Container Filling System

Abstract

An apparatus for rapidly filling containers with a pulverulent material. A hollow tube forming a passageway for the material is provided having an air permeable portion surrounded by a vacuum chamber; the air permeable portion being generally powder impermeable. A nozzle is connected to the hollow tube for passing the material from the tube into a container which is to be filled. Another chamber is situated adjacent the nozzle and is separated from the container orifice by a retainer plate having a plurality of holes therethrough. In operation, when the pulverulent material is to be passed into a container, a vacuum is established in the first vacuum chamber. This vacuum is conveyed to the container and the nozzle through the apertured nozzle retainer. The pulverulent material is thereby suctioned into the container. When the container is filled, a vacuum is created in the second chamber which vacuum is transferred through the air permeable portion of the tube into the hollow passageway. The pulverulent material is thereby inhibited from passing through the tube. At the same time, a blast of air is forced into the first chamber thereby packing the material in the container and clearing the material from the second chamber and the apertured retainer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for filling a container and, more particularly, is related to a device for rapidly filling a plurality of containers sequentially.

The filling and packing of fine-grained materials, such as, powder, in containers often involves certain difficulties when the filling operation is to be rapidly accomplished. For example, fine-grained material often tends to adhere and stick together. Thus, funnels normally utilized to fill containers are often clogged in the filling process. In view of these difficulties, numerous attempts have been made to design a device for rapidly conveying a pulverulent material from a storage vat into individual containers. Thus, for example, some have utilized a device for suctioning the pulverulent material from the vat into a container. These devices have been only partially successful since they involve mechanical parts that clog and tend to leak after a period of use, and they have no fast action means for terminating the flow of the material into the container once the container is filled.

It, therefore, is an object of this invention to provide a device for providing fast unrestricted flow of a pulverulent material into a container and having means for a quick shutoff of the passage of the material when the container is filled.

SHORT STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, this invention relates to a method and apparatus for rapidly filling containers with a pulverulent material. A hollow tube forming a passageway for the material is provided having an air permeable portion surrounded by a vacuum chamber; the air permeable portion being substantially powder impermeable. A nozzle is connected to the hollow tube for passing the material from the tube into a container which is to be filled. Another chamber is situated adjacent the nozzle and is separated from the container orifice by a retainer plate having a plurality of holes or perforations therethrough.

In operation, when the pulverulent material is to be passed into a container, a vacuum is established in the first vacuum chamber. This vacuum is conveyed to the container through the apertured nozzle retainer. The pulverulent material is thereby suctioned into the container. When the container is filled, a vacuum is created in the first chamber which vacuum is established in the hollow passageway of the tube through the air permeable portion of the tube. The pulverulent material is thereby inhibited from passing through the tube. At the same time, a blast of air is forced into the first chamber thereby packing the material in the container being filled and clearing the material from the chamber and the apertured retainer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be more fully appreciated from the detailed description, appended claims and following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the filling system of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom end view of the filling system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Refer now to FIG. 1 which shows a section view of the filling system of this invention. A sleeve 11 is shown mounted inside a housing member 13. The preferred embodiment illustrates the housing 13 and the sleeve as being cylindrical in shape, but a rectangular sleeve or any other shape suitable for practicing the invention may be used. Mounted inside sleeve 11 is a holder member 15. Holder 15 is secured to sleeve 11 by any suitable means, such as, for example, an adhesive compound. Also positioned inside sleeve 11 and below holder 15 is a chamber partition 17 having a cylindrical shape with an inwardly extending ledge portion 18 approximately at the center of its longitudinal axis. A tube 23 is mounted inside holder 15 and is secured in place by a set screw 25 threaded through a tapped hole 27 in holder 15. The junction between the tube and the inside diameter of holder 15 is airtight. Tube 23, preferably consisting of stainless steel in order to prevent corrosion, has a hollow passageway for permitting the flow of pulverulent material therethrough and is terminated in an air permeable tube member 29. Tube member 29 may be formed by a fine wire mesh screen, by a tube having a plurality of fine perforations therethrough or by any other suitable material being sufficiently air permeable to transfer air through its walls to form a vacuum in the tube passageway while, at the same time, not permitting transfer of the pulverulent material therethrough. The air permeable portion 29 may be secured to the tube 23 by a weld or by any other suitable means. As an alternative, portion 29 may be formed integral with the tube 23 with the perforations formed therein by suitable machining techniques known in the art.

A nozzle 31 is shown positioned through the aperture in partition 17 formed by the ledge portion 18. The air permeable portion 29 of tube 23 is mounted in the mouth 28 of the nozzle 31 such that the pulverulent material passes through the tube and into the nozzle. An "O" ring 34 is inserted about the neck portion 32 of the nozzle to provide an airtight junction between the nozzle and the partition 17. The other end of the nozzle is inserted through a hole 33 in a nozzle retainer plate 35 such that the orifice 39 of the nozzle extends downward into the orifice 36 of the container 47 to be filled. Nozzle retainer plate 35 is secured in an airtight relationship to a base member 38 by means of a gasket sealer 37 by any suitab e means, such as, an adhesive compound or plurality of screws. The retainer plate has a plurality of holes or perforations 30 about its inner circumference for permitting the ingress and egress of air with respect to a chamber 41 formed by nozzle 31, partition 17, base 38, gasket 37 and retainer plate 35. The chamber surrounds the nozzle 31 as shown in FIG. 1.

A nozzle aligner 45 is shown secured to retainer 35 in an airtight relationship by means of a gasket sealer 43. Gasket 43 has a hole through its center having a larger diameter than the hole in retainer 35 so that the apertures in retainer 35 are exposed to the container to be filled 47. The nozzle aligner has a hole through its center with inwardly sloping sides so that the orifice 36 of the container being filled will be forced to center on the nozzle 31 if the container is initially misaligned with respect to the nozzle 31. The container 47 is then positioned against gasket 43 such that the orifice 36 of the container and the gasket form an airtight junction.

Partition 17, holder 15 and tube 23 including air permeable portion 29 form a second chamber 42 which surrounds the air permeable portion 29. A hole 20 formed by the aligned apertures in partition 17, sleeve 11 and housing 13 is tapped, and a pipe 51 shown in FIG. 2 is screwed therein for conveying a vacuum from a suitable source (not shown) into the chamber.

A second hole 19 formed by the aligned apertures in container 17, sleeve 11 and housing 13 is tapped and a second pipe 53 is screwed therein for conveying a second vacuum from a source (not shown) to chamber 41. A third hole 21 formed by another set of apertures in the aforementioned elements is tapped and has a pipe 55 screwed therein for transmitting a blast of air from a source (not shown) to chamber 41.

Refer now to FIG. 2 which shows a section view taken along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 illustrates the pipes 51, 53 and 55 screwed in holes 19, 20 and 21 respectively. Hole 59 is formed by apertures in housing 13, sleeve 11 and partition 17. The portion of the hole through housing 13 and sleeve 11 is tapped and a plug 57 is screwed therein. This plug may be removed thereby exposing chamber 42, so that a blast of air or some other means can be used to clear chamber 42 and the air permeable portion 29 of the pulverulent material.

Refer now to FIG. 3 which shows the nozzle retainer 35 by way of a bottom end of the container filler of FIG. 1. The nozzle orifice 39 is shown inserted through the hole 33 in the retainer plate 35. A plurality of holes or perforations 30 are shown proximate the inner circumference of the retainer plate for permitting the passage of air therethrough. The holes may be of any size suitable to permit the passage of air therethrough yet not permitting the passage of any substantial amount of the pulverulent material.

In operation, the pulverulent material is poured into the mouth of tube 23 from a vat or other container. At the same time, a vacuum is conveyed from a source through pipe 53 to chamber 41. Because of the apertures or perforations 30 in retainer 35, the vacuum in chamber 41 is conveyed to the orifice of the container 47. Thus, a vacuum is formed in the container and, consequently, in nozzle 31. The vacuum at the orifice of the nozzle pulls or suctions the material through the tube 23 and nozzle 31 into the container 47.

When the container is filled, the vacuum is shut off and, at the same time, a second vacuum is conveyed through pipe 51 to chamber 42. This vacuum is established through the air permeable portion 29 of tube 23 in the passageway of the tube. The pulverulent material is thus inhibited from flowing into the nozzle thereby blocking the flow of material into the container 47. At the same time that the material is blocked from flowing into the container, a blast of air is forced through pipe 55 into the chamber 41, through the apertures 30 in retainer 35 and against the material in the container. This causes the material in the container to be packed and, at the same time, clears the chamber 41 and the apertures 30 in retainer 35 of any residue material. This cycle is then repeated when an empty container is placed under the orifice of the nozzle 31 of the pipe filling system.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein illustrated and described and that certain changes in the form and the arrangement of the parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A container filling system comprising a hollow tube for passing a pulverulent material, said tube having an air permeable portion, a nozzle connected to said tube, a nozzle retainer for supporting said nozzle, said retainer having a plurality of holes therethrough, means for establishing a first vacuum at the orifice of said nozzle, said vacuum pulling said pulverulent material through said tube and nozzle, means for establishing a second vacuum about said air permeable portion of said tube, said vacuum inhibiting the flow of said material through said tube.

2. The container filling system of claim 1 wherein said means for establishing a first vacuum comprises a first chamber having said nozzle retainer as one side thereof, and means for establishing a vacuum in said chamber, said vacuum being conveyed to said orifice of said nozzle through said plurality of holes in said nozzle retainer.

3. The container filling system of claim 2 further comprising means for clearing said first chamber and said plurality of holes in said retainer of said pulverulent material after said container is filled.

4. The container filling system of claim 3 wherein said means for clearing said chamber and said plurality of holes comprises means for forcing a blast of air into said chamber, said blast of air forcing pulverulent particles from said chamber through said plurality of holes.

5. The container filling system of claim 4 wherein said means for establishing a second vacuum about said air permeable portion of said tube comprises a second chamber formed about said air permeable portion of said tube, said air permeable portion being part of the inner wall of said chamber and means for establishing a vacuum in said chamber, said vacuum being conveyed through said air permeable portion to the passageway of said tube.

6. The container filling system of claim 5 further comprising means for clearing said second chamber and said air permeable portion of said pulverulent particles.

7. The container of claim 6 wherein said air permeable portion of said tube is a wire mesh screen.

8. A method of filling a container with pulverulent material comprising the steps of pouring said material into a hollow tube, suctioning said material through said tube, establishing a vacuum about an air permeable portion of said tube when said container is filled, conveying said vacuum through said air permeable portion of said tube to the inside of said tube thereby inhibiting passage of said material through said tube.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said suctioning step comprises the steps of creating a second vacuum in a chamber proximate the orifice of a container being filled, conveying said second vacuum from said chamber to said orifice, said second vacuum at said orifice suctioning said material through said tube.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of clearing said chamber of said pulverulent material after said second vacuum is terminated.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said clearing step comprises the step of forcing a blast of air into said chamber proximate the orifice of a container being filled.