GB1027597A - Improved process and apparatus for packaging a liquid-containing food product - Google Patents

Abstract

1,027,597. Bottling. OWENS-ILLINOIS Inc. Dec. 18, 1962 [Dec. 18, 1961], No. 47841/62. Heading B8T. [Also in Division A2] Liquid food in a closed vessel 11 is heated, e.g. by an electric heater 12, to a sterilizing temperature which is above the atmospheric boiling point of the liquid, and the pressure in the vessel is maintained sufficient to prevent boiling; a container 35 to be filled is placed at least partially within a filling chamber 32 maintained under a gaseous pressure whereby to prevent substantial boiling of the liquid on transforming it to the container from the vessel; after the filling operation the container is sealed by a closure 41, the pressure in the chamber then released and the sealed container removed from the chamber. The apparatus of Fig. 1 comprises a rotary filler and includes a number of filling chambers 32 with intermediate chambers 24 circumferentially spaced around the vessel. The latter has correspondingly spaced openings 16 each controlled by a cam-actuated slide valve 18 shown in the container filling position in Fig. 1 with the opening 16 closed. The containers are supported on vertically reciprocable pads 44 carried by a rotary table 47, and are embraced by holders 49. Each closure 41 is held by a magnet 40 on a piston 33. In one position of the slide valve 18 the opening 16 coincides with an opening 23 in a tubular part of the valve, and whilst in this position a piston 30 is raised by cam means to draw liquid into a chamber 24 via a valve opening 22. When a container has been lifted into engagement with a seal 34 on the bottom of the filling chamber steam under pressure is fed to the chamber from the vessel 11 by pipes 37 and 38. Valve 18 is then moved radially outward to close opening 16, and the piston 30 is lowered to force liquid from outlet 21 to the container. When the valve 18 is retracted the piston 33 is lowered by cam means to force a closure on to the container mouth. Pipe 37 is opened to atmosphere and the sealed container lowered and transferred to a heated lehr 57. The latter ensures that the liquid is maintained at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient period to ensure sterilization of the container and closure. The filler of Fig. 2 (not shown) is non-rotary, but the containers are supplied on a turntable 47 and raised against a seal 81 on the filling chamber. A valve 67 controls liquid flow to a passage 66 and slide valve 74 by which liquid passes directly from the vessel 11 and valve 74 to the chamber 32 and container. A piston 79 has a magnet 40 for holding a closure, and is normally spring- urged upwardly but is lowered to receive closures which are fed by a reciprocatory trough 80a through an opening 80. The cam filling apparatus of Fig. 5 (not shown) includes a closing head 100 supporting a magnetic chuck 102 which carries a can cover 103; the head has seamers 105 to seal the cover to the can. A tube 108 is expanded by compressed air on to the can wall to provide a seal. A modification is described in which a container is partly received within the filling chamber and is sealed by an expansible tube of the kind mentioned above; alternatively the container may be received wholly within the filling chamber and sealed therein by a resilient ring, compressed between the base of the chamber and the container-supporting pad.