US3903938A - Method of and apparatus for filling flowable material into open top containers - Google Patents

Method of and apparatus for filling flowable material into open top containers Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3903938A
US3903938A US408797A US40879773A US3903938A US 3903938 A US3903938 A US 3903938A US 408797 A US408797 A US 408797A US 40879773 A US40879773 A US 40879773A US 3903938 A US3903938 A US 3903938A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
discharge
filling
container
valve
actuator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US408797A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Michael Bryon Osborne
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3903938A publication Critical patent/US3903938A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B3/00—Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
    • B65B3/04—Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
    • B65B3/06—Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles by gravity flow
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B3/00—Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
    • B65B3/26—Methods or devices for controlling the quantity of the material fed or filled
    • B65B3/34—Methods or devices for controlling the quantity of the material fed or filled by timing of filling operations
    • B65B3/36—Methods or devices for controlling the quantity of the material fed or filled by timing of filling operations and arresting flow by cut-off means

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT Apparatus for charging accurate amount of liquid or powder into open top containers moving continuously in a straight line comprising an elongated supply vessel means for maintaining a constant level of filling material in said vessel, a row of a plurality of constant flow discharge valves from said vessel each operable to discharge material for container filling or for return to a reservoir, an actuator for operating each of said valves to cause it to make container filling discharge, a continuously rotating cam effective on each actuator in timed relation to the continuous movement of con tainers below the discharge valves, and a container operated sensor adjacent each discharge valve and effective to prevent an actuator operating its discharge valve to cause filling discharge in the absence of a container below it.
  • This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for filling flowable material such as liquids or powders into open top containers such as jars and cans as they move continuously in a straight line.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for container in-line filling with the advantage that the containers to be filled are continuously moving and in which its deliveries are individually closed when there is no container therebelow without affecting the flow rate through the other deliveries.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide container filling apparatus in which a constantly maintained head of filling material is supplied at a constant total discharge rate to progressively fill continuously moving containers through a plurality of downwardly directed discharges, opened in timed relation to the movement of the containers, by opening a by-pass discharge with the closing of each filling discharge, such that there is filling discharge during the time a container is below it and flow to the feed back at other times so achieving a constant flow rate, provision also being made for preventing each discharge valve giving a filling discharge when there is no container therebelow to cater for any gap in the sequence of containers, so that there is no waste of material nor spillage due to over-filling of containers by correct selection of the flow rate during filling discharge.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide container filling apparatus comprising an elongated supply vessel to which filling material is continuously fed, means for maintaining a constant level of filling material in said vessel by returning surplus material to a reservoir, a row of a plurality of constant flow discharge valves from said vessel each operable to discharge material for container filling or for return to the reservoir to maintain a constant total discharge rate through the apparatus, an actuator for operating each of said valves to cause it to make container filling discharge, a continuously rotating cam effective on each actuator in timed relation to the continuous movement of containers below the discharge valves, and a container operated sensor adjacent each discharge valve and effective to prevent an actuator operating its discharge valve to cause filling discharge in the absence of a container below it.
  • a still further object is to provide such apparatus with additional means for moving all the actuators together to close their associated discharge valve should the supply of containers or their continuous movement cease for any reason.
  • a still further object of the invention is to provide such apparatus in which each discharge valve comprises a chamber with a constantly open inlet port and two outlet ports one for container filling by downward discharge and the other feeding to a feed back conduit, the outlet ports being progressively and alternately openable by a slidable element moved by an operating rod extending through the chamber walls through liquid seals, and moved in one direction by a cam operated actuator and in the opposite direction by a spring.
  • FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatus with part broken away to show internal mechanism
  • FIG. 2 is an end elevation being a view on the lefthand side of FIG. I.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale to show a discharge valve and its operating mechanism.
  • An elongated filling vessel or gravity feed tank I is continuously fed with filling material through a supply pipe 2 to maintain a constant head of filling material therein by a trough 3 with a discharge duct 4 leading back to a reservoir 31, such trough receiving material above the desired level.
  • the supply tank 1 is provided at its bottom with a row of apertures 5 each opening into a valve chamber 6 which is desirably made of stainless steel and has two outlets, one outlet 7 forming a downwardly directed discharge for filling material into a container 8 situated therebelow and the other outlet 9 opening to a return conduit 10 leading back to the reservoir 31.
  • the outlets 7 and 9 are alternately and progressively opened and closed by a slidable valve member 11 having a flat working face, which may be coated with P.T.F.E, moving on a flat surface of the valve chamber in which the outlets 7 and 9 are formed.
  • valve member 11 is moved to and fro by push-rod 12, which extends through the valve chamber walls and through liquidtight seals as may be necessary, and is urged by a spring 12 in the direction to move the valve member 11 for filling to discharge through the port '7.
  • the member I] is urged into contact with the surface of the valve chamber by the pressure of the material acting on it and is not affected by wear of its working face, nor by expansion and contraction due to change in the temperature of the material.
  • Each push-rod 12 is moved against its loading spring 12 by an actuator 14 shown as a rockable bell-crank lever with one limb thereof carrying a roller forming a cam follower which normally engages a contour cam 16 which rotates in timed relation to the container continuously moving means such as two worm conveyors 13, 13' dr ven in timed relation with the cam 16 by a motor M.
  • the longer limb of the actuator 14 may directly enuage the end of a push-rod 12 to move the same on being rocked but preferably, and as illustrated, carries an adjustment screw 17 to engage the push-rod end.
  • the actuator 14 When the actuator 14 is rocked (clockwise as seen in FIG. 3) it moves the push-rod 12 to cause the valve 11 to close port 7 and open the port 9.
  • the strength of the spring 12 not only maintains the end of the pushrod 12 in contact with the screw 17 but also bias the actuator 14 to maintain its roller 15 in contact with the cam 16 for movement thereby, unless such actuator is rocked by the action of either of the jacks 22, 26, which are hereafter described.
  • valve arrangement above described is such that there is a constant rate flow of filling material through the valve chamber and that as the valve member 11 is moved to close the outlet port 7, as when there is no container therebelow, the other port 9 is correspondingly and progressively opened so maintaining the flow rate through the valve chamber.
  • the adjustment screw 17 is operated so that the valve member 11 opens the port a required amount up to fully open; the constant flow rate being maintained in that while there is less than full flow through the port 7 there is also partial flow through the port 9.
  • a sensor In order to prevent opening of a filling discharge when there is no container below the valve chamber 6, a sensor is provided which is shown as slidable member 18 urged towards a container edge by a spring 19 and by its movement controlling the actuator 10 of a pneumatic valve 21.
  • the pneumatic valve 21 which controls an air cylinder jack 22, the extension of the piston rod 23 of which effects rocking of its associated actuator 14 to cause the valve member 11 to close the port 7.
  • Such jack 22 may be carried by a frame member 24 through which also extends an adjustment screw 25 for limiting movement of its actuator 14 and bears on the end of the adjustable screw 17.
  • a further air cylinder jack 26 may be provided and arranged for its piston rod 27 to act either directly or through a bell-crank lever 28 on a bar 29 lengthwise of the apparatus and effective on all the actuators 14 to rock the same to cause closure of the valve filling dis charges, and such jack 26 is made operative as by a second container sensor (not shown) to extend its piston rod 27 should the supply of containers 8 cease or stop moving and when it is desired to stop container filling by a manual control (not shown).
  • Initial supply of filling material may be through a conduit 30 to the reservoir 31 from which material is drawn through a conduit 32 by a pump 33 discharging to the supply pipe 2 to the tank 1.
  • the overflow discharge duct 4 leads back into the reservoir 31 as does also the return conduit 10.
  • the material to be filled into the open top containers is continuously fed to the supply tank and material in excess of a predetermined level enters the trough and returns to the reservoir.
  • the discharge valves at the bottom of the tank are operated such that as a container passes along below the row of discharge valves it receives from each of them an amount of material until at the end of its travel it is filled to a desired extent.
  • Each discharge valve may discharge a like amount of material, although those first passed-under may discharge a larger amount than those latterly passed to ensure filling with a minimum of splash.
  • the NO CONTAINER NO DlSCl-[ARGE oper ation avoids waste of material and the effective operation of the apparatus is not affected by operation with material at different temperatures.
  • the method of filling material into open top containers moving continuously in a straight line which consists in maintaining a constant head of filling material in a supply tank and feeding said material at a constant total discharge rate to progressively fill said continuously moving containers through a plurality of downwardly directed discharges from said tank, opening said discharges in timed relation to the movement of said containers with progressive alternate closing of a by-pass discharge with the opening of each filling discharge to achieve a constant flow rate, and preventing each discharge valve giving a filling discharge when there is no container therebelow.
  • Apparatus for in line filling material into continuously moving containers including:
  • each discharge valve comprises a chamber with a continuously open inlet port and two downwardly directed outlet ports, one of said outlet ports discharging for container filling and the other feeding to a return conduit to a reservoir, a valve member for progressively alternately opening said outlet ports, an operating rod for displacing said valve member, spring means for moving said operating rod in one direction, said actuator moving said operating rod in the opposite direction to close said outlet port to said return conduit and a continuously rotating cam effective on each actuator in timed relation to the continuous movement of containers below the discharge valves, and a container operated sensor adjacent each discharge valve and effective to justment vary extent of opening of said outlet port for container filling.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including additional means for moving all said actuators against the loading of said spring effective on said operating rod, and a sensor effective when there is no container move ment to actuate said additional means.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
  • Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
US408797A 1972-10-28 1973-10-23 Method of and apparatus for filling flowable material into open top containers Expired - Lifetime US3903938A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB4981372 1972-10-28
GB1069673*[A GB1444546A (en) 1972-10-28 1973-03-06 Method of and apparatus for filling flowable material into containers

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3903938A true US3903938A (en) 1975-09-09

Family

ID=26247699

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US408797A Expired - Lifetime US3903938A (en) 1972-10-28 1973-10-23 Method of and apparatus for filling flowable material into open top containers

Country Status (12)

Country Link
US (1) US3903938A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5419835B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA997725A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2353854A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DK (1) DK137636B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES420032A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2204533B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1444546A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
IE (1) IE38586B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
IT (1) IT999038B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
LU (1) LU68697A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL7314767A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4703609A (en) * 1982-04-22 1987-11-03 Daiwa Can Company, Limited Method of manufacturing pressurized sealed containered food
WO1990008065A1 (en) * 1989-01-13 1990-07-26 Howden Food Equipment Inc. Method and apparatus for topping off containers with liquid to predetermined headspace level
CN112897432A (zh) * 2020-12-30 2021-06-04 安徽宴泰食品有限公司 一种酱料灌装装置

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4158535A (en) * 1977-01-25 1979-06-19 Olin Corporation Generation of polyurethane foam
DE3921792C1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1989-07-03 1990-10-18 Hassia Verpackungsmaschinen Gmbh, 6479 Ranstadt, De

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2666565A (en) * 1948-06-03 1954-01-19 Oswego Falls Corp Mechanism for filling cartons
US2752083A (en) * 1954-01-14 1956-06-26 Triangle Package Machinery Co Methods and means for filling containers with foamable liquid
US2785706A (en) * 1953-07-17 1957-03-19 Dole Eng Co James Filling apparatus and method
US3065775A (en) * 1959-07-28 1962-11-27 Diamond Crystal Salt Co Liquid dispensing apparatus
US3457968A (en) * 1965-01-27 1969-07-29 Tetra Pak Ab Method of establishing and maintaining asepsis in packaging machines

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2982319A (en) * 1958-01-20 1961-05-02 Int Minerals & Chem Corp Apparatus for spraying and/or dispensing liquid

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2666565A (en) * 1948-06-03 1954-01-19 Oswego Falls Corp Mechanism for filling cartons
US2785706A (en) * 1953-07-17 1957-03-19 Dole Eng Co James Filling apparatus and method
US2752083A (en) * 1954-01-14 1956-06-26 Triangle Package Machinery Co Methods and means for filling containers with foamable liquid
US3065775A (en) * 1959-07-28 1962-11-27 Diamond Crystal Salt Co Liquid dispensing apparatus
US3457968A (en) * 1965-01-27 1969-07-29 Tetra Pak Ab Method of establishing and maintaining asepsis in packaging machines

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4703609A (en) * 1982-04-22 1987-11-03 Daiwa Can Company, Limited Method of manufacturing pressurized sealed containered food
WO1990008065A1 (en) * 1989-01-13 1990-07-26 Howden Food Equipment Inc. Method and apparatus for topping off containers with liquid to predetermined headspace level
US4960156A (en) * 1989-01-13 1990-10-02 Howden Food Equipment, Inc. Method and apparatus for topping off containers with liquid to predetermined headspace level
CN112897432A (zh) * 2020-12-30 2021-06-04 安徽宴泰食品有限公司 一种酱料灌装装置
CN112897432B (zh) * 2020-12-30 2024-04-26 安徽六道鲜调味食品有限公司 一种酱料灌装装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5419835B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1979-07-18
IT999038B (it) 1976-02-20
GB1444546A (en) 1976-08-04
ES420032A1 (es) 1976-03-01
CA997725A (en) 1976-09-28
DK137636C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1978-10-30
LU68697A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-01-08
FR2204533A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-05-24
IE38586B1 (en) 1978-04-12
DE2353854A1 (de) 1974-05-09
NL7314767A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-05-01
FR2204533B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1978-05-26
AU6181973A (en) 1975-05-01
JPS4976687A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-07-24
DK137636B (da) 1978-04-10
IE38586L (en) 1974-04-28

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5137187A (en) Anti-spray fluid dispensing nozzle
US5273082A (en) Method and apparatus for filling containers
US3404742A (en) Apparatus for preparing equal ponderal doses of tobacco or like material
US3960295A (en) Continuous liquid proportioning system
CN103025642B (zh) 填充机器
US3244328A (en) Dispensing from plural sources
US3903938A (en) Method of and apparatus for filling flowable material into open top containers
BR8006851A (pt) Instalacao para o transporte continua e de precisa dosificacao de material de grao fino
JPH01302118A (ja) 計量供給装置
US2152339A (en) Method of and apparatus for packaging materials
JPH03290064A (ja) ポンプユニット用機構
US2553250A (en) Apparatus for filling containers with ice cream or the like
US2461326A (en) Filler valve for container filling machines
CA1237106A (en) Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling the filling of receptacles with a determined weight of material
US1946025A (en) Filling machine
US3037674A (en) Metering device
US3183887A (en) Carton sealing apparatus and adhesive dispenser therefor
US3402523A (en) Filling machine
US3252619A (en) Method and apparatus for dispensing liquid into containers
US6595245B1 (en) Method and a machine for metering products, in particular liquids, and for filling containers with the metered products
US2973740A (en) Apparatus for spraying loose bulk material
GB1039190A (en) Apparatus for filling vessels with a quantity of a liquid measured according to volume
US3078821A (en) Egg oiler
US1471867A (en) Can-filling machine
US3116765A (en) Metering apparatus for filling containers