Simultaneous multiple container size filler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12258254-B2
Application number	US-202318389000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2023
Priority date	Aug 15, 2019
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A filling apparatus configured to simultaneously fill multiple containers of different shapes and sizes. The filling apparatus including a feed conveyor mechanism including two or more feed conveyors, wherein each of the two or more conveyors is respectively configured to transport an empty fluid container of a different size along a manufacturing line, a turntable mechanism including two or more concentric rings, wherein each of the two or more concentric rings is configured to receive an empty fluid container from the respective two or more feed conveyors and rotate about a common axis while filling the empty fluid containers via at least to fill ports, and an output conveyor mechanism including two or more output conveyors, wherein each of the two or more output conveyors is respectively configured to receive a filled fluid container of a different size from the turntable mechanism for transport along the manufacturing line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filling apparatus comprising:
a feed conveyor mechanism including two or more feed conveyors, wherein each of the two or more conveyors is respectively configured to transport a fluid container of a different size along a manufacturing line;
a turntable mechanism including two or more concentric rings, wherein each of the two or more concentric rings is configured to receive a fluid container from the respective two or more feed conveyors and rotate about a common axis while filling the fluid containers via at least two fill ports; and
an output conveyor mechanism including two or more output conveyors, wherein each of the two or more output conveyors is respectively configured to receive a filled fluid container of a different size from the turntable mechanism for further transport along the manufacturing line;
wherein the filling apparatus is configured to simultaneously fill empty fluid containers of different sizes at different rates.

2. The filling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the filling apparatus is configured to fill the fluid containers with a common fluid from a single batch of fluid.

3. The filling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more feed conveyors is radially positioned with respect to the common axis of the turntable mechanism.

4. The filling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more feed conveyors includes a pair of opposed helical screws configured to separate empty fluid containers from one another by a predefined distance during transport along the manufacturing line.

5. The filling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more output conveyors are tangentially positioned with respect to the two or more concentric rings of the turntable mechanism.

6. A fluid production line for fluid containers of different sizes, the fluid production line comprising:
a feed conveyor mechanism including a first feed conveyor, a second feed conveyor and a third feed conveyor, wherein each of the first, second and third feed conveyors is respectively configured to transport fluid containers of different sizes along the fluid production line;
a turntable mechanism including a first section, a concentric second section and a concentric third section, wherein each of the first, second and third sections is configured to receive the fluid containers from the respective first, second and third feed conveyors and rotate about a common axis to position the fluid containers beneath a plurality of fill ports configured to fill each of the different sizes of the fluid containers positioned on the respective first, second and third sections with a desired quantity of fluid; and
an output conveyor mechanism including a first output conveyor, a second output conveyor and a third output conveyor, wherein each of the first, second and third output conveyors is respectively configured to receive the filled fluid containers of different sizes from the turntable mechanism for transport along the fluid production line;
wherein the fluid production line is configured to simultaneously fill empty fluid containers of different sizes at different rates.

7. The fluid production line of claim 6 , further comprising at least one of a container preparation station, a labeling station, a lidding station, a case packing station, a rotary elevator, and a distribution portion.

8. The fluid production line of claim 6 , wherein the fluid production line is configured to fill the fluid containers with a common fluid from a single batch of fluid.

9. The fluid production line of claim 6 , wherein the first, second and third sections of the turntable mechanism each includes a plurality of fluid container receptacles configured to optimally position the fluid containers on the turntable mechanism.

10. The fluid production line of claim 6 , wherein the concentric second section is configured to receive a larger sized fluid container than the first section.

11. The fluid production line of claim 6 , wherein the concentric third section is configured to receive a larger sized fluid container than the second section.

12. The fluid production line of claim 6 , wherein the respective first, second and third feed conveyors are radially positioned with respect to the common axis of the turntable mechanism.

13. The fluid production line of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first, second and third feed conveyors includes a pair of opposed helical screws configured to separate empty fluid containers from one another by a predefined distance during transport along the fluid production line.

14. The fluid production line of claim 6 , wherein the respective first, second and third output conveyors are tangentially positioned with respect to the respective first, second and third sections of the turntable mechanism.

15. A method of filling fluid containers of different sizes, the method comprising:
transporting a first fluid container of a first size and a second fluid container of a second size along a respective first feed conveyor and second feed conveyor;
positioning the first fluid container and the second fluid container on a respective first section and a second section of a turntable mechanism beneath a respective first fill port and a second fill port; and
filling the fluid containers with respective designated quantities of fluid via the first fill port and the second fill port while rotating the first and second fluid containers about a common axis wherein the first size and the second size are different, and wherein the filling comprises filling the first fluid container from the first fill port at a first rate and filling the second fluid container from the second fill port at a second rate, wherein the first rate and the second rate are different; and
receiving the filled first and second fluid containers from the turntable mechanism for transport along a respective first output conveyor and second output conveyor.

16. A method according to claim 15 , the method comprising filling the first and second fluid containers while rotating the first and second fill ports and the first and second fluid containers about the common axis.

Assignees

• Swimc Llc

Inventors

• Dewerth Jr Alan E

Classifications

• B67C2003/2668

  Means for adapting the filling head to various sizes of containers · CPC title

• B67C7/0046

  Infeed and outfeed devices · CPC title

• B65G33/06

  conveyed and guided by parallel screws · CPC title

• B67C3/225 Primary

  Means for filling simultaneously, e.g. in a rotary filling apparatus or multiple rows of containers · CPC title