Package making – Methods – Forming a cover adjunct or application of a cover adjunct to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-21
2002-07-16
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
Forming a cover adjunct or application of a cover adjunct to...
C053S432000, C053S471000, C053S488000, C053S510000, C053S136100, C053S282000, C053S284500, C053S306000, C053S332000, C053S367000, C221S223000, C414S795600, C414S798100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06418701
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a novel automated filling machine in which at one end empty containers are introduced to the novel automated filling machine and at the other end a completed filled, sealed and optionally labeled and processed container is presented for packaging and shipment. More particularly the novel automated filling machine is designed to handle bulk containers and includes an input end for receiving empty bulk containers and incrementally advancing the empty bulk containers to a number of work stations including a filling station where the container is automatically filled by weight or by volume with a bulk material, which filled bulk container is then automatically transferred to a lid application work station where lids are automatically advanced to a position over the top of the bulk container and placed in registry with the sealing lip of the bulk container.
A piston having a lid pad at the terminal end in combination with a lid fixation plate is advanced onto the top of the bulk container lid resulting in the lid pad first contacting the center area of the bulk container lid and deforming the bulk container lid at the center of the lid downwardly toward the center of the bulk container prior to the contact of the lid fixation plate to subsequently push the perimeter of the bulk container lid down over the perimeter of the bulk container to lock the bulk container lid onto the bulk container. Means is provided on the perimeter of the lid fixation plate to limit the lateral expansion of the sides of the lid to prevent damages to the sides of the lid and maintain the integrity of any tear strip seal provided at the lower side of the lid.
The lid pad assists in the expelling of excess air or gasses from the interior of the bulk container by the deformation of the bulk container lid prior to the advancement of the lid fixation or lid attachment mechanism to seal the bulk container. The lid attachment mechanism also includes a container positioning mechanism for positioning the container directly under the lid application work station before a lid is placed in registry with the lip of the container. An optional gassing port may be provided to gas the bulk container prior to the application of the bulk container lid in some filling operations. Once the bulk container lid is applied and sealed to the container the filled and sealed container is then automatically advanced from the sealing station to an optional labeling station where the container is labeled with a container label prior to its advancement to an optional accumulation device for accumulating the filled, sealed and labeled containers before removal or advancement of the containers in predetermined groups to a shipment placket.
The novel automated filling machine is designed in the best mode to automatically advance one container from a nested stack of containers and preferably fill at least one container while at least one other container is being sealed and optionally at least one other bulk container is being labeled in a fully automated operation. In a further embodiment of the invention the optional accumulation device is provided to accumulate filled sealed and labeled containers in groups of containers prior to being transferred from the novel automated bulk filling machine. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the operation of filling, sealing and optionally labeling and accumulating the filled, sealed and labeled bulk containers occurs simultaneously along the length of the conveyor surface of the novel automated filling machine to increase the capacity and output of the automated filling machine.
The novel automated filling machine in the best mode utilizes a novel fill valve nozzle as may be obtained from Cott Technologies Inc. of La Puente, Calif. for dispensing dairy, pharmaceutical and medical products requiring the highest standards in handling. Such valves typically employ a clean in place mechanism and a positive control over the fill material to provide a sanitary and hygienic filling operation for a product filling machine. The valve of the best mode of the invention is of a tapered elongated configuration that may be lowered into the bulk container and raised as the container is filled to provide a more efficient bulk container filling operation. The filling operation can be accomplished by filling by weight or by volume and where precise metering is required an optional weigh scale is provided underneath the bulk filling container to operate a positive control fill valve to dispense a flowable product into the container by weight.
Alternatively, the novel automated bulk filling machine can dispense a fluidized product based upon volume utilizing novel two way and three way and fill valves as may be obtained from Cott Technologies, Inc. of La Puente, Calif. In either embodiment or application of the filling machine the novel automated filling machine provides an efficient, hygienic and completely automated filling, sealing and optional labeling operation for filling containers consistent with the highest standards of food, medicinal and pharmaceutical processing operations. The novel automated filling machine, while in its preferred embodiment may be utilized for bulk filling operations for food, pharmaceutical and medicinal materials, it may also be utilized to fill containers with other frangible, flowable particulate materials such as animal feeds, fertilizers, cat litter, cement and other fluidized or flowable materials.
2. Description Of Related Prior Art
A number of automated bulk filling machines are present in the prior art for filling flexible containers with various types of fill material including food dairy products, seeds, grains, cat litter and pet foods. These bulk containers are generally buckets or tubs made of plastic or metal which include a sealing lip which sealably engages a plastic or metal lid having a corresponding sealing lip for securing the top of the container to the flexible plastic or metal bucket forming the bulk container. Such buckets and tubs are typically in the range of about three gallons to about five gallons of liquid material or holds from about 30 to 50 pounds of particulate material. The larger of the plastic buckets contain lids having a seal strip which provides a second seal for the bulk container which is generally removed by the consumer at the time of the opening of the bulk container.
The automated bulk filling machine of the invention is also advantageously applied to the automated bulk filling of metal cans and containers such as are utilized in holding greases, oils and other lubricants which have a 5 to 25 gallon capacity which are closed with either a metallic or plastic lid.
In such large bulk containers, the lids are generally pressed over the top of the metal bucket or container and the metal or plastic lid is attached to the lip of the bucket to form a seal and a second metal or plastic sealing strip is disposed around the circumference of the lid to provide a sealing tab which is removed by the consumer. Alternatively such large metal pails or buckets can include a metal crimp which is then crimped around the circumference of the lid to a groove in the bucket which is uncrimped by the end consumer.
Such bulk containers in the form of buckets, pails or large cans have been filled through a large bulk filling nozzle by weight or by volume and have traditionally not been automated in a single automated bulk filling machine or operation. Such buckets have been filled manually from a filling nozzle and moved down a conveyor to separate machines for further packaging and subsequent shipment. The best known prior art of such filling processes includes a machine for attaching lids to bulk containers manufactured by Heisler Industries, Inc. Of Fairfield, N.J., in which lids are dispensed down a track and mated at an angle to the container before sealing the lip of the lid to the lip of the container. These prior art machines unlike the invention do not apply the lid in
Breneman William D.
Georges Peter J.
Gerrity Stephen F.
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