Claims
- 1. An apparatus for automatically filling receptacles with fluent product substantially free of contaminants, comprising:
- (a) a hopper for containing the fluent product;
- (b) a measuring chamber having an inlet operatively connected to the hopper, an outlet in alignment with successive receptacles each in their respective turn, and an internal passageway;
- (c) a boundary element mounted within, and extending across, the passageway, and operative for resisting passage of the fluent product past the boundary element;
- (d) a discharge valve mounted within the passageway and movable between open and closed valve positions in which the discharge valve respectively permits and obstructs communication between the passageway and the outlet,
- said valve extending across the passageway in the closed valve position remote from the boundary element and bounding therewith an internal cavity;
- (e) charging means for suddenly conveying a mass of the fluent product from the hopper through the inlet and into the cavity to charge the cavity when the valve is in the closed valve position, said cavity being substantially closed to the ambient environment exteriorly of the apparatus to resist product contamination during charging of the cavity; and
- (f) discharging means for suddenly conveying the mass of the fluent product en masse from the cavity through the outlet and into each respectively aligned receptacle to fill each receptacle when the valve is in the open valve position, said cavity being substantially closed to the exterior ambient environment to resist product contamination during filling of each receptacle.
- 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the measuring chamber is stationarily mounted in an upright orientation on the apparatus above the receptacles.
- 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the measuring chamber is elongated along a generally vertical axis, and is mounted on the apparatus above the receptacles for axial movement; and further comprising means for axially moving the outlet into an open neck region of each respectively aligned receptacle to position the outlet within the neck region during filling of each receptacle, and for axially moving the outlet out of each open neck region after filling.
- 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the measuring chamber is non-rotatably mounted on the apparatus.
- 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the hopper is stationarily mounted on the apparatus adjacent the measuring chamber; and wherein the charging means includes an elongated flexible hose having one end region connected to the stationary hopper, and another end region connected to the movable measuring chamber, said hose spanning the distance between the stationary hopper and the movable measuring chamber and having freedom of movement during the axial movement of the movable measuring chamber.
- 6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the measuring chamber is elongated along an axis and is mounted on the apparatus in an upright orientation; and wherein the boundary element is mounted at an upper end region of the passageway; and wherein the discharge valve is mounted at a lower end region of the passageway; and wherein the inlet of the measuring chamber is laterally disposed between the upper and end regions of the passageway.
- 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the hopper contains powder, and wherein the boundary element is a porous filter operative for resisting passage of the powder therethrough.
- 8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the charging means includes suction means in communication with the internal passageway through the filter, and operative for abruptly creating a sub-atmospheric pressure within the internal passageway to abruptly draw the powder in one axial direction into the cavity during charging of the cavity.
- 9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the discharging means includes pressurized means in communication with the internal passageway through the filter, and operative for abruptly forcing a carrier gas at supra-atmospheric pressure through the filter into the cavity in an opposite axial direction countercurrent to said one axial direction to abruptly expel the powder en masse and entrained by the carrier gas from the cavity during filling of each receptacle.
- 10. The apparatus as recited in claim 7; and further comprising means for adjusting the position of the filter within the passageway to control the volumetric capacity of the cavity, said adjusting means including an adjustable element located exteriorly of the measuring chamber and accessible to a user.
- 11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the discharging means is operative after a predetermined time period after operation of the charging means, and wherein said discharge valve remains in the closed valve position and said cavity remains substantially closed to the exterior ambient atmosphere to resist product contamination during said predetermined time period.
- 12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the discharge valve is a pinch valve having a flexible, resilient, tubular sleeve mounted in the passageway, and an actuating member operative for urging a wall portion of the sleeve across the passageway in the closed valve position, said wall portion supporting the mass of powder from below the same during charging of the cavity and during said predetermined time period.
- 13. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the inlet of the measuring chamber is in constantly open communication with the hopper.
- 14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13; and further comprising purge means for suddenly purging the cavity of residue powder within the cavity after operation of the discharging means, said purge means including means in communication with the internal passageway through the filter, and operative, when the discharge valve is in the closed valve position, for abruptly forcing a purge gas at an elevated pressure through the filter into the cavity to abruptly expel residue powder through the constantly-open inlet back into the hopper to resist powder loss during operation of the apparatus.
- 15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the elevated pressure of the purge gas is of a predetermined magnitude and exists for a predetermined time interval sufficient to agitate at least some of the powder in the hopper.
- 16. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the charging means and the discharging means each convey the powder mass along a flow path free of abrading parts which would tend to abrade the powder.
- 17. The apparatus as recited in claim 7; and further comprising dust collection means adjacent the outlet of the measuring chamber for collecting dust and other contaminants in the circumambient region of the outlet, and for conveying such collected dust and other contaminants away from each receptacle.
- 18. The apparatus as recited in claim 7; and further comprising an agitator mounted within the powder contained in the hopper but out of direct contact with the hopper itself, said agitator being operative for shaking the powder and maintaining the same in a flowable condition.
- 19. An apparatus for automatically filling receptacles with powder substantially free of contaminants, comprising:
- (a) a hopper for containing the powder;
- (b) an upright measuring chamber having an inlet in constantly open communication with the hopper, an outlet positioned above successive receptacles each in their respective turn, and an internal elongated passageway;
- (c) a porous filter mounted within, and extending across an upper region of, the passageway, and operative for resisting passage of powder through the filter;
- (d) a discharge valve mounted within the passageway and movable between open and closed valve positions in which the discharge valve respectively permits and obstructs communication between the passageway and the outlet,
- said valve extending across a lower region of the passageway in the closed valve position remote from the filter, and bounding with the filter an internal cavity;
- (e) charging means for suddenly conveying a mass of the powder from the hopper through the inlet and into the cavity when the valve is in the closed valve position, said cavity being substantially closed to the ambient environment exteriorly of the apparatus to resist powder contamination during charging of the cavity; and
- (f) discharging means for suddenly conveying the mass of the powder en masse from the cavity through the outlet and into each respectively positioned receptacle to fill each receptacle when the valve is in the open position, said cavity being substantially closed to the exterior ambient environment to resist powder contamination during filling of each receptacle.
- 20. A method of automatically filling receptacles with powder substantially free of contaminants, comprising the steps of:
- (a) containing the powder in a hopper;
- (b) constantly openly communicating an inlet of an upright measuring chamber with the hopper;
- (c) positioning an outlet of the chamber above successive receptacles each in their respective turn;
- (d) mounting a porous filter within, and extending across, an upper region of an internal elongated passageway provided in the chamber, said filter being operative for resisting passage of powder therethrough;
- (e) mounting a discharge valve within a lower region of the passageway;
- (f) moving the valve between open and closed positions in which the valve respectively permits and obstructs communication between the passageway and the outlet, said valve in the closed valve position extending across the lower region remote from the filter and bounding therewith an internal cavity;
- (g) suddently conveying a mass of the powder from the hopper through the inlet and into the cavity when the valve is in the closed valve position, said cavity being substantially closed to the ambient environment exteriorly of the apparatus to resist powder contamination during charging of the cavity; and
- (h) suddenly conveying the mass of the powder en masse from the cavity through the outlet and into each respectively positioned receptacle to fill each receptacle when the valve is in the open position, said cavity being substantially closed to the exterior ambient environment to resist powder contamination during filling of each receptacle.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 746,363, filed June 19, 1985 for "An Apparatus for Automatically Filling a Product Into a Receptical" (now abandoned) which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 537,266, filed Sept. 29, 1983 for "An Apparatus for Automatically Filling a Product Into a Receptical" (now abandoned).
US Referenced Citations (3)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
537266 |
Sep 1983 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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746363 |
Jun 1985 |
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