Crown Simplimatic Incorporated

Alfill Getranketechnik Gmbh

Alfill Getranketecnik Gmbh

Jens Naecker

Wolfgang Wilke

Kecheng Ding

Gunter Seifert

Albrecht Rohrdanz

A filling machine assembly (10) for filling a beverage container (12), such as a bottle or can, with a beverage, such as carbonated drinks, juices, or water. The filling machine (10) includes a support housing (14) for supplying the beverage to be discharged into the container (12). A valve housing (22) is mounted to the bottom of the support housing (14) for controlling the discharge of the beverage and a control device (24) is mounted to the top of the support housing (14). A vent tube (30) has a first end disposed within the control device (24) and a second end extending into the valve housing (22). An actuation device (54) moves the vent tube (30) a predetermined stroke between a filling position and a non-use position. The filling machine (10) is characterized by the control device (24) including an adjustment mechanism (80) having a stop block (82) for repositioning the filling position upon movement of the adjustment mechanism (80) thereby adjusting the position of the predetermined stroke. Hence the downward most position of the vent tube (30), i.e., the filling position, may be adjusted without effecting the distance that the vent tube (30) travels between the non-use position and the filling position, i.e., the stroke itself.

Filling machine assembly having an adjustable vent tube

A filling machine assembly (10) for filling a beverage container (12), such as a bottle or can, with a beverage such as carbonated drinks, juice or water. The filling machine (10) includes a support housing (14) for supplying the beverage to be discharged into the container (12). A valve housing (22) is mounted to the bottom of the support housing (14) for controlling the discharge of the beverage and a control device (24) is mounted to the top of the support housing (14). The control device (24) has outer walls (26) defining a working chamber (28) having a top and a bottom. A vent tube (30) has a first end disposed within the working chamber (28) of the control device (24) and a second end extending into the valve housing (22). A piston (38) is secured to the first end of the vent tube (30) within the working chamber (28) for moving the vent tube (30) a predetermined stroke between a filling position and a non-use position. The assembly is characterized by a first input port (70) disposed above the piston (38) at the top of the working chamber (28) and a second input port (72) disposed below the piston (38) at the bottom of the working chamber (28) whereby a fluid medium may pass through the first (70) and second (72) input ports to move the piston (38) and the vent tube (30) between the filling and non-use positions.

Filling machine assembly having a moveable vent tube

A container filling assembly (10) including a carousel (12) having an in-feed station (20) and an exit station (30) for supplying empty containers (22) and exiting filled containers (22). A number valve stations (34) are supported by the carousel (12) for filling the containers (22). An enclosure (42) is associated with each valve station (34) for enclosing the container (22) on the valve station (34). The enclosure (42) has an elongated endless wall (44) with an upper periphery (46) for sealing engagement about at the valve station (34). An actuation device (48) moves the enclosure (42) vertically between a sealed position with the valve station (34) and an open position spaced vertically from the valve station (34). A bottom (50) is disposed within the endless wall (44) to create a sealed chamber (70) when the endless wall (44) is in the sealed position. The filling assembly (10) is characterized by the bottom (50) being fixed to the carousel (12) and remaining below the upper periphery (46) of the endless wall (44) during the movement of the enclosure (42). The subject invention also includes a method of dispensing the product into the container (22) through the plurality of valve stations (34). The method is likewise characterized by moving the elongated endless wall (44) of the enclosure (42) vertically between the sealed position and the open position while maintaining the upper periphery (46) above the bottom (50).

Aseptic container filling assembly

A filling machine assembly (10) for filling a beverage container (12), such as a bottle or can, with a beverage, such as a carbonated drink, juice or water. The filling machine (10) includes a support housing (14) having an inner fluid chamber (20) for supplying the beverage to be discharged into the container (12). A valve housing (22) is mounted to the bottom of the support housing (14) for controlling the discharge of the beverage and a control device (24) is mounted to the top of the support housing (14). A vent tube (26) is actuated upward and downward via the control device (24) and extends into the valve housing (22). A support tube (34) extends between the control device (24) and the valve housing (22) and has a bore (36) surrounding the vent tube (26). An actuation device (42) moves the vent tube (26) within the bore (36) relative to the support tube (34) a predetermined stroke between a filling position and a non-use position. An upper tube seal (44) is in sealing engagement between the control device (24) and the vent tube (26) with the bore (36) of the support tube (34) open to the upper seal (44). A lower tube seal (46) is in sealing engagement between the support tube (34) and the vent tube (26) to seal the bore (36) of the support tube (34) between the upper (44) and lower (46) seals. The assembly is characterized by a chamber sealing mechanism (52) selectively sealing the bore (36) between the upper (44) and lower (46) tube seals from the inner fluid chamber (20) to equalize operating pressures against the upper (44) and lower (46) tube seals during the movement of the vent tube (26) between the filling and non-use positions.

Filling machine assembly

A web of coherent labels or coherent blanks of wrapping material is advanced along an elongated path toward a severing station where the web is cut at selected intervals by an orbiting knife in cooperation with a stationary or moving knife to yield a succession of sections of desired length. If the web is to be arrested for a shorter or longer period, it is first accelerated above its standard speed and is thereupon decelerated to zero speed during the last interval of advancement so that the length of the leader of the web extending beyond the severing station matches the desired length. Analogously, when the web is restarted, it is accelerated above the standard speed and is thereupon decelerated to such standard speed during the first interval of advancement so that the knives sever a section whose length again matches the desired length. If a first web is to be followed by a second web, the leader of the second web is maintained at a standstill at the severing-station, and the second web is accelerated first above the standard speed and is thereupon decelerated to standard speed during an interval following stoppage or expiration of the first web so that the length of the first separated section of the second web again matches the desired length.

Method of subdividing webs

Apparatus for mechanically removing circumferentially complete labels from cylindrical external surfaces of successive containers, such as bottles, which are transported in upright or horizontal position past a removing station has a mechanical or pneumatic device which withdraws a portion of the label from the external surface of a container at the removing station. This establishes a clearance for a distancing element at the leading end of a knife which is moved axially of the external surface at the removing station to sever the label from one marginal portion all the way to the other marginal portion of the label. The thus split labels are attracted by an evacuating conveyor as soon as the respective containers advance beyond the removing station.

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Jens Naecker