Positive displacement filling machine

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, including the steps of supporting one displacer element against gravity for raising and lowering it, and supporting the other displacer element on said one element during lowering.

Claim 4

Apparatus for filling open top containers with a measured charge comprising a liquid reservoir with a depending filling cylinder having a bottom wall formed with a filler port, a valve extending down through said cylinder for closing off the cylinder filler port, concentric inner and outer dual displacer elements in said cylinder having lower surfaces that fit the bottom of the cylinder and with the inner element slidably fitting said valve for insuring complete delivery of a measured charge in said cylinder, said displacer elements having opposed, charge trapping seats, one of said displacer elements being ported to provide communication between liquid in said reservoir and said displacer element seats, means for separating the displacer elements anD lifting them while separated up through liquid in said cylinder with said valve closed to accommodate liquid flow past the opened seats of said elements; means for arresting the lifting of one element at a predetermined charge-metering position, means for closing the other displacer element seat against that of said one element to trap a charge of liquid in the cylinder below the elements, means for thereupon opening said filler port valve, means for simultaneously lowering the closed displacer elements against the bottom wall of said cylinder to expel substantially all of the charge from the cylinder while maintaining a head of liquid above the displacer parts, and means for thereupon re-closing said filler port valve for the final expelling of all remaining charge from said cylinder and filler port.

Claim 5

Apparatus for filling open top containers with a measured charge comprising a liquid reservoir with a depending filling cylinder having a bottom wall formed with a filler port, a valve extending down through said cylinder for closing off the cylinder filler port, concentric inner and outer dual displacer elements in said cylinder having lower surfaces that fit the bottom of the cylinder and with the inner element slidably fitting said valve for insuring complete delivery of a measured charge in said cylinder, said displacer elements having opposed, charge trapping seats, one of said displacer elements being ported to provide communication between liquid in said reservoir and said displacer element seats, means for separating the displacer elements anD lifting them while separated up through liquid in said cylinder with said valve closed to accommodate liquid flow past the opened seats of said elements; means for arresting the lifting of one element at a predetermined charge-metering position, means for closing the other displacer element seat against that of said one element to trap a charge of liquid in the cylinder below the elements, means for thereupon opening said filler port valve, means for simultaneously lowering the closed displacer elements against the bottom wall of said cylinder to expel substantially all of the charge from the cylinder while maintaining a head of liquid above the displacer parts, and means for thereupon re-closing said filler port valve for the final expelling of all remaining charge from said cylinder and filler port.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for lifting said displacer elements up through the liquid comprises mechanical means for directly lifting one of said elements, with the seat of the other element resting on and supported by the seat on said one element to be lifted by the latter.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3, comprising mechanical means connected to said valve above said displacer elements for opening said filler port valve.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 3, comprising a circular array of said cylinders depending from said reservoir, said valve and displacer element operating means comprising circular cams, and means for rotating the cylinders and the reservoir together relative to the cams.

Claim 9

A filler for open top containers comprising a reservoir bowl; a filler cylinder depending from said reservoir and having its upper end opening to said bowl, and having a bottom wall, a container filler port formed in the bottom wall of said cylinder; a valve for said filler port; means for presenting empty containers to said filler port; a displacer plug element vertically movable in and clearing the side wall of said cylinder; a displacer piston element slidable in said cylinder and surrounding said plug element, said plug and piston elements having bottom walls conforming to the underlying bottom wall of the cylinder, complementary valve seats on said plug and piston elements, charging port means formed in said piston element for establishing free liquid communication from the bowl past the elements when their valve seats are separated and into the bottom of the cylinder; said valve and said elements having a fill completion position wherein the valve closes said cylinder filler port, said elements nest against the bottom wall of said cylinder and said element valve seats are closed; and control means comprising means for first raising one of said elements relative to the other to open their valve seats, means for raising both elements together to charge the cylinder below said elements from the bowl, means for lowering said one element relative to the other to close said seats, means for opening said valve, and means for simultaneously lowering said closed elements back to the bottom of the cylinder for emptying the cylinder into a container beneath said cylinder filler port.

Claim 10

A filler for open top containers comprising a reservoir bowl; a filler cylinder depending from said reservoir and having its upper end opening to said bowl, and having a bottom wall, a container filler port formed in the bottom wall of said cylinder; a valve for said filler port; means for presenting empty containers to said filler port; a displacer plug element vertically movable in and clearing the side wall of said cylinder; a displacer piston element slidable in said cylinder and surrounding said plug element, said plug and piston elements having bottom walls conforming to the underlying bottom wall of the cylinder, complementary valve seats on said plug and piston elements, charging port means formed in said piston element for establishing free liquid communication from the bowl past the elements when their valve seats are separated and into the bottom of the cylinder; said valve and said elements having a fill completion position wherein the valve closes said cylinder filler port, said elements nest against the bottom wall of said cylinder and said element valve seats are closed; and control means comprising means for first raising one of said elements relative to the other to open their valve seats, means for raising both elements together to charge the cylinder below said elements from the bowl, means for lowering said one element relative to the other to close said seats, means for opening said valve, and means for simultaneously lowering said closed elements back to the bottom of the cylinder for emptying the cylinder into a container beneath said cylinder filler port.

Claim 11

The filler of claim 7, wherein said means for raising said elements and the valve comprises cam means, said elements and the valve being lowered by gravity in response to the cam means.

Claim 12

The filler of claim 8, wherein said element seats are disposed so that when the plug element is lowered it supports the piston element.

Claim 13

The filler of claim 9, wherein said element seats are tapered.

Claim 14

The filler of claim 7, wherein said element seats are disposed so that when the piston element is lowered it supports the plug element.

Claim 15

The filler of claim 11, wherein said element seats are tapered.

Claim 16

The filler of claim 7, wherein said reservoir has a plurality of said cylinder assemblies and is mounted on a turret, said control means comprising circular cam means for said valve and said elements, a cam follower connected to a rod projecting up from said valve, and cam follOwers connected to telescoped sleeves surrounding said valve rod and leading down to their respective elements.

Claim 17

The filler of claim 13, wherein said element seats are disposed so that when one of said elements is lowered it supports the other element, the upper ends of said telescoping sleeves being re-curved to form telescoping boots.

Claim 18

The filler of claim 14, wherein said cam followers are connected to said boots.

Claim 19

The filler of claim 13, wherein said elements are lowered by gravity.

Claim 20

The filler of claim 16, wherein said circular cam means comprises a separate cam for the valves and a single cam for said plug and piston elements, the cam followers for said elements being offset in their direction of travel.

Claim 21

The filler of claim 17, wherein said element valve seats are disposed so that one of said elements is supported during lowering by its cam follower and cam and said one element supports the other element during lowering with the cam follower of the latter element clearing the cam, and with both elements being separately supported by the cam as raising occurs.

Claim 22

The filler of claim 7, wherein said filler port valve extends down through said filler cylinder, said displacer plug element slidably fitting around said valve so that when said plug and piston elements rest against the bottom of the cylinder and said valve is closed no charge remains in the cylinder or in the filler port.