Liquid filling machine

A liquid filling machine for automatically filling and enclosing containers comprising a plurality of discrete stations disposed in operative relation relative to a container support including a turn table rotatably mounted on a base, said plurality of discrete stations comprises a container dispensing station configured to operatively retain a plurality of containers in stacked array, a liquid filling station, a foil supply station comprising a foil mounting means to operatively support a continuous roll of foil thereon, and a heat sealing station comprising a heat sealing head operatively coupled to said drive means to move said heat sealing station between an upper and lower position, said heat sealing station being disposed relative to said container support to seal foil to the container when in said lower position, said heat sealing head includes a bias means to normally bias said heat sealing head in a lower position, such that said heat sealing head engages said foil on the container before said cutting blade engages said foil, operatively mounted on said base, said turn table includes at least one container aperture formed thereon to selectively receive containers from said container dispensing station, said container retainer further includes an annular pocket extending upwardly about the periphery of said container aperture to operatively support the container on said turn table, said foil supply station arranged to feed foil to said container support in line with direction of movement of said container support, said container support being operatively coupled to a drive means to selectively advance the container retained in said container retainer sequentially from said cup dispensing station to said liquid filling station to fill the container with liquid, from said liquid filling station to said foil supply station to cover the mouth of the container with foil and from said foil supply station to said heat sealing station to seal said foil to the container, said foil supply station further includes a cutting means comprising a cutting blade including a plurality of cutting elements extending across a portion of said cutting blade with said blade arranged to partially cut said foil when a container is supported on said annular pocket such that the foil cover is torn along said partial perforation when said container support is rotated.