Carbonated beverage filler

Claim 1

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising, supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure, means defining a variable volume measuring chamber for receiving and confining a predetermined quantity of liquid at said superatmospheric pressure from said supply means, foot valve means for releasing the liquid from the measuring chamber into a container at atmospheric pressure, said foot valve means including an expansible resilient sealing element for sealing between said foot valve means and said chamber defining means, and means for slightly increasing the volume of said chamber defining means for reducing the pressure of said liquid to about atmospheric pressure, said last named means comprising means for lowering said foot valve means slightly with respect to said chamber defining means to permit said sealing element to be moved vertically while still maintaining its sealing effect with said chamber defining means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising, supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure, means defining a variable volume measuring chamber for receiving and confining a predetermined quantity of liquid at said superatmospheric pressure from said supply means, foot valve means for releasing the liquid from the measuring chamber into a container at atmospheric pressure, said foot valve means including an expansible resilient sealing element for sealing between said foot valve means and said chamber defining means, and means for slightly increasing the volume of said chamber defining means for reducing the pressure of said liquid to about atmospheric pressure, said last named means comprising means for lowering said foot valve means slightly with respect to said chamber defining means to permit said sealing element to be moved vertically while still maintaining its sealing effect with said chamber defining means.

Claim 5

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure; a vertically oriented cylinder connected to said supply means; a foot valve for closing the lower end of said cylinder; a piston mounted for relative movement within said cylinder, said piston and foot valve defining a variable volume measuring chamber within said cylinder for measuring a predetermined charge of liquid for delivery to said container; an inlet valve provided in said piston for permitting flow of said liquid from said supply means to said measuring chamber; means for holding a container to be filled in a position to receive said predetermined charge of liquid from said measuring chamber; and raising and lowering means attached to at least three of said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve for relatively moving said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve so that said cylinder is lowered into said container and said inlet valve is closed with said predetermined charge of liquid being in said measuring chamber, said foot valve and cylinder are separated to permit said liquid to flow into said container, said cylinder is raised relative to said container while said container is filled with the lower end of said cylinder remaining beneath the surface of the liquid in the container substantially until the completion of the filling thereof, said cylinder and foot valve are closed and are brought into engagement with said piston to reduce the volume of said measuring chamber substantially to zero, and said inlet valve is opened and said piston is separated from said foot valve to recharge the measuring chamber.

Claim 6

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure; a vertically oriented cylinder connected to said supply means; a foot valve for closing the lower end of said cylinder; a piston mounted for relative movement within said cylinder, said piston and foot valve defining a variable volume measuring chamber within said cylinder for measuring a predetermined charge of liquid for delivery to said container; an inlet valve provided in said piston for permitting flow of said liquid from said supply means to said measuring chamber; means for holding a container to be filled in a position to receive said predetermined charge of liquid from said measuring chamber; and raising and lowering means attached to at least three of said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve for relatively moving said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve so that said cylinder is lowered into said container and said inlet valve is closed with said predetermined charge of liquid being in said measuring chamber, said foot valve and cylinder are separated to permit said liquid to flow into said container, said cylinder is raised relative to said container while said container is filled with the lower end of said cylinder remaining beneath the surface of the liquid in the container substantially until the completion of the filling thereof, said cylinder and foot valve are closed and are brought into engagement with said piston to reduce the volume of said measuring chamber substantially to zero, and said inlet valve is opened and said piston is separated from said foot valve to recharge the measuring chamber.

Claim 8

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure; a vertically oriented cylinder connected to said supply means; a foot valve for closing the lower end of said cylinder; a piston mounted for relative movement within said cylinder, said piston and foot valve defining a variable volume measuring chamber within said cylinder for measuring a predetermined charge of liquid for delivery to said container; an inlet valve provided in said piston for permitting flow of said liquid from said supply means to said measuring chamber; means for holding a container to be filled in a position to receive said predetermined charge of liquid from said measuring chamber; and raising and lowering means attached to at least three of said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve for relatively moving said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve so that said cylinder is lowered into said container and said inlet valve is closed with said predetermined charge of liquid being in said measuring chamber, said measuring chamber is expanded slightly after said inlet valve is closed and prior to discharge of liquid from said measuring chamber thereby to reduce the pressure thereof to substantially atmospheric pressure, said foot valve and cylinder are separated to permit said liquid to flow into said container, said cylinder is raised relative to said container while said container is filled with the lower end of said cylinder remaining beneath the surface of the liquid in the container substantially until the completion of the filling thereof, said cylinder and foot valve are closed and are brought into engagement with said piston to reduce the volume of said measuring chamber substantially to zero, and said inlet valve is opened and said piston is separated from said foot valve to recharge the measuring chamber.

Claim 9

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure; a vertically oriented cylinder connected to said supply means; a foot valve for closing the lower end of said cylinder; a piston mounted for relative movement within said cylinder, said piston and foot valve defining a variable volume measuring chamber within said cylinder for measuring a predetermined charge of liquid for delivery to said container; an inlet valve provided in said piston for permitting flow of said liquid from said supply means to said measuring chamber; means for holding a container to be filled in a position to receive said predetermined charge of liquid from said measuring chamber; and raising and lowering means attached to at least three of said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve for relatively moving said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve so that said cylinder is lowered into said container and said inlet valve is closed with said predetermined charge of liquid being in said measuring chamber, said measuring chamber is expanded slightly after said inlet valve is closed and prior to discharge of liquid from said measuring chamber thereby to reduce the pressure thereof to substantially atmospheric pressure, said foot valve and cylinder are separated to permit said liquid to flow into said container, said cylinder is raised relative to said container while said container is filled with the lower end of said cylinder remaining beneath the surface of the liquid in the container substantially until the completion of the filling thereof, said cylinder and foot valve are closed and are brought into engagement with said piston to reduce the volume of said measuring chamber substantially to zero, and said inlet valve is opened and said piston is separated from said foot valve to recharge the measuring chamber.

Claim 10

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure; a vertically oriented cylinder connected to said supply means; a foot valve for closing the lower end of said cylinder; a piston mounted for relative movement within said cylinder, said piston and foot valve defining a variable volume measuring chamber within said cylinder for measuring a predetermined charge of liquid for delivery to said container; an inlet valve provided in said piston for permitting flow of said liquid from said supply means to said measuring chamber; means for holding a container to be filled in a position to receive said predetermined charge of liquid from said measuring chamber; raising and lowering attached to at least three of said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve for relatively moving said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve so that said cylinder is lowered into said container and said inlet valve is closed with said predetermined charge of liquid being in said measuring chamber, said foot valve opens downwardly of the end of said cylinder to permit said liquid to flow into said container, said cylinder is raised relative to said container while said container is filled with the lower end of said cylinder remaining beneath the surface of the liquid in the container substantially until the completion of the filling thereof, said cylinder and foot valve are closed and are brought into engagement with said piston to reduce the volume of said measuring chamber substantially to zero, and said inlet valve is opened and said piston is separated from said foot valve to recharge the measuring chamber; means within said raising and lowering means for expanding said measuring chamber slightly after said inlet valve is closed and prior to the discharge of liquid from said measuring chamber to reduce the pressure thereof to substantially atmospheric pressure; and an expansible resilient sealing element for sealing between said foot valve and said end of said cylinder, said sealing element being capable of expanding during the relative movement of said foot valve away from said cylinder while retaining sealing contact with said foot valve and cylinder for a sufficient amount of relative movement of said foot valve and cylinder in order to permit said pressure of the liquid in the measuring chamber to be reduced to substantially atmospheric pressure.

Claim 11

An apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid into a container comprising supply means for maintaining a supply of carbonated liquid under superatmospheric pressure; a vertically oriented cylinder connected to said supply means; a foot valve for closing the lower end of said cylinder; a piston mounted for relative movement within said cylinder, said piston and foot valve defining a variable volume measuring chamber within said cylinder for measuring a predetermined charge of liquid for delivery to said container; an inlet valve provided in said piston for permitting flow of said liquid from said supply means to said measuring chamber; means for holding a container to be filled in a position to receive said predetermined charge of liquid from said measuring chamber; raising and lowering attached to at least three of said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve for relatively moving said container holding means, said cylinder, said foot valve, said piston and said inlet valve so that said cylinder is lowered into said container and said inlet valve is closed with said predetermined charge of liquid being in said measuring chamber, said foot valve opens downwardly of the end of said cylinder to permit said liquid to flow into said container, said cylinder is raised relative to said container while said container is filled with the lower end of said cylinder remaining beneath the surface of the liquid in the container substantially until the completion of the filling thereof, said cylinder and foot valve are closed and are brought into engagement with said piston to reduce the volume of said measuring chamber substantially to zero, and said inlet valve is opened and said piston is separated from said foot valve to recharge the measuring chamber; means within said raising and lowering means for expanding said measuring chamber slightly after said inlet valve is closed and prior to the discharge of liquid from said measuring chamber to reduce the pressure thereof to substantially atmospheric pressure; and an expansible resilient sealing element for sealing between said foot valve and said end of said cylinder, said sealing element being capable of expanding during the relative movement of said foot valve away from said cylinder while retaining sealing contact with said foot valve and cylinder for a sufficient amount of relative movement of said foot valve and cylinder in order to permit said pressure of the liquid in the measuring chamber to be reduced to substantially atmospheric pressure.