Aseptic container filling apparatus

Claim 2

Container-filling apparatus comprising: a. an elongate tunnel-like enclosure having an entrance end and a discharge end, b. means for maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure, c. a continuously operating conveyor on which containers are carried in a single line from one end of the enclosure to the other, d. an in-line series of filling valves above the enclosure, each having a fixed product discharge tube depending therefrom, the enclosure having a series of openings therein corresponding in number to the number of discharge tubes with a separate one of said discharge tubes projecting through one of said openings and terminating above the conveyor clear Of the containers on the conveyor and so positioned that each discharge tube will be positioned to discharge product into one of a group of containers in line on the conveyor beneath said tubes, each of the several valves being connected with a source of product supply so arranged that product flows by gravity into the respective containers from the respective tubes at rates that may vary, e. means for blocking the travel of the line of containers arranged to stop the travel of the containers with one container under each product discharge tube, f. means operable to effect opening of all of said filling valves simultaneously when the containers are in position under the tubes, g. means for separately effecting the closing of each filling valve as the product in the container to which said valve admits product reaches a predetermined level, and h. means arranged to release said blocking means only when all of the filling valves have been closed and to thereafter hold the blocking means released until all of the containers in the group which have been so filled have all been moved by the conveyor away from beneath the product discharge tubes and while succeeding containers are moved by the conveyor into position under the said tubes, and then restore said blocking means to container-blocking position for repeating the filling cycle.

Claim 3

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein there is a means to prevent the opening of the filling valves unless there are at least sufficient empty containers on the conveyor to provide a container under each filling tube.

Claim 4

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said last-named means comprises a proximity switch on the enclosure positioned between the entrance end of the enclosure positioned between the entrance end of the enclosure and the first product discharge tube.

Claim 5

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said means for blocking the travel of the containers comprises a star wheel having vanes that move in succession over the conveyor in the path of travel of the containers thereon with the number of vanes corresponding to the number of filling valves, said star wheel being positioned at a location following the endmost discharge tube past which the filled containers move and in advance of the discharge end of the enclosure, said means arranged to release the blocking means comprising a latch normally holding the star wheel against rotation with means to release the latch just long enough for the star wheel to make a single revolution.

Claim 6

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said means for blocking the travel of the containers comprises a star wheel having vanes that move in succession over the conveyor in the path of travel of the containers thereon with the number of vanes corresponding to the number of filling valves, said star wheel being positioned at a location following the endmost discharge tube past which the filled containers move and in advance of the discharge end of the enclosure, the said means arranged to release the blocking means comprising: a. a shaft for the star wheel, a cam on the shaft having a step thereon, a latch with means for yieldingly holding the latch in engagement with the latch normally abutting said step to restrain the star wheel against rotation in the direction in which it is urged by the containers on the conveyor, electrically-controlled means arranged to momentarily release the latch, said means for yieldingly holding the latch engaged with the cam serving to move the latch back into engatement with said step when the star wheel has rotated the cam to a position to be latched.

Claim 7

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which there are a series of probes arranged to be lowered from a level above the tops of the containers down into the interior of the containers so positioned that one probe enters each container that is under a product discharge tube wiTh means for raising and lowering the probes in unison, said means for raising and lowering the probes including also means to effect simultaneously the opening only of the filling valves when it operates to lower the probes, the probes controlling the closing of the individual filling valves when the product in each container contacts its respective probe.

Claim 8

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which there are a series of probes arranged to be lowered from a level above the tops of the containers down into the interior of the containers so positioned that one probe enters each container that is under a product discharge tube, a common supporting bar on which all of said probes are mounted, means for raising and lowering said supporting bar, electric switch means operated by said raising and lowering means arranged to effect simultaneous opening of the filling valves when said bar is lowered, the probes controlling the closing of the respective filling valves independently of one another when the product in each container contacts that individual probe which enters the container, and circuit means so arranged that said bar-raising and lowering means can effect raising of the bar only when all filling valves have been closed, said bar raising and lowering means being arranged to effect release of said blocking means when the bar is raised.

Claim 9

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein there is a proximity switch on the enclosure between the entrance end of the enclosure and the first product discharge tube positioned to be operated by containers on the conveyor with a circuit controlled thereby arranged to effect operation of supporting bar raising and lowering means to effect lowering movement only of the bar, and wherein there is another electric circuit which includes all of the probes arranged to operate said bar-raising and lowering means to effect only the raising of the bar when every container under a product discharge tube has been filled to a level where the product in the container touches the probe which projects into it.

Claim 10

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein each probe is also included in an electric circuit arranged to effect the closing of the filling valve that delivers product to the container into which that probe then projects at such time that the level of the product touches the probe.

Claim 11

Container-filling apparatus as defined in claim 9 where the bar raising and lowering means with the said probes, the filling valves and operating means therefore and said cam and latch and operating means for the latch are all outside the steam-filled enclosure.

Claim 12

Container-filling apparatus comprising: a. an elongate enclosure having an entrance end and a discharge end and means for maintaining an atmosphere of steam therein, b. means for intermittently advancing a line of containers in groups through the enclosure from the entrance end to the discharge end, c. means for filling each group of containers in said line uniformly with a product when the containers are stationary; and d. means controlled by the position of a group of the containers in the enclosure when they are stopped to effect the filling of product into the containers of the group, and means controlled by the level of product in the respective individual containers in the group arranged to terminate the filling of product into the containers as each becomes filled and means arranged to effect the simultaneous movement of the filled containers in the group only after the filling of product in all of the containers has been finished.

Claim 13

Container-filling apparatus comprising: a. an elongate enclosure having an entrance end and a discharge end and means for maintaining an atmosphere of steam therein, b. means for intermittently advancing a line of containers in groups through the enclosure from the entrance end to the discharge end, c. means for filling each group of containers in said line uniformly with a product when the containers are stationary; and d. means controlled by the position of a group of the containers in the enclosure when they are stopped to effect the filling of product into the containers of the group, and means controlled by the level of product in the respective individual containers in the group arranged to terminate the filling of product into the containers as each becomes filled and means arranged to effect the simultaneous movement of the filled containers in the group only after the filling of product in all of the containers has been finished.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein there is a star wheel for holding a group of containers in position under the filling means, the star wheel having a number of vanes corresponding to the number of containers in each group whereby the star wheel makes one complete revolution as each group of filling containers moves from beneath the filling means, anD means controlled by rotation of the star wheel for preventing the advance of another group of containers through the enclosure until all of the filled containers in a group have first moved clear of said filling means.

Claim 15

In a container-filling apparatus wherein there is a line of single containers in single file on a continuously-moving conveyor, the travel of which line of containers only is interrupted each time a predetermined number of empty containers in the group at the lead end of said line is each in product-receiving position under a separate individual filling tube and filled with product, and wherein the travel of the line of containers is then resumed to move the filled containers from beneath the filling tubes and they are replaced with an equal number of the empty containers next in the line, the improvement comprising wherein there is a means for electrically sensing when each separate container under the several filling tubes has been filled to a predetermined level comprising a vertically-movable bar having a series of spaced probes therealong electrically insulated one from another with the probes thereon so positioned that when the bar is lowered, one probe will enter each of the containers so positioned under the filling tubes to the level to which the container is to be filled, and when the level of product in each container all make contact with their respective probe the bar is raised to be clear of the tops of the containers, the means for raising and lowering the bar comprising a rock shaft with crank arms thereon with links connecting said crank arms to the bar for lowering or raising the bar as the shaft is rocked one way or the other, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit operatively connected with the crank arm for moving it through a predetermined arc to raise or lower the bar and wherein each filling tube is connected with a product supply manifold through its individual electro-magnetically-operated filling valve and each filling tube also has a discharge terminal spaced from the valve, there being a star wheel arranged with vanes that project into the path of travel of the containers on the conveyor at a location to be rotated by the filled cans moving from under the filling tubes, the star wheel having a latch that holds the star wheel against rotation after said predetermined number of filled containers has passed from under the filling tubes and has been replaced by empty ones, electro-magnetic means for releasing said latch, said probes each being in an individual valve-closing circuit including a relay which is energized when the product in a container touches the probe in said container, the relay having contacts arranged to effect closing of the valve in its circuit when the relay is energized, said relays also each having contacts in a series circuit separate from the valve closing circuit which includes all of the relays arranged to effect operation of the said cylinder and piston means for raising the probes only after all of said relays in the series circuit have been closed.

Claim 16

In a container-filling apparatus wherein there is a line of single containers in single file on a continuously-moving conveyor, the travel of which line of containers only is interrupted each time a predetermined number of empty containers in the group at the lead end of said line is each in product-receiving position under a separate individual filling tube and filled with product, and wherein the travel of the line of containers is then resumed to move the filled containers from beneath the filling tubes and they are replaced with an equal number of the empty containers next in the line, the improvement comprising wherein there is a means for electrically sensing when each separate container under the several filling tubes has been filled to a predetermined level comprising a vertically-movable bar having a series of spaced probes therealong electrically insulated one from another with the probes thereon so positioned that when the bar is lowered, one probe will enter each of the containers so positioned under the filling tubes to the level to which the container is to be filled, and when the level of product in each container all make contact with their respective probe the bar is raised to be clear of the tops of the containers, the means for raising and lowering the bar comprising a rock shaft with crank arms thereon with links connecting said crank arms to the bar for lowering or raising the bar as the shaft is rocked one way or the other, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit operatively connected with the crank arm for moving it through a predetermined arc to raise or lower the bar and wherein each filling tube is connected with a product supply manifold through its individual electro-magnetically-operated filling valve and each filling tube also has a discharge terminal spaced from the valve, there being a star wheel arranged with vanes that project into the path of travel of the containers on the conveyor at a location to be rotated by the filled cans moving from under the filling tubes, the star wheel having a latch that holds the star wheel against rotation after said predetermined number of filled containers has passed from under the filling tubes and has been replaced by empty ones, electro-magnetic means for releasing said latch, said probes each being in an individual valve-closing circuit including a relay which is energized when the product in a container touches the probe in said container, the relay having contacts arranged to effect closing of the valve in its circuit when the relay is energized, said relays also each having contacts in a series circuit separate from the valve closing circuit which includes all of the relays arranged to effect operation of the said cylinder and piston means for raising the probes only after all of said relays in the series circuit have been closed.

Claim 17

The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein there is a lever on said rock shaft that is moved through an arc when the cylinder and piston unit operate to move the rock shaft and wherein there is a switch positioned to be operated by said lever to energize said electro-magnetic latch-releasing means when the lever moves to a position where the probes are clear of the containers which have just been filled.

Claim 18

The apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein there is a switch means operated by rotation of the star wheel arranged to effect the operation of the cylinder and piston means to lower the probes only after a predetermined rotation of the star wheel by the movement of filled containers past the star wheel has taken place, and switch means positioned to be operated by said lever as it operates to move the probes into the containers arranged to effect the simultaneous opening of all of said product supply valves.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 15 in which there is an enclosure for the conveyor providing a sterilizing section in advance of the filling spouts and extending continuously to a location beyond the star wheel and wherein there is means for continuously maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure, the top of the enclosure having openings therethrough into each of which one of the discharge terminals of a filling tube is fitted, the filling valves, manifold, vertically movable bar, rock shaft, lever and cylinder and piston unit for moving the lever and the star wheel latch and operating means therefore, all being outside said enclosure.

Claim 20

In an apparatus for simultaneously filling a group of containers with a sterile product in an aseptic atmosphere, the invention comprising: a. an elongate enclosure and a continuously moving conveyor for supporting and moving a line of containers to be filled in single file through the enclosure, b. a plurality of filling tubes arranged in line over the conveyor, each filling tube extending through the top of the enclosure, c. each filling tube being connected with a common product-supplying manifold outside the enclosure through a separate valve also positioned outside the enclosure for controlling the flow of product from the manifold through the tube, d. each valve having a solenoid for opening it when the solenoid is energized and spring means arranged to effect closing of the valve when the solenoid is de-energized, e. a star wheel in the enclosure arranged in turnstile fashion over the conveyor having a number of radial vanes equal to the number of filling tubes, and a cam driven by the star wheel, f. latch means outside the enclosure biased to engage said star wheel driven cam and normally hold the star wheel against rotation, and means for temporarily withdrawing the latch from the cam to permit only a single rotation of the star wheel when it is released, whereby the star wheel will normally block the movement of containers while the conveyor continues to move and with the containers so located that one container will be positioned under each filling tube and when the latch is released the star wheel may then rotate only sufficiently to pass a number of containers corresponding to the number of filling tubes.

Claim 21

In an apparatus for simultaneously filling a group of containers with a sterile product in an aseptic atmosphere, the invention comprising: a. an elongate enclosure and a continuously moving conveyor for supporting and moving a line of containers to be filled in single file through the enclosure, b. a plurality of filling tubes arranged in line over the conveyor, each filling tube extending through the top of the enclosure, c. each filling tube being connected with a common product-supplying manifold outside the enclosure through a separate valve also positioned outside the enclosure for controlling the flow of product from the manifold through the tube, d. each valve having a solenoid for opening it when the solenoid is energized and spring means arranged to effect closing of the valve when the solenoid is de-energized, e. a star wheel in the enclosure arranged in turnstile fashion over the conveyor having a number of radial vanes equal to the number of filling tubes, and a cam driven by the star wheel, f. latch means outside the enclosure biased to engage said star wheel driven cam and normally hold the star wheel against rotation, and means for temporarily withdrawing the latch from the cam to permit only a single rotation of the star wheel when it is released, whereby the star wheel will normally block the movement of containers while the conveyor continues to move and with the containers so located that one container will be positioned under each filling tube and when the latch is released the star wheel may then rotate only sufficiently to pass a number of containers corresponding to the number of filling tubes.

Claim 22

Container-filling apparatus comprising: a. an elongate tunnel-like enclosure having an entrance end and a discharge end, b. means for maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure, c. a continuously-operating conveyor on which empty containers to be filled are carried in a continuous single line in contacting relation from one end of the enclosure, filled while in the enclosure and discharged at the other end, d. a plurality of filling valves above the enclosure with fixed product discharge tubes opening through the top of the enclosure, each arranged to discharge product into a separate container on the conveyor, e. means for blocking the travel of the line of containers arranged to stop the travel of the containers with one container under each product discharge tube, f. means operable to effect opening of all of said filling valves simultaneously when the containers are in position under the tubes, g. means for closing each filling valve individually when the container which receives product from it has been filled to a predetermined level, h. means arranged to release said blocking means only when all filling vanes have been closed and keep said blocking means released until the containers so filled have all been moved by the conveyor away from beneath the product discharge tubes and while succeeding containers are moved by the conveyor into position under the said tubes, and then restoring it to container-blocking position for repeating the entire cycle, and i. means arranged to relieve those containers on the conveyor positioned under the filling valves waiting to be filled from the pressure of the line of containers oN the continuously-operating conveyor rearwardly of those waiting to be filled to thereby assure that such containers so positioned will remain level until such time as the containers have been filled and the blocking means released.

Claim 23

Container-filling apparatus comprising: a. an elongate tunnel-like enclosure having an entrance end and a discharge end, b. means for maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure, c. a continuously-operating conveyor on which empty containers to be filled are carried in a continuous single line in contacting relation from one end of the enclosure, filled while in the enclosure and discharged at the other end, d. a plurality of filling valves above the enclosure with fixed product discharge tubes opening through the top of the enclosure, each arranged to discharge product into a separate container on the conveyor, e. means for blocking the travel of the line of containers arranged to stop the travel of the containers with one container under each product discharge tube, f. means operable to effect opening of all of said filling valves simultaneously when the containers are in position under the tubes, g. means for closing each filling valve individually when the container which receives product from it has been filled to a predetermined level, h. means arranged to release said blocking means only when all filling vanes have been closed and keep said blocking means released until the containers so filled have all been moved by the conveyor away from beneath the product discharge tubes and while succeeding containers are moved by the conveyor into position under the said tubes, and then restoring it to container-blocking position for repeating the entire cycle, and i. means arranged to relieve those containers on the conveyor positioned under the filling valves waiting to be filled from the pressure of the line of containers oN the continuously-operating conveyor rearwardly of those waiting to be filled to thereby assure that such containers so positioned will remain level until such time as the containers have been filled and the blocking means released.

Claim 24

In an apparatus wherein a continuously-operating conveyor moves a continuous line of abutting empty containers into an elongated tunnel-like enclosure in which a group of containers at the lead end of the line are filled while positioned in the enclosure, which group is then discharged, the invention comprising: a. an elongate enclosure and a continuously-moving conveyor for supporting and moving a line of containers to be filled in single file through the enclosure with the containers in contacting relation to one another, b. a plurality of filling tubes arranged in line over the conveyor, each filling tube extending through the top of the enclosure, c. each filling tube being connected with a common manifold outside the enclosure through a separate passage in which is a valve positioned outside the enclosure, d. each valve having a solenoid for opening it when the solenoid is energized and spring means arranged to effect closing of the valve when the solenoid is de-energized, e. a star wheel in the enclosure arranged in turnstile fashion over the conveyor having a number of radial vanes equal to the number of filling tubes and a cam driven by the star wheel, f. latch means outside the enclosure biased to engage said star wheel driven cam and normally hold the star wheel against rotation, and means for temporarily withdrawing the latch from the cam to permit only a single rotation of the star wheel when it is released, whereby the star wheel will normally block the movement of containers while the conveyor continues to move and with the contaners so located that one container will be positioned under each filling tube and when the latch is released the star wheel may then rotate only sufficiently to pass a number of containers corresponding to the number of filling spouts, g. said latch means cooperating with the star wheel and arranged to limit the star wheel to a single revolution after each time latch is released and thereby temporarily hold a container under each filling spout, h. a series of vertically-movable probes passing through the top of the enclosure, one probe being positioned to enter each one of the containers so temporarily positioned under a filling tube, i. means outside the enclosure for raising and lowering all of said probes in unison from a position above the container so positioned to a position where each probe enters the upper portions of one of the containers in the group which is so positioned under the filling tubes, j. means for continuously maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure, and k. means for restraining the containers on the continuously-moving conveyor from pushing against the group positioned under the filling tubes to prevent any such containers so positioned from being tilted and thereby prevent non-uniform filling which would occur if one or more of the containers so positioned became tilted.

Claim 25

In an apparatus wherein a continuously-operating conveyor moves a continuous line of abutting empty containers into an elongated tunnel-like enclosure in which a group of containers at the lead end of the line are filled while positioned in the enclosure, which group is then discharged, the invention comprising: a. an elongate enclosure and a continuously-moving conveyor for supporting and moving a line of containers to be filled in single file through the enclosure with the containers in contacting relation to one another, b. a plurality of filling tubes arranged in line over the conveyor, each filling tube extending through the top of the enclosure, c. each filling tube being connected with a common manifold outside the enclosure through a separate passage in which is a valve positioned outside the enclosure, d. each valve having a solenoid for opening it when the solenoid is energized and spring means arranged to effect closing of the valve when the solenoid is de-energized, e. a star wheel in the enclosure arranged in turnstile fashion over the conveyor having a number of radial vanes equal to the number of filling tubes and a cam driven by the star wheel, f. latch means outside the enclosure biased to engage said star wheel driven cam and normally hold the star wheel against rotation, and means for temporarily withdrawing the latch from the cam to permit only a single rotation of the star wheel when it is released, whereby the star wheel will normally block the movement of containers while the conveyor continues to move and with the contaners so located that one container will be positioned under each filling tube and when the latch is released the star wheel may then rotate only sufficiently to pass a number of containers corresponding to the number of filling spouts, g. said latch means cooperating with the star wheel and arranged to limit the star wheel to a single revolution after each time latch is released and thereby temporarily hold a container under each filling spout, h. a series of vertically-movable probes passing through the top of the enclosure, one probe being positioned to enter each one of the containers so temporarily positioned under a filling tube, i. means outside the enclosure for raising and lowering all of said probes in unison from a position above the container so positioned to a position where each probe enters the upper portions of one of the containers in the group which is so positioned under the filling tubes, j. means for continuously maintaining an atmosphere of steam in the enclosure, and k. means for restraining the containers on the continuously-moving conveyor from pushing against the group positioned under the filling tubes to prevent any such containers so positioned from being tilted and thereby prevent non-uniform filling which would occur if one or more of the containers so positioned became tilted.