The present invention relates to the dispensing of the material from a container. At present many particulate and granulate materials are dispensed from the bottom of a hopper in metered amounts by using for example butterfly valves, augers or cylinders containing grooves. This is perfectly satisfactory when the material is dry and free-flowing.

However when the material is damp, sticky, or of uneven shape ( for example bacon pieces, cheese) an alternative system is required because damage can occur due to interlocking of particles and to excessive friction between particles. Moreover quantitative or metered dosing of sticky or soft particles is difficult using known apparatus.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of dispensing material, from a container holding a quantity of the material to a receiving station, the method comprising the steps of carrying doses of the material in a receptacle, transferring the dose to a transporter and transporting the doses successively to the receiving station.

This method can much reduce the compaction of material and the friction between pieces of material that has previously taken place.

The material to be dispensed may be solid, liquid, or a combination of solid and liquid. Solid material may in particulate, granular or piece form.

The invention also includes a material dispensing device for dispensing material from a container containing a quantity of the material to a receiving station, the device comprising a receptacle for carrying a dose of the material, means for moving the dose in the receptacle through the said quantity of material to an

intermediate station and transporting means for transporting the dose from the intermediate station to the receiving station.

The means for moving the dose may be a motivator such as an elevator.

Advantageously the method comprises the steps of lifting doses of the material through the surface of the material in the receptacle and delivering the lifted doses successively to the receiving station. The invention also includes a material dispensing device for dispensing material from a container containing a quantity of the material having an upper surface to a receiving station, the device comprising a receptacle for carrying a dose of the material, lifting means for lifting the dose in the receptacle through the said upper surface and transporting means for transporting the dose to the receiving station.

Advantageously the receptacle has at least one wall which is substantially parallel or convergent to the direction of motion of the receptacle. This aids the separation of the dose from the material and reduces the compaction of material and the friction between pieces of material. Preferably the receptacle should also be fairly rigid. In preferred arrangement the means for moving the dose in the receptacle comprises lifting means adapted to pass through the container to collect material in the receptacle and to lift the material.

In a preferred arrangement the lifting means is disposed below the container but is adapted to pass through the container to collect material in the receptacle and to lift the material.

Advantageously the receptacle is moved upwardly at an angle which is between 0 degrees and 60 degrees to the vertical. Preferably the displacement takes place at

an angle of no more than 45 degrees, or more effectively no more than 30 degrees, to the vertical.

The optimum condition is obtained when the material is compacted and rubbed as little as possible. To minimalise lateral friction, the lateral movement of the surface of the material in the receptacle against the material in the container should be minimalised. One way of achieving this is to make the lateral movement of the receptacle not greater than the width of the receptacle. In one embodiment the top of the receptacle is normal to the direction of movement of the receptacle.

The lifting means may include an elevator which is constructed so that any volume from which material in the container is displaced directly by movement of the elevator through the material is substantially taken up by the body of the elevator.

Preferably the receptacle lifting means is reciprocable to lift successive doses.

The lifting means preferably delivers one dose to be collected at a time to a dosing station from which it is transported to the receiving station. The required dose may be transported by capturing the dose from the receptacle for example using mechanical or pneumatic means and deposited by release of the captive device at the receiving area.

The lifting means may be in the form of a continuous conveyor and the receptacle one of a series of trays or buckets mounted on the conveyor. The trays or buckets preferably only have a base and a front panel, the sides being formed by stationary panels between which the buckets travel on their upward journey.

Alternatively the required dose may be transported in a conduit from the dosing station. In this case the dose can be delivered from a receptacle to the conduit by altering the relative positions of the base and sides

of the receptacle. If the dose is to be metered, the method can include the step of levelling the material in the receptacle before the dose is collected at the dosing station. Where the dose is to be metered and the receptacle lifts material excess to the required metered dose then at the dosing station means may be provided to deliver the excess via one route to the container and the dose via a second route to the receiving station. This can be accomplished using a single actuator on a forward and return action for example in a conduit having separately placed exits. One such actuator is a pusher having a stroke which is sufficient to transport the dose sideways out of the receptacle.

Another way of levelling the material in the receptacle is to apply an eccentric motion to the receptacle.

Normally an elevator will only be required to lift one dose at a time. However if it is required to lift more than one metered dose, the elevator may contain means to reduce the volume of the receptacle in stages, one dose being delivered to the dosing station at a time.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of dispensing material, from a container holding a quantity of the material to a receiving station, the method comprising the steps of providing lifting means carrying at least one receptacle, the lifting means partially defining the container and the lifting means acting to move the receptacle through the container to collect successive doses of material from the container and deliver the doses to the receiving station.

Preferably means is provided for maintaining the level of material in the container at a level which is approximately at, or below the top of the lifting means. The level may be kept constant if required. Where the

lifting means is a wheel, which lifts by rotating about an axis and has receptacles the width of which is an arc of the wheel, then the receptacles are only open to the container and define a portion of the container for a maximum of 45 degrees of the wheel.

Any of the containers may be provided with means for vibrating the container walls so that a level material upper surface may be maintained.

The present invention will now be described,by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates in cross section a container and a material lifting device being part of a material dispensing system in accordance with the invention, Figures 2 to 5 shows a sequence of movements in a dispensing system according to one embodiment of the invention,

Figures 6 to 9 show a sequence of movements in a material dispensing system according to a second embodiment of the invention,

Figure 10 is a multiple system with the same principles as the system of Figure 6,

Figure 11 is an elevator which in a third embodiment would replace the elevator of Figures 6 to 9, or the elevators in Figure 10, or of Figures 2 to 5 (the sweeper 19 would not be required) ,

Figure 12 is a container and lifting mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the invention,

Figure 13 illustrates in cross section a container and a material dispensing system in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention,

Figure 14 shows the elevator receptacle of the embodiment of Figure 13, and

Figure 15 is a perspective view of still further embodiment of the invention.

All the drawings illustrate systems for dispensing material from a container or hopper to a conveyor, usually indexed, and carrying a series of trays or alternatively carrying semi-prepared food products such as pizza bases.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 to 5 illustrate a container or hopper 10 which may have sloping, straight, or curved sides, for containing solid material 11 in particulate, granulate or piece form and an automatic lifting mechanism for lifting successive metered doses of material from the container and transferring them to a dosing station above the hopper. The lifting system comprises an elevator 12 having a receptacle 13 at the upper end with a substantially horizontal bottom 14 and sides 15 of the same height so that the top of the receptacle is substantially horizontal. The elevator 12 is reciprocable in a vertical or near vertical plane in a guide 16 by a device (not shown) from a position in which the top of receptacle 12 lies at the bottom of the hopper to a position in which the receptacle is above the top of the hopper. Above the hopper is a transporter in the form of a pair of vertical side plates 17 which form a guide for the material and which are fitted to a plate 20. The transporter includes a material impaler 18 having a sweeper 19 on one side thereof both mounted to be carried by the horizontal plate 20 and reciprocated between a position above the receptacle and a position above a tray 21 (Figure 5) on a conveyor (not shown) . The impaler 18 comprises a grid of pins 23, which are fixed to the plate 20, and a template 25 which is apertured to cooperate with the pins 23 and which is lowerable in a direction normal to the pins 23 to remove

material impaled on the pins by a pair of rams 26 (Figure 5) .

The sequence of motion of the system is as follows: 1. The elevator 12 rises to a level where the top of the receptacle is in line with the bottom of the pins

(Figure 2) taking a quantum or dose of material in the receptacle and including excess material heaped above the receptacle, the excess material 22 sitting above the level of the side plates 17. 2. The sweeper 19 and plate 20 are moved simultaneously to the right in the drawing (Figure 3) to sweep the excess material to the right in the drawing (to be returned to the container. This dislodges particles above a given plane so as to level off the material in the receptacle.

3. The plate 20 is moved until the impaling pins are above the receptacle whereupon the elevator is moved upwardly through the aperture until it makes contact with the template 25 and the material is impaled on the pins (Figure 4) .

4. The elevator is withdrawn, the impaling pins are moved to the left in the drawing and the template is lowered by the rams 26 to deposit the impaled material into a tray 21; meanwhile the elevator is lifting the next quantum of material to the first stage.

In alternative arrangements the template and bed of pins can be replaced by a bed of vacuum caps and a cohesive fixing wet surface with an appropriate control system, a mechanical gripping system, one or more compressed fluid jets, a fluid cased floating particle transit system, a vibratory feeding mechanism, a tipping tube/channel arrangement or a mechanism using heat to cause movement in the particles.

In the drawings Figures 6-9 the elevator comprises a piston 31 operable over a stroke equal to the depth of the required receptacle in a sleeve 33 which forms the

sides of the receptacle. A channel or tube 34 is disposed above the container to act as a conduit for the material between an aperture 35 into which the receptacle can sit, and a chute 37. In this embodiment the pins, plate and sweeper are replaced by a double sided pusher or scraper 39 connected to an actuator rod 41, the rod 41 being actuated by a pneumatic ram (not shown) disposed to the right of a plate 43 defining the end of the channel. A further aperture 45 in the channel on the side of the aperture 35 opposed to the chute 37 outlets to the container 11.

The operation of the system is equivalent to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In a first position, the elevator defines a receptacle 36 in which the top of the piston 31 is below the top of the sleeve

33. The elevator rises through the material in a direction towards the top of the container (i.e. not towards a wall) from a position in which the top of the piston is flush with the bottom of the container to the first position illustrated in Figure 6 in which the outer sleeve 33 is level with the base of the channel

34. The elevator then pauses while the pusher 39 sweeps along the channel by retraction of the ram (not shown) leading with its blade 40. The pusher blade 40 cuts through the material to a level substantially even with the top of the aperture 35 and the pusher 39 sweeps the excess material which protrudes into the channel above the top of the sleeve which protrudes into the channel into the aperture 45, thus levelling off material in the receptacle to meter the size of the dose. The excess material is returned to the container. In the next stage the piston 31 moves upwardly in the sleeve 33 through the aperture 35 until it is level with the channel 34 to introduce the metered dose of material into the channel (Figure 8) . An extension of the ram causes the pusher 39 to sweep in the other direction to push the metered dose

along the channel until it reaches and falls down the chute 37 into the tray 21 (Figure 9) .

The pusher 39 can be replaced by a knife edge, jet of compressed fluid, an oscillating system to remove excess particles. The elevator can be inclined to the vertical provided its movement does not compress material in the container against a wall of the container. If the movement of the elevator is not vertical, it would be possible still to make the top of the receptacle substantially horizontal.

Figure 10 illustrates one way in which the system can be automated so that more than one dose at a time can be delivered from the container (multiple-line fill) . Three elevators 41 are illustrated each lifting material into a respective channel 42,43,44 where a respective pusher 45,46,47 delivers the material through a respective chute 48,49,50, to a respective tray 52,53,54. The channels 42,43,44, are disposed one above another. Obviously more doses could be lifted at a time if further elevators, channels and pushers were arranged side by side across the width of the machine either as well, or instead of, the illustrated arrangement. Thus the basic actuation speed can be multiplied to increase deposit rate. Figure 11 illustrates a further embodiment in which material excess to the metered dose can be removed by a centrifugal force before the metered dose is delivered in the above way along a channel 34 to the chute 37. The drawing shows an elevator 61 comprising a sleeve 62 in which a piston 63 is moveable between the state shown and a state in which the piston 63 is flush with the top of the sleeve 62. The sleeve 62 is eccentrically mounted in a second sleeve 65 in a resiliently displaceable collar 64, for example made of neoprene (TM) . A piston rod 66 connected to the piston 63 is coaxial with the piston 63 but eccentric within the second sleeve 65.

The piston rod 66 is mounted on a disc 68 which disc 68 is rotatable by a shaft 69 which shaft is coaxial with the sleeve 65. The operation of this elevator 61 is as follows: 1. The elevator 61 is raised through the material in the state shown in Figure 11 so that material accumulates in the receptacle above the piston 63. The elevator stops below the aperture 35.

2. The shaft 69 is rotated by a motor (not shown but situated below the container) at a designated speed. This causes the receptacle to move in an eccentric circular motion within the collar 64 which expels excess material from the receptacle. The depth to which the material is expelled will depend on the speed of rotation and is thus adjustable.

3. The metered amount remaining in the receptacle is then elevated to the channel from which it can be delivered to a chute by a pusher as before.

The described embodiments have the following advantages: i) compaction and friction forces on the material are reduced ii) the receptacle walls assist in separating the dose out of the material iiii by employing multiple units a very high speed of action can be achieved iv) a greater accuracy of metered dosing is achieved due to the rigidity of the receptacle walls and base and to the high volume/opening area ratio of the receptacle v) a greater flexibility in design is possible due to the capable different angles of movement enabling any material lifting situation to be catered for.

Figure 12 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. In this case a container 71 is defined on one side by a wall 73 and on the other by a cylindrical wheel 75. This wheel is divided by eight radial walls

(the number will obviously relate to the size of the doses required) 74 to create eight identical compartments 72. The container 71 will be a transit station for the material 76 between a hopper and a receiving station 77 through which a series of trays 78 pass because the upper level of the material in the container needs to be kept fairly constant. The wall 73 is able to vibrate about a hinge 79 by means of an actuator ram 81 connected to the wall via a bracket 82. This keeps the material surface level. Any excess material will leave the container by passing above the wheel 75 following an arcuate plate 83 which follows the circumference of the wheel for 90° .

To minimise the friction between the particles, an arcuate wall 84 meets the bottom of the container below the hinge 79 and continues about 45° . This prevents material entering the wheel 75 too soon.

The wheel 75 is rotated clockwise as shown in the drawing. Material falls into the empty compartments as they appear above the wall 84 so that each dose of material is lifted at least up to the surface of the material. Once the wall is within the plate 83 the compartment is full with a dose. Once the compartment appears below the bottom of the plate the upper end is again open and the material can fall under gravity into the waiting tray.

A further alternative which is not illustrated comprises an elevator in the form of a continuous conveyor which is situated in one wall of a container. The conveyor carries substantially rigid receptacles which include a wall portion parallel to the conveyor or converging towards the conveyor in the direction of the receptacle opening. The conveyor collects doses from the material, lifts them sequentially through the surface of the material and deposits the doses sequentially on the conveyor return outside the container.

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate a container or hoppe 110 which may have sloping, straight, or curved sides, for containing solid material 111 in particulate, granulate or piece form and an automatic lifting mechanism for lifting successive doses of material from the container and transferring them to an intermediate, dosing station above the hopper. The lifting system comprises an elevator 112 having a receptacle 113 at the upper end with a substantially horizontal bottom 114 and sides 115 of the same height so that the top of the receptacle is substantially horizontal. The elevator 112 is reciprocable in a vertical or near vertical plane through the bottom of the hopper from a position in which the top of receptacle 113 lies at the bottom of the hopper to a position in which the receptacle is above the top of the hopper. The horizontal bottom of the receptacle is formed by the top surface of a piston 131 operable over a stroke equal to the depth of the required receptacle in a sleeve 133 which forms the sides of the receptacle. The elevator 112 comprises a flange 132 containing a set of apertures 130. Each aperture 130 receives a guide and stop rod 136 having a head 136a which limits the movement of the sleeve 133. An actuator rod 138 is fitted to the piston 131 through an aperture 141 in the bottom of the sleeve 133. A compression spring 142 is attached between the bottom of the sleeve 133 and the bottom of the piston 131 to limit the downward movement of the piston 131 in the sleeve 133 to define the size of the receptacle. In use, the elevator sleeve 133 and flange 132 are lifted by the actuator rod 138. At this point of the cycle the piston is positioned in the sleeve as shown in Figure 14 to define a receptacle 113 thereabove. When the flanges reach the heads 136a. the sleeve is halted whereupon the piston 131 continues its upward motion until the upper surface is flush with the top of-the sleeve.

A tube 134 is disposed above the container to act as a conduit for the material between an intermediate station above an aperture 135 (into which the receptacle can sit) and a chute 137. The material dose is transported through the conduit by a transporter in the form of pusher or scraper 139 connected to an actuator rod 144, the rod 144 being actuated by a pneumatic ram (not shown) disposed to the right of a plate 143 defining the end of the channel. The pusher or scraper 139 comprises a pair of parallel sides 139a _. joined together to form an enclosure with the side walls of the tube 134 into which enclosure the dose of material may be deposited. A second opening 148 in the tube directly above the aperture 135 has a blade 149 along one side, being the same side as the chute 137.

In operation, in a first position, the elevator defines a receptacle 113 in which the top of the piston 131 is below the top of the sleeve 133. The elevator rises through the material in a direction towards the top of the container (i.e. not towards a wall) from a position in which the top of the piston is flush with the bottom of the container to the first position in which the outer sleeve 133 is level with the base of the channel 134. The piston is then raised to push the dose of material into the tube 134 into the pusher enclosure (shown in bold lines) Usually more material than is required is lifted and the excess will sit above the tube through the opening 148. The pusher 139 cuts through the material pushing a levelled amount down the tube 134 to the chute 137 and thus to the receiving station below the chute. The pusher 139 is shown in dotted lines in this position. Excess material above the inner wall of the tube is cut by the blade 149 and, once the pusher 139 has passed the excess returns to the elevator and will be lowered back into the container. The pusher 139 sweeps the metered material which

protrudes into the tube along the tube until it reaches and falls down the chute 137 into the tray 121. The chute 137 has the end wall angled to guide the dose in the required direction. The pusher 139 can be replaced by a knife edge, jet of compressed fluid, an oscillating system to remove excess particles. The elevator can be inclined to the vertical provided its movement does not compress material in the container against a wall of the container. If the movement of the elevator is not vertical, it would be possible still to make the top of the receptacle substantially horizontal.

The system can be automated so that more than one dose at a time can be delivered from the container (multiple-line fill) .

Figure 15 illustrates a container 151 having a V- shaped base and substantially vertical side walls in which an elevator 153 is mounted. The elevator comprises a continuous conveyor 155 mounted over a driven roller 156 and an idle roller 157. The conveyor is fitted with a set of receptacles 159 each having a base 160 and a front wall 161. The elevator is mounted in a frame comprising two side wall panels 163 which extend along both sides of the conveyor and outwardly in one direction from the conveyor by an amount equal to the width of the base from the conveyor to the wall 161. A channel 164 is arranged to the side of the conveyor in line with a high position of the receptacle on the conveyor and along side one of the side panels 163. At this position the side panels are cut away to allow a side pusher 165 having dimensions to match the side of the receptacle to pass through both side walls and into the channel 164. A chute 167 at the other end of the channel accesses to a receiving station such as a tray, for example, on a conveyor.

The dispenser of Figure 15 operates as follows. T conveyor is rotated (by a motor not shown) in a direction whereby the receptacle walls face forwards. A they pass round the lower roller 157 they scoop material, which is held in the receptacle as it rises b the side panels 163. The conveyor is indexed to stop momentarily as each receptacle reaches the channel 164. At that point the pusher is actuated to push the contents of the receptacle sideways into the channel 16 towards the chute. It then falls down the chute and is deposited onto the tray, or if appropriate, onto a piec of semi-prepared food.