CA1195303A - Bottle deaerating device - Google Patents

Bottle deaerating device

Info

Publication number
CA1195303A
CA1195303A CA000422623A CA422623A CA1195303A CA 1195303 A CA1195303 A CA 1195303A CA 000422623 A CA000422623 A CA 000422623A CA 422623 A CA422623 A CA 422623A CA 1195303 A CA1195303 A CA 1195303A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
water
bottle
nozzle
pressure
bottles
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000422623A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Rudolf W. Voss
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Labatt Breving Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Labatt Breving Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Labatt Breving Co Ltd filed Critical Labatt Breving Co Ltd
Priority to CA000422623A priority Critical patent/CA1195303A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1195303A publication Critical patent/CA1195303A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67CCLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B67C3/02Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
    • B67C3/22Details
    • B67C3/222Head-space air removing devices, e.g. by inducing foam

Abstract

INVENTOR

RUDDY VOSS

TITLE

BOTTLE DEAERATING DEVICE

ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSURE

A device is described which is suitable for removing air from the headspace of filled carbonated beverage bottles and which is adapted for use in a beverage bottling line between the bottle filling station and the crowning station. The device comprises a nozzle arrangement mounted above the bottling line and operable to direct a very thin stream of water through the open neck of a bottle passing therebeneath, a holding tank for receiving and holding water under pressure, a water conduit connecting this tank to the nozzle and a source of gas for pressurizing the holding tank. This gas pressure is capable of forcing the water from the reservoir, through the nozzle and into the open bottle tops, whereby the water contacts the surface of the carbonated beverage contained in the bottle and the resulting agitation causes a release of sufficient CO2 from the beverage to displace air from the headspace.

Description

S~3 This in~ention relates to a device Eor eliminating air frorn the headspace of filled carbonated beverage bottles, and in parti-cular, filled beer bottles.

BACKGROUND OF THE I~VE~TION

As is well known, -the beer emana-ting from the brewing pro-cess, called green beer, is aged and subsequently bo-ttled. This bottled beer is then pasteuri~ed and introduced into -the retail distribution system.
The ultimate aim of every brewer in his beer packaging operation is to combine high speed filling with thorou~h and uni-form air elimination that will extend the shelf life of the pro-duct. Within a relatively short span of years, beer fillers have been developed that at-tain remarkably high speeds and ef-ficiency.
As speeds increase, -the problem of effective and uniform air eli-mination becomes increasingly important.
Beer is bottled in modern breweries by means of high speed bo-ttling lines which utilize a carousel principle and are capable of filling fifteen bottles per second. The bot-tles from the fil-ling devices pass along a conveyor and are subsequen-tly capped wi-th a crown. There is, however, a short physical dis-tance bat-ween the bottle filling sta-tion and the crowning station where -the cap is applied. As is well known, if any oxygen en-ters the head-space above the liquid in -the bot-tle prior to the cap being ap-plied, -the beer in the bo-ttle will be highly susceptible to oxida-tion and the development of an off-taste after only a shor-t s-to-rage period. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that all air is removed from the headspace of the filled bo-ttle just before the crown is applied.
Arranging for beer to foam or froth from bottles during travel between the filler and the cr~wner is the traditional method of removing the air from the headspace of the bottles.
~ hile conventional foaming devices, such as knockers and jetters, have proved ~uite effective in expelling the headspace ~5;~'~3 air at fill. speeds of up to Eour hundred bottles per minute, they are found to he less adequate at higher speeds. It is often dif-ficult to obtain uniform result~ in -the case of knockers because slight variations in bottle wall thickness and bottle diameters cause varying intensities of jarring of the beer and, hence, non-uniform gas release and foaming. In some in.stances, bot-tle brea-kage resulting from improper adjustmen-ts has risen to beyond acceptable limits. Jet-ters differ in design and in their effec-tiveness and require close a-~tention and frequent adjustments and maintenance when fillers are operated at high speed.
There is described in Canadian Patent 983,448 a system in which CO2 gas is jetted directly into the headspace of filled, uncrowned beverage bo-t-tles. Another system in which CO2 gas is directly inserted is described in Canadian pa-tent 746,762. How-ever, it is difficult to control the pressure of the CO2 when it is applied directly to the filled, uncrowned bo-ttles thereby cau-sing very irregular results.
Oxygen may also be eliminated from -the headspace by means of an ultrasonic beer foamer, consisting of a high :Erequency ge-nerator driving a magnetostrictive transducer, 2g. as described in Pray, U.S. Patent 2,916,266. The -theory of this sys-tem is that the ultrasonic waves cause a release of the carbon dioxide gas throughout the body of the beer, thereby promoting the purging of the air present in the headspace. E~owever, it has been found that at high speeds the transducers are often not capabls of raising the foam head high enough to evacuate the air. Moreover, trans-ducers are very expensive and they are difficult to main-tain.
Another type of device used i5 a water jet which injects a fine spray of water into full bot-tles of beer between the filler and the crowner -through a fine nozzle, eg. about 0.012 inch. This systern comprises positioning a nozzle immediately above the con-veyor removing uncapped, filled beer bottles from the filling machine, the nozzle being located direc-tly central above the exit conveyor such that a very fine stream of water emanating frorn the nozzle enters through the open neck of the bottle. The water ~3 ~ e~f contacts -the surface o the~e~e in the bottle causing agi-tation resulting in CO2 being displaced -from the liquid. As beEore, the CO2 produced pushes out any air which is in the headspace and -the bottle is then capped.
This wa-ter jet sys-tem for eliminating air from the head-space is normally described as a "jetter" which is descriptive of the type and action of the pump used to pump -the water. These pumps are expensive, difficul-t to maintain and, moreover, -they cannot provide a con-tinous evenly pressurized stream of water due to their reciprocating mode of action. ~s a result, the stream of water throu~h the nozzle varies in intensity because of the perio-dic nature of the force applied by -the reciprocating pump, which is an undesirable source oE variance in the amount of ~oam genera-ted in -the bo-ttles.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a novel device for removing air from the headspace o filled carbona-ted beverage bo-ttles.
The variance in the amount o foam generated in any given group of bottles is very signi-ficant and may be amplified beyond critical limits under a variety of conditions. For example, if the transfer oE the bottles between the filler and the crowner is not smooth, the amoun-t of foam generated in the bottles varies widely about a mean value. ~s a consequence, this mean value must be suficiently high to facilitate the removal of air from those bottles which have not foamed as well as others, with the nsces-sary result that those bot-tles that have alr~ady adequately foamed are then over-~Eoamed and become "low fills" as a result of foam-induced spillage. There is then an und~sirable sta-tistical -trade-off within any given population of bottles between the acceptabi-lity of air in the headspace and the accep-table fill height.

5UMMARY OF THE I~E~TIO~
__ _ Accordingly, the present invention relates to a device for removing air from the headspace of filled carbona-ted beverage ~b53~.3 bottles and for use in a beverage bottling line between the bo-ttle filling statlon and capping station. The device of the present invention comprises a nozzle adapted to be positioned above the uncrowned -tops of filled hottles moving from -the filling head to the crowner and to direct a very thin stream o~ water through the uncrowned tops of -the ~illed bo-ttles passing therebeneath, a water holding tank for receiving and holding water under pressure, a water conauit connectlng the tank to the noz~le and a source of gas pressure causing a uniform discharge of water through the nozzles into the uncrowned headspaces of the illed bottles.
With -the device of the present invention, -the pressurized water to the nozzle is supplied entirely by subjectig the water in the tank to a positive pressure by means o~ a gas, such as CO2.
A CO2 stream is readily availahle in a brewery where the CO2 is used to carbona-te the product and maintain inert atmospheres over various tanks. Additionally, the C02 is, of course, a by-product of the brewing process and hence is readily available.
Thus, the standard jetter pump can be replaced with simply an air-pressurized tank of water which provides a thin stream of water at relatively cons-tant pressure. In the present invention, therefore, there is a substantial reduction in the number of mo-ving parts, the pressure source is readily available and inexpen-sive to run, and maintenance is virtually nil~
The water is preferably main-tain~d at a pressure of about 100 to 200 psi and is generally held constant at a pressure of about 140 psi. The system may include a pressure relief valve set to release whenever the pressure exceeds 200 psi.
~ preferred embodiment o~ the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic layout of the entire system of the preferred embodiment o~ -this invention; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view o~ the pre-erred de-vice in relation to a bo-ttle filling and crowning appara~us.
Referring -to the drawings, the numeral 10 indica~e~ a typi~
cal brewery CO2 line at, ~or example, a pressure of 250 psig. A
branch line connects to this main C2 line by way of a manual valve 11 followed by a pressure regula-tor 12 -typically regulating in a range of about 150 to 250 psig. This is followed by a so].e-noid valve 13 and a one-way check valve 14. r[rhis continues via line 16 to water holding tank 15. One branch line 17 connects to line 16 ~ith a manual valve 18 connecting to a source of hot wa-ter. A fu.r-ther branch line 19 includes a solenoid valve 20 and a manual valve 21 connecting to a vent 22.
The holding tank 15 includes an outlet line 23 connecting to a drain 25 by way of a manual valve 24. There are also two branch li.nes from line 23, one of -these being branch line 26 which includes a double one~way check valve 27, a pressure relief valve 28, for example set a 200 psig., a solenoid valve 29 and a manual valve 30. This l:ine connects to a cold water input. ~ further branch line 31 connects to line 23 including a manual valve 32, a filter 33 and a line 34 connecting to a nozzle member 35 pos:i-tioned above bottles ~3 on a star w~ee]. conveyor 36.
The actual nozzle arrangement is shown in greater de-tail in Figure 2 and includes nozzle member 35 adapted to spray water downwardly into the bottles B passing therebeneath. qrhe s-tar wheels 38, 39 move the bottles through the fi31ing and bottle crowning stations, not shown, with the noz~.le member 35 being supported by means of support bracket 40.
In opera-tion, water can be drawn into tank 15 by way of line 26, with the tank being ven-ted by vent 22. The water intake system 26, 27, 2~, 29, 30 is then shut down and gas pressure is applied above the water in the tank :Erom C02 line 10 by opening of valve 11 and activation of the pressure regulator 12 and the solenoid 13. This main-tains a constant pressure in -tank 15 of the order of 140 psi. Then, by opening valve 32 a fine s-tream of water passes through the nozzle member 35 at a rate of about 1 to 1~2 gallons per hour.
The check valve 14 prevents any material being blown back into C02 line 10 while check valve 27 prevents anything being forced back into t~ne brewery wa-ter systemD
Hot water can be supplied through valve 18 and line 17 for the purpose of flushing and cleaning the system.

Claims (8)

he embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A device for eliminating air from the headspace of filled carbonated beverage bottles in a beverage bottling line between the bottle filling station and capping station, said device comprising a nozzle mounted above said bottling line to direct a very thin stream of water through the open neck of a bottle passing therebe-neath, a water holding tank for receiving and holding water under pressure, a water conduit connecting said tank to said nozzle and a source of gas pressure for pressurizing said holding tank.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said source of gas pressure is a brewing CO2 line.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle is positioned above the exit conveyor of a bottle filling machine.
4. The device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 which includes a pressure controller to provide a fine stream of water from the nozzle at constant pressure.
5. A process for eliminating air from the headspace of filled beer bottles in a beer bottling line between the bottle filling head and capper, which comprises providing a reservoir of water, pressurizing said water reservoir by means of a pressurized gas and directing a thin stream of water from said reservoir under constant pressure through the open bottle tops, whereby the water contacts the surface of the beer in the bottle causing agitation and release of CO2 from the liquid and displacement of any air in the bottle by the CO2.
6. The process according to claim 5 wherein the reservoir is pressurized by CO2 from a brewery CO2 line.
7. The process according to claim 5 wherein the water is di-rected into the bottles at a rate of about 1 to 1? gallons per minute through a nozzle.
8. The process according to claim 7 wherein the pressure is in the range of about 100 to 200 psi.

6.
CA000422623A 1983-03-01 1983-03-01 Bottle deaerating device Expired CA1195303A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000422623A CA1195303A (en) 1983-03-01 1983-03-01 Bottle deaerating device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000422623A CA1195303A (en) 1983-03-01 1983-03-01 Bottle deaerating device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1195303A true CA1195303A (en) 1985-10-15

Family

ID=4124683

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000422623A Expired CA1195303A (en) 1983-03-01 1983-03-01 Bottle deaerating device

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1195303A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2007131733A1 (en) * 2006-05-13 2007-11-22 Khs Ag Method and system for controlled foaming of a filling material accommodated in bottles or similar containers

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2007131733A1 (en) * 2006-05-13 2007-11-22 Khs Ag Method and system for controlled foaming of a filling material accommodated in bottles or similar containers
US8037907B2 (en) 2006-05-13 2011-10-18 Khs Ag Method and device for the controlled foaming of a product introduced in bottles or similar containers

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