Patent GB-1092830-A (GB)
Title: Filling heads for container filling machines
Inventor: BAGULEY JOHN
IPC: B67C3/26
Filed: 1965-11-11
Abstract: 1,092,830. Bottling. BRATBY & HINCHLIFFE Ltd. Oct. 31, 1966, [Nov. 11, 1965], No. 47917/65. Heading B8T. [Also in Division F2]. A counter-pressure filling head has a counterpressure pipe 41, and a liquid inlet valve 38 closed when a bottle 16 has been filled, a gas tank 56 previously in communication through the filling head with the counterpressure space above the liquid 26 in a filling bowl 12 then releasing its gas under pressure to blow residual liquid in the neck of the bottle and in the lower part of the counterpressure pipe 41 up the latter, and through ports, &c. 80, 77, 86, 89, 60, 57 to a sump 93 maintained at a pressure above atmospheric but less than the counter-pressure. The level of the liquid in the bottle 16 is accordingly brought down to the level of a hole 47 in the counter-pressure pipe, and each bottle passed through the machine is filled to the same level. Finally, a shift valve 49 is cam operated to vent the remaining pressure in the bottle neck. A bottle filling cycle is started by placing the neck of a bottle 16 in engagement with a resilient head 32, as shown. A valve 73 is then cam operated to vent to atmosphere compressed air in a servo cylinder 64, biasing downwards a piston 65 and previously supplied through valve 73 from a source pipe 29. Counter-pressure in the filling bowl 12 is admitted through ports 90 in a fixed support 30 and through a perforated sleeve 68 to the lower face of the servo piston 65, which is thus slidden upwardly from the position shown to align ports 77, 85. Counter-pressure then enters through these ports and the counterpressure pipe 41 to the bottle 16 and to a pipe 55 leading to the gas tank 56. As counterpressure builds up in the bottle 16, &c., it acts on the under side of the liquid inlet valve 38 to move the latter upwards to its open position, allowing liquid to run into the bottle through ports 54, 37. When the bottle 16 is full, the valve 73 is again cam actuated, this time to connect the compressed air pipe 29 to the cylinder 64, so that the piston 65 is slidden downwards to the position shown, closing the liquid inlet valve 38, &c. The liquid is then levelled in the filled bottle as described above. In a modified construction, the counterpressure pipe is in two axially-separable parts (118, 129), Fig. 4B (not shown), with a disengageable pipe coupling (126, 127) between them (see Division F2) and situated in the counterpressure space of the filling bowl (167). The upper part (129) of the counter-pressure pipe slides through the top of the filling bowl (167) and through a valve (159, &c.). Fig. 4B, which can either shut or open to a sump (165). The upper counter-pressure pipe (129) is coupled to a double-acting pneumatic servo (147) mounted on top of the filling bowl (167) above the valve (159, &c.). During filling, the double-acting servo (147) raises the upper counter-pressure pipe (129) to disconnect the pipe coupling (159, &c.) and admit counter-pressure through the lower counter-pressure pipe (118) to the bottle (16) and a gas tank (114). Increasing gas pressure in the bottle (16) opens the liquid inlet valve (122). When the bottle (16) has been filled, the double-acting servo (147) lowers the upper counter-pressure pipe (129) and reconnects the pipe coupling (126, 127), at the same time opening the valve (159, &c.). Counter-pressure in the gas tank (114) now blows excess liquid in the bottle through a hole (125) in the counter-pressure pipe (119. 129), through the valve (159, &c.), and to the sump (165). Alternatively, the double-acting servo (147) may be a single-acting servo (147), Fig. 5 (not shown), acting against spring bias and controlled by a valve (204) adjacent to and operated by the rise, &c. of a bottle support platform (203). Filling heads as described may be disposed circumferentially around the filling bowl of a rotary-table bottling machine (10), Fig. 1 (not shown), the sump (93) leading back through a pump (96) to a carbonating tank (22) feeding the machine. Bottles are supplied to and removed from the machine by star wheels (18, 20), Fig. 2 (not shown).