Container filling apparatus

Abstract

A container filling apparatus includes a tank mounted over a conveyor, and containers being moved along a conveyor under the tank. An elongated slot is formed in the bottom of the tank and aligned over the containers on the conveyor, to dispense fluid into the containers. A continuous loop belt extends around a pair of drums, with a lower portion of the belt in sealed slidable engagement with the tank bottom, to cover the slot. The belt has a plurality of apertures extending uniformly around the entirety of the belt, spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of the containers on the conveyor, such that fluid dispensed through the belt apertures sliding over the slot will fill a container below the tank. Preferably, the belt is driven by the same drive system which drives the conveyor, to synchronize the speed of movement of the belt with the speed of movement of the containers under the tank. A metering plate is operably mounted within the tank and moves between a position covering all of the apertures to thereby prevent dispensing of fluid, and a second position uncovering the apertures to permit fluid flow. The metering plate is preferably adjustable to permit adjustment of the amount of apertures covered by the plate, to thereby restrict the amount of fluid flow through the apertures.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.