Apparatus for aseptic packing or conditioning of products, notably food products

Claim 2

Apparatus for delivering a liquid product, such as a milk product under sterile conditions into receptacles comprising: a stationary frame located at a base level of said apparatus; a stationary tubular base secured on said frame; a stationary plate to receive said receptacles, said stationary plate being located above said base level having an opening; removable cover means overlying said stationary plate to define therewith an enclosure; a stationary hydraulic seal interconnecting said cover means and said stationary plate and a rotary hydraulic seal at said opening for sealingly closing the latter, whereby said enclosure is sealed with respect to the external atmosphere; a storage container located outside said enclosure and containing the product to be delivered; a rotary proportioning device supported on said stationary frame and located below said enclosure, said device delivering to each one of said receptacles a predetermined volume of said product, said proportioning device comprising: a rotary intermediate assembly comprising an intermediate tubular shaft mounted within said stationary tubular base in coaxial relationship with the latter, and a support plate member secured to said intermediate shaft, said support plate member being rotatably supported on the upper end of said tubular base, a rotary central shaft mounted within said intermediate shaft in coaxial relationship with the latter, a rotary body secured on said central shaft and provided with at least one internal product sucking duct communicating with said storage container, at least one internal product delivery duct and at least an internal product discharging conduit, said rotary body being located below said stationary plate in alignment with said opening and carrying said rotary hydraulic seal, at least one switching member carried on said rotary body to establish a communication alternatively between said product sucking duct and said product discharging conduit or between said product discharging conduit and said product delivery duct, hydraulic seal means and hydraulic barrier means for said switching member, at least one proportioning pump carried on said support plate member (39) and having a product chamber, said chamber having an open end communicating with said product discharging conduit, said pump also having an annular chamber to receive an antiseptic fluid, means for connecting said intermediate shaft to said central shaft, said connecting means causing said shafts to rotate jointly while allowing a linear displacement of one of said shafts with respect to the other, said displacement entailing a corresponding linear displacement between said rotary body and said pump, at least one delivery pipe carried on said rotary body and communicating with said product delivery duct, said delivery pipe passing through said rotary hydraulic seal and being located within said enclosure; and an antiseptic fluid circuit comprising: an antiseptic fluid reserve located outside of said enclosure, supply means communicating with said reserve and supplying both said stationary hydraulic seal and said rotary hydraulic seal with said antiseptic fluid and duct means for supplying said annular chamber, said hydraulic barrier and said hydraulic seal means of said switching member with said antiseptic fluid from said rotary hydraulic seal.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said antiseptic fluid in said reserve has a hydrostatic head which is lower than the hydrostatic head of said product contained in said storage container so that, in case of casual interconnection between the antiseptic fluid supply means and the delivery device of the said product, contingent leakage can Take place only in the direction from the product to the antiseptic fluid and not in the reverse direction.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said central shaft extends outwardly of the said intermediate shaft, and comprises a clamping nut screwed on a threaded portion of the said central shaft and means of abutment on the ssid stationary frame to prevent longitudinal displacement of the said intermediate shaft, so that upon rotation of said nut the said central shaft and the said rotary body may be displaced longitudinally in order alternatively to move the rotary body towards the pump and apply it tightly to the latter, or move it away from the said pump.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pump comprises a vertical cylinder located below said rotary body, said cylinder being provided at its upper portion with said product chamber, a double piston slidably mounted in said chamber for movement toward and away from said product chamber, said double piston comprising an upper element and a lower element rigidly interconnected with one another, said elements being each provided with a gasket and defining between themselves a space of constant distance but movable to variable levels, said space defining said annular chamber, and a supply conduit interconnecting said rotary hydraulic seal to said annular chamber to supply the latter with said antiseptic fluid whereby said annular chamber forms a sealing and sterilizing barrier between said product chamber and the external atmosphere.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the path of the said piston is such that, during normal operation, the supply conduit of the said annular cylindrical chamber is never connected with said product chamber, and the paths of the elements of the said piston do not overlap one another.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pump comprises stationary stop means for determining the remotest position of said double piston relative to said product chamber of said cylinder and adjustable stop means for determining the nearest position of said double piston relative to said product chamber so as to vary the travel of said double piston toward said product chamber and thus vary the volume of product in said product chamber.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 comprising means for providing additional upward displacement of said adjustable stop means, so that in one position the portion of the gasket carrying upper element projects outwardly of the cylinder for ready accessibility.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pump comprises stationary stop means for determining the remotest position of said double piston relative to said product chamber and a supply channel in said cylinder communicating with said supply conduit, said stationary stop means comprising a removable stop in whose absence when the double piston is in its said remotest position the gasket of its upper element lies in confronting relationship with said supply channel.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said vertical cylinder comprises a higher portion, a medial portion and a lower portion, the inner diameter of said lower portion being slightly greater than that of said medial portion, whereat the said lower element of said double portion with its gasket moves during normal operation, and the inner diameter of said medial portion being slightly greater than that of said higher portion whereat the said upper element with its gasket moves during normal operation.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 9 comprising a peripheral groove with considerably flared edges in the wall of the said higher portion of said cylinder at a distance from the lower end of the said medial portion thereof substantially equal to the spacing between said upper and lower elements of the double piston, so that the gasket of the upper element is located in confronting relationship with said groove when the gasket of the lower element begins to be engaged in the said medial portion.

Claim 12

Apparatus for delivering a liquid product, such as a milk product under sterile conditions into receptacles comprising: a stationary frame located at a base level of said apparatus; a stationary tubular base secured on said frame; a stationary plate to receive said receptacles, said stationary plate being located above said base and having an opening; removable cover means overlying said stationary plate to define therewith an enclosure; a stationary hydraulic seal interconnecting said cover means and said stationary plate and a rotary hydraulic seal at said opening for sealingly closing the latter whereby said enclosure is sealed with respect to the external atmosphere; a storage container located outside said enclosure and containing the product to be delivered; a rotary proportioning device supported on said stationary frame and located below said enclosure, said device delivering to each one of said receptacles a predetermined volume of said product, said proportioning device comprising: a rotary intermediate assembly comprising an intermediate tubular shaft mounted within said stationary tubular base in coaxial relationship with the latter, and a support plate member secured to said intermediate shaft, said support plate member being rotatably supported on the upper end of said tubular base, a rotary central shaft mounted within said intermediate shaft in coaxial relationship with the latter and extending outwardly thereof, said central shaft at its lower end having a threaded portion, a clamping nut screwed onto said threaded portion, a rotary body secured on said central shaft and provided with at least one internal product sucking duct communicating with said storage container, at least one internal product delivery duct and at least one internal product discharging conduit, said rotary body being located below said stationary plate in alignment with said opening and carrying said rotary hydraulic seal, at least one switching member carried on said rotary body to establish a communication alternatively between said product sucking duct and said product discharging conduit or between said product discharging conduit and said product delivery duct, hydraulic seal means and with hydraulic barrier means for said switching member, at least one proportioning pump carried on said support plate member and having a product chamber, said chamber having an open end communicating with said product discharging conduit, said pump also having an annular chamber to receive an antiseptic fluid, means for connecting said intermediate shaft to said central shaft, said connecting means causing said shafts to rotate jointly while allowing linear displacement of one of said shafts with respect to the other, said displacement entailing a corresponding linear displacement between said rotary body and said pump, abutment means on the said stationary frame to prevent longitudinal displacement of the said intermediate shaft and said clamping nut, so that on rotation of said clamping nut which is maintained at a constant level on said intermediate shaft, the said central shaft and the said rotary body received therein may be displaced longitudinally in order to alternatively move the rotary body towards the pump and apply it tightly to the latter, or move it away from the said pump, a counternut screwed on said threaded portion of the central shaft for locking said clamping nut, so as to maintain said rotary body locked on said pump after application of said body tightly to the said pump, pinion means on said intermediate shaft for driving said proportioning device in rotation, a clamping pinion concentric with and secured to said clamping nut, a first driving pinion meshing with said clamping pinion, a control mechanism for said driving pinion comprising a first manually operable polygonal element, a lock pinion concentric with and secured to said lock nut, a second driving pinion meshing with said lock pinion, a control mechanism for said second driving pinion comprising a second manually operabLe polygonal element, operation of said mechanisms serving respectively for desired rotation of the clamping nut and of the locking nut, at least one delivery pipe carried on said rotary body and communicating with said product delivery duct, said delivery pipe passing through said rotary hydraulic seal and being located within said enclosure and a circuit for antiseptic fluid comprising: a reserve for antiseptic fluid located outside of said enclosure, supply means communicating with said reserve and supplying both said stationary hydraulic seal and said rotary hydraulic seal with said antiseptic fluid and duct means for supplying said annular chamber, said hydraulic barrier and said hydraulic seal means with said antiseptic fluid from said rotary hydraulic seal.

Claim 13

Apparatus for delivering a liquid product, such as a milk product under sterile conditions into receptacles comprising: a stationary frame located at a base level of said apparatus; a stationary tubular base secured on said frame; a stationary plate to receive said receptacles, said stationary plate being located above said base and having an opening; removable cover means overlying said stationary plate to define therewith an enclosure; a stationary hydraulic seal interconnecting said cover means and said stationary plate and a rotary hydraulic seal at said opening for sealingly closing the latter whereby said enclosure is sealed with respect to the external atmosphere; a storage container located outside said enclosure and containing the product to be delivered; a rotary proportioning device supported on said stationary frame and located below said enclosure, said device delivering to each one of said receptacles a predetermined volume of said product, said proportioning device comprising: a rotary intermediate assembly comprising an intermediate tubular shaft mounted within said stationary tubular base in coaxial relationship with the latter, and a support plate member secured to said intermediate shaft, said support plate member being rotatably supported on the upper end of said tubular base, a rotary central shaft mounted within said intermediate shaft in coaxial relationship with the latter and extending outwardly thereof, said central shaft at its lower end having a threaded portion, a clamping nut screwed onto said threaded portion, a rotary body secured on said central shaft and provided with at least one internal product sucking duct communicating with said storage container, at least one internal product delivery duct and at least one internal product discharging conduit, said rotary body being located below said stationary plate in alignment with said opening and carrying said rotary hydraulic seal, at least one switching member carried on said rotary body to establish a communication alternatively between said product sucking duct and said product discharging conduit or between said product discharging conduit and said product delivery duct, hydraulic seal means and with hydraulic barrier means for said switching member, at least one proportioning pump carried on said support plate member and having a product chamber, said chamber having an open end communicating with said product discharging conduit, said pump also having an annular chamber to receive an antiseptic fluid, means for connecting said intermediate shaft to said central shaft, said connecting means causing said shafts to rotate jointly while allowing linear displacement of one of said shafts with respect to the other, said displacement entailing a corresponding linear displacement between said rotary body and said pump, abutment means on the said stationary frame to prevent longitudinal displacement of the said intermediate shaft and said clamping nut, so that on rotation of said clamping nut which is maintained at a constant level on said intermediate shaft, the said central shaft and the said rotary body received therein may be displaced longitudinally in order to alternatively move the rotary body towards the pump and apply it tightly to the latter, or move it away from the said pump, a counternut screwed on said threaded portion of the central shaft for locking said clamping nut, so as to maintain said rotary body locked on said pump after application of said body tightly to the said pump, pinion means on said intermediate shaft for driving said proportioning device in rotation, a clamping pinion concentric with and secured to said clamping nut, a first driving pinion meshing with said clamping pinion, a control mechanism for said driving pinion comprising a first manually operable polygonal element, a lock pinion concentric with and secured to said lock nut, a second driving pinion meshing with said lock pinion, a control mechanism for said second driving pinion comprising a second manually operabLe polygonal element, operation of said mechanisms serving respectively for desired rotation of the clamping nut and of the locking nut, at least one delivery pipe carried on said rotary body and communicating with said product delivery duct, said delivery pipe passing through said rotary hydraulic seal and being located within said enclosure and a circuit for antiseptic fluid comprising: a reserve for antiseptic fluid located outside of said enclosure, supply means communicating with said reserve and supplying both said stationary hydraulic seal and said rotary hydraulic seal with said antiseptic fluid and duct means for supplying said annular chamber, said hydraulic barrier and said hydraulic seal means with said antiseptic fluid from said rotary hydraulic seal.