Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Processes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-18
2001-04-03
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Processes
C141S129000, C141S082000, C141S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209590
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and an arrangement for the filling of cup-shaped packaging containers with viscous substances such as ice cream from a preferably continuously-operating filling nozzle disposed over a transported series of said cups, in that upon arrival at the nozzle the cups are successively raised quickly up to a position around the filling nozzle, and thereafter lowered in a slower movement corresponding to the increasing degree to which the cup is filled until the upper edge has been lowered to the level of the lower end of the nozzle, after which the cup is displaced horizontally, whereby it is achieved that the upper edge of the cup serves to cut off the string of the mass from the nozzle. In immediate connection herewith, the next cup is fed to the nozzle so that the filling of the next cup can begin without the flow from the nozzle having to be stopped.
This hereby involves relatively simple movements, i.e. a horizontal movement of the series of cups and a vertical movement of the cup in the filling position. It has proved, however, that the relevant vertical movement, which is typically controlled by means of a compressed air cylinder, is nevertheless difficult to control in an optimum manner for achieving a desirably precise top filling of the cups, i.e. without short filling of the cups and without surplus discharge of the filling mass from the nozzle. It is not least at the beginning of each daily production that ice cream masses with different viscosity and specific gravity can appear from the nozzle, and there can be quite long running-in periods during which the filling of the cups is so incorrect that many of these cups have to be discarded almost as unmarketable waste.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the present invention, focus is placed on two different process aspects for solving or reducing these problems, i.e. partly by a continuous control weighing of the just filled cups, with the associated possibility for immediate feed-back control of the relevant process steps, and partly by use of a differentiated, controllable regulation of the vertical movements of the cups in relation to the filling nozzle, to which can also be added a control of the horizontal movement of the cups.
With the invention, a main consideration is thus that quite great advantages will be able to be gained by a regulation of the cup movement means in order to achieve that the cups are completely filled, and thereafter to carry out the process adjustments which are necessary for regulating the filling weight to a desired amount.
Here, the use of other means of movement for controlled vertical movement of the cups shall not be renounced, but with the invention it has been found that the ordinary air cylinders are not suitable for control as desired, while by making use of a servo-motor the sequence can be controlled in precisely the desired manner, i.e. with regard not only to speed and position but also power output. In principle, a servo-motor can control a reciprocating movement via a threaded spindle, but with the invention it has been found more expedient to let the motor pull on a vertically-disposed belt loop, which at its one side is in support connection with a supporting element for the cups in the filling station. A change between low and high speed can hereby be carried easily and with minimal influence of wear.
During the filling operation the cup and its supporting element will be affected not only by the weight of the already received filling mass, but also—and to a much higher degree—by the pressure exerted by the jet of the mass leaving the filling nozzle. The associated lowering of the cup, therefore, is not a matter of active lowering, but rather a matter of a controlled braking, and the said servo-motor is a perfect means for such a braking, inasfar as it can be ajusted to yield a suitable counter torque.
For a more detailed description of the desirable aspects of the invention, reference is made here to the drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4942910 (1990-07-01), Hamamura
patent: 5309955 (1994-05-01), Torterotot
Douglas Steven O.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Safran David S.
Tetra Pak Hoyer A/S
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