FILLING HEADS FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS

• US 3,683,976 A
• Filed: 02/06/1970
• Issued: 08/15/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roger Remane
• Original Assignee: Roger Remane
• Inventors: Remane, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Earls, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US05/009,321
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 141/39,40,46,59,62,192,198,275,276,284,286-288,291,292,296,301,303,307,368,140 137/386,393,588
• US Class Current: 141/59
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/18 closed when a rising liquid reaches a predetermined level float-actuated valves F16K31/18
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0323 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/228 by screws, bolts or rivets
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/04 Methods for emptying or filling
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0636 Flow or movement of content
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/072 Action when predefined value is reached
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 5/00 Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures adding propellants to aerosol containers B65B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7287 Liquid level responsive or maintaining systems

Abstract

A filling head, particularly for liquefied gas cartridges, comprises a body adapted to extend downwardly into the container to be filled, and a base adjustable in position on the body to rest on the upper edge of the container. The body has an inflatable peripheral gasket to form a seal against the inner wall of the container, a liquid inlet conduit with pneumatically actuated valve means, and an exhaust passage formed with a vertical bore enclosing with a small clearance a slidable pistonlike member. When the head is raised by a container on an automatic filling machine, the valve means are opened and after a short while the gasket is inflated, this delay permitting free escape of the burst of gas which appears when the cold liquid contacts the relatively hot container wall, without the said burst actuating the piston-like member. During the subsequent filling operation air and gas may freely flow through the exhaust passage at a moderate velocity without noticeably actuating said member, but when the container is filled, the liquid flowing through said passages raises said member, which causes closing of the valve means.

Claims

1. In an automatic unit to control a filling head adapted to be raised by the container to be filled, with said head having an inflatable gasket adapted to form a seal between said head and said container, normally closed valve means to control the flow of liquid into said container, and an exhaust passage provided with detecting means to detect the flow of liquid through said passage, means to open said valve means when said filling head is raised by said container;

means to cause inflation of said gasket a pre-determined time after opening of said valve means; and

means activated by said detecting means to close said valve means when liquid begins to flow through said exhaust passage.

2. A filling head to fill from a source of liquid a substantially cylindrical container having an open upper end defined by the substantially horizontal upper edge of a lateral wall having an inner side and an outer side, with valve means to control liquid flow from said source, said head comprising:

a base to rest on the upper edge of said container;

a body carried by said base to extend downwardly into said container, said body having a lower portion, said body being formed with a filling conduit having an upper inlet for connection with said source of liquid to fill said container and an inner outlet in said lower portion, and said body further being formed with an exhaust passage having an inner inlet in said lower portion, a substantially vertical bore and an outer outlet;

a peripheral gasket carried by said body above the lower portion thereof to form a gas-tight seal between said body and the inner side of the lateral wall of said container below the outlet of said exhaust passage;

a piston-like member made of a material heavier than said liquid movably disposed in the bore of the exhaust passage of said body with such a clearance that when said container is being filled, gases escaping from said container through the outlet of said exhaust passage only raise said piston-like member to a first level, while when said container is filled liquid flowing through said exhaust passage raises said piston-like member to a second level situated above said first level; and

feeler means actuated by said piston-like member when same is raised to said second level to in turn act on said valve means to cut off liquid flow from said source into said container;

said filling head being for use on a filling machine operating by successive automatic filling cycles, of the kind comprising an apertured plate to receive the body of the filling head and to support the base thereo, a vertically movable support to raise the container to be filled so as to cause the upper edge of same to pass around the body of said filling head, to engage the base thereof and to raise said head from said apertured plate, and vertical columns to vertically guide said filling head;

said base including an annular plate supported by said body and non-rotatable thereon, said annular plate having perforations to slidably receive said guiding columns;

said annular plate carrying a laterally extending resilient blade having a free outer end; and

the outer end of said blade supporting a plug to act on a pneumatic feeler nozzle carried by said machine when said filling head is raised by said vertically movable support to actuate control means to initiate an automatic filling cycle of said machine.

3. In a filling head as claimed in claim 2, said body being formed with a peripheral groove to receive said gasket, with said groove having a bottom of given diameter;

said gasket being formed of a hollow inflatable member having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, with said inner diameter being substantially equal to the diameter of the bottom of said groove, and with said inflatable member including an inner space; and

said body having an inflating conduit communicating with the inner space of said gasket, with said inflating conduit having an outer inlet through which fluid under pressure may be forced into said gasket to expand the outer diameter thereof and to apply said gasket against the inner side of the lateral wall of said container.

4. A filling head to fill from a source of liquid a substantially cylindrical container having an open upper end defined by the substantially horizontal upper edge of a lateral wall having an inner side and an outer side, with valve means to control liquid flow from said source, said head comprising:

a base to rest on the upper edge of said container;

a body carried by said base to extend downwardly into said container, said body having a lower portion, said body being formed with a filling conduit having an upper inlet for connection with said source of liquid to fill said container and an inner outlet in said lower portion, and said body further being formed with an exhaust passage having an inner inlet in said lower portion, a substantially vertical bore and an outer outlet;

a peripheral gasket carried by said body above the lower portion thereof to form a gas-tight seal between said body and the inner side of the lateral wall of said container below the outlet of said exhaust passage;

a piston-like member made of a material heavier than said liquid movably disposed in the bore of the exhaust passage of said body with such a clearance that when said container is being filled, gases escaping from said container through the outlet of said exhaust passage only raise said piston-like member to a first level, while when said container is filled liquid flowing through said exhaust passage raises said piston-like member to a second level situated above said first level; and

feeler means actuated by said piston-like member when same is raised to said second level to in turn act on said valve means to cut off liquid flow from said source into said container;

said feeler means being in the form of a downwardly directed pneumatic nozzle disposed above said piston-like member to be obturated by said member when same is raised to said second level with said pneumatic nozzle being connected with a relay device to actuate same, and with said pneumatic relay device controlling said valve means.

5. A filling head to fill from a source of liquid a substantially cylindrical container having an open upper end defined by the substantially horizontal upper edge of a lateral wall having an inner side and an outer side, with valve means to control liquid flow from said source, said head comprising:

a base to rest on the upper edge of said container;

a body carried by said base to extend downwardly into said container, said body having a lower portion, said body being formed with a filling conduit having an upper inlet for connection with said source of liquid to fill said container and an inner outlet in said lower portion, and said body further being formed with an exhaust passage having an inner inlet in said lower portion, a substantially vertical bore and an outer outlet;

a peripheral gasket carried by said body above the lower portion thereof to form a gas-tight seal between said body and the inner side of the lateral wall of said container below the outlet of said exhaust passage;

a piston-like member made of a material heavier than said liquid movably disposed in the bore of the exhaust passage of said body with such a clearance that when said container is being filled, gases escaping from said container through the outlet of said exhaust passage only raise said piston-like member to a first level, while when said container is filled liquid flowing through said exhaust passage raises said piston-like member to a second level situated above said first level; and

feeler means actuated by said piston-like member when same is raised to said second level to in turn act on said valve means to cut off liquid flow from said source into said container;

said valve means comprising a downwardly directed seat formed in the filling conduit of said body close to the inner outlet of said conduit, a movable valve member cooperating with said seat to close or to open liquid flow through said conduit with said valve member having an upwardly extending stem, and spring means acting on said stem to urge said valve member upwardly against said seat;

said body having an upwardly opening bore for passage of said stem;

a first substantially circular flexible diaphragm having a central portion secured to said stem and a marginal portion secured to said body to form a seal between said body and said stem, with said stem extending above said first diaphragm and terminating into a free end;

a second substantially circular flexible diaphragm having a central portion and a marginal portion with said central portion being secured to said free end of said stem; and

means secured to said body to retain the marginal portion of said second diaphRagm and to form above same a gas-tight chamber to receive compressed gas for actuation of said valve means downwardly against said spring means.

6. A filling head to fill from a source of liquid a substantially cylindrical container having an open upper end defined by the substantially horizontal upper edge of a lateral wall having an inner side and an outer side, said filling head comprising:

a base to rest on the upper edge of said container;

a body carried by said base to extend downwardly into said container, said body having a lower portion, said body being formed with a filling conduit having an upper inlet for connection with said source of liquid to fill said container and an inner outlet in said lower portion, and said body further being formed with an exhaust passage having an inner inlet in said lower portion, a substantially vertical bore and an outer outlet;

valve means in the filling conduit of said body to control liquid flow therethrough;

means to form a gas-tight seal between said body and the inner side of the lateral wall of said container below the outlet of said exhaust passage;

a piston-like member movably disposed in the bore of the exhaust passage of said body with such a clearance that when said container is being filled, gases escaping from said container through the outlet of said exhaust passage only raise said piston-like member to a first level, while when said container is filled liquid flowing through said exhaust passage raises said piston-like member to a second level situated above said first level;

a downwardly directed pneumatic nozzle disposed above said piston-like member to be obturated by said member when same is raised to its second level with said pneumatic nozzle being connected with a pnaumatic relay system to actuate same and with said pneumatic relay system controlling said valve means.