| 摘要 |
1,243,150. Sterilizing and filling containers; rotary conveyers. JAMES DOLE ENG. CO. 30 April, 1969 [1 July, 1968], No. 22098/69. Headings B8A and B8T. A container sterilizer 2 comprises a rotor 41 rotating in a housing with a number of pockets 42, for receiving containers at its periphery. The pockets are sealed within the housing so that each pocket is isolated from the next. Means are provided for sequentially (a) introducing containers into pockets, (b) evacuating the pockets, (c) filling the pockets with superheated steam at super atmospheric pressure, (d) removing the steam, (e) removing the containers from the pockets, and (f) refilling the empty pockets with steam to prevent ingress of air during step (a). From the sterilizing unit 2, the containers pass into a filling unit 7, where a product, e.g. milk, is pumped in through a pipe 9. The product is first sterilized at a high temperature in a heat exchanger 11 and cooled before filling. A sterile gas maintains the filler 7 and a transfer section 4 in sterile condition, superheated steam is introduced at 12. After filling, a star wheel 14 moves the containers on to an endless conveyer 17 taking them into a capping and vacuum sealing unit 18. Closures for the containers are fed into a closure sterilizing unit 21 from a rack 23. The capped containers are discharged by an endless conveyer 24. Container sterilizing unit.-Containers are fed into the sterilizing unit through entrance 71, at 73 the pockets are evacuated to connection 81, at 83 and 74 steam is introduced into the pockets through entrances 82. At 86 steam is removed from the pockets, passes through throttle valve 89, and re-enters the pockets at 87. The containers are removed from the sterilizer through exit 72 by a star wheel 6, and slides down a ramp (128), Fig. 7 (not shown), being guided out of the units by a rail 123. The rotor 41 rotates on a P.T.F.E. ring (51), Fig. 6 (not shown), thereby sealing the bottom surface of the pocket. The sides of the pockets are sealed from adjacent pockets by P.T.F.E. inserts (62), Fig. 9 (not shown), sprung against the outside of a housing 34. On the upper surface of the rotor a housing may be provided at (58), Fig. 6 (not shown), in addition the clearance between the upper portion of the rotor and the housing top 36 is sufficiently small to prevent any considerable leakage. The containers are ejected from the sterilizer through exit 72. The pockets are lined with plastics inserts 94 and 97 to prevent thermal and mechanical shock damaging the bottles during sterilization. |
