Method of filling containers enclosing solid matter with an accurate amount of liquid

Claim 1

A method of filling containers with an accurate amount of liquid inside an hermetically sealed chamber, said containers being entirely closed except for a filling opening in the upper portion of said container, and enclosing absorbent solid matter, said chamber including a container opening for sealingly engaging said container, said method comprising the steps of (a) placing said upper portion of said container into said chamber opening, then (b) producing an underpressure in said chamber, thereby evacuating the interior of said container, (c) accurately metering the amount of liquid required for filling said container, (d) bringing said filling opening into sealed engagement with the metered supply of liquid, and (e) feeding said metered amount of liquid through said filling opening into said container under the influence of an over-pressure.

Claim 2

A method of filling containers with an accurate amount of liquid inside an hermetically sealed chamber, said containers being entirely closed except for a filling opening in the upper portion of said container, and enclosing absorbent solid matter, said chamber including a container opening for sealingly engaging said container, said method comprising the steps of (a) placing said upper portion of said container into said chamber opening, then (b) producing an underpressure in said chamber, thereby evacuating the interior of said container, (c) accurately metering the amount of liquid required for filling said container, (d) bringing said filling opening into sealed engagement with the metered supply of liquid, and (e) feeding said metered amount of liquid through said filling opening into said container under the influence of an over-pressure.

Claim 6

A method of filling containers with an accurate amount of liquid, said containers being entirely closed except for a filling opening, and enclosing absorbent solid matter, said method comprising the steps of (a) evacuating the interior of said container, (b) accurately metering the amount of liquid required for filling said container, (c) bringing said filling opening into sealed engagement with said metered supply of liquid, (d) feeding said metered amount of liquid through said filling opening into said container under the influence of an over-pressure, and (e) simultaneously removing said container opening from said sealed engagement with said metered supply of liquid and exerting a sub-pressure upon liquid excessively supplied and not received by said container, in order to continuously remove said excessively supplied liquid.

Claim 7

A method of filling containers with an accurate amount of liquid, said containers being entirely closed except for a filling opening, and enclosing absorbent solid matter, said method comprising the steps of (a) evacuating the interior of said container, (b) accurately metering the amount of liquid required for filling said container, (c) bringing said filling opening into sealed engagement with said metered supply of liquid, (d) feeding said metered amount of liquid through said filling opening into said container under the influence of an over-pressure, and (e) simultaneously removing said container opening from said sealed engagement with said metered supply of liquid and exerting a sub-pressure upon liquid excessively supplied and not received by said container, in order to continuously remove said excessively supplied liquid.

Claim 8

A device for filling containers including a filling opening with an accurate amount of liquid comprising a metering pump having an inlet opening for filling said metering pump with liquid and an outlet opening, a filling stud communicating at its one end with said outlet opening and terminating at its other end in a filler head for tightly engaging the filling opening of said container, a check valve for opening and closing said outlet opening, a channel extending through said filing stud connecting said outlet opening to said filling head, a vacuum pump for continuously generating a sub-pressuRe, a shut-off valve capable of movement between an opened and closed position interconnected between said vacuum pump and said channel, for connecting said vacuum pump to said channel in said open position when said check valve is closed and said container is disengaged from said filling head, and for disconnecting said vacuum pump from said channel in said closed position when said check valve is open and said container is in engagement with said filling stud, and means for preventing said check valve from opening prematurely when said vacuum pump is connected to said channel.

Claim 9

A device for filling containers including a filling opening with an accurate amount of liquid comprising a metering pump having an inlet opening for filling said metering pump with liquid and an outlet opening, a filling stud communicating at its one end with said outlet opening and terminating at its other end in a filler head for tightly engaging the filling opening of said container, a check valve for opening and closing said outlet opening, a channel extending through said filing stud connecting said outlet opening to said filling head, a vacuum pump for continuously generating a sub-pressuRe, a shut-off valve capable of movement between an opened and closed position interconnected between said vacuum pump and said channel, for connecting said vacuum pump to said channel in said open position when said check valve is closed and said container is disengaged from said filling head, and for disconnecting said vacuum pump from said channel in said closed position when said check valve is open and said container is in engagement with said filling stud, and means for preventing said check valve from opening prematurely when said vacuum pump is connected to said channel.

Claim 10

A device for filling containers, such as battery cells, with an accurate amount of liquid, said containers being entirely closed except for a filling opening and said containers enclosing absorbent solid matter; said device including: an hermetically sealed filling chamber having a first, a second and a third opening; first means including a filler head extending into said filling chamber for sealingly engaging said filling opening and feeding said accurate amount of liquid thereinto; second means for slidably holding an upper portion of said containers to be filled, including said filling opening, in sealed engagement with said third opening with the remaining portion thereof remaining outside said filling chamber, the upper portion of said container thereby entering said filling chamber; third means for applying a sub-pressure to said second opening for evacuation purposes to evacuate a container disposed in said third opening and to draw the same into engagement with said filler head; and fourth means for applying an over-pressure to said first opening.

Claim 11

A device for filling containers, such as battery cells, with an accurate amount of liquid, said containers being entirely closed except for a filling opening and said containers enclosing absorbent solid matter; said device including: an hermetically sealed filling chamber having a first, a second and a third opening; first means including a filler head extending into said filling chamber for sealingly engaging said filling opening and feeding said accurate amount of liquid thereinto; second means for slidably holding an upper portion of said containers to be filled, including said filling opening, in sealed engagement with said third opening with the remaining portion thereof remaining outside said filling chamber, the upper portion of said container thereby entering said filling chamber; third means for applying a sub-pressure to said second opening for evacuation purposes to evacuate a container disposed in said third opening and to draw the same into engagement with said filler head; and fourth means for applying an over-pressure to said first opening.