Patent GB-361347-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for feeding and conveying bottles and the like in pasteurising and like operations
IPC: A23L3/04
Filed: 1930-08-13
Abstract: 361,347. Pasteurizing liquids &c. conveyers. CAMPBELL, T. M., 30, Rhyme Road, Lewisham, London, and RILEY, W. A., 100, King Street, Norwich. Aug. 13, 1930, No. 24238. [Class 49.] Bottles or other receptacles containing liquids &c. are carried through. a pasteurizing tank or other treatment apparatus t by means of cradles d suspended from an endless conveyer c, c1, the bottles being supplied on a lateral feeding conveyer h on which they are spa,ced and from which they are transferred in rows to the cradles d when these reach the feeding position. The conveyer c, c1 consists of a pair of endless chains carried by wheels w1 .. w12, and has within the tank t a number of inclined paths t1 .. t7, with chain tracks k1 some or all of which are separated off into compartments by partitions t12. Steam heating coils k are provided in the compartments so that the temperature in each can be regulated, and the wheels w3, w5, w7 have covers t11 to prevent cooling of the bottles. The supply and removal of the bottles to and from the cradle conveyer c, cl is effected by platform conveyers h, h2 which may be of the type described in Specification 288,954, [Class 78 (i), Conveyers &c.]. The bottles are spaced on the conveyer h by a rotary star wheel h12 operating with a fixed guideway h3 through which the bottles are carried by the wheel h12 and then replaced spaced apart on the conveyer h. The wheel h12 has a gap h20 so that at intervals delivery of the bottles therefrom is delayed, the bottles being thus spaced on rows on the conveyer h. The rows are in turn transferred to fixed fingers b from which they are picked up by projections d1 from which they are picked up by projections d1, d2 on the cradles d and carried through the tank t. The transfer device consists of pushers m secured to a bar ml carried by plungers m2, m3, each of which is reciprocated by the engagement of a wheel m17, m18 thereon in a cam groove m4 on the surface of a rotating cylindrical member m5. Similar means are provided at the removal end of the tank to transfer the treated bottles to the conveyer h2 from the cradles d. The operation of the conveyers c, h, h2 and of the spacing and transfer mechanism is effected in synchronism from a common power source. The spacing device is made adjustable for different sizes of containers by providing two identical star wheels h12, Fig. 4b, spaced apart vertically on the driving shaft h4 of the device, these wheels being adjustable relatively to one another, to vary the aperture between the arms h9, h9a thereof and secured in the adjusted position by a screw h18. Adjustment of the depth between the arms of the wheels is effected by means' of a radially operating device h19 consisting of a number of projections formed on the periphery of a disc mounted on shaft h4 and adapted to be fixed in position by screw h18. The pasteurizing apparatus may be arranged in an automatically operated plant comprising bottle washing, drying, filling, labelling, &c., units all driven from a common power supply. The temperatures in the tank, which may be employed for a period heat treatment, may be thermostatically controlled.