Bottle filling means and method

Bottle filling means suitable for the filling of a bottle with liquid contained in a bowl and containing gas under superatmospheric pressure, comprising:

• a frame, bearings on the frame supporting the bowl for rotation about a vertical axis, a closure member over the bowl having a central aperture, a liquid inlet tube extending through said central aperture, a seal between the aperture and the inlet tube, a float valve on the lower end of the tube contained wholly within the bowl and establishing a liquid level within the bowl, a valve body containing a liquid flow valve secured to the bowl, a liquid delivery tube terminating at its inlet end in the bowl below said liquid level and its outlet end in the inlet of said liquid flow valve, and a syphon tube having an open lower end depending from the outlet of said liquid flow valve and extending into the bottle,
• a bottle venting valve contained in said valve body and co-axial with the liquid flow valve, a gas flow conduit within the valve body having as its inlet an annular space defined by walls of the valve body surrounding the syphon tube and extending to the inlet of the bottle venting valve, and means for inducing syphon action flow of liquid from the bowl to the bottle through the syphon tube comprising a gassing spool valve having its spool coaxial with the other said valves and being axially movable within the body to open or close said valves, a cam track on the frame, and cam engaging means on the spool engaging the cam track so that upon rotation of the bowl the spool is moved in an axial direction by the cam track,
• a flow meter, and a gas venting tube extending from the outlet of the bottle venting valve to the inlet of the flow meter, the flow meter being operable to regulate the rate of release of gas contained at pressure in the venting tube to atmosphere,
• a gassing conduit opening at one end into the the bowl and at the other end into the inlet of the spool valve, the spool upon being moved outwardly from the valve body opening the gassing valve whereby opening the liquid flow valve initiates the syphon action and the opening of the bottle venting valve allows gas or air in the bottle to vent through the flow meter.

A method of filling a bottle with liquid containing gas under superatmospheric pressure comprising the steps:

• a. charging a bowl with said liquid and with gas at superatmospheric pressure,
• b. positioning said bottle over a syphon tube,
• c. opening a liquid flow valve to initiate a syphon induced liquid flow from the bowl to the bottle and opening a bottle venting valve to vent displaced air or gas from the bottle and
• d. removing the bottle from the syphon tube after filling.