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(11) | EP 0 356 149 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Filling of containers |
| (57) Filling apparatus comprises a downwardly directed nozzle (15) for supplying liquid
to an open-topped container (c), and lifting and gripping means (25,28,31) located
at a lower level than the nozzle (15). The means (25,28,31) includes a lifting head
(29) with a flat top for supporting the container bottom and serving to lift the container
(c) to bring the mouth of the container (c) to the mouth of the nozzle (15) and retractable
gripping fingers (31) serving to grip the lower part of the container (c) at respective
opposite sides to ensure the lowering of the container (c) away from the nozzle(15)
as the lifting head (29) descends. |
[0001] This invention relates to filling apparatus for filling an open-topped container with a fluid substance and to a method of filling the container.
Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic, fragmentary, sectional, front elevation of a known filling station for filling open-topped cartons with liquid in a known liquid packaging machine, the carton being shown in a fully lowered condition, and
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the carton in a condition in which is is being lowered during filling.
[0002] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the filling station shown is part of a conventional machine for packaging liquid in gable-topped or flat-topped cartons, including at least a bottom closure folding station, a bottom closure sealing station, the filling station shown in Figures 1 and 2, a top closure folding station and a top closure sealing station. The machine includes a machine table 1 in which are mounted vertical cylindrical guides 2 and 3 which guide for vertical reciprocation, a vertical lifter rod 4 and a vertical retainer rod 5, respectively. A horizontal bar 6 fixes the rods 4 and 5 together at their lower ends. The bar 6 is connected to one end of a lever 7 by way of a connecting rod 8. The other end of the lever 7 is pivotally mounted upon a horizontal pin 9. Intermediate its two ends, the lever 7 is provided with a roller follower 10 which co-operates with the camming surface of a rotary cam 11 fixed to a horizontal shaft 12. The lever 7 is urged clockwise by a spring (not shown) to cause the follower 10 to bear against the cam 11.
[0003] The cartons C are displaced stepwise by a conveyor (not shown) along two parallel horizontal rails 13, the bottom closures of the cartons C bearing upon the rails 13. The lifter rod 4 has a horizontal head 14 which, in its lowermost position shown in Figure 1, has its uppermost surface substantially level with the uppermost surface of the rails 13. Arranged coaxially with the rod 4 at a small spacing above the path of the cartons C is a filler nozzle 15. The retainer rod 5 has fixed thereto at its upper end a finger-like retainer 16 to beneath which the rim of the top of the carton C moves as it is advanced into its stationary condition below the filler nozzle 15. With the carton C in that condition, the cam 11 is turned to allow the spring-loaded lever 7 to lift the rods 4 and 5 and thus lift the carton into its uppermost condition, in which a dose of liquid begins to be fed through the nozzle 15 to the carton C, the continued rotation of the cam 11 then lowering the carton C at a rate such that the liquid level in the carton C remains spaced a short distance below the mouth of the nozzle 15 as the liquid is filled into the carton (see Figure 2). The filled carton is lowered onto the rails 13 and advanced away by the conveyor (not shown). The retainer 16 ensures that the carton C follows the downward movement of the lifter head 14, which might not otherwise occur owing to friction between the carton and wall portions of the conveyor.
[0004] This known retainer arrangement is disadvantageous in certain circumstances. With aseptic filling, it is disadvantageous for the finger 16 to engage over the carton rim, since this can lead to the transfer of micro-organisms to the inside of the carton. Moreover, on machines employing a clean-in-place box encircling the filler nozzle 15, the retainer 5, 16 is an obstruction to successful design of the box.
[0005] US4712665 discloses a container lifting arrangement wherein a vertically displaceable pair of spaced horizontal rails and a vertically displaceable vacuum cup assembly are concentrically mounted and relatively actuated to raise and lower a container, in part while the container is being conveyed toward a filling station by a conveyor which advances the container along a fixed pair of horizontal rails. The vertically displaceable rails begin to lift the container before its advance has stopped, but the vacuum cup is caused to engage the bottom surface of the container only after the container's forward movement has been stopped, so as to not be subjected to any sliding action by the container, such action tending to roll the cup's edge and destroy its suction capabilities. However, if the bottom surface of the container is not reasonably planar (for example if the bottom closure varies significantly in bottom profile in vertical planes) or not virtually horizontal at the rim of the cup, the cup may fail to seize the container or may become detached from the container too soon during its lowering of the container.
[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided filling apparatus for filling an open-topped container with a fluid substance, comprising a downwardly directed filling nozzle for supplying said substance to said container, and lifting and gripping means located at a lower level than said nozzle and arranged to lift said container to raise the mouth of said container towards the mouth of said nozzle and arranged to grip the lower part of said container to ensure the lowering of said container away from said nozzle, characterized in that said lifting and gripping means includes first and second gripping members serving to bear against respective opposite sides of said lower part to grip said lower part between them.
[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of filling an open-topped container with a fluid substance, comprising lifting said container towards the mouth of a nozzle, supplying said substance through said mouth to said container, gripping the lower part of said container, and lowering the container away from said nozzle while continuing to grip said lower part, characterized by gripping the lower part of said container as aforesaid between first and second gripping members at respective opposite sides of said lower part.
[0008] Owing to the invention, the lower part of the container can be gripped more reliably and thus lowered more reliably.
[0009] The lifting and gripping means may be in the form of gripping means separate from lifting means, but lowered with the lifting means, but is preferably in the form of gripping means mounted upon, and thus arranged to rise and fall with, an upper part of the lifting means.
[0010] In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to Figures 3 to 8 of the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 3 shows a fragmentary, diagrammatic, side elevation view of an embodiment of a filling station according to the present invention, with a carton in a lowermost condition,
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the carton in an uppermost condition,
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the carton in a condition in which it is being lower during filling,
Figure 6 shows a view similar to Figure 3, but with the carton filled and in its lowermost condition.
Figure 7 shows a detail of Figure 3 or 4, and
Figure 8 shows a detail of Figure 5 or 6.
[0011] In the embodiment according to the invention and shown in Figures 3 to 8, the items 5, 6 and 16 of Figures 1 and 2 are dispensed with. The lifter rod 4 terminates in a bracket 20 fixed to a horizontal mounting plate 21. Also fixed to the plate 21 is a pneumatic piston-and-cylinder device 22 of which the piston 23 is attached to a flexible coupling 24 and thence via a gripper rod 25 to a gripper rod head 26. Fixed relative to the rod 4 is a yoke 27 connected to a lifter tube 28 coaxially encircling the rod 25. At its upper end the lifter tube 28 has fixed thereto a lifter head 29, in which are pivotally mounted, upon respective horizontal parallel pivot pins 30 fixed in the head 29, two fingers 31 in the form of bell-crank levers. The respective inner ends of the fingers 31 are provided with followers 32 arranged in respective horizontal camming slots 33 in the head 26. The head 29 has a flat top 34 for supporting the carton C at its bottom closure. A protective cover 35 is fixedly sealed to the tube 28 by means of the O-ring seal 36. Figures 3 to 8 show one arrangement 22-26, 28-34 associated with one end of the yoke 27; there is an identical arrangement associated with the other end of the yoke 27, whereby two cartons can be filled simultaneously at respective filling stations.
[0012] In operation of the station shown in Figures 3 to 8, the carton C is slid as one of a row along the rails 13 until it is immediately above the top 34, the fingers 31 being in their withdrawn conditions shown in Figures 3 and 7 in which they do not project above the level of the tops of the rails 13. The rod 4 is then raised to lift the items 20 to 36 and with them the carton towards the closed filler nozzle 15, so that the carton is received around the nozzle 15 and enters a clean-in-place box 37 encircling the nozzle. When the items 20 to 36 have reached their uppermost condition shown in Figure 4, the nozzle 15 opens and begins to supply liquid into the carton C. Then the device 22 is operated to cause the rod 25 to be lowered relative to the tube 28, so that the followers 32 are displaced downwards to swing the outer ends of the fingers 31 to above the top 34 and towards each other to grip the lower part of the carton C between them, the fingers 31 pressing against respective opposite sides of the carton at locations just above the bottom closure of the carton. Then the rod 4 lowers the items 20 to 36 downwards at a pre-set rate determined by the rate of filling of the liquid into the carton C. The rate is such as to minimise splashing of the entering liquid onto the liquid already in the carton C. This condition is illustrated in Figure 5 The items 20 to 36 then continue to be lowered until they reach their condition shown in Figure 6 in which the nozzle 15 has ceased filling the carton C and the carton rests upon the rails 13. Then the device 22 is operated to bring the fingers 31 back to the condition shown in Figures 3 and 7, whereupon the carton C can be advanced along the rails 13.
1. Filling apparatus for filling an open-topped container (c) with a fluid substance,
comprising a downwardly directed filling nozzle (15) for supplying said substance
to said container (c), and lifting and gripping means (29,31,34) located at a lower
level than said nozzle (15) and arranged to ift said container (c) to raise the mouth
of said container (c) towards the mouth of said nozzle (15) and arranged to grip the
lower part of said container (c) to ensure the lowering of said container (c) away
from said nozzle (15), characterized in that said lifting and gripping means (29,31,34)
includes first and second gripping members (31) serving to bear against respective
opposite sides of said lower part to grip said lower part between them.
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said lifting and gripping means (29,31,34)
further comprises gripping member supporting means (29) mounting said gripping members
(31) for movement relative to said supporting means (29) and to each other, and driving
means (25,26) connected to said gripping members (31) for displacing said gripping
members (31) towards and away from each other and thus towards and away from said
lower part.
3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said gripping members (31) comprise respective
arms of respect bell-crank levers (31) whereof respective other arms are linked to
said driving means (25,26).
4. Apparatus according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein said driving means (25,26) comprises
first and second camming means (33) and is connected to said gripping members (31)
as aforesaid by way of first and second followers (32) co-operating with said first
and second camming means (33), respectively.
5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said first and second camming means (33)
comprise respective substantially horizontal slots (33).
6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said lifting and gripping means
(29,31,34) further comprises a substantially horizontal lifting surface (34), and
said gripping members (31) are displaceable away from each other into positions in
which the whole of each gripping member (31) is below the plane of said lifting surface
(34).
7. A method of filling an open-topped container (c) with a fluid substance, comprising
lifting said container (c) towards the mouth of a nozzle (15), supplying said substance
through said mouth to said container (c), gripping the lower part of said container
(c), and lowering the container (c) away from said nozzle (15) while continuing to
grip said lower part, characterized by gripping the lower part of said container (c)
as aforesaid between first and second gripping members (31) at respective opposite
sides of said lower part.
8. A method according to Claim 7, wherein said gripping members (31) are turned about
respective axes (30) to bring them into and out of gripping relationship with said
lower part.
9. A method according to claim 8, wherein first and second camming means (33), drivingly
connected to said gripping members (31) by way of respective (30) to turn said gripping
members (31) as aforesaid.