Abstract: A sealing system for use in a liquid/flowable product filling apparatus which comprises a hopper for holding the product, one or more filling assemblies, each of which includes a nozzle, a cylinder, a valve for selectively passing product from the hopper to the cylinder and from the cylinder to the nozzle, a piston selectively moveable in the cylinder to draw product from the hopper through the valve into the cylinder or to push product from the cylinder into the valve and out of the nozzle, and a plunger selectively moveable in the valve to prevent the flow of product from the hopper into the valve or prevent the flow of product from the valve and out of the nozzle. The sealing system includes an annular piston seal circumscribing the piston to press against the cylinder walls to provide a seal therebetween. The valve includes an annular wall section through which the plunger moves, and an annular recess formed in the wall section.

Abstract: A particulate product conveying apparatus includes a first endless belt, a portion of which moves in a generally horizontal direction, and second and third endless belts disposed at horizontally spaced-apart locations on either side of the first belt where it moves horizontally, in a generally facing relationship to extend in parallel with the first belt. The positioning of the first, second and third belt forms a moving trough or channel, having a moving bottom wall and moving side walls, to receive particulate product in the trough or channel and to carry it towards a destination. A motor or motors drive the first, second and third belts in the same direction and at substantially the same speed towards the destination to thereby efficiently deliver particulate product from a source to a destination.

Abstract: An improved machine for filling solid food products into containers. The machine includes a feed hopper, a feed tube, a dosing assembly and a container filling station. The improvement of the present invention involves a dosing assembly which includes a plurality of needle-like elements adapted to advance cross-wise into the feed tube to temporarily halt the movement of food products, and then retract from the feed tube to allow continued movement of the food products.

Abstract: A feed mechanism for feeding a food product to a volumetric gauging device of a gauging and canning machine comprises a feed hopper having a first feed screw adjacent the hopper outlet and a second feed screw located above the first feed screws and arranged to scrape the walls of the hopper. The two feed screws are rotated in opposite senses.