Method and apparatus for detecting beverage bottles having a lip damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface

Claim 1

In apparatus for filling bottles with a carbonated beverage, said bottles having a lip provided with a crown sealing surface, a source of beverage under a given gaseous pressure, bottle engagement means communicating with said beverage source for placing a bottle in communication with the beverage source, said bottle engagement means including an annular sealing member for making sealing contact with the lip of a bottle outwardly of the crown sealing surface, the annular sealing member includes a pair of adjacent, angularly related annular surfaces which form a circular edge adapted to sealingly engage the lip of the bottle in a substantial line contact outwardly of the crown sealing surface, means for developing a gaseous counter pressure in the bottle prior to filling the bottle, means to provide for transfer of beverage from the source to the bottle while simultaneously venting the gaseous contents from the bottle, proper filling of a bottle being dependent upon development of a counter pressure in the bottle generally equal to the pressure on the beverage in said source to keep foaming of the beverage at a minimum, with development of some lesser counter pressure in the bottle resulting in excessive foaming and a short fill, and means separate from the filling apparatus to detect and reject any bottle that is short filled, the quality of the sealing contact between the bottle and said sealing member being determinative of the magnitude of the counter pressure developed in the bottle so that a bottle having a lip which is damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface and in the region of sealing contact will develop a lesser counter pressure and thus be detectable as a short fill.

Claim 5

A method for detecting beverage bottles during the bottle filling operatioN having a lip which is damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface of the bottle, the steps including making a substantially line sealing contact with the lip of the bottle outwardly of the crown sealing surface, subjecting the bottle to a gaseous counter pressure through the sealing contact, filling the bottle through the sealing contact from a source of carbonated beverage under a given pressure and simultaneously venting the gaseous contents of the bottle, proper filling of the bottle being dependent upon development of a counter pressure in the bottle generally equal to the pressure on trhe beverage in said source to keep foaming of the beverage at a minimum with development of some lesser counter pressure in the bottle resulting in excessive foaming and a short fill, and separately detecting and rejecting any bottle that is short filled, the quality of the sealing contact being determinative of the magnitude of the counter pressure developed in the bottle so that a bottle having a lip which is damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface and in the region of sealing contact will develop a lesser counter pressure and thus be detectable as a short fill.

Claim 6

A method for detecting beverage bottles during the bottle filling operatioN having a lip which is damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface of the bottle, the steps including making a substantially line sealing contact with the lip of the bottle outwardly of the crown sealing surface, subjecting the bottle to a gaseous counter pressure through the sealing contact, filling the bottle through the sealing contact from a source of carbonated beverage under a given pressure and simultaneously venting the gaseous contents of the bottle, proper filling of the bottle being dependent upon development of a counter pressure in the bottle generally equal to the pressure on trhe beverage in said source to keep foaming of the beverage at a minimum with development of some lesser counter pressure in the bottle resulting in excessive foaming and a short fill, and separately detecting and rejecting any bottle that is short filled, the quality of the sealing contact being determinative of the magnitude of the counter pressure developed in the bottle so that a bottle having a lip which is damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface and in the region of sealing contact will develop a lesser counter pressure and thus be detectable as a short fill.