Patent Publication Number: US-4258758-A

Title: Automatic liquid-container filler

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 913,590, filed June 8, 1978, now abandoned. 
    
    
     It is the general object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive but highly effective automatic liquid-container filler which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to utilize. 
     A more specific object is to provide a simple device which can be utilized in conjunction with a constant source of liquid to automatically fill a plurality of open containers with the liquid without filling any to excess, thereby enabling the device to remain unattended over an extended period of time. 
    
    
     These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, in which 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an automatic liquid-container filler positioned with respect to a plurality of open-necked bottles and illustrating the manner in which it functions; and 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through the coupling shown at the lefthand side of FIG. 1 and illustrating the manner in which the device may be extended to permit filling of an unlimited number of such open-necked containers. 
    
    
     The device is comprised of a simple, elongated header conduit 5 which is adapted to receive a liquid from a constant source (not shown), such as a distiller, through the use of a funnel member 6. The header member 5 carries a plurality of depending trap members 7 within which the liquid is trapped until it reaches its upper liquid-trapping level indicated by the numeral 8. Thereafter, the liquid flows over into the outlet tube 9, which is connected to the trap above the level 8, and depends therefrom to a level substantially lower than the trap, as shown in FIG. 1. The trap is connected to the header by an inlet tube 10 which is defined as that portion of the tube which extends from the header 5 to the trap member at the upper liquid-trapping level. Each of the traps 7 is an upwardly facing U-shaped conduit and is constructed identically and is secured, as shown, to the underside of the header 5 in liquid receiving relation. 
     When the liquid is received in the header, as illustrated at the righthand side of FIG. 1, it passes along the header, which is preferably downwardly inclined to the left, as shown in FIG. 1, until it reaches the first trap 7 which is filled first. When the trap is filled, the liquid commences to overflow into the outlet tube 9 and to fill the container 11. When the level of the liquid in the container 11 rises sufficiently so as to cover the lower end of the outlet tube 9, the air within the tube 9 is trapped therein and the liquid continues to pass into the container until the hydrostatic pressure at the outlet of the tube 9 equals the hydrostatic pressure which is built up within the inlet tube 10. Thereafter, no more liquid will flow into the container 11 and it will continue to pass to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, to the next trap 7, at which location the process just described is repeated until the container is filled. Thus, each of the containers will be filled sequentially without any of them running over, and despite being open, or unsealed. 
     It will be readily appreciated, that if it is desired, an unlimited number of containers 11 may be connected to the header 5 by merely extending the latter as shown through the use of a simple coupling 12, which may be connected to another header 5 with similar traps 7, and outlet tubes 9. 
     It will be readily appreciated that through the use of a such a device, as is shown herein, it is possible to operate a system which provides a constant source of liquid, such as a water distiller, and leave the same unattended for extended periods of time without concern about the collector containers 11 becoming overfilled and running over. 
     It will be recognized that the tubular material from which the trap 7 is constructed is of equal diameter to that of the inlet tubes 10 and the outlet tubes 9. It is critical that the outlet tube 9 be of sufficient length and extend into the container a sufficient distance so that the hydrostatic pressure which is built up at the lower end of the outlet tube when the liquid level rises thereabove becomes equal to that which is created at the inlet tube 10 when the liquid ceases to pass through the trap 7. When this occurs, the trap is by-passed and the liquid continues on to the next trap and container. 
     It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.