Filling machine for containers

Claim 2

A container filling machine of the type adapted for combined gravity-vacuum filling and for vacuum filling as desired, which includes a rotary filler table for supporting the containers during filling, a series of radially disposed filling nozzles mounted above said table for movement relatively between raised, inoperative positions to the containers and lowered, engaged positions thereto, a supply manifold mounted in the center of the table and divided internally into a liquid chamber and a separate vacuum chamber, a liquid supply tank connected to the liquid chamber of said manifold to supply liquid thereto and supported for elevationally adjustable movement relatively from and between a raised position to the filling nozzles when in lowered, engaged positions to the containers for vacuum-gravity filling of the containers and a lowered position to the nozzles when in lowered positions to the containers for vacuum filling of the containers, a source of vacuum connected with the vacuum chamber of said manifold, a set of flexible supply conduits for each of the filling nozzles with a first conduit of each set being connected between the nozzle and the liquid chamber and the second conduit of each set being connected between the nozzle and the vacuum chamber, said filling nozzles each including a carrier mechanism and a separate filling head detachably mounted thereto, there being a first series of hEads of open type construction for vacuum filling of the containers and an interchangeable, second series of heads of normally closed construction for gravityvacuum filling of the containers.

Claim 3

The construction of claim 1 wherein the first and second series of filling heads include an identical casing member and are appended in both instances to the carrier mechanisms through such casing member whereby in switching from gravity-vacuum filling to vacuum filling the casing may remain in place on the carrier mechanism.

Claim 4

The construction of claim 2 wherein said casing member has one of the flexible supply conduits of each of the separate sets thereof attached thereto.

Claim 5

The construction of claim 3 wherein the flexible supply conduit which is attached to the casing member leads from the liquid chamber of the supply manifold and wherein the closed-type filling head includes, as a single assembly, an inner tube adapted to be connected axially to the lower end of the casing member to define an inner passage in the nozzle for liquid flow into the containers and an outer tube supported coaxially on said inner tube by a cylindrical valve member which is adapted to be attached to the flexible supply conduit leading from the vacuum chamber of the manifold to define an outer passage in the nozzle for air flow from the containers, and wherein the open-type filling head comprises, as a single assembly which is interchangeable with that of the closed-type filling head, a cylindrical valve body adapted to be attached to the casing member and having a fitting thereon adapted to be attached to the flexible supply conduit which leads from the vacuum chamber of the supply manifold, said valve body having a valve core which is provided with a center blind recess ported radially to said fitting and a series of axially extending passageways around the recess for communicating the ends of the valve body with one another through the valve core, an inner tube attached axially within the recess of said valve core and extending axially from the lower end of said valve body to define an inner passage in the nozzle for air flow from the containers, and an outer tube attached axially to the lower end of said valve body and extending axially therefrom in surrounding relation with the inner tube to define an outer passage in the nozzle for liquid flow to the containers.