Nozzle assembly for a filling apparatus

In combination with a filling apparatus capable of filling a container with a precise quantity of fluent material, the filling apparatus including a central reservoir for the fluent material, a cylinder, a valve body provided with a cylindrical bore extending from said central reservoir towards said cylinder, a rotary valve assembly means disposed within said cylindrical bore and movable between a first position wherein the fluent material within the central reservoir may pass through a first flow path within said rotary valve assembly means to said cylinder, and a second position wherein the fluent material within the cylinder may be discharged from the cylinder through a second flow path, and piston means movable within the cylinder and capable upon an upstroke, when the rotary valve assembly means is in its first position, of drawing fluent material from said central reservoir into said cylinder, and further being capable upon a downstroke, when the rotary valve assembly means is in its second position, of discharging fluent material from said cylinder through said second flow path;

• the improvement comprising a nozzle assembly mounted adjacent said rotary valve assembly means and below said second flow path, said nozzle assembly including:
• nozzle body means provided with fluent material passageway means;
• fixed tube means fixedly interconnected to said nozzle body means and extending downwardly therefrom, said fixed tube means being provided with further passageway means in communication with the fluent material passageway means;
• tube assembly means movably mounted coaxially within said fixed tube means and terminating at its lower end in enlarged sealing foot means;
• moving means for axially moving said tube assembly means within said fixed tube means between a lowered open position wherein the fixed tube means is not closed by said sealing foot means and a raised position wherein the fixed tube means is closed by said sealing foot means;
• and
• connecting means interconnecting said rotary valve assembly means and said moving means and capable of causing said tube assembly means to be in its raised position when said rotary valve assembly means is in its lowered position when said rotary valve assembly means is in its second position.

A method of filling a container comprising the following steps:

• providing a source of fluent material, a generally vertically extending filling tube through which fluent material may be discharged into a container, and a sealing foot movable relative to said filling tube and initially disposed in sealing relationship at the lower end of the filling tube;
• positioning a container below the filling tube;
• moving the container and tube relative to each other to position the lower end of the filling tube near the bottom of the container;
• moving the sealing foot away from the lower end of the filling tube;
• initiating the flow of fluent material through the filling tube;
• moving the container and the filling tube relative to each other as the container is being filled;
• stopping the flow of fluent material through the filling tube;
• moving the sealing foot back to its sealing position, the sealing foot in the sealing position being disposed above the level of the fluent material within the container;
• and
• connecting the sealing foot with a vacuum line to withdraw any drops of material that may be upon the bottom of the sealing foot to prevent dripping upon the container.

A method of filling a container comprising the following steps:

• providing a source of fluent material, a generally vertically extending filling tube through which fluent material may be discharged into a container, a valve assembly between the source of fluent material and the filling tube, said valve assembly initially being in a closed position and shiftable to an open position, and a sealing foot movable relative to said filling tube and initially disposed in sealing relationship at the lower end of the filling tube;
• positioning a container below the filling tube;
• moving the container and tube relative to each other to position the lower end of the filling tube near the bottom of the container;
• simultaneously moving the valve assembly to the open position and moving the sealing foot away from the lower end of the filling tube;
• initiating the flow of fluent material from the source of fluent material through the valve assembly and through the filling tube into the container;
• moving the container and the filling tube relative to each other as the container is being filled;
• stopping the flow of fluent material from the source of fluent material through the valve assembly and through the filling tube into the container;
• and
• simultaneously shifting the valve assembly back to its closed position and moving the sealing foot back to its sealing position.