Abstract:
A method of filling a flexible pouch having a base and sidewalls extending from the base to define a mouth. The method composing the steps of delivering the pouches to an infeed conveyor ( 28 ) to a predetermined orientation and transporting the pouches in a controlled manner toward a filler station (D,E,F), and transferring the pouches from the infeed conveyor to a transport conveyor ( 90 ) in which the pouch is gripped adjacent to the mouth as to be suspended from the transport conveyor. Opening the mouth of the pouch to permit filling at the filling station passing the pouches through the filler station, closing the mouth and sealing the mouth prior to release from the transport conveyor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to packaging systems and their method of use.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     There are a wide variety ofpackaging machines available. The fimntion of most machines is dictated by the container and the product to be packaged in the container. A particular form of container that is becoming more popular is the flexible stand up pouch. The pouches are conocuneous with a peripheral wall extending from a circular or elliptical base to an elongate opening. These pouches are self-supporting but have a degree of flexibility that facilities the packaging of items and the by consumers.  
         [0003]     Existing systems utilizing external pouch formers must accumulate pouches and then manually transfer them into a filling and sealing machine. This results in speed, quality, cost, space and operation problems. The pouches are filled through the elongate opening and subsequently sealed. They therefore need to be filled in an upright position, which requires a degree of control to be used on the pouches. Existing systems—used to fill such pouches tend to be slow, inefficient and inflexible due to the lack of control exercised on the pouches, their basic design and the drive systems utilized. In particular, where the contents are fluids, the transport of the pouch must be accomplished without spillage or splashes on the top heat seal area.  
         [0004]     Prior art in-line machines are intermittent in operation, thereby causing difficulties with fluids in pouches resulting in quality problems such as poor top seals. The intermittent motion of these machines makes it difficult to fill at high speeds (over 200 pouches/minute) for any type of product including solids and liquids of all types. Moreover, fitments are frequently included in the pouch to assist in using and resealing the contents. These fitments must be inserted in a controlled and efficient manner. Existing systems either use a slow three-step manual transfer operation or they operate their filler/sealer at a very slow speed.  
         [0005]     Some machines utilize a circular arrangement for filling but this complicates the addition and removal of pouches. Circular machines are also limited in their versatility of products and pouch sizes and are not adaptable to multiple line operations.  
         [0006]     In general, existing systems do not seek to maintain control of the product from basic toll stock to the finied shipping unit in a manner that faciUtates an integrated production and dispatch of filled pouches.  
         [0007]     It is therefore an object to the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantages. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art container in the form of a pouch.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  of a pouch with a fitment.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of the overall arrangement of a packaging system used to fill the pouches of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of a portion of the machine shown in  FIG. 3  in greater detail.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a view on the line V-V of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a view on the line VI-VI of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of a conveyor using the machine shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side elevation of the conveyor shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a component used in the conveyor shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a representation of the progress of the pouches of  FIG. 1  through the filling  28  station on the machine of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is a schematic representation in greater detail of the passage of a pouch through apparatus shown in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  is a side elevation showing in greater detail the successive steps in opening the pouch in  FIG. 11   
         [0021]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the mechanism used to perform the successive steps of  FIG. 12 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 13  of an alternative embodiment  
         [0023]      FIG. 15  is a perspective end view of the alternative embodiment of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 16  is an exploded perspective view of a clip shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view from beneath the clip of  FIG. 15 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 18  is a rear view showing the operation of the clip of  FIG. 15 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 19  is a plan view of the clip shown in  FIG. 15 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 20  is a schematic representation of a filler circuit.  
         [0029]      FIG. 21  is a front perspective view of a pump assembly used in the circuit of  FIG. 20 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 22  is a section oni the line XXII-XXII of  FIG. 21 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 23  is a perspective view of a fitment placing stage that may be incorporated in the packaging system of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 24  is a side view of a portion of the device shown in  FIG. 23 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 25  is a perspective view of the fitment placing stage shown in  FIG. 24 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 26  is a schematic representation of a conveyor transfer station and cooler in-feed.  
         [0035]      FIG. 27  is a perspective view of a portion of the cooler/dryer transport chain used in the pouch transfer and cooler in-feed station of  FIG. 26 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 28  is a perspective view of a clip used on the conveyor of  FIG. 27 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 29  shows the conveyor chain connection to the clips of  FIG. 28 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 30  is a portion of the interior of the cooler.  
         [0039]      FIG. 31  is a perspective view of an integrity checking station used in the system shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 32  is a perspective view of a component used in the station of  FIG. 31 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 33  is a schematic representation similar to  FIG. 4  of an alternative arrangement of pouch feed.  
         [0042]      FIG. 34  is a view similar to  FIG. 33  of a further alternative.  
         [0043]      FIG. 35  is a view similar to  FIG. 33  of a yet further alternanve. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0044]     Refering therefore to  FIG. 1 , a container  10 , known in the prior art as a flexible stand up pouch, includes a peripheral wall  12  and a base  14 . The wall  12  and base  14  are formed from a flexible plastics material with indicia printed on the outside to identify the product within the container. The wall  12  terminates in a mouth  16 , which can be sealed after filling to provide an enclosed package. As shown in  FIG. 2 , additional items referred to as fitments  250 , such as spouts or resealable closures, may be incorporated into the wall  12  either during or after initial manufacture of the container  10 . The container  10  is of known construction and it will be understood that alternate forms of container may be used with the apparatus and process described below. The pouch  10  is filled using the packaging system  18 .  
         [0045]     The general arrangement of the packaging system  18  is shown in  FIG. 3  and includes a pair of pouch makers  19 ,  20  each of which will manufacturer the containers  10  from feedstock in a well-known manner. The containers  10  are manufactured within each of the pouch makers  19 ,  20  in pairs, two pairs at a time and are delivered four at a time on to discharge conveyors  21 ,  22 . These discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  deliver the pouches via vision scamning and alignment system  23 ,  24  to a tnansfer station  26 . Transfer station  26  moves the pouches from either of the discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  to a filler/sealer in-feed conveyor  28 . The filler/sealer in-feed conveyor feeds the pouches  10  from the robotic transfer station  26  through four parallel paths, to the filler/sealer  30 , where vacuum swing amis insert the pouches  10  into clips carried on a transport chain of the filler/sealer  30 . The filler/sealer  30  moves the pouches along path  31  in  4  lanes through a sequence of pouch opening, filling, fitment insertion, heat-sealing, and seal cooling stations. The filler/sealer  30  is connected to the positive displacement filling system  32  and an optional fitment insertion unit  34 , where additional items, such as spouts, may be fitted to the containers  10 . After passing through the insertion unit  34 , the filled and sealed pouch is passed through a water cooler  36  and in-line inspection and straw feeder station  38  to a cartoning and casing station  40 .  
         [0046]     It will be appreciated that the combination of units used with a particular container will very according to the product to be packaged and the maner in which it is packaged. For example, a cooling unit  36  may not be required and a straw feeder  38  will not be required unless the product is a drink product. Similarly, the particular form of pouch maker  19  may vary wotj different numbers of lanes per machine, eg. 1 or 2 machines and 2 or 4 lanes per machine. Control of the movement of the pouches through the system  18  is controlled by a computer-based controller  42  operating through servo actuators on the components of the system. The controller  42  receives control signals from monitors along the path  31  and provides control signals to the motors to maintain the components in synchronism as will be described more fully when the fimotionality of the system  18  has been explained.  
         [0047]     The details of the discharge conveyors  21 ,  22 , vision scanning and alignment systems  23 ,  24 , transfer station  26  and the filler/sealer in-feed conveyor  28  are better shown in  FIG. 4 . The discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  include four parallel lanes  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  associated with each of the pouch makers  19 ,  20 . It will be appreciated that each of the pouch makers discharge conveyors and vision scanning and alignment systems is essentially identical and therefore the operation of only one of the pouch makers and associated conveyor and systems will be described in detail. Each of the discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  are designed to receive the pouches  10  from the pouch makers  19 ,  20  and pass them through an alignment station having vision scanning and alignment systems  23 ,  24 . The vision scanning and alignment systems  23 ,  24  ensure the pouches are aligned and placed into the buckets  58  at proper alignment tolerances. The scanning and alignment system  23  includes a camera  25  or laser scanner that determines the position and station of each pouch relative to a preferred orientation. The error is communicated to a robotic arm  27  that adjusts the position of the pouch  10 . Typically, a tolerance of ±  1 / 8 ″ along each edge of the pouch is acceptable.  
         [0048]     The bucket  58  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 5  and includes a peripheral frame  60 . Fingers  62 ,  64  extend outwardly and downwardly from a pair of opposed sides of the frne  60  to support the pouch  10 . The ends of the fingers  64  are arranged to be lower than that of the fingers  62  so that the pouch  10  is supported on an inclined plane and biased into abutment with a central partition  66 .  
         [0049]     The pouch macer  19 ,  20  produces the pouches in two pairs that are allochiral so that the mouths  16  are adjacent one another and the bases  14  remote from one another. Accordingly, the fames  60  on opposite sides of the partition  66  are likewise allochiral causing the pouches  10  to abut the common partition  66 . The downwardly inclined plane defined by the fingers  62 , 64  and the abutment against the partition  66  ensures that the pouches  10  are oriented in a preferred position in each of the buckets  58 .  
         [0050]     The buckets  58  are advanced along the discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  as the pouches are produced by the pouch makers  19 ,  20  to the transfer station  26  which serves as a collection zone to accumulate pouches. Arrival at the transfer station is monitored by a vision system  68  ( FIG. 4 ) that determines that at least 4 rows of filled buckets  58  are accumulated before transfer can be effected.  
         [0051]     The vision system  68  also interfaces with the controller  42  to determine which of the discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  should be accessed by the transfer station  26  to complete the transfer process.  
         [0052]     The transfer station  26  includes a robotic device having 2 sets of robotic arms  70  arranged in a 4 by 4 grid and supported by a floor-mounted frame  72 . Multiple arms  70  may be arranged in series and larger grids, eg. 4×5, may be utilised to increase the throughput. The multiple axial robotic swing arms  70  are moveable relative to the discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  in a fore and aft direction as indicated by the arrow X and in a lateral direction as indicated by the arrow Y. The robotic arm assemblies  70  are each individually controllable and have the required movement to be able to move the pouches  10  from the buckets  58  on intermittent motion discharge conveyors  21 ,  22  to the continuous motion filler/sealer in-feed conveyor  28 . As may be seen from  FIG. 6 , each of the robotic arm assemblies  70  has multiple axial arms  74  that articulated to provide the necessary movement in a horizontal and vertical plane. An actuator  75  is mounted on the swing arm  74  and may extend vertically toward and away from the buckets  58 . Each of the actuators has a head  76  that carries a suction pad that is engagable with the pouch  10  to secure it to the arm assembly for transfer.  
         [0053]     The arm assembly  70  also provides for rotation of the head  76  about a vertical axis. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the height of the head  76  may be individually adjusted by the actuator  75  so that after picking up the pouches  10  they may be staggered in a vertical direction during transfer. A pair of the heads  76  in each row of four are then rotated through 180° to move the pouches into an orientation with both pair of pouches having their mouths facing away from the centre for depositing into buckets  80  on the conveyor  28 .  
         [0054]     The filler/sealer in-feed conveyor  28  is also arranged in four lanes with a set of containers in the form of buckets  80  arranged along the lanes. The buckets  80  can be seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8  and include an open frame  82  supporting fingers  84 , 86  to maintain the pouches  10  in a predetermined orientation. The fingers  84 ,  86  are arranged in a similar manner to the fingers  62 ,  64  so that the pouch  10  is biased toward the end wall  88  of the respective frame  82 .  
         [0055]     The buckets  80  are advanced on the filler/sealer in-feed conveyor  28  in a controlled continuous manner by servomotors controlled by the controller  42 . The buckets  80  are advanced to the filler/sealer  30  shown schematically in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . It will be appreciated that each lane is similar and therefore only one will be described in detail. Similar operations are undertaken in parallel in the other lanes as the pouches advance.  
         [0056]     The fill filling/sealing unit  30  has a number of different stations arranged sequentially along path  31 . The pouches  10  are advanced in continuous motion and are dressed in sets of 3 through each station. Movement of the pouches through the filler/sealer  30  sealing units is controlled by a transport conveyor  90 . The transport conveyor  90  includes a drive chain  92  that carries clip assemblies  94  and is driven in a continuous manner by a servomotor, not shown, under the control of controller  42 . The clip assemblies  94  are arranged in pairs and maintained at a nominal spacing corresponding to the spacing between the buckets  80  on the conveyor  28  and act as retainers to grip the pouch  
         [0057]     One embodiment of the clip assemblies  94  is shown in  FIG. 13  and includes a stationary clip  96  and a sliding clip  98 . Each of the clips  96 ,  98  is supported by hangers  100  depending from the chain  92 .  
         [0058]     The clip  96  has a pair of jaws  102 ,  104 . The jaw  104  is attached to the hangers  100  and the jaw  102  is moveable in a direction transverse to the movement of the chain  92  between open and closed positions. The jaw  102  is secured to the jaw  104  by a pin  106  that is slidably received in the jaw  104  and biased to a closed position by a spring  108 . The pin  106  has a head  110  that can be engaged by actuating cam  107  at selected positions to overcome the bias of the spring  108  as will be explained below.  
         [0059]     The clip  98  is similar to the clip  96  having a pair ofjaws  112 ,  114 . The jaw  112  is guided for movement between open and closed positions by a pin  116 . A spring  118  biases the jaws  112 ,  114  to a closed position and a head  120  is provided for co-operation with an actuator to open the jaws. The jaws  112 ,  114  are moveable as a unit longitudinally relative to the hangers  100 . To accomplish this jaw  114  is slidably mounted on a rod  122  and biased away from the clip  96  by a spring  124 . Movement of the jaw  114  along the rod  122  is controlled by a cam follower  126  connected to the jaw  114  at a pin  128 . The cam follower  126  has a fulcrum  130  supported on the chain  92  and a cam lobe  132  for engagement with a set of cam bars  134  disposed through the filler/sealer  30  as will be described in more detail below. Engagement of the follower  126  with the cam bar  134  effects longitudinal movement on the rod  122  and thereby moves the clip  98  in the direction of movement of chain  92  toward the clip  96 .  
         [0060]     The passage of the pouch through the filler/sealer  30  is shown in greater detail in FIGS.  10  to  12 . Transfer of the pouches  10  from the buckets  80  to the clip assemblies  94  is accomplished by swing arm  140  associated with each of the buckets  80  as part of the filler/sealer in-feed conveyor  28 . These swing arms elevate the pouches  10  from a horizontal position to a vertical position and place the pouches  10  into the filler/sealer  30 &#39;s chain clips  96 , 98  shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , at filler sealer  30  station A. As can best be seen in  FIG. 9  the swing arms  140  include a vacuum pad  142  secured to one end of a telescopic arm  144  and selectively connected to a vacuum source as it moves with the conveyor  28 . For example, the shaft  145  maybe ported to a vacuum manifold so that as it rotates, the pad  142  is connected to the manifold and the pouch subjected to the suction. The arm  144  is mounted upon a shaft  145  rotatable about a horizontal axis so that it may move from a horizontal to a vertical position. Movement of the arms  144  is controlled by a stationary cam located under the arms  144  in the filler/sealer in-feed conveyor as the buckets  80  arrive under station A of filler sealer  30 . The continuous motion in-feed conveyor  28  and the continuous motion filler/sealer carrier chain must be aligned and moving at the same speed to allow for the pouch transfer from the discharge conveyor buckets  80  to the carrier chain clips  94 . The action is accomplished by controller  42  synchronizing the linear servo motor drives of each conveyor and ensuring proper alignment.  
         [0061]     Cam bar  107  associated with each of the clips  96 ,  98 , is configured at the station A so that the heads  110 ,  120  are automatically actuated by the movement of the conveyor chain  90  to overcome the bias of the springs  108 ,  118  and open the clips  96 ,  98 . After the arm  140  has been moved to a vertical position, the arm  144  is extended to move the edges of the pouch  10  between the jaws  102 - 104 ,  112 - 114  of the clips  96 ,  98  respectively as shown in chain dot lines in  FIG. 13 . The cam bar  107  is profiled to release the heads  110 ,  120  and allow the jaws  102 ,  104 ,  112 ,  114  to move to a closed position and grip the pouch  10  at its edges as the chain advances. Once the jaws are closed, the vacuum is released from the pad  142  and the arms  140  retracted and returned to the horizontal position below the buckets  80 .  
         [0062]     With the arms retracted, the filler/sealer in-feed conveyor  28  returns buckets  80  and associated arms  140  to the transfer station and chain  92  carries the pouches  10  to the second station within the filling/sealing unit  30 . As tbe chain  92  is advanced to the second station B, the cam lobe  132  engages with the cam bar  134  and slides the jaw  114  along the rod  122 . At the same time the oppositely directed flanks of the pouch  10  are engaged by suction cups  145  ( FIG. 11 ) causing the mouth  16  of the pouch  10  to open to present an unencumbered interior of the pouch  10 .  
         [0063]     The cam bar  134  extends to the next station, station C, and so holds the mouth of the pouch  10  open. At this station, an air blast is provided to inflate the pouch  10  to ensure that the walls are separated.  
         [0064]     Movement of the sets of pouches  10  continues through a set of fill stations D, E, and F, each of which may be used to add an additional component to the pouch  10  or to supplement the contents already in the pouch  10 . In the next station G fitments are added if required. During movements through these stations, the cam bar  134  engages the lobe  132  to maintain the clips  96 ,  98  toward one another and ensure the mouth  16  remains open. The cam bar  134  terminates at the end of the fitment insertion station G, and the springs  124  slide the jaws  112 ,  114  along the rod  122  return the clips  96 ,  98  to their original spaced position. The increase in the spacing of the clips  96 ,  98  cause the mouth  16  to close ready for scaling.  
         [0065]     Before describing the subsequent stages of fitment insertion and sealing, an alternative embodiment of clip to that shown in  FIG. 13  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 14 through 19  in which like references will be used to identify like components with the suffix a added for clarity. in the embodiment shown in FIGS.  14  to  19  the clips  96   a ,  98   a  are integrated into a single unit and each is movable relative to the chain  92   a  to effect opening of the pouch  10   a . As can be seen from  FIG. 15 , the chain  92   a  is supported in a housing  400 . A wall  402  of the housing  400  carries the cam bars  134   a . A hanger  100   a  projects laterally from the chain  92   a  and provides support for the movable components of the clip  98   a . The hanger  100   a  extends downwardly to engage in a channel  404  located on the underside of the housing  400 . The channel provides stability for the clip  98   a  when loaded by the pouch  10   a.    
         [0066]     As can best be seen in  FIGS. 16 through 19 , the clip  98   a  includes a pair of jaws  112   a ,  114   a . The jaws  114   a  have a pair of pins  406  that slide in slots  408  provided in the front face of hanger  100   a . The jaw  112   a  is pivotally connected to jaw  114   a  by a pin  410  and is connected to an enlarged head  412  of actuating rod  116   a . The connection of the jaw  112   a  to the head  412  is through a pin and a slot  414 .  
         [0067]     The rod  116   a  carries a roller  118   a  at its inner end for engagement with the cam tracks  107   a  and is slidably supported for movement transverse to the direction of movement of the chain  92   a  in a housing  414 . The housing  414  is rotatably supported on the hanger  100   a  and has an actuating arm  126   a  that carries a roller  132   a  for engagement with the cam bars  134   a . The housing  414  is connected to the pins  406  of jaws  114   a  by a pair of links  416  pivotally connected to the pins  406  and the housing  414 . A torsion spring  124   a  is located within the housing to bias the housing  414  to the position shown in  FIG. 18 .  
         [0068]     In operation, with the rod  118   a  retracted, the jaws  114   a ,  112   a  are open and the pins  406  are at one limit of travel in the slots  408  to move the jaws  114   a  toward one another. Upon engagement of the roller  118   a  with the cam track  134   a , the rod  116   a  is extended relative to the hanger  100   a  to cause pivotal movement of the jaw  112   a  toward the jaws  114   a . The jaws  112   a ,  114   a  close about the edges of the pouch  10 , which is then gripped between the jaws.  
         [0069]     Upon engagement of the roller  132   a with the cam track  134   a , the housing  414  is rotated relative to the hanger  100   a  causing the pins  406  to slide along slots  408  and move the jaws  112   a ,  114   a  toward the centre line of the pouch  10   a . A similar movement is effected at the opposite edge of pouch  10   a  causing the mouth to open as described above.  
         [0070]     The cam bars  134   a  are profiled to achieve the same motion as described above with respect to the embodiments of  FIG. 13  and therefore do not need to be described further. It will be noted that the arrangements of  FIGS. 14 through 19  provide close coupling between the pouches  10  and a unitary construction for pairs of clips to provide enhanced compactness of the design.  
         [0071]     Returning to the processing of the pouch  10  through the system, where the contents of the pouch  10  are a fluid, the supply of fluid to the pouches  10  at stations D B E and F is preferably supplied through a closed loop system shown in  FIG. 20 . The fluid is stored in a batch holding tank  200  and delivered upon demand to a high temperature short time pasteuriser  202 . The pasteuriser supplies fluid at the requisite temperature through an outlet  204  to a header  206 . The header  206  delivers fluid under positive pressure to each of a number of conduits  208 , one for each pouch in which fluid is to be disposed, and returns surplus fluid through overflow line  210  to the tank  200 . The conduits  208  have a flexible wall to allow for pinch-seal intake and discharge valving.  
         [0072]     Control of fluid through each of the conduits  208  is provided by the positive displacement filler pump assembly  212  shown in  FIGS. 21 , and  22 . The pump assembly  32  is mounted on a support plate  213  which in turn is fixed to the framework of the filler/sealer unit  30 . Each of the filler pump assembly  32  includes a pump  214  to transfer fluid from the conduit  208  to a supply line  216  that is attached to a filling nozzle that is disposed in the mouth of a respective pouch  10 . The supply line  216  is flexible so the filling nozzles can follow the movement of the pouch  10  on the conveyor  92  as it is filled and subsequently be returned to an initial position. Movement is effected by a linear actuator controlled by said controller  42 . The pump  214  includes a cylinder  218  having an inlet port  220  and an outlet port  222 . A piston  224  defines a chamber  225  within the cylinder  218  and reciprocates under the control of a linear servomotor  226 . The servomotor  226  under the control of the controller  42  drives the piston  224  in proportion to the line speed and the volume to be dispensed to vary the fill rate of pouch  10 .  
         [0073]     Flow through the pors  220 ,  222  is controlled by a pair of valves  228 ,  230  that operate on the conduit  208  and supply line  216  respectively. Each of the valves  228 ,  230  has a body  232 , which is supported on the plate  213  by pins  233 . The body  232  has a bore  234  through which the conduit  208  or supply line  216  passes. A plunger  236  is mounted in a slide  238  formed in the body  232  to intersect the bore  234  The head of the plunger engages the wall of the conduit  208  or supply line  216  and the opposite end is engaged by actuating plates  238 ,  240  respectively. The plates  238 ,  240  are controlled by synchronism with the servo motor  226  to open and close valves  228 ,  230  and induce fluid in to the chamber  225  from the conduit  208  as the chamber expands and expel fluid from the chamber  225  to supply line  216  as it contracts. Reciprocation of the piston  224  continues until the required volume of fluid is dispensed, at which time the mouth of the pouch  10  is closed.  
         [0074]     After the filling at station F is complete the pouches move to station G. As noted above, the profile of the cam  134  at the end of station G allows the cam follower  126  to pivot about its fulcrum  130  and move the clip  98  away from the clip  96 . The spacing between the clips  96 ,  98  thus increases, causing the mouth of the pouch to close. A preliminary top seal is applied by heated sealing plates  150  applied to the pouch adjacent the mouth  16 . The plates  150  move with the pouch  10  and contact the walls  12  long enough to effect a seal but not to melt the pouch. After the requisite time, the plates  150  are released and returned to a start of the station G to engage the next set of pouches  10 . The closure of the mouth  16  provides containment of the contents of the pouch  10  so that on subsequent movement of the pouches  10  to the next station the contents are less likely to spilL If fitments are to be used they are inserted at the beginning of station G as will be explained more fully below.  
         [0075]     With the plates  150  retracted and a tack seal applied, the chain  92  moves the set of pouches  10  to the next station H, where final top seal is made at the mouth  16  of the container  10  in a manner similar to that at station G. At the next station I the top seals are cooled by a cooling plates. Where a fitment is used, the plates  150  will be profiled to accommodate the fitment and ensure a seal around it  
         [0076]     The insertion of a fitment  250  into the pouch shown in  FIGS. 22 through 25  and operates in conjunction with the movement of the pouches through the station G. As shown in  FIGS. 23 through 25 , the fitment  250  is applied to the four lanes of pouches  10  in parallel with the fitment  250  being fed from a pair of vibrator hoppers  252 . (Only one hopper is shown in  FIG. 23  but it will be understood that a duplicate arrangement is utilised to fed the other pair of lanes.) The hoppers  252  deliver the fitment through slides  254  to a transfer mechanism  256 . The transfer mechanism  256  includes an inclined belt  264  convergent with the transport conveyor  90  and delivers the fitment  250  into the mouth of pouch  10  and then transfers the fitment to horizontal placement belt  258  positioned above the mouth of the pouches  10 . The placemen t belt  258  travels in unison and parallel with the pouches  10  holding the fitments  250  in the mouth of the pouch and releases them as the spacing between the clips  96 ,  98  increases and the preliminary tack seal is applied causing the mouth of the pouch  10  to close and hold the fitment  250 .  
         [0077]     The inclined transfer mechanism  256  includes a notched wheel  260  that rotates about a vertical axis adjacent the end of a respective slide  254 . The periphery of the wheel  260  has a series of notches  262  and as the notches pass the end of the slide  254  they receive a fitment  250  that is carried by the wheel to inclined belt  264 . The belt  264  is entrained about a pair of toothed pullies  266  that are maintained in synchronism with the wheel  260  by a timing belt  268 . The belt  264  has a carrier  270  on its outwardly directed surface that is configured to engage the fitment  250  in the notch  262  as the carrier  270  passes the periphery of the wheel  260 . The fitment  250  is thus transferred from the notch  262  to the carrier  270  and delivered by the inclined belt  264  and is progressively introduced into the mouth of the pouch and then transferred to the placement belt  258 . The belt  258  is aligned with the run of chain  92  so that the fitments  250  are held in place in to the mouth of the pouch  10 .  
         [0078]     The placement belt  258  is also a toothed belt driven in synchronism with the belt  266  through a gearbox  272  and motor  274 . The placement belt  258  has carriers  276 , similar to the carriers  270 , and configured to support the fitment along a lower horizontal run of the belt  258 . As can best be seen in  FIG. 25 , the carrier  276  provides continued support for the fitment  250  as the pouches are moved through the station and the clips  96 ,  98  spaced to close the mouth of the pouch around the fitment. A sealer (not shown) is then applied to the mouth of the pouch to secure the fitment and the carrier  276  releases the fitment and pouch for further processing.  
         [0079]     The pouches then move through successive stations to provide a final top seal, cooling of the pouch  10  and integrity check.  
         [0080]     As the pouch  10  moves through station J, the pouch  10  is transferred from the conveyor  90  to a supplementary chain conveyor  171  as shown in FIGS.  26  to  29 . A top clip  172  carried by the supplementary conveyor chain  171  is opened by a cam  173  acting against cam follower  294 . The clips  172  are positioned over the pouches by conveyor chain  171 . As the cam-follower  294  clears the cam  173  and the clips  172  grab the top edge of the pouch  10  and support it. At the same time cam  107  engages the head  110 ,  120  of the clips  96 ,  98  to open the clips and release the sides of the pouches. As the pouch  10  is released, it is moved laterally to clear the clips  96 ,  98  and allow further transportation of the pouch. The filled and sealed pouch is then passed through the cooler  36 , inline pressure testing &amp; straw feeder  38  if included to the cartooning and casing station where it can be packaged according to customer&#39;s requirements.  
         [0081]     As can be seen from  FIGS. 27, 28  and  29 , the top clip  172  depends from a chain  280  on an L-shaped bracket  282 . The bracket  282  has a pair of guide pins  284  extending to opposite sides of as resilient jaw  286 . The jaw  286  is secured to the bracket  282  and is jogged along its length so that its lower end is spaced from the body of the bracket  282 . The jaw  286  has a circular aperture that passes over a retaining pin  288  secured to the body of the bracket  282 . A rigid cranked jaw  290  is also received on the retainer pin  288  and secured by a fidlirum pin  292 .  
         [0082]     The rigid jaw  290  is generally V-shaped having a pair of arms  296 ,  298  extending from the right. A head  294  is provided at the distal end of one of the arms  296 . The other arm  298  terminates in a gripping pad  300  that is disposed generally parallel to the distal end of the flexible jaw  286 .  
         [0083]     The resilience of the flexible jaw  286  forces the fixed jaw  290  against the fulcrum pin  292  causing it to rotate about the fulcrum pin and bring the pad  300  into engagement with the lower end of the resilient jaw  286 . The jaws  286 ,  290  may be separated upon application of a force to the head  294  to rotate the jaw  290  in the opposite direction about the fulcrum pin  290  and cause flexure of the jaw  286 . The flexure is induced by the heel  302  formed opposite the fulcrum pin  292  in the bight of the V-shaped jaw  290 . The head  294  is as positioned against a cam surface  173  in  FIG. 26  as it is lowered into position over the pouch  10  and released by the cam surface  173  to engage the pouches and support them as they released by the clips  96 ,  98 .  
         [0084]     With the pouches supported by the chain  280 , they are moved into a cooler  36  shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 26 and 30 . The cooler  36  processes the pouches  10  on the four supplementary conveyors  171  in parallel. The pouches  10  remain secured to the conveyor  171  as it is fed through the cooler  36  in a serpentine path. A spray assembly  310  is located between adjacent runs of the conveyor  171  to spray coolant on the pouches  10 . The spray assembly  310  includes a manifold  312  that extends longitudinally parallel to the run of the conveyor  171 . The manifold  312  includes nozzles  314  at closely spaced intervals along the manifold to provide a continuous spray of coolant along the run of the conveyor. The manifold  312  is supported adjacent the upper edge of the pouches  10  beneath the clip  172  so that the coolant runs over the length of the pouch. The manifold  312  is supplied by a riser  316  connected to a primary coolant line  318 . The coolant is collected in a sump  320  for recirculation after further chilling.  
         [0085]     After the pouches  10  have passed along the serpentine path defined by the conveyor within the cooler  36 , they exit the cooler  36  through a drier  322 . The drier is typically an air blast that images on the pouch and removes surplus coolant from the surface of the pouch.  
         [0086]     Following cooling, the pouches  10  may be packagaed. However, to ensure the integrity of the pouches prior to packaging, a pressure tester  330  is incorporated into the line whilst the pouches  10  are supported on the conveyor  171 . The pressure tester is shown in  FIGS. 31 and 32  and includes an anvil  332  and load cell  334 . The pouch  10  passes between the anvil and load cell, which measures the pressure which may be applied to the pouch  10  and thereby indicates the integrity of the pouch. The anvil  322  includes a pair of spaced rollers  336  mounted within a frame  338 . A belt  340  extends around the rollers  336  and a drive is provided to one of the rollers  336  to move the belt at the same linear speed as the conveyor  171 .  
         [0087]     The load cell  334  ( FIG. 32 ) is similarly provided with a pair of rollers  342  maintained in spaced relationship by a frame  344 . A belt  346  extends around the rollers, one of which is driven to move the belt  346  at the same linear speed as the conveyor. A sensing roler  348  is supported between the rollers  342  on a cantilevered arm  350 . The arm  350  is secured to the frame  344  by a bracket  352 . A strain gauge or a sinilar load sensing device is incorporated into the arm  350  to sense the bending moment applied by the roller  348  to the arm  350 . The roller  348  engages the inner surface of the belt  346  and acts through the arm  350  and bracket  352  to resist deflection of the belt  346 . As the pouch  10  passes between the belts  340 ,  346 , which are positioned so as to attempt to compress the pouch  10  and its contents, the load exerted on the belt  346  is sensed by the roller  348  and monitored by the strain gauges. If the load exceeds a threshold, the integrity of the pouch is assumed; otherwise the pouch is flagged for removal and further inspection. The pouches are then delivered to a packing station where the clips  172  are released and the conveyor  171  returned to the entrance to the cooler/dryer  36 .  
         [0088]     As will be appreciated from the above description, the control  42  operates to ensure that the conveyors  28 ,  90 , and  171  function in synchronism and provide a continuous flow of pouches through the system  18 . It does this through the use of linear servo drives that provide feedback to the controller  42  so that drive signals can be adjusted. The controller  42  similarly receives signals from the visions systems to ensure an orderly supply of pouches  10  and controls the operation of the filling sealing station  30  to dispense the required contents.  
         [0089]     The controller  42  will also ensure the shuttle movement of the filler nozzles and sealing plates is accomplished by utilising linear servo drives to obtain the requisite movement, and, where a fitment is inserted, ensure the drives in the fitment insertion station for transfer mechanism  256  and placement belt  258  are maintained in synchronism with the conveyor  91 . More particularly, several PLC controllers intecng into one master controller control the timing and operation of the system. The sequence control is as follows:  
         [0090]     1) The speed of the entire system is controlled by the discharge rates of the pouch formers. The pouches are scanned by the vision systems as they are discharged by the pouch formers and are picked up by robotic vacuum arms.  
         [0091]     2) The master controller sets the speed of the filler/sealer in-feed conveyor servo drive to match the output rate of the pouch former.  
         [0092]     3) The master controller sets the speed of the filler/sealer servo drive to match the speed to the filler/sealer input conveyor. The pouch transfer swing arms, the opening and closing of the filler chain clips and movement of the chain clips toward and away from each other are controlled via cams and mechanical actuators as described above.  
         [0093]     4) The air blast, fillers, and fitment systems are individually servo driven and their timing and operation are controlled by servo drives through individual PLC&#39;s which are integrated into and controlled by the master control system.  
         [0094]     5) The top clips transfer system, water cooling system, inspection and reject system, straw feeding system and the discharge into the case packdng equipment are controlled by individual servo drives and their timing and operation are controlled through individual PLC which are integrated into and controlled by the master controller. The integration of the controls utilises conventional linear servo technology, such as that available from Allen Bradley, and need not be described firther.  
         [0095]     It will be noted that at all times the pouch is controlled and moved in synchronism through the various stations of the filling and sealing unit.  
         [0096]     Alternative arrangements of pouch delivery are shown schematically in FIGS.  33  to  35 , which are similar to  FIG. 4 .  
         [0097]     In  FIG. 33 , a single pouch former  19   a  delivers pouches to a four lane discharge conveyor  21   a . The alignment of the pouches is monitored by vision system  23   a . A pair of robotic arms  70   a  each operate on a 2×2 grid to correct alignment and pass the pouches past a transfer vision system  68   a  to transfer arms  70   a  . The arms  70   a  operate on alternate lanes and are staggered along the conveyor to provide access to the alternate lanes. The arms  70   a  move 2 rows of 6 pouches in an accurate path to be deposited on the transfer conveyor for delivery to filing and sealing lanes. It will be noted that the picking of alternate lanes by each arm avoids the need to rotate the pouches when transferring to the transfer conveyors  28   a  as the alternate lanes are commonly oriented.  
         [0098]      FIG. 34 , similar components are used to  FIG. 33  but in this case, the robotic arms  70   b  collect adjacent lanes and rotate the pouches of one of the lanes during transfer.  
         [0099]     In  FIG. 35 , the pouch maker  19   c  supplies 2 lanes of pouches and two pairs of robot arms  70   c  are spaces apart on either side of the conveyor. The pouches from each lane are selected in groups of 6 with one group of 6 being transferred to an outer lane of the transfer conveyor  28   c  by the first of the arms and the other group of    6   being transferred to an inner lane by the second arm. The two lane pouch former is thus converted into a four lane transfer conveyor.  
         [0100]     Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those sldlled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto.