US 8,746,295 B2Granted

Filling apparatus

AssigneeOsgood Industries, Inc.

InventorsMartin J. Mueller, Michael A. Weigandt

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A filling apparatus for serially filling multiple lanes of containers includes a plurality of piston pumps which receive flowable product from an associated source. Each pump includes a reciprocably movable pump piston, which can “float” upwardly during a filling stroke, as each pump is filled with product delivered thereto under pressure. The pump pistons can move upwardly independently, until each reaches a predetermined position, corresponding to the quantity of product with which each container is to be filled. After all of the pistons reach their respective predetermined positions, valves of the pumps are simultaneously operated, and the pistons simultaneously stroked so that respective containers are filled with the flowable product. The multiple lanes of containers are thereafter indexed, and the filling cycle repeated.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An apparatus for filling multiple lanes of containers with flowable product, comprising:

a plurality of pumps each having a (1) pump housing defining:
an inlet for receiving said flowable product from an associated source, an outlet for discharging the product to a respective container, and a pump chamber which can communicate with the inlet and the outlet,
each said pump further including (2) a piston movably disposed within the respective pump housing, so that said product can be directed inwardly from said inlet to said chamber, and outwardly from said chamber through said outlet by reciprocable movement of said piston, and (3) a movable valve member positioned within said housing movable between a first position for joining said inlet with said chamber, and a second position for joining said chamber with said outlet;
each of said pistons being driven by said flowable product and being movable independently of the other ones of said pistons as said plurality of pumps each filled with said flowable product,
a valve drive motor operatively connected to each of said valve members for simultaneously moving each of said valve members between its first and second position;
a plurality of sensors respective operatively associated with each of said pumps to indicate when the respective piston has moved to a predetermined position attendant to flow of said product into the respective one of said chambers;
and
a piston drive mechanism operatively connected with each of said pistons, said piston drive mechanism being operated when all of said pistons reach said predetermined position by flow of product into the respective ones of said chambers, said piston drive motor mechanism simultaneously driving said pistons, after said valve drive motor simultaneously moves each of said valve members from the first to the second position thereof, so that said pistons simultaneously force said product from the respective chambers through the respective outlets into respective ones of said containers,
said valve drive motor thereafter simultaneously moving each of said valve members from the second position to the first position thereof.

6 more elements

A method for serially filling multiple lanes of containers with a flowable product, comprising the steps of:

providing a source of said flowable product;
providing a plurality of pumps each having a housing defining an inlet, an outlet for discharging the product to a respective container, and a pump chamber, each pump having a piston movably disposed within the chamber so that by movement of the piston said product can be received in said chamber from said inlet, and directed from said chamber to said outlet, by reciprocable movement of said piston, each said pump including a valve for alternate joining said chamber in communication with said inlet and said outlet;
directing said flowable product to each of said pumps,
each of said pistons being driven by said flowable product and being movable independently of the other ones of said pistons as said plurality of pumps each filled with said flowable product,
simultaneously positioning said valves in a first position wherein said product flows from the inlet into said chamber and acts against the respective piston to move the piston to a predetermined position corresponding to the desired quantity of product to be dispensed, said pistons being movable independently of each other;
simultaneously operating said valves, after all of said pistons have moved to their respective predetermined positions, to move each of said valves from said first position thereof to a second position for directing the product from the chamber out of the outlet of the pump into a respective container;
and
simultaneously driving said pistons to move said product into respective containers.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/863,343Filed 20 Jan 2009 · us provisional application
Priority: 18 Jan 2008
Published: US 2011/0139814 A116 Jun 2011
Granted: 10 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B65B 3/12
By application of pressure to material: mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps
F04B 7/0011
The distribution member forming both the inlet and discharge distributor for one single pumping chamber: and having an oscillating movement
F04B 13/02
Pumps specially modified to deliver fixed or variable measured quantities: of two or more fluids at the same time
B65B 3/32
By volumetric measurement: by pistons co-operating with measuring chambers