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:
Dec. 12, 2000
Filed:
May. 30, 1997
Sven-Arne Andersson, Buffalo Grove, IL (US);
Lars Brunndahl, Lund, SE;
Arde Kirka, Schaumburg, IL (US);
Michael Wagner, Elmhurst, IL (US);
Karl G Axelsson, Dalby, SE;
Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance, SA, Pully, CH;
Abstract
A fill system for use in a packaging machine is disclosed for filling a container with a primary and a secondary product. The fill system includes a primary pump system for pumping a predetermined amount of the primary product received at an inlet thereof. A primary fill pipe having an outlet overlying a container processing path along which the containers are filled and sealed by the packaging machine is connected to receive the predetermined amount of primary product from the outlet of the primary pump system. The fill system further includes a secondary pump system for pumping a predetermined amount of the secondary product received at an inlet thereof to an outlet thereof. A secondary fill pipe is connected to receive the predetermined amount of secondary product from the outlet of the secondary pump means. A valve mechanism is disposed, for example, concentrically within the secondary fill pipe and includes a sealing member positioned at the outlet of the secondary fill pipe. The valve mechanism is driven by a linear multi-stage actuator to provide multiple selected valve opening widths.