US3181689A

US3181689A - Tubular carriers for the sterilization of commodities in containers

Info

Publication number: US3181689A
Application number: US293639A
Authority: US
Inventors: Winden Johannes Bernardus Der
Original assignee: Gebr Stork and Companies Apparatenfabriek NV
Current assignee: Gebr Stork and Companies Apparatenfabriek NV
Priority date: 1962-07-10
Filing date: 1963-07-09
Publication date: 1965-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-04
Also published as: GB1041177A

Description

J. B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,181,689 TUBULAR CARRIERS FOR THE STERILIZATION 0F COMMODITIES IN CONTAINERS May 4, 1965 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 9, 1963 May 4, 1965 J. B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,181,689 TUBULAR CARRIERS FOR THE STERILIZATION OF COMMODITIES IN CONTAINERS Filed July 9, 1963 v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 loo United States Patent Ofiice 3,181,689 Patented May 4, 1965 3,181,689 TUBULAR CARRIERS FOR THE STERILIZATION F COMMODITIES m (JONTAINERS Johannes Bernarrlus van der Winden, Amstelveen, Netherlands, assignor to Gebr. Stork 8; Co.s Apparatenfabriek N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, a limited-liability company of the Netherlands Filed July 9, 1963, Ser. No. 293,639 Claims priority, application Netherlands, July 10, 1962, 280,725 10 Claims. (Cl. 198-131) The invention relates to a device for treatment of commodities packed in cylindrical containers, such as the sterilization of milk in bottles, the said device comprising a conveyor, which passes through a path within a space, in which the product receives treatment, the conveyor being provided with rotatable, tubular and horizontally extending carriers for the containers. Such a device is shown in U.S. Patent 2,719,478.

In this known device the carriers are filled by pushing one or more containers into each tubular carrier. In case two or more containers are inserted, each container is pushed forward by the one which is situated therebehind. Owing to this manner of insertion, the containers will bear against one another, and in the course of further treatment when the carriers are moved along a treatment path while rotating a rubbing movement is obtained between the front face of one container and the bottom face of the adjacent one with which it is in contact.

It is an object of the invention to prevent rubbing contact between adjacent containers by providing means for maintaining each container in a certain position during passage of the carriers along the treatment path. To this end each carrier is provided with at least one annular constriction, which merges smoothly into the remaining wall of the tubular carrier, the constriction being such that the containers are not prevented from sliding ahead when a container is inserted, whereas the containers will be held in spaced position by the constriction when the carrier undergoes passage along the treatment path. In particular, due to the constriction, any containers which partially rest on the constrictions will be subjected to an axial movement until through the centre line of the carrier--merges fluently into the remaining wall of the tubular carrier, the containers being not prevented from sliding on by this constriction. Due to this feature the containers as long as they partially rest on the constricted portion and during the rotation of the carrier concerned will be subjected to a movement in the direction of their centre line until they are entirely free from the constriction when the carrier is rotated. By a correct location of the constriction coordinated with the longitudinal dimension of the containers it can be achieved that no container will protrude outside the tubular carrier and that between every two adjacent containers there is provided a small intermediate space whereby a rubbing movement of one container against an adjacent one is avoided.

The surprising efiect of the invention is especially evident in that the height of the constriction need only be very small (2-5% of the diameter of the carriers) in order to achieve and maintain the desired positioning and mutual spacing between the containers which are initially (during introduction) in contact with each other at their front and bottom faces. In general the diameter of the carriers will be chosen so as to be as small as possible to accommodate the largest type of container to be treated. This is conection with the optimal number of carriers to be accommodated in the conveyor in order to increase the capacity of the device to the maximum. Since the size of the narrowest passage in the carriers is decisive for the possibility of treating the containers in consideration, the

outer diameter of the carriers due to the constriction is greater than in the event of smooth tubular carriers, by twice the height of the constriction. Since this height is relatively insignificant, the feature according to the invention involves practically no decrease of capacity with respect to an installation with the same outer dimensions.

It is a further object of the invention to ensure that during the progress of the carriers through the treatment space each container remains out of contact with the other and no container will protrude from the end of the carriers.

When the invention is applied to a sterilization installation for food stuffs, which are packed in bottles with a narrowed neck portion, a still further object consists in that the crown cork, which constitutes the closure of such a bottle, remains free from the bottom of the adjacent bott e.

Under certain circumstances, e.g. when the tubular carriers have an inner diameter, which is not much larger than the outer diameter of the containers, there is an insufficient clearance available for the provision of an annular constriction with a constant height. The invention also aims under these circumstances to obtain the desired positioning of the containers within the carrier.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a sterilization installation according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows to an enlarged scale and in longitudinal section a carrier from this installation said carrier being designed for two bottle shaped containers; the figure represents the situation at the moment that the containers are inserted in the carrier;

FIG. 3 shows the same carrier after the bottles have assumed their correct position.

As seen in FIG. 1, the sterilization installation comprises a casing 1, enclosing the treatment space 2. Further provided is a conveyor 3, which passes along a path with loops, in conformity with U.S. Patent 2,719,478.

The conveyor 3 is provided with rotatable, tubular and horizontally extending carriers 4, one of which is depicted to an enlarged scale in FIGURES 2 and 3. This carrier is provided with three

constrictions

5, 6, 7 the constrictions 5 and '7 being disposed in the proximity of the ends of the carrier 4. The containers 8 are represented as bottles with a narrowed neck portion, closed by a crown cork 9. In FIG. 2 the bottles are shown in the position which they assume immediately after these hottles have been inserted into the carrier 4 in the direction of the arrow 10. Since the left bottle 8 has pushed against the right bottle, the crown cork 9 of the left bottle is bearing against the bottom of the right bottle.

As soon as the carrier 4 is filled with the containers 8, a rotary movement of the carrier begun (or is continued depending on the type of installation), and the containers roll along the inner wall of the carrier. U.S. Pat. 2,719,478 shows a typical manner in which the carriers are caused to rotate as they advance along the treatment path in the casing. Due to the smaller contact velocity at the location of the constrictions each container will assume a slightly askew position within the carrier and due to the rotation will move in an axial direction in the carrier until it is entirely free from the constriction. In this way there is created an intermediate space between the consecutive containers so that there is no longer a contact between two adjacent containers and this contact can no longer be restored.

The carrier 4 depicted in FIGURES 2 and 3 is destined for the accommodation of two containers 8. For that is constituted of a single tube.

of the carrier 4 are mainly provided to prevent the con-, tainers 8 from moving outwardlynorto ensure that a container which has been pushed either too far inwardly or not far enoughJismoved into its correct position,

whereby a possible blocking of the installation is prevented. f i 5 Represented in the FIGURES 2 and 3 isaocarrier which I In conformity. with the US. Patent 2,719,418 each carrier can, however, consist of anumber oftube's arranged in an annular configuration,

i s 3.'A devicesaccording to claim 1, wherein th e'annular constriction is eccentric with respect to the center of the carrier. p

p 4. A sterilization installation for foodstutfs, which are packed in bottles with a' narrov ved neck portion, the said device comprising a casing defining a treatment space, a conveyorv driven along a'path within said space, horizontal rotatable tubular carriersjse'cur'ed' to' said conveyor for travel therewith along said path and being, driven'in rota-' tion as they advanceialong said path,..each carrier being provided with at least one annular constriction which as, viewed in an/ axial section through the carrier, merges smoothly with the remaining wall'of the tubular carrier, the containers being free foraxial sliding on the constriction, thefgcon strliction' being situated in the region of the central'po'rtion of the carrier and having a length which is ,the'said tubes revolving and rotating around common t centrally situated. center line.

The height; of thegconstrictions 5-7 can Be rather igoing rotation, said carrier being substantially cylindrical small and with containers having a diameter of 10-15 cm.,'

saidheight may be to about 5 to 6 mm.- This amounts to vabout a 10% reductionfin the constricted portion. Owing to this constriction the free inner diameter decreases by:

twice this height.

container applied and the inner side of the carriers, the annular consttictions5-1 can also be provided so as to be eccentric with respect of the center line of the carriers v4. In that case 'it should only benensured that the maximal height atrthe most inwardly directed location is equal to the value mentioned above or to any othervalue,

When this is inconvenient with a View to the clearance which is provided between thetype of:

' nular constricted portion is centrally located' in said carat least; equalto' the length of the neck portion of the "bottles. to be treated.) I ,t p v .5. Apparatus comprising a tubularcarrier adapted for ,being advanced through, a'treatment zonewhile underand 'having'opposite openends throughwhich containers may be freely passed, the containers having enclosed therein'commodities which "are treated as, said carrier is advanced along said path, saidcarrier including an intermediate annular constricted portion which smoothly merges with theremainder of the carrier to cause'two adjacent containers in said carrier to be spaced apart as the carrier undergoes rotation. 1

s 6. Apparatus as claimed inclaim 5, wherein said anrier and has opposite ends which" smoothly merge with which is requiredrfor this special case, the height at a location which is diametrical opposite theretocan ber'educedto zero; n p:

Althoughthepresent invention has been disclosed in connection with a few preferred embodiments thereof,

variations and modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A device for the treatment of commodities packed defining a treatment space, a conveyorv driven along, a path within said'space, horizontal rotatable tubular carriers secured to said conveyor for travel therewith along said path' and being driven in rotation as they advance along said path, each carrier being provided with at least one annular constriction, which asviewed in -au axial section through the carrier'rnerges smoothly with the re- -maining wall of the tubular carrier, the containers being freefor axial sliding movement on' said constriction.

2. A device according'ton claim l,'wherein at least three constrictions are provided on each carrier, .twobeing situated in the proximity of the ends of the carrier and having a small width.

.in cylindrical containers, said device comprising a casing,

'the remainder of the carrier.

, 7. Apparatus as" claimed in claim 6, comprising a further annular'constricted portion adjacenteach of the ends of the carrierl r v 8.-'Apparatus'as claimed in claim 5, whereinfthe containers which are to be accommodated in the carrier .are bottles having a narrow neck portion of determinable length, the annular constricted portion having a length which is at leastas great as the length of the narrow neck portion. i

9. Apparatus as claimed infclaim' 5, wherein the annular constricted portionis a cylindrical portion of reduced diameter compared to, therdiameter of the carrier. 7 10. Apparatus' as claimed in claim 9, wherein the diam- {eter of the constricted portion is reduced between about 4 and 19% compared to the diameter of the" carrier.

ReferencesiCited by the Examiner UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 568,685 9/9 Irrgang; 198 -131 -2,7,19, 47s" '1o s5 Winden 99-360 SAMUEL F. CO LEMAN ,-Primary Examiner. EDWARD A. SRQKA, Examiner.

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR THE TREATMENT OF COMMODITIES PACKED IN CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A CASING DEFINING A TREATMENT SPACE, A CONVEYOR DRIVEN ALONG A PATH WITHIN SAID SPACE, HORIZONTAL ROTATABLE TUBULR CARRIERS SECURED TO SAID CONVEYOR FOR TRAVEL THEREWITH ALONG SAID PATH AND BEING DRIVEN IN ROTATION AS THEY ADVANCE ALONG SAID PATH, EACH CARRIER BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE ANNULAR CONSTRICTION, WHICH AS VIEWED IN AN AXIAL SECTION THROUGH THE CARRIER MERGES SMOOTHLY WITH THE REMAINING WALL OF THE TUBULAR CARRIER, THE CONTAINERS BEING FREE FOR AXIAL SLIDING MOVEMENT ON SAID CONSTRICTION.