Patents Assigned to H & K, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5398485
    Abstract: A bottle support construction for a capping machine comprising a rotatable table having a series of circumferentially spaced openings. A plurality of bottles are conveyed onto the table with each bottle being positioned in registry with an opening. The bottles, preferably composed of plastic, have a cavity in their lower surfaces with each cavity containing one or more radial groves. A chuck is mounted for vertical movement within each opening in the table from a lower non-chucking position to an upper chucking position where the chuck engages the cavity in the bottle. The chuck is provided with one or more radial ribs which engage the grooves in the cavity of the bottle to lock the bottle against rotation while a cap is threaded on the neck of the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: H & K Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Osifchin
  • Patent number: 5119853
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling cans with a liquid such as beer or soft drinks. The filling machine includes a turntable having a surface to support a plurality of open top cans and a reservoir containing a liquid is spaced above the supporting surface. A plurality of filling heads are mounted on the reservoir and serve to dispense the liquid into the individual cans. Each filling head includes a spring loaded cylindrical tulip adapted to seal against the upper edge of the can and a vent tube and fill tube are disposed concentrically within the tulip. The lower end of the vent tube communicates with the can while the upper end is sealed against the surface of the reservoir and when the sealing engagement is released the vent tube communicates with the headspace of the reservoir. The lower end of the fill tube carries a valve that controls flow of liquid from the reservoir into the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: H&K Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich H. Petri, Friedrich Rademacher, Siegmar Sindermann
  • Patent number: 5042536
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling cans with a liquid such as beer or soft drinks. The filling machine includes a turntable having a surface to support a plurality of open top cans and a reservoir containing a liquid is spaced above the supporting surface. A plurality of filling heads are mounted on the reservoir and serve to dispense the liquid into the individual cans. Each filling head includes a spring loaded cylindrical tulip adapted to seal against the upper edge of the can and a vent tube and fill tube are disposed concentrically within the tulip. The lower end of the vent tube communicates with the can while the upper end is sealed against the surface of the reservoir and when the sealing engagement is released the vent tube communicates with the headspace of the reservoir. The lower end of the fill tube carries a valve that controls flow of liquid from the reservoir into the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: H & K Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich H. Petri, Friedrich Rademacher, Siegmar Sindermann
  • Patent number: 5040574
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling cans with a liquid such as beer or soft drinks. The filling machine includes a turntable having a surface to support a plurality of open top cans and a reservoir containing a liquid is spaced above the supporting surface. A plurality of filling heads are mounted on the reservoir and serve to dispense the liquid into the individual cans. Each filling head includes a spring loaded cylindrical tulip adapted to seal against the upper edge of the can and a vent tube and fill tube are disposed concentrically within the tulip. The lower end of the vent tube communicates with the can while the upper end is sealed against the surface of the reservoir and when the sealing engagement is released the vent tube communicates with the headspace of the reservoir. The lower end of the fill tube carries a valve that controls flow of liquid from the reservoir into the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: H & K Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich H. Petri, Friedrich Rademacher, Siegmar Sindermann
  • Patent number: 4938261
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling cans with a liquid such as beer or soft drinks. The filling machine includes a turntable having a surface to support a plurality of open top cans and a reservoir containing a liquid is spaced above the supporting surface. A plurality of filling heads are mounted on the reservoir and serve to dispense the liquid into the individual cans. Each filling head includes a spring loaded cylindrical tulip adapted to seal against the upper edge of the can and a vent tube and fill tube are disposed concentrically within the tulip. The lower end of the vent tube communicates with the can while the upper end is sealed against the surface of the reservoir and when the sealing engagement is released the vent tube communicates with the headspace of the reservoir. The lower end of the fill tube carries a valve that controls flow of liquid from the reservoir into the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: H & K Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich H. Petri, Friedrich Rademacher, Siegmar Sindermann
  • Patent number: 4109446
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling and closing containers, such as bottles. The apparatus includes a rotary filling machine for moving each bottle in a circular path of travel and filling the bottle with liquid. The bottles are crowned by a rotating crowner which is located adjacent the filling machine and the crowner moves each bottle in a circular path of travel and applies the crown to the filled bottle to close the bottle. An endless chain transfer conveyor having a plurality of pockets to receive the bottle serves to transfer the bottles from the filling machine to the crowner and from the crowner to a discharge conveyor. The chain is driven by a sprocket mounted on the crowner and the chain moves tangentially to the circular path of travel of the filling machine, so that the bottles are transferred from the filling machine to the pockets on the chain conveyor. After crowning, the bottles are transferred from the pockets in the chain to the discharge conveyor by a stripper member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1978
    Assignee: H & K, Inc.
    Inventors: Hans G. Krohn, Friedrich Rademacher, Ulrich Petri, Hans D. Deubel