Bottle filling means and method

Claim 2

Bottle filling means suitable for the filling of a bottle with liquid contained in a bowl and containing gas under superatmospheric pressure, comprising: a frame supporting the bowl, a liquid inlet conduit, a float valve, supported by the bowl in liquid flow communication with said conduit and having a liquid discharge outlet and a float contained within the bowl establishing a liquid level therein, a liquid flow valve carried by the bowl, a liquid delivery tube terminating at its inlet end in the bowl below the liquid level and at its outlet end in the inlet of said valve above the liquid level, and a syphon tube having an open lower end depending from the outlet of said valve and extending into the bottle; a bottle venting valve, a gas flow conduit having its inlet adjacent the outer surface of said depending tube and extending to the inlet of the bottle venting valve, a flowmeter, and a gas venting tube extending from the outlet of said bottle venting valve to the inlet of the flowmeter, said flowmeter being operable to regulate rate of release of gas contained at pressure in the venting tube to atmosphere, and means for inducing syphon action flow of liquid from the bowl through the syphon tube comprising valve control means coupled to said valves whereby the opening of the liquid flow valve initiates the syphon action and the bottle venting valve is opened to vent displaced air or gas from the bottle as it is filled.

Claim 3

Bottle filling means according to claim 1 further comprising bearings interposed between the frame and bowl supporting the bowl for rotation about a vertical axis, said bowl having a closure member with a central aperture, said liquid inlet being a tube extending through said central aperture, a seal between the tube and walls defining said central aperture, said float valve being supported by the lower end of the inlet tube and contained wholly within the bowl.

Claim 4

Bottle filling means according to claim 2 wherein said float valve is a servo valve and comprises a cylinder, a cup-like member freely slidable in the cylinder, a master valve seat in the base of the cup-like member, a master valve member within the cup-like member and co-operable with the master valve seat, and means coupling the master valve member to said float, a slave valve seat in the base of the cylinder, and a slave valve annular surface on the bottom of the cup-like member co-operable with the slave valve seat, said liquid inlet tube opening into the cylinder through its side wall adjacent the slave valve seat.

Claim 5

Bottle filling means according to claim 1 further comprising a gassing valve, a gassing conduit extending from the bowl to the inlet of the gassing valve, said gas flow conduit extending to the outlet of the gassing valve.

Claim 6

Bottle filling means according to claim 1 further comprising a pressure release valve, said gas flow conduit extending to the inlet of the pressure release valve, the outlet of said pressure release valve being exposed to atmosphere.

Claim 7

Bottle filling means according to claim 1 further comprising a tube venting valve, a tube vent conduit extending from the syphon tube to the inlet of the tube venting valve, a low pressure gas conduit extending between the outlet of the venting valve and the bowl, and a pressure regulating valve in the low pressure gas conduit.

Claim 8

Bottle filling means suitable for the filling of a bottle with liquid contained in a bowl and containing gas under superatmospheric pressure, comprising: a frame, bearings on the frame supporting the bowl for rotation about a vertical axis, a closure member over the bowl having a central aperture, a liquid inlet tube extending through said central aperture, a seal between the aperture and the inlet tube, a float valve on the lower end of the tube contained wholly within the bowl and establishing a liquid level within the bowl, a valve body containing a liquid flow valve secured to the bowl, a liquid delivery tube terminating at its inlet end in the bowl below said liquid level and its outlet end in the inlet of said liquid flow valve, and a syphon tube having an open lower end depending from the outlet of said liquid flow valve and extending into the bottle, a bottle venting valve contained in said valve body and co-axial with the liquid flow valve, a gas flow conduit within the valve body having as its inlet an annular space defined by walls of the valve body surrounding the syphon tube and extending to the inlet of the bottle venting valve, and means for inducing syphon action flow of liquid from the bowl to the bottle through the syphon tube comprising a gassing spool valve having its spool coaxial with the other said valves and being axially movable within the body to open or close said valves, a cam track on the frame, and cam engaging means on the spool engaging the cam track so that upon rotation of the bowl the spool is moved in an axial direction by the cam track, a flow meter, and a gas venting tube extending from the outlet of the bottle venting valve to the inlet of the flow meter, the flow meter being operable to regulate the rate of release of gas contained at pressure in the venting tube to atmosphere, a gassing conduit opening at one end into the the bowl and at the other end into the inlet of the spool valve, the spool upon being moved outwardly from the valve body opening the gassing valve whereby opening the liquid flow valve initiates the syphon action and the opening of the bottle venting valve allows gas or air in the bottle to vent through the flow meter.

Claim 9

Bottle filling means suitable for the filling of a bottle with liquid contained in a bowl and containing gas under superatmospheric pressure, comprising: a frame, bearings on the frame supporting the bowl for rotation about a vertical axis, a closure member over the bowl having a central aperture, a liquid inlet tube extending through said central aperture, a seal between the aperture and the inlet tube, a float valve on the lower end of the tube contained wholly within the bowl and establishing a liquid level within the bowl, a valve body containing a liquid flow valve secured to the bowl, a liquid delivery tube terminating at its inlet end in the bowl below said liquid level and its outlet end in the inlet of said liquid flow valve, and a syphon tube having an open lower end depending from the outlet of said liquid flow valve and extending into the bottle, a bottle venting valve contained in said valve body and co-axial with the liquid flow valve, a gas flow conduit within the valve body having as its inlet an annular space defined by walls of the valve body surrounding the syphon tube and extending to the inlet of the bottle venting valve, and means for inducing syphon action flow of liquid from the bowl to the bottle through the syphon tube comprising a gassing spool valve having its spool coaxial with the other said valves and being axially movable within the body to open or close said valves, a cam track on the frame, and cam engaging means on the spool engaging the cam track so that upon rotation of the bowl the spool is moved in an axial direction by the cam track, a flow meter, and a gas venting tube extending from the outlet of the bottle venting valve to the inlet of the flow meter, the flow meter being operable to regulate the rate of release of gas contained at pressure in the venting tube to atmosphere, a gassing conduit opening at one end into the the bowl and at the other end into the inlet of the spool valve, the spool upon being moved outwardly from the valve body opening the gassing valve whereby opening the liquid flow valve initiates the syphon action and the opening of the bottle venting valve allows gas or air in the bottle to vent through the flow meter.

Claim 10

Bottle filling means according to claim 7 wherein said valve body contains a central bore and all said valves are movable in an axial direction in the central bore, said liquid flow valve being a poppet valve having a stem slidable within the body and a head co-operable with an annular valve seat within the bore, the bore further containing a piston slidable therein and positioned upwardly of the liquid flow valve, the piston having a depending tube containing a compression spring and an abutment member which bears against the upper end of said liquid flow valve stem, the upper end of said piston having an annular venting valve seat, said venting valve also being a poppet valve having a stem depending into a central recess in the piston and a head co-operable with the venting valve seat, respective springs around the stems of both poppet valves biassing them towards respective open positions, the bore having limit means therein which limit upward movement of the piston and a piston spring beneath the piston urging it in an upward direction, the dimensions of the valves, piston and spool being such that upon downward movement of the spool, its lower end bears against the venting valve head and closes it against the venting valve seat, while continued downward movement drives the piston downwardly so that the abutment member bears against the end of the liquid flow valve stem and closes the liquid flow valve against its seat.

Claim 11

Bottle filling means according to claim 7 further comprising a tube venting valve in the valve body, a tube vent conduit extending through the body from the syphon tube to the venting valve inlet, a low pressure gas conduit extending between the outlet of the venting valve and the bowl, and a pressure regulating valve in the low pressure gas conduit, a pressure release valve in the valve body, said gas flow conduit extending to the inlet of the pressure release valve, the outlet of the pressure release valve being exposed to atmosphere, both the tube venting and pressure release valves being poppet valves having their heads urged outwardly to engage annular valve seats in the body by respective springs contained within the body, and having their stems projecting outwardly from the body, said frame comprising respective valve engaging means which engage the outwardly projecting stems upon rotation of the bowl, to thereby open the valves.

Claim 14

A method of filling a bottle according to claim 10 further comprising charging gas to said bottle from said bowl before said opening of the liquid flow and bottle venting valves, and venting the gas and any air contained in the bottle therefrom during said transfer of liquid from the bowl to the bottle.

Claim 15

A method of filling a bottle according to claim 10 wherein the step of positioning said bottle over said syphon tube urges the mouth of said bottle into sealable engagement with the valve body of the liquid flow valve, a. rotating the bowl to in turn effect opening of said liquid flow valve, so as to commence liquid flow through a liquid delivery tube and syphon tube under the influence of the gas pressure, then opneing said bottle venting valve to vent displaced gas from the bottle to atmosphere at a rate regulated by a flow meter, b. further rotating the bowl to effect closure of said valves, and c. lowering the bottle form the syphon tube while simultaneously further rotating the bowl to effect opening of a tube venting valve and consequential application of gas at low but superatmospheric pressure to said syphon tube.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 comprising the step of applying gas at bowl pressure to the bottle being filled before effecting opening of said liquid flow and venting valves, said pressure being effective in causing said opening of these two valves.