in claim 1 in which condensation of the steam in the container is effected by an initial discharge of a small amount of the product into the container by a momentary increase in pressure on the product supply to the filling tube.

3. The method defined in claim 1 in which the container has a neck with a lip around the open end of the neck and the filling opening is formed at the top ofsaid neck.

4. Apparatus for aseptically filling open-top containers with a sluggish flowing relatively cold liquid comprising:

a. an elongated enclosure with means for constantly supplying steam thereto to maintain an atmosphere of steam therein,

b. means for conveying a succession of containers through said enclosure,

c. suction tubes and means for inserting them into the containers to withdraw the air from the interior of the containers and replace it with steam from said enclosure,

d. filling noule means beneath which the air-purged steamfilled containers are carried by said conveying means, said filling nozzle means comprising a series of filling tubes connected with a product supply manifold, each tube having a sealing gasket surrounding the same and through which the filling tubes project, and

e. means arranged to effect relative vertical movement between the containers and filling nozzle means to project one of said tubes into each of a succession of said steam-filled containers and seal the open tops of the containers against the said gaskets to effect a discharge of product into the containers by suction when the steam in the bottles condenses.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said nozzle means include valve means to supply the product to the manifold, and means for effecting the opening of said valve means when the containers have been scaled against said gaskets.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein there is means arranged to effect the closing of said valve means after a time lapse sufficient for the container to fill, and means arranged to effect the reverse relative vertical movement between the containers and filling tubes after the containers have filled to ef fect withdrawal of the filling tubes.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein means is provided so arranged that the containers move intermittently through the enclosure in groups of equal numbers of containers, with such movement of the containers being halted when the suction tubes are entered therein and the containers are being filled.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the intermittent movement is so arranged that one group of containers has the suction tubes entered therein while another group is being filled.

9. Apparatus for aseptically filling containers with a relatively cold product wherein the product is sucked into the container by first removing air from the container and replacing it with steam which is then condensed comprising:

a. an elongated enclosure having entrance and exit ends,

b. a conveyor for moving containers in single file through the enclosure,

c. means for constantly maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure around the containers,

d. the enclosure having in succession an air-purging section in which air is removed from the containers and replaced with steam from within the enclosure and a containerfilling filling section,

e. means controlled by the containers arranged to divide the travel of the containers from the purging section to the filling section into successive groups of a predetermined number, and means for blocking the travel of each group after it enters the filling section and for simultaneously blocking the travel of containers in the purging section,

f. a separate filling nozzle in the filling section for each container in the group,

g. means for effecting relative vertical movement between the containers in the filling section and the filling nozzles to effect a vacuumtight seal between the containers and the nozzles and effecting relative movement between them to separate them when the containers have been filled,

h. means arranged to discharge product to the nozzles only when the containers and nozzles so engaged, and thereby effect condensation of steam in the containers to produce a vacuum therein and thereby accelerate the flow of product from the nozzle into the containers,

10 i. means for projecting an air exhaust tube into each of those containers in the air-purging section which comprise the group next to enter the filling section and then withdrawing them when the air in said group of containers has been removed and replaced with steam,

j. said means for blocking the travel of the containers in the filling section being arranged to release the travel of the filled containers out of the filling section when the filled containers have been lowered and said means for blocking the air-purged steam-filled section is arranged to release them for entry into the filling section as the filled containers leave the filling section.

10. Apparatus for aseptically filling containers as defined in claim 9 wherein the enclosure has a container preheating section in advance of the air-purging section to effect heating of the containers before they enter the air-purging section.

11. Apparatus for aseptically filling containers with a relatively cold liquid product wherein the product is sucked into the container by first removing air from the container and replacing it with steam which is then condensed comprising:

a. an elongated enclosure having entrance and exit ends,

b. a conveyor for moving containers in single file through the enclosure,

d. the enclosure having in succession a container preheating section, an air-purging section in which air is removed from the containers and replacing it with steam and a container-filling section,

. container-counting means operatively arranged along the conveyor between the air-purging section and the filling section and a container-counting means so arranged at the opposite end of the filling section,

f. latch means operated by the container-counting means for holding said counting means in container-blocking position after a predetermined like number of containers has moved past each such counting means whereby the travel of the containers with the conveyor is blocked after such predetermined number has moved past said counting means, said container-filling section having a series of separate filling nozzles therein, one over each empty container confined by said counters and latch means on the conveyor in the filling section, means in the filling section for lifting the containers in the filling section off the conveyor and raising them into sealed engagement, each against a separate filling nozzle so arranged that product is sucked therefrom into the containers by the condensation of steam within the containers and after they are filled, lowering them onto the conveyor,

h. means in the air-purging section operating in synchronism, with said last-named means for lowering an air exhaust tube into each of those containers in the airpurging section that will constitute the group next to enter the filling section and lifting said tubes from the said containers as the filled containers in the filling section are lowered, and

i. means for releasing said counting means latches to release the filled containers for travel out of the filling section and effect the travel of the next group into the filling section to repeat the cycle.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein there is a common operating means lifting and lowering the containers 75 spouts the filling section and first lowering and then lifting said air exhaust tubes when synchronism whereby the opposite motions at least partially counterbalance each other.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said conveyor is continuously driven and the counting means comprises a star wheel positioned between the purging section and the filling section arranged to be engaged by the containers as they are carried by it on the conveyor and the counting means at the other end of the filling section is a similar star wheel, each star wheel being operatively connected to its own rotatable disk, each disk having a latch-engaging notch therein, a latch for each disk arranged to releasably engage said notch to restrain the disk and its star wheel from rotating when the latch is so engaged, and means for momentarily withdrawing the latch from the notch to free the star wheel and disk for rotation, said latch being biased to reenter the notch when the disk has rotated one revolution, and electromagnetic means for effecting the withdrawal of the latch from its notch.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said conveyor is continuously driven and the counting means comprises a star wheel positioned between the purging section and the filling section arranged to be engaged by the containers as they are carried by it on the conveyor and the counting means at the other end of the filling section is a similar star wheel, each star wheel being operatively connected to its own rotatable disk, each disk having a latch-engaging notch therein, a latch for each disk arranged to releasably engage said notch to restrain the disk and its star wheel from rotating when the latch is so engaged, and means for momentarily withdrawing the latch from the notch to free the star wheel and disk for rotation, said latch being biased to reenter the notch when the disk has rotated one revolution, and means for simultaneously withdrawing both latches from their respective notches, said star wheels said star arranged to drive their respective disk in synchronism by the passage of containers past them.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein:

j. there is also a second conveyor in the enclosure parallel with the first conveyor and wherein there is also a container counting means operatively arranged along the second conveyor between the air-purging section and the filling section and also another counting means along the second conveyor at the opposite end of the filling section, and

k. wherein the latch means defined in clause (f) of claim 11 are duplicated for the container counting means along said second conveyor and the nozzles defined in clause (1) are also duplicated for the second conveyor, and

1. wherein the means defined in clauses (g) and (/1) of claim 11 are also duplicated for the second conveyor,

m. characterized by the said common operating means defined in claim 11 being also operatively connected with the duplicate container-lifting and lowering means in the filling section and also the duplicate air exhaust tube lowering and lifting means in the air-purging section and being so arranged that the container-lifting and lowering means and air exhaust tube lowering and lifting means for the second conveyor cycle 180 out of phase with their counterparts along the first conveyor.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein there is a separate product supply valve for the filling nozzles for the containers on one conveyor and another for the filling nozzles for the containers on the other conveyor, with means for operating said product supply valves 180 out of phase.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein electric control means are provided for releasing the star wheel latches for the star wheels along the second conveyor when the product supply valve for the filling nozzles for the containers in the filling section of the first conveyor are discharging into the containers lifted above the first conveyor and vice versa.

18. Apparatus for aseptically filling bottles and like containers with a sluggish flowing product comprising:

a. means providing two parallel lanes along which containers are moved in single file,

b. means for preheating the containers,

c. means providing a steam-filled enclosure with an airpurging section wherein air is removed from the containers and replaced with steam followed by a filling section through which said lanes extend,

d. means in each lane for intermittently effecting travel of preheated containers along the respectible lanes in equal groups from the air-purging section into the filling section and simultaneously moving a group of like number of filled containers out of the filling section,

e. means along each lane in the air-purging section for simultaneously removing air from the group of containers next to be filled and replacing it with steam in periods between the intermittent travel of the groups through the enclosure,

f. means along each lane and the filling section for filling the containers with product in that group in the filling section in the same period that the succeeding group in the purging section is being purged of air, said means comprising a filling nozzle in said section for each container in the group and means are provided in the filling section for bringing each container into sealed engagement with a filling nozzle, the arrangement being such that an initial discharge of product from the nozzles into the containers condenses steam to produce a vacuum in the containers which sucks product into them until each has been filled to the required extent and the vacuum relieved, and

g. control means for effecting the operations of purging air from one group of containers and filling another group with product in one lane while travel of the groups of com tainers in the other lane is taking place.

19. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the filling means comprises a series of spouts leading from a common product supply manifold and a valve for controlling the flow of product into the manifold, and wherein there is means arranged to effect relative vertical movement between the container and filling spouts to project one of the spouts into each container and effect a sealing engagement between each container and the spout that enters the container so that when said valve is opened some of the product will be discharged from the spout into the containers into which the spout is entered to condense the steam and create a vacuum to thereby suck the product into the container, said means for effecting relative vertical movement between the containers and the filling spouts being also effective to withdraw the spouts from the bottles after the containers have been filled with product, said control means being arranged to effect such relative vertical movement in both directions and to effect the opening of said valve when the containers are in sealed relation to the spouts and to close it after the containers have filled with product.

20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the operation of said filling valve in one lane is arranged to control the travel of the groups of containers in the other lane, the arrangement being such that the said reverse relative movement of the containers and spouts in one lane may take place only when the groups ofcontainers in the other lane have completed their increment of travel.

21 Apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein the means for effecting relative vertical motions of the containers and filling spouts comprises a mechanism common to the apparatus of both lanes so arranged that when there is upward motion of said means in one lane there is downward movement of its counterpart in the other lane.

22. Container filling apparatus comprising:

a. a steam-filled enclosure having a preheating section, an

air-purging station and a container filling station,

b. means for intermittently advancing groups of containers arranged in rows through the enclosure from the heating section with intervals between successive stages of travel of the groups and with an equal number of containers in each group and with the travel of the groups being arranged in air-purging section and in the filling stations of the enclosure,

c. means at the air-purging station comprising a series of means at the filling station comprising a manifold with a series of spouts depending therefrom, with the spouts being so positioned that one spout is centered over each container in the group when travel of the group is arrested at the filling section, each nozzle having a sealing gasket thereabout, together with means for effecting relative vertical movement between the containers and the mainfold until one spout is entered in each container in the group with the top of the container pressed in sealing contact with the sealing gaskets around the respective spouts and then effecting reverse relative movement when the containers have been filled to separate the containers and the spouts, 7'

. means for supplying product to be bottled to the manifold including a valve which is normally closed,

. said means for lowering the tubes into the containers at the air-purging station and for effecting relative vertical movement between the containers and the manifold at the filling station comprising a common drive mechanism that synchronizes their respective operations in such manner that when air is being purged from one group, another group is being filled, and

. control means for opening said valve to admit product to the manifold only when the containers are pressed into sealing contact with the gaskets around the spouts, the said valve and spouts being arranged to initially inject product into the steam-filled containers in the filling section and thereby condense the steam in the containers and produce a suction to draw product through the spouts into the containers until the suction has been relieved.

Claims

1. The method of aseptically filling a container having a filling opening with a sluggish flowing, relatively cold liquid product which comprises: a. introducing the container into a steam-filled environment into which steam is constantly introduced, b. sucking the contained air out of the container by a suction tube inserted into the container close to the bottom thereof and replacing the air with steam from the steam-filled environment, c. sealing the filling opening against a sealing gasket through which a filling tube projects into said opening while the bottle remains in said steam-filled environment, d. drawing the product through the filling tube by effecting condensation of the steam in the container, and e. withdrawing the filling tube from the container to lower the liquid level in the container.

3. The method defined in claim 1 in which the container has a neck with a lip around the open end of the neck and the filling opening is formed at the top of said neck.

4. Apparatus for aseptically filling open-top containers with a sluggish flowing relatively cold liquid comprising: a. an elongated enclosure with means for constantly supplying steam thereto to maintain an atmosphere of steam therein, b. means for conveying a succession of containers through said enclosure, c. suction tubes and means for inserting them into the containers to withdraw the air from the interior of the containers and replace it with steam from said enclosure, d. filling nozzle means beneath which the air-purged steam-filled containers are carried by said conveying means, said filling nozzle means comprising a series of filling tubes connected with a product supply manifold, each tube having a sealing gasket surrounding the same and through which the filling tubes project, and e. means arranged to effect relative vertical movement between the containers and filling nozzle means to project one of said tubes into each of a succession of said steam-filled containers and seal the open tops of the containers against the said gaskets to effect a discharge of product into the containers by suction when the steam in the bottles condenses.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said nozzle means include valve means to supply the product to the manifold, and means for effecting the opening of said valve means when the containers have been sealed against said gaskets.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein there is means arranged to effect the closing of said valve means after a time lapse sufficient for the container to fill, and means arranged to effect the reverse relative vertical movement between the containers and filling tubes after the containers have filled to effect withdrawal of the filling tubes.

9. Apparatus for aseptically filling containers with a relatively cold product wherein the product is sucked into the container by first removing air from the container and replacing it with steam which is then condensed comprising: a. an elongated enclosure having entrance and exit ends, b. a conveyor for moving containers in single file through the enclosure, c. means for constantly maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure around the containers, d. the enclosure having in succession an air-purging section in which air is removed from the containers and replaced with steam from within the enclosure and a container-filling filling section, e. means controlled by the containers arranged to divide the travel of the containers from the purging section to the filling section into successive groups of a predetermined number, and means for blocking the travel of each group after it enters the filling section and for simultaneously blocking the travel of containers in the purging section, f. a separate filling nozzle in the filling section for each container in the group, g. means for effecting relative vertical movement between the containers in the filling section and the filling nozzles to effect a vacuumtight seal between the containers and the nozzles and effecting relative movement between them to separate them when the containers have been filled, h. means arranged to discharge product to the nozzles only when the containers and nozzles so engaged, and thereby effect condensation of steam in the containers to produce a vacuum therein and thereby accelerate the flow of product from the nozzle into the containers, i. means for projecting an air exhaust tube into each of those containers in the air-purging section which comprise the group next to enter the filling section and then withdrawing them when the air in said group of containers has been removed and replaced with steam, j. said means for blocking the travel of the containers in the filling section being arranged to release the travel of the filled containers out of the filling section when the filled containers have been lowered and said means for blocking the air-purged steam-filled section is arranged to release them for entry into the filling section as the filled containers leave the filling section.

11. Apparatus for aseptically filling containers with a relatively cold liquid product wherein the product is sucked into the container by first removing air from the container and replacing it with steam which is then condensed comprising: a. an elongated enclosure having entrance and exit ends, b. a conveyor for moving containers in single file through the enclosure, c. means for constantly maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure around the containers, d. the enclosure having in succession a container preheating section, an air-purging section in which air is removed from the containers and replacing it with steam and a container-filling section, e. container-counting means operatively arranged along the conveyor between the air-purging section and the filling section and a container-counting means so arranged at the opposite end of the filling section, f. latch means operated by the container-counting means for holding said counting means in container-blocking position after a predetermined like number of containers has moved past each such counting means whereby the travel of the containers with the conveyor is blocked after such predetermined number has moved past said counting means, said container-filling section having a series of separate filling nozzles therein, one over each empty container confined by said counters and latch means on the conveyor in the filling section, g. means in the filling section for lifting the containers in the filling section off the conveyor and raising them into sealed engagement, each against a separate filling nozzle so arranged that product is sucked therefrom into the containers by the condensation of steam within the containers and after they are filled, lowering them onto the conveyor, h. means in the air-purging section operating in synchronism, with said last-named means for lowering an air exhaust tube into each of those containers in the air-purging section that will constitute the group next to enter the filling section and lifting said tubes from the said containers as the filled containers in the filling section are lowered, and i. means for releasing said counting means latches to release the filled containers for travel out of the filling section and effect the travel of the next group into the filling section to repeat the cycle.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein there is a common operating means lifting and lowering the containers spouts the filling section and first lowering and then lifting said air exhaust tubes when synchronism whereby the opposite motions at least partially counterbalance each other.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 whereIn: j. there is also a second conveyor in the enclosure parallel with the first conveyor and wherein there is also a container counting means operatively arranged along the second conveyor between the air-purging section and the filling section and also another counting means along the second conveyor at the opposite end of the filling section, and k. wherein the latch means defined in clause (f) of claim 11 are duplicated for the container counting means along said second conveyor and the nozzles defined in clause (f) are also duplicated for the second conveyor, and

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein there is a separate product supply valve for the filling nozzles for the containers on one conveyor and another for the filling nozzles for the containers on the other conveyor, with means for operating said product supply valves 180* out of phase.

18. Apparatus for aseptically filling bottles and like containers with a sluggish flowing product comprising: a. means providing two parallel lanes along which containers are moved in single file, b. means for preheating the containers, c. means providing a steam-filled enclosure with an air-purging section wherein air is removed from the containers and replaced with steam followed by a filling section through which said lanes extend, d. means in each lane for intermittently effecting travel of preheated containers along the respectible lanes in equal groups from the air-purging section into the filling section and simultaneously moving a group of like number of filled containers out of the filling section, e. means along each lane in the air-purging section for simultaneously removing air from the group of containers next to be filled and replacing it with steam in periods between the intermittent travel of the groups through the enclosure, f. means along each lane and the filling section for filling the containers with product in that group in the filling section in the same period that the succeeding group in the purging section is being purged of air, said means comprising a filling nozzle in said section for each container in the group and means are provided in the filling section for bringing each container into sealed engagement with a filling nozzle, the arrangement being such that an initial discharge of product from the nozzles into the containers condenses steam to produce a vacuum in the containers which sucks product into them until each has been filled to the required extent and the vacuum relieved, and g. control means for effecting the operations of purging air from one group of containers and filling another group with product in one lane while travel of the groups of containers in the other lane is taking place.

20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the operation of said filling valve in one lane is arranged to control the travel of the groups of containers in the other lane, the arrangement being such that the said reverse relative movement of the containers and spouts in one lane may take place only when the groups of containers in the other lane have completed their increment of travel. 21 Apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein the means for effecting relative vertical motions of the containers and filling spouts comprises a mechanism common to the apparatus of both lanes so arranged that when there is upward motion of said means in one lane there is downward movement of its counterpart in the other lane.

22. Container filling apparatus comprising: a. a steam-filled enclosure having a preheating section, an air-purging station and a container filling station, b. means for intermittently advancing groups of containers arranged in rows through the enclosure from the heating section with intervals between successive stages of travel of the groups and with an equal number of containers in each group and with the travel of the groups being arranged in air-purging section and in the filling stations of the enclosure, c. means at the air-purging station comprising a series of suction tubes corresponding in number with the number of containers in each group, with one tube centered over each container together with means for lowering said tubes into the containers with one tube entering each container for exhausting air from the containers and replacing it with steam from the enclosure and then raising the tubes clear of the containers, d. means at the filling station comprising a manifold with a series of spouts depending therefrom, with the spouts being so positioned that one spout is centered over each container in the group when travel of the group is arrested at the filling section, each nozzle having a sealing gasket thereabout, together with means for effecting relative vertical movement between the containers and the mainfold until one spout is entered in each container in the group with the top of the container pressed in sealing contact with the sealing gaskets around the respective spouts and then effecting reverse relative movement when the containers have been filled to separate the containers and the spouts, e. means for supplying product to be bottled to the manifold including a valve which is normally closed, f. said means for lowering the tubes into the containers at the air-purging station and for effecting relative vertical movement between the containers and the manifold at the filling station comprising a common drive mechanism that synchronizes their respective operations in such manner that when air is being purged from one group, another group is being filled, and g. control means for opening said valve to admit product to the manifold only when the containers are pressed into sealing contact with the gaskets around the spouts, the said valve and spouts being arranged to initially inject product into the steam-fIlled containers in the filling section and thereby condense the steam in the containers and produce a suction to draw product through the spouts into the containers until the suction has been relieved.