US1394453A - Filling-valve for syrupers - Google Patents

Description

A. R. THOMPSON.

' FILLlNG VALVE FOR sYRuPERs.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. 1920.

1,394,453. Patented ooms, 1921.

uml

'f LZ..

IIII IIII A TTORNE YS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON, 0F SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON-BARN- GROVER MGF. CO., OF SAN J' OSE, CALIFORNIA7 A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

FILLING-VALVE FOR SYRUPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

T 0 all wko/m, it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filling- Valves for Syrupers, of which-the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of illing-valves for syruping machines in which an associated displacement body entering the can to provide for the requisite volume ofl syrup therein, is fitted with means for varying said volume according to circumstances.

Illustrations of this type of filling-valve are found in my previous Patents No. 1,288,749, Dec. 21, 1918, and No. 1,855,018, 05551920.

My present invention consists in an improved means, associated with the displacement body, for varying the syrup volume, as will be hereinafter fully described.

The object of my invention is to avoid injury to the solid portion of the can contents.

Heretofore the adjustment of the displacement body to vary its penetration into the can was effected either by a telescopic arrangement of the members of said body, as in the earlier of my patents above mentioned, or by a screw ring fitted to` the base of said body as in my later patent referred to.

Experience has now demonstrated that these means being of relatively hard material, in practice metal, and necessarily in close. relation to theinner surface of the can wall, are apt to press upon and cut into the outer edges of the solid contents of thecan, especially as said solid material, rising into the cavity of the dish-shaped displacement body is crowded down and its edges thereby forced outwardly against the sides of the can directly into the path of the rim of said body. This disadvantage is especially noticeable in the canning of such tender fruit as pears, but many other comestibles are also subject to this injury. By the use of my present improvement this difiiculty is fully overcome.

l Referring to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved syrup filling valve.

Fig. 2 is a vertical diametrical section,

enlarged, of the cushion-ring of the displacement body, showing the preferred taper form of its depending foot portion.

Fig. 3 is a similar section of the cushionring showing the straight form of said depending foot portion.

Fig. 4 is a section of the cushion-ring showing its foot portion of a different length from that of Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. l, I have necessarily shown, and shall herein briefly describe one form of filling-valve in which my invention is embodied; and I have selected, for this purpose, the valve of my Patent 1,855,016, above mentioned; but it is to be understood that my invention is notconfined to this form, as it is equally applicable to any filling valve with which is associated a displacement member or body entering the can and conforming somewhat closely to its cross sectional area.

In Fig. 1, the syrup tank is indicated by the numeral 1, into the bottom of which is screwed at 2, the outlet fittings 3, formed with a. circumferentially projecting base 4 having an inverted dish or bell-shape. The fitting 3 has interior radial web-s 5 joining a tubular extension 6 rising` from the base, and said base,`throughout the larger portion of its upper surface, is separated from the body of the fitting by a filling or supply space 7. In the remaining portion of said base is formed an air-eXit-duct 8, leading from the peripheral region of the base into the tubular extension 6, in which said eX- tension is ittedthe air-vent pipe 9, which rises within the tank 1 and terminates above the level of the` syrup. in said tank.

10 is a valve-sleeve fitted to and adapted for vertical movement on the body portion of the outlet fitting 3, a tight j ointbetween the two being supplied by an intervening rolling gasket 11. The valve sleeve 1() has a base flange 12, which carries a gasket-valve 13 wide enough to seat itself upon the peripheral valve-seat region 14 of the base- "shall now describe.

member 4 of the outlet fitting and also upon the upper edge of a can 15 be filled with syrup. j

16 is a ring bearing up under the tank 1, and 17 indicates one of three circumferentially spaced springs between the ring 16 and the flange 12 of the valve-sleeve 10, said springs normally holding the valve sleeve down with its gasket valve 13 seated upon the valve-seat 14, thereby closing communication of the exterior with the lling space 7 and also closing the air-eXit-duct 8.

18 indicates one of three equidistant limiting and assembling bolts slidably headed in the ring 16 and tapped into the flange 12.

20 is a table, with a foot-roller 21 traveling on a cam track 22. rlhis table illustrates the means for supporting' the can 15 and for elevating it to its association with the valve.

The structure thus far described is the valve of my previous Patent 1,355,016, and its operation may be briefly described as follows:

Assume the base 4 of the valve structure to have entered the can. The syrup from the tank fills the outlet fitting 3 and the supply space 7, but is stopped at the mouth of said space by the spring pressure contact of the valve 13 with the valve-seat 14 of the base 4. Also the air-eXit-duct 8 in said base is closed by this same contact. Now when the can 15 is lifted, it will by contact with the gasket valve 13 form a close joint for itself, and at the same time will raise said valve from its seat, the valve-sleeve 10 yielding upwardly. Communication is thus simultaneously established between the tank 1 and the interior of the can 15 through the supply space7 and the space surrounding` the base 4, and between the interior of the can and the outer air, through the air-eXit-duct 8 and pipe 9.

Syrup now flows into the can, the air escaping through the duct and pipe. When the syrup in the can reaches and covers the inlet to the air-eXitduct 8, there will still remain in the can Linder the dish or bell of the base 4, a body of air which servesV as aV cushion'displacement in the can. The position ofthe displacement base 4 in the can thus determines the volume of syrup supas previously stated, this variation has been accomplished by an adjustable extension of the base; and my present improvement while of this nature, differs inV structure, as I As shown in Fig; 1, the periphery of the displacement base 4 is circumferentially grooved as indicated at 23. y

19 is an elastic cushion ring, lin practice made of rubber. It is formed on its inner face near its upper portion with a rib 19 `which enables it to be sprung onto the Pe' riphery of the base 4, with the rib 19 fitting the groove 28. The lower portion or foot 19 of the ring projects below the base 4, and said depending foot portion, though its sides may be parallel as shown in Fig. 3, is best formed with a curved .inner face, as in Figs. 1 and 2, making the foot taper to a line.

lVhen this elastic cushion ring is fitted to the base 4, and the can is elevated to envelop said base, the depending foot 19 of the ring 19, meeting the outer edge or edges of the solid contents of the can, pressed outwardly to the can-wall by said contents rising into the dish or bell of the base, will not cut or injure said edges, but being pliant will bend outwardly under pressure.

Now, in order to provide for the variation in the penetration of the displacement Vmember into the can and thus vary the syrup volume, I make a set of elastic pliant or cushion rings such as 19, each ring having a different width, so that the depending foot portions 19" of the rings are of different lengths such as is shown in F ig. 4 in one instance when compared with Fig. 2; and as the foot of one ring when in place will project farther down than that of another, it is only necessary to substitute one ring for another 'as predetermined by thev necessity of the case. This substitution is easily effected owing to the nature of the rings and the character of their association with the base 4. A set of rings may comprise any suitable number.

I claim z- Y l.. In a filling valve for syrupers, the combination with a displacement member adapted to enter a can to be'filled to determine the syrup volume supplied, of a pliant cushion member associated with the rim of adapted to enter a can to be filled to determine the syrup volume supplied, of a pliant cushion member associated with the rim of the displacement member and depending therefrom, and means for detachably fitting said cushion member to the displacement member for ready removal and substitution.

3. In a filling valve for syrupers, the combination with a displacement member adapted to enter a can to be filled to ldetermine the syrup volume supplied, of an elastic cushion member resiliently fitted upon the rim of the displacement member and having a pliant foot portion depending from said rim. 1

4. In a filling valve for syrupers, the combination with a displacement member adapted to enter a can to be filled to determine the syrup volume supplied, of an elastic the displacement member and depending Y cushion member resiliently iitted upon the rim of an elastic cushion member having iiin of the displacement member and having on its inner face a rib adapted to be rea pliant foot portion depending Jfrom said siliently fitted in the groove of the rim of rim, said foot portion having its inner face the displacement member, and having also 5 curved outwardly to its lower extremity. a pliant foot portion depending from said '15 5. In a filling valve for syrupers, the rim. vcombination with a displacement member In testimony whereof I have signed my adapted to enter a can to be illed to deternaine to this specification. mine the syrup volume supplied, said mein- 10 bei' having a circumferential groove in its ALBERT R. THOMPSON.

Images