Valve assembly and method for dispensing gelatinous materials

A valve assembly for dispensing a measured quantity of a gelatinous semisolid material into a receptacle, which comprises:

• (a) a cylindrical housing having a first end and a second end and a throughbore of circular cross-section, said housing being provided with a piston that is driven by a shaft actuatable by compressed air to move through said throughbore towards said second end;
• (b) a cap detachably and sealably attached at said second end of said housing, said cap being provided with a cylindrical sleeve having a throughbore with a cross-section smaller than said cross-section of said throughbore of said housing;
• (c) a hollow cylindrical valve body mounted within said throughbore of said sleeve and having an external cross-section smaller than said throughbore of said sleeve, said valve body having a first end and a second end, said first end of said valve body being situated within said sleeve and being provided with two diametrically situated lugs for preventing ejection of said valve body from said sleeve by said compressed air;
• (d) a sealing member connected to said second end of said valve body by a bifurcated shank, said sealing member having a circular cross-section and an end that comprises a plurality of concentric grooves;
• and
• (e) a hollow cylindrical barrel mounted within said throughbore of said sleeve and having an external cross-section smaller than said throughbore of said sleeve, said barrel being slidable from a valve closed position to a valve open position, said barrel having a first end and a second end and encompassing said sealing member, said first end of said barrel being provided with two diametrically positioned tabs and being situated within said throughbore of said sleeve in close proximity to said second end of said valve body, a portion of said barrel at said second end of said barrel being tapered at an angle of taper of about 45 degrees measured from said end of said sealing member, said tapered portion defining an orifice with a cross-section substantially equal to said circular cross-section of said sealing member, each of said tabs on said barrel being connected to one of said lugs on said valve body by one of two coil springs;
• wherein, in said valve closed position of said barrel, said sealing member is situated within said orifice of said barrel, thereby preventing the dispensing of said gelatinous semisolid material, and in said valve open position of said barrel, said orifice of said barrel is displaced away from said sealing member, thereby allowing the dispensing of said gelatinous semisolid material into said receptacle.

A method for dispensing a measured quantity of a gelatinous semisolid material from a valve assembly having a known tare mass, which comprises:

• (a) introducing a mass of said gelatinous semisolid material into a cylindrical housing included in said valve assembly, said housing having a first end and a second end and a throughbore of circular cross-section, said housing being provided with a piston that is situated in close proximity to said first end and is actuatable by pressure means to move through said throughbore towards said second end;
• said valve assembly further comprising:
• a cap attached at said second end of said housing, said cap being provided with a cylindrical sleeve having a throughbore with a cross-section smaller than said cross-section of said throughbore of said housing;
• a hollow cylindrical valve body mounted within said throughbore of said sleeve and having an external cross-section smaller than said throughbore of said sleeve, said valve body having a first end and a second end, said first end of said valve body being situated within said sleeve and being provided with retaining means for preventing ejection of said valve body from said sleeve by said pressure means;
• a sealing member connected to said second end of said valve body and comprising an end having a circular cross-section;
• and a hollow cylindrical barrel mounted within said throughbore of said sleeve and having an external cross-section smaller than said throughbore of said sleeve, said barrel being slidable from a valve closed position to a valve open position, said barrel having a first end and a second end and encompassing said sealing member, said first end of said barrel being situated within said throughbore of said sleeve in close proximity to said second end of said valve body, said second end of said barrel having an orifice with a circular cross-section substantially equal to said circular cross-section of said sealing member, said sealing member being situated within said orifice in a valve closed position, said barrel being connected to said valve body by resilient means;
• (b) determining a gross mass comprising said tare mass of said valve assembly and said mass of said gelatinous semisolid material introduced into said housing;
• (c) applying pressure by said pressure means to said piston to impel said piston through said throughbore of said housing to said cap, thereby forcing said gelatinous semisolid material through said sleeve and said valve body into said barrel, wherein said material exerts pressure at said orifice, thereby causing said resilient means to be compressed and said orifice to be displaced away from said sealing member to a valve open position, thereby enabling the dispensing of the measured quantity of gelatinous semisolid material from said valve assembly into said receptacle, said orifice returning to said valve closed position by said action of said resilient means after the dispensing of the measured quantity of material into said receptacle;
• (d) determining an adjusted tare mass comprising said tare mass of said valve assembly together with said mass of gelatinous semisolid material remaining within said valve assembly;
• and
• (e) subtracting said adjusted tare mass from said gross mass, thereby verifying the quantity of gelatinous semisolid material that has been dispensed into said receptacle.

A method for dispensing a measured quantity of a gelatinous semisolid material from a valve assembly having a known tare mass, which comprises:

• (a) introducing a mass of said gelatinous semisolid material into a cylindrical housing included in said valve assembly, said housing having a first end and a second end and a throughbore of circular cross-section, said housing being provided with a piston that is situated in close proximity to said first end and is driven by a shaft actuatable by compressed air to move through said throughbore towards said second end;
• said valve assembly further comprising:
• a cap detachably and sealably attached at said second end of said housing, said cap being provided with a cylindrical sleeve having a throughbore with a cross-section smaller than said cross-section of said throughbore of said housing;
• a hollow cylindrical valve body mounted within said throughbore of said sleeve and having an external cross-section smaller than said throughbore of said sleeve, said valve body having a first end and a second end, said first end of said valve body being situated within said sleeve and being provided with two diametrically situated lugs for preventing ejection of said valve body from said sleeve by said compressed air;
• a sealing member connected to said second end of said valve body by a bifurcated shank and comprising an end that has a circular cross-section and comprises a plurality of concentric grooves;
• and a hollow cylindrical barrel mounted within said throughbore said sleeve and having an external cross-section smaller than said throughbore of said sleeve, said barrel being slidable from a valve closed position to a valve open position, said barrel having a first end and a second end and encompassing said sealing member, said first end of said barrel being situated within said throughbore of said sleeve in close proximity to said second end of said valve body, a portion of said barrel at said second end of said barrel being tapered at an angle of taper of about 45 degrees measured from said end of said sealing member, said tapered portion defining an orifice with a circular cross-section substantially equal to said circular cross-section of said sealing member, said sealing member being situated within said orifice in a valve closed position, each of said tabs on said barrel being connected to one of said lugs on said valve body by one of two coil springs;
• (b) determining a gross mass comprising said tare mass of said valve assembly and said mass of said gelatinous semisolid material introduced into said housing;
• (c) applying pressure by said shaft actuatable by compressed air to said piston to impel said piston through said throughbore of said housing to said cap, thereby forcing said gelatinous semisolid material through said sleeve and said valve body into said barrel, wherein said material exerts pressure at said orifice, thereby causing said springs to be compressed and said orifice to be displaced away from said sealing member to a valve open position, thereby enabling the dispensing of the measured quantity of gelatinous semisolid material from said valve assembly into said receptacle, said orifice returning to said valve closed position after the dispensing of the measured quantity of material into said receptacle;
• (d) determining an adjusted tare mass comprising said tare mass of said valve assembly together with said mass of gelatinous semisolid material remaining within said valve assembly;
• and
• (e) subtracting said adjusted tare mass from said gross mass, thereby verifying the quantity of gelatinous semisolid material that has been dispensed into said receptacle.