Vertical auger type bag filler having a vibrating bowl with inverted venting cone and rotating agitator assembly

Claim 2

A container filling machine for filling a product into a container, said container filling machine comprising: a hopper, said hopper having a top, a bottom peripheral edge, and an interior region to contain the product; an auger bowl, said auger bowl being connected to and disposed generally beneath said hopper adjacent said bottom peripheral edge thereof such that the product within said hopper may be transferred downwardly into said auger bowl, said auger bowl having an interior and an outlet through which the product is transferred from said auger bowl; a vibrator assembly, said vibrator assembly being operatively connected to said auger bowl and capable of selectively vibrating said auger bowl; a fill tube assembly, said fill tube assembly being connected to and disposed generally beneath said auger bowl and having a portion communicating with said outlet such that the product within the auger bowl may be transferred downwardly into said fill tube assembly from said auger bowl; an auger shaft assembly, said auger shaft assembly being oriented in a generally vertical direction and extending downwardly from a top end disposed adjacent to or above said interior region of said hopper to a lower end disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly, said auger shaft assembly being mounted for rotational movement about an axis of rotation oriented in a generally vertical direction, said auger shaft assembly further having a section of flighting, said section of flighting being disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly; a venting assembly disposed at least partially within said hopper and said auger bowl, said venting assembly having a flow passage means communicating between said interior of said auger bowl and a vent discharge for removing gases de-aerated from the product within said auger bowl; and an agitator assembly disposed at least partially within said auger bowl, at least a portion of said agitator assembly being mounted for rotation within said auger bowl and capable of moving the product therein.

Claim 3

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the venting assembly is connected to and carried with the auger bowl such that at least a portion of the venting assembly vibrates with the auger bowl.

Claim 4

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the venting assembly comprises a truncated cone section, said truncated cone section having a bottom peripheral edge and an open top aperture, the flow passage means being connected to and communicating with the open top aperture of said truncated cone section and extending generally upward therefrom.

Claim 5

The container filling machine of claim 3 wherein the open top aperture has a diameter and the bottom peripheral edge of the truncated cone section has a diameter greater than said diameter of the open top aperture.

Claim 6

The container filling machine of claim 3 wherein the flow passage means includes a vent tube extending generally upward from the truncated cone, the truncated cone section and said vent tube being connected to and carried with the auger bowl such that both the truncated cone section and the vent tube vibrate with the auger bowl.

Claim 7

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the flow passage means generally circumscribes at least a portion of the auger shaft assembly.

Claim 8

The container filling machine of claim 6 wherein the flow passage means has a diameter and the portion of the auger shaft assembly circumscribed by the flow passage means has a diameter, said diameter of the flow passage means being sufficiently larger than said diameter of said portion of the auger shaft assembly circumscribed by the flow passage means such that the flow passage means does not contact the auger shaft assembly when the flow passage means is vibrated.

Claim 9

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the fill tube assembly comprises: an upper fill tube segment; and a lower fill tube segment, said lower fill tube segment being generally aligned and communicating with said upper fill tube segment.

Claim 10

The container filling machine of claim 8 wherein the section of flighting has a diameter and is at least partially received within the lower fill tube segment, the lower fill tube segment having a diameter approximately equal to said diameter of the section of flighting received within the lower fill tube section.

Claim 11

The container filling machine of claim 8 wherein the section of flighting has a diameter and is at least partially received within the upper fill tube segment, and further wherein the vibrator assembly vibrates the auger bowl a maximum linear displacement within a generally horizontal plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the auger shaft assembly, the upper fill tube segment having a diameter and the outlet having a diameter, said diameter of the outlet and said diameter of the upper fill tube segment each being at least equal to or greater than said diameter of the section of flighting received within the upper fill tube segment plus two times said maximum linear displacement of the auger bowl.

Claim 12

The container filling machine of claim 8 wherein the section of flighting has a diameter and is at least partially received within the upper fill tube segment, and further wherein the vibrator assembly vibrates the auger bowl a total maximum linear displacement within a generally horizontal plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the auger shaft assembly, the upper fill tube segment having a diameter and the outlet having a diameter, said diameter of the outlet and said diameter of the upper fill tube segment each being at least equal to or greater than said diameter of the section of flighting received within the upper fill tube segment plus said total maximum linear displacement of the auger bowl.

Claim 13

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the auger bowl has a top peripheral edge and the bottom peripheral edge of the hopper is spaced apart from said top peripheral edge of the auger bowl and connected thereto by a flexible connector, said flexible connector extending substantially around and between the bottom peripheral edge of the hopper and said top peripheral edge of the auger bowl and preventing the product within the hopper or the auger bowl from escaping between the bottom peripheral edge of the hopper and said top peripheral edge of the auger bowl.

Claim 14

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the outlet of the auger bowl is spaced apart from the portion of the fill tube assembly aligned and communicating with the outlet, the outlet being connected to the fill tube assembly by a flexible connector, said flexible connector extending substantially around and between the outlet of the auger bowl and the portion of the fill tube assembly aligned and communicating with the outlet to prevent the product within the auger bowl or the fill tube assembly from escaping between the outlet of the auger bowl and the fill tube assembly.

Claim 15

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the agitator assembly includes an agitator drive shaft, said agitator drive shaft being mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis of rotation and defining a longitudinal bore, said longitudinal bore of said agitator drive shaft receiving at least a portion of the auger shaft assembly therein.

Claim 16

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the agitator assembly includes an agitator drive shaft, said agitator drive shaft being mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis of rotation, at least a portion of said agitator drive shaft being received within and spaced apart from the flow passage means.

Claim 17

The container filling machine of claim 15 wherein the flow passage means is connected to and carried with the auger bowl such that the flow passage means vibrates with the auger bowl, the flow passage means being spaced apart from the agitator drive shaft such that the agitator drive shaft does not contact the flow passage means when the flow passage means vibrates with the auger bowl.

Claim 18

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the agitator assembly includes an agitator drive shaft, said agitator drive shaft being mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis of rotation and extending downwardly from a top end adjacent to or above the top of the hopper, the container filling machine further comprising: an agitator drive assembly, said agitator drive assembly including a drive motor operatively connected to the agitator drive shaft, said drive motor being capable of rotating the agitator drive shaft at a selected angular velocity independent of the rotation of the auger shaft.

Claim 19

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the agitator assembly includes an agitator drive shaft, said agitator drive shaft being mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis of rotation and extending downwardly to a lower end, the container filling machine further comprising: an agitator mounting collar removably connected to and interlocked with the agitator drive shaft adjacent the lower end thereof.

Claim 20

The container filling machine of claim 18 wherein the agitator mounting collar includes a pair of collar segments, each of said pair of collar segments extending at least partially around the agitator drive shaft and generally mating with one another, said pair of collar segments being removably fastened together.

Claim 21

The container filling machine of claim 18 wherein the agitator assembly includes a pair of agitator paddle assemblies, each of said pair of agitator paddle assemblies being connected to and extending from the agitator mounting collar such that each of said pair of agitator paddle assemblies are generally symmetrical to one another relative to a generally vertical plane intersecting the axis of rotation of the auger shaft assembly.

Claim 22

The container filling machine of claim 18 wherein the auger bowl has an inner surface and the agitator assembly includes at least one agitator paddle assembly, said agitator paddle assembly including a paddle member extending generally parallel with said inner surface of the auger bowl and spaced apart therefrom sufficiently that said paddle member does not contact said inner surface of the auger bowl when the auger bowl is vibrated.

Claim 23

The container filling machine of claim 18 wherein the agitator assembly includes at least one agitator paddle assembly, said agitator paddle assembly including a paddle member, said paddle member being shaped and oriented to move and de-aerate the product within the auger bowl and to urge the product downwardly within the auger bowl toward the outlet thereof.

Claim 24

The container filling machine of claim 1 wherein the auger shaft assembly comprises: an upper shaft segment; and a lower shaft segment connected to and extending from said upper shaft segment and generally aligned therewith.

Claim 25

The container filling machine of claim 23 wherein the upper shaft segment is removably connected to the lower shaft segment by a coupler member.

Claim 26

The container filling machine of claim 1 further comprising: an auger shaft drive assembly, said auger shaft drive assembly including an auger drive motor operatively connected to the auger shaft assembly adjacent the top end thereof, said auger drive motor being capable of rotating the auger shaft assembly at a selected angular velocity, said auger shaft drive assembly further including a transmission means operatively connected to said auger drive motor and the auger shaft assembly and capable of selectively engaging and disengaging said auger drive motor from the auger shaft assembly and adjusting said selected angular velocity of the auger shaft assembly.

Claim 27

A container filling machine for filling a product into a container, said container filling machine comprising: a hopper, said hopper having a top, a bottom peripheral edge, and an interior region to contain the product; an auger bowl, said auger bowl being connected to and disposed generally beneath said hopper adjacent said bottom peripheral edge thereof such that the product within said hopper may be transferred downwardly into said auger bowl, said auger bowl having an outlet through which the product is transferred from said auger bowl; a vibrator assembly, said vibrator assembly being operatively connected to said auger bowl and capable of selectively vibrating said auger bowl; a fill tube assembly, said fill tube assembly being connected to and disposed generally beneath said auger bowl and having a portion communicating with said outlet such that the product within the auger bowl may be transferred downwardly into said fill tube assembly from said auger bowl; and an auger shaft assembly, said auger shaft assembly being oriented in a generally vertical direction and extending downwardly from a top end disposed adjacent to or above said interior region of said hopper to a lower end disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly, said auger shaft assembly being mounted for rotational movement about an axis of rotation oriented in a generally vertical direction, said auger shaft assembly further having a section of flighting, said section of flighting being disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly; wherein the auger bowl has an interior, and wherein the container filling machine further comprises a venting assembly, said venting assembly being disposed at least partially within the hopper or the auger bowl, said venting assembly having a flow passage means communicating between the interior of the auger bowl and a vent discharge for removing gases de-aerated from the product within the auger bowl.

Claim 28

A container filling machine for filling a product into a container, said container filling machine comprising: a hopper, said hopper having a top, a bottom peripheral edge, and an interior region to contain the product; an auger bowl, said auger bowl being connected to and disposed generally beneath said hopper adjacent said bottom peripheral edge thereof such that the product within said hopper may be transferred downwardly into said auger bowl, said auger bowl having an outlet through which the product is transferred from said auger bowl; a vibrator assembly, said vibrator assembly being operatively connected to said auger bowl and capable of selectively vibrating said auger bowl; a fill tube assembly, said fill tube assembly being connected to and disposed generally beneath said auger bowl and having a portion communicating with said outlet such that the product within the auger bowl may be transferred downwardly into said fill tube assembly from said auger bowl; and an auger shaft assembly, said auger shaft assembly being oriented in a generally vertical direction and extending downwardly from a top end disposed adjacent to or above said interior region of said hopper to a lower end disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly, said auger shaft assembly being mounted for rotational movement about an axis of rotation oriented in a generally vertical direction, said auger shaft assembly further having a section of flighting, said section of flighting being disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly; wherein the auger bowl has an interior, and wherein the container filling machine further comprises a venting assembly, said venting assembly being disposed at least partially within the hopper or the auger bowl, said venting assembly having a flow passage means communicating between the interior of the auger bowl and a vent discharge for removing gases de-aerated from the product within the auger bowl.

Claim 29

The container filling machine of claim 26 wherein the venting assembly is connected to and carried with the auger bowl such that at least a portion of the venting assembly vibrates with the auger bowl.

Claim 30

The container filling machine of claim 26 wherein the venting assembly comprises a truncated cone section, said truncated cone section having a bottom peripheral edge and an open top aperture, the flow passage means being connected to and communicating with the open top aperture of said truncated cone section and extending generally upward therefrom.

Claim 31

The container filling machine of claim 28 wherein the open top aperture has a diameter and the bottom peripheral edge of the truncated cone section has a diameter greater than said diameter of the open top aperture.

Claim 32

The container filling machine of claim 28 wherein the flow passage means includes a vent tube extending generally upward from the truncated cone section, and further wherein the truncated cone section and said vent tube are connected to and carried with the auger bowl such that both the truncated cone section and said vent tube vibrate with the auger bowl.

Claim 33

The container filling machine of claim 26 wherein the flow passage means generally circumscribes at least a portion of the auger shaft assembly.

Claim 34

The container filling machine of claim 31 wherein the flow passage means has a diameter and the portion of the auger shaft assembly circumscribed by the flow passage means has a diameter, said diameter of the flow passage means being sufficiently larger than said diameter of said portion of the auger shaft assembly circumscribed by the flow passage means such that the flow passage means does not contact the auger shaft assembly when the flow passage means is vibrated.

Claim 35

The container filling machine of claim 27 further comprising: an agitator assembly, said agitator assembly being disposed at least partially within said auger bowl, at least a portion of said agitator assembly being mounted for rotation within said auger bowl and capable of moving the product therein, wherein said agitator assembly includes an agitator drive shaft, said agitator drive shaft being mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis of rotation, at least a portion of said agitator drive shaft being received within and spaced apart from the flow passage means.

Claim 36

The container filling machine of claim 33 wherein the flow passage means is connected to and carried with the auger bowl such that the flow passage means vibrates with the auger bowl, the flow passage means being spaced apart from the agitator drive shaft such that the agitator drive shaft does not contact the flow passage means when the flow passage means vibrates with the auger bowl.

Claim 37

A container filling machine for filling a product into a container, said container filling machine comprising: a hopper, said hopper having a top, a bottom peripheral edge, and an interior region to contain the product; an auger bowl, said auger bowl being connected to and disposed generally beneath said hopper adjacent said bottom peripheral edge thereof such that the product within said hopper may be transferred downwardly into said auger bowl, said auger bowl having an outlet through which the product is transferred from said auger bowl; a vibrator assembly, said vibrator assembly being operatively connected to said auger bowl and capable of selectively vibrating said auger bowl; a fill tube assembly, said fill tube assembly being connected to and disposed generally beneath said auger bowl and having a portion communicating with said outlet such that the product within the auger bowl may be transferred downwardly into said fill tube assembly from said auger bowl, said fill tube assembly comprising an upper fill tube segment and a lower fill tube segment generally aligned and communicating with said upper fill tube segment; and an auger shaft assembly, said auger shaft assembly being oriented in a generally vertical direction and extending downwardly from a top end disposed adjacent to or above said interior region of said hopper to a lower end disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly, said auger shaft assembly being mounted for rotational movement about an axis of rotation oriented in a generally vertical direction, said auger shaft assembly further having a section of flighting, said section of flighting being disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly and said section of flighting having a diameter and is at least partially received within the upper fill tube segment, and further wherein the vibrator assembly vibrates the auger bowl a maximum linear displacement within a generally horizontal plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the auger shaft assembly, the upper fill tube segment having a diameter and the outlet having a diameter, said diameter of the outlet and said diameter of the upper fill tube segment each being at least equal to or greater than said diameter of the section of flighting received within the upper fill tube segment plus two times said maximum linear displacement of the auger bowl.

Claim 38

A container filling machine for filling a product into a container, said container filling machine comprising: a hopper, said hopper having a top, a bottom peripheral edge, and an interior region to contain the product; an auger bowl, said auger bowl being connected to and disposed generally beneath said hopper adjacent said bottom peripheral edge thereof such that the product within said hopper may be transferred downwardly into said auger bowl, said auger bowl having an outlet through which the product is transferred from said auger bowl; a vibrator assembly, said vibrator assembly being operatively connected to said auger bowl and capable of selectively vibrating said auger bowl; a fill tube assembly, said fill tube assembly being connected to and disposed generally beneath said auger bowl and having a portion communicating with said outlet such that the product within the auger bowl may be transferred downwardly into said fill tube assembly from said auger bowl, said fill tube assembly comprising an upper fill tube segment and a lower fill tube segment generally aligned and communicating with said upper fill tube segment; and an auger shaft assembly, said auger shaft assembly being oriented in a generally vertical direction and extending downwardly from a top end disposed adjacent to or above said interior region of said hopper to a lower end disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly, said auger shaft assembly being mounted for rotational movement about an axis of rotation oriented in a generally vertical direction, said auger shaft assembly further having a section of flighting, said section of flighting being disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly and said section of flighting having a diameter and is at least partially received within the upper fill tube segment, and further wherein the vibrator assembly vibrates the auger bowl a maximum linear displacement within a generally horizontal plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the auger shaft assembly, the upper fill tube segment having a diameter and the outlet having a diameter, said diameter of the outlet and said diameter of the upper fill tube segment each being at least equal to or greater than said diameter of the section of flighting received within the upper fill tube segment plus two times said maximum linear displacement of the auger bowl.

Claim 39

A container filling machine for filling a product into a container, said container filling machine comprising; a hopper, said hopper having a top, a bottom peripheral edge, and an interior region to contain the product; an auger bowl, said auger bowl being connected to and disposed generally beneath said hopper adjacent said bottom peripheral edge thereof such that the product within said hopper may be transferred downwardly into said auger bowl, such auger bowl having an outlet through which the product is transferred from said auger bowl; a vibrator assembly, said vibrator assembly being operatively connected to said auger bowl and capable of selectively vibrating said auger bowl; a fill tube assembly, said fill tube assembly being connected to and disposed generally beneath said auger bowl and having a portion communicating with said outlet such that the product within the auger bowl may be transferred downwardly into said fill tube assembly from said auger bowl, said fill tube assembly comprising an upper fill tube segment and a lower fill tube segment generally aligned and communicating with said upper fill tube segment; and an auger shaft assembly, said auger shaft assembly being oriented in a generally vertical direction and extending downwardly from a top end disposed adjacent to or above said interior region of said hopper to a lower end disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly, said auger shaft assembly being mounted for rotational movement about an axis of rotation oriented in a generally vertical direction, said auger shaft assembly further having a section of flighting, said section of flighting being disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly and said section of flighting having a diameter and is at least partially received within the upper fill tube segment, and further wherein the vibrator assembly vibrates the auger bowl a total maximum linear displacement within a generally horizontal plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the auger shaft assembly, the upper fill tube segment having a diameter and the outlet having a diameter, said diameter of the outlet and said diameter of the upper fill tube segment each being at least equal to or greater than said diameter of the section of flighting received within the upper fill tube segment plus two times said maximum linear displacement of the auger bowl.

Claim 40

A container filling machine for filling a product into a container, said container filling machine comprising; a hopper, said hopper having a top, a bottom peripheral edge, and an interior region to contain the product; an auger bowl, said auger bowl being connected to and disposed generally beneath said hopper adjacent said bottom peripheral edge thereof such that the product within said hopper may be transferred downwardly into said auger bowl, such auger bowl having an outlet through which the product is transferred from said auger bowl; a vibrator assembly, said vibrator assembly being operatively connected to said auger bowl and capable of selectively vibrating said auger bowl; a fill tube assembly, said fill tube assembly being connected to and disposed generally beneath said auger bowl and having a portion communicating with said outlet such that the product within the auger bowl may be transferred downwardly into said fill tube assembly from said auger bowl, said fill tube assembly comprising an upper fill tube segment and a lower fill tube segment generally aligned and communicating with said upper fill tube segment; and an auger shaft assembly, said auger shaft assembly being oriented in a generally vertical direction and extending downwardly from a top end disposed adjacent to or above said interior region of said hopper to a lower end disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly, said auger shaft assembly being mounted for rotational movement about an axis of rotation oriented in a generally vertical direction, said auger shaft assembly further having a section of flighting, said section of flighting being disposed at least partially within said fill tube assembly and said section of flighting having a diameter and is at least partially received within the upper fill tube segment, and further wherein the vibrator assembly vibrates the auger bowl a total maximum linear displacement within a generally horizontal plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the auger shaft assembly, the upper fill tube segment having a diameter and the outlet having a diameter, said diameter of the outlet and said diameter of the upper fill tube segment each being at least equal to or greater than said diameter of the section of flighting received within the upper fill tube segment plus two times said maximum linear displacement of the auger bowl.