DE29512257U1 - Cup filler for food and beverages, in particular for thin to pasteuse dairy and fat products - Google Patents

Description

Patent attorneys .··..:'.: : .' .·..:·". Telephone (0202)557040

rCllUUlWclllC ^ ^. .^. , ..·...· Fax (0202)593708

Dipl.-ing. Harald Ostriga* ^Telex

Dipl.-Ing. Bernd Sonnet*
Dipl.-Ing. Jochen-Peter Wirths

¹ Stresemannstr. 6-8

* Registered at the European Patent Office ₄₂₂ 75 Wuppertal-Barmen

Ostrijju, Sonnet & Wirlhs ■ PO Box 20 Ifi 53 · D-42216 Wuppertal

0/os/gr

Applicant:

HAMBA Machine Factory

Hans A. Müller GmbH & Co KG

Werther Hof 8 422 7 5 Wuppertal

Designation

the invention:

Cup filling machine for food and beverages, especially for thin to pasty dairy and fat products

The invention relates to a cup filling machine for food and beverages, in particular for thin to pasty dairy and fat products or the like, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such cup filling machines are well known. A cup filling machine of this type is described, with the exception of the cup lifting device, in DE 37 16 095 Cl, for example. Cup filling machines of this type have a rotating conveyor that carries cell boards equipped with cup holders. Each cup holder represents a recess adapted to the contour of the cup, e.g. circular. The cups to be treated hang in these recesses and are supported by their cup flange on the top of the cell board.

····· ......
• · · ... . . ; · VAT ID No. Post-fermentation arm • * c'i'i- and ^lksbjnk cCimbH . * Coinjncrijiaiik AG VAT-Nu, Eat **·* Wuppcr&r-BarmeTi ^Tifypcrtfl- Barmen EN I2HI68676 (Bank code 360 100 43)445 04-431 IRI.Z 330 600 98)301 891024 (Bank code 330 40t) 011 4 034 823

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. Müiaferf Gritotf S.to !&Kgr;&Ogr;♦··

If a work station is arranged at a fixed height, the cup may need to be raised into the working level. This is usually done in such a way that lifting plates with uniform movement and their plate flanges reach under a row of cups with a lifting beam and lift the cups up into the working level. So, for example, as soon as a row of cups is below the filling nozzle of a product dosing station, the lifting plates with uniform movement and vertical movement with the lifting beam reach under a row of cups and lift them up so far that the respective filling nozzle protrudes into the cup from above. While the filling process is still in progress, the cup lowering movement can already be initiated and the cup filling can be stopped as soon as the respective cup has been lowered sufficiently far from the filling nozzle.

The invention is based on the object of improving the previously used cup lifting devices of cup filling machines so that the cups are arranged particularly securely on the raised lifting plates.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that each lifting plate is assigned two clamping jaws that are opposite one another, arranged on both sides of the vertical movement axis of the lifting plate, and that can be moved up and down together with the lifting plate, which, with their clamping surfaces facing the outer surface of the cup, can be moved in a uniform manner, i.e. synchronously, in the closing direction onto the cup and can be moved away from it in the direction of the open position, and which, in the open position, delimit a cup passageway that extends in the conveying direction.

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. M*ül»l^r| Qx^b^ &xgr;* Cp ·&Kgr;&iacgr;! »*'.

When using cup lifting devices according to the invention

The work stations can act on the raised cups with practically any torque without the latter being able to be moved out of their predetermined working position.

The invention is particularly useful in connection with rotary dispensers which have several filling nozzles that rotate around a common axis of rotation on a circular path. Such a rotary dispenser can optionally be provided with two filling nozzles, one of which dispenses chocolate pudding and the other vanilla pudding, for example. In the case of clear, transparent cups, glass or plastic cups, such a pudding consisting of several components is presented in an appealing manner as a product that is layered in a spiral shape. In connection with rotary dispensers, the clamping jaws according to the invention form a rotary abutment, thus preventing the cup from rotating unintentionally while it is being filled in a spiral shape.

In detail, the cup filling system according to the invention e.g. in connection with rotary dosing machines works as follows:

The individual cups are inserted from the cup feed station into the cup holders of a cell board so that the cups hang in the cup holders and are supported by the bottom surfaces of their cup flanges on top of the cell board. Such a cell board contains, for example, a row of cups with ten holders or two rows of cups with five holders each, the latter in the case of a double-step machine.

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. Müllfe": GnkHi &.fco iKÖ *··

While the cell board, which is still filled with empty cups, is moved further under the rotary dosing station containing several rotary dosing units, the upper support surfaces of the plate flanges of the lifting plates are at a relatively small height distance from the lower surface of the respective cup base. The cups can therefore move unhindered into their aligned position above the lifting plates, especially since the clamping jaws, according to an essential feature of the invention, limit a cup passageway that is continuous in the conveying direction.

During the conveyor idle cycle, the lifting plates assigned to each row of cups are raised at the same time. While the plate flanges hit the cup bottoms, the clamping jaws are moved into the closed position. Together with the closed clamping jaws, each lifting plate lifts the cup assigned to it into its filling position, in which the filling nozzles of the respective rotary dosing device extend far into the interior of the cup from above. While the filling material flows out of the rotating ,20 filling nozzles, the lifting plate is lowered to the desired filling level with the clamping jaws in the closed position.

After all lifting plates have been lowered further, the filled cups hang in their cup holders after the clamping jaws have been moved to their open position and the cup flanges have been removed from the cup bases so that the conveyor belt can continue to cycle.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the clamping surfaces are flat. The cup passageway formed in the open position of the clamping jaws is therefore surrounded by flat clamping surfaces.

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. M*üJ. ^: l^r* CnjbH; ^'Cp'gß'*'.

This has the advantage that the clamping surfaces can grip tangentially, for example, round or truncated cone-shaped bucket bodies, regardless of whether a change in the relative position of the bucket holders and thus of the buckets has occurred as a result of thermally induced elongation of the conveyor chain.

Furthermore, the invention provides that the clamping surfaces are adapted to the inclination of the surface line of the outer surface of the cup, so that the clamping surfaces can lie parallel to the outer surface of the cup in their closed position.

In addition, the invention provides that the clamping jaws are reset-loaded in the feed direction, in particular reset-spring-loaded, whereby the drive of the clamping jaws is simplified.

In addition, an embodiment according to the invention consists in that the clamping jaws are mounted for movement on the lifting plate, in particular pivoted. This solution according to the invention has the advantage that existing cup filling systems can also be retrofitted, since the lifting plates that are already present can be used as fastening or bearing points for the clamping jaws.

An advantageous variant of the invention consists in that each clamping jaw is part of a double-armed lever pivotally mounted on the lifting plate, the arm of which supporting the clamping surface forms the clamping arm and the other arm of which forms the actuating arm.

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. Muller*GmbH· & »fco «KÖ *«

An advantageous embodiment, which derives the clamping jaw drive from the vertical movement of the lifting plate, consists in the fact that the respective actuating arm presses against a fixed stop in the lowest position of the lifting plate, i.e. in the open position of the clamping jaws, which is designed in particular as a roller that rolls on the actuating arm during the vertical movement of the lifting plate.

Other features of the invention are that the clamping arm and the actuating arm form an obtuse angle with one another. A construction that is compact in the radial direction of the lifting plate is achieved by arranging an actuating arm on either side of the lifting plate's axis of movement, by both actuating arms crossing one another when viewed from the lifting plate, and by the spring return force being formed by a compression spring, one end of which is mounted on the lifting plate and the other end of which pushes the actuating arm outwards.

According to other features of the invention, the clamping jaws can be adapted to different cup diameters by the fact that the fixed stop can be adjusted in height and locked in order to change the width between the two clamping surfaces.

Essential features of the invention, which are particularly beneficial to the advantageous tangential contact of the clamping surfaces on the outer surface of the cup described above, consist in the fact that the plate flange of each lifting plate intended to support the cup base is designed to accommodate the clamping arms on diametrically opposite circumferential

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. tfüiüier* GÄbÜ &»*Co!k<§*··

areas are recessed or machined. In the case of a circular plate flange, the latter is expediently machined in the form of circular sections on diametrically opposite circumferential areas, i.e. flattened.
5

The invention also allows an embodiment, according to which the lifting plate and clamping jaws can be driven together to rotate about the vertical axis of movement of the lifting plate, and the axis of movement also forms the axis of rotation. With such a device, helical fillings can also be produced in a non-rotatable product dispenser with several filling nozzles.

In the drawings, a preferred embodiment according to the invention is shown in more detail, it shows

Fig. 1 is a partial cross-section, partly shown in elevation, of a cup filling machine in the area of two product dispensers,
20

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section, corresponding to the arrow marked II in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 based on the illustration in Fig. 1, a lifting plate with clamping device shortly after the start of the lifting process,

Fig. 4 the arrangement according to Fig. 3 in its uppermost position and
30

Fig. 5 shows a plan view according to the arrow marked V in Fig. 3, with the cup omitted.

HAMBA-Maschmenfabrik Hans A. Miiiie^« Pflibtf & Qo'JSp**·.

·

In the drawings, each lifting plate including the clamping device assigned to it is provided with the reference number 10.
5

Each lifting plate 10 has a shaft 11 which is attached to a lifting beam 12 which is driven to move up and down in the vertical direction in accordance with the double arrow y.

On each shaft 11, two clamping jaws 13 are pivotally mounted at bearing points, e.g. on bearing pins 14.

Each clamping jaw 13 forms a double-armed lever pivotably mounted on the shaft 11 of the lifting plate, one arm of which, carrying a clamping surface 15, forms the clamping arm 16 and the other arm of which forms the actuating arm 17.

The actuating arms 17 have control surfaces 18 on their underside, over which a roller 19 of a fixed stop 20 can roll when the lifting beam 12 moves from its position according to Fig. 1 to its changed vertical position according to Fig. 3. The vertical movement axis of the lifting plate parallel to the double arrow y is designated H.

A cell board 21, which is part of a revolving conveyor chain, has cup holders 22 in which frustoconical cups 23 are arranged in a hanging manner. The cups 23 are supported with their cup flanges 24 on the top of the cell board 21.

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. MüiSei| Gi|ibt| "&**Cpi _# Kf S»«.

Each cell board 21 has several cup holders 22 extending along the straight line &khgr;, which together form a row of cups. The conveying direction of the cell boards 21 is transverse to the direction x.
5

Each cup opening 25 is aligned with a double filling nozzle 26 of a rotary dosing device 27, shown in Fig. 2, partially in longitudinal section. The double filling nozzle 26 of the rotary dosing device 27 has, for example, two or four individual dosing devices 28, the common multiple dosing device housing 29 of which is arranged in a rotationally symmetrical control sleeve 30 so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation A. The individual dosing device channels 31, 32 are supplied with different products, e.g. chocolate pudding and vanilla pudding, via annular control grooves 33 arranged offset from one another on the control sleeve side, each via a product inlet 34 and via a control slot 35.

The clamping arms 16 of the clamping jaws 13 can be adjusted in the adjustment direction u and can be moved into their open position in the opening direction v.

The function of the device shown is as follows:

Based on Fig. 1, it can be imagined that the cell board 21 with the cups 23 hanging in the cup holders 22 has just been conveyed transversely to the direction x in a conveying cycle and the cups 2 3 are now aligned with the longitudinal center axes m of the lifting plates 10. The clamping jaws 13 do not hinder the conveying movement of the cups 23 in any way, because the clamping jaws 13 limit a cup section extending transversely to the direction x, i.e. in the conveying direction, according to the open position shown in Fig. 1.

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. Mül'lkri Gräbl2 &* C© V* ***

Passageway 36. In addition, there is a gap S between the cup base 37 and the support surface 39 formed by the plate flange 38.

As soon as the lifting beam 12 has moved vertically upwards by a certain amount along the direction y, the control surfaces 18 have rolled on the stationary rollers 19 so that, as shown in Fig. 3, the support surface 39 touches the cup bottom 37. At the same time, helical compression springs 40, one end of which is mounted on the shaft 11 of the lifting plate 10, press the actuating arms 17 outwards below the bearing points 14 with their other ends. The clamping surfaces 15, which are arranged diametrically opposite one another, rest against the frustoconical outer surface 41 of the cup 2 3.

Fig. 4 shows that the arrangement 10 has reached its highest vertical position along the movement axis H, in which the double filling nozzle 26 is already immersed very deeply into the interior of the cup 23. During the filling process, the double filling nozzle 26 rotates about the rotation axis A, whereby the lifting plate 10 together with the cup 23 is lowered again. This creates a filling made up of two differently colored products, layered in a spiral or helical manner.

When the arrangement 10 is lowered further, the vertical position shown in Fig. 3 is finally reached, according to which the cup flange 24 is supported on top of the cell board 21. When the lowering movement is continued, the clamping surfaces 15 on the outer surface 41 of the cup 23 slide downwards by a small amount until the control

HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. Millet Gtnbfi* &* Co»'

ei Gfeibfi &Co Kfe »·&diams; . « · * &bgr;&diams;*» · · · * * · *

- 11 -

surfaces 18 touch the stationary stop rollers 19, after which, upon a further downward movement of the lifting plate 10, the clamping jaws 13 open in the direction &ngr;, so that the state according to Fig. 1 is again achieved.
5

Fig. 5 shows that the plate flange 38 is circular

The basic shape is machined (flattened) in a circular manner on diametrically opposite circumferential areas 42, so that the clamping surfaces 15 can better grip the outer surface 41 of the cup 23.

In the context of the drawings, it is also clear that both actuating arms 17 of an arrangement 10, viewed in the view of the arrangement 10, cross each other, thus achieving a compact design. Fig. 4 shows in this context that the closed clamping jaws 13 with their clamping arms 16 are arranged within the axial projection of the largest cup cross-section (excluding the cup flange 24), so that the clamping arms 16 can penetrate through the cup receptacles 22 from below.

Fig. 2 shows the lifting beam 12 and a cross member 43 for fastening the lifting plate shaft 11 in a solid position (lower position) and in a dash-dotted representation (highest vertical position according to Fig. 4).

From Fig. 2 it can also be seen that the fixed stops 20 are attached to a bracket 44 and that the bracket 44 can be adjusted in height and locked in place in a manner not shown in detail via slotted hole arrangements 45. In this way the clamping width between two opposing clamping surfaces 15 can be changed or adjusted.

Claims (16)

lil; HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. Mulil|er; GiObii *&I*Co;k*<; H Claims 1. Cup filling plant for food and beverages, in particular for thin to pasty dairy and fat products or the like, with a circulating conveyor which carries cup holders (22) for the cups (23) arranged in rows transversely (at x) to the conveying direction, which also form tracks arranged parallel to the conveying direction and pass through work stations aligned with them, in particular a cup feed station, a product dosing station (at 27), a lid placing station, a lid closing station, such as a sealing or welding station, and a cup removal station in succession in the same feed cycles, whereby each cup (23) aligned with a work station, such as a product dosing station (27), can be lifted into its working position, such as its filling position, by a lifting plate (10) of a spatially fixed cup lifting device and then lowered back into the cup holder (22), characterized in that that each lifting plate (10) is assigned two clamping jaws (13) which are opposite one another and are arranged on both sides of the vertical movement axis (H) of the lifting plate (10) and which can be moved up and down together with the lifting plate (10), which, with their clamping surfaces (15) facing the outer surface (41) of the cup, can be moved in a uniform manner in the closing direction (u) onto the cup (23) and can be moved away from it in the open position direction (v) and which, in the open position, delimit a cup passageway (36) extending in the conveying direction. HAMBA-Machine Factory Hans A. Sülles .Gftibil .a» Qo%Kp*·* - 13 - 2. Cup filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping surfaces (15) are flat. 3. Cup filling device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the clamping surfaces (15) are adapted to the inclination of the surface line of the cup outer surface (41). 4. Cup filling machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the clamping jaws (13) are subjected to a restoring load in the feed direction (U). 5. Cup filling machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the clamping jaws (13) are spring-loaded in the feed direction (u). 6. Cup filling machine according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the clamping jaws (13) are mounted for movement on the lifting plate (10). 7. Cup filling machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the clamping jaws (13) are pivotally mounted on the lifting plate (10). 8. Cup filling device according to claim 7, characterized in that each clamping jaw (13) is part of a double-armed lever pivotally mounted on the lifting plate (10), one arm of which carrying the clamping surface (15) forms a clamping arm (16) and the other arm of which forms the actuating arm (17). 9. Cup filling machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the respective actuating arm (17) in the lowest HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. M*üIiL^erj Gr|bi| - 14 - Position of the lifting plate (10), i.e. in the open position of the clamping jaws (13), presses against a fixed stop (20). 10. Cup filling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the fixed stop (20) is designed as a roller (19) which rolls on the actuating arm (17) during the vertical movement (at y) of the lifting plate (10). 11. Cup filling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clamping arm (16) and the actuating arm (17) form an obtuse angle with one another. 12. Cup filling machine according to claim 11, characterized in that an actuating arm (17) is arranged on each side of the movement axis (H) of the lifting plate (10), that both actuating arms (17), viewed in the view of the lifting plate (10), cross each other, and that the spring restoring force is formed in each case by a compression spring (40), one end of which is mounted in the lifting plate (10) and the other end of which presses the actuating arm (17) outwards. 13. Cup filling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fixed stop (20) is height-adjustable and lockable to change the width between the two clamping surfaces (15). 14. Cup filling machine according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the plate flange (38) of each lifting plate (10) provided for supporting the cup bottom (37) is arranged on diametrically opposite HAMBA-Maschinenfabrik Hans A. Mii: - 15 - opposite circumferential areas are recessed or machined. 15. Cup filling machine according to claim 14, characterized in that in the case of a circular plate flange (38), the latter is machined or flattened in the manner of circular segments at diametrically opposite circumferential regions. 16. Cup filling machine according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that lifting plate (10) and clamping jaws (16) can be driven together in rotation about the vertical movement axis (H) of the lever plate (10) and that the movement axis (H) simultaneously forms the rotation axis.