Container filling system
This invention relates generally to a handling system for fluids, and more particularly it pertains to apparatus for filling containers on a continuously moving conveyer. 
     One object of this invention is to provide a simplified apparatus for synchronizing the filling stroke of a reciprocating pump with the positioning of fluid receptacle upon a conveyer belt. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a no-bottle no-fill arrangement to prevent spillage of fluid in automatic bottling machines. 
     To provide a rapid acting automatic bottle filling machine which utilizes the return stroke time of a filling pump to eject filled bottles and position empty bottles for filling, is still another object of this invention. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a compressed air assisted arrangement for holding and advancing containers on a continuously moving conveyer belt of a filling machine. 
    
    
     Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic bottle filling machine embodying features of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cut away front elevation of a pump for the arrangement shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an electrical circuit for controlling the movement of bottles upon a conveyer by the cycling of the pump. 
    
    
     This machine uses a calibrated position fluid dispensing pump which is described in detail in my U.S. Letters Pat. No. 2,807,213 entitled &#34;Filling Machine&#34; which issued Sept. 24, 1957. 
     This filling machine or pump is designated by reference number 10 in the present drawings. A motor 12 is used to drive a pair of predetermined capacity reciprocating pump cylinders 14 by means of a shaft 16 and adjustable stroke cranks 18. 
     During one half revolution of the shaft 16, the cylinders 14 are caused to suck a measured charge of fluid from a supply tank (not shown). During the other half revolution of the shaft 16, each measured charge is ejected through a nozzle 20, with suitable valving being provided to prevent backward flow. 
     Bottles 22 positioned upon a conveyer belt 24 are held in position under these nozzles 20 during the ejection of fluid therefrom and are replaced by empty bottles during the recharging stroke of the cylinders 14. 
     The conveyer belt 24 moves continuously in the direction shown by the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 3, delivering bottles 22 from the left or upstream side to the right or downstream side. 
     As best shown in plan view in FIG. 3, the bottles 22 are arranged to be held stationary against the movement of conveyer belt 24 by means of pointed separation bars 26 and 28. The bar 26 will be referred to as the upstream bar and bar 28 as the downstream bar. 
     The space between the bars 26 and 28 is the filling area directly below the filler nozzles 20 and designated by the bracket A-B. 
     The bars 26 and 28 are moved out of the path of the bottles 22 by means of electrically controlled air cylinders or actuators 30 and 32, respectively. The bottles 22 are confined in a single linear path upon the conveyer belt 24 by a spaced pair of rails 34 so as to resist any sideward displacement and to pass accurately under the nozzles 20. 
     A pair of cams 36 and 38 are mounted upon the shaft 16 of the motor 12 which drives the pump cylinders and these cams 36 and 38 are positioned to engage the actuators of a pair of microswitches 40 and 42, respectively. Microswitch 40 is wired to a valving solenoid 44 of a bar actuating cylinder 30, while the microswitch 42 is connected to a valving solenoid 46 of the other bar actuating cylinder 32. 
     At a distance of several widths of the bottles 22 upstream from the filling area A-B, a microswitch 48 is mounted having an elongated sensing finger 50 arranged to be normally in the path of the bottles. This microswitch 48 is wired to the pump motor 12 and controls the application of power thereto. 
     Let there be assumed there is a full complement of empty bottles 22 in place and that they are halted against the extended stop 28 as shown in FIG. 3; and the motor 12 is running and that the cams 36 and 38 are turning in the direction of the curved arrows. The cranks 16, then, are beginning an upstroke and the pumps start to eject their measured charge of fluid through the nozzle 20 into the bottles 22 thereunder in area A-B. 
     The air cylinder or actuator 30 is attached to the air pressure source P in a normally open valve manner and the air cylinder or actuator 32 in a normally closed valve manner, the upstream bar 28 is extended as shown. 
     Midway of this ejecting stroke of the pump, cam 36 closed microswitch 40 which causes bar 26 to spring extend in readiness to hold back all bottles upstream of area A-B. At the end of the eject stroke of the pump, cam 38 closes microswitch 42. This causes downstream bar 28 to power retract from the path of the bottles 22. The upstream bar 26 continues to interpose, however, and so only the two filled bottles 32 in area A-B are allowed to be carried off by the moving belt 24. 
     The pump cylinders 14 are now sucking a charge of fluid. Midway of this charging stroke, the cams 36 and 38 both open their respective microswitches 40 and 42. The upstream bar 26 power retracts, and the downstream bar 28 spring-extends allowing the area A-B to refill with a pair of empty bottles 22. The cycle is now complete and repeats as related. 
     After the completion of an eject stroke of the pump should there be no complement of empty bottles on the belt 24 the pump motor 12 is stopped as the last bottle 22 moves beyond the finger 50 of microswitch 48. Thus, no fluid spillage is caused by nozzles 20 possibly dispensing into an empty area A-B. 
     If square bottles are to be filled the upstream bar 26 may be modified to be a right angle rubber shoe instead of a pointed structure to frictionally engage the first upstream bottle 22 against the opposite guide rail 34. This is to avoid the difficulty of interposing a pointed configuration between such adjacent bottles. 
     Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.