Patent GB-1118921-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for controlling the delivery of materials
IPC: F16K31/12
Filed: 1963-11-30
Abstract: 1,118,921. Filling casks. J. G. HURST, and D. H. YOUNG. 1 March, 1965 [30 Nov., 1963], No. 4734/63. Heading B8T. [Also in Divisions G2 and G3] Apparatus for automatically filling, e.g. casks, comprises (Fig. 1) a post 11 carrying rotatable arms 12 which in turn carry a post 15 having mounted thereon a pair of parallel arms 16, the free ends of which carry a filling nozzle 18, each upper arm 16 being connected to the piston-rod 21 of a piston working in a cylinder 19 attached to the top of post 15. In use, the operator lowers the nozzle into the cask and rotates a cock 57 (Fig. 2) to allow air under pressure to pass from a port 54 to a port 55 and thence to a conduit 56 connected at 38 to a cylinder 37, thereby raising a piston 36 against a spring 40 and opening a valve 33, 34 to admit liquid to the nozzle tube 23 from an inlet tube 29. Air from conduit 56 also passes to a Venturi tube 52, the flow through which creates a partial vacuum in a conduit 46 connected via conduits 44, 41 to a port 42 in the nozzle tube 23. When the liquid level in the cask covers the port 42, the vacuum in a branch conduit 47 connected to a diaphragm chamber 53 of a valve 22 is lowered and causes the diaphragm 63 to move to unseat a valve member 65 from a port 59 communicating with conduit 56. Air under pressure now flows from port 59 to a port 69 and thence via conduits 72, 73 to the upper half of the cylinder 37, thereby equalizing the pressures across the piston 36 and causing it to lower under the action of spring 40 to close the valve 33, 34. At the same time, air from conduit 72 flows via a conduit 74 to act on a piston 84 in a cylinder 77, thereby causing the piston to move to unseat a checkvalve 83 and allowing the nozzle tube to communicate with the atmosphere via a conduit 79 and port 86 in cylinder 77. Air from conduit 72 also flows via a restriction 78 and conduit 75 to the cylinder 19 where it acts on the piston to raise the nozzle tube clear of the keg, any liquid in the tube being free to escape by virtue of the connection of the latter with atmosphere. The operator now rotates the cock 57 to connect ports 48, 55 and air from the cylinder 37 purges the conduit 41, the valve member 65 closing ports 59 and 69 under the action of the diaphragm loading spring 71. In the modification of Fig. 4 (not shown), a further port is provided in the nozzle tube above port 42, and this further port is connected to the upper diaphragm chamber to thereby obviate the effect of back-pressures when the nozzle tube is a tight fit in the bung hole. In Fig. 5 (not shown), the Venturi tube 52 is dispensed with and the nozzle tube is made Venturi shaped, a connection being made from the neck thereof to the diaphragm chamber and thence to an adjustable dip-tube which senses the level of the liquid. In Fig. 6 connections are made from the pressure line 144 to a single acting power device 142 and to one side of a double-acting power device 141, and further connections are made from the secondary pressure line 145 to the other side of device 141 and to a second singleacting device 143. When air is supplied to line 144, devices 142 are actuated to operate other control devices, and when valve 147 opens to admit pressure fluid to line 145, device 141 returns to its initial position and device 143 lifts the nozzle from the container being filled. Device 141 may be used to initiate a topping-up of the container via a second nozzle tube after the main one is cut off. In Fig. 7 the invention is applied to filling a pressurized container 151 with beer or carbonated water and comprises a dip-tube 153 communicating with an expansion chamber 152, a tube 154 leading from the chamber to the Venturi-tube. When the liquid covers port 162 it rises up tube 153 and collects in the expansion chamber, thereby closing off the end of tube 154 and causing closure of the filling tube. An inflatable seal may be provided between the container and the filling and sensing tubes. When the level being sensed is turbulent, several spaced sensing tubes may be provided. Several two-stage filling devices are described, in one of which a second sensing tube is provided having its orifice at a lower level than the first tube. The second tube actuates a by-pass in the pipe supplying the filling nozzle to reduce the throughput. In the case where two separate filling nozzles are provided, the control valve for the first is set to be responsive to much lower pressure changes than the second and its sensing orifice is smaller, so that when its orifice is closed it increases the air velocity through the second to actuate the less sensitive diaphragm when the latter's orifice is closed. In this latter case, a float valve in the first sensing tube prevents flooding of the first diaphragm control unit. Alternatively, a second Venturi may be brought into actuation when the first control valve is actuated to provide the greater suction required to operate the second control valve. The filling of containers to a preset weight may be obtained by fitting electrical contacts or a light-sensitive detection device to a set of scales, the signal therefrom being used to actuate a solenoid valve which vents, and thereby closes, the main valve. Another arrangement incorporates a beam of light to similarly prevent the main valve from opening if a container is not in position. The post 11 may be rotatable with a turntable so that the containers are filled during one revolution thereof. Instead of the liquid level being used to close the orifice and thereby close the filling valve, a weighing scale may be provided with a plug which closes the orifice and thus the apparatus is controlled by the weight of material delivered. The apparatus may be adapted to control the addition of solids, e.g. powders, into a liquid since the addition of the solids will cause a rise in liquid level. The Venturi may be replaced by a vacuum pump. A combination of two valves may be used to maintain a liquid level between pre-set limits.