US3168123A

US3168123A - Automatic machines for filling bottles, cans and the like

Info

Publication number: US3168123A
Application number: US168334A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pellerino Ernest; Martorelli Arthur; Blank Harold
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-01-24
Filing date: 1962-01-24
Publication date: 1965-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-02

Description

Feb. 2, 1965 E. PELLERINO ETAL 3,163,123

AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR FILLING BOTTLES, CANS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS,

ARTHUR MAR TORELLL,

"R ERNEST PELLERINOI 'I I BLANK ATTORNEY E. PELLERINO ETAL 3,168,123

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1965 AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR FILLING BOTTLES, CANS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24, 1962 United States Patent 3,168,123 AUTGMATIC MAQHKNES F811 FXLLENG BQTTLES, CANS AND THE LIKE Ernest Pellet-inc, 518 E. 6th St., New York, N.Y.; Arthur Martorelli, 1035 Crawford Ave, Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Harold Blank, 27-23 167th St., Flushing, NX.

Filed Jan. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 168,334 7 Claims. (Cl. 141-147) The present invention relates to automatic machines for filling bottles, cans and similar containers, wherein a series of valve-controlled, vertically-slidable filling nozzles arranged equi-spaced around a circle, are associated as a rotating unit and by suitable cam means are in proper timed relation, respectively lowered into and then raised out from the mouths of bottles and the like, carried on a horizontal endless conveyor, part of whose path is around part of a circle, concentric with the nozzle assembly formation. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a filling machine to accommodate bottles of different heights in respective runs.

Heretofore, in commonly used filling machines, some part associated with each individual nozzle structure, had to be adjusted to suit a bottle of diiferent height than the machine was set for or required other time consuming manipulations therefor. All this, of course, entailed a labor cost and appreciable time lost while the machine remained idle, for adjustments to be made.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a filling machine of the class mentioned, making it quick and easy to set the machine for any height of bottle, within the range it is designed for.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved filling machine of the character described which is made up of less parts than was possible heretofore, because what required a multiplicity of adjustments is now avoided; it being evident that everywhere an adjustment is required, there must be plural parts to constitute an adjustment means. With the present invention, all that is necessary to do to accommodate different height bottles, is to loosen one part, move it by operating a handle and then tighten said part.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved filling machine of the kind set forth, having the attributes mentioned, and which affords adjustment for height of bottles by simple and reasonably cheap means which is efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed. Of course, various re-arrangement of parts is resorted to in order to bring about the required functional relationships, but this is done rather as a saving than at additional expense.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For the practice of this invention, one form it may assume is to have the nozzle-lowering and raising cam in the form of a separate ring carried by the nozzlecarrying unit which is mounted on a rotating vertical shaft along which said unit can be shifted and then secured in its set position therealong. Said cam is held concentric with said unit, but stationary in relation to the machine frame. Each filling nozzle has a follower engaging said cam and there is a means to raise and lower said unit to any needed height above the conveyor. Said shaft carries one of the sprockets of the conveyor system and said means to shift said unit on such shaft, is mounted on said sprocket. Such means may be a vertical screw which is swivelly journalled on said sprocket and in threaded engagement with said units frame. On a bracket fiXed atop said sprocket, there is a relatively small bevel gear journalled on a horizontal axis and in meshed engagement with a larger bevel gear which is fast on said screw. The stud shaft which carries the smaller gear is adapted to releasably receive a crank, the turning of which when so mounted, will cause the nozzle-carrying unit when loose on its shaft, to be raised or lowered therealong.

For a more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this invention, resort will be had to the accompanying drawings which are part of this specification, in which drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bottle-filling machine embodying the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the conveyor system of said machine, in diagrammatic fashion, drawn to a reduced scale.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section and drawn to a reduced scale, showing the shaft carrying the mentioned sprocket and part of the frame of the filling nozzle unit. Also shown is the means used in this embodiment to shift said unit along said shaft.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view drawn to the scale of FIG- 3, showing the cam employed in this embodimen In the drawings, the numeral 15 designates generally a filling machine, atop whose table frame 16 is a horizontally positioned conveyor belt 17 of any suitable design, mounted on the

sprockets

18, 19, 20 which are on the

vertical shafts

21, 22 and 23 respectively, any one of which is driven by a motor with speed-regulating means not shown, but well known in this art. The sprocket 20 is arranged so that belt engagement with the comparatively large sprocket 18 shall be the major part of a circle to give an appreciable run sufficient to accomplish the filling of a bottle which comes on the conveyor belt 17 from the region of the sprocket 19 and passes through aligning and positioning means indicated at 24, 25 and 26 and thence is in position to receive therein a filling nozzles spout. The shaft 21 extends upward above the conveyors plane and carries a round table 27 centrally thereof. This table 27 has a hub 28 with bolts 29 to fix said tables position along said shaft 21 and when loose, said table can he slid along said shaft. For this purpose, there is the vertical screw 3%, swivelly journalled to the sprocket 18 and threadedly engaged in a hole through said table 27. This screw carries a comparatively larger bevel gear 31 near the top or" the sprocket 18; such gear being in meshed engagement with a smaller bevel gear 32 journalled on the bracket 33 which is mounted atop the said sprocket. The stud shaft carrying the gear 32 offers a releasably engaging connection at 34 for a crank 35.

In the embodiment illustrated, identical filling-nozzle structures as 36 are in proper equi-spaoed relation about a circle between and concentric with a central auxiliary tank 37 secured on the table 27 and the separate ring cam identified by the numeral 38 generally, which is positioned over the perimetral lane of said table 27. Said ring cam 38 has bottom wheels 39 which fit for rotation in the circular track 4t) near the tables edge and lower wheels 4-1 on depending bars 42, for rolling contact with the underside of said table 27. An arm 43, extending horizontally from said cam, is slidably mounted on the vertical post 44 which is fixed to the frame 16. It is thus evident that the cam 38 will remain stationary with respect to the frame 16 while the shaft 21 and all it carries rotates and will go with the table 27 when the latter is slid along said shaft.

Reference to incidents of construction of the fillingnozzle structure 36 will suffice for each of its series. As here shown, the overflow tube 45 is slidably mounted through the table plate 27 and the top ring-rail 46 of a barrel cage denoted generally by the numeral 47 and such tube carries a block 48 on which there is a roller 49 serving as the follower associated with said cam 38. To have the follower always in proper association with the cam, said block 48 is slidably mounted on a vertical post St) of said cage, which is secured at its bottom end to said table 2'7. Said overflow tube 45 is of a unit having a valve means 51 whose intake port is communicatively connected with the bottom interior region of the tank 37 by a flexible hose 52 and whose discharge is through a filling spout 53 which enters the container to be filled when the structure 36 is lowered by action of the cam 38.

Any type of filling nozzle structure may be used in this machine, the actuation of whose valve means may be accomplished by any mechanical, electrical or pneumatic agency to open the valve when it is to discharge when the discharge spout is entered into the container and to close when the filling operation is completed. In the particular embodiment shown, those versed in the art will readily recognize that the filling structure 36 is of the type wherein the valves filling spout 53 has a collar 4. cam rests atop said table. During vertical movement of said table 27, the arm 43 will slide along the post 44.

54 secured thereon, whose bottom is faced with a rubber ring 55. The valve 51 is slidably associated with the overflow tube 45 and is biased by a compression spring 56 against the collar 57 fixed on said tube to be downward on such tube whereupon said valve is in closed ply in the tank 37; the latter being replenished from a main source controlled by the float valve 53 determining the level of liquid in said tank 37. Any overflow is rought through the flexible. hose 59 back intothe tank, due to action of the appreciable air pressure built up in the container which as mentioned is sealed and the overflow tube has ceased acting as an air vent.

The cam 38 may be made of a ring 60 and a part of a ring as 61 welded thereto as shown in FIG. 1, or both said parts may be integral as indicated by the numeral 38' in FIG. 4. Dimension of these parts should be such that the low portion 66 shall be of sufficient arcual length to serve as a track for the cam follower 49 to accomplish low position for the filling-nozzle structure 36 for the filling operation and the high portion 61 of said cam shall accomplish raised position for said filling-nozzle structure for the balance of a revolution of the shaft 21,

during which the valve means of the filling nozzle is closed; afiording the drop along the edge 62 and the rise along the edge 63 for the roller 49 to follow. The weight of said structure 36 is relied on to make it fall from the high to the low part of said cam. However, when the valve means is of the type illustrated where it is required that the overflow tube shall descend further after the container is contacted by the rubber-covered collar 54, the roller 49 is here restrained by the auxiliary cam element 64 sd that in the travel of said roller along the low cam part 60', it shall be in a track formed by the uniformly-spaced

cam parts

60 and 64.

To set the machine 15 for filling containers of a given height, simply loosen the bolts 29 :to free the turn-table 27 for sliding movement along the shaft 21. Then apply the crank 35 at 34 and turn it to revolve the screw 30 to bring the turn-table and all it carries to the required position. Then tighten said bolts to set the said table fast on its shaft 21 which holds it against relative rotation by virtue of key in keyway $4. The machine is now ready to run after the tank 37 is furnished with its continuous liquid supply and the motor speed is adjusted so that the container shall be filled with a predetermined quantity of stuff from said tank 37.

It is evident that as the height position of the table 27 is changed, the cam will move with it; downward, because of the weight of the cam and upward, because the said The cam part 64 and the wheels 41 used in this embodiment are required only because of the special structure of the particular filling nozzle 36 shown, in that the follower 49 needs restraint against upward movement while on the low part of the cam when said follower bears against, said cam element 64, so that the action of the springs 56 should not raise the cam. In embodiments of the present invention where the nozzle-filling structures employed are of the type which only require to be lowered and then raised, said cam part 64 and the wheels 41 may be omitted.

Of importance to note is that the cam never turns with the table 27 and at all times remains stationary with respect to the machine frame, concentric in relation to the circle of the filling structures and that it will travel up and down with said table 27.

The brackets 66 extending from the cam, offer support for an upright tubular shield (not shown) about the upper structure.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein shall be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a machine for filling bottles, cans and similar containers, a frame, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a cam offering a ring path for cam followers, positioned about said shaft, means holding the cam so that said ring path is constantly concentric with said shaft, a member fixed on said shaft and releasable for sliding movement therealong; said cam being supported by said member to move with it along said shaft, a vertical post fixed to the frame, an arm extending from said cam, slidably fitted on said post for movement therealong, at least one vertical elongated element slidably mounted through said member, a valve-controlled discharge nozzle adapted to enter the container to be filled, carried on said sliding element, a cam follower carried at a fixed position on said sliding element; said cam follower being in constant contact with said cam ring path; said cam path being at a prescribed height along a first predetermined portion of a circle and at a lower height along a second predetermined portion of such circle; said circle portions being spaced; said cam path along the remaining portions of said circle, being slanted from said first circle portion to said second circle portion; said slanted cam path portions respectively connecting the first and second circle portions of said ring path whereby such path is endless and conveyor means below the discharge nozzle for transporting a container along a predetermined portion of the path of said discharge nozzle around said shaft.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the cam is atop said member and of suificient weight to remain and follow said member when the latter is moved along said shaft.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, including means carried by the shaft for moving said member along said shaft when said member is released to be able to move along said shaft.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the mentioned means comprises a second member fixed on said shaft, a vertical screw swivelly journalled on one of said members and thrcadedly engaged in the other member and means for turning said screw.

' 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the second member is a wheel structure in operative engagement with the conveyor.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the means for turning the screw comprises a bevel gear fixed on said screw, in meshed engagement with a second bevel gear carried rotatably on the second member on a projecting stud shaft carrying the second gear fast thereon; said projecting stud being adapted to receive a crank.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the cam is a ring positioned about said shaft; the cam path being offered by the upper edge of said ring; the cam follower being in contact with such upper edge and said cam including a portion of a ring fixed thereto and positioned along and above the major part of the length of said upper edge of the second circle portion; said portion of a ring being adapted to prevent the cam follower to rise when it is under said portion of a ring; the cam follower being capable of entering the space between said portion of a ring and the upper edge of the second circle portion.

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

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A MACHINE FOR FILLING BOTTLES, CANS AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS, A FRAME, A VERTICAL SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME, A CAM OFFERING A RING PATH FOR CAM FOLLOWERS, POSITIONED ABOUT SAID SHAFT, MEANS HOLDING THE CAM SO THAT SAID RING PATH IS CONSTANTLY CONCENTRIC WITH SAID SHAFT, A MEMBER FIXED ON SAID SHAFT AND RELEASABLE FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT THEREALONG; SAID CAM BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID MEMBER TO MOVE WITH IT ALONG SAID SHAFT, A VERTICAL POST FIXED TO THE FRAME, AN ARM EXTENDING FROM SAID CAM SLIDABLY FITTED ON SAID POST FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, AT LEAST ONE VERTICAL ELONGATED ELEMENT SLIDABLY MOUNTED THROUGH SAID MEMBER, A VALVE-CONTROLLED DISCHARGE NOZZLE ADAPTED TO ENTER THE CONTAINER TO BE FILLED, CARRIED ON SAID SLIDING ELEMENT, A CAM FOLLOWER CARRIED AT A FIXED POSITION ON SAID SLIDING ELEMENT; SAID CAM FOLLOWER BEING IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH SAID CAM RING PATH; SAID CAM PATH BEING AT A PRESCRIBED HEIGHT ALONG A FIRST PREDETERMINED PORTION OF A CIRCLE AND AT A LOWER HEIGHT ALONG A SECOND PREDETERMINED PORTION OF SUCH CIRCLE; SAID CIRCLE PORTION S BEING SPACED; SAID CAM PATH ALONG THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF SAID CIRCLE, BEING SLANTED FROM SAID FIRST CIRCLE PORTION TO SAID SECOND CIRCLE PORTION; SAIDSLANTED CAM PATH PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTING THE FIRST AND SECOND CIRCLE PORTIONS OF SAID RING PATH WHEREBY SUCH PATH IS ENDLESS AND CONVEYOR MEANS BELOW THE DISCHARGE NOZZLE FOR TRANSPORTING A CONTAINER ALONG A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF THE PATH OF SAID DISCHARGE NOZZLE AROUND SAID SHAFT.