Rotary filling and capping apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for filling and capping a plurality of stackable containers with a fluid from a fluid reservoir, comprising in combination: a rotary table having a plurality of container receiving means disposed about said rotary table; a container magazine disposed at a first position relative to said rotary table; container transfer means for transferring a single one of the plurality of containers from said container magazine to said container receiving means of said rotary table; a filling head disposed at a second position relative to said rotary table; pump means connecting the fluid reservoir to said filling head for filling a container disposed on said rotary table with the fluid from the fluid reservoir; a lid magazine disposed at a third position relative to said rotary table; lid transfer means for individually transferring lids from said lid magazine to the top of the filled container, said lid magazine being disposed adjacent a container aperture in said rotary table in said third position; lid transfer means comprising a rotatable arm pivoted for rotating one hundred and eighty degrees about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotary table; means for linearly moving said rotatable arm relative to said lid magazine; lid sensor means for sensing the presence of a lid during transfer by said lid transfer means; a heat sealer disposed at a fourth position relative to said rotary table; and discharge means disposed at a fifth position relative to said rotary table for discharging the capped container from said rotary table.

Claim 2

An apparatus for filling and capping a plurality of stackable containers with a fluid from a fluid reservoir, comprising in combination: a rotary table having a plurality of container receiving means disposed about said rotary table; a container magazine disposed at a first position relative to said rotary table; container transfer means for transferring a single one of the plurality of containers from said container magazine to said container receiving means of said rotary table; a filling head disposed at a second position relative to said rotary table; pump means connecting the fluid reservoir to said filling head for filling a container disposed on said rotary table with the fluid from the fluid reservoir; a lid magazine disposed at a third position relative to said rotary table; lid transfer means for individually transferring lids from said lid magazine to the top of the filled container, said lid magazine being disposed adjacent a container aperture in said rotary table in said third position; lid transfer means comprising a rotatable arm pivoted for rotating one hundred and eighty degrees about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotary table; means for linearly moving said rotatable arm relative to said lid magazine; lid sensor means for sensing the presence of a lid during transfer by said lid transfer means; a heat sealer disposed at a fourth position relative to said rotary table; and discharge means disposed at a fifth position relative to said rotary table for discharging the capped container from said rotary table.

Claim 4

An apparatus for filling and capping a plurality of stackable containers with a fluid from a fluid reservoir, comprising in combination: a rotary table having a plurality of containers receiving means disposed about said rotary table; a container magazine disposed at a first position relative to said rotary table; container transfer means for transferring a single one of the plurality of containers from said container magazine to said container receiving means of said rotary table; a filling head disposed at a second position relative to said rotary table; pump means connecting the fluid reservoir to said filling head for filling a container disposed on said rotary table with the fluid from the fluid reservoir; a lid magazine disposed at a third position relative to said rotary table; lid transfer means for individually transferring lids from said lid magazine to the top of the filled container, said lid magazine being disposed adjacent a container aperture in said rotary table in said third position; said lid transfer means comprising a rotatable arm pivoted for rotating one hundred and eighty degrees about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotary table; the terminal end of said rotatable arm comprising a vacuum head for holding a lid thereon; said vacuum head being linearly movable relative to the rotational axis of said lid transfer means; lid sensor means for sensing the presence of a lid during transfer by said lid transfer means; a heat sealer disposed at a fourth position relative to said rotary table; and discharge means disposed at a fifth position relative to said rotary table for discharging the capped container from said rotary table.

Claim 5

An apparatus for filling and capping a plurality of stackable containers with a fluid from a fluid reservoir, comprising in combination: a rotary table having a plurality of containers receiving means disposed about said rotary table; a container magazine disposed at a first position relative to said rotary table; container transfer means for transferring a single one of the plurality of containers from said container magazine to said container receiving means of said rotary table; a filling head disposed at a second position relative to said rotary table; pump means connecting the fluid reservoir to said filling head for filling a container disposed on said rotary table with the fluid from the fluid reservoir; a lid magazine disposed at a third position relative to said rotary table; lid transfer means for individually transferring lids from said lid magazine to the top of the filled container, said lid magazine being disposed adjacent a container aperture in said rotary table in said third position; said lid transfer means comprising a rotatable arm pivoted for rotating one hundred and eighty degrees about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotary table; the terminal end of said rotatable arm comprising a vacuum head for holding a lid thereon; said vacuum head being linearly movable relative to the rotational axis of said lid transfer means; lid sensor means for sensing the presence of a lid during transfer by said lid transfer means; a heat sealer disposed at a fourth position relative to said rotary table; and discharge means disposed at a fifth position relative to said rotary table for discharging the capped container from said rotary table.

Claim 8

An apparatus for filling and capping a plurality of stackable containers with a fluid from a fluid reservoir comprising, in combination: a rotary table having a plurality of container receiving means disposed about said rotary table; a container magazine disposed at a first position relative to said rotary table; container transfer means for transferring a single one of the plurality of containers from said container magazine to said container receiving means of said rotary table; a filling head disposed at a second position relative to said rotary table; pump means connecting the fluid reservoir to said filling head for filling a container disposed on said rotary table with the fluid flow from the fluid reservoir; a lid magazine disposed at a third position relative to said rotary table; lid transfer means for individually receiving lids from said lid magazine and for positioning the lid upon the top of the filled container; said lid transfer means comprising a rotatable vacuum arm for receiving a lid from said lid magazine and rotating about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotary table; a vacuum head disposed on the terminal end of said rotatable vacuum arm for holding the lid thereby; lid sensor means for sensing the vacuum on said vacuum head during rotation thereof for sensing the presence of a lid thereat; a mass slidably disposed relative to said vacuum head for facilitating separation of the lid from the vacuum head by the weight of said mass; a heat sealer disposed at a fourth position relative to said rotary table for applying heat to the lid positioned upon the filled container thereby capping the container; and discharge means disposed at a fifth position relative to said rotary table for discharging the capped container from said rotary table.

Claim 9

An apparatus for filling and capping a plurality of stackable containers with a fluid from a fluid reservoir comprising, in combination: a rotary table having a plurality of container receiving means disposed about said rotary table; a container magazine disposed at a first position relative to said rotary table; container transfer means for transferring a single one of the plurality of containers from said container magazine to said container receiving means of said rotary table; a filling head disposed at a second position relative to said rotary table; pump means connecting the fluid reservoir to said filling head for filling a container disposed on said rotary table with the fluid flow from the fluid reservoir; a lid magazine disposed at a third position relative to said rotary table; lid transfer means for individually receiving lids from said lid magazine and for positioning the lid upon the top of the filled container; said lid transfer means comprising a rotatable vacuum arm for receiving a lid from said lid magazine and rotating about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotary table; a vacuum head disposed on the terminal end of said rotatable vacuum arm for holding the lid thereby; lid sensor means for sensing the vacuum on said vacuum head during rotation thereof for sensing the presence of a lid thereat; a mass slidably disposed relative to said vacuum head for facilitating separation of the lid from the vacuum head by the weight of said mass; a heat sealer disposed at a fourth position relative to said rotary table for applying heat to the lid positioned upon the filled container thereby capping the container; and discharge means disposed at a fifth position relative to said rotary table for discharging the capped container from said rotary table.