Pressure-actuated valve for use with positive displacement filling machine

• US 4,410,108 A
• Filed: 10/09/1981
• Issued: 10/18/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elmar Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Elmar Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Minard, Everett S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Jr., Houston S.
• Application Number:
  US06/310,227
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 222/380, 222/494, 222/372, 222/491, 222/571, 137/859, 137/860, 239/533.1, 239/533.13, 239/533.14, 141/146, 141/392, 141/285-310, 141/115, 141/116, 141/250-284
• US Class Current: 222/380
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2039/008 Strainer means
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/001 with flow cut-off means, e.g. valves

Abstract

A pressure-actuated valve is adapted to the discharge port of a positive displacement machine for filling, sequentially, passing open containers with a liquid product. In response to the sequential pulses of liquid produced at the discharge port, the pressure-actuated valve opens and closes to deliver a predetermined amount of liquid to a waiting container. Even with low viscosity fluids, operation of the valve remains effective, permitting release of fluid during the delivery period yet preventing contaminating drips of fluid from the nozzle during non-delivery periods. Owing to the special valve design, delivery of accurate amounts of liquid and elimination of nozzle drip between container filling cycles are ensured, regardless of slowdown or interruption of machine operation. Contamination of the filling station resulting from product splash is also eliminated despite high speed operation of the machine.

Claims

1. For use with a positive-displacement receptacle-filling machine having a base frame with an open bottom dispensing channel extending therein along a vertical axis, a valve comprising:

a. a valve upper body adapted to be joined to said base frame and having a passageway therethrough forming part of said dispensing channel and extending along said axis;

b. means on the bottom of said valve upper body defining an annular seat disposed around said passageway and concentric with said axis;

c. a cylindrical plug including a ring having an upper ring portion, a lower ring portion, and a central transverse plate provided with a plurality of apertures through said plate connecting an upper manifold chamber marginally defined by said upper ring portion and a lower manifold chamber defined by said lower ring portion;

d. a hub on said plate concentric with said axis, said plurality of apertures surrounding said hub in concentric relation, the bottom of said hub being at a predetermined elevation above the bottom annular surface of said lower ring portion;

e. an elastomeric diaphragm of circular outline in plan and mounted on the bottom of said hub concentric with said axis, said diaphragm being of sufficient diameter and thickness so that in uppermost position the peripheral portion of said diaphragm engages and is biased downwardly by the adjacent circular corner edge of said bottom annular surface of said lower ring portion, said diaphragm being of a material possessing a restorative force capable of tightly sealing said peripheral portion of said diaphragm against said corner edge of said lower ring portion; and

,

f. a nozzle fitting threadably engageable with said valve upper body, said nozzle fitting including a bore adapted to receive said plug and to clamp said ring against said annular seat as said nozzle fitting is threaded on said valve upper body, said nozzle fitting further including inverted conical side walls extending below said ring and said diaphragm and defining a product stream-shaped chamber having a bottom discharge port concentric with said axis, said peripheral portion of said diaphragm being flexed downwardly by a vertical head pressure in excess of a predetermined amount to permit product flow from said upper manifold chamber to said lower manifold chamber and around the rim of said diaphragm into said product flow shaping chamber and out said bottom discharge port.

2. A valve as in claim 1 including a screen covering said bottom discharge port.

3. A valve as in claim 2 including a downwardly tapered nut fastened to said hub and depending from the bottom central portion of said diaphragm in concentric relation, the lower end of said tapered nut touching said screen.