Rotary filling machine

A rotary filling machine comprising:

• a rotatable hub;
• a plurality of circumferentially spaced drop buckets mounted on and rotatable with the hub, each drop bucket including a body having an open top that is configured to receive materials during a portion of a rotational phase of the rotary filling machine, an open bottom that is configured to discharge materials, and a perimeter wall including inner and outer walls and first and second end walls;
• and
• at least two spaced partitions, wherein
• each partition extends at least generally vertically from a lower end thereof to an upper end thereof,
• each partition extends generally laterally of the associated drop bucket and has an inner end positioned adjacent the inner end wall of the associated drop bucket and an outer end positioned adjacent the outer wall of the associated drop buckets, wherein the partitions are spaced longitudinally from one another to define at least three discrete chambers within the associated drop bucket, wherein
• an upper end portion of each of the walls is flared outwardly to collectively serve as a chute, and wherein
• each partition has an upper end positioned beneath the upper ends of the walls of the associated drop bucket;
• a plurality of funnel assemblies that are configured to rotate with the hub, each funnel assembly having an upper inlet that is positioned beneath the bottom opening of a corresponding drop bucket and that is configured to receive dispensed materials therefrom, and having a lower dispensing outlet;
• and
• a stationary slide plate that is located vertically between the funnel assemblies and the drop buckets, the slide plate being integrated into a segmented ring mounted on the hub, wherein,
• when viewed in a direction of turret rotation, the slide plate has an upstream end, a downstream end, upper and lower surfaces, and inner and outer edges, and wherein the slide plate includes a first portion and a second portions downstream of the first portion in the direction of turret rotation that overlie first and second funnel assemblies to define first and second areas of the respective funnel assembly inlets that remain uncovered by the slide plate, the second funnel assembly being located downstream of the first funnel assembly in the direction of turret rotation, and wherein
• the second area is larger than the first area.

A method of operating a rotary filling machine, comprising:

• dispensing material in an open top of a drop bucket from above, the drop bucket being one of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced drop buckets that are supported on a rotary hub so as to rotate with the hub;
• separating materials via interaction with a partition located within the drop bucket into at least first and second chambers in the drop bucket that are located on opposite sides of the partition;
• depositing materials from the drop bucket onto a stationary circumferentially-extending slide plate that is located beneath the drop bucket and that is integrated into a segmented ring mounted on the hub;
• sweeping materials from the drop bucket via movement of the drop bucket along the slide plate so that the materials fall off the slide plate in flow paths that increase progressively in area in the direction of turret rotation through at least a portion of a circumferential extent of the slide plate.