초록 ▼

The filling systems according to the invention utilize pneumatic pressure maintained within closely held tolerance limits to impose a constant dispensing force upon the material being dispensed. The invention in one embodiment utilizes a buffer tank system in which the product to be dispensed is tra

The filling systems according to the invention utilize pneumatic pressure maintained within closely held tolerance limits to impose a constant dispensing force upon the material being dispensed. The invention in one embodiment utilizes a buffer tank system in which the product to be dispensed is transferred from a supply tank (11) to the buffer tank (12) where the desired pressure is induced through a pneumatic head which is introduced above the product level. The product level in the buffer tank (12) is allowed to fluctuate within a relatively narrow band of depth so as to negate the effect of changes in gravity head pressure. The closed and pressurized system is refilled by forcing the incoming product into the tank (12) under a higher pressure than that in the buffer tank (12). The air within the tank (12) that is displaced as a result of introducing the new product is automatically vented to atmosphere through a precision regulation system (45). The pressure balancing system incorporates either a piston or diaphragm balancing member controller device (81) which controls a three-way pneumatic valve (72) for charging or venting the dispensing tank (58). The desired product set point pressure is applied to one side of the balancing member (80) and the actual product pressure is applied to the other side. As the level in the tank (58) drops, the gravity head pressure drops, and this is sensed at the bottom of the tank. The balancing member (80) favors the side with the lower pressure causing the three-way valve (72) to open and pneumatically charge the tank (58) until the set point pressure and the actual prodcut pressure are equal. If the actual product pressure becomes greater than the set point pressure (72) to exhaust the excess pressure to atmosphere. The response time and sensitivity of the system are adjusted by a flow control valve (68) in the charging circuit, and by increasing or decreasing the pressure differential between the charging pressure and the set point pressure.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A precision material filling system characterized by, (a) a dispensing tank containing a flowable dispensable product, (b) dispensing means associated with the dispensing tank for dispensing product from said tank, said dispensing means comprising, (1) an actuatable product dispenser actuat

1. A precision material filling system characterized by, (a) a dispensing tank containing a flowable dispensable product, (b) dispensing means associated with the dispensing tank for dispensing product from said tank, said dispensing means comprising, (1) an actuatable product dispenser actuatable in a first way to permit flow of product therethrough for dispensing, and actuatable in a second way to terminate flow of product therethrough, (2) actuatable timer means operatively coupled to said actuatable product dispenser and effective each time actuated to actuate said product dispenser in said first way and after a predetermined time interval to automatically actuate said product dispenser in said second way, said timer means including means for selectively setting said predetermined time interval, (3) control means for actuating said timer means, and (c) pressurizing means operatively coupled to said dispensing tank effective for pneumatically pressurizing the product in said tank, said pressurizing means being effective to maintain the product pressure at said dispensing means substantially constant irrespective of the product quantity in said dispensing tank. 2. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pressurizing means comprises, (a) pressure monitoring means effective to monitor the pressure at a selected level in said tank, (b) pressure transfer means for coupling a source of a gaseous pressurizing medium to said tank, (c) control means operatively associated with said pressure transfer means and said pressure monitoring means, said control means being effective to cause the transfer of pressurizing medium to said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure less than a predetermined reference pressure, and being effective to cause the venting of pressurizing medium from said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure greater than the aforesaid predetermined reference pressure. 3. A precision material filling system characterized by, (a) a dispensable product dispensing tank, (b) dispensing means associated with the dispensing tank for dispensing product from said tank, (c) a pressurized supply source of flowable dispensable product, (d) transfer means including actuatable product flow control means connecting said supply source to said dispensing tank through which said product is transferrable from said supply source to said dispensing tank, (e) product quantity sensing means associated with said dispensing tank and operatively coupled to said product flow control means, said sensing means being effective to sense the occurrence of a predetermined minimum and predetermined maximum quantity of product in said dispensing tank and being operative to actuate said product flow control means in a first way to permit product to flow from said supply source into said dispensing tank when said predetermined minimum quantity of product is sensed, and being operative to actuate said product flow control means in a second way to terminate the flow of product from said supply source to said dispensing tank when said predetermined maximum quantity of product is sensed, (f) pressurizing means operatively coupled to said dispensing tank effective for pressurizing the product in said dispensing tank, said pressurizing means being effective to maintain the product pressure at said dispensing means substantially constant irrespective of the product quantity in said dispensing tank. 4. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 3 further including a filter in said product transfer means on the downstream side of said product flow control means, said filter being effective to prevent the passage of fine particles and biological organisms. 5. A precision material filling system as set forth in claims 1, 3, or 4 wherein said pressurizing means pneumatically pressurizes the interior of said dispensing tank at a level above the product level in said tank. 6. A precision material filling system as set forth in claims 1, 3 or 4 wherein said pressurizing means comprises transfer means including pneumatic flow control means connecting a source of pneumatic pressure to said dispensing tank. 7. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 6 further including a filter in said transfer means of said pressurizing means between said pneumatic flow control means and said dispensing tank. 8. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said pneumatic flow control means is bi-directional. 9. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said pressurizing means pneumatically pressurizes the interior of said dispensing tank at a level above the product level in said tank. 10. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 1 or 3 wherein said dispensing means comprises, (a) an actuatable product dispenser actuatable in a first way to permit flow of product therethrough for dispensing, and actuatable in a second way to terminate flow of product therethrough, (b) actuatable timer means operatively coupled to said actuatable product dispenser and effective each time actuated to actuate said product dispenser in said first way and after a predetermined time interval to automatically actuate said product dispenser in said second way, said timer means including means for selectively setting said predetermined time interval, and (c) control means for actuating said timer means. 11. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pressure on the product in said pressurized dispensable product supply source is higher than the pressure exerted by said pressurizing means on the product in said dispensing tank. 12. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the gravity head pressure differential of the product in said dispensing tank between the said predetermined maximum and minimum product quantities in said tank is very small by comparison with the pressure exerted on the product in said dispensing tank by said pressurizing means. 13. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said control means comprises, (a) pressure differential sensing controlling means, (b) valve means actuatable by said pressure differential sensing controller means for pressurizing said tank by connecting said tank through said pressure transfer means to said source of pressurizing medium, actuatable for venting said tank, and actuatable for blocking said pressure transfer means to neither pressurize nor vent said tank, and (c) reference pressure setting means operatively coupling a reference pressure to said pressure differential sensing controller means derived from the source of pressurizing medium, said pressure monitoring means also coupling the pressure monitored at said tank to said pressure differential sensing controller means, whereby, when said reference pressure exceeds said tank pressure said controller actuates said valve means to pressurize said tank, when said tank pressure exceeds said reference pressure said controller actuates said valve means to vent said tank, and when said reference pressure and tank pressure are the same said controller actuates said valve to block said pressure transfer means as aforesaid. 14. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 13 further including volumetric flow control means operatively coupled to said pressure transfer means and effective to selectably control the flow rate of pressurizing medium in at least one direction with respect to said dispensing tank. 15. A precision material filling system as set forth in claims 3 or 4 wherein said pressurizing means comprises transfer means including bi-directional pneumatic flow control means connecting a source of pneumatic pressure to said dispensing tank, and wherein the pressure on the product in said pressurized dispensable product supply source is higher than the pressure exerted by said pressurizing means on the product in said dispensing tank, whereby, when said product flow control means is actuated in said first way product flows from said supply source to said dispensing tank and said pneumatic flow control means vents pneumatic pressurizing medium applied to the product in said dispensing tank to maintain the product pressure at said dispensing means substantially constant. 16. A precision material filling system as set forth in claims 1 or 10 wherein said control means for actuating said timer means is manually operated means effective for each single manual operation to actuate said timer means once. 17. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said dispensing means further includes, (a) counter means operatively coupled to said actuatable product dispenser, said counter means being effective when activated to register a count once during each time interval said product dispenser is actuated to dispense product, and being effective after registration of a pre-selectable count to prevent said timer means from further actuating said product dispenser in said first way, and (b) means for activating and deactivating said counter means. 18. A precision material filling system as set forth in claims 1 or 10 wherein said control means for actuating said timer means is a cyclically operating means effective when activated to continuously cyclically actuate said timer means, the cyclic rate of said cyclically operating means being selectable within limits. 19. A precision material filling system system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pressurizing means comprises, (a) pressure monitoring means effective to monitor the pressure at a selected level in said tank, (b) pressure transfer means for coupling a source of a gaseous pressurizing medium to said tank, (c) control means operatively associated with said pressure transfer means and said pressure monitoring means, said control means being effective to cause the transfer of pressurizing medium to said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure less than a predetermined reference pressure, and being effective to cause the venting of pressurizing medium from said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure greater than the aforesaid predetermined reference pressure. 20. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 3 or 19 wherein said dispensing tank contains a head space above the product in the tank, wherein said transfer means couples the pressurizing medium to the head space in said tank, and wherein said pressure monitoring means monitors the pressure in the tank headspace. 21. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said pressure monitoring means and said control means are combined in a single precision pressure regulator device. 22. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 20 wherein the gravity head pressure differential of the product in said dispensing tank between the said predetermined maximum and minimum product quantities in said tank is very small by comparison with the pressure exerted on the product in said dispensing tank by said pressurizing means. 23. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said pressure monitoring means monitors the product pressure at a selected level in said tank below the free surface of the product. 24. A precision material filling system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said pressure monitoring means monitors the product pressure at the level in said tank where said dispensing means exits from said tank. 25. A precision material filling system as set forth in claims 2 or 19 further including volumetric flow control means operatively coupled to said pressure transfer means and effective to selectably control the flow rate of pressurizing medium in at least one direction with respect to said dispensing tank. 26. A precision material filling system characterized by, (a) a dispensing tank containing a flowable dispensable product, (b) dispensing means associated with the dispensing tank for dispensing product from said tank, (c) pressurizing means operatively coupled to said dispensing tank effective for pneumatically pressurizing the product in said tank, said pressurizing means being effective to maintain the product pressure at said dispensing means substantially constant irrespective of the product quantity in said dispensing tank, said pressurizing means comprising, (1) pressure monitoring means effective to monitor the pressure in said tank below the free surface of said product, (2) pressure transfer means for coupling a source of a gaseous pressurizing medium to said tank, (3) control means operatively associated with said pressure transfer means and said pressure monitoring means, said control means being effective to cause the transfer of pressurizing medium to said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure less than a predetermined reference pressure, and being effective to cause the venting of pressurizing medium from said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure greater than the aforesaid predetermined reference pressure. 27. A precision material filling system characterized by, (a) a dispensing tank containing a flowable dispensable product, (b) dispensing means associated with the dispensing tank for dispensing product from said tank, (c) pressurizing means operatively coupled to said dispensing tank effective for pneumatically pressurizing the product in said tank, said pressurizing means being effective to maintain the product pressure at said dispensing means substantially constant irrespective of the product quantity in said dispensing tank, said pressurizing means comprising, (1) pressure monitoring means effective to monitor the pressure in said tank where said dispensing means exits from said tank, (2) pressure transfer means for coupling a source of a gaseous pressurizing medium to said tank, (3) control means operatively associated with said pressure transfer means and said pressure monitoring means, said control means being effective to cause the transfer of pressurizing medium to said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure less than a predetermined reference pressure, and being effective to cause the venting of pressurizing medium from said tank when said pressure monitoring means senses a pressure greater than the aforesaid predetermined reference pressure. 28. A precision material filling system as set forth in claims 23, 24, 26 or 27 wherein said control means comprises (a) pressure differential sensing controller means, (b) valve means actuatable by said pressure differential sensing controller means for pressurizing said tank by connecting said tank through said pressure transfer means to said source of pressurizing medium, actuatable for venting said tank, and actuatable for blocking said pressure transfer means to neither pressurize nor vent said tank, and (c) reference pressure setting means operatively coupling a reference pressure to said pressure differential sensing controller means derived from the source of pressurizing medium, said pressure monitoring means also coupling the pressure monitored at said tank to said pressure differential sensing controller means, whereby, when said reference pressure exceeds said tank pressure said controller actuates said valve means to pressurize said tank, when said tank pressure exceeds said reference pressure said controller actuates said valve means to vent said tank, and when said reference pressure and tank pressure are the same said controller actuates said valve to block said pressure transfer means as aforesaid.