Precision filling machine

• US 5,168,905 A
• Filed: 09/20/1990
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oden Machinery, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ODEN Corporation
• Inventors: Phallen, Iver J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US07/585,384
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/100, 141/83, 141/102, 141/103, 141/129, 141/177, 141/178, 141/179, 141/234-239, 141/387, 141/388, 417/440, 417/397
• US Class Current: 141/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/12 mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/36 and arresting flow by cut-off means
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/001 with flow cut-off means, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/00 Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18

Abstract

An in-line liquid filling machine and method of filling containers. In certain embodiments a a single row of containers is indexed past a plurality of filling nozzles which are in turn interconnected with a manifold which receives a single fill of material from a dosing structure. If all nozzles are dispensing simultanteously a total fill of material is received at one time, the nozzles distributing aliquot parts of the total fill to the row, with each container sequentially passing under each filling nozzle. If only alternate groups of nozzles are to be filling at any one time, the fill delivered by the dosing structure is proportionate to the total fill as the nozzles dispensing the fill are proportionate to the total number of nozzles. The dosing structure typically includes a single pump. Filling-time and indexing-time cycles typically are performed sequentially, but in certain embodiments they may be performed simultaneously. Thus, in a dual lane machine while only a single pump is utilized, the containers associated with one row of nozzles are receiving the aliquot parts of a total fill being dispensed by the nozzles while the containers associated with the row of nozzles for the second lane are being indexed.

Claims

1. A method of filling at least one row of containers with liquid material comprising the following steps:

(a) providing at least a single dosing means for said at least one row of containers and a product distributor associated with each row of containers, each product distributor including at least one group of a plurality of product distributor outlets associated with a row of containers, the dosing means being capable of delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid material during a fill-time period to the product distributor associated therewith, the total fill of liquid material being equal to the quantity of liquid material with which one container of the row of containers is to be filled;

(b) delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid material during a first fill-time period from the dosing means to the product distributor to cause aliquot parts of liquid to be delivered simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion by at least one group of the product distributor outlets of said product distributor to a group of adjacent containers in an associated row of containers, each aliquot part being less than the total fill, and the sum of the aliquot parts delivered equaling the precise proportion of a total fill;

(c) indexing the group of adjacent containers in at least one row after the completion of the preceding step; and

(d) sequentially repeating steps b and c until the leading container of the group of adjacent containers is discharged from at least one row.

2. A method of filling first and second parallel rows of containers, said method comprising:

(a) providing a single dosing means and first and second product distributors associated with the first and second parallel rows of containers, respectively, the dosing means being capable of delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid during a fill- and index-time period, and each product distributor including a manifold and a plurality of product distributor outlets, each manifold having a single inlet port and a plurality of discharge ports, each discharge port being connected to a product distributor outlet;

(b) delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid to the inlet port of the manifold of the first product distributor during a first fill- and index-time period to cause aliquot parts of liquid to be delivered simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion by the product distributor outlets of the first product distributor to a group of adjacent containers in the first row of containers and simultaneously indexing the second row of containers to cause the leading container of the row to be discharged while the remaining containers in the second row are shifted one position, each aliquot part being less than the total fill, and the sum of the aliquot parts delivered equaling the precise proportion of a total fill;

(c) after the completion of the first time period and during a second fill- and index-time period delivering from the dosing means a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid to the inlet port of the manifold of the second product distributor to cause the aliquot parts of liquid to be distributed simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion by the product distributor outlets associated with the product distributor to a group of adjacent containers in the second row, and simultaneously indexing the first row of containers to cause the leading container in the first row to be discharged and the other containers in the first row to be indexed one position, each aliquot part being less than the total fill, and the sum of the aliquot parts delivered equaling the precise proportion of a total fill; and

(d) sequentially repeating steps b and c.

3. A method of filling a row of containers which travel in a single file with liquid material comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a dosing means and a product distributor, the product distributor including a plurality of product distributor outlets, each outlet including a filling nozzle cutoff valve and a nozzle, the dosing means being capable of delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid material to the product distributor during a fill-time period, the dosing means including a source of liquid under continuous pressure, said source being a pump in continuous operation, a liquid line extending from the source to the product distributor, a bypass in the liquid line and a bypass valve shiftable between open and closed positions;

(b) shifting the bypass valve from an open position to a closed position and then back to an open position during the fill-time period and while the bypass valve is closed shifting a group of adjacent filling nozzle cutoff valves from a closed position to an open position and then back to a closed position to cause a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid material to be delivered to the product distributor and to cause aliquot parts of liquid material to be delivered simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion by the product distributor outlets associated with said valves to a group of containers which are maintained in association with said product distributor outlets during the fill-time period, the total fill of liquid material being equal to the quantity of liquid material with which one container of the row of containers is to be filled, each aliquot parts being less than the total fill so that each containers is only partially filled during a fill-time period, and the sum of the aliquot parts being a precise proportion of a total fill;

(c) after the completion of step b, indexing the containers of the row during an index-time period; and

(d) sequentially repeating steps b and c.

4. An apparatus for step filling a row of containers with liquid material comprising:

dosing means for delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid material during a fill-time period, the total fill being equal to the liquid material with which one container is to be filled;

a product distributor assembly associated with a number of containers in a row of containers, the product distributor assembly receiving the precise proportion of a total fill of liquid from the dosing means during a fill-time period and discharging simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion a precise measure of liquid material in aliquot portions during the same fill-time period to the number of containers, the sum of the aliquot portions being equal to the precise proportion of a total fill of liquid material, and each aliquot portion being less than a total fill, the product distributor assembly including a plurality of product distributor outlets through which aliquot portions are discharged to a number of containers during the fill-time period; and

conveying means capable of indexing a row of side-by-side containers for step filling past the product distributor outlets during an index-time period and also being capable of maintain a number of containers in association with product distributor outlets during a fill time period, each container being only partially filled during each fill-time period.

8. The filling machine as set forth in claim 4, claim 5, or claim 7 wherein the dosing means includes a single positive-displacement pump.

9. The filling machine as set forth in claim 4, claim 5, or claim 7 wherein the dosing means includes a continuous source of fluid under pressure, a fluid line extending from the source to a product distributor, a bypass connected to the fluid line, and a bypass valve shiftable between open and closed positions.

5. An in-line filling machine capable of step filling a row of containers with liquids at comparably high speeds and low cost, the row of containers traveling a single file through the machine;

said filling machine comprising;

a product distributor including first and second manifolds, and first and second groups of product distributor outlets, each manifold having a single inlet port and a plurality of discharge ports, the discharge ports of the first manifold being connected to the first group of product distributor outlets and the discharge ports of the second manifold being connected to the second group of product distributor outlets;

dosing means for delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid simultaneously to the inlet ports of the first and second manifolds during a fill-time period while at the same time and simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion causing aliquot parts of liquid, the sum of which is equal to the precise proportion of a total fill, to be delivered to a row of containers through the first and second groups of product distributor outlets, the precisely measured fill of material being divided between the first and second manifolds and each aliquot part being less than a total fill; and

conveying means for performing the function during an index-time period of discharging the leading container of the row while simultaneously indexing the remaining containers of the row to the next adjacent product distributor outlets and additionally for performing the function during the fill-time period of maintaining the row of containers in association with the product distributor outlets.

6. An in-line filling machine capable of step filling a row of containers with liquids at comparably high speeds and low cost, said filling machine comprising:

a product distributor including a manifold and a plurality of distributor outlets, the manifold having a single inlet port and a plurality of discharge ports, each discharge port being connected to a product distributor outlet;

dosing means capable of delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid to the inlet port of the product distributor during a fill-time period while at the same time and simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion causing aliquot parts of liquid, the sum of which is equal to the precise proportion of the total fill, to be delivered to a row of containers through the product distributor outlets, the dosing means including a continuous source of liquid under pressure, a fluid line extending from the source of liquid under pressure to the product distributor, a bypass connected to the fluid line between its ends, and a bypass valve shiftable between open and closed positions; and

conveying means capable of either discharging the leading container of the row while simultaneously indexing the remaining containers of the row to the next adjacent product distributor outlets during an index-time period, or of maintaining the row of containers in association with the product distributor outlets during a fill-time period.

7. An in-line filling machine capable of step filling first and second parallel rows of containers with fluids at comparably high speeds and low costs;

said filling machine comprising;

first and second product distributors associated with first and second parallel rows of containers, each product distributor including a manifold and a plurality of product distributor outlets, each manifold having a single inlet port and a plurality of discharge ports, each discharge port being connected to a product distributor outlet;

a single dosing means capable of delivering a precise proportion of a total fill of liquid to the inlet port of either one or the other manifold during a time period and simultaneously with the delivery of the precise proportion causing aliquot parts of liquid, the sum of which is equal to the precise proportion of the total fill to be delivered to a row of containers through the product distributor outlets associated with said one or the other manifold; and

conveyor means including first and second conveying means capable of either discharging the leading container of a row while simultaneously indexing the remaining containers of the row to the next adjacent position during one time period or of maintaining the row of containers in association with either said first or second product distributors during another time period.

10. An in-line machine capable of step filling a row of containers with aliquot parts of a total fill of liquid, the in-line filling machine comprising:

a frame, conveying means carried by the frame, the row of containers being supported by the conveyor for movement in an X-axis direction, dosing means capable of delivering a total fill of liquid, a product distributor including a plurality of product distributor outlets and a manifold having a single inlet port and a plurality of discharge ports, each discharge port being connected to a single product distributor outlet, and each of the product distributor outlets including a filling nozzle cutoff valve and a nozzle, and adjustable mounting means capable of adjustably positioning each nozzle in X, Y, and Z axes, the adjustable mounting means including laterally spaced apart first and second vertical supports carried by the frame adjacent the conveyor, a horizontal support carried by an upper end portion of each of the laterally spaced apart vertical supports, each horizontal support extending in a Y-axis direction transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, a vertically extending support rod assembly adjustably secured to each horizontal support for movement in a direction transverse to the movement of the conveyor, and a longitudinally extending nozzle support assembly adjustably secured to each of the vertically extending support rod assemblies for vertical movement, said longitudinally extending nozzle support assembly being disposed parallel to the conveyor, the longitudinally extending nozzle support assembly includes upper and lower parallel rods to which the nozzles are adjustably secured for longitudinal movement, and wherein the longitudinally extending nozzle support assembly further includes rotatable means at the ends of the upper and lower parallel rods, the rotatable means being capable of rotating the pair of rods about an X-axis disposed between the upper and lower rods whereby the nozzles may be angled with respect to the containers.