Circular motion filling machine for processing parallel rows of containers and method

• US 20030037514A1
• Filed: 10/21/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hartness International Inc. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, David Lee, Wiernicki, Richard M., Dillard, Robert Leslie, Hartness, Thomas Patterson
• Granted Patent: US 6,983,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/471
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 21/183 the grippers moving in an endless path

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for processing containers or other articles by using continuous rotation of processing heads in a circular path about a single vertical axis and controlling the processing heads to independently rotate about a swivel axis causing them to move in a straight-line path while the heads are lowered to engage a group of containers or articles arranged in parallel rows. In this manner, a higher production apparatus and method are provided which is simpler, more reliable, requires less floor space, and easy to reconfigure for different applications.

Claims

1. A continuous circular motion apparatus for filling a group of containers arranged in parallel single file rows comprising:

a conveyor for conveying a group of empty containers arranged in parallel rows;

a rotating turret which continuously rotates about a single vertical turret axis;

a plurality of articulating filling heads carried by said turret circularly arranged about said turret, said filling heads rotating along a radial path for continuously and successively filling said groups of the containers on said conveyor during a fill operation;

a group of filling elements carried by said filling heads arranged in groups corresponding to the arrangement of said group of containers for aligning with said containers as said filling heads are lowered into engagement with said groups of containers; and

a filling-head motion converter operatively connected to said filling-heads causing said filling heads to move generally in a straight line motion along a chordal path while said filling heads rotate about said single, turret axis and are lowered to engage said containers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said conveyor includes an arcuate section having an arc with a curvature generally corresponding to that of said radial path, and said filling operation occurs at least in part along said arcuate section.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said conveyor includes an infeed section and an outfeed section wherein said arcuate section is disposed between said infeed and outfeed sections.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said infeed conveyor section includes a generally straight conveyor run for feeding empty containers to said filling heads for engagement.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 including a plurality of capping stations for placing a cap on filled containers created by filling said empty containers and said outfeed conveyor section includes a generally straight conveyor run for conveying filled containers to said capping stations.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said outfeed conveyor section includes a lane assembly for arranging said group of articles in parallel rows for delivery to selective ones of a plurality of capping stations for capping said filled containers.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said infeed conveyor section, arcuate conveyor section, and outfeed conveyor section comprise a single continuous conveyor.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said arcuate section ranges from about 90 to 270 degrees about said single turret axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 including a reservoir carried atop said rotating turret, rotating with said turret, for containing a liquid to be dispensed into said containers;

and said filling heads including accumulator tanks in fluid communication with said reservoir for receiving liquid to be dispensed into said containers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said group of filling elements carried by said filling head are in fluid communication with said accumulator tank and include valve elements having an open position for dispensing fluid into the containers and a closed position for blocking the dispensing of liquid after the containers are filled.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said turret includes support arms circularly arranged about said turret;

and said motion converter includes;

support frames carried by said support arms for slidably carrying said filling heads so that said filling heads may swivel about a swivel axis relative to said support frame as said frames and filling-heads rotate about said single turret axis; and

connector mechanisms interconnected between said rotating turret and said filling heads for imparting swivel motion to said filling heads on said frames.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said filling heads are carried for reciprocation by said turret, and including a vertical motion mechanism operatively associated with said filling heads for controlling operative vertical positions of said filling heads to engage said containers on said conveyor at an engagement station, and to disengage said containers on said conveyor at a release station as said turret and said filling heads continuously rotate about said first and second radial paths and said single axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including an upstanding stationary support disposed inwardly of said rotating turret about which said turret and filling heads rotate;

and said vertical motion mechanism including at least one circumferential cam carried by said stationary support; and

cam rollers associated with said filling heads which ride on said circumferential cam as said turret rotates to control the vertical positions of said filling heads.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 including support arms circularly arranged around said turret;

said filling heads being slidably carried by said support arms in a vertical direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said filling-head motion converter moves said filling heads in a straight line distance which corresponds to a prescribed arc of rotation of said turret.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said turret includes support arms circularly arranged about said turret;

and said filling head motion converter includes support frames slidably carried by said support arms for carrying said filling heads so that said filling heads may swivel about a swivel axis relative to said support frame as said frames and filling heads rotate about said turret axis;

whereby said filling heads move in said straight line motion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 including connector mechanisms interconnecting said turret and filling heads causing said filling heads to swivel;

wherein said connector mechanisms include vertical cam shafts, linkage arrangements connected between said transfer shafts and said filling heads to swivel said filling heads; and

said linkage arrangements being slidably carried by said cam shafts to slide as said filling heads reciprocate vertically during engagement and disengagement with said group of containers on said conveyor.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 including cam followers connected to said linkage arrangements, and at least one curved cam carried by a stationary support, and said cam followers engage said cam to swivel said motion to said filling heads.

19. Apparatus for continuously filling empty containers moving on a conveyor with a liquid during a fill operation comprising:

a rotating turret which continuously rotates about a single turret axis during said fill operation;

a plurality of reciprocating filling heads circularly arranged and carried by said rotating turret, and said filling heads rotating about a radial path for alignment and engagement with the containers to fill the containers while the containers are conveyed about an arc of said radial path during said fill operation; and

a conveyor for conveying said articles along said arc.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 including an engagement station where said filling heads are lowered to engage empty containers on said conveyor;

a release station where said filling heads are raised to disengage from filled containers on said conveyor; and

said filling heads have a fill position between said engagement and release stations wherein said containers are filled during a fill operation.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said conveyor includes an infeed section and an outfeed section wherein said arcuate section is disposed between said infeed and outfeed sections.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said infeed conveyor section includes a generally straight conveyor run for feeding empty containers to said engagement station.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said outfeed conveyor section includes a generally straight conveyor run for conveying filled containers to at least one capping station.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 including a plurality of capping stations disposed along said conveyor for capping filled containers;

and said outfeed conveyor section includes a laner assembly for dividing and arranging said group of articles into parallel rows for delivery to selective ones of said capping stations.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said infeed conveyor section, said arcuate conveyor section, and said outfeed conveyor section comprise a single continuous conveyor.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said arcuate section ranges from about 90 to 270 degrees.

27. The apparatus of claim 19 including a rotating reservoir carried atop said rotating turret, and rotating with said turret, for containing a liquid to be dispensed into said containers;

and said filling heads including accumulator tanks in fluid communication with said reservoir for receiving liquid to be dispensed into said containers.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 including a group of filling valves carried by said filling heads in fluid communication with said accumulator tank and engaging said containers during filling;

and said filling valves having an open position for filling said containers with the liquid and a closed position for blocking liquid flow when the containers are filled.

29. The apparatus of claim 20 including a filling head motion converter operatively associated with said filling heads for causing said filling heads to move generally in a straight-line motion while rotating about said single turret axis at said engagement station to align with and engage said group of containers.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said turret includes a plurality of circularly arranged support arms;

and said motion converter includes support frames slidably carried by said support arms, said filling heads being carried by said support frames so that said filling heads swivel to maintain said straight-line motion at said engagement station along a prescribed arc of said rotating turret.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said motion converter includes connector mechanisms associated with said rotating turret and said filling heads for swiveling said heads as they rotate about said turret single axis;

and said connector mechanisms include a first linkage arrangement connected near one side of said filling heads and a second linkage arrangement connected near a second side of said filling heads to swivel said heads at said engagement station.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 including a rotating reservoir carried atop said rotating turret, and rotating with said turret, for containing a liquid to be dispensed into said containers;

and said filling heads including accumulator tanks in fluid communication with said reservoir for receiving liquid to be dispensed into said containers.

33. The apparatus of claim 19 including a vertical motion mechanism operatively associated with said filling heads for controlling the vertical position of said filling heads between a lowered engaged position where said filling heads engage said containers for filling and a release position where said filling head is raised and disengaged from said containers.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 including a plurality of vertical support arms circularly arranged on said turret generally defining a turret cage surrounding an upstanding support;

and said filling heads being slidably carried by said support arms.

35. A continuous circular motion apparatus for processing a group of articles arranged in parallel rows comprising:

a conveyor for conveying a group of articles arranged in parallel rows;

a rotating turret which continuously rotates about a single vertical turret axis;

a plurality of vertically reciprocating processing heads carried by said turret in a circular arrangement, said processing heads rotating along a radial path for continuously and successively engaging said groups of the articles on said conveyor; and

a processing-head motion converter operatively connected to said processing heads causing said processing heads to move generally in a straight-line along a chordal path while said processing heads rotate about said single turret axis and are lowered to engage said articles.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said turret includes support arms circularly arranged about said turret;

and said motion converter includes;

support frames slidably carried by said support arms, and said filling heads being carried by said support frames so that said filling heads swivel about a swivel axis relative to said support frame as said frames and filling heads rotate about said single turret axis; and

connector mechanisms interconnected between said turret and said processing heads for imparting a swivel motion to said filling heads on said frames.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 including a vertical motion mechanism operatively associated with said processing heads for controlling operative vertical positions of said processing heads to engage said articles on said conveyor at an engagement station, and to disengage from said articles on said conveyor at a release station as said turret and processing heads, continuously rotate said single turret axis.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said conveyor includes an arcuate section having an arc with a curvature generally corresponding to that of said radial path, and a processing operation occurs at least in part along said arcuate section while said processing heads engage said articles.

39. A method of filling containers with a liquid during a filling operation comprising:

providing a plurality of circularly arranged filling heads and continuously rotating the filling heads about a single vertical axis;

feeding containers arranged in groups of parallel single-file rows to an engagement station;

causing the filling heads to sequentially engage said groups of containers at said engagement station for filling the containers;

providing a plurality of filling valves in said filling heads arranged in a pattern corresponding to said group of containers for individually engaging is said containers;

causing said filling heads to move along a combination circular and straight line path during engagement of said filling valves and said containers at said engagement station; and

filling said containers as the containers are conveyed along an arcuate path about said single axis after engagement with said filling valves.

40. The method of claim 39 including conveying said filled containers in plural single file rows to a plurality of capping stations;

and capping said filled containers at said capping stations.

41. The method of claim 39 including providing a reservoir containing fluid to be dispensed into the containers wherein said reservoirs are in fluid communication with said filling heads, and rotating said reservoir about said single axis.

42. The method of claim 39 including conveying said empty containers on an infeed conveyor section to said engagement station;

and conveying said filled containers from said arcuate section to an outfeed conveyor section wherein said infeed conveyor section, arcuate conveyor section, and outfeed conveyor section comprise a single continuous conveyor

43. A method of filling containers with a liquid during a filling operation comprising:

providing a plurality of circularly arranged reciprocating filling heads and continuously rotating the filling heads about a single vertical axis;

feeding containers arranged in at least one row to an engagement station along said conveyor;

lowering said filling heads to sequentially engage said containers along said engagement station;

causing said filling heads to move along a straight line path while rotating about said single axis as said filling heads engage said containers;

filling said containers as the containers are conveyed along an arcuate path about said single axis while said fillings are rotating about said single axis; and

raising said filling heads to disengage from said containers when the containers are filled..

44. The method of claim 43 including arranging said infeed conveyor section and said outfeed conveyor sections parallel to one another.

45. The method of claim 44 including arranging a plurality of capping stations along said outfeed conveyor sections for receiving and capping said filled container.