Installation for the high-speed packaging of a liquid product

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation for the high-speed packaging of a viscous or pasty liquid product, which may be loaded or not. The inventive installation is of the type that comprises a tank ( 4 ), the lower part of which is fitted with a check valve-type delivery means ( 6 ), through which flow doses of the product (P) obtained under the force of a pig ( 5 ) that can move vertically along a stroke path, or a series of stroke paths, of a given length by means of control elements. The pig ( 5 ) comprises a valve which, in coordination with the movement of the pig ( 5 ), can open and close in order for the tank ( 4 ) to be filled through said pig ( 5 ). The valve comprises an opening ( 50 ) which is disposed in the pig ( 5 ) and a check valve ( 51 ) that can be used to close tile opening ( 50 ) from underneath when maneuvered by means of a jack, the rod ( 52 ) of which passes through the pig ( 5 ) axially.

I claim:  
     
         1 . Installation for high-speed packaging of a viscous or pasty liquid product, which may be loaded or not, of the type comprising a tank ( 4 ) provided, in its lower portion, with a check valve-type delivery means ( 6 ) provided with a drip-preventing device ( 7 ) capable of letting through doses of said product (P) obtained under the force of a pig ( 5 ) capable of moving vertically along a stroke path, or a series of stroke paths, of a given length through control means, said pig ( 5 ) comprising a valve or the like which, in coordination with the movement of said pig ( 5 ), is capable of opening and closing in order for the tank ( 4 ) to be filled through said pig ( 5 ), characterized in that said valve comprises an opening ( 50 ) provided for in said pig ( 5 ), and a check valve ( 51  capable of closing said opening ( 50 ) from underneath when maneuvered by means of ajack the rod ( 52 ) of which passes through said pig ( 5 ) axially.  
     
     
         2 . Installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the check valve ( 51 ) has an annular shape.  
     
     
         3 . Installation according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the check valve ( 51 ) has a profile capable of favoring the flowing of the product (P) both in one direction and in the other direction, depending on the displacement of said check valve ( 51 ) to open or to close.  
     
     
         4 . Installation according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the check valve ( 51 ) has a cross-section having, on the side towards the pig ( 5 ), a rounded profile ( 55 ) and, on the other side, an angular profile ( 56 ).  
     
     
         5 . Installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pig ( 5 ) has a concave lower face ( 57 ).  
     
     
         6 . Installation according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the lower face ( 57 ) of the pig ( 5 ) has an inclined wall ( 59 ) extending between the opening ( 50 ) and the peripheral scraping lip ( 58 ).  
     
     
         7 . Installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drip-preventing device ( 7 ) is removable and is comprised of the juxtaposition, face-to-face, of plates ( 71 ) maintained by a flange means and having, each, on at least one of their two faces ( 72 ,  74 ), parallel striations ( 73 ) or the like, so that said faces ( 72 ,  74 ), whether striated or not, co-operate in order to form parallel channels ( 75 ) through which the product (P) to be measured can pass.  
     
     
         8 . Installation according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the striations ( 73 ) have a V-shaped cross-section.  
     
     
         9 . Installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for controlling the length of the stroke path of the pig ( 5 ) are associated with means ( 31 ) for weighing the containers (C) during their filling, in order to allow a comparison and an eventual adjustment of the characteristics of said stroke path.  
     
     
         10 . Installation according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the weighing means is integrated into a supply path on which the containers move stepwise at the same rhythm as the production of the product doses.