Automatic filling machine for siphon bottles

An automatic filling machine for filling containers such as siphon bottles, carafes or the like with soda and/or carbon dioxide gas of the type in which said containers advance through a zone during which they are filled while the container is inverted bottom-to-top at an angle of up to about 180.degree. in order to facilitate the return of gas under increasing pressure, including filling devices to which the containers are coupled during passage through the filling zone which permits in alternating sequences, the passage of soda and carbon dioxide gas to the containers, wherein the filling devices are directly coupled to two intermediate, independent and elongated reservoirs, extending along the filling zone, having individual selector controls intercalated between the filling devices and said reservoirs, only permitting the alternating passage of soda or gas to the container filling devices based on individual driver controls related to the advancing movement, including combinations of cams, offsets and the like with levers and rollers supported thereon.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The instant invention relates to continuous and automatic machines for 
filling containers such as carafes and the like with carbonated soda, 
carbon dioxide gas and with carbonated soda by previous dilution of gas in 
conventional saturators, said containers being provided with normally 
closed valve closures communicating with vent tubes axially extending 
through the interior to permit dispensing the liquid contained therein 
upon opening of said valve closures, said liquid passing from the vessels 
via vent tubes through which liquid is directed to the outlet, generally 
by means of special heads. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Machines of the type known as rotary machines, are capable of filling 
containers, one after the other, in a generally continuous manner. Such 
machines are provided with means for turning said containers from a 
vertical position in which they bear on their bases to a position inverted 
almost 180.degree. in which the open ends of the vent tubes are upwards, 
to allow the venting of carbon dioxide gas which builds up with increasing 
pressure in the upper part of the container during filling with the 
carbonated soda. Such gas being vented to the corresponding feeding means. 
Such machines include means for supplying soda into the same containers in 
sequences alternating with return and venting of gas, said soda and gas 
circulations being carried out at pressures higher than atmospheric. 
Known automatic and rotary filling machines, generally have individual 
supports for containers, on which said containers are conveyed around a 
central fixed cylindrical body in a concentric arc of almost 360.degree.. 
As the containers are advanced, the supports begin carrying their 
respective containers in a vertical upright position bearing on their 
bases and, immediately, invert them end-over-end almost 180.degree., to 
make the major portion of each path of travel in such inverted position, 
which is the required filling position, and then terminating the advance 
with an inverting movement whereby the containers are returned to the 
original vertical position, bearing on their bases. 
During the indicated circumferential travel of almost 360.degree., the 
filling process involves alternating sequences of soda inlet and carbon 
dioxide gas return or outlet (carbon dioxide gas displaced by said soda). 
The process begins with a gas feed and then the alternated sequences take 
place. 
The raising and inverting operations are produced by means of combinations 
of cams, offsets or guides at variable levels, on which rollers are 
supported, one per container support; said offsets or the like being 
mounted to said central body, which is fixed. 
In such known machines, to obtain the precise alternating sequences of 
feeding of soda and gas required, complex and expensive combinations of 
components and devices are included which also require extensive servicing 
due to the precision of the operation and the continuous wear of the parts 
involved. 
On the other hand, it is convenient that the containers filled by such 
machines be of the type comprising vessels, bottles or carafes which, 
apart from the indicated vent tubes, have heads with ejecting nozzles, a 
lever for actuating the normally closed inner valve communicating with its 
vent tube, and the corresponding means for supporting said vent tube. 
Dispensing nozzles of said heads are partially sloping to provide free 
falling of possible leaks and to direct the liquid dispensed towards 
glasses or the like receiving the soda. This sloping configuration of the 
dispensing nozzles corresponds to the magnitude of almost 180.degree. of 
the inverting movement, in order that said nozzles be vertically disposed 
when inverted and be upwardly directed in order to face corresponding 
vertical filling means through which soda and gas pass to each container, 
in accordance with the filling sequences. 
Apart from the indicated elements for inverting movement and fluid supply 
in alternating sequences, an electric drive motor for circumferentially 
advancing the container supports, inverting and raising the containers and 
corresponding sources and means for supplying said fluids, known machines 
are provided with means protecting against bursting of the containers 
charged with pressurized fluids; with operative means for actuating the 
levers of the heads in order to open the passage to and from vent tubes 
simultaneously to the inverting movements; operative means for safety in 
the event of partial or total shutdown of the equipment when accidents or 
blockages take place during operation. Preferably, also provided are 
continuous conveying means for empty containers, such as horizontal chains 
provided with links having coplanar flat plates; transfer devices for 
shifting, one in turn, containers on such horizontal conveyors towards 
supports receiving such containers on the filling machine; and similar 
devices for final transfer of filled containers from the filling machine 
to transport means for their distribution. 
Although machines of the prior art have been successfully used 
commercially, it is to be noted that elements and means included for 
supplying soda and gas in alternating sequences to vertical filling means, 
apart from being complex and expensive, require frequent shut down of 
operations for maintenance and replacement of parts, which fact severely 
affects production. For these reasons, improvements have been carried out, 
and also modifications and changes in operating conditions in the light of 
the instant invention, which relates to machines concerning fluid (soda 
and carbon dioxide) supply in accordance with sequences easy to program 
and which may be subject to further adjustments, as explained hereinbelow. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the instant invention comprises providing a continuous filling 
machine of the rotary operating type for containers such as carafes, 
bottles and the like, wherein said containers are filled with soda and 
carbon dioxide gas, wherein during the filling operation, the containers 
having a path of travel as per a circumferential arc of almost 
360.degree., said containers being inverted end-for-end at an angle of 
less than 180.degree. in order that the open ends of the container vent 
tubes are directed upwards while said containers travel along said filling 
portion, said filling machine including means for feeding vertical filling 
elements to which said containers are coupled during said travel, and 
means sequentially allowing alternating passage of soda and carbon gas to 
said filling vertical elements, having the novel feature that said 
vertical filling elements are coupled directly to the elongated and 
intermediate reservoirs extending along said travel, having individual 
selectors therebetween which only allow alternating passage of soda and 
gas towards the filling elements by individual driving thereof through 
command means related with the advance movement, such as combinations of 
offset cams, variable level guides, stops, etc., with levers and rollers 
supported thereon, or the like; said reservoirs being directly connected 
to corresponding feeding sources. 
The rotary machine of the instant invention includes the basic novelty of 
having direct connection means to vertical filling elements from 
conventional sources, such as cylinders or carafes of carbon dioxide gas 
as well as conventional machines for preparing carbonated soda, such as 
saturators and the like. 
From said connecting means, this novel machine directly feeds the vertical 
filling elements which advance, in cooperation with each inverting 
support; with the novel introduction of intermediate containers or 
reservoirs of soda and gas, under such conditions that the expensive 
elements and parts heretofore required are eliminated, with the additional 
inclusion of simple mechanical selectors permitting passage of these 
fluids alternatively to or from said vertical filling elements. 
The simple selectors are similar to hydraulic cocks which, by means of 
predetermined rotation, of from about 90.degree. to 180.degree., allow 
selective intercommunication of a channel with one or other similar 
channels of an inlet or outlet pair. Conventional means for alternate 
driving of the selectors may comprise combinations of rollers supported by 
variable level guides, offset cams similar to that used in the past for 
effecting the lifting and inverting movements, or fixed stops connected to 
rollers or cranks connected to the rotors of the selectors, etc. 
The duration of said soda feeding and corresponding alternating partial gas 
returns or releases, in the various operative sequences, depend on the 
time said means remain open or closed, or connected by the action of 
selectors, so that complete filling operations are carried out 
automatically. 
Therefore, in accordance with the instant invention, complex and expensive 
conventional devices for selecting and programming filling and release 
sequences are avoided, being replaced by simple elongated intermediate 
reservoirs extending along the filling path of travel directly fed from 
respective conventional supply sources, and individually and directly 
communicating with vertical filling elements. Corresponding passage 
selectors are commanded in accordance with alternating sequences by means 
of conventional mechanical means, such as those used for producing raising 
and inverting movement of the containers being filled; said intermediate 
reservoirs are provided in pairs, one for carbon dioxide gas and the other 
for soda. 
Several embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the instant 
invention affecting, for example, the constitution of intermediate 
reservoirs, as well as of the passage selector elements for vertical 
filling elements, and their operation. 
A convenient and preferred embodiment of said elongated reservoirs is that 
in which they are simultaneously constituted by a single sealed annular 
container divided into two parts by means of a longitudinal separating 
divider, which is also annular. In this case, the two compartments at both 
sides of the division are fed by respective pipes, said pipes coming from 
conventional sources of soda and carbon dioxide gas. Said divider may be 
horizontal or vertical; in the first case, the reservoirs are located one 
in the upper part and one in the lower part, instead of being located at 
both sides of the divider. In any of these alternatives, selectors and 
filling elements will be separately and directly connected to each of said 
compartments. 
Since rotary filling machines of the type used in accordance with the 
invention have fixed and rotating parts supported in general by fixed 
parts, the machine of the invention includes among said rotating parts the 
mentioned intermediate containers, interconnected to vertical filling 
elements and also to selector means. 
On the other hand, means controlling the driving of said selectors are 
preferably supported by accessory parts which, in turn, are joined to 
fixed parts of the machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
As may be seen in FIG. 1, the machine 10 selected as an example for this 
specification, is of the type comprising a lower cylindrical body 18 which 
is fixed and located at a side of a horizontal conveying chain 19, 
preferably having flat plate links of a conventional type 19', which 
advances and withdraws soda containers 20 provided with heads 22 having an 
ejection nozzle 24 and a lever 26 which activates an inner valve contained 
in said heads 22, as is conventional in the art. 
A first transfer element 30, or deflector which is also known and consists 
of a rotatable star 31 combined with an arcuate side guide 32, delivers 
containers 20 from conveyor 19 to swiveling support 34 which, at the said 
delivery point is in a vertical position as shown at 35. An offset guide 
36 secured to lower body 18 (shown in FIG. 4), biases rollers 38 supported 
on the swivelling support assembly 34 as they are advanced about lower 
body 18, causing a raising and inverting movement of almost 180.degree. 
which may be also seen in FIG. 4, and which in this aspect coincides with 
FIG. 3 in which containers are in their inverted filling position. In such 
position, each nozzle 24 is vertically located in alignment with filling 
valve 40. 
During a path of a travel of less than 360.degree. about the cylindrical 
body 18, a variable level continuous cam 42 drives the manual lever 26 of 
the head 22 of the container 20 (FIG. 4), in which cam the swivelling 
roller 44 is supported to open passage through inner valve 23, opposite to 
spring 25, shown in FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B. This detail, has been depicted in 
a larger scale in FIG. 3B, in which may also be seen the coupling of the 
vent tube 28 contained in said containers 20. During such path of travel, 
containers 20 are being filled. 
Upon travelling the whole arc of almost 360.degree., swivelling supports 34 
return to vertical position 35, and the filling containers are removed by 
means of the second transfer means 45 towards a distribution zone or the 
like, such as packaging arrangements, etc. 
With reference 46, protective elements are indicated, against possible 
bursting of containers filled with soda and gas at a pressure higher than 
atmospheric, and which are attached to supports 34 during their travel. 
In the above description, generally conventional aspects of the filling 
machine have been described, and novel aspects of the filling machine of 
the invention will be described below in detail. 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, a basic aspect of the invention is the addition 
of an intermediate elongated container 1, accompanying swivelling supports 
34 in their path of travel around the fixed cylindrical body 18. Said 
elongated container 1 is also annular and is divided into two independent 
reservoirs by means of an internal divider 2, as shown in FIG. 4 with 
references 3 and 4. Such divider 2 may be vertical, such as shown in FIG. 
4, or horizontal as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. 
One of said intermediate reservoirs, such as 3, is fed with carbon dioxide 
gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric, while the other reservoir 4 
receives soda conventionally and separately prepared, at a pressure even 
higher than that of the gas. In the example shown, both intermediate and 
elongated reservoirs 3 and 4 are fed by means of a central hollow column 5 
through horizontal branches 6 and 7 of any suitable type and independent 
of each other. Branch 6 is fed directly through the external channel 
forming the column and branch 7 is fed by the inner and coaxial conduit. 
Communication between the column and the branches may be carried out with 
the conventional intercalation of rotary tanks 5', having known 
interconnectors. The supply of soda and gas to said vertical hollow column 
5 may be carried out from the bottoms thereof as indicated by the arrows. 
Another aspect of the invention is that conventional filling valves 40 are 
directly fixed under the reservoirs 3 and 4 into which the intermediate 
container 1 is divided, in this case with selector means 8 for said 
fluids, gas and soda, in order that transfer between said reservoirs and 
the container to be filled be made alternatively, under programmed 
sequences. 
Said transfer actions are carried out in accordance with the following 
steps: first, reservoir 3 is communicated with the container 20 to be 
filled in order that it may be filled with carbon dioxide gas at a 
pressure higher than atmospheric; then said communication is closed, and 
communication to the soda is opened between reservoir 4 and the container 
20 at a pressure higher than that of the gas, in which case, the gas is 
compressed and increases in pressure. Then gas reservoir 3 is again 
connected with the container and, since the gas pressure in the container 
has increased to a value higher than that existing in said reservoir 3, a 
return or release of gas is carried out; then soda enters again, and so 
on, until the surface of soda level reaches approximately the same height 
of the free end of the vent tube 28 of the container 20, in the filling 
position, said filling operation thus being completed. 
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, each selector 8 is illustrated 
comprising a cylindrical, horizontal stem 12, rotary around its axis, 
provided with two traverse and oblique orifices 13 and 14 which may be 
selectively aligned with orifices communicating with the bottom of each of 
the reservoirs 3 and 4. A lever arm 9 secured to the stem 12 has at its 
end a rotary roller 9A which bears on an upper and variable level cam 11. 
Different heights of the cam 11 cause rotation of stem 12. 
Further, said stem 12 rotating in the interior of selector 8, has its 
traverse orifices intercalated between corresponding ports 15 and 16, 
internal, of said body 8, which are oblique and extend from reservoirs 3 
and 4, as shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and 8, to the interior of filling valve 
40. 
The assembly formed by reservoirs 3 and 4, selectors 8, filling valves 40, 
swivel supports 34 and rollers 38 and 42 rotates around the fixed body 18, 
preferably taking advantage of the cams and guides of conventional filling 
machines above described. Therefore, the upper flat plate 18' of the 
stationary body 18 supports variable level cam 11, also stationary, while 
the rotating portion of the machine 50 is used to concentrically rotate 
said elements 3, 4, 8, 40, 34, 38 and 44 around the lower cylindrical body 
18, using to this end the intermediate rotating flat plate 51 which at its 
circumferential edge holds supports 52 carrying the containers along their 
circumferential path of travel, along with the inverting elements, etc. 
Rotation of said body 50, which is also known in machines of this kind, may 
be carried out by means of the lower electrical motor drive 54, a belt or 
chain drive 53, a speed reducer 55 and a known transmission of pinion and 
crown in oil bath 56 and 57 which is secured to the inner cylindrical wall 
50 of the machine. 
The optional alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 6 uses an offset, instead 
of a variable level cam 11, with variable flange with respect to the 
stationary part 19' of the machine, in order that roller 9A will bear 
laterally on cam 11 and, by means of an opposing spring 9B, effect 
longitudinal displacement in the interior of selector 8 of a piston 12, 
leaving free passage through holes 15 or 16. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 7, rotary body 12 of selector 8 is tapered. In 
this Figure, a diagram of the inner valve element of filling valve 40 of a 
conventional type may be also seen. 
FIG. 8 shows diametral directions of the holes passing through rotor 12 of 
the selector 8, in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. 
Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, alternative schemes are depicted in which 
the elongated intermediate reservoirs 3 and 4 are separated by a 
horizontal divider 2, as shown in schemes A to D of FIG. 9. The supply of 
gas and soda is provided to the filling machines as shown in FIG. 4, 
directly through vertical or horizontal conduits 6 and 7 shown in schemes 
B and C of said FIG. 9. Short outlet conduits 15' and 16' shown in Scheme 
D are equivalent to ports 15 and 16 of previous examples. 
Sequential operation in the case of separated horizontal reservoirs 3, 4, 
may be carried out in accordance with the invention using similar or the 
like elements to that of the previous examples. Horizontal intermediate 
divider 2 allows the use of filling elements which, in turn, act as 
selectors, since they function based on inverted displacement of the 
receiving containers 20 with its ejector nozzle 24 directed upwards, as 
shown in schemes E, F, and G of FIG. 10. Scheme E corresponds to a 
position of free transfer of gas contained in the reservoir 3 to the 
container 20 through its ejector nozzle 24; scheme F shows soda transfer 
to the same container from reservoir 4, while in scheme G, the closed 
position for both reservoirs is shown. 
Filling valve 40 of this vertical displacement alternative, may be 
selectively controlled by a variable level guide or the like used in 
rotary machines of this kind, vertically moving in the vertical conduit 
41, which is preferably cylindrical and passes through both reservoirs 3 
and 4 in its central zone or other convenient region, there being 
corresponding holes in said conduit in order that soda or gas may pass to 
the valve. References 43A and 43B indicate relative vertical displacements 
carried out by each container 20, along with valve 40. 
When carrying out the rotary filling machine of the invention, 
modifications and/or improvements may be introduced, all of which are to 
be considered within the scope of the invention, which is only limited by 
the spirit of the appended claims.