A batch sterilization system is disclosed having a plurality of retorts mounted on at least one indexable turret which sequentially and simultaneously indexes one retort with a loader for receiving containers to be sterilized, while a second retort with sterilized containers therein is indexed with an unloader for unloading. A second embodiment includes a pair of loader/unloaders for loading and unloading a first product in first retorts and a second product in the other retorts.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
The present invention is similar to my application entitled Batch 
Sterilization System, Ser. No. 07/346,443 filed on Apr. 24, 1989. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention pertains to sterilizing systems and more particularly 
relates to a plurality of batch type retorts mounted on an indexable 
turret for simultaneously moving one retort into position to receive 
container filled cars to be sterilized from a loader, and to 
simultaneously discharge sterilized containers from a second retort into 
an unloader. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Batch type sterilizers or retorts such as that disclosed in Mencacci U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,164,590 are well known in the art and are adapted to receive 
and discharge a plurality of containers within supporting cars through a 
door at one end of each retort. 
A continuous pressure cooker and cooler is disclosed in Mencacci U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,196,225 and illustrates container filled cars or carts which are 
moved from one end to the other end of a continuous cooker and cooler 
while cooking and thereafter cooling containers being processed. 
Commercially available batch type sterilizers such as FMC Model CFS are 
also used for sterilizing food products in cans, jars, pouches, plastic 
trays and other product filled containers. 
European Patent Application Publication No. 0075531 discloses a sterilizing 
system which includes means for filling and sealing articles in 
containers, loading trays with the sealed articles therein into stacks, 
and then conveying the stacks through a sterilizer and thereafter removing 
the sterilized containers with the aid of a conveying system. 
Conventional container receiving cars, loaders, unloaders, and car 
conveying means are disclosed in Creed et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,629. 
Piegza U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,257 discloses the use of water as a heating 
medium in retorts and the use of power means for opening and closing 
retort doors. 
Certain faults are present in the sterilizing industry primarily due to 
demand for more and more containers to be sterilized. An increase in the 
use of sterilized food products or the like indicates that sterilization 
systems should be designed to conserve space and also be automated. 
Although the containers have usually been loaded and unloaded from cars 
automatically, at the present time the cars are usually transported 
between these loaders/unloaders and the retorts by fork lifts or 
automatically guided vehicles. As the prior art sterilization system 
becomes bigger, this transport function becomes quite complex and labor 
intensive. It also becomes difficult to keep track of sterilized and 
unsterilized containers in the plurality of cars after they have been 
removed from present prior art systems. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, the above faults are rectified by 
mounting a plurality of radially disposed retorts on an indexable, 
rotatable turret that is indexed in alignment with conventional loaders 
and unloaders. Water, steam, air, hydraulic fluid, and electrical services 
are connected to the retorts through rotary couplings concentric with the 
axis of rotation of the turret. The retorts are arranged so that adjacent 
retorts will simultaneously index with adjacent loaders and unloaders when 
held stationary. If batches of containers have two or more products which 
require different processing temperatures and pressures are being 
sterilized in the retort, two or more loader/unloaders are provided to 
feed different products into different retorts supported on the turret. 
This permits processing two different products at the same time and at 
different temperatures and pressures without danger of mixing the two 
products together.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A first embodiment of the turret sterilizer 20 (FIGS. 1-3) of the present 
invention includes a plurality of equally spaced retorts 22 mounted on an 
indexable turret 24 supported by bearings 26 (FIG. 3) on a floor 28 and 
driven by a motor M and drive train 29. Each retort 22 includes a tubular 
body having its inner end closed by an end closure 30 and having an outer 
end which is adapted to be opened or closed by a door 32 which is actuated 
by a hydraulic cylinder 34. A conventional loader L is provided to load 
containers CT into cars C; and a conventional unloader UL is provided to 
unload processed containers CT from the cars C. 
The conventional loader L, unloader UL, trays T, and cars C may be of the 
type illustrated by Assignee's Creed et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,722 which 
issued on Nov. 19, 1987. 
The loader L (FIG. 2) receives trays T of containers CT to be loaded into 
empty cars C. After the cars are loaded the cars are conveyed into one of 
the open retorts 22 at a feed station by a screw conveyor 35 which engages 
a set of pins 36 on opposite sides of each car C (only one set of pins 
being shown in FIG. 2). A gear motor 38 drives the screw conveyor 35 and 
first advances the filled trays T into position to be loaded into the cars 
C. After the cars C are loaded, they are advanced along a V-shaped track 
40 and a flat track 42 into the open retort 22. Similar driven screw 
conveyors (not shown) are positioned in each retort 22 for moving the cars 
along tracks 44,46 into the retort 22. Thereafter an open door 32 on the 
retort 22 is closed by a hydraulic cylinder 34. 
When one retort 22 is being loaded, another retort is being unloaded by a 
driven screw conveyor (not shown) similar to the screw conveyor 35. Each 
car C is intermittently moved onto a cart 56 which is connected to a 
hydraulic cylinder 58 which moves the car C into position to have a set of 
pins 36 mesh with a screw conveyor 60 which is driven by a gear motor 62. 
The gear motor 62 intermittently advances the car C into the unloader UL 
at which time the processed containers CT are removed from the car C and 
the empty cars are moved onto a cart 64 that is alternately moved by a 
hydraulic cylinder 66 from a receiving position adjacent the unloader UL 
to a position adjacent the loader L, and thereafter repeats the cycle. 
Steam, air and water are controllably directed into the several retorts 22 
at predetermined time intervals. The different components of the turret 
sterilizer 20 are preferably controlled by the computer CP or programmable 
controller with the aid of conventional sensors and controls. 
More particularly, steam may be directed into the several retorts 22 from a 
source of steam (not shown) through a swivel joint 76 (FIG. 3), through 
on-off valves 78 and temperature control valves 80 under the control of 
the computer CP. The computer closes the on-off valve 78 when the retort 
gates 32 are opened to receive or discharge container filled cars; and 
also closes the valves 78 and gates 32 when the retorts are in their 
cooling cycles. When the containers are in their sterilizing cycle, the 
on-off valves 78 are opened and the temperature controlled valves 80 are 
controlled by the computer CP to first control the gradual rise in 
temperature, to then retain the steam at sterilizing temperature during 
cooking, and will thereafter gradually decrease the flow of steam into the 
retorts 22 prior to cooling at which time the on-off valves are closed. 
During sterilization and initial cooling, it may be desirable to use a 
steam-air mixture rather than saturated steam as the heating medium 
depending upon the type of containers CT being used, for example, plastic 
or glass containers, and the product within the containers. A high 
pressure source of air is directed through a swivel joint 84 through air 
conduit systems 86 (only two being shown), each having an on-off air valve 
88 and a pressure control valve 90 therein. When air is used, the on-off 
air valve 88 is open during sterilization and may remain open during 
cooling until the pressure within the containers being processed is below 
atmospheric pressure. The on-off air valve 88 and the pressure control 
valve 90 are controlled by the computer CP and conventional electrical 
controls and sensors (not shown). It will also be understood that sprays 
of hot water followed by sprays of cooling water may be used as the 
heating and cooling mediums, and that air or steam/air mixtures can be 
used to provide an overriding pressure. 
Electrical energy is directed into the several electrically controlled 
components by a rotary electrical coupling 94 and conduits 96,98 which 
direct the electrical energy into the different controls, only two 
conductors being illustrated. 
After the contents of the containers have been sterilized, cooling water is 
directed into the closed retorts 22 from a source of water directed into a 
conduit 100 and controllable valve 102 through a swivel joint 104 into a 
plurality of headers 106, each of which directs cooling water through 
branch conduits 108 into associated retorts 22. Each header has a control 
valve 110 therein to regulate the volume of cooling water entering the 
retorts 22 and cars C therein. The cooling water is discharged from the 
retorts into a trough 112 through conduits 114 having control valve 116 
therein which are controlled by the computer to maintain the proper level 
of coolant in the cars C until the containers are adequately cooled. 
When it is desired to open and close the retort doors 32, hydraulic fluid 
is directed through a swivel joint 118 and directional control solenoid 
valve 120 which receives signals from the computer CP to direct hydraulic 
fluid into the cylinders 34 to open and close the doors when in alignment 
with the two retorts 22 indexed with the loader L and unloader UL (FIG. 
2). 
Having reference to FIG. 4, which diagrammatically illustrates a sterilizer 
20a which is capable of sterilizing two different products which may 
require different temperatures and pressures. Since the turret sterilizer 
20a includes components similar to that of the first embodiment of the 
invention, the components of the turret sterilizer 20a which are 
equivalent to those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same 
numerals followed by the letter "a". 
The turret sterilizer 20a includes a plurality of rotorts R1-R8, each 
having a door 32a mounted on an indexable turret 24a. As illustrated in 
FIG. 4, a first loader/unloader 156 is similar to that illustrated in 
FIGS. 1 and 2, but is provided to sterilize first containers CTa which are 
fed into rotorts R1, R2, and R5, R6 when at station A and are discharged 
from said retorts when at station H. A second loader/unloader 158 is 
provided to handle second containers CTa' filled with a different product 
which may or may not require different sterilizing temperatures and 
pressures. The second product is loaded into and unloaded from retorts R3, 
R4 and R7, R8, respectively. The loading of containers CTa' takes place at 
station C, and the sterilized containers CTa' are discharged at station B. 
When starting the sterilization operation it will be assumed that all 
retorts R1-R8 are empty and that the retort door 32a at inlet stations A 
and C are open. A plurality of cars Ca filled with a first batch of 
containers CTa are then conveyed into retort R1 at station A and the 
retort door 32a of retort R1 is closed and a sterilizing medium such as 
hot water, steam, or a steam-air mixture is directed into retort R1 
through circuits similar to those illustrated in FIG. 3. Sterilization and 
thereafter cooling of the containers in retort R1 continues until retort 
R1 is indexed to station H at which time door 32a is opened and the 
processed containers Ca are discharged into the unloader ULa. 
At the same time that retort R1 is being loaded at Station A, a plurality 
of containers CTa' in cars Ca' are conveyed into retort R7 at station C, 
and the associated door is closed, at which time sterilization of the 
containers CTa' begins. 
The turret 24a is then indexed one step in the direction of the arrow 
thereby positioning empty retort R2 at station A for receiving cars Ca 
filled with containers CTa. The associated door 32a is then closed and 
sterilization followed by cooling will then occur in retort R2. At the 
same time empty retort R8 is indexed at station C and recovers cars Ca' 
filled with said second batch of containers CTa'. The associated retort 
door 32a is then closed permitting sterilization and thereafter cooling of 
the second batch of containers CTa' before subsequent discharge at station 
B. 
Thus, the single step indexing of turret 24a sequentially fills retorts R1, 
R2,-R5, R6 with the first product at station A and subsequently discharges 
the first product at station H. Similarly, indexing of the turret 
sequentially fills retorts R7, R8 and R3, R4 at station C with containers 
CTa' filled with a second product to be sterilized at station C and 
subsequently discharges the sterilized and cooled second product at 
station B. 
Thus, after all retorts R1-R8 have been initially filled with their 
associated products CTa or CTa', each indexing movement of the turret 24a 
will move retorts handling containers CTa into station H to discharge cars 
Ca with the sterilized and cooled containers CTa therein, and to receive 
cars Ca filled with containers CTa to be sterilized at station A. At the 
same time the second cars CA' with the second containers CTa' to be 
sterilized therein are loaded into the retort at station C, and the 
sterilized containers CTa' are discharged at station B. Thus, 
sterilization and subsequent cooling of the containers CTa and CTa' takes 
place during all indexing movements except during one indexing movement of 
the turret. With eight retorts on the turret as illustrated in FIG. 4, 
sterilizing followed by cooling occurs during 315.degree. of rotation of 
the turret. 
As in the first embodiment of the invention, the heating medium may be 
steam, a steam/air mixture, or sprays of hot water may be used as the 
heating medium. Air or a steam/air mixture can be used to provide the 
necessary overriding pressure to prevent damage to the containers. 
A computer CPa and circuitry similar to that disclosed in FIG. 3 of the 
first embodiment controls the movement of the turret 24a and processing 
fluids and times. 
From the foregoing description it is apparent that the turret sterilizers 
of the present invention are capable of minimizing floor space by using a 
plurality of retorts mounted at evenly spaced intervals on an indexable 
turret. Cars containing the containers to be sterilized are moved into the 
retorts by conveying systems. A heating medium such as hot water, steam, 
or a steam-air mixture is directed into the retorts and may be subjected 
to an overriding air pressure during sterilization for controlling the 
pressure within the retorts and within the contents of the containers. The 
containers are then cooled by flooding or spraying cooling water thereon 
prior to the discharging of the containers from the retorts, and the 
processed containers are thereafter removed from the cars. In the second 
embodiment of the invention two different products may be sterilized in 
different retorts on the turret sterilizer. If a very large volume of 
containers, or two or more types of products are to be sterilized, two or 
more turret sterilizers may be mounted above each other on different 
floors so that the most desirable cooking times, pressures, and 
temperatures can be used for sterilizing each product. 
Although the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention 
has been herein shown and described, it will be apparent that modification 
and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be 
the subject matter of the invention.