Filling tube assembly for automatic filling machines

Claim 1

A FILLING TUBE ASSEMBLY FOR FILLING A CONTAINER WITH LIQUID WHILE THE LATTER REMAINS UNSEALED AND OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE, COMPRISING A HEAD HAVING A VALVE HOUSING AND A DEPENDING FILLING STEM ADAPTED TO BE RECIPROCATED VERTICALLY WITH THE FILLING STEM ENTERING A CONTAINER THEREBELOW TO A LEVEL TO BE FILLED WHILE THE CONTAINER IS MOVED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, SAID FILLING STEM HAVING A VENT OPENING AND VACUUM MEANS FOR EXHAUSTING AIR FROM THE CONTAINER THROUGH SAID VENT OPENING, A FLEXIBLE VALVE MEMBER FOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF THE LIQUID FROM A LIQUID SUPPLY, SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING OPENED BY PRESSURE OF THE ENTERING LIQUID, A SOURCE OF AIR SUPPLY FOR APPLYING AIR PRESSURE TO CLOSE SAID VALVE MEMBER AGAINST THE LIQUID PRESSURE, A RECIPROCABLE AIR VALVE CONTROLLING CLOSING OF SAID VALVE MEMBER BY AIR PRESSURE, CAM MEANS OPENING SAID AIR VALVE TO RELIEVE AIR PRESSURE, AND PERMIT OPENING OF THE VALVE MEMBER BY LIQUID PRESSURE, SAID HEAD AND ITS FILLING STEM BEING OPERATIVE WHEN IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CAM MEANS AND MOVING OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CAM MEANS WHEN A CONTAINER IS ABSENT BELOW THE FILLING STEM, AND A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM ACTUATED BY SAID VACUUM MEANS WHEN LIQUID IN THE CONTAINER REACHES APPROXIMATELY THE VENT OPENING AND AIR FLOW THROUGH THE LATTER IS IMPEDED, SAID DIAPHRAGM CLOSING SAID AIR VALVE TO EXERT AIR PRESSURE ON SAID FLEXIBLE VALVE MEMBER TO CLOSE SAID VALVE MEMBER.