US3192966A

US3192966A - Apparatus for filling containers with carbonated liquid

Info

Publication number: US3192966A
Application number: US259822A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph H Breeback
Original assignee: Crown Cork and Seal Co Inc
Current assignee: Crown Cork and Seal Co Inc
Priority date: 1963-02-20
Filing date: 1963-02-20
Publication date: 1965-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1982-07-06
Also published as: BE643977A; GB999714A; DE1432299A1

Description

July y(5, 191.65 I R..H. BREEBACK 3,192,966 y .A I'PARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH CARBONATED LIQUID Y Filed Feb. '20, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 -iVm@ uni July 6, 1955 R. H. BREEBACK v 3,192,966

PPARATS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH CARBONATED LIQUID 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 20, 1963 July 6, 1965 R. H. BREEBACK 3,192,966

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH CARBONATED LIQUID Filed Feb. 20, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 /00 APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH v CARBONATED LIQUID Rudolph H. Breeback, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 259,822 l12 Claims. (Cl. 141-56) The present 4invention relates to an apparatus for filling containers with a carbonated liquid and, more particularly, to an apparatus to Yprovide aV quiet filling of containers with carbonated liquids.

In the ,filling of containers with carbonated liquids, for example, beer or soft drinks, it has beenthe practice to first place the empty container under pressure slightly less than, the same as, or slightly more than `the Vpressure at which the carbonated liquid is subsequently fiowed into the container. This stage of the filling cycle is known in the art as counter-pressure stage. Once a container has been placed under counter-pressure, then the carbonated liquid is owed into the container while thegas within the container is vented from the same to a body of gas under pressure. It has vbeen the usual practice to vent the gas back to the reservoir of the filling machine whichcontains the carbonated liquid under a superposed body of gas at a predetermined pressure. In some carbonated liquid filling systems, the venting of gas from the container diiiers in that the gas is vented to a body of gas under pressure separate from the body of gas superposed above the liquid in the filling machine reservoir. In my prior United States Patent No. 2,953,- 169, there is disclosed one such system for a separate counter-pressuring and venting of the container. The system of my aforementioned patent produces a high quality product, as the product is not contaminated with shop air either in the containers or in the reservoir. Once the filling andventing stage has been completed, the container is then removed from the filling head of the rfilling machine and is immediately closed by applying a crown if the same is a bottle or by seaming a can end thereto if the same is a can. In some instances, it'is desirable to relieve the pressure in the head space of the container prior to vbreaking the seal of the container with the filling head. This practice is known as snifting and usually is accomplished in high pressure filling by placing the head space into open communication with atmosphere.

In recent years, the height of till in a lcontainer being filled with a carbonated liquid has been accurately and uniformly controlled by means of a ball float adapted to close the vent passage when the liquid in the container has reached a predetermined height. The result of closing off the vent passage causes pressure to build up in the head space of the container and stop the ow of liquid into the container. When this has been accomplished, the filling valve of the filling head is then moved to positively shut off the liquid ow and gas flow` passages and the container is then lowered away from sealing engagement with the filling head. Such ball lioats used with filling heads for controlling the height of fill are disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,794,455 to Day and Breeback and my United States Patents No. 2,770,263 issued November 13, 1956 and No. 2,953,169 dated September 20, 1960. However, the use of the ball float as a valve to close orf .the lower end of the vent passage has had some difficulty especially in high speed operation of rotary filling machines as the containers are quickly lowered away from the filling head and the pressure trapped behind the ball float or that pressure in the vent line between the ball float and the filling valve, when the filling valve is moved Vto Vclosed position, is discharged Vdownwardly into the liquid just as the container breaks its seal.

This surge `of gas into the filled container causes an agitation or disturbance of the-carbonated liquid therein Vresulting in foaming and short-filled containers. Because short-filled'containers must be rejected and the contents of the same cannot be saved, the losses resulting from such short-filled containers over aperiodof time become quite substantial. Y

`An important object of theV present invention is the provision of a filling machine in which the `filling cycle for carbonated liquids is improved in `that `a quiet fill is obtained especially during :the critical Yportion `of the filling cycle, that is, breaking-,the seal of the container from the filling head.

Another object of the presentinvention is .'toprovide'an improved filling machine for filling containers with carbonated liquids, the filling machine having an .improved filling head resulting in a filling cycle which is shorter, thus, increasing output capacity of the filling system and reducing the possibility of producing foaming containers or containers of short fill.

A further object of the present invention `is to provide an improved filling machine for filling containers with carbonated liquid,.the filling machinehaving means thereon for reducing the pressure in the vent passages `prior to .the container being brokenaway from the filling head.

A still further object and advantage of the :present invention is to provide an improved filling head havinga valve arrangement thereon which results in easier removal of the ,filled container from sealing engagement :with the head.

These and other objects and advantages of the -invention will Vappear more fully in the following specification, claims and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a filling head of the present .invention Awith parts being shown in section and in broken `lines for the purpose of .clarity and with vthe lower portion of the filling head being omitted;

FIGURE 2 isa sectional view of the lower portion of the filling head of FIGURE 1, the view showing a container supported on a container-'supporting platform and in sealing engagement with the fillinghead; l

FIGURE 3 is -a vertical sectional view ofthe filling head, partly in elevation and taken substantially on Athe line 3-3 of FIGURE -1, the view additionally illustrating the filling head attached to a portion of a filling machine shown Vin phantom lines;

FIGURE 4is an elevational view similar to FIGURE l of the filling head of the present invention but showing the movement of the Yfilling valve element and its operating arms through 4the various stages of the filling cycle;

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view ofthe disc'valve element of the filling head of the present invention;

FIGURE-6 is a sectional lview taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5; V

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of the seat fac of the body member of the filling head;

FIGURES is a ysectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 and exposing the gas packages for venting gas from the container;

' FIGURE 9 is `a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of `FIGURE. 7 and illustrating the liquid passage from the seat face of and through the body member of the filling head,vthis passage being connected to the reservoir ofthe filling machine.

Referring nowto the drawings wherein like character and reference rnumerals represent like or similar parts, and, more particularly, to FIGURES 1, '2 and 3, the filling head of the present'invention is generallydesignated at 1'0 and includes a body member 12 having a downwardly extending nozzle portion 14 and a disc-type valve 16 cooperating with y'the body element andmovable Patented July 6, 1965 engages to various positions during the filling cycle of a container. In more detail, the filling head i@ is secured to the eripheral flange 18 of a reservoir carrying superstructure Ztl of a rotary filling machine (not shown). The superstructure 2i) carries a reservoir 26 for carbonated liquid 'L and a superposed body of gas G under pressure. The gas G is usually lcarbon dioxide. The rotary filling machine may be of the type disclosed in myaforementioned United States Patent No. 2,953,169, and it will be understood that a plurality of such filling heads 1) are carried about the periphery of the flange i8. Usually, there are 60 to 72 of such lling heads. A containerV supporting platform 22 is positioned immediately beneath and in alignment with each filling head 16, the platform being vertically -reciprocable in a rotary filling tabloid. The container supporting platforms 22 are moved upwardly and downwardly in any suitable manner such as by air pressure cylinders on the platform or by cams in thetpath of rotation of the filling table 2d, the motion of the platforms being in timed sequence with infeed conveyors, movement of the filling valve in the filling head and takeoff conveyors.

In brief, infeed conveyors feed containers C successively to the container supporting platforms 22. as they pass an inteed station and the platforms immediately elevate the container vertically until the lip of the container is in sealing engagement with the lower end of the downwardly extending nozzle portion 14 of' filling head 10. The filling valve element 16 is then rotated to a position where the container is placed under counter-pressure. In this position, the liquid passages through the filling `head are closed to fiow of liquid but gas under pressure, either from the superposed body of gas G of reservoir 2d or from a separate body of gas under pressure is flowed through a gas passage in the filling head into the container. The gas passage through the filling head may be the same gas passage used for subsequently venting gas from the container or it may be a separate gas passage. After the pressure of the gas in the container has built up to a desired pressure, the lling valve element i6 is then moved to a filling and vent position wherein the liquid passage through the filling head is opened to flow and the gas passage for venting the gas from the container is opened to flow. Carbonated liquid from reservoir 26 is flowed into the-container C, and as the level `of liquid in the container C rises, the gas Within the container. C is vented through the gas passage of the kfilling head to a body of gas under pressure, for example, the superposed body of gas G above the liquid in the reservior 26 or to a separate body of gas under pressure as disclosed in my aforementioned United States Patent No. 2,953,169. Once the container C has been filled to a desired level, the level being controlled by the rise of liquid in the container to-a point where the venting of gas therefrom is stopped, the filling valve element i6 is moved tothefshutofi stage :where the liquid passage and gas passages are positively closed to flow at points spaced from the container C. The container supporting platform 22 is then lowered tobreak the seal of the container Ctwith the filling head, and the filled container is transferred from the platform onto the take-off conveyor where it is suitably closed. Y

The present invention in its broadest sense involves the reducing of the pressure in the gasvent passage after the filling valve 16 has been moved to the shut-ofi stage. A certain amount of gas pressure is usually trapped in the vent passage and in the present invention, such vent passage below the point where the filling valve closes the same, is vented 4to atmosphere so that when the seal of the container with the' filling head il) is broken, there will be'no sudden surge or spurt of gas `downwardly onto the surface of the liquid. This completely eliminates foaming of the container due to agitation of the carbon-y be necessary in such filling machine installations which utilize a high-pressure filling system. In installations where the liquid in the reservoir of the filling machine is under a pressure of the superposed body of gas in the excess of, for example, thirty pounds per square inch, the industry considers the machine to be a high-pressure system. Usually in such systems it is also necessary to directly snift the head space of the container to atmosphere to reduce the pressure therein. On the other hand, where the system is a low-pressure system, for example, a system where the pressure on the liquid in the reservoir is less than thirty pounds per square inch but higher than atmospheric pressure, it has been generally found unnecessary to snift the head space of the container prior to breaking the seal of the container with the filling head.

The embodimerof the invention which will be described hereinafter in detail is intended for use in filling flat-top containers such as cans with carbonated liquids such as soft drinks or beer. However, the specific structure of the filling head disclosed herein may be modified for ".lling containers other than cans, and it will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the particular filling valve described in connection with the filling head can be other than that which is known as a disctype valve.

ln more detail, the body member l2 of filling head l@ is provided with a rear substantially planar face 28 which is bolted to the Vouter planar face Eil of the flange or mounting plate l. A gasket 3.?. is interposed between the faces Z and 35. The outer, surface of the body member 12 is circularly recessed as indicated at 34 and a gasket is positioned in recess so that theouter surface of the gasket forms a seat face 3S. A s ud dit projecting centrally from the seat face 33 of the valve body 212 is adapted to rotatably receive the disc valve ll. Spring means d?, inthe nut i4 retain the disc valve 16 on the stud da with the proper amount of pressure being exerted by the face 36 of the valve against the seat face 38 of the body member.

Referring now specifically to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be noted that the downwardly extending nozzle portion 14 of the body member l2. is detachably secured to the body member by a ring nut 46. The lower face of the nozzle portion isi is substantially horizontal and is provided with a compressible sealing ring or gasket 46 which is adapted to be engaged by the head of the top of, the container C.

Referring now te FIGURES 7, Sand 9it will be noted that the body member i2 is provided with a first liquid passage 5@ which opcns'on the seat face at 52. vThe other end of passage 5t? is provided with an enlarged recess 54 having aball therein to serve asa check valve in case a container leaks or does not seat properly against the sealing ring d, the ball closing the liquid passage from the reservoir in a known manner. The recess 54 receives one end of a conduit 58 which connects the liquid passage 5d in the body member l2 to the lower portion Vof liquider" the reservoir 26 as indicated at 6G in FIG- Body member` 12 also includes a gas passage 62 extending from the seat face at 64 to the rear planar face rlhe gas passage 62 communicates with a passage 65 (FIGURE 3) in the mounting plate or ring i8, the passage 65 in turn communicating with a body oftgas under pressure such as the superposed body of gas G above the liquid L in reservoir 26. While the present embodiment of filling head is shown with only one gas passage therethrough, it being understood that said gas passage can be used to supply gas'under pressure to the container during the counter-pressure stage and to vent gas from the container duringgthe filling stage, it also being within the scope of the present, invention to use separate passages through theV body member, one being for gas during the counter-pressure stage and the other being for the venting of gas during the filling stage as is known in the art.

The downwardly depending nozzle portion 14 ofthe body member 12 is provided with a liquid passage 66 (FIGURE 2) opening at the seat face as indicated at 68 (FIGURES 1, 4 and 7). The liquid passage 66 may extend into a plurality of branches 70 each having a nozzle tip 72 for flowing liquid into the containers and down the side walls of the same. A pair of branch gas passages 74 and 76 extending from the seat face at 78 and 80 respectively connect with a gas passage 82 which extends downwardly through the nozzle portion 14 to an enlarged chamber or recess 84. A tubular fitting 86 is carried in the enlarged recess 84 and is provided with an annular seat 88 for a ball oat 90. The ball fioat 90 is supported within a cage member 92 detachably supported by the nozzle portion 14 in the recess `84.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 andr6 of the drawings, it will be noted that the valve member 16 is provided with the usual operating

arms

94 and 96 for engaging suitable cams positioned in their path of movement with the rotary superstructure, the cams rotating the valve member 16 on the stud 40. FIGURE 5, which is a rear elevational view of the disc valve element 16 discloses the face 36 of the same which cooperates with the seat face 38 of the body member 12. It will be noted the valve member 16 is provided with a liquid passage 98 opening to the face 36 at the openings 100 and at 102. The passage 98 is made by milling out a portion of the seat face 36 as shown in FIGURE 6 and rounding the corners as indicated at 104 and 106. The milled out portion for the passage 98 is provided with a shoulder as indicated at 108, and a plate 110 having apertures therein which define the

openings

100 and 102 respectively is then ,brazed or soldered into position. By forming the liquid passage 98 in this manner, such liquid passage may be made entirely smooth with suitable curves in the same at the points where it changes direction, thereby providing for the smooth ow of carbonated liquid therethrough. By eliminating burrs and sharp changes of direction in the liquid passage in the valve member` 16, turbulence in the carbonated liquid is reduced, thereby increasingthe overall effectiveness of the filling head for a quiet fill.

Valve member 16 is also provided with a gas passage 112 therethrough which has openingsto the seat face 36 at three places as indicated at 114, 116 and 118. The purpose of providing the three openings or

ports

114, 116 and 118 will be more fully explained later in the specification. l

The valve member 16 is also provided with a passage 120 opening to the valve face 36 at 122 and to atmosphere through a tubular fitting 124 as indicated at 126. The passage 120 is adapted to have its opening orrport 122 on .the seat 36 aligned with the opening or port 78 in the body member 12 when the valve 16 is `in the shut-off' position or stage so that the gas passage 82 between the seat face 38 and the ball float 90 is vented to atmosphere. A more detailed discussion of this feature of the present invention will appear later in the specification.

Body member 12 isrprovided with a fitting 128 which has a lug 130 thereon. The lug 130 provides a stop to prevent overtravel of the valve element at the limits of rotation of the same. In more detail, when the valve member 16 is rotated to the shut-oli position as shown in FIGURE 1, a radially extending lug 132 on the valve member 16 engages the lug 130 to prevent overtravel. When a cam strikes the lower operating ar-m 96, it will move the valve member 16 clockwise as viewed in FIG- URE 4 to the counter-pressure stage and then a second cam striking the arm 96 will move the valve member 16 further clockwise to the filling and venting stage. In the `filling and venting stage, as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 4, the tubular fitting 124 which provides the outlet 126 to atmosphere for the passage 120, extends above the periphery of the valve member and acts as a stop to prevent overtravel of the valve member 16.

'The operation of the filling-head 10 and the filling machine of the present invention may be described as follows:

An empty container C is moved onto the filling platform 22 of the rotary filling table 24 from an infeed conveyor at a suitable infeed station. The platform 22 `with .the empty container C thereon is then moved vertically as the table 24 rotates until the upper lip or edge of the container engages the resilient ring or gasket 48 of the filling head 10 immediately thereabove and makes a Iseal therewith. While this is occurring, the filling valve 16 of filling head 10 is in the shut-ofi position identified on FIGURE 4 by a letter A. It will be noted that the openings or

ports

100 and 102 of liquid passage 98 in filling valve 16 are not in alignment with the openings or

ports

52 and 68 for the

liquid passages

50 and 66 respectively of the body member 12. Likewise, the gas passage 112 in the filling valve member 16 has its openings or

ports

114, 116 and 118 out of alignment with the openings or ports 78 and for gas passages 62 and 65. However, the passage 120 i has its opening or port 122 in open communication with the opening or port 78 on the seat face 38 of body member 12 and thus places the gas passage 82 from the ball float to the seat face in open communication with atmosphere.

When the filling valve member 16 is moved to the position indicated by the letter B shown in FIGURE 4, the liquid passage 98 is moved clockwise about the axis of stud 40 but still has its openings or ports 100 `and 102 on Ithe face 36 out of alignment with the -openings or

ports

52 and 68 respectively on the face 38 of body member 12. The gas passage 112 in the filling valve member 16 will have moved to a position wherein the opening or port 118 is out of alignment with any of the gas passage openings or ports on the seat face 38, but the opening or port 116 will have been placed into alignment with the opening or port 80 on the seat face 38 whereas the opening or port 114 is placed in alignment with theV opening or port 64 on the seat face 38. When the valve member 16 is in this position, gas under pressure may flow through the passage 65 (FIGURE 3) t-o the passage 62 through the .passage 112 in the valve member 16 and then into the branch 76 to the'passage 82 so as to discharge gas out of the tubular insert 86 into the container. This causes the container to be placed under counter-pressure so that the carbonated liquid can be fiowed into the container without foaming. Y

After the pressure in the container has reached the predeter-mined value, the filling valve 16 is moved from the counter-pressure stage indicated by the letter B to the filling and vent stage indicated by the letter D. When in this position, the openings and 102 of the liquid passage 98 in the valve member 16 are aligned respectively with the

openings

52 and 68 inthe seat face of -the body member 12. Liquid then flows through the tubing 58 and liquid passage 50 into the passage 98 in the valve element 16 and from there through the liquid passage 66 and branches 70 and is discharged through lthe nozzles 72 down the side walls of the container.

A-t the time the valve member 16 is moved to the filling and venting stage D, it will be noted that the gas passage 112 in the valve has moved to a position where its

openings

118 and 116 are aligned respectively with the

openings

64 and 78 in the face of bodymember 12. The counter-pressure gas within the container can now be vented .through the tubular fitting 86 and gas passage 82 through the branch 74 where it fiows through the passage 112 in the filling valve member 16 and from there back to the body of gas under pressure above the carbonated liquid in the reservoir 26'by means of the passages 62 and 65.

As the liquid rises in the container C, it will eventually reach a height where the ball float 90 will be moved vertically upwardly within its cage 92 to a point where its upper portion engages the annular seat 88 on fitting 86. This will cut ofi the fiow of vent gas through the liquid passages of the same are out of alignment with the gas and liquid passages in said body member, and the other of said pair of lugs engaging said inst-mentioned lug when said disc valve element lis in a position where the gas and liquid passages of the same are in alignment with the gas and liquid passages of said body member whereby rotation of said disc valve element between a fully open and fully closed position is limited.

9. A iilling head as claimed in claim 7 in which said liquid passage in said valve member includes a groove having rounded ends in said disc valve element and a plate covering said groove and having apertures therein at the extremities thereof, said plate being flush with the surface of said disc valve element.

10. In a container filling machine for lling containers with a carbonated liquid: a iilling head, a container supporting element arranged to move a container into and out of sealing engagement with the filling head, said tilling head including a body member having a downwardly extending portion with a substantially horizontally extending face adapted for sealing engagement with the container, said body member having a liquid passage therethrough extending from a liquid reservoir under pressure to the horizontal face and a gas passage therethrough extending from a body of gas under pressure to the horizontal face, valve means carried by said body member and operable by a rise of liquid in the container being filled to close said gas passage and stop venting of gas from the container to the body of gas, and a second valve means operable to first open said liquid and gas passages to the respective ow of liquid into a container and gas from the container to the body of gas, said lastmentioned valve means then being operable after ow of liquid has been stopped by said first valve means to close said gas and liquid passages at points spaced from the container, said second valve means also including means to place said gas passage between said first valve means and the point where said second valve means closes the same into open communication with the atmosphere after said second valve means has been operated to closed position and prior to said container supporting platform lowering the container from sealing engagement with said lling head.

11. A container filling machine as claimed in claim 10 in which said iirst'valve means includes a ball float carried by said body member and a valve seat adjacent the lower end of said gas passage, said ball float being adapted to seat against said valve seat and close said gas passage.

12. A container filling machine as claimed in claim 10 in which the means of said second valve means for placing the gas passage in open communication with atmosphere includes a passageway carried in said valve means having one end continuously open to atmosphere and the other end adapted to be brought into communication with the gas passage after said rst valve means has closed said gas passage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A FILLING HEAD FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH A CARBONATED LIQUID: A BODY MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A PORTION ADAPTED FOR SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH A CONTAINER, SAID BODY MEMBER INCLUDING A LIQUID PASSAGE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND ADAPTED TO CONNECT A LIQUID RESERVOIR UNDER PRESSURE WITH A CONTAINER, SAID BODY ELEMENT FURTHER INCLUDING A GAS PASSAGE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND ADAPTED TO CONNECT A BODY OF GAS UNDER PRESSURE WITH THE CONTAINER, A FIRST VALVE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BODY ELEMENT AND OPERABLE UPON RISE OF THE LEVEL OF LIQUID IN THE CONTAINER TO A PREDETERMINED LEVEL TO CLOSE SAID GAS PASSAGE ADJACENT ITS OPENING INTO THE CONTAINER BEFORE THE CONTAINER IS REMOVED FROM THE FILLING HEAD, AND A SECOND VALVE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BODY MEMBER AND COOPERATING WITH SAID LIQUID AND GAS PASSAGES AND OPERABLE TO OPEN SAID PASSAGES TO ESTABLISH LIQUID FLOW TO THE CONTAINER AND VENT FLOW OF GAS TO THE BODY OF GAS, SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO CLOSE SAID LIQUID AND GAS PASSAGES AFTER THE CONTAINER IS FILLED AND AFTER SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS IS CLOSED AT POINTS SPACED FROM THE CONTAINER, SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS TO REDUCE PRESSURE OF GAS IN THE PORTION OF THE GAS PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS AND THE POINT IN THE GAS PASSAGE WHERE SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS CLOSES THE SAME.