Abstract:
A device for filling containers, in particular bottles or beakers with food products, comprising: an upper main element, a lower main element which are the main elements of the device; lateral elements connecting the main elements; a plurality of support elements continuously arranged at one another without a continuous drive device and provided with receivers for the containers and moved through the device and along the elements and along operating stations; running rails on which the support elements rest while being moved through the main elements; a drive which moves the support elements at least along the operating stations; and at least one lateral element configured as an elevator through which the support elements alternate between the main elements when moving through the device, wherein the elevator includes a exclusively vertically movable lifting device for moving the support elements from one main element into another main element.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from and incorporates by reference German patent application DE 10 2011 103 256.1 filed on May 25, 2011 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for filling containers, in particular bottles or beakers with food products, in particular liquid to paste-like dairy- and fat products, juices, waters and similar products. In an embodiment, the device includes an upper main element, a lower main element, lateral elements connecting the upper and lower main elements together, and a plurality of support elements arranged with one another without a continuous drive device. The support elements comprise receivers for the containers and may be moved through the filling device. The support elements may be moved along the main elements and through operating stations while resting on and supported by running rails on the upper main element and the lower main element. The device further comprises a drive which moves the support elements through the operating stations and at least one of the lateral elements is configured as an elevator through which the support elements move vertically between the main elements when running through the device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Filling devices of this type are illustrated e.g. in EP 1 495 997 B1. These filling devices are so-called chainless filling devices for food products. They are designated chainless filling devices in order to define them over the general art. In the prior art there are continuous drive filling devices, in particular configured as a chain at which the support elements are attached and are fed through the device. 
     In the art that is pertinent to the invention the invention and in which the recited EP 1 495 997 B1 is disposed, there is an arrangement of the support devices at one another in the broadest sense, at least in one of the main elements. Coupling of the support elements through a common endless drive device, however, is not provided. 
     EP 1 495 997 B1 instead describes a device in which the support elements with their faces oriented towards one another are arranged at one another and are pushed through at least one of the main elements without being connected. Thus, different drive modes are disclosed like e.g. a drive through a linear piston or a worm drive. 
     Besides closed lateral elements through which the cell plates are moved on arcuate rails from the upper main element into the lower main element and back, EP 1 495 997 B1 also illustrates two elevators forming the lateral elements in which the support elements are inserted into continuously circulating receivers and moved between the main elements. 
     The elevators illustrated in EP 1 495 997 B1 have a rather complex mechanical configuration, so there is a need for a filling device that provides a lateral element with a simpler configuration for a device configured as recited supra. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the filling device comprise an elevator, wherein the elevator is a strictly vertically operating lifting device for moving the support elements from one main element to the other main element. 
     Embodiments of the device according to the invention operate without circulating receivers for the cell plates and thus, in particular, no rotating shafts or similar have to be provided. 
     A particular embodiment is characterized in that the components of the elevator are arranged outside a movement path of the support elements through the respective main element. 
     An elevator of this type significantly simplifies so-called format change, thus changing the support elements for filling other container types and sizes may be easily performed since the movement paths of the support elements in the main elements are freely accessible. Thus, the support elements can be retrieved or removed in a simple manner without being impeded by the elevator components and/or mechanisms at an end of the respective main element or they can be joined in a simple manner at the beginning of the respective main element. According to the invention, the lateral elements with their elevators do not impede retrieving the support elements at the lateral element. 
     Further, embodiments of the lifting device comprise running rail sections which are configured to be joined in the running rail planes of the main elements in order to receive the support elements. 
     In this embodiment, no retaining elements, that need to be produced separately and which have to receive the support elements, have to be used. Instead, the support element is moved out of the main element to continue its movement path without having to be joined to a separate device. 
     In order to provide a clean axial orientation of the support elements with respect to a longitudinal axis of the device on a path of the support elements between the main elements and for respective rejoining and in order to assure that the support element can be moved with precise positioning between the main elements, the elevator may include a guide device which provides a precisely positioned arrangement of a support element in the elevator during the vertical movement. 
     In a particular embodiment, the guide device is configured as a vertical rail in which a positioning pin of the support element engages during the vertical movement of the lifting device. 
     In order to provide joining of the support elements from the lateral elements into the main elements for the high cyclic rates of a filling device of this type for food products, the elevator includes a support device which supports a support element in a horizontal alignment for joining in a main element without the support of a lifting device. 
     Thus, the support element may be ready to be joined in the main element and the elevator, however, can be moved again to the other main element for receiving the next support element. 
     In particular embodiments, the retaining device is a U-rail which retains the support element in a vertical position for being joined in a main element. 
     In a particular embodiment, the elevator supports the drive for feeding the support elements through a main element. In particular, when the drive includes an operating element which simultaneously moves a support element to a main element and may move other support elements through the same main element. 
     In still further embodiments, the operating element may be a gear that is fixed in place and whose axis of rotation is arranged in the vertical separation plane between a main element and a lateral element. 
     This facilitates that the support element is moved through the lifting device from below relative to the placement surface of the device to the operating element of the drive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An improved understanding of the invention and of additional advantages and features can be derived from the subsequent description of an embodiment with reference to drawing figures wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an overview of the device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a partial view of the device according to  FIG. 1  of an elevator forming a lateral element; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a detailed view of the elevator according to  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a detail view of the elevator according to  FIG. 2  with a open retention device; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a view according to  FIG. 4  with a closed retention device; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a view of the support element. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A device according to the invention is designated in the figures with the overall reference numeral  10 . 
     The device  10  is used for filling liquid to pasty food products into containers  11  which are run through the device  10  on support elements which are overall designated with the reference numeral  12  along operating stations that are not illustrated. 
     The device  10  comprises an upper main element OT oriented horizontally with respect to the placement surface of the device  10  and a lower main element UT arranged parallel to the upper main element. Typically, operating stations for treating the containers  11  are arranged above the upper main element OT, however there are also systems where the operating stations are arranged between the upper main element OT and lower main element UT and the containers  11  are treated in the lower main element UT. Therefore, the upper main element OT and the lower main element UT can both be described as main elements. 
     In order to provide a circulation of the support elements  12 , they may be moved through the lateral elements ST between the main elements. The support elements  12  run through the device  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , e.g. from the left main element ST which is provided with a drive  13  in feed direction W to the right lateral element ST which includes a brake device  14 . The drive  13  and the brake device  14  define the upper main element OT. 
     The support elements  12  then reach the lower main element UT through the right lateral element ST which is configured as an elevator  15  described infra. From there the support element  12  is moved back to the left lateral element ST and vertically moved to the level of the upper main element OT through the elevator  15  and joined into the upper main element OT. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a support element of the device  10  designated overall with the reference numeral  12 . In the present embodiment, the support element includes a cell plate  16  which includes a plurality of receivers  17  for the containers  11 . In the shown embodiment, the receivers  17  are arranged parallel to the feed device W in rows adjacent to one another and arranged in feed direction W in paths behind one another. 
     The support element  12  furthermore includes gear racks  18  mounted on the cell plate  16  in which the drive  13  engages to move the support element  12  in feed direction W. The brake device  14  engages gear racks  18  in order to be able to decelerate the cell plate interconnection that is arranged in  FIG. 1  in the upper main element OT in a controlled manner. 
     The gear rack  18  further may include rollers  19  on which the support element  12  is moved on running rails  20  through the device  10 . Further, the gear racks  18  may also include positioning pins  21  which are subsequently described in more detail. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a partial view of the device  10  primarily illustrating the portion of the left lateral element ST illustrating its elevator designated overall as  15 . 
     The elevator  15  is approximately configured as a gate or as a frame and comprises two lateral lobes  22  which are attached standing upright at a machine table  23  and connected with one another through stabilization bars  24 . Between the machine table  23  and the stabilization bar  24  the upper element OT and the lower element LIT are arranged with their running rails  20 . 
     As can be derived from  FIG. 2 , the running rails  20  of the upper main element OT and the lower main element UT are arranged within the frame contour formed by the lateral lobes  22 , so that the movement track formed by the running rails  20  of upper main element OT and lower main element UT of the support elements is also clear in the lateral element formed by the elevator  15 . 
     The elevator  15  furthermore includes support devices in the form of vertical rails  25  arranged outside of the movement track of the support elements  12 . The vertical rails  25  extend along the movement track of the support element  12  between the lower main element UT and the upper main element OT. Also retention devices configured as horizontal rails  26  are part of the elevator  15 . The retention devices are arranged in the plane of the cell plates  16  in the upper main element OT and movable in a direction towards the movement path of the support elements  12 . For this purpose they are provided with actuators  27  arranged on the outside at the side lobes  22 . 
     The side lobes  22  may further support a drive axle  28  at which gears  29  are arranged in the portion of each side lobe  22 . The gears  29  arranged on the axle  28  are brought into rotation through a motor  30  and engage the gear racks  18  of the support element  12  of the upper main element OT and of the lateral element ST when the support element  12  of the lateral element ST is arranged in the plane of the upper main element OT. The gears  29  move the support element  12  onto the upper main element OT and also the support element  12  arranged in the lateral element ST in the plane of the upper main element OT in feed direction W. 
     The lifting device of the elevator is designated overall with the reference numeral  31  and includes, in a particular embodiment, two running rail sections  32  which are respectively coupled with one lifting piston  33  each. The running rail sections  32  are arranged in a plane defined by the running bars  20  of the upper main element OT and the lower main element UT, so that they are arranged in alignment depending on a vertical position either with the running rails  20  of the upper main element OT or the running rails  20  of the lower main element UT. For safe vertical support of the running rail sections  32  through the lifting pistons  33 , the running rail sections  32  are supported at vertical struts  34 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates another enlarged detail of the elevator  15 . The running rail section  32  is aligned in feed direction W in front of the associated running rail of the upper main element OT in the lateral element ST. The feed direction W extends in  FIG. 4  orthogonal to the paper plane. As shown, a support element  12  is placed with its rollers  19  on the running rail section  32 . The lifting device  31  has moved the support element  12  into the plane of the upper main element OT in the illustration of  FIG. 4 . The cell plate  16  is aligned with the receiving recess of the U-shaped horizontal rail  26 . The running rail  20  of the lower main element UT is visible below the running rail section  32 . 
     The illustration of  FIG. 5  essentially corresponds to the illustration of  FIG. 4 . A difference over  FIG. 4  is that the actuation cylinder  27  has deployed and has moved the horizontal rail  26  against the lateral portions of the cell plate  16  arranged parallel to the feed direction. Thus, the horizontal rail  26  may receive the cell plate  16  in its receiving recess and retain it in the plane of the upper main element OT. Thus, the running rail section  32  may be moved in a direction towards the lower main element UT by the lifting pistons  33  without the illustrated support element  12  already being included in the upper main element OT. This is illustrated according to  FIG. 5  so that the running rail  20  is visible now in the upper main element OT, wherein the running rail  20  was still covered in  FIG. 4  through the aligned running rail section  32 . 
     The function of the device, in particular of the elevator is described infra. 
     As recited supra, the support elements  12  initially run on rollers  19  through the upper main element OT starting with the drive  13  in feed direction W up to the brake device  14 . The drive  13 , more precisely the drive axle  28  and the brake device  14  with its drive axle, not described in more detail, form the beginning and the end of the upper main element OT. The support elements  12  are moved by the drive  13  against the brake device  14  into the right lateral element ST of  FIG. 1  which includes an elevator  15  which is configured analogous to the described elevator  15  of the drive side lateral element ST. In front of this elevator  15 , the support elements  12  are moved vertically downward into the lower element UT and run therein through a feed device, that is not described in more detail, like e.g. a timing belt, in feed direction z to the left lateral element ST. The left elevator  15  moves the support elements  12  vertically back into the plane of the upper main element  13 , in which they are joined again with the upper main element OT through the drive  13 . 
     In the elevator  15  the support elements  12  are arranged on the running rail sections  32  of the lifting device  31 , wherein the running rail sections  32  are separated from the running rails  20 . The positioning pins  21  are arranged in alignment with the vertical rails  25  as apparent in particular from  FIG. 2 . 
     Now the support element  12  arranged in  FIG. 2  in the plane of the lower main element UT has to be moved into the plane of the upper main element OT. Thus, the lifting device  31  moves vertically upward towards the upper main element OT, the positioning pins  21  engage the vertical rail  25  so that an orientation of the support element  12  in the lateral element ST is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the device  10 . 
     When the support element  12  is arranged in the plane of the upper main element OT the cell plate  16  is horizontally aligned with the horizontal rails  26  (c.f.  FIG. 4 ). In the next step the actuation cylinders  27  move the horizontal rail  26  so that its receiving recesses enclose the cell plate  16  and support it in the plane of the upper element OT. The lifting device  31  now moves the running rail sections  32  back into the plane of the lower main element UT (c.f.  FIG. 5 ). At this point in time the support element  12  supported in the plane of the upper main element OT in the lateral element ST is not on the upper main element OT. 
     The joining may then be performed in the next step, the gear  29  of the drive  13  is rotated and moves the support element  12  onto the upper main element OT. As apparent in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the respective feed movement of a support element  12  from the lateral element ST into the upper main element OT moves the support elements arranged in the upper main element OT forward in feed direction W. The support element in front of the brake device  14  is pushed into the lateral element ST arranged after the brake device  14 . 
     Lowering of the support element into the lower main element UT is then performed reversely. The running rail sections  32  should already be located in the plane of the upper main element OT at the point in time when the support element  12  enters the lateral element ST provided with the brake device  14 . The support element  12  now contacting the running rail section  32  in this location is moved vertically downward into the plane of the lower main element UT, wherein axial alignment is provided through the vertical rails  25 . In the lower main element UT, a feed device that is not illustrated in more detail, for example, a timing belt may pull the support element  12  back to its starting point in the drive side lateral element ST. 
     In addition to having a rather simple configuration, the elevator  15  of the lateral elements ST is in particular characterized in that no components are arranged in the movement paths of the support elements  12  in the upper main element OT or the lower main element UT. Consequently, the support elements can be extracted in a quick and simple manner at the lateral elements ST and can be replaced with support elements of different types and qualities. Thus, a so called format change in which the device  10  is retro-fitted for filling different containers can be facilitated in a quick and simple manner. 
     REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS 
     
         
         
           
               10  device 
               11  container 
               12  support element 
               13  drive 
               14  brake device 
               15  elevator 
               16  cell plate 
               17  receiver 
               18  gear rack 
               19  rollers 
               20  running rail 
               21  positioning pin 
               22  lateral lobe 
               23  machine table 
               24  stabilization bar 
               25  vertical rail 
               26  horizontal rail 
               27  actuation cylinder 
               28  drive axle 
               29  gear 
               30  motor 
               31  lifting device 
               32  running rail section 
               33  lifting piston 
               34  vertical strut 
             OT upper main element 
             UT lower main element 
             ST lateral element 
             w direction 
             z direction