US 6,135,167 A · Method and apparatus for a filler valve

Abstract

An improved filling valve specially configured for attachment onto a conventional, high speed liquid filling machine that is typically utilized in food product container packaging lines to quickly fill large numbers of containers, such as bottle or cans. A filler valve has several improvements that result in greater reliability in operation, increased operational speed, and easier adjustment in operational parameters. The filler valve including a manifold that receives a manifold insert and a spring nut that abuts to a slider. The slider is the only moving part of the filler valve. A filler stem is received through the slider and attaches to the manifold. For filling, the top opening of a bottle is placed against a spanner nut and the manifold lowered, thereby compressing the slider into the manifold to insert the stem into the container. A liquid is then injected into the container, while displaced air is exhausted into the co-axial annular space between the stem and the slider. The stem also preferably contains four outlet ports.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A filler valve for filling a container with a liquid, said filler valve including:

a manifold having a top end, a base end and a middle portion;
a manifold cavity formed within said manifold, said manifold cavity having a upper cavity proximate the top end of said manifold and a middle cavity proximate the middle portion of said manifold, and a lower cavity proximate the base end of said manifold, the lower cavity adjacent and open to the middle cavity;
a liquid inlet port located proximate the top end of said manifold, said liquid inlet port open to the upper cavity;
an exhaust port located proximate the middle portion of said manifold, said gas exhaust port open to the middle cavity;
a stem receiver located within said manifold, between the upper cavity and the middle cavity;
a slider having a manifold insert end and an exhaust inlet end, the manifold insert end of said slider received into the lower cavity;
a dampener positioned at the base end of said manifold, the dampener abutted to said slider, and said dampener for resisting a retraction of said slider into the lower cavity;
and
a filler stem having a receiver end and a filling head end, the receiver end of said filler stem received through said slider and mounted to said stem receiver of said manifold.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for a filler valve

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for a filler valve

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11