The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 18, 1981
Filed:
Dec. 20, 1979
Warren J Schieser, Dublin, OH (US);
Stanley E Vickers, Hideaway Hills, OH (US);
Liqui-Box Corporation, Columbus, OH (US);
Abstract
A continuous motion high-speed rotary machine of the turret type which has a plurality of angularly spaced filler heads thereon, each equipped with movable uncapping and capping means and a movable filler nozzle. As the turret rotates continuously, an individual bag spout is partially inserted into the approaching filler head. These bags are of the flexible type, each having a spout with a removable cap pressed thereon. The individual bags may be presented to the successive continuously-moving filler heads automatically or manually. A control system is provided on the machine which includes means for sensing the presence of the partially-inserted capped spout as the spout is clamped in the head. The movable uncapping and capping means on the head is then actuated to remove the cap and move the filler nozzle into cooperation with the clamped spout. A vacuum system on the machine then functions, through the nozzle, to pull vacuum through the spout on the bag to facilitate filling. Then the bag is filled through the nozzle. A safety arrangement is provided so that if there is no bag in position and, therefore, no bag vacuum detected, the fill will not start. A flow meter, which is part of the control system, determines the amount of fill and stops it when a predetermined volume has been supplied. The control system further functions so that immediately upon completion of the fill, if nitrogen is desired to aid in preservation, it is injected through the bag spout simultaneously with interruption of the flow of filling liquid. Then, the capping and uncapping means is moved so as to move the fill nozzle away from the spout and reapply the cap. Finally, the capped bag spout is ejected from the filler head, as the filled bag is discharged from the machine. Safety means is provided to prevent any bag from being subjected to the filling cycle more than once. Additional safety means is provided for stopping the rotation of the turret if the bag is not ejected from the filler head. All of the above operations are accomplished as the heads swing continuously with the rotating turret through a predetermined arc of movement.