Lifting element with extensible rinse sleeve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340402-B2
Application number	US-201214241940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2012
Priority date	Aug 30, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A supporting-and-lifting device for filling stations on a filling machine has a base element, a container carrier including a component that moves parallel to a filling-element axis, an auxiliary lifting element integrated in the container carrier, and a further piston mounted centrally in the auxiliary lifting element. The piston has a head plate. The auxiliary lifting element has, at its upper end, a container plate made from its collar-shaped upper and the head plate. The lifting element can be raised for cleaning or disinfecting. The lifting element is movable by the filling element into a sealed position. The piston is movable independently of the lifting element in a direction parallel to the filling element axis. In a work position, which represents a vertically lower end position, the piston and the lifting element in the sealed position define a rinse sleeve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a supporting-and-lifting device for filling stations provided on a filling machine for filling containers with a liquid bulk product using a filling element, wherein said supporting-and-lifting device comprises a base element, a container carrier comprising at least a component that can be moved up and down in an axial direction parallel to a filling element axis, a piston-like auxiliary lifting element integrated in the container carrier, and a further piston that is mounted centrally in said piston-like auxiliary lifting element, said further piston comprising a head plate, wherein said piston-like auxiliary lifting element comprises, at an upper end thereof, a container plate that is made from a collar-shaped upper part of said piston-like auxiliary lifting element and said head plate, wherein said piston-like auxiliary lifting element can be raised for at least one of cleaning and disinfecting, wherein said auxiliary lifting element is movable by said filling element into a sealed position, wherein said further piston is movable independently of said piston-like auxiliary lifting element in a direction parallel to said filling element axis, and wherein, in a work position, which represents a vertically lower end position, said further piston, together with said piston-like auxiliary lifting element in said sealed position defines a rinse sleeve.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said further piston is mounted centrally in said piston-like auxiliary lifting element, and wherein said further piston can be moved against a direction of movement of said piston-like auxiliary lifting element in a direction parallel to said filling element axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said supporting-and-lifting device further comprises a pressure space provided on one side of said further piston, wherein said pressure space ( 14 ) is exposable, by a control line that has a control valve, to a pressure medium, wherein said further piston is movable relative to said piston-like auxiliary lifting element along said filling valve axis as a result of pressure from said pressure medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said supporting-and-lifting device further comprises a vacuum source connected to said pressure space by said control valve.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said supporting-and-lifting device further comprises a pressure space on one side of said piston-like auxiliary lifting element, wherein said pressure space is exposable, by a control line that has a control valve, to a pressure medium, and wherein said auxiliary lifting element is movable relative to said base element along said filling valve axis as a result of exposure to pressure from said pressure medium.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said supporting-and-lifting device further comprises a vacuum source connected to said pressure space by said control valve.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said supporting-and-lifting device further comprises a connecting line in said auxiliary lifting device, said connecting line connecting a first pressure space to a second pressure space.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said connecting line comprises a drilled hole.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said supporting-and-lifting device further comprises a connecting line in said piston-like auxiliary lifting device that a pressure-release space to one of ambient pressure and a pressure medium.

Assignees

• Clusserath Ludwig
• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Clusserath Ludwig

Classifications

• B67C2003/2668

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

• B67C3/004 Primary

  permanently attached to the filling machine and movable between a rest and a working position · CPC title

• B67C3/244 Primary

  Bottle lifting devices actuated by jacks, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic (B67C3/242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B67C3/005

  Cleaning outside parts of filling devices · CPC title