US 5,960,838 AGranted

Valve for adjustable filling chamber

AssigneeCrown Simplimatic Incorporated

InventorsFelix Tietz, Wolfgang Wilke

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Abstract

A circular filling machine 10 rotates a plurality of filling units 20 through a plurality of actuator stations 30 and 32. The filling machine 10 is characterized by an adjustment valve, including a seal 38 and a positioning member 40, for determining the quantity of the material 14 to be filled into the chamber 34. The seal 38 is biased downwardly against the positioning member 40 by a spring 50 to hold the seal 38against the inside of the chamber 34 in the closed position. The seal 38 may be moved vertically out of engagement with the positioning member 40 to an open position by a cam 62 and cam follower 64 to allow cleaning material 37 to flush the entire chamber 34. In addition, the vertical operating level of the seal 38 and positioning member 40 may be adjusted vertically in unison to adjust the level to which the chamber 34 may be filled to accommodate containers 11 of various different volumes. The positioning member 40 and the seal 38 both depend from a platform 52 by tubular columns 54 and 56 so that the vertical adjustment is accomplished by rotation of a threaded screw 58 threadedly engaging the platform 52.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A filling machine comprising:

a plurality of individual filling units (20);
a common drive (28) for moving said filling units (20) through a plurality of actuator stations (30 and 32);
each of said filling units (20) including a working chamber (34);
a container filling mechanism (36) at the bottom of each chamber (34);
a supply of material for filling said chamber (34) with material through said filling mechanism (36);
and
a valve for determining the quantity of the material to be filled into said chamber (34) by preventing the flow of material upwardly past said valve and for allowing cleaning material (37) to flow downwardly past said valve;
and wherein said valve includes a seal (38) movable between a closed position in sealing engagement with said chamber (34) and an open position spaced from said chamber (34) to allow flow there past, said valve includes a positioning member (40) for holding said seal (38) in said closed position, said valve includes an actuator mechanism (42) for effecting relative movement between said seal (38) and said positioning member for controlling said relative movement between said open and closed positions, said actuator mechanism (42) includes a support skirt (44) disposed in parallel and in spaced relationship to said chamber (34), said seal (38) being disposed about said support skirt (44) in the space between said support skirt (44) and said chamber (34).

5 more elements

A filling machine comprising:

a plurality of individual filling units (20);
a common drive (28) for moving said filling units (20) through a plurality of actuator stations (30 and 32);
each of said filling units (20) including a working chamber (34);
a container filling mechanism (36) at the bottom of each chamber (34);
a supply of material for filling said chamber (34) with material through said filling mechanism (36);
and
a valve for determining the quantity of the material to be filled into said chamber (34) by preventing the flow of material upwardly past said valve and for allowing cleaning material (37) to flow downwardly past said valve said, valve includes a seal (38) movable between open and closed positions and a positioning member;
wherein said actuator mechanism (42) includes a platform (52) disposed in said chamber (34), and including a first column (54) interconnecting said platform (52) and said positioning member, a second column (56) connected to said seal (38), and a first actuator (58) for moving said platform (52) vertically in said chamber (34) to adjust the vertical position of said valve.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.