Patent GB-734290-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in methods of and apparatus for filling flowable substance into containers
Inventor: STONESTREET GEORGE ALEC
IPC: B65B3/30
Filed: 1952-09-05
Abstract: 734,290. Packaging. WALL & SONS, Ltd., T. Aug. 18, 1953 [Sept. 5, 1952], No. 22333/52, Class 94 (1). [Also in Groups XIII, XVIII and XXX] Apparatus for filling a flowable substance into a container includes a reservoir 16, Fig. 1, for the substance, a conveyer 80 for moving past the reservoir the container with the axis passing through its open and closed ends substantially vertical, and means for withdrawing from the reservoir a predetermined quantity of substance and transferring the withdrawn substance into the moving container from a point in the path of and vertically above the moving container. The apparatus is described with reference to the manufacture of frozen confections arid includes an agitated vessel 1 provided with steam heating and water cooling means in which the more viscous part of the confection is formed and pasteurized before being homogenized and pumped to an agitated mixing vessel 5 by a homogenizer 3. The less viscous part of the confection is formed at about 65‹ C. in a steamheated agitated vessel 6 and is conveyed by a pump 7 to a cooler 10 where its temperature is reduced to about 15‹ C. before it passes into the vessel 5. A chilling and emulsifying apparatus 13 forming a closed circuit with the reservoir 16 and a buffer tank 15 receives the mixture from the vessel 5 and reduces its temperature to 0‹ C. Rows of containers 88 produced by a bag-making machine 87, such as that described in Specification 732,434, are fed on to carriers 95 supported between a pair of endless chains forming the conveyer 80 which traverses them past the reservoir 16. The latter is moved in a closed path in timed relationship with the movement of the carriers 95 and delivers a predetermined quantity of substance to each of the containers as described in Specification 734,292. After the containers 88 have been filled, the carriers 95 are conveyed into a refrigerating blast tunnel 84, where a second conveyer 81 of similar construction to the conveyer 80 traverses them in a zig-zag path to an exit port 86 where they are returned to the conveyer 80. The containers, each filled with the frozen confection, are now transferred from the carriers 95 to a conveyer 108 which conveys them to a point remote from the tunnel 84 for sealing and cold storage, the empty carriers 95 being conveyed back to the machine 87 to repeat the cycle. Each carrier 95 consists of two end brackets 94, Fig. 5, which are connected together by bars 96 having serrations 97 to receive the containers and triangulated trunnions 93 to engage support pins 92 on the chains of the conveyer. A frame 98 pivoted at 99 to the brackets 94 is normally held in a vertical position against the bars 96 by a counterpoise rod 102 and thus holds the containers 88 firmly in the serrations 97. At positions opposite the machine 87 and the conveyer 108, however, the frames are swung by pins 103 cooperating with fixed cam plates 90 and 107, to a horizontal position to permit insertion a removal of the containers. The conveyers 80, 81 move in opposite vertical directions at the entry and exit ports 85, 86 so that the pins 92 on the upwardly moving conveyer lift the carriers 95 from the pins 92 on the downwardly moving conveyer. Specification 734,291, [Group XXX], also is referred to.