Device for filling containers

Abstract

 A filling apparatus 1 has a stock tank 7, a filling orifice 9 and a pump 11. The pump is connected via a suction tube 13 to the stock tank and via a compressed air tube 15 to the filling orifice. The filling apparatus 1 also has a first closure valve 17, which is present in the suction tube, and a second closure valve 19, which is present in the compressed air tube.
With the first closure valve 17 open and the second closure valve 19 closed, the pump 11 sucks the substance 5 via the suction tube 13 from the stock tank 7. Then with the first closure valve 17 closed and the second closure valve 19 open the pump forces substance 5 via the compressed air tube 15 to the filling orifice 9.
The pump 5 is formed by two cylinders 21, 23 that move telescopically into each other, of which a first cylinder 21 is connected to the suction tube 13 and the second cylinder 23 is connected to the compressed air tube 15. The first cylinder 21 is here fixed and the second cylinder 23 can be slid over the first cylinder. The suction tube 13, compressed air tube 15 and the cylinders 21 and 23 are present in line.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a filling apparatus for filling receptacles with viscous substances, with or without solid particles, comprising a suction tube for connection to a stock tank, a filling orifice with a compressed air tube connected thereto, and two cylinders that slide telescopically into each other, in which the first cylinder is connected to the suction tube and the second cylinder is connected to the compressed air tube.

Prior art

[0002] Such a filling apparatus is known from US 4,544,006. In the known filling apparatus the cylinders that slide telescopically into each other form a filling station, in which a filling cylinder can be moved in a pre-chamber cylinder to which a feed tube for a viscous substance is connected. The substance is fed under pressure via the feed tube so that the filling cylinder is pressed outwards and a connection between the pre-chamber cylinder and filling cylinder is released so that the substance can flow from the pre-chamber cylinder into the filling cylinder.

[0003] The substance can be severely restricted by bends in the tube. This will damage the structure of the substance and in particular any solid particles therein, such as fruit particles, so that the quality of the substance and any particles therein will deteriorate.

Summary of the invention

[0004] An objective of the invention is to provide a filling apparatus of the sort described in the preamble in which the quality of the substance with any solid particles present therein is retained. For this purpose the filling apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that the filling apparatus also comprises a first closure valve, which is present in the suction tube, and a second closure valve present in the compressed air tube, whereby both cylinders and both closure valves form a pump, which with the first closure valve open and the second closure valve closed sucks the substance up via the suction tube from the stock tank and then with the first closure valve closed and the second closure valve open forces the substance via the compressed air tube to the filling orifice. When the cylinders slide out of each other the volume in the cylinders increases, so that substance is sucked via the suction tube from the stock tank, and when the cylinders slide into each other the volume decreases, so that the substance is pressed away via the compressed air tube. This ensures that the substance is not bothered by a piston moving to and fro, so that the quality remains constant.

[0005] Note that from US 4,518,021 a filling apparatus is known in which both cylinders that move telescopically into each other form a valve. This means the cylinders cannot execute a pump action.

[0006] An embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that the cylinders and the suction and compressed air tube are present in line, in which the filling orifice is aimed downwards. The absence of bends in the tubes means that the substance is even less restricted so that the quality remains more constant.

[0007] A further embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that the first cylinder is stationary and the second cylinder can be slid over the first cylinder. This provides the biggest change in volume on moving the second cylinder.

[0008] A still further embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that the filling apparatus also comprises movement devices, which repeatedly raise a receptacle under the filling orifice and then slowly lower it during filling, as well as transport devices that the move the receptacles intermittently under the filling orifice, in which during the rest periods a receptacle is displaced vertically by the movement devices, which transport devices comprise a transport belt that is provided with vertical guides to guide the receptacles during the vertical displacement, which guides can be moved under the filling orifice in the lowest position, in which the displacement of the second cylinder and the movement devices are arranged so that when filling a receptacle the level of the substance in the receptacle remains a short distance under the filling orifice and the receptacle remains in the guide. The filling orifice must be just above the level of the substance as otherwise the substance would drop too quickly so that the quality would decrease too much. As the filling orifice moves with the second cylinder the receptacles needs to be displaced over a smaller distance than if the filling orifice were fixed, as is the case with the known filling apparatus. This means that the receptacles do not have to be lifted above the guides.

Brief description of the drawings

[0009] The invention will be elucidated further below on the basis of drawings in which an embodiment of the filling apparatus according to the invention is shown. Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the filling apparatus in lengthwise cross-section.

Detailed description of the drawings

[0010] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the filling apparatus 1 according to the invention for filling receptacles 3 with a viscous substance 5. The filling apparatus 1 has a stock tank 7, a filling orifice 9 and a pump 11. The pump is connected via a suction tube 13 to the stock tank and via a compressed air tube 15 to the filling orifice. The filling apparatus 1 also has a first closure valve 17, which is present in the suction tube, and a second closure valve 19, which is present in the compressed air tube.

[0011] With the first closure valve 17 open and the second closure valve 19 closed the pump 11 sucks the substance 5 via the suction tube 13 from the stock tank 7. Then with the first closure valve 17 closed and the second closure valve 19 open, the pump forces the substance 5 via the compressed air tube 15 to the filling orifice 9.

[0012] The pump 5 is formed by two cylinders 21, 23 that move telescopically into each other, in which a first cylinder 21 is connected to the suction tube 13 and the second cylinder 23 is connected to the compressed air tube 15. The first cylinder 21 is here fixed and the second cylinder 23 is can be slid over the first cylinder. The suction tube 13, compressed air tube 15 and the cylinders 21 and 23 are present in line (indicated by centre line 25).

[0013] The filling apparatus 1 also has movement devices 27, which raise the receptacle 3 under the filling orifice 9 and then lower it slowly during filling. The filling apparatus 1 also has transport devices 29, which move the receptacles intermittently under the filling orifice 9. During the rest periods of the intermittent movement the receptacle 3 is displaced vertically by the movement devices 27.

[0014] The transport devices 27 comprise a transport belt 31, which is provided with vertical guides 33 to guide the receptacles during the vertical displacement. The guides can be moved under the filling orifice 9 in the lowest position. The displacement of the second cylinder 23 and the movement devices 27 are arranged so that when a receptacle is being filled the level 35 of the substance in the receptacle remains at a short distance under the filling orifice 9 and the receptacle 3 remains in the guide 33.

[0015] Although in the above the invention is explained on the basis of the drawings, it should be noted that the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiment shown in the drawings within the context defined by the claims.

Claims

1. Filling apparatus for filling receptacles with viscous substances, with or without solid particles, comprising a suction tube for connection to a stock tank, a filling orifice with a compressed air tube connected thereto, and two cylinders that move telescopically into each other, in which a first cylinder is connected to the suction tube and the second cylinder is connected to the compressed air tube, characterised in that the filling apparatus also comprises a first closure valve, which is present in the suction tube, and a second closure valve, which is present in the compressed air tube, in which both cylinders and both closure valves form a pump, which when the first closure valve is open and the second closure valve is closed sucks the substance via the suction tube from the stock tank and then when the first closure valve is closed and the second closure valve is opened forces the substance via the compressed air tube to the filling orifice.

2. Filling apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the cylinders and the suction and compressed air tube are in line, in which the filling orifice is aimed downwards.

3. Filling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first cylinder is stationary and the second cylinder can be slid over the first cylinder.

4. Filling apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the filling apparatus also comprises movement devices, which continually raise a receptacle under the filling orifice and then lower it slowly during filling, as well as transport devices that move the receptacles intermittently under the filling orifice, in which a receptacle can be displaced vertically by the movement devices during the rest periods, which transport devices comprise a transport belt, which is provided with vertical guides to guide the receptacles during the vertical displacement, which guides can be moved under the filling orifice in the lowest position, in which the displacement of the second cylinder and the movement devices are arranged so that when a receptacle is being filled the level of the substance in the receptacle remains at a short distance under the filling orifice and the receptacle remains in the guide.

Drawing