Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1057714
This invention relates to an apparatus for at least
partially filling containers, such as bottles, with flowable
substances ranging from very viscous to very thin and including
substances which readily form suds or foam~
According to the invention there is provided an
appsratus for at least partially filling containers with
flowable substance from a source thereof, having a dispensing
system comprising: a volumetric metering chamber adapted to
be connected to receive a flowable substance from a source
thereof, and within the chamber a biacting piston arranged
for motion between positive stops, for establishing controlled
volumes of such substance;
` 1~)5 ~ ;i4
dispensing means, downstream of the chamber,
for discharge of such controlled volumes into a con-
tainer in a filling position along a discharge path
terminating at a nozzle from which flowable substance
can pass directly into a container without passing
along any intervening conduit;
first means, in addition to hermetic sealing,
for preventing or reducing access to the chamber of
ambient air and/or of gas into the system and second
means for preventing or reducing access of ambient
air into the discharge path along substantially its
whole length.
Through advantageous combination and coordination
of certain principles and features heretofore known
and employed in distinct and disparate segments
of the filling-machine art, and heretofore thought
incompatible by many practitioners of this art, it
has been found to be possible to achieve a combination
of high filling speed and remarkably fine volumetric
precision and accuracy heretofore considered unfeasible.
The principles referred to are as follows:
(1~ Accurate fill requires a cyclically
operating volumetric metering device.
(2) Accurate fill requires close control
of liquid at all points in the system downstream
from the metering device to prevent loss of liquid
to the surrounds or otherwise -- so that all liquid
metered actually enters and remains in the bottle,
and no unmetered liquid enters the bottle.
(3) Accurate fill requires close control
for and accounting of air which is or might be
in the systeJn, as such air affects the fill to
- 2 -
S7'714
the extent of the volume displaced. In some cases
such trapped air may be gradually removed in successive
fills; in other cases a bubble may remain trapped,
expanding and contracting variably during
the filling cycles; in either event objectionable im-
precision of fill results. Leakage of the air into
the system must be prevented or at least reduced,
and air normally present in the system at startup, or
injected into the system unavoidably as by the "whip-
ing" action of some sorts of supply pumps and likedevices, or by cavitation, should preferably be sys-
tematically removed.
(4~ Accurate fill requires close monitoring
of system operation to guard against the possibility
of bottles leaving the filler with only a partial
fill due to incomplete cycling of the volumetric
device
(5) Accurate fill in a multiple-head filling
machine requires that all the heads be
operated under as nearly as possible iden-
tical conditions of flow rate as well as nominal
volume setting. Otherwise small differences in pres-
sure drop through the dispensing lines can cause
slightly different behavior of the fluid at and
leaving the dispensing nozæle, and at other places
in the system, thus rendering the fill imprecise due
to the inter-head effects.
(~) Accurate fill requires that the operation
generally be clean, in the sense that normal function
of the filler should not deposit fluid on external
surfaces of the bottle or the filling machine itself --
even if there be quite reproducible or consistent
~t~S'77~4
in volume lost from the fill. Such external deposits
even if reproducible have the effect of masking
or concealing malfunctions of the apparatus -- and
thereby prolonging the duration of such malfunctions
until they become relatively more significant.
The implementation of these six principles in
the present invention is described in ~eneral terms
in the following paragraphs.
While these principles taken individually are
recognized in various portions of the filling-machine
art, as shown below their proper coordination and
cooperation has never previously been efected.
In the present invention the volumetric device
is a bi-ac~ing piston operating in a chamber. By
"bi-acting piston" is meant a piston which meters
fluid to the dispensing nozzle in both directions or
strokes of its complete metering cycle.
Close liquid control in the present invention
may be obtained by (a) employing a submersible dis-
pensing nozzle, which fills deep within the bottle sothat sudsing or foaming of liquids subject to such
tendency upon impact with the bottom of the bottle
from a considerable height is minimized and by (b)
fitting the dispensing nozzle with a tip-closure device
which prevents uncontrolled discharge of fluid from
the nozzle when the piston is not actually in motion,
so that fluid intended for one bottle does not end up
in the previous or next bottle; and by (c) further
fitting the dispensing nozzle with a suitable mechanism
for picking up drops of fluid from the tip of the
nozzle as it is withdrawn from the container after
filling, to avoid thefie drops dripping into the con-
_ ~, _ i
` " 1057'7~4
tainer and thereby changing the fill, and also toavoid their dripping onto the outside of the con-
tainer or onto the filling machine itself.
As used hexein, the term "submersible nozzle"
denotes one which (a) can be inserted into a container
so that the dispensing orifice is below the final
level of liquid in the container, and which (b) is made
of materials which maintain structural integrity and
parts which maintain functional operability when im-
mersed in the dispensed substance (to the intendeddepth and in the intended manner).
Close control of air in the present invention
may be obtained in part by advantageous combination
of some features already described -- viz. (a) the
use of a bi-acting piston to avoid sucking air into
the volumetric chamber on the fluid-intake stroke,
as happens with a single-acting piston; and (b) the
use of a tip-closable dispensing nozzle, which prevents
uncontrolled admission of air to the system through
the nozzle while preventing uncontrolled release of
fluid. Air control may further be effected by (c)
interaction between the bi-acting piston and the
closable nozzle, the latter permitting positive-
pressurized operation of the entire system at. all
times, to avoid sucking air into the volumetric
chamber or other portions of the system across
auxiliary or secondary seals -- such as, for example,
at a seal between the volumetric chamber and a
plunger attached to the piston and extending through
an end ~all of the chamber for purposes of providing
an e~ternal indication of piston position, and at
other seals such as gaskets, hose connections and
~S77~4
the like; (d) suitable isolation of the fluid-trans-
ferring tubulations, ducts and chambers from the
tubulations of any pneumatic control system -- par-
ticularly if at high pressure -- employed to monitor
or direct system functions; (e) relative positioning
of the dispensing nozzle above the volumetric chamber,
so that air initially in the lines therebetween, and
particularly within volumetric metering chambers, at
startup tends to be eliminated promptly through its
own buoyancy; (f) shaping and orientation of the
piston and chamber, which has a plurality of ports,
preferably two ports, so as to force any air bubbles
out of the chamber promptly upon startup; and (g) pro-
vision of an entrapment device upstream of the volu-
metric chamber, to collect and remove any air initiallypresent in the fluid supply or "whipped" into the
fluid supply as by centrifugal pumps -- or bubbles of
air or fluid vapor produced by cavitation.
Close monitoring of system operation in the in-
stant invention may be effected by providing an ex-
tension of the piston through the volumetric chamber
wall, and using the motion of this extension outside
the chamber for monitoring and control of the system-
function sequence. In particular (a) this extension,
or "piston rod", or "plunger", is made to operate
suitable sensors -- e.g., mechanical, magnetic,
pneumatic, electrical -- to determine whether and
when the piston completes its stroke before initiating
a stroke in the opposite direction, and in particular
~1hether and when the piston completes a full volu-
metric cycle, to give a full fill for an individual
bottle, before initiating the next volumetric cycle;
~577~4
moreover (b) appropriate system functions are inter-
locked with the above-mentioned sensors to alert the
human operator to such incomplete cycling, and/or to
hold system operation at least for the affected head
until corrective action can he taken manually to pre-
vent an incompletely-filled bottle from leaving the
filler in the production line, and/or automatically
to effect such corrective action.
Operation of all he~ads in a multiple-head fill-
ing machine under substantially identical conditions
of nominal volume setting and flow rate is implemented
by providing (a) individual volume adjustment for each head
-- this being conveniently effected, for example, by adjust-
ing the distance between the stops which define the
arrival of the external end of the plunger at the ex-
tremes of its motion, because the volume dispensed
is directly proportional to the "throw" of the piston
at each stroke -- and (b) individual flow-rate adjust-
ment for each head -- this being conveniently and
stablely effected by providing in the apparatus a se-
lectable plurality of constrictions or orifices of
different size for insertion in the flow path to
each dispensing nozzle -- and (c) common volume ad-
justment for all units in a multiple-head fil.ling
machine -- whereby the individual volumes once equal-
ized can be all varied together over small excursions
to obtain exactly the correct volume required (and
whereby also, by operation of the common adjustment
through larger excursions, the above advantages can
be obtained with a single multiple-head filling machine
for filling bottles of greatly different siæe, as for
example one pint to five gallons).
-- 7 --
~)S~7~4
Clean operation in the present invention may be
obtained by (a) provision of a suction-operative
drop-catching mechanism at the nozzle, which is care-
fully synchronized with system sequencing so that it
does not suck fluid up from the body of fluid in the
bottle but only sucks drops -- potentially drips -- from
the tip of the nozzle, well above the fluid level in
the bottle, after filling; and (b) provision of inter-
locks preventing system sequencing, and/or actual dis-
charge of fluid from the dispensing nozzle, in theevent that no container is fed into receiving position
under that particular nozzle. These provisions in
turn interact with the positive pressurization men-
tioned above as important for air control, in that
a leaking seal anywhere in the system will produce
an external deposit which can be seen -- since the
bottles and system in normal, proper operation are
clean -- thereby flagging the existence of the leak
even when it amounts to only one of two drops per
bottle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
While some of the above points taken individu-
~5 ally and cursorily may seem apparent, and while the
filling-machine art and industry have stood severely
in need of a machine which is both extremely rapid
and extremely accurate -- since, in particular,
the users of filling machines labor under consider-
able economic disadvantage from the unavailabilityof such machines -- it nonetheless remains true that
the above principles have never heretofore been co-
operatively combined and coordinated in the ways
and for the purposes herein described. I
lOS~
As a direct consequence the current state of the
filling-machine art considers imprecisions of one or
one-and-a-half ounce per gallon -- or 0.8 to 1.2%
-- to be at the limit of feasible operation, in a
reasonably rapid filler. Since packaging companies
must under the law fill every container with at least
as much fluid as is nominally contained -- i.e., as
the label indicates -- this means that the average
container must be overfilled by at least 0.5 to 0.75
ounces per gallon, or 0.4 to 0.6%. Needless to say,
0.4~ of the value of product dispensed by a large
manufacturer of liquid detergent, or antifreeze, or
solvent, amounts to a significant sum -- particularly
in low-profit-margin industries, where 0.4% of the
gross value may represent 20% of the net profit.
Yet the requirement that every customer receive
at least a nominal fill is properly founded in the
currently maturing concern for consumer protection;
while the objectionability of significant overfill,
in some industries, is compounded by the undesirability
of waste per se from an ecological or natural-resources-
conservation point of view.
By contrast the above-stated principles, skill-
fully applied, permit manufacture of filling machines
precise to 1/28 ounce, or roughly five drops, per
gallon, or 0.03%. This precision is 30 times - well
over an order of magnitude -- finer than that obtain-
able with the best filling machines heretofore
available.
Previous filling machines have employed sub-
mersible nozzles, some with closable tips. ~owever,
these have been employed primarily with bottom-filling
valves for ~udsing liquids, in which the product is
~57~L4
transported into the container without measuring, and
such fillers are subject to considerable inaccuracy
both through the absence of an accurate volumetric
system per se and also through the fact that any drip-
catching mechanisms associated with such fillers have
operated to draw off fluid below the fluid level in
the bottle, thereby variably (i.e., imprecisely)
diminishing the fill.
Other previous filling machines have employed
volumetric pistons, but most of these have objection-
ably been single-acting devices, wherein the piston
is driven back and forth by a mechanical cam or like
mechanism, only sucking product into the cylinder at
one stroke and only driving it from the cylinder in
the following stroke. I have found experimentally
that tiny bubbles are entrained at the piston-chamber
seal during the suction stroke, in such fillers, and
on the expulsion stroke some of the bubbles are
carried with the fluid to the dispensing nozzle, or
as earlier noted remain trapped and are subject to
variable expansion and contraction, in either event
variably and objectionably diminishing the volume of
fluid dispensed.
Some previous filling machines have employed bi-
acting volumetric pistons -- e.g., Buford, U.S. 3,447,281;
and British patent specification 807.338 to Unilever
Limited; and U.S. patents 3,419,053 to Tanner; and 2,276,157
and 2,303,822 to Chapman. A bi-acting piston is
disclosed by E.A. Pontifex in U.S. 162,575. In
the Unilever Patent Specification, however, the
piston is a dual element having an air space between
its t~o pressuring sidefi and thus failing to obviate
the air-entrainment disadvantages of the single-
acting piston.
- 10 -
~57~4
In this regard it is important to emphasize that
for the fullest realization of the advantages of the
instant invention all of the aforementioned principles
must be brought into action, through suitable imple-
mentations such as the features herein described.That is, as these principles are functionally com-
bined in concert the resulting incremental capability,
with the addition of each principle, becomes quali-
tatively different -- where by qualitatively differ-
ent we here mean an accuracy improvement by consider-
ably better than an order of magnitude in a clean,
very fast filling machine, resulting in the ~ualita-
tively different capacity of accurately filling each
and every container to at least its nominal volume
and with negligible overfill.
Of course it is possible to omit some of these
principles and suffer the loss of this qualitative
difference in capability only under extraordinary
conditions: for example, omission of suitable sequence-
control provisions may not prevent manufactureof a filling machine which is extremely accurate -- ex-
cept in the event of certain kinds of system malfunc-
tion such as incomplete cycling of the ~olumetric
piston or failure of the bottle-feed
mechanism. Hence some of these features may be re-
garded as secondary, and their omission from a par-
ticular device shall not diminish the applicability
to such device of those of the appended claims which
do not recite such secondary features.
There will no~7 be described, by way of example
only, various forms of the apparatus in accordance
with the invention, and parts of the apparatus, with
refer~nce to the accompanying drawings in which:
1~)57714
DESCRIPTION OF T~ DR~WINGS
Figs. la, lb and lc are drawings in section show-
ing the configuration of the submersible closable
nozzle and the relative positions of its parts at
three different positions relative to a hottle to be
filled -- these corresponding to five different phases
of the operational sequence.
Figs. 2 and 2a through 2e are drawings mostly
in section and partly in elevation showing the con-
figuration of the various parts, and the interconnec-
tions of these parts, forming one embodiment of the
present invention, specifically one in which pneumatic
valves are employed as sensors and are employed to
control system sequencing. These illustrations repre-
sent the operation of a "single-head" system, that is,
a system having only one piston and one nozzle for
filling one bottle at a time; these illustrations also
represent one head of a multiple-head system, that
is, a system having a multiplicity of pistons each
with its respective nozzle and sharing a common supply
and certain other common elements for filling a multi-
plicity of bottles concurrently or even simultaneously
Figs. 2a through 2d, in particular, represent
equivalent arrangements for connection of one of the
modules in Fig. 2 to the other components of the
Fig. 2 system. Also, Fig. 2e in particular represents
the interior of that same module, partly cut away as
Fig. 2, but in Fig. 2e a certain movable internal
part of that module is shown in a different position
than that in which it is shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is an elevation drawing, partly cut away,
~howing portions of a rotary multiple-head filling
- 12 -
1~57714
machine in accordance with the instant invention.
~Jhile an actual device of this sort may have as many
as a dozen or twenty or even more heads, for purposes
of clarity only three heads are illustrated in Fig. 3.
It may be noted in this connection that the vertical
orientation of the metering pistons and chambers
arises from space limitations in multiple-head
filling machines. The embodiment of Fig. 3 is sub-
stantially in correspondence with that of Fig. 2 and
2a except that the sequence-monitoring and -controlling
sensors are electrical rather than pneumatic.
Fig. 3a is an electrical schematic represent-
ing the electrical wiring to the elements forming each
"head", and its corresponding peripheral devices,
of Fig. 3.
Fig. 4 is an elevation drawing showing portions
of a rotary multiple-head filling machine in accord-
ance with the instant invention. This embodiment is
as to hardware very similar to that of Fig. 3, and
accordingly only one and part of a second head are
shown; it is different from the embodiment of Fig. 3
in that pneumatic rather than electrical sequence
sensing and control are employed, as in Fig. 2; and
also in that the sequence-control logic is somewhat
different, as hereinafter described.
Fig. 4a is a pneumatic schematic, with some de-
vices shown in section, representing pneumatic tubula-
tion connections of the elements forming each "head",
and its corresponding peripheral devices, of Fig. 4.
Fig. 4b is an elevation drawing showing certain
variations in the design of a directional-control
fluid valve employed in the various embodiments.
- 13 -
1~357714
Fig. 5 is a pneumatic schematic representing con-
nections for sequence sensing and control of a rec-
tangular-array multiple-head filling machine in ac-
cordance with the instant invention, and intended
for substantially simultaneous filling of containers in
a "case-at-a-time" or "in-line" ("line-at-a-time") mode.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODI~NTS
As shown in Figs. la and lc, the submersible
closable nozzle assembly comprises three basic parts:
(1) a subassembly 1 consisting of a supply body
la and attached rotably thereinto a supply hood lb
with lateral orifices lk and lj and integrally attached
centerpin lc and tip ld; the supply body la also
having a lateral supply tubulation lg;
(2) a supply sleeve 2;
(3) a vacuum hood 3 with depending section 3b,
downward-extending actuator step 3a, and lateral
vacuum tubulation 3c.
There are in addition five O-ring (or T-ring)
seals 7, 8, 9 and 10, and two springs 5 and 6. The en-
tire assembly is suspended from a lowerable support
staff lh -- indicated as a rod extending upward out
of the drawings -- which is integral with the supply
body la.
The apparatus is essentially a figure of revolu-
tion -- i.e., cylindrical or conical -- except for
the lateral tubulations lg and 3c, the lateral orifices
lk and lj, the transverse passage lf in the tip ld, the
"actuator" section 3a which forms part of the right
side of the vacuum hood 3, and the springs 5 and 6.
16~S7714
Lateral dimensions are greatly exaggerated re-
lated to vertical dimensions, for the sake of clarity.
In Fig. la the apparatus appears suspended above
a container 4, such as a bottle, which is to be auto-
matically filled using the apparatus.
Note that in Fig. la the vacuum hood 3 and supply
sleeve 2 are both in contact with seals 9 and 10 mounted
in the tip ld. Thus the material supply -- ~enerally
liquid or syrup -- is constrained within the cavity
formed by the supply body la, supply hood lb, and tip
ld; while the vacuum system sucks air through a drip-
catching orifice at the end of passage le from the vicinity
of the bottom of tip ld, via tubulation 3c and the pas-
sages lf and le within the tip. As shown, neither spring
is compressed beyond the amount required to effect
good seal closures at seals 9 and 10.
If Fig. la is taken to be a view of the nozzle
assembly descending into position to start filling
the bottle, then of course there is no liquid in the
bottle; hence eventual liquid level lla is shown here
in the phantom line. In this state, the sucking opera-
tion through the drip-catching orifice is not accom-
plishing any useful purpose -- but it is normally left
in operation for simplicity of the control system.
~s the assembly is lowered further, the actuator
portion 3a of the vacuum hood 3 contacts the top of
the bottle 4, preventing further descent of the
vacuum hood. The rest of the assembly continues to
move down, compressing the springs -~ primarily the
lighter spring 6. The supply sleeve 2 slides through
the seal 8 mounted inside the vacuum hood, so that
the supply sleeve, the centerpin and the tip continue
downward to the position shown in Fig. lb. The lower
- 15 -
1~5'77~4
seal 10 mounted on the tip ld is now lowered out of
contact with the vacuum hood 3, so the vacuum system
is now sucking air from the region above the tip through
a second orifice. The supply sleeve 2, however, is still
maintaining contact with its tip seal 9, so there is
still no supply flow and no fluid in the bottle.
As the supply body an~ hood, centerpin and tip --
subassembly 1 -- continue to move downward, the lighter
spring 6 is fully compressed, between the vacuum hood
3 and the flange 2a of the supply sleeve 2, stopping
descent of the supply sleeve. The supply body, hood,
centerpin and tip, however, move still further -- lowering
the upper seal 9 on the tip out of contact with the
supply sleeve 2 -- to the position shown in Fig. lc.
This permits supply flow, and the bottle is filled.
Filling is expedited -- though under some typical con-
ditions this effect is negligible -- by removal of
air from the bottle by the vacuum system; air is also
pushed out of the mouth of the bottle by the rising
fluid. At the lowest point of descent of the supply
body, hood and attached centerpin and tip, the inside
of the hood may contact the top of the supply sleeve --
depending on equipment design. The fluid rises
above the bottom of the supply sleeve, to the level
lla shown in Fig. lc.
~ 7hen the rated fluid volume has been transferred
to the bottle, the supply body and attached parts
rise again. At the position of Fig. lb, with the
tip ld and the bottom of the supply sleeve 2 still
immersed, the supply channel is again closed. This
prevents spillage of uncontrolled quantities of fluid
from within the sleeve, between fills, either into
a container or otherwise.
- 16 -
`` 10577~4
The assembly rises toward the position of Fig. la,
where the vacuum system sucks fluid drops from the tip,
providing a clean fill.
Flow-rate adjustment is implemented by providing
a plurality of orifices such as lj and lk arrayed about
the periphery of the upper portion of supply hood lb,
each selectably positionable for communication with
supply tubulation lg by means of rotation of hood lb
with respect to supply body la. Suitable detent means
(not illustrated) are provided to maintain the hood lb
in the angular position thus selected.
The apparatus may take forms considerably differ-
ent from that illustrated, but the key features are
(1) provision for supplying material to ~ill the con-
tainer via a conduit whose lower end extends into thecontainer and is submerged by the fluid in the con-
tainer when the fill is complete; (2) closing of the
fill conduit at its very tip before the nozzle
is removed from the fluid; (3) provision for vacuum
removal of drips, after the nozzle is removed from
the fluid, and (4) flow-rate adjustment. A secondary
feature is (5) vacuum assist of air removal from
the container during filling.
All of these characteristics are directed to pro-
ducing a rapid but extremely accurate and clean fill.
The systems shown in the following illustrationsall include submersible filling nozzle assemblies per
Figs. la through lc, though not shown in such detail.
Fig. 2 illustrates generally the subassembly 1,
sleeve 2, vacuum hood 3 and attached parts, identi-
fied as in Figs. la through lc. The fluid level in
Fiy, 2 i5 ~hown at llb; thus the sequence in Fig. 2
has proceeded to the point at which the nozzle is in
- 17 -
l~S77~4
the position of Fig. lc but the liquid level has not
yet risen to the level lla therein indicated.
Raising and lowerin~ of the nozzle subassembly
relative to the container is in principle effectable
either by moving the container or moving the nozzle
subassembly. Of these alternative and equivalent ways
of operation only the latter is herein pictured. In
Fig. 2 the subassembly is shown as controlled by air
cylinder 35, under control of bidirectional pushbutton
valve 36; supplying air from source 37 to cylinder
35 raises the subassembly, and interrupting the air
connection permits the subassembly to descend under
the influence of gravity. Valve 36 may be operated
manually or pedally by forces at 36a and 36b, or may
as appropriate be connected for actuation by mechan-
ical cams or other means.
Vacuum connection via 3c is made to vacuum vessel
800, whose internal volume is suitably maintained at
a negative pressure relative to ambient by a pump
mechanism whose final delivery chamber is representable
as vessel 800. Fixed to support staff lh is pushbutton
valve 31, for use as described below.
Shown generally at 26 is a volumetric chamber
defined by end walls 26a and 26g, side wall 26b, and
other seals and porting as apparent. A piston is sho~m
within the chamber at 27, with upper face 27a and
advantageously with shaped lower face 27b and a shaped
projection 27c adapted for interaction with the corres-
ponding features of wall 26g as herebelow detailed.
The piston is also provided with extension 27e and
remote actuating member 27f, and the piston and ex-
tension are mounted for longitudinal sliding motion
within and outside of the chamber while ~aintaining
i
- 1û -
1~577~4
seals thereto at 25 and 24 -- thus forming first and
second subchambers for fluid at lli above and llj
below the piston.
~lso suitably mounted to chamber 26 as by brackets
28, 28a and 28b are pneumatic pushbutton valves 29
and 30, the latter being a single-channel valve and
the former a dual-channel valve or t~o single-channel
valves ganged together, or any other suitable func-
tional equivalent. These valves are both adjustably
positioned in the path of actuator 27f to "sense"
positioning thereof and thus of the piston 27 within
the chamber; and in response to such "sensin~" to gen-
erate, when suitably excited by attachment of pneu-
matic tubulations 38d and 38c from compressed-air
source 37, pneumatic signals to control system opera-
tion as herebelow described. Actuated surfaces 30a and
29a of the valves 30 and 29 respectively are spring-
loaded outwards and actuated by force from member 27f.
The amplitude of the piston excursion is thus
positively but adjustably defined and thus the metered
volumes of substance are substantially free of varia-
tion due to any time delay in operation of the control
system of the apparatus.
Flow of substance to be dispensed is to and from
the chamber 26 via tubulations 12d and 12e and five-port,
four-way valve 14. This valve in turn is connected via
tubulation 12f and other intermediate devices as shown
to supply tank 62 and via tuhulations 12b, 12c, and 12a,
to the dispensing-nozzle supply subassemhly 1. Within
valve 14 is movable spool 15, having three sections, 15b,
15d and 15f just slightly smaller in external diameter
than the narrO~JeSt internal diameter of the main barrel
of the valve, and slidably sealed thcreto as by seals
- 19 ~
l~)S7714
17, 18, 19, l9a, 19b, 20, 21 and 22 for motion between
two positions: one position as shown in Fig. 2 and
the other position as shown in Fig. 2e.
The length of central spool section 15d must be
such as to bridge seals 19 and l9a or seals 19 and 19b,
to prevent improper bypassing during shiftin~ of the
spool.
When spool 15 is in the position illustrated in
Fig. 2, fluid at lln from the supply lls via the inter-
mediate tubulations and devices shown passes into
subchamber llm within the valve barrel formed by the
end walls of spool sections 15f and 15d and the outer
cylindrical wall of necked-down intermediate portion
15e, and from this subchamber flows as at llk into
lS the first (lower) subchamber of chamber 26, holding
fluid llj. This fluid forces piston 27 upward by
pressure at the lower surfaces 27b, 27c and 27d of
the piston, whose upper surface 27a forces fluid lli
in the second (upper) subchamber correspondingly up-
ward and out as at llh into valve subchamber llg formed
by the end walls of spool sections 15b and 15d and
the outer cylindrical wall of necked-down intermediate
portion 15c. From this subchamber the fluid proceeds
as at lle and lld to the dispensing nozzle subassembly
1. Once filling has begun, the "CONTAINER READY" cam
32 must be manually or automatically withdrawn from
contact with bu~ton 31a, as will be seen shortly.
During this operation, fluid is discharged at llc
into the bottle 4, and the actuator 27f rises toward
button 30a. When the actuator fully depresses the
"OUT" valve button 30a, the piston is mechanically
halted thereby, and compressed air from line 38c
proceeds via line 38f and hole 14a in the side
- 20 -
lQ57714
wall of the four-way valve into contact ~lith the
end wall of spool section 15b, and the air pressure
thereon forces the spool to the position shown
in Fig. 2e.
Connections are thereby reversed so that enter-
ing fluid lln flows via llh to lli, forcing piston
27 downward and thereby forcing fluid at llj from
below the piston outward as at llk, whence it traverses
the valve and exits at llf to lld, where as before
it reaches and is dispensed through nozzle subassembly
1 and sleeve 2.
This operation continues until the piston
bottoms out. Although actuator 27f does fully depress
button 29a of the "IN" valve 29, no control action results
therefrom yet, because due to withdrawal of cam 32 the
valve 29 is not pneumatically excited via valve 31.
The dispensing nozzle is then raised from the
container as by force at surface 36a of valve
36, to actuate air cylinder 35; the full bottle is re-
moved and an empty one positioned in its place.
Surface 36b is depressed to deactivate the air cylinder
35 and permit lowering of the nozzle.
After the vacuum hood 3 has had ample time to
descend into contact with the top of bottle 4, the
cam 32 is replaced in the location shown in the figure.
If the placement of a bottle in receiving position as
shown has not been accomplished, then the nozzle has
proceeded past the height illustrated and the button
31 is not in position to be depressed by the cam 32,
so no cycle-control action results. The same is the
case in the event the nozzle fails to descend fully
to engage the ~ottle.
- 21 -
15)577~4
However, if the bottle is properly in place then
repositioning of cam 32 as illustrated provides pneu-
matic signal from source 37 via 38a, 38b and 38d to
excite pneumatic sensor valve 29. ~s the latter has,
S per the normal operational cycle above described, al-
ready been actuated, pneumatic signals are applied
ther~through and via line 38e to hole 14b at the
right (as illustrated) end of valve 14, to force the
spool back to the position shown in Fig, 2. This ini-
tiates another filling cycle as above described, pro-
vided that the spool responds properly.
If the spool does not move in response to the
pneumatic signal from valve 29, the cycle will not
start. This can generally be the case -- barring seri-
ous breakdown -- only when the system has been shut
down for a period of many hours, permitting the com-
pliant seals 17, 18, 19, 19a, l9b, 20 21 and 22 to
"cold-flow" into the pores of the spool sections 15b,
15d and lSf. Breaking the spool loose under these con-
ditions may require a force ten times the normal oper-
ating force applied to shift the spool back and forth.
To ascertain whether this has occurred, external ex-
tensions 15a and 15g are provided for the spool and
these are slidably sealed at 16 and 23 to the internal
circumferences of apertures in the end walls. When
the system is to be turned on after being shut down
for several days, the operator first manually de-
presses buttons 31a and 29a, or button 30a as appro-
priate, while visually or otherwise observing the ex-
tensions 15a and 15g to verify that the spool is not"frozen" in place: when this verification can be
satisfactorily completed, the substance supply can be
connected and operation begun. If the initial veri-
~ ~2 -
i()57~4
fication attempt is negative, the operator can tap
on an end anvil 15i or lSh to free the spool, and then
repeat the test; of course the "tap" can be a force
automatically applied through a cam or otherwise.
In the event that the nozzle is raised out of
contact with the bottle, thereby sealing sleeve 2 to
tip ld, before the piston has had time to bottom out,
then when the next bottle is in position and the nozzle
lowered to contact the bottle and with it valve 38b,
even if the nozzle stops at the correct height to en-
gage cam 32 and excite valve 29 no pneumatic signal
will pass through line 38e to shift the spool -- be-
cause the button 29a has not been depressed by actu-
ator 27f. This is essential to avoid passage of the
previous (underfilled) bottle into production line
and marketing, and to avoid continued underfilling of
the series of bottles to follow.
Under these circumstances the valve 29 instead
generates an incomplete-cycle signal via line 38g to
utilization means which may comprise (1) an alarm as
represented by bell 39 and pneumatically-actuated
clapper 38h, (2) pneumatically-actuated supply-fluid
shutdown valve 33 with reset button 33a, (3) pneu-
matically-actuated compressed-air shutdown valve 34
with reset button 34a and a time-delay provision com-
prising constriction 38i and expansion charnber 38k to
ensure supply shutdown prior to disabling of the pneu-
matic system, or (4) interlocks (not shown) to remove
the incompletely filled bottle from the production
line. Depending on the details of system operation
these shutdown provisions rnay or may not be useful in
a given system.
- 23 -
105'~7~4
Some systems may be supplied with fluid for dis-
pensin~ via tubulation 12f directly from supply lls
in tank 42, by gravity. In other cases a pump 43 may
be provided; in such cases, particularly in the event
a centrifugal pump is employed which tends to "whip"
air bubbles into certain kinds of fluids, an air-
entrapment device as indicated at 41 is desirable.
Container wall 41 defines a broadened flow path for
fluid llo, relative to the breadth of other portions
of the flow path as at llr and lln, so that the velo-
city of fluid through container 41 is greatly diminished
relative to that through tubulations elsewhere in the
system, as 12g and 12f. The transverse dimensions and
length of the container must be worked out in terms of the
flow rates and viscosities for which the system is de-
signed, so that air bubbles entering with fluid from
the tubulation 12g have ample time to rise to the top
of the container 41 of their own buoyancy before
reaching the dome section 41a. Such bubbles thus ac-
cumulate in the dome section 41a forming an air spaceabove the fluid level llp. As the fluid level llp
falls by accumulation of additional bubbles the float
40 falls also and with it the attached needle of
needle valve 40a, whereby air is exhausted through
the escape needle valve 40a to maintain the fluid level
llp above the bottom of the dome section 41a -- or in
any event above the top of the exit tubulation 12f.
Another air-entrainment control feature i5 the
cooperative shaping of piston 27 lower surface 27b
and the projection 27c and its lower surface 27d with
chamber lower end wall 26c, port 26d and the bottom
26h of port 26d, so as to expel from the chamber any
air bubbles initially trapped in the system at startup.
- 24 -
~)5'~7~4
The effect is obtained in the embodiment shown by
causing the clearance between surface 27b and surface
26c to be slightly larger at the center of the cham-
ber than at its periphery, and causing the clearance
between surfaces 27d and 26h to be slightly larger
at the right side, which opens into the tubulation, than
at the left (blind) side. That is, the inclination
of the conical surface 27b to the diameter of the
chamber is slightly less than the inclination of the
conical surface 26c thereto, and similarly with conical
surfaces 27c and 26d, and inclined planar surfaces
27d and 26h. Thus the periphery of the piston bottoms
out to the periphery of the chamber end wall but the
inner portions of the piston do not bottom out, thus
forming a wedge-shaped space which squeezes bubbles
toward the central port and down into the port and
out through tubulation 12e.
Yet another air-entrainment control feature
is provided in the form of double seals 17 and 18 in
series, and 21 and 22 in series, with respective re-
lief holes 14d and 14e to ambient pressure, whereby
seal leaks cannot result in pneumatic air leakage in-
to fill fluid (or vice versa) but only to the ambient
air and surrounds.
To align the system for operation, the bracket
28b is adjusted to bring button 29a into its just-
fully-depressed state when the piston 27 is fully
bottomed out in the chamber. The bracket 28a is then
adjusted so that button 30a is just fully depressed
~7hen the piston is raised to a position which dispenses
through tube 12d half the desired fill volume -- ma -
king appropriate allowance for the volume of the
plunger within the chamber~ This adjustment may be
i
- 25 -
l~S7 71~
expedited in a variety of ways, such as the use of
graduations along member 2~ or weighing the fluid dis-
pensed into a container while the container is still
in position under the nozzle. In any event small ad-
justments will generally be required after the systemis in operation to obtain an exactly accurate fill.
Rotation of the supply hood 501b with respect
to supply body 501a for the purpose of selecting ori-
fices to regulate flow rate -- and correspondingly for
each of the other heads on the filler, all as described
with respect to orifices lk and lj of Figs. la, lb and
lc -- is particularly important in all multiple-head
systems, including that illustrated in Fig. 3, to
equalize flow rates for the purposes set forth here-
above under "Summary of the Invention".
Numerous other arrangements for connection ofthe valve 14 to chamber 26 and to supply tank 42 and
nozzle subassembly 1 are equivalent in operation to
that shown in Fig. 2. Some of these equivalents are
2G pictured in Figs. 2a through 2d. While the type
of valve pictured in Figs. 2 and 2a through 2d
is particularly well suited to use with a highly
precise and rapid filling machine, other types
of valving providing -- as does this type -- four
flow paths, available in two combinations, are
in principle equivalent and may be substituted
as appropriate.
The hardware at each "head" of Fig. 3 is highly
similar to that indicated in the system of Fig. 2.
One important difference is that the pneumatic sen-
sors 29, 30 and 31 and the pneumatic spool-shi~ting
provisions o Fig. 2 are here substituted for by
electrical sensors 529, 530 and 531 and electrical
- 26 -
577~4
solenoids 570 and 569, for the head shown near the
left-hand side of the figure; correspondingly numbered
elements with the prefix "6" for the head shown near
right-center, and correspondingly numbered elements
with the prefix "7" for the head shown near the right
side of the figure. Another difference is that the
connections between the valves and supply nozzles
have been shown somewhat more realistically in Fig. 3
as comprising flexible sections 512h, 712h to accom-
modate nozzle vertical motion. Another important dif-
ference is that the apparatus is here mounted and
the bottles rest on a rotary platform 89, and all of
the other elements of the apparatus similarly rotate
with platform 89, through mechanical interconnections
not illustrated -- with the exception of tank 42,
hand-operated sprocket 53, bell 390, relay 56, motor-
gearbox 57-58 and electrical attachments thereto and
gear 59 driven thereby, pump 800, cams 43 and 66 and
the various attachments thereto, all of which are
stationary.
Wires to the various electrical components are
connected as indicated schematically in Fig. 3a, to
obtain substantially the same logical sequence-control
functions as in Fig. 2, but here electrically. While
connections for only one head are shown in Fig. 3a,
these connections are duplicated for each of the other
heads of Fig. 3. Connections from the rotating plat-
form to the stationary elements of the apparatus are
made via slip-contacts or "brushes" 931 for the "hot"
power line, 969 for the ground line, and 929 for the
utilization means, here comprising a bell 390, and a
relay 56 for interrupting power to drive motor 57
to stop rotation of the apparatus in event a "~ON-
- 27 -
ln~7~7~4
TAINER READY" switch is actuated before an "IN" switch.
The "CONTAINER READY " switches here are actuated by
cam 66, suspended by hinge 65 from stationary plate 62.
If desired to avoid the possibility of multiply over-
filling a container in the event the rotary platformshould stop with one of the "CONTAINER READY" switches
depressed by cam 66, solenoid 67 may be positioned by
bracket 64 and operated in response to platform stop-
page, by application of power via connections 63 to
pull cam 66 out away from engagement position, and then
by interruption of power via connections 63 to the
solenoid to release the latter into engagement position
subsequently when rotary motion resumes.
As shown in Fig. 3 the raising and lowering of
the nozzles is effected by cam 43, shown partially
cut away, which raises the nozzles by pushing on suit-
ably mounted cam followers fixed to the support staffs
of the nozzle subassemblies. Ilere the followers are
shown as conveniently mounted just behind the switches,
on the respective staffs.
As in Fig. 2 the switches 529, 530 and so forth
are mounted for vertical adjustment, so as to permit
alignment and volume calibration as earlier described.
Here however there is an added important feature in
the mounting of all the "OUT" switches to a common
plate 44, suspended by threaded rods 45 from the up-
per rotating plate 60. The distance between platform
89 and plate 44 is controlled by adjusting the dis-
tance between plates 44 and 60, and this in turn by
adjusting the angular positions of the threaded rods 45.
The threaded rods in turn are rotated by sprock-
ets 46, in turn operated by chain or belt ~1. The
belt 61 i8 functionally connected by sprockets 49a,
- 28 -
l~S~7~4
49, and 51, and belts 50 and 52, to sprocket wheel
53 and handle 54, stationarily mounted for rotation
about the axis of wheel 53 as at 55. It will be
appreciated that claarance must be provided between
the sprocket 49a and the sprocket 46, for instance by
mounting sproc~et 49a so as to engage the belt or
chain above the level of the other sprockets. By this
means common adjustment of the volumes dispensed at
all the heads may be effected by manipulation of the
handle 54 whether the platform and the rest of the
machine are rotating or not. When the machine is in
operation and rotating, the handle 54 is continually
turned by the action of belt 61 upon sprocket 49a;
the handle may be momentarily manually stopped, or
pushed forward momentarily in the same direction as
its continual travel, to make a small adjustment in
the height of plate 44 and thereby the volumes dis-
pensed from all the heads in common.
Bottles are loaded onto the rotary platform
89 and unloaded therefrom near the right-hand end of
the drawing, where as shown cam 43 causes the nozzles
to be in raised position. The actuator as at 727f
should in normal operation be fully down when the
heads pass this point, and should be only just begin-
ning to rise as at 627f for heads which have justpassed cam 66. The system operation for heads in the
position shown with prefixes "5" in the callouts,
near the left-hand side of the drawing, corresponds
generally to the phase of operation represented in
Fig. 2.
Suction lines 503c, 703c and so forth are con-
nected by a conventional rotary joint to suction
line 803c from the pump 800.
I
- 29 -
1~:)577~4
The system of Fig. 4, like that of Fig. 2, em-
ploys pneumatic sensors and pneumatic actuation of the
spool valve; it also employs pneumatic actuation via
air cylinder 867 of cam 66. The elements of the head
s shown near the left side of Fig. 4 correspond to
those in Figs. 2 and 3 with the su~stitution of call-
out prefixes "10"; and the elements of the head shown
near the right side of Fig. 4 correspond similarly with
the substitution of callout prefixes "11".
Valve 1038~ from the high-pressure air supply 37
to air cylinder 867 is operated to withdraw and re-
lease cam 66 in response to rotary-operation stoppage
and resumption as described above for the solenoid
operating cam 66 with reference to Fig. 3.
However the system shown in Fig. 4 is different
in the details of its sequence-control logic, by the
addition of pneumatic "SYSTEM READY" pushbutton
valves 1075, 1175, and so forth, mounted for rotation
with the upper plate. These valves are actuated by
engagement with cam 76, stationarily mounted as by
bracket 76a, to test the status of the "IN" pushbuttons
while the nozzles are out of the bottles, in advance
of the engagement of cam 66 with pushbutton valves
1131, 1031, and so forth. If an "IN" pushbutton such
as 1029 is not properly depressed when the correspond-
ing "SYSTEM READY" pushbutton 1075 is actuated by
cam 76, pneumatic signals pass to utilization means 938g
for alarm and/or shutdown functions as previously de-
scribed. By providing this "SYSTEM READY" button-cam
combination as a separate entity from the "CONTAINER
READY" buttons and cam 66, some additional latitude is
gained in the exact positioning of "CONTAIMER READY"
cam 66 angularly "ith respect to nozzle-raising cam 43
- 30 -
i~577~4
(Fig. 3). This can permit in some instances careful
synchronization of the start of the piston cycle with
respect to the opening of the nozzle; such careful
synchronization is critical to avoid violent sudsing
of some liquids on pressurized discharge from the
nozzle.
Fig. 4b shows in one drawing various features
which may be incorporated in the spool to provide
external visibility of the position of the spool with-
in the valve barrel. The external spool extensions as
1215g, shown in earlier drawings, are reproduced here
for completeness. A section 1214h of the valve barrel
may be constructed of transparent material to permit
direct observation of the end 1215f of the spool. One
of the isolation holes -- represented as 14d in Fig.
2 -- may be made large as at 1214i in Fig. 4b (with
suitable separation of the isolation seals at the two
sides thereof), exposing a portion of the spool wall
1215b and suitable indicia 1215h thereon. Again, these
various features may be considered equivalent alterna-
tives, any one of which may be employed, though some
externally manipulable extension such as 1215g is in
any event desirable to permit freeing of the spool by
a manually applied blow or by automatic mechanical
means.
Fig. 5 illustrates schematically the pneumatic
connections for a case-at-a-time or in-line (line-at-
a-time) filler. }~igh-pressure air from a suitable com-
pressor or other source enters the system at 895, and
traverses filter 894, pressure regulator 883 and oiler
893 which provides lubrication for the various pneumatic
valves and other pneumatically operated components.
(These system elements 894, 883 and 893 may be present
- 31 -
i¢~S-7714
in the other pneumatic systems hereinabove discussed.)
The twelve pushbutton valves 884 in series are "IN"
sensors analogous in function to the lower section of
valve 29 in Fig. 2, and the twelve pushbutton valves
887 connected in parallel to manifold 896 are "OUT"
sensors analogous to the valve 30 in Fig. 2.
Spool valve 888 is typical of twelve such valves
connected between manifold 890 and the respective
pushbuttons 887, and is analogous in function to spool
valve 14 of Fig. 2.
Nozzles 886 are representative of twelve nozzles
identical in function to the nozzle assembly of
Figs. la, lb, lc and 2; these nozzles are raised and
lowered in common by air cylinder 885, in response
respectively to pneumatic signals at 885b and 885a
respectively, applied from selector valve 884a which
is in turn controlled pneumatically by signals at 898
and 899 from foot-pedal-actuated selector valve 891.
When pressurized air is applied through valve
884a to line 885b to raise the heads, this same line
885b also applied air to air motor 882 which operates
vacuum pump 800a, fitted with muffler 876. The vacuum
pump applies suction via manifold 878 to the various
suction lines as 3c in Fig. 2, through separator
bowl 879 which removes collected droplets from the
suction path and deposits them via air-operated valve
880 in collector bottle 881. The air-operated valve
also receives controlling air signals via 885b when
the heads are raised (or rising); to close valve 880
to obtain maximum suction; and to open valve 880 when
the heads are lowered, to permit collected droplets
to pass into bot~le 881. (System elements 882, 876, 879,
880 and 881 may advantageously be present in certain of
the other pneumatic systems hereinabove discufised.)
- 32 -
1~)577~4
To operate the system, with the heads initially
all raised and the "IN" buttons 884 all depressed by
their respective actuators (as 27f in Fig. 2), and
with a case of empty bottles in receiving position
under the he.ads, the operator first operates pedal-
actuated valve 891 to apply pneumatic signal from 896
via 884 and 897 to line 898, which applies "pilot air"
to shift the spool in valve 884, applying high-volume
air flow to air cylinder 885 via line 885a to lower
the heads.
The operator then actuates start valve 892 to
shift the spool in fluid-control valve 888, and the
other eleven valves of which it is typical, starting
upward the volumetric pistons (not shown) operated
by spool valves 888. As soon as this happens the
"IN" buttons 884 are closed by deactuation on the
part of their respective actuators (such as 27f of
Fig. 2), preventing any further effect on the system
of manipulating foot-pedal selector valve 891, which
may be released by the operator. If the latter valve
is spring-loaded it will return to a position which
effects continuity between lines 897 and 899, but
this has no observable effect on the system at this
point in the sequence: during filling, the air cylinder
885 is locked out of operation by the interruption of
continuity at buttons 884, so that the operator cannot
erroneously inltiate raising of the heads until the
last one of the pistons has completed its cycle and
restored continuity through buttons 884. First, however,
the several rising pistons actuate theix respective
"OUT" buttons, reversing the pistons at the tops of
their respective strokes and continuing the filling
cycles. ~7hen in fact the do~m~ard strokes are complete
I
- 33 -
1057714
and continuity is restored through all buttons 884 the selector valve 891
can be reversed -- or if springloaded has already been reversed by earlier
release of the foot pedal -- and the heads are raised together through applica-
tion of air to cylinder 885 through 885b. The case of full bottles may then
be removed, and a case of unfilled bottles placed in position for filling;
the system is then ready to begin a new cycle of operation as above described.
- 34 _
