Patent GB-898385-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for filling containers
IPC: B67C3/20
Filed: 1960-04-05
Abstract: 898,385. Bottling. MEYER MANUFACTURING CO., GEO. J. April 5, 1960 [April 13, 1959], No. 11991/60. Class 125(2). Relates to a machine for filling containers and more particularly bottles, the machine being of the kind in which two concentric rows of article supports revolve about a vertical axis, the supports of the inner and outer rows being movable up and down independently, stationary guide means providing receiving and delivery guide surfaces over which articles may slide in moving on to or off of the supports of the inner row, means for feeding articles to and for removing them from the supports of the outer row, means for positioning the supports of both rows at a filling level about that of said stationary guide surfaces while the articles are being filled and for positioning the supports of the inner row, at least, so that their article receiving faces are flush with said receiving and delivery guide surfaces, respectively, while articles are being moved on to and off of the supports of the inner row, and for causing the supports of the outer row, when empty, to move in a path such as to avoid contact between said supports and the stationary guide means. According to the invention the means for so moving the supports comprises a fluid pressure motor for each individual support, a valve for controlling the admission of pressure fluid to and its release from each of said notors and valve-actuating devices so spaced apart circumferentially about the rotating table that, as the latter turns, the valves are actuated in sequence to move the supports up and down at the proper times. As shown in Fig 2, feeding conveyers C<SP>2</SP>, C<SP>3</SP> deliver articles, such as bottles, to star wheels W<SP>1</SP>, W<SP>2</SP> which are so arranged in connection with associated stationary guide surfaces Q<SP>1</SP>, Q<SP>2</SP> as to deliver the bottles in two concentric rows on to a rotating table, the centre of which is indicated at N. During passage around the table, the bottles of both rows are simultaneously filled and then removed by star wheels D<SP>1</SP>, D<SP>2</SP> and associated guide surfaces Q<SP>4</SP>, Q<SP>3</SP> to star wheels K<SP>1</SP>, K<SP>2</SP> forming elements of crowning machines, the bottles being then delivered by other star wheels to conveyers C<SP>4</SP>, C<SP>5</SP> which feed them to a pasteurizer. Fluid pressure (compressed air) motors are secured to the table in two concentric rows, the upper surface of the piston rod of each motor having secured thereto a bottle supporting stirrup, the outer row of stirrups being shown at E<SP>1</SP> and the inner row at E. The motor cylinders for the inner row contain a single piston whilst those in the outer row have two superposed pistons, The machine is driven by a variable speed motor and microswitches F<SP>3</SP>, F<SP>4</SP> are associated with the conveyers C<SP>2</SP>, C<SP>3</SP> and arranged to modulate the motor circuit whereby the speed of revolution of the rows of bottle supports can be varied in accordance with the rate at which the bottles are supplied by the conveyers. Cams 53, 55, 52 and 54 are located at points V<SP>1</SP>, V<SP>2</SP>, V<SP>3</SP> and V<SP>4</SP> about the circumference of the table, these cams, as the table rotates, actuating valves associated with the fluid pressure motors to control the flow of compressed air to and its release from each respective motor cylinder. In operation, the two rows of bottles having been fed to the table, when the position V<SP>1</SP> is reached, the cam 53 causes the motors to raise the stirrups of both rows to the upper or filling level until position V<SP>4</SP> is reached when cam 54 operates to cause the motors to move the stirrups of both rows down to the normal low level. The stirrups of the inner row then remain at this level until the position V<SP>1</SP> is once more reached. As regards the outer stirrups, however, when position V<SP>3</SP> is reached, cam 52 is operated to cause the motors to move these stirrups down to an abnormal low position at which they can pass beneath the star wheels D<SP>2</SP>, W<SP>2</SP> and their associated guide surfaces, the outer stirrups being raised to the normal low level again when they reach position V<SP>2</SP> and cam 55. Fig 13 shows a modification in which each outer motor cylinder 32 is longer than its corresponding inner cylinder 57 and has a single piston 58 in the stroke of which is substantially greater than that of the piston 58 in cylinder 57. In this arrangement also the stationary guide surface P<SP>3</SP> across which bottles are fed to the outer stirrups E<SP>1</SP> is substantially below the corresponding surface P<SP>4</SP> for the inner stirrups E, the feed conveyers C<SP>3</SP>, C<SP>2</SP> being arranged at levels corresponding to to the surfaces P<SP>3</SP>, P<SP>4</SP> respectively. All the stirrups are provided with a rubber &c. bottle gripper G<SP>1</SP> or G<SP>6</SP>, the difference in level between the surfaces P<SP>3</SP>, P<SP>4</SP> being such as to permit the grippers G<SP>1</SP> in the outer stirrup to pass beneath surface P<SP>4</SP>. In this modification, both rows of stirrups have only two positions, i.e., the down position wherein their upper surfaces 80, 81 are flush with the upper surfaces of the guides P<SP>3</SP>, P<SP>4</SP> respectively and an up position wherein both rows of stirrups are disposed at the filling level, only two valve-actuating cams being therefore employed-one at position V<SP>4</SP>, Fig. 2, and the other at position V<SP>1</SP>. With all the arrangements so far described, the filler valves for both rows may be operated simultaneously by levers and a common cam. The swift valves can also be simultaneously operated in a similar manner. Fig. 14 shows a further arrangement in which the stirrups of the two rows are so located that the arc connecting the centres of adjacent bottles of the inner row, as indicated by bracket X<SP>1</SP>, is equal to the arc connecting the centres of adjacent bottles of the outer row, as indicated by bracket X<SP>2</SP>, thus reducing the spacing between the bottles of the outer row as compared with the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 and making it possible to place more bottles in the outer row between cams 53, 54. With such an arrangement, however, it will be necessary to supply separate valves for controlling admission to and release of pressure fluid from the outer and inner motor cylinders and the filler heads of both rows will not be actuated by the same cam. Specification 766,962 is referred to.