John Bean Technologies Corporation

Fmc Technologies, Inc.

Avure Technologies Incorporated

Jose Daniel Milla

Michael L Suter

Gregory W Schrader

David S Danner

Kevin G Socha

Mark R Jackson

Philip Gregory Hebbler

Brandon Coles

Garland Mathews

Michael Mas

Keith Bunce

Karl Magnus Malmberg

Ryan Pereira

A filler head apparatusfor hygienically filling and emptying containersthrough a fitmentincorporated with the containerincludes a cylindrical outer housingfor receiving a hollow bore inner cylinderwhich is actuated to simultaneously reciprocate and rotate about a central axiswithin the outer housing. A transfer tube assemblyis mounted to the inner cylinderto travel with the inner cylinder between an extended position engaged with the fitmentand a retracted position disengage from the fitment. When the transfer tube assembly is engaged with the fitment, flowable content or product may be transferred to or from the container. A fitment cap assemblyis also mounted to the inner cylinderto travel with the inner cylinder to remove the capof the fitmentprior to either filling or emptying the container, and then to retract to a standby position while the container is filled/emptied, and thereafter replacing the fitment cap after filling/emptying has been completed.

Sanitary fill head

A citrus juice apparatus may include at least one citrus juice processing device. The at least one juice processing device may include at least one juice output having a flow of juice therethrough. The at least one juice processing device upon a malfunction may cause an undesired material release along with the flow of juice into the at least one juice output. An undesired material release detector may be coupled to the at least one juice output for detecting the undesired material release. The detector may operate based upon magnetic proximity sensing of a moving filter plate within a housing of the detector. Alternatively, the detector may operate using a filter plate, and based upon pressure.

Citrus juice apparatus with undesired material release detector and related methods

A juice extractor includes a strainer tube mounted to receive juice and pulp of a fruit. An orifice tube reciprocates within the strainer tube and has an ejection port and is configured to generate pressure and separate juice and pulp, collect core, and discharge core out of the ejection port. A sensor is positioned adjacent the orifice tube and configured to sense material ejected from the ejection port.

Blocked orifice tube sensor for citrus juice extractor

A juice processing apparatus includes a concentrator for generating at least one concentrated pulp stream, and a pulp pasteurizer coupled downstream from the concentrator. A flow restrictor is coupled in the at least one concentrated pulp stream for generating a pressure drop therein. The pressure drop is indicative of a concentration of pulp in the at least one concentrated pulp stream. At least one pressure sensor is associated with the flow restrictor for sensing the pressure drop. A controller is for controlling the concentrator based upon the sensed pressure drop.

Apparatus and method for sensing and controlling the concentration of pulp in a concentrated pulp stream

A juice processing system includes at least one fluid line for a concentrated pulp stream, and a flow restrictor coupled in fluid communication with the at least one fluid line for generating a pressure drop in the concentrated pulp stream indicative of a concentration of pulp therein. The system may further include at least one pressure sensor associated with the flow restrictor for sensing the pressure drop, and a controller coupled to the at least one pressure sensor for generating at least one control signal based upon the sensed pressure drop. The control signal may be for an upstream and/or a downstream control device.

Apparatus and method for sensing the concentration of pulp in a concentrated pulp stream

A system and method of the present invention controls the Brix of a concentrated juice product. The results of a process change in disturbance variables on the vapor temperature in at least one of the effects of the multi-stage, multi-effect evaporator are predicted and the Brix of the concentrated juice product discharged from the evaporator is controlled based on the predicted results by controlling one of steam or juice fed into the evaporator.

Growing community of inventors

Lakeland, FL, United States of America

Jose Daniel Milla