Patent GB-712205-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for filling with liquid open-ended cartons
Inventor: BARNES ALFRED AARON
IPC: B65B3/32
Filed: 1952-01-02
Abstract: 712,205. Filling containers with liquid. OSWEGO FALLS CORPORATION. Jan. 2, 1952, No. 143/52. Class 125 (2) Relates to mechanism for filling rectangular cartons described in Specification 669,369 with liquids such as milk, the mechanism forming part of the carton filling and closuring machine described in Specification 700,586. According to the invention, the cartons are advanced intermittently by a support beneath a plurality of liquid dispensers each adapted to discharge a quantity of liquid, the total capacity of the dispensers being sufficient to fill a container, and each dispenser comprises a measuring cylinder and piston and a dispensing valve, power means being provided for actuating the pistons and valves and means being provided for connecting and disconnecting the power means to and from the pistons and valves. General description (Figs. 2 and 3).-Cartons C are fed on guides 32 in two streams, one on each side of the machine, by fingers 34, 35, 36' which are actuated as described in Specification 700,586 to perform a rectangular motion to advance the cartons step by step under a line of four filling heads 54 which each discharge a half-pint of liquid withdrawn from a tank 52 through vertical pipes 51, longitudinal manifolds 48 and branches 49. For filling quart cartons, all four heads operate; for pint cartons, the third and fourth; and for half-pint cartons the fourth only. The heads not required can be cut out manually or are cut out automatically depending on. the vertical getting of the guide 32, i.e. the setting appropriate to the height of the cartons being filled. If a carton is missing from the stream a detector renders the filling head inoperative. The filling heads have grooves 55, Fig. 31, along their sides which co-operate with mating parts in recesses 46 in a plate 44 carried above the guides 32 by a pillar 42 mounted on the main base and cam-shaft housing 22 of the machine. The filling heads are clamped tight against a projecting pad 47 on the plate 44 by screw clamps 60 so that they may be readily removed for cleaning. Filling heads (Figs. 5, 31, 33).-The filling heads 'form the subject-matter of Specification 712,230 and comprise bores 56, 58 containing respectively an adjustable measuring piston 57 and a vertically moving dispensing valve 68. This valve has a lower conical part 70 which cooperates with the lower end of a sleeve 67 moving therewith to form four slots 77, one for each wall of the carton having enlargements 78 which form ribs 81 in the curtains of liquid 80. The slots may be formed by projections either on the valve 68 or on the sleeve 67. The moving sleeve 67 is surrounded by a fixed sleeve 84 within the bore 58 and containing a port 87 aligned with the branch 49 from liquid manifold 48. In the first position, not shown, the valve 68 and sleeve 67 are raised so that slots 77 are closed within the sleeve 84 and the piston 57 is lowered. 'The piston is then raised to draw in liquid through branch 49, port 87, annular passage 91 in sleeve 67, port 88 in sleeve 84, passage 89 and port 90 at the foot of the cylinder. The valve 68 then descends to open the slots 77 and break the connection between passage 91 and port 88. The piston 57 then descends to discharge the liquid through port 90, passage 89, port 88, port 92 in sleeve 67, vertical passage 94 around the valve 68 and the slots 77. The valve is then raised again to restore the device for the next cycle. Filling head actuating means (Fig. 9).-The pistons 57 are detachably connected to rock levers 101, the other arms of which are connected to the top of vertical push rods 108 sliding in the pad 47, the top wall of the pillar 42 and a horizontal partition 110 therein. They are connected by a spring detent 120 to a plate 111 vertically reciprocated by rods 112 driven by cams 544, 546 on the main cam-shaft 24. The valves 68 are detachably connected to rock arms 142 reciprocated by vertical push rods 135 sliding in the pad 47 and partition 110. Rods 135 are connected by sliding detents 134 to a vertically reciprocated plate 117 connected to rods 147 reciprocated by cams 543, 547 on the shaft 24. Figure 9 shows the position with the piston 57 lowered and the dispensing valve raised and, in operation the plate 111 is lowered to pull down the rods 108 and raise the pistons, cranked parts 133 in the rods moving the sliding detents so that rods 135 are coupled to plate 117. Plate 117 then rises to operate push rods 135 which cause the dispensing valve to open. Plate 111 then rises to raise rods 108 and the piston 57 descends to discharge the liquid and during this action the rollers 138 of the detent 134 ride on the straight part 132 of the rods 108. Finally the plate 117 descends to close the valve during which action the cranked part 133 disconnects the rods from plate 117. Carton detection (Figs. 11 and 12).-On the inner face of each carton guide 32 are pivoted at 154 four fingers 150 ... 153 located each one carton position before their appropriate filling head and oscillated by means, not shown, driven by the shaft 24 so as to move to and from the cartons. The fingers carry inwardly extending arms 155 ... 158 the inner ends of which engage notches in bosses 159, 160 or 161 formed on vertical rods 162 .... 165 (Fig. 7) having inwardly extending lugs 166. These lugs engage sliders 167 on a rod 169 which is reciprocated longitudinally by a cam 545 on shaft 24 and has fixed bosses 174, springs 175 lying between the bosses 175 and sliders 167. When the rod moves to the right (Fig. 12), the sliders 167 are carried with it so that the arms 155 .... 158 enter the notches in the bosses on rods 162 ... 165. If a carton is present, then the arms will be retained in the notches and the sliders will not move back with the rod 169 but if a carton is absent, then the detector will pivot so that .the arms clear the - notches and the sliders are returned by the springs 175 Vertical rods 176 .... 179 within the housing have lugs 180 which also engage the sliders 167 and hence these rods will be. rocked to and fro by the sliders and arms 181 carried thereby will sweep to and fro between the partition 110 and the plate 111 (Fig. 9). If a carton is present, this inward sweep will be prevented because the slider 167 is retained to the right (Fig. 12). If a container is absent, then the sweep occurs and, during the upward stroke of plate 111, the tops of rods 126 engage the arms 181 and the former move downwardly in the plate 111. This causes a cam surface on the rods 126 to disengage the latch 120 from the rods 188 and therefore during the next action of the machine the rods 108 will not be actuated and filling will not occur. The rods 126 are reset during the downward stiroke of plate 111 by abutting plates 200 carried on spindles 201 and located at the bottom of the pillar 42. Filling cartons of different capacity (Figs. 7 and 12).-The vertical rods 162, 163 corresponding to the first and second filling heads are formed only with the bottom boss 159 and these filling heads will only operate when the guides 32 are set in the lowest position corresponding to quartsized cartons. Similarly, the rod 164 corresponding to the'third filling head has only the bottom and middle bosses 159, 160 and this filling head will therefore respond to quart and pint cartons. The rod 165 has all three bosses and the fourth filling head will respond to all sizes of carton. To obviate the rods 126 being slid to and fro continuously when a stream of halfpint or pint cartons are being filled, resetting, plates 200 can be rotated manually through 45 degrees so that the parts 220 which abut the, rods 126 will not abut them and hence rods 126 will be permanently in the lowered position.