subject: Integrated Filling Machine [print this page] As a result of incorporating two entry pieces 6 and 7 in place of the one chute cam 86, and placing a plurality of feeder pins 9 and 10 in locations around the feed wheel 4 in place of the single arm 122 associated with the main container conveying style wheel 28 of the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,672, there is more time available for operating the valves in the reservoir. Therefore, reliability of the filling machine is greater while operating at the maximum rate at which this prior art machine was capable, and in addition, the operating rate or capacity of the present machine can be increased beyond that of which this prior art machine is capable.
An integrated filling and pasteurizing apparatus comprising a filling machine and a pasteurizing machine. The pasteurizing machine having a balance tank for temporary storage of the product to be pasteurized, and a pasteurizing station coupled to receive the product from the balance tank and to deliver the pasteurized product to the filling machine. The filling machine includes a hopper coupled to receive pasteurized product from the pasteurizing station, a container-filling station connected to the output of the hopper, and drive mechanisms for sequentially delivering containers to be filled to the filling station and for sequentially moving filled containers from the filling station to a container-closure station. Control mechanisms provide controlled operation of the drive mechanisms permitting synchronous operation of the pasteurizing machine and of the filling machine and include liquid level sensor devices assoicated with the hopper of the filling machine for governing the indexing rate of the drive mechanisms.
According to the present invention there is provided an integrated filling and pasteurising apparatus comprising a filling machine and a pasteurising machine, said pasteurising machine having a balance tank for temporary storage of product to be pasteurised, a pasteurising station coupled to receive product from the balance tank and to deliver pasteurised product to the filling machine, said filling machine comprising a hopper coupled to receive pasteurised product from said pasteurising station, a container- filling station coupled to the output of the hopper, drive means for sequentially delivering containers to be filled to the filling station and for sequentially moving filled containers from the filling station to a container-closure station, wherein control means are provided for controlling operation of said drive means to provide synchronous operation of said pasteurising machine and of said filling machine.
