US 12,103,721 B2
Rotary filling machine
Joshua A. Schwartz, Mount Pleasant, WI (US); James R. Knudsen, Racine, WI (US); Ronald B. Brandt, Mount Pleasant, WI (US); James P. Navin, Burlington, WI (US); Anthony D. Stefanelli, Boyceville, WI (US); Darren Beahler, West Allis, WI (US); and Andrew Boles, Kenosha, WI (US)
Assigned to Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery, Inc., Sturtevant, WI (US)
Filed by Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery, Inc., Sturtevant, WI (US)
Filed on Feb. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/108,976.
Application 18/108,976 is a division of application No. 17/306,115, filed on May 3, 2021, abandoned.
Application 17/306,115 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/577,776, filed on Sep. 20, 2019, granted, now 10,994,879.
Prior Publication US 2023/0192340 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. B65B 43/50 (2006.01); B65B 1/06 (2006.01); B65B 1/30 (2006.01); B65B 39/00 (2006.01); B67C 11/02 (2006.01); B65B 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 43/50 (2013.01) [B65B 1/06 (2013.01); B65B 1/30 (2013.01); B65B 39/007 (2013.01); B67C 11/02 (2013.01); B65B 1/10 (2013.01); B65B 2039/009 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary filling machine comprising:
a rotatable hub;
a plurality of circumferentially spaced drop buckets that are configured to rotate with the hub, each drop bucket including a body having an open top that is configured to receive dispensed materials during a portion of a rotational phase of the rotary filling machine, an open bottom that is configured to discharge materials, a perimeter wall including inner and outer walls and first and second end walls, and at least one partition that extends between the inner and outer walls and that is positioned between the first and second end walls to define discrete chambers within the drop bucket;
a plurality of funnel assemblies that are configured to rotate with the hub, each funnel assembly having an upper inlet that is positioned beneath the bottom opening of a corresponding drop bucket and that is configured receive discharged materials from the bottom of the associated drop bucket, and having a lower dispensing outlet; and
a stationary slide plate located vertically between the funnel assemblies and the drop buckets, wherein, when viewed in a direction of turret rotation, the slide plate has an upstream end, a downstream end, upper and lower surfaces, and inner and outer edges, and wherein a radial diameter of the slide plate is tapered along at least a portion of a circumferential extent of the slide plate so that the slide plate is configured such that areas of flow paths from the bottoms of the drop buckets to the inlet openings of the funnel assemblies through the stationary slide plate increase progressively through the portion of the circumferential extent of the slide plate.