Successive Groups Or Non-sequential Filling Of A Receiver Series Patents (Class 141/178)
  • Patent number: 10472185
    Abstract: A beverage capsule machine for making single use capsules (1) for infusion beverages such as coffee, milk, chocolate, tea or combinations of these ingredients, comprises: a transport element (8) for transporting the components of the capsule (1) and being closed in a loop around movement means (9); the transport element (8) is configured to define a plurality of pockets (10) for receiving the components of the capsule (1) and which are positioned one after the other, in succession; a plurality of stations which are positioned along a path (P) followed by the transport element (8) and which are configured for operating continuously in phase with the same transport element (8) and comprising at least: a feed station (11) for feeding rigid containers (2) into respective pockets (10) of the transport element (8); a dosing station (12) for dosing the product into the rigid container (2); a closing station (13) for closing the rigid container (2) with a length of sheet (7); an outfeed station (14) for the capsule (
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: GIMA, S.P.A.
    Inventors: Dario Rea, Emanuele Rubbi, Pierluigi Castellari
  • Patent number: 9365306
    Abstract: A sterile packaging system for use in the manufacture and sale of combination medical product preferably one that is attachable to an injection system to co-deliver at least two medicaments is disclosed where a tray grid comprises sterile receptacles that are removably connected, sealable and configured for use in an automated drug filling and assembly line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: SANOFI-AVENTIS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Bernd Kühn, Werner Seiferlein
  • Publication number: 20140109526
    Abstract: A carboy has a rigid body forming an interior chamber for receiving a liquid. The chamber has a wall terminating at an opening and maintains a substantially constant shape at room temperature. The carboy also has a closure permanently secured to the opening for forming a sealed connection with the rigid body, and a plurality of tubes extending from the plurality of ports in the closure to fluidly connect with a carboy circuit. The closure has a plurality of ports for selectively providing access to the interior chamber, where at least one of the tubes extends out of the interior chamber. The at least one tube also extends inwardly from the closure and into the interior chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: ROUSH LIFE SCIENCES, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Taylor, Michael Price, George Jordan
  • Patent number: 7114535
    Abstract: Continuous circular motion filling machine is provided for filling containers. The machine includes a rotating platform having an in-feed section disposed to receive empty containers and an out-feed section disposed to transfer filled containers from the rotating platform. A filling turret is disposed generally above the rotating platform and is rotatable at a speed corresponding generally to that of the rotating platform. The turret includes a plurality of filling elements movable between a rest position and a filling position as the turret rotates. Radially extensible and retractable indexing arms are spaced around the platform. The arms are at a retracted position at the in-feed section and are subsequently extended as the rotating platform rotates so as to index the containers into groups on the rotating platform between respective indexing arms. Each group of containers is arranged in a desired pattern and spacing between adjacent arms corresponding to a pattern and spacing of the filling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Hartness International, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas P. Hartness, Mark W. Davidson
  • Patent number: 6837282
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling containers with viscous food product includes a plurality of pressure/vacuum fill head positioned above a plurality of containers. Each fill head includes a housing enclosing a plenum through which is longitudinally disposed a valve stem having in an outer cylindrical surface thereof a plurality of longitudinally disposed grooves terminated near a lower end of the stem by a cylindrical boss. The boss is biased into fluid pressure-tight sealing contact with a lower transverse end face of lower tubular portion of the housing by a helical compression spring which fits coaxially over a portion of the valve stem which protrudes upwardly from the housing, the spring being disposed between an upper transverse end wall of the housing, and the lower surface of a neck which protrudes radially outwardly from the upper end of the valve stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Inventor: Ramon Navarro
  • Patent number: 6722403
    Abstract: A bifurcated bracket carries two powder dispensing assemblies. Each assembly includes a powder reservoir and a rotatable screw received within a compliant silicone sleeve. The outer diameter of the screw is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve such that the screw blade maintains direct contact with the sleeve wall as the screw is rotated. The bracket is sequentially moved to align each assembly with containers in two arrays. Each array of containers is situated in a tray. The trays are manually positioned on independent scales which generate signals that are a function of the sensed weight of each array. To fill each container, the screw in the aligned assembly is rotated at a high rate for an initial period and then at a slower rate. The scales are operational only during the slower rate period. Assembly movement and screw rotation are computer controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
    Inventors: Peng Zhou, Edward Joseph Kuspiel, Waldemar Ruediger, Alexander Bertok, Carl J. Trpisovsky
  • Patent number: 6463968
    Abstract: The present invention is a system for filling a container main body at least whose drum body is made of a flexible film, with a viscous material. A viscous material is charged by the charging means into container main bodies conveyed by the container conveying means, the drum body of the container main body is pressed by the pressing means to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, and the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body is capped by the capping means, allowing the opening to be capped in an air-tight manner with a lid member while virtually all of the air inside the container main body is evacuated, and preventing air from being left over in the container main body so as to prevent hardening, curing and deterioration in the quality of the viscous material that can be caused by such remaining air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Sunstar Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiji Hattori, Masaaki Murase, Kiyoshi Nakayama, Osamu Yazaki
  • Patent number: 6286567
    Abstract: An apparatus for volumetric metering of small quantities of a product and dispensing them into containers (a) has a metering disk that revolves around a vertical axis and has metering chambers embodied as apertures disposed in groups on a pitch circle. To close the lower opening of the metering chambers, pushers with apertures are displaceably supported on the underside of the metering disk; in the filling position, they close the metering chambers, and in the evacuation position they open them. The pushers are pulled into the filling position by a spring and are pressed into the evacuation position by a controlled stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Runft
  • Patent number: 6276409
    Abstract: A container feed and in-line filler system comprises an organizer including a conveyor and guide rails and a stop for organizing containers to be filled with a flowable material into rows and files, and a filler rack carried above the organizer whereby empty containers being organized are filled before being transferred out of the organizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Biner-Ellison Package Manufacturing Company d/b/a Ellison Packaging Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Ellison
  • Patent number: 5522439
    Abstract: For filling containers with a liquid product, the product is fed from a storage container to a manifold to which volume containers of given volumetric capacity are connected, and from which the product is fed to the containers. The outlets of the volume containers are fitted with point valves and the containers and the valves are blown clean by means of a stream of inert gas, so as to eliminate subsequent dripping of product therefrom. Remaining product which is not introduced into the volume containers is displaced by means of a gas stream to a collecting container and from there back to the storage container. The filled containers are advanced in a conveyor in a manner in which the containers are gently accelerated in their movement to a container sealing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: AB IMIA Development
    Inventors: Ivan Hakansson, Lajos Petho
  • Patent number: 5377727
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring out and filling a particulate or granular material comprises an intermittently drivable container conveyor extending through a filling station for a plurality of containers as arranged in a feed direction to be fed to and stopped at the filling station at a time by the operation of the conveyor, a horizontal feed roller disposed at the filling station and extending across the path of transport by the conveyor thereabove, the feed roller being formed in its outer surface with measuring pockets spaced axially of the roller and equal in number to the number of containers stopped at the filling station, a particulate or granular material hopper disposed above the feed roller, and a filling chute disposed between the conveyor and the feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Shikoku Kakoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Ueda, Tetsuya Iuchi, Takao Miki, Hisanori Hamada
  • Patent number: 5353850
    Abstract: An apparatus for distributedly filling a particulate or granular material into containers has an intermittently driven container conveyor, and a continuously driven particulate or granular material conveyor extending across and positioned above the container conveyor. First chutes and second chutes are arranged between the container conveyor and material conveyor. The container conveyor comprises first holders and second holders arranged alternately in the direction of transport thereof and each adapted to hold containers C equal in number to the number of container transport paths, and is so driven as to feed one first holder to a first filling station and one second holder to a second filling station and stop the two fed holders at the respective stations at a time. A first particulate or granular material feeder and a second particulate or granular material feeder are arranged at opposite sides of the intersection of the two conveyors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Shikoku Kakoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Ueda, Tetsuya Iuchi, Takao Miki, Hisanori Hamada
  • Patent number: 5305808
    Abstract: A device for loading dough into cylindrical containers is disclosed. A first conveyor is provided which delivers a plurality of cylindrical containers to a receiving surface which is declining with respect to the horizontal. The containers are oriented such that a central cylindrical axis of each container is substantially parallel to the container receiving surface as the containers approach the container receiving surface. A second conveyor then delivers a cylindrical object to the receiving surface in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to path of the containers in the first conveyor as the objects approach the container receiving surf ace. The second conveyor aligns the cylindrical objects and causes the objects to be inserted into the cylindrical container. Means for positioning the container on the container receiving surface and for releasing the cylindrical containers after filling is also provided. A method of inserting cylindrical objects into cylindrical containers is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: The Pillsbury Company
    Inventors: Glen O. Rasmussen, James L. Schurz
  • Patent number: 5297597
    Abstract: A container filler indexing counter is provided for an automatic filling machine, which consists of a conveyor having a belt and guide rail for carrying a plurality of containers therealong. Two cylinders are spaced apart and adjustably mounted to the conveyor, in which the first cylinder is positioned as an incoming stop gate, while the second cylinder is positioned as an exit stop gate to form a filling area therebetween. Two fiber optic sensors are spaced apart and adjustably mounted to the guide rail of the conveyor, in which the first fiber optic sensor is positioned as a counter for the containers entering the filling area, while the second fiber optic sensor is positioned as a counter for the containers leaving the filling area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Inventor: Kenneth J. Herzog
  • Patent number: 5295523
    Abstract: Package or container product filling apparatus that can easily be disassembled for cleaning and reassembled comprises a hopper and manifold to supply a plurality of package dosing filling tubes in turn insertable in multiple packages simultaneously. The manifold supplies a plurality of flexible tubes leading to a plurality of bellows type reciprocable dosing pumps. The dosing pumps in turn supply product through flexible tubes to the filling tubes. Any parts through which product passes or contacts are simply connected requiring no tools for disassembly or assembly. The bellows chambers and check valves of the dosing pumps are constructed of inexpensive plastic and discarded when the apparatus is disassembled for cleaning because they are relatively difficult to clean with absolute assurance that no product remains to contaminate a subsequent different product. The remaining mechanical portions of the dosing pumps do not contact the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Inventor: Aliseo Gentile
  • Patent number: 5287897
    Abstract: A machine for dosing powdered pharmaceutical from a container in which the powdered pharmaceutical is present as a layer. An element is driven by a first drive to undergo horizontal translation between a first position for sampling powder in the container and a second position for release of the powder into a receiving seat. A device which supports a dosage unit is moved by the element and when the element is in the first position a second drive translates the device vertically in relation to the element so that the dosage unit penetrates into the powder and removes a measured amount thereof. A third drive operates the dosage unit to release the powder therefrom into the receiving seat when the element is in the second position. The first and second drives are independently operable to displace the dosage units respectively in horizontal and vertical directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: MG2 S.p.A.
    Inventor: Ernesto Gamberini
  • Patent number: 4877067
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling a particulate or granular material into containers which includes a container conveyor having an even number of container transport paths and a material conveyor having an endless path of transport of the material including a forward path portion and a return path portion with the path portions extending across the container transport paths and being positioned thereabove. The container transport paths are divided into a first group of the even-numbered paths as arranged from one side of the container conveyor and a second group of the other odd-numbered paths. At the intersection of the two conveyors, the material is distributedly placed into containers in the two groups of paths separately from the forward path portion and the return path portion of the material transport path, whereby a sufficient period of time is made available for filling the material into the containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: Shikoku Kakoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Shimokawa, Hisanori Hamada
  • Patent number: 4804024
    Abstract: In the fill apparatus, a container feed belt with a lifting frame at the entry end includes container supporting and centering pulleys for displacing the empty container in the horizontal direction by means of alignment pulleys engaging the container rim in order to rotate the container about its longitudinal axis. A first work station arranged above the container includes a rotary disk rotatable about a vertical axis with circumferentially arranged devices participating in the rotary movement of the rotary disk for unscrewing the screw plugs closing the container fill opening, measuring the moisture content and seeking the container's bunghole. A second work station following the first work station includes a filling device. A third work station having a filling device and a following third work station includes devices for screwing the screw plugs on to the container openings and for mounting safety caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Inventor: Gerhard Arnemann
  • Patent number: 4193430
    Abstract: A system for filling generally cylindrical barbell weight shells with a relatively viscous slurry of cementitious material comprises a roller conveyor which transports a plurality of carriers each supporting a plurality of barbell weight shells thereon through a plurality of stations. At a lubricating station, the exterior of the shells is coated with a light film of oil to facilitate subsequent cleaning thereof. At a filling station, a dispensing hopper having a plurality of downwardly projecting nozzles dispenses the cementitious slurry into the shells. Each of the carriers is positioned beneath the hopper, the shells thereon are aligned with the nozzles, and a lift table lifts the shells off of the roller conveyor into engagement with the nozzles. Vibratory and agitator devices induce the flow of the slurry from the hopper into the shells under the influence of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1980
    Assignee: Diversified Products Corporation
    Inventors: Forrest H. James, Jr., Ira J. Silberman
  • Patent number: 4182387
    Abstract: A filling machine for filling several containers with predetermined amounts of a product in which the several filling units are actuated by a common driving member; the common driving member itself is actuated by two eccentric drive mechanisms each including a volume-changing adjusting mechanism of the lead screw type; the eccentric drive mechanisms are adapted to be stopped in a predetermined position by a volume-changing stoppage device to enable the installation of an interconnecting member between the two volume-changing adjusting mechanisms to assure identical adjustments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1980
    Assignee: National Instrument Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence W. Buckley, Richard N. Bennett