Abstract:
A device designed to be incorporated in a volumetric feeder having a body in which a distribution key with a vertical axis is rotatably mounted. The body with a truncated seat open at the base and at the top and having a lateral opening. The seat is designed to receive the dispensing key whereof the truncated part is open at the base and has a radial opening and is likewise open at the top in an axially extending stem projecting from the body towards the bottom and open in its distal end.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a distribution device able to be integrated in a volumetric measurer. It also concerns said measurer. 
     This distribution device is intended to alternately establish a communication channel between the storage tank and the cylinder of the volumetric measurer, and a communication channel between the cylinder and the outlet of the measurer. Said device is intended to be mounted at the end of the cylinder inside which a piston circulates. 
     As regards their current shape, distribution devices comprise a body in which a distribution key is mounted rotating, said key having an axial opening and radial internal passages via which it cooperates with the openings of the body so as to establish said communication channels. 
     In this conventional architecture, the outlet of the measurer at the end of a filling nozzle is inevitably offset by a distance from the communication opening of the body where the measurer carries out sealed closing between consecutive filling phases. 
     When pure liquids are being treated, this configuration does not bring about any problem as it merely suffices to equip the outlet of a joining piece with an adequate grille for preventing any ill-timed flow between the filling phases. 
     The situation is not the same with liquids loaded with particles or pieces since the use of a grille becomes impossible and there is no simple alternative. In practice, in this case it is impossible to avoid uncontrolled falls of the product which affect accuracy of the measuring and which also are sources of smears for boxes or packaging jars, as well as for the machine. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is the result of a search to resolve this problem and consists of a new distribution device architecture for providing a simple and effective solution furthermore making it possible to install a cleaning system, also simple and effective compared to existing devices. 
     This distribution device of the invention includes a body in which a distribution key with a vertical axis is rotatably mounted. It is characterised in that said body comprises a truncated seat open at its base and top and having a side opening. The seat is intended to receive the distribution key, whose truncated portion is open at its base and has a radial opening, and is also open at its top in an axial extension tail coming out of the body towards the bottom and open at its distal extremity. 
     When this distribution device is installed in a measurer, the axial extension tail of the distribution key shall be arranged so as to constitute the opening towards the outlet of the measurer which could thus be located at the extremity of a joining piece or nozzle placed in line with said extension tail, that is centred on the rotation axis of the distribution key so as to allow to mount at the proper location of the outlet a shutter whose operational movements shall be linked to those of the distribution key. 
     Secondly, a simple translation movement of the distribution key in the body shall make it possible to sufficiently move away from each other all of the internal surfaces functionally in contact of the various elements of the distribution key, especially the distribution key and the faucet, so as to organise effective washing flows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The characteristics and advantages of the invention mentioned above and others shall appear more clearly on a reading of the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings on which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an axial section of a distribution device according to the invention and mounted at the base of a measurer and at a position enabling the measurer to be loaded; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG.  1  and represents the distribution device in a position enabling the measurer to carry out a filling operation, and 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to the first two and represents the distribution device in a cleaning position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     On the drawings, the invention is thus illustrated as applied to filling machine measurers and has been specially designed as much for said measurers. 
     This measurer basically includes a cylinder C, partially represented, a suction and force piston P in the cylinder C, and, mounted at the base of the latter, a distribution device D according to the invention which communicates with the cylinder C, and selectively with a storage tank of the filling machine (not shown) and with the outlet of the measurer. 
     The distribution device D comprises a body or faucet  1  having an approximately annular shape internally forming a cylindrical cup  10  whose bottom has a circular opening  11  centred on the axis X-X of the measurer. On one side the body  1  comprises fixing means to be connected in sealed communication with said storage tank by a communication channel  12  in its side wall. 
     Internally inside said cup, the body  1  closely receives an element  2  forming a seat having a cylindrical neck  21  traversing the bottom opening  11  of the body  1 . The seat  2  internally has the shape of a truncated cone open upward by its base in the cylinder C and downward by its top in the neck  21  which close to its outlet has an annular chamber  23 . The seat  2  secondly comprises a side opening  22  in its truncated wall portion which towards the inside extends the side opening  12  of the body  1 . 
     The seat  2  cooperates with a distribution key  3  having the general shape of a horn whose truncated portion  30  is applied sealed against the internal truncated surface of the seat  2  and whose extension tail  31  comes outwardly through the neck  21  by traversing a gasket  24  mounted at the outlet of the latter. 
     The distribution key  3  is open upward by the base of its truncated portion  30  in the cylinder C and externally towards the bottom by the extremity of its tail  31 , and it laterally comprises an opening  32  which, for a specific rotation position around X-X, comes into the extension of the openings  12  and  22  respectively in the seat  2  and the body  1 . 
     According to one characteristic of the invention, the distribution device D further comprises a joining piece  4  by which the transfer of products between the measurer and the packagings to be filled is effected to be subsequently denoted as the outlet joining piece or filling joining piece. The joining piece  4  includes an internal cylindrical part or internal joining piece  40  connected sealed to the tail  31  of the distribution key  3  and whose other extremity is engaged with rotation aptitude around X-X in an external cylindrical part or external joining piece  45 . The internal joining piece  40  is therefore centred on the axis X-X and has an outlet  41  offset and narrowed with respect to its inlet which is axial to it, so as to be fully outside the axis X-X, whereas the external joining piece  45 , which is locked in rotation around X-X, comprises a bottom wall  46  with an opening  47 , also offset centre in the same way as the orifice  41 , that is so as to be fully outside X-X. With the extremity surface of the internal joining piece  40  surrounding the orifice  41  and the internal surface of the extremity wall  46  of the external joining piece  45  surrounding the opening  47  being applied in sealed contact with one on the other during operation, the joining piece is only open when the orifice  41  and the opening  47  are in correspondence and secondly the joining piece  4  is controlled on opening and closing via the drive in rotation around X-X of the unit constituted by the key  3  and the internal joining piece  40  which are integral with each other. The circumference of the orifice  41  in the joining piece  40  is preferably a sharp edge (at 90°), whereas the circumference of the opening  47  in the joining piece  45  is cut into a bevel flared towards the outside so as to obtain a perfect sectioning during closing. 
     The internal joining piece  40  is fixed at the end of the tail  31  of the distribution key  3  by means of a part  5  which, according to the invention, is used here to furthermore control the operational movements of rotation of the unit around X-X by conventionally cooperating by a disposition of cams formed at its periphery with fingers placed at specific locations on the path of the measurers in the filling machine. 
     The piece  5  is therefore a clamping collar, in other words an open ring provided with clamping means. In the embodiment shown, it internally comprises an annular throat with a V profile intended to receive opposite it the extremity shoulders of complementary profiles of the tail  31  and the joining piece  40  so that the clamping of the piece  5  has the double effect of producing an axial force applied between the two extremities in contact with each other of the key  3  and the joining piece  40  ensuring imperviousness between them with the aid of the gasket  42  mounted in the extremity of the joining piece and rendering integral the unit it forms with the key  3  and the joining piece  40  included in rotation around X-X. 
     The external joining piece  45  shall firstly also be locked in rotation and secondly its bottom wall shall be applied with a certain force against the corresponding extremity surface of the internal joining piece  40  so that their blocking function is effective. To this effect, the external joining piece  45  is borne in a ring  6  fixed overhanging under the body  1  and provided to this effect with a radial external arm  61  which is fixed at the end of small columns  62  mounted under the body  1  with the aid of screws  63 . The joining piece  45  is engaged in the collar  6  and is in support on the upper edge of the latter by an upper small collar  48  with an elastomer washer  65  therebetween. It is the washer  65  which provides the application force between the extremities in contact with each other of the joining pieces  40  and  45 , said force accordingly being adjustable with the aid of screws  63  ensuring the linking of the collar  6  with the small columns  62 . 
     Moreover, the joining piece  45  internally has two extremity bores calibrated to the outer diameter of the internal joining piece  41  so as to receive it closely with, between the two, a recess  49  to be referred to subsequently. Inserted into the upper bore are a slide ring  50  and then below a gasket  51 . 
     During operation, in the position of FIG. 1, the unit formed by the key  3  and the joining piece  40  is in a rotational position around X-X in which the obturator  4  is closed and the side opening  32  of the key  3  is open on the storage tank, that is in correspondence with the openings  22  and  12  in the seat  2  and the body  1 . At the same time, the piston P in the cylinder C is in the bottom position. When the piston moves up, the cylinder C of the measurer shall be loaded with the product. 
     Following this loading phase, the unit formed by the key  3  and the joining piece  40  shall be moved in rotation by the piece  5  so as to take up the position shown on FIG.  2 : the obturator  4  is open, whereas the key  3  interrupts communication with the storage tank by sealing off the opening  22  in the seat  2 . Under the effect of the moving down of the piston P inside the cylinder C, the charged product in the measurer is removed via the open filling joining piece  4 . 
     Filling ends when the piston P again reaches its bottom position shown on the drawing on FIG.  2 . It is to be noted that the extremity of the piston P is truncated and designed in such as way so as to penetrate into the key  3  as far as the upper level of the side opening  32  of the latter and that moreover the openings  32 ,  22  and  12  are cut so that the upper portion of their wall is continually rising towards the storage tank, this disposition constituting a simple element for automatically purging the air in the measurer. 
     Another significant advantage of the invention as a development of the latter is being able to associate with the distribution device an automatic cleaning system, that is a system able to provide an internal effective cleaning of all its components without the latter being dismantled. 
     This system shown on the drawings includes a means to move in translation along X-X the unit formed by the key  3  and the internal joining piece  40  with a view for cleaning to move away from each other the surfaces normally in operational contact inside the body  1  and the joining piece  4 , circuit elements being advantageously associated with said means so as to optimise a cleaning flow inside the body  1  and the joining piece  4 , as well as inside the cylinder C, that is in the whole unit of the measurer. 
     More specifically, in the embodiment shown, the means for moving in translation the unit formed by the key  3  and the internal joining piece  40  includes at least one pneumatic thrustor  72  placed on the side of the tail  31  between the lower part of the body  1  and a support  70  fixed under the lower extremity of the seat  2 . In its passage opening for the tail  31 , the support  70  advantageously comprises a guiding and sliding ring  71  below the gasket  24 . 
     By means of its rod, the thrustor  72  moves in translation along X-X a collar  75  in which, by means of a roller  76 , the tail  31  of the distribution key  3  is fixed so as to be solely able to freely rotate around X-X. It is to be noted that the thrustor  72  is advantageously arranged in such a way that in the operational position of the key  3  in the seat  2 , it is not at the end of travel so that it is possible to allocate to it for an additional function for producing the required application force between the key  3  and the seat  2 . 
     The circuit elements constitute a communication channel formed of a pipe  80  between the annular throat  23  in the neck  21  of the seat  2  and the recess  49  in the external joining piece  45 . It is to be noted that in the embodiment shown, the pipe  80  includes a semi-rigid tube section passing inside the arm  61  of the collar  6 , said arm  61  being to this effect formed of two symmetrical portions with respect to its longitudinal axis, this disposition being an extremely simple and effective means for locking in rotation the external joining piece  45  in its support ring  6 . 
     FIG. 3 shows the measurer with the unit formed by the key  3  and the internal joining piece  40  in a cleaning position: the key  3  (in the position of rotation around X-X of FIG. 2) is spaced from the seat  2  so as to form with the latter a gap open upward in the cylinder C and downward in the throat  23 . In the joining piece  4 , the lower extremity of the internal joining piece  41  is lifted into the recess  49 . A flow of cleaning liquid arriving from the storage tank via the openings  12  and  22  in the gap between the seat  2  and the key  3  is divided into two: towards the cylinder C and towards the annular throat  23 . From the cylinder C, it goes down into the key  3 , the internal joining piece  40  and into the recess  49  where it rejoins the other portion of the flow coming from the annular throat  23 . The arrows show that all the internal surfaces of the measurer are effectively scavenged by the cleaning liquid. It is to be noted that it is possible to connect a conduit at the outlet of the joining piece  4 , for example so as to organise a closed circuit for the cleaning liquid. Further, it is to be noted that it is also possible to then alternate the direction of the cleaning flow. 
     Apart from said advantages and those implicitly inherent in the above description, it is proper to note that the invention offers the possibility of having a complete range of versions of a given measurer which only vary concerning their filling joining piece  4  able moreover to be easily interchanged depending on the application: packaging of pure liquid, packaging of products with pieces, filling via the bottom, etc.