Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Processes – Battery grid pasting
Patent
1994-03-03
1995-03-28
Cusick, Ernest G.
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Processes
Battery grid pasting
141131, 141270, 222412, B65B 304
Patent
active
054008360
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the filling of flowable products into receptacles.
In the filling or charging of fruit juices or other liquid drink products into packaging containers there exists a need for an apparatus and method whereby accurately metered doses of the product may be generated and placed in the containers as the latter move continuously along a filling and closing line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the oresent invention from a first aspect thereof there is accordingly provided apparatus for filling a flowable product into a succession of receptacles as they pass continuously along a predetermined path, the apparatus comprising an elongate hollow containment member mounted or mountable to extend along and above the container path and formed with an axially extending slot, and a metering screw having a helical thread and mounted for rotation within the containment member, the metering screw being movable away from the slot but biassed towards and into sealing engagement with the containment member on each side of the slot, and there being a distribution chamber formed within the containment member substantially around the screw member except at the sealing engagement and the slot whereby flowable product supplied to the distribution chamber when the screw member is rotating may be distributed to pass through the slot between adjacent turns of the screw member and leave the containment member as a succession of spaced moving streams.
From a second aspect thereof the invention also provides the method of filling a flowable product into receptacles which is employed by the apparatus defined above. Accordingly, the method comprises rotating a screw member having a helical thread within a containment member having an elongate slot on either side of which the turns of the thread make sealing engagement, and supplying the flowable product to a distribution chamber formed within the containment member substantially around the screw member except at the sealing engagement and the slot so that the flowable product issues through the slot between adjacent turns of the thread.
For liquid products in particular it may be possible, when the supply of liquid product to the chamber is interrupted and the screw member is non-rotating, to rely on surface tension in the vicinity of the dispensing slot to prevent any substantial flow of liquid product through the slot. As an alternative, however, a positive obstruction such as a slide plate may be provided and movable to close off the slot when no product flow is required. This latter arrangement is of particular value for aseptic applications, when it is required to clean the apparatus with superheated water or steam.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The nature of the invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments of the invention, now to be given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a filling apparatus in accordance with the invention, as seen in side elevation and when in operation to fill a liquid product into a succession of regularly spaced containers as they pass along a filling and closing line;
FIG. 2 similarly shows the apparatus when seen diagrammatically in end elevation taken in section on the line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2A is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing part of FIG. 2 to an enlarged scale;
FIGS. 3A and 3B together show a variant of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, as seen in side elevation and when partly broken away to reveal internal structure;
FIG. 4 shows the apparatus of FIGS. 3A, 3B in end elevation as seen looking in the direction of container movement;
FIG. 5 similarly shows the apparatus of FIGS. 3A, 3B looking backwardly towards the on-coming containers;
FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of a first modified filling apparatus; and
FIG. 7 similarly shows a second modified filling apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and
REFERENCES:
patent: 1420222 (1922-06-01), Schmidt
patent: 2631768 (1953-03-01), Martin et al.
patent: 2827928 (1958-03-01), Guckel
patent: 2934101 (1960-04-01), Guckel
patent: 3442304 (1969-05-01), Guckel et al.
patent: 4387834 (1983-06-01), Bishop
CarnaudMetalbox plc
Cusick Ernest G.
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