Filling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10526182-B2
Application number	US-201214241209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Priority date	Aug 26, 2011
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for filling cans with an uncarbonated liquid fill includes a rotatable rotor, can holders, filling elements, a can-pickup station, a can set-down station, and either a movable clamping element or an underpressure acting on a can's bottom. The filling operation is either pressureless filling, free-jet filling, or hot free-jet filling. During a filling operation, the rotor moves a can from the pick-up station to the set-down station. Either the clamping element or the underpressure then fixes the can to either a circumferential side with respect to the rotor or a filling-element support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a machine for filling cans with liquid fill, said machine for filling cans comprising a rotor, can holders, filling elements, a filling-element support, a can-pickup station, a can set-down station, and a clamping element, wherein said liquid fill is uncarbonated,
wherein said rotor turns about a vertical machine-axis,
wherein said rotor causes both said cans and said filling-element support to rotate about said vertical machine-axis,
wherein said can holders are constituents of said rotor,
wherein each of said filling elements is disposed above a corresponding can holder,
wherein each can holder is associated with a filling element,
wherein a can holder and an associated filling element define a filling position,
wherein, during a filling operation, said rotor is configured to move a can from said can pick-up station to said can set-down station,
wherein said clamping element is configured such that, during said filling operation, said clamping element extends below an exposed can opening of said can and bears radially against a surface of said can,
wherein said clamping element comprises a lifting rod having a vertical lifting-rod axis that is offset relative to an axis of said can, said vertical lifting-rod axis being offset in a radial direction relative to said can,
wherein said clamping element moves in a vertical direction along said lifting-rod axis between a position in which said clamping element has been retracted away from said rotor and a position in which said clamping element has been extended toward said rotor,
wherein said clamping element is connected at least indirectly to said filling-element support,
wherein, as a result of being connected to said filling-element support, said clamping element rotates about said vertical machine axis with said can and with said filling-element support, and
wherein said filling operation is selected from the group consisting of free-jet filling, and hot free-jet filling.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said clamping element moves along an axis that is offset from an axis of said can by an amount that is at least equal to a radius of said can.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a holder that comprises holder elements, wherein said holder elements are spaced apart from one another along the direction of said machine axis, wherein said holder cooperates with said clamping element to fix said can.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first holder-element and, in addition to said first holder-element, a second holder element, wherein said first holder element is a constituent of a holder, wherein said second holder element, like said first holder element, is also a constituent of said holder, wherein said holder cooperates with said clamping element to fix said can, and wherein said first and second holder elements define an arc-shaped recess adapted to a diameter of said can.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a holder that comprises a holder element, wherein said holder element is a segment of a ring, and wherein said holder has arc-shaped recesses arranged on an outer circumference, wherein said holder cooperates with said clamping element to fix said can.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said clamping element is arranged above said rotor at a location that is radially further from said machine axis than said can.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said clamping element is arranged on said filling-element support.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an opening in said rotor, wherein said opening is in a region of said can holders, and wherein said opening is connected to a channel through which a fluid flows, whereby said fluid flow generates an underpressure at said opening for fixing said can to said rotor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said lifting rod comprises a lifting-rod end that protrudes radially from said lifting rod at least on a side facing a can.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said lifting rod is disposed such that said lifting-rod end comes to bear along different portions of said can as said lifting rod moves along said lifting-element axis straight toward said rotor.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said lifting rod is disposed to transition between an upper state, in which said lifting-rod end does not engage a can, and a lower state, in which said lifting-rod end comes to bear against a wall of said can, wherein, during said transition, said lifting rod moves along said lifting-rod axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said lifting-rod end is spherical.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said clamping element translates vertically between a retracted position in which said clamping element is not above said exposed can opening and an extended position in which said clamping element is beside said can.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, during said filling operation, a free jet of said liquid fill flows toward a can at said can holder, said can being spaced from said filling element such that a can opening of said can does not bear against said filling element.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a holder mount that protrudes in a direction that is toward said filling-element support, said holder mount protruding from a portion of said rotor that forms said can holders, said apparatus further comprising a first bearing surface and a second bearing surface, said first and second bearing surfaces extending along a direction that is parallel to said vertical axis of said can.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said lifting rod comprises a lifting-rod end that protrudes radially from said lifting rod at least on a side facing a can, wherein said lifting rod is in a retracted position when said clamping element has moved in said vertical direction along said lifting-rod axis between said position in which said clamping element has been retracted away from said rotor and wherein said lifting rod is in an extended position when said clamping element has been extended toward said rotor, wherein, when said lifting rod is in said retracted position, said lifting-rod end does not engage a can, and wherein, when said lifting rod is in said extended position, said lifting-rod end comes to bear on said can.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said can is filled during rotational movement of said rotor between said can pick-up station and said can set-down station, wherein, upon reaching said can set-down station, said lifting rod moves along said vertical lifting-rod axis to permit release of said can.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, at a filling position thereof, said rotor comprises an opening and a channel, wherein said can covers said opening while said can is being filled and wherein said channel connects to said opening.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rotor comprises, for each filling position, a channel and an opening connected to said channel, wherein, during filling thereof, said can is positioned to allow gas in said channel to escape out of said opening by flowing in a radial direction away from said axis of said can.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, for each filling position, said rotor comprises first and second openings facing in opposite directions and first and second channels, said first channel extending radially and said second channel extending transverse from said first channel to said second opening, wherein during filling thereof, sai

Assignees

• Clusserath Ludwig
• Jakob Timo
• Stolte Thomas
• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Clusserath Ludwig
• Jakob Timo
• Stolte Thomas

Classifications

• B67C2003/2657

  specially adapted for filling cans · CPC title

• B67C3/24 Primary

  Devices for supporting or handling bottles (transport or storing devices in general B65G) · CPC title