US2329304A - Method and apparatus for packaging beverages - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 14, 1943. R. .J. STEWART METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BEVERAGEE Filed Dec. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 14, 1943.

R. J. STEWART 2,329,304

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BEVERAGES Filed Dec. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 4 7 63 A II IL 4% W 5/ 2 b; Ba5e;%d .'iezwarif.

the tapping mechanism 2|;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a tapping mechanism.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6 -5 of Figure 5, and I Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 1, the fillingrnachine there illustrated is offwellgknowntypeoomprislng a stationary table It having its inner edge I l of arcuate form and a rotating filling table I! hav 12,329,304 1 I v v H surrounds the upper portion of sleeve 21, this portion of the sleeve preferably beingvreduced in diameter. The upper end of spring 3| is secured to the clamp 28 and the lower end is secured'to the sleeve 21. The sleeve'21 includes a radially projecting portion 33 which is split as shown to re'ceive atapping arm 32, Due to o the splitxformation of the;projecting portion of ing its forward periphery'positioned closely ad in the usual manner.

jacent the arcuate edge I I of the stationarytable The filling table lllis: provided adjacent its periphery with a'pluralityi of bottle supporting platforms l3, each having s V I a filling head l4 above the same. The stationary v table includes a means to position bottles upon the bottle supporting platforms 13 of the filling tableduring the rotation of the latterand w also includes a transfer dial l5 which removes the bottlefrom each platform l3 and transfers it. across the, upper surface 1 0a of the, stationary table tothe capping mechanism: l6'. 'Fromgthe capping mechanism the bottle moves to the usual straight'line conveyor, I1 which, conducts; the p bottle fromthemachinag' The stationary table hasua guide pl'ate flfl superimposed thereon, the edges .'Of the; guide -plate adjacent the; transfer dial :I.5 'an'drithe crowning mechanism-IGzJbeing of arcuateiout line so' as to guide containers. i'moving. insthe pocketed dials of these mechanisms: As is "usual,

a skirt [9 depends from such edge's'of .thewguide 7 plate toward the surface Illa of the stationary table; The guide plate -I 8 includes a portion projecting outwardly over the bottle supporting platforms and beneath theoutwardly projecting container engaging arms providedon 1 these platforms as disclosed: in the divisional application I of Robert J'. Stewart'an'd Wiltie tIJGladfelten Serial No. 128,300, filed February 27, 1937, for

Fillin machine. 1 r r .7 a t The'fillingvmachine illustrated in Figure .1 is provided with1twotapping mechanisms and jacent the transfer dial 15 so that it will: my a container after the latter hasbeerr placed upon the stationary table l0 and is engaged by the transfer'dial. As will be subsequently ieitplained',

- in a' filling machine of the type disclosed, eac h container is bodily" rotated SubstantiallylSQ "dey grees during its movement from the filling tab1e totthestationary' table and the two tapping mechanismsare so: located with respect to each other that the second tapping mechanismj-38'will tap the "container at a point circurn'ferentiall'y "spaced from the pointat whichjit was rapp d I The tapping"*mechanism" 2| isf preferably mounted atthe inner' enact a valve trip supporting arm andas shownfin'Figures 5ifand 6 tier 26 formed thereon at a point'spacedfrom its upper end and a'slee've 21 is rotatably' mounted upon rod 24 above the shoulder, preferablywith an anti-friction element positioned -between the lower end of the sleeve and the shoulder." Above.

' the upper endof the sleeve a clamp 28 is secured to the-arm, the clamp being of split-form'ar d including a bolt 29 so thatits position circunir i ferentia-llylof the rod 24 may be adjusted. A nut 30 bears upon the clamp 28. A coil spring 3| The tapping mechanism '38 is mount'edad comprises a hol-lowfbase portion" '23 having a". verticalrod 24; clampedlthereinby afbolt 25 so -thatthe7rod maybevertically adjusted with respect torthe base portion. Therod has a shoulthe followingbottlea ,r' it v ;;As shown in:,Figures 1,12 and:4, the"tapping" :mechanism 38 includes'a bracket or base por ftion 40 securedto the upper'slsurfaceiof the guide plate l8 onjthestationaryfitable* l fand which has a hOLlSingfll'GXtGi'ldliIg thGIOIIOmt -tion of the post hasca'sleeven rotatalily mount- --ed-thereon and a coil spring surrounds the f upper "and reduced portion'of the sleevewith and the lower and :49 of.tlie post. 5 fThe tapping armi5l"extendsothrougha slot 58" in a clockwise direction so the sleeve; the position of the tapping arm 32 position byabolt, as'shown. v

It will, be observed from Figure therein may beadjustedand held in'adjusted' the filling table I2 so that as a bottle or other g container B comes into contact with the tapping arm 32 it will swing the latterin a counterclockwise direction against the action of the coil spring 3|. After that bottle has moved past the endof'the arm 32; the latter will move backwardly v to impartatap jtoythexsuccee'ding bottle and: 1 i the latter, in turn 'willjswing'the. arm 32 siniia readiness 't' ta-p counter-clockwise direction "in including .a downwardly facing recess' 4'2 'pro- .videdcwith tan aperturein which a downwa'r'dlv -extendingpostj tf.iszmounted,"post44 bein'g' .curedagainstrotationiinthezapertureby niea s Of a nut '45, engaging its upper and threaded end. a :The ipqst. M issslightly' enlarged-in diameter as at 46 immediately below 'the -lower sur-p faceof the recessed portion and-carries ajworm v wheel 4'! which is separated by ai washerflla from the shoulder 'at the uppervend of-the larger.

and lower portion of the posti The lower porits upper end secured to the "worm wheelll in the dependihg'skirt 19 of the "guide'lplate* l8 and the tension exerted 'uponthe springywill nor- -ma-lly urge the tapping. arm in a couhter cl dck' wise direction so that'dt'wlllcontact?withthe .end 5901 slot 58 nearest therotary filling "table-I I2.TWhen a container B contacts'with' the tapfr be swung backwardly j ping'arm 5| the latter will i that' its end win-fie substantially flush with the skirt l9 and, when the container-hasm'oved clearbf the-end"of. V

the tapping'arm the latter will swin acliw ard lyIfunder: the force orthe spring-tann n "the vfollowingcontainer." 7

Due, to the fact th'atthe nuing tabl rot t ing with respect to the stationary table; each container will be rotated substantially "defgrees during its transfer from position B? o'n 'a bottle supporting platform] to position 3 on the stationary tablepsu ch rotation of course being due to the fact thatone portion of: the base 7 of the container will contact with the stationary 'table while the remaining portion is still bear 1 that the tapping arm 32 will normally be in a' position extending substantially radially with respect to Zi niihe be eeser e ti r -t i v e n-.m ong th r su m t" a e- N nc 11 l ear meve trtheim t atsw the m a m .1str kat ee nt n aWi emme eebeb etiel ywh r ardam; the: fl ainenx JT PSP r QW -WfW- harem; at t -ei e ram n a m r e tetheqcm ai ew b we ame c us idioxiiifl q 4 that r asea W n. w ab h ra pin a m strike the container from a point directly insid c nt. point n t o 'nlh womai 2 diber ed- -mm heebwe a e to; es lti n to exactly the; de ired, exte t; B au of fthis each container fjwilkreceiverflw tap- ;ping efiect; regard-less of'whether the 1, thickness ofthe wall may vary.

:handlzing, glasszlcontainers or other ontainers which may vary in thickness, thetwo adm nist n ioemwan tapping to eliminate a sharpblowgi'aicourse,

concurrently obtained with containers uhaving theirswall's non-uniform.

prdinari-ly, gthe; tapper '2 I- will" be: maintained .jset; toastrilre aflxe'd blow :and the rapper Qt-will tapping devices 2| and 38 will be set to impart the propertotal blow or vibration to acontainer of minimum thickness at diametrically opposite points. one of these points or is of'proper, diameter at both points, the total tappingefiect will be sufficientto cause' foam to rise to apoint very slightly above the mouthjofthe container. A container which is thin at .both points would Therefore, if the container is thick at theoretically receive a slightly morefo'rcible tapping than is desired but such a glass container does not occur. That is, each glass container includes. a fixed amount of" glass distributed throughout its sidewalls and since the amount of glass is constant, the walls of the container will never be thinthroughout its entire diam-' eter but-will either be' of average .thi-ckness throughout the' circumference or thicker at one pointthan at another. As 'a'result, and as stated above, by tapping the container at preferably diametrically spaced points the total tapping force will be proper if the two tapping devices are each set to strike the proper blow needed to properly agitate a container which is throughoutits diameter. 1 g

In order that the tapping device 38 which is a spaced inwardly from the front edge of the machine may be conveniently adjusted, a worm gear .53 is journaled in the housing 44 so that it will mesh with the worm wheel '41, the forward end of the shaft 54 of theworm gear being connected by a universal joint 55 to-a rod 56 extending to the front-edge of the machine and thin supported in brackets upon the upper surface of the guideplate I8. The rod 56 is provided with a handle 51 at its forward end so'that it maybe rotated to adjust the position of the worm wheel 53'and thereby adjust the tension upon; the coil spring 50. a the housing and the adjusting shaft can be mounted at'the desired angle upon filling machines of various types and sizes so that the Due to the universal connection;

tapping arm will always be properly positioned with respect to various containers and the operating handle 51 will be at a convenient angle with respect to the machine. The tapping mechanism 2|, being immediately adjacent the side of the machine, can be convenientlyadjusted by adjusting the bracket28. I g I The multiple tapping is also particularly efiicient' with containersof position" of the; clamping;

Q Qthe present invention such type as to have their wtrlls-ofuniform thick; ness throughout their diameter, ,Ias is the case with metalcontainers.

When operating [upon 3 i such containers the two arms'would have the tension of their springs adjusted so as to administer beam-lasted asmdesired forwa' particularrung-of i bottles orbs-averages". gThe construction lotftapper' 48m permit: to befinelyaadjustable:overa wide Y range, as well as the accessibility of its operating w handle enables it to be readily adjusted to cooperate with tapper' 2| to give exactlythe desired total tapping efiect.

It willbe understood that, instead of the tap:

pers disclosed herein and by means of which an advance bottleactuates the tapper so'that a succeeding bottlewill be struck, the present mechay nism may be constructed with tapping armsof the type shown in the Fisher patent, wherein the same bottle which actuates the; tapper receives" the tapping blow.

The terminology employed in the specification I is for the purpose of description and not of limir i, invention being deiined tation, the scope of the in the claims.

I claim:

1. The method of packaging. beverages containing carbon dioxide which comprises partially filling a container with the beverage in mamas. phere' containing air whereby the space in the; container above the beverage will contain am,

vibrating a pluralityoi substantially diametri cally opposed portions of the container 'tolcause a portion of thecarbon dioxide to be liberated and thereby displace at least a part of the air in the container above the liquid,andthen sealing the container. r I

2. Incombination, means to partially fill a container with a beverage containing carbon di-.

oxide and in an atmosphere containing air whereby the space above the beverage will contain air,

closure-applying means, means for moving the container from said filling meansto said closure applying means, and means for vibrating the container at two substantially diametrically: opposed portions thereof during such movement'to cause a portion of the carbon dioxide to be'liberated and thereby displace at least apart of the airin the container above the liquid. I

3. In combination; closure applying" means, means topartially fill a containerwith a beve erage containing carbon dioxideand'in an atmos-' phere containing air whereby, the space above the beverage will contain air and for moving the container to said closure applying means while bodily rotating the container about, its vertical axis, and a pair of means for vibrating the container during, such travel;'said vibratingv meansi being positioned at such pointsin'the linear path of travel of the container as to contact-with'two circumferentially spaced portions of the container to cause a portion of the carbon dioxide'to bealiberated and-therebydisplace at "leasta part of ,the air-in the container above the beverage.

4. In combination, means to partially fill a con-1 tainer with a beverage containing carbon dioxide .andin an atmosphere containing air whereby the at least a part '5. In a fillingmachine; the combinationofa rotating fillingtable, a stationary table, means to move containers from thefilling 7 table and 7 across the stationary table a guide member par-' tially encircling said last-named means, said plateincluding a depending skirt extending along- I side the path of the containers, said-skirt having containers. I 6. In' combination, means to partially fill a to extend through said slot into' the pathof the container with a beverage containing] carbon dl-,

" oxide and in an atmosphere 'containingair' where-- by thespace above the beverage will ontain alr, "means to rotate theeontalnereon-itsvertleal axis,

and means to impart vibrations to two substantially diametrically opposed-points {of the con- -tainer during suchrotatmn to cause a portion of the carbon dioxide to liberated and thereby displace at least af 'par't of the air in the container above the beverage, andmeans to seal the container.

OBERT J. S EWART,

a longitudinally extending slot therein; and a spring tensioned .tapplng arm pivotally'mounted

Images