Sweetheart Cup Company Inc.

William John Searle

Romano Balordi

Kenneth H Bealer

Brian Eugene McKillop

Edward L Huffman

A machine and system are disclosed for filling containers with food products, such as liquid and semi-solid dairy products. The machine is driven by solenoid-controlled pneumatics and a servo-motor, all of which can be controlled by computer. The machine and system provide greater flexibility in changing the machine over from one product to another. The system also allows remote monitoring of the operation of the machine.

Machine and system for packaging food products

Container filling systems include a container filling station which fills empty containers with a product, most preferably a frozen dessert. The container filling station will necessarily include a fill valve assembly which has a housing defining a inlet and discharge openings, and a cylindrical spool having a spool port defined therethrough. Preferably, the spool is mounted asymmetrically within said housing for rotation between an open and closed conditions. A container lid supply and transfer system is most preferably employed in the system of this invention and includes a lid supply assembly to provide an available stand-by supply of container lid stacks, a lid feeding assembly for sequentially feeding individual container lids onto an awaiting product-filled container, and a lid transfer assembly for transferring a lid stack from the lid supply assembly to the lid feeding assembly. Most preferably, the lid transfer assembly pivotally moves between a loading position (wherein a lid stack from the lid supply assembly may be loaded thereon), and an unloading position (wherein the lid stack supported by the lid transfer assembly is aligned with the lid stack supported by the lid feeding assembly).

Systems for filling non-round containers, especially frozen dessert containers

Syrup spray systems for producing frozen dessert cones include a manifold block defining a bore therethrough. At least one nozzle assembly is provided in fluid communication with the bore of the manifold block and having an actuator stem reciprocally movable between an inoperative condition (in which liquid syrup in the bore is prevented from being sprayed into an awaiting cone), and an operative condition (in which liquid syrup in the bore is sprayed into an awaiting cone). A control cylinder moves the actuator stem between the operative and inoperative conditions and is coupled removably to the actuator stem. In such a manner, the manifold block and the at least one nozzle assembly thereof may easily be removed from the control cylinder to permit repair and/or replacement thereof.

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Glen Burnie, MD, United States of America

William John Searle