Fill valve assembly

A two-way product valve comprising:

• (a) a two-way valve housing having a passage therethrough said passage having at one end a product dispensation outlet and a substantially confronting piston rod wall at the other end and a product chamber disposed intermediate said product dispensation outlet and said confronting piston rod wall;
• (b) a piston rod having a substantially uniform diameter for seating in said substantially confronting piston rod wall, said piston rod having scaling head disposed thereon within said product chamber said sealing head having a diameter greater than the diameter of said piston rod;
• (c) a piston activation housing having means disposed therein for activating said piston rod with said sealing head to an open position, a closed position and a plurality of positions therebetween;
• (d) a clamp for clamping said two way valve housing to said piston activation housing;
• (e) a product inlet disposed in said two-way valve housing communicating with said product chamber intermediate said piston activation housing and said sealing head;
• (f) a leak detection port in said two-way valve housing communicating with the ambient environment through the wall of said two-way valve housing and connecting a portion of said substantially confronting piston rod wall to said ambient environment;
• (g) a first seal disposed in said two-way valve housing intermediate said leak detection port and said piston activation housing, said first seal at all times openly communicating with said leak detection port;
• (h) a second seal disposed in said two-way valve housing intermediate said leak detection port and said product inlet and at all times openly communicating with said leak detection port;
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• (i) a seat for said sealing head disposed in said product dispensation outlet for receiving said sealing head to close said product dispensation outlet wherein said means within said activation housing for activating said piston rod maintains positive control over the position of said sealing head with respect to said seat for accurately dispensing fluid products having a variety of physical characteristics related to density, temperature and pumping pressure while said leak detection port provides an immediate indication of seal failure irrespective of the position of said piston rod.

A two-way valve comprising:

• (a) a two-way valve housing having a first end with a substantially confronting piston rod wall passage and a second end and a product therebetween;
• (b) an inlet communicating with said product chamber disposed in said two-way valve housing intermediate said first end and said second end;
• (c) a piston rod disposed in said substantially confronting piston rod wall passage said piston rod having a substantially uniform diameter and a sealing head of a diameter greater than said piston rod disposed intermediate said inlet and said second end;
• (d) a product dispensation outlet nozzle disposed at the second end of said two-way valve housing;
• (e) a detachable piston activation chamber disposed at said first end of said two-way valve housing to operate said sealing head and provide positive control over the opening of said outlet, a closing of said outlet as well as to move said sealing head to plurality of positions therebetween;
• (f) a clamp for securing said detachable piston activation chamber to said two-way valve housing;
• (g) a leak detection port communicating to the ambient atmosphere through a wall in said two-way valve housing and communicating with said substantially confronting piston rod wall;
• (h) a first seal disposed intermediate said leak detection port and said detachable piston activation chamber;
• (i) a second seal disposed intermediate said leak detection port and said product dispensation nozzle;
• and
• (j) a tapered sealing seat disposed intermediate said product chamber and said product dispensation outlet nozzle wherein said detachable piston activation chamber for operating said sealing head maintains positive control over said sealing head disposed in the path of flow of the dispensed product which in combination with said positive control over said piston rod and said product dispensation outlet nozzle provides control for accurately dispensing fluid products having a variety of physical characteristics related to density, temperature, and pumping pressure.

A process for the hygienic filling of containers comprising:

• (a) pumping a fluid fill material through an inlet to a chamber connected to fill a nozzle;
• (b) pneumatically operating a piston rod having a sealing head to an open position, a closed position, as well as a plurality of positions therebetween to open and close said chamber having a sealing seat connected to said fill nozzle and maintain positive control over the position of said sealing head in relation to said sealing seat to maintain positive control over said sealing head to accurately dispense fluid products having a variety of physical characteristics related to density, temperature, and pumping pressure;
• (c) providing a leak detection port having a substantially confronting piston rod wall to said piston rod and providing constant communication among the first seal, the second seal and the ambient environment to provide an immediate indication of seal failure irrespective of the position of said piston rod;
• (d) providing a first seal between said fill nozzle and said chamber connected to said fill nozzle;
• and
• (e) providing a second seal between said first seal and the pneumatic operation of said piston wherein said first seal, said second seal, and said leak detection port provide a positive and immediate indication of seal failure to prevent contamination of said fluid fill material with pneumatic air pressure for operating said piston rod while said sealing head remains in the path of flow of said fluid fill material.