Method and apparatus for aseptically filling drums

Claim 2

Apparatus for aseptically filling a shipping and storage drum with a flowable product wherein the drum has a top with a filling opening therein, which opening is adapted to receive a closure after the drum has been filled, said apparatus comprising: a filling head engagable with the top of the drum including steam inlet means whereby sterilizing steam is admitted to maintain above atmospheric pressure in the filling head, said filling head including a flowable product filling lance which is extendible into the drum through the drum filling opening and retractable therefrom, the improvement wherein a diaphragm seal means is movable into engagement in the drum opening about the filling lance which extends through the drum opening during the filling operation, said seal means substantially restricts passage of steam from the filling head to the drum during the filling operation and permits maintenance of an above atmospheric pressure steam atmosphere in the filling head during the filling operation.

Claim 3

The apparatus specified in claim 1, wherein the diaphragm seal means is mounted about the filling lance in a plane generally parallel to the drum top and comprises a rigid plate with a sealing gasket disposed on the under side of the rigid plate, which sealing gasket seats on the rim of the drum filling opening.

Claim 4

The apparatus specified in claim 2, wherein the diaphragm seal means has a restrictive aperture therethrough to substantially restrict passage of steam from the filling head to the drum, yet permits displacement of steam or air from the drum as it Is filled with liquid.

Claim 5

The apparatus specified in claim 1, wherein the filling head comprises a generally cylindrical body portion having an open bottom portion with an arcuate alignment flange extending downwardly from the cylindrical body portion, which alignment flange fits over the drum top rim and guides the drum into axial alignment with the filling head, and wherein a sealing gasket is associated with the arcuate alignment flange, which gasket seats on the drum rim to seal the filling head chamber and the drum from the ambient atmosphere.

Claim 6

The apparatus specified in claim 4, wherein the filling head is supported from a stationary frame by means of lifting and lowering means which are pivotally connected to the filling head to facilitate alignment of the filling head and drum as the filling head is lowered into engagement with the drum.

Claim 7

The apparatus specified in claim 1, wherein a condensate removal lance is included in the filling head and the condensate removal lance and the filling lance are each longitudinally movable along the direction of extension of the respective lance, with each respective lance passing sequentially through the drum filling opening upon extension of the lance.

Claim 8

The apparatus specified in claim 1, wherein drum capping means are mounted within the filling head for supporting a closure cap in the sterilizing steam atmosphere, which capping means is longitudinally movable after retraction of the condensate removal lance and the filling lance, from a retracted position proximate the top of the filling head chamber to a capping position with the closure cap fitted within the drum filling opening, and including means for forceably sealing the closure cap in the drum opening.

Claim 9

Apparatus for aseptically filling a shipping and storage drum with a flowable product wherein the drum has a top with a filling opening therein, which opening is adapted to receive a closure after the drum has been filled, said apparatus comprising: a filling head engagable with the top of the drum when the filling head and the drum are axially aligned, with steam inlets through the filling head whereby sterilizing steam is admitted to the filling head and into the engaged drum through the filling opening in the drum top; a condensate removal lance mounted through the filling head, which condensate removal lance is directed toward the filling opening in the aligned drum top, and which condensate removal lance is longitudinally movable along the direction of extension of the said condensate removal lance from a retracted position proximate the top of the filling head chamber to an operative position within the drum proximate the drum bottom; a lance support cylinder mounted through the filling head; a flowable product filling lance mounted in the lance cylinder, which filling lance is directed toward the filling opening in the aligned drum top and which filling lance is longitudinally movable along the direction of extension of the said filling lance, after the condensate removal lance is retracted, from a retracted position within the lance cylinder to a filling position within the drum; a capping means mounted within the filling head for supporting a closure cap in the sterilizing steam atmosphere, which capping means is longitudinally movable after retraction of the condensate lance and the filling lance, from a retracted position proximate the top of the filling head chamber to a capping position with the closure cap fitted within the opening in the top of the drum, and including means for forceably sealing the closure cap in the drum opening.

Claim 10

Apparatus for aseptically filling a shipping and storage drum with a flowable product wherein the drum has a top with a filling opening therein, which opening is adapted to receive a closure after the drum has been filled, said apparatus comprising: a filling head engagable with the top of the drum when the filling head and the drum are axially aligned, with steam inlets through the filling head whereby sterilizing steam is admitted to the filling head and into the engaged drum through the filling opening in the drum top; a condensate removal lance mounted through the filling head, which condensate removal lance is directed toward the filling opening in the aligned drum top, and which condensate removal lance is longitudinally movable along the direction of extension of the said condensate removal lance from a retracted position proximate the top of the filling head chamber to an operative position within the drum proximate the drum bottom; a lance support cylinder mounted through the filling head; a flowable product filling lance mounted in the lance cylinder, which filling lance is directed toward the filling opening in the aligned drum top and which filling lance is longitudinally movable along the direction of extension of the said filling lance, after the condensate removal lance is retracted, from a retracted position within the lance cylinder to a filling position within the drum; a capping means mounted within the filling head for supporting a closure cap in the sterilizing steam atmosphere, which capping means is longitudinally movable after retraction of the condensate lance and the filling lance, from a retracted position proximate the top of the filling head chamber to a capping position with the closure cap fitted within the opening in the top of the drum, and including means for forceably sealing the closure cap in the drum opening.

Claim 11

The apparatus specified in claim 8, wherein a diaphragm seal means is mounted on the filling lance, which diaphragm seal means is generally horizontally disposed in a plane parallel with the top of the drum, which diaphragm seal means is movable with the filling lance when the filling lance is longitudinally moved into filling position, said diaphragm seal means seating about the openIng in the top of the drum to effect a substantial restriction between the drum atmosphere and the filling head atmosphere so that as flowable product is filled into the drum, condensation within the drum is minimized.

Claim 12

The apparatus specified in claim 8, wherein the filling head comprises a generally cylindrical body portion having an open bottom portion with an arcuate alignment flange extending downwardly from the cylindrical body portion, which alignment flange fits over the drum top rim and guides the drum into axial alignment with the filling head.

Claim 13

The apparatus specified in claim 10, wherein the filling head is supported from a stationary frame by means of lifting and lowering means which are pivotally connected to the filling head, to facilitate alignment of the filling head and drum as the filling head is lowered into engagement with the drum.

Claim 14

The apparatus specified in claim 11, wherein a sealing gasket is associated with the arcuate alignment flange, with the rim of the drum top seating against this sealing gasket to seal the filling head chamber and the drum from the ambient atmosphere.

Claim 15

The apparatus specified in claim 8, wherein the filling lance is retractable through the support cylinder with the extending end portion of the lance being disposed within the cylinder when not in use, and a closure door is attached to the end of the cylinder support which is open for extension of the filling lance for drum filling, which closure door is closed defining a cylinder chamber when the lance is retracted therein, and steam inlet means are provided through the support cylinder for maintaining a sterilizing steam atmosphere within the cylinder chamber.

Claim 16

The apparatus specified in claim 8, wherein the lance support cylinder steam inlets are symmetrically positioned about the cylinder proximate the closed end thereof, so that as the filling lance is being extended the lance is subjected to encompassing jets of sterilizing steam.

Claim 17

The apparatus specified in claim 8, wherein a liquid sensing means is disposed from the diaphragm restriction means which seats about the drum filling opening, which liquid sensing means indicates that the drum is filled with the requisite quantity of liquid product.

Claim 20

The method specified in claim 16, wherein upon completion of filling of the drum a drum capping means integral with the filling head is activated to seal the drum with a cap while a steam atmosphere which is above atmospheric pressure is maintained in the filling head.

Claim 21

The method specified in claim 16, wherein the condensed steam is removed from the otherwise steam filled drum by a longitudinally extendible and retractable condensate removal lance which passes through the drum filling opening to the bottom of the drum when extended.

Claim 22

The method specified in claim 16, wherein the filling lance is longitudinally extendible and retractable, and extends through the drum filling opening when extended to permit filling of the drum.

Claim 23

The method specified in claim 16, wherein the drum filling opening is restricted during the lance filling of the drum, yet the restriction permiTs displacement of steam or air within the drum by the flowable product as the product fills the drum.