Patent GB-1067338-A (GB)
Title: Filling machine for comminuted materials
IPC: B65B1/06
Filed: 1965-12-14
Abstract: 1,067,338. Packaging-machines. PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. Dec. 14, 1965 [Dec. 14, 1964], No. 53033/65. Heading B8C. In an apparatus for filling open-topped containers with comminuted material, in such a way as to maintain a predetermined outage (the space intermediate the level of product and the top of the container), material is supplied at a constant rate to a rotating apertured feed plate beneath which apertures containers are placed with their mouths in sealing engagement with the plate, each aperture having an outage regulatory element which projects through the container mouth. Material P is fed to inlet (I), Fig. 3 (not shown), of chamber 14, Fig. 1, by means of a screw-feed mechanism (not shown). As the apertured base plate 11 rotates the product is fed in the direction of the arrows (P), Fig. 3 (not shown), to apertures lla by a stationary baffle B 1  attached to a cover-plate 17 of the chamber 14. A stationary baffle (B 2 ), suspended between adjacent legs of the baffle B 1 , cuts off the material at a particular height and distributes it evenly across a passageway formed by adjacent legs of the baffle B 1 . An arcuate baffle B 3  gradually moves the material towards the apertures lla in the " container filling area." A baffle B 4 , overlying the apertures in this area, prevents the material from covering the whole of the aperture so that air can escape during filling; this baffle terminates short of the " finish " of the filling area so that the air escape passage A can be filled. Finally, a baffle B 5 , skims over the top surface of the plate 11 to strike off excess material from the top of the filled passageway and deflects this excess material along a path (RP). Containers are brought up against the underside of the plate 11 by a guide rail 38, and are located and moved into position below the apertures by arcuate section guides 37, Figs. 1, 2, 4 (Figs. 2, 4, not shown), the container mouths being held against resilient rings (31). In one embodiment, the outage regulatory member comprises a hollow cylindrical element 29 (see also Fig. 2, not shown), which extends a short way down into the container. As the container is filled, the level of the material rises to the end of the element 29, trapping air intermediate the member 29 and interior surfaces of the container. By properly dimensioning the element 29, any desired predetermined volume can be left empty during filling. In an alternative embodiment, Figs. 5, 6 (not shown), a body (44) of predetermined volume is suspended beneath each aperture to occupy part of the container volume.  During filling, the containers are vibrated by a support rail (39), Fig. 4 (not shown), to compact the product. The frequency and amplitude of the vibrations can be varied to produce the required density of material in the container. After filling, the cans are lowered from the apertures by about half-an-inch, and are again subjected to vibration by a similar rail (not shown), and if desired, the vibration may continue as the can is completely removed from the apertured plate. In a modification, the " finish " end of baffle (B 5 ) may be raised to allow a column of product of predetermined width and height to remain over the filling apertures as the cans are lowered from the plate 11, a V-shaped scraper (49), Fig. 3 (not shown), funnelling further material into the apertures lla.