Patent GB-1502811-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for forming moulded articles
IPC: B65B3/04
Filed: 1975-02-04
Abstract: 1502811 Filling containers with paste-like substances AVON PRODUCTS Inc 4 Feb 1975 [4 Feb 1974] 4757/75 Heading B8C [Also in Division B5] In a method of, and apparatus for, filling an open-topped container with a fluid material, e.g. molten lipstick material, the container 330 is positioned on a support 260 (Figs. 3 and 7) spaced from a filler pipe 152, the support 260 and the filler pipe 152 being moved continuously and in concert, whilst charging of a chamber 130 with a predetermined quantity of the material is commenced, this charging being completed while the support 260 is moved towards the filler pipe 152 until the pipe is positioned in the container 330 with its outlet adjacent the bottom thereof, and the charge is caused to flow from the chamber 130 through the pipe 152 into the container 330 whilst simultaneously moving the support 260 away from the pipe 152. The filling apparatus is housed in a cabinet maintained at an elevated temperature, e.g. by quartz lamps, to ensure that the lipstick material is fluid. Each of a set of filling units 102/ 104/110 (only one shown, Fig. 7) mounted on an annular manifold 112 carried on a rotatably driven vertical shaft 116 comprises a charging cylinder 102, a filler assembly 104, and a valve 110. Lipstick material is continuously circulated through the manifold 112, entering via an inlet 118 and a passage 122, and leaving via a passage 124 and an outlet 120. A cylindrical valve member (106) (Figs. 4, 5, not shown) of valve 110 is rotatable between a first position connecting the manifold passage 108 to the charging cylinder 102, and a second position connecting the charging cylinder to the filler assembly 104 by a fixed annular cam, not shown, acting via a rack 164 and sector 168 (Fig. 3). The filler assembly has a centring bell 158 and a spaced guide-plate slidably along the filler pipe 152. Adjustably positioned fixed annular cams 240, 266 (Fig. 6) actuate the charging cylinder 102 and container support 260 via yokes 244, 270 and push-rods 210, 264 slidably supported in discs 200, 202, 204, carried by the shaft 116. Puck moulds, each carrying an inverted lipstick container 330 with its open base uppermost, are fed on to supports 260 by a wheel 320 and, having been filled with lipstick, are removed by a wheel 324, Fig. 9. The filling apparatus forms one stage in a processing line, Figs. 1A, 1B. Empty puck moulds on an endless conveyer 10 each receive a lipstick container at 12 and pass to a station 16 where the inner component of the container is swivelled to its extended position. They pass to a cleaner 18 and then to the filling apparatus 20, a cooling tunnel 22 to solidify the lipstick, a labelling and coding station 24, and an extractor 30 which transfers the filled lipstick containers from the puck moulds on the conveyer 10 to puck moulds on a conveyer 50, at the same time turning them right way up. They are carried to a flamer 52 to improve the lipstick surface, and to swivellers 54, 56 which retract and extend the lipstick pomade. An accumulator 58 precedes a twin track inspection station 60 from which the containers pass to a swiveller 68 to retract the pomade. At a station 70, a lid or cap is applied to each container. At a station 72, the containers are extracted from the puck moulds, and base buttons or base caps applied.