Continuously operating rotational bottle filling installation

Apparatus for handling bottles which have an annular collar proximate to the mouth of the bottle in a machine for filling bottles with liquid, comprising:

• a rotatable tank having a bottom,
• an array of bottle filling units arranged fixedly in the tank for conducting liquid from the tank to the bottle when the bottle is placed in sealing relation to the filling unit,
• carriage means mounted to said tank proximate to the respective associated filling units for being moved between a lower position and a predetermined upper locking position,
• a bottle gripping member adapted for engaging a bottle at its collar when the carriage means is in the lower position,
• spring means for producing a force biasing said gripping member upwardly toward said carriage means,
• locking means operative to lock said carriage means against movement relative to the associated filling unit when said carriage means reaches said upper locking position,
• means for moving the carriage means and the gripper member upwardly from a lower bottle engaging position until said carriage means almost reaches said locking position to cause the mouth of the bottle to enter into sealing relation with the filling unit and a continuing upward movement of said carriage means to locking position causing said bottle gripping member to separate from said carriage means and to further increase the force developed by the spring means in correspondence with the amount by which the gripping means separates from the carriage means.

Apparatus for handling bottles in association with a bottle filling machine, the bottles each having a collar axially spaced from its mouth, comprising:

• a continuously rotatable tank having a peripheral wall and bottom wall for containing the liquid which is to be admitted to the bottles,
• a plurality of carriages each operable to raise an individual bottle by its collar to an upper position for filling the bottle and to lower the bottle when it is filled, said carriages being mounted to the tank for reciprocating vertically relative to the tank and arranged in circumferentially spaced apart relationship around the tank adjacent respective filler units which are mounted fixedly to the tank,
• locking means for locking said carriages, respectively, in said upper position,
• a support member extending from each carriage at a level below said bottom of the tank for moving up and down with the carriage,
• a bottle gripping member arranged below said support member for gripping the bottle by its collar and spring means arranged for stressing said gripping member toward said support member such that when the carriage rises to near its said upper position the mouth of the bottle is stopped in sealing engagement with said filler unit and further rising of said carriage and support member thereon relative to the bottle gripping member causing an increase in the stress of the spring means and an increase in the sealing force between the filler unit and bottle mouth until the carriage locks in said upper position.

Apparatus for handling bottles in association with a continuously rotating bottle filling machine, which bottles have a collar axially spaced from its mouth, comprising:

• a rotationally driven tank having a peripheral wall and bottom wall for containing the liquid which is to be admitted to the bottles and a plurality of bottle filler units arranged around the tank,
• a plurality of carriages operable to raise bottles to an upper position for filling and to lower bottles when they are filled, said carriages being mounted to the tank for reciprocating vertically relative to the tank and arranged in on the tank adjacent respective filler units which are mounted to the tank,
• locking means for locking said carriages, respectively, in said uppermost position,
• a support member extending from each carriage at a level below said bottom of the tank for moving up and down with the carriage,
• bottle gripping means for gripping a bottle under the collar thereof to lift the bottle and mounting means for mounting said gripping means to said support element resiliently for permitting said gripping means to move a small amount relative to said support member,
• said mounting means including parallel laterally spaced apart bolts passing freely through said support member and having axes directed vertically, said bolts having upper and lower ends and said gripping means being attached to said lower ends of the said upper end of the bolts and said support member for said spring means to urge said gripping means upwardly toward said support member.