Filling valve

1. A valve for use in filling containers, comprising:

a valve flange defining a first through passage;

a nozzle assembly including a nozzle head defining at least one liquid fill outlet on a lateral side of the nozzle head and at least one air vent outlet on a lateral side of the nozzle head, the air vent outlet connected to a vent tube that passes upward through the first through passage, the nozzle head spaced below the valve flange;

a valve sleeve defining a second through passage, the valve sleeve including a first portion positioned for sliding movement within the first through passage as the valve sleeve moves between a lowered valve closed position and a raised valve open position, the valve sleeve including a second portion positioned below the valve flange and configured for sealingly mating with the nozzle head to close both the liquid fill outlet and the air vent outlet when the valve sleeve is in the lowered valve closed position, the second through passage in communication with the liquid fill outlet of the nozzle head so that liquid can pass downward along the first through passage, into and along the second through passage and to and out of the liquid fill outlet when the valve sleeve is in the raised valve open position, wherein when the valve sleeve is in the lowered valve closed position a lower part of the second portion surrounds the nozzle head to cover both the liquid fill outlet and the air vent outlet and when the valve sleeve is in raised valve open position the lower part of second portion is raised above the nozzle head;

wherein the valve sleeve has a weight sufficient to cause the valve sleeve to move downward from the raised valve open position to the lowered valve closed position under the force of gravity and without requiring any biasing member between the valve flange and the valve sleeve, wherein the weight of the valve sleeve is sufficient to overcome frictional forces between the valve flange and the first portion of the valve sleeve.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein an exterior surface of the first portion of the valve sleeve and an interior surface of the first through passage are cooperatively configured for sealing contact as the valve sleeve moves between the lowered valve closed position and the raised valve open position.

3. A valve for use in filling containers, comprising:

a valve flange defining a first through passage;

a nozzle assembly including a nozzle head defining at least one liquid fill outlet and at least one air vent outlet, the air vent outlet connected to a vent tube that passes upward through the first through passage, the nozzle head spaced below the valve flange;

a valve sleeve defining a second through passage, the valve sleeve including a first portion positioned for sliding movement within the first through passage as the valve sleeve moves between a lowered valve closed position and a raised valve open position, the valve sleeve including a second portion positioned below the valve flange and configured for sealingly mating with the nozzle head to close both the liquid fill outlet and the air vent outlet when the valve sleeve is in the lowered valve closed position, the second through passage in communication with the liquid fill outlet of the nozzle head so that liquid can pass downward along the first through passage, into and along the second through passage and to and out of the liquid fill outlet when the valve sleeve is in the raised valve open position;

wherein the valve sleeve has a weight sufficient to cause the valve sleeve to move downward from the raised valve open position to the lowered valve closed position under the force of gravity and without requiring any biasing member between the valve flange and the valve sleeve;

wherein an exterior surface of the first portion of the valve sleeve and an interior surface of the first through passage are cooperatively configured for sealing contact as the valve sleeve moves between the lowered valve closed position and the raised valve open position;

wherein the weight of the valve sleeve is sufficient to overcome frictional forces caused by the sealing contact,

wherein the sealing contact is achieved by a dynamic seal member including a seating side seated in an annular recess and a wiping side that slidingly engages the exterior surface or the interior surface.

4. The valve of claim 3 wherein the recess is located on the exterior surface of the valve sleeve and the wiping side of the dynamic seal member flexes in a direction opposite a direction of movement of the valve sleeve.

5. The valve of claim 1 wherein the valve sleeve is movable to a valve flush position that is higher than the raised valve open position, when the valve sleeve is in the valve flush position the exterior surface of the first portion of the valve sleeve and the interior surface of the first through passage are cooperatively configured to eliminate the sealing contact and to enable liquid to pass therebetween for valve cleaning.

6. A valve for use in filling containers, comprising:

a valve flange defining a first through passage;

a nozzle assembly including a nozzle head defining at least one liquid fill outlet and at least one air vent outlet, the air vent outlet connected to a vent tube that passes upward through the first through passage, the nozzle head spaced below the valve flange;

a valve sleeve defining a second through passage, the valve sleeve including a first portion positioned for sliding movement within the first through passage as the valve sleeve moves between a lowered valve closed position and a raised valve open position, the valve sleeve including a second portion positioned below the valve flange and configured for sealingly mating with the nozzle head to close both the liquid fill outlet and the air vent outlet when the valve sleeve is in the lowered valve closed position, the second through passage in communication with the liquid fill outlet of the nozzle head so that liquid can pass downward along the first through passage, into and along the second through passage and to and out of the liquid fill outlet when the valve sleeve is in the raised valve open position;

wherein the valve sleeve has a weight sufficient to cause the valve sleeve to move downward from the raised valve open position to the lowered valve closed position under the force of gravity and without requiring any biasing member between the valve flange and the valve sleeve;

wherein the valve sleeve is movable to a valve flush position that is higher than the raised valve open position, when the valve sleeve is in the valve flush position the exterior surface of the first portion of the valve sleeve and the interior surface of the first through passage are cooperatively configured to eliminate the sealing contact and to enable liquid to pass therebetween for valve cleaning;

wherein the valve flange includes a downwardly facing surface portion at its lower end,

wherein the second portion of the valve sleeve includes an upwardly facing surface portion that is moved into sealing contact with the downwardly facing surface portion when the valve sleeve is in the valve flush position.

7. The valve of claim 6 wherein the downwardly facing surface portion includes an annular seal member disposed outward of and about the lower end of the first through passage, and the upwardly facing surface portion moves into contact with the annular seal member when the valve sleeve is in the valve flush position.

8. The valve of claim 7 wherein the valve sleeve includes one or more ports on the upwardly facing surface portion and located inward of the annular seal member, each port connected to a fluid passage by which cleaning fluid under pressure can be delivered through the valve sleeve, into a space between the upwardly facing surface portion and the downwardly facing surface portion and then upward between the exterior surface of the first portion of the valve sleeve and the interior surface of the first through passage.

9. The valve of claim 1 further comprising an expandable rubber sealing member is disposed on a lower end of the valve sleeve for making sealing contact with an upper rim of a container being filled by the valve.

10. A filling machine including a plurality of valves according to claim 1 , each valve mounted with the valve flange fixed to the machine, the nozzle assembly having a fixed position relative to the valve flange, and the valve sleeve supported by the nozzle head when in the lowered valve closed position and slidable upward to the raised valve open position by a container to be filled by the valve, the container movable upward by a lift plate spaced below the valve.

11. A valve for use in filling containers, comprising:

a valve flange defining a first through passage;

a nozzle assembly including a liquid fill outlet and air vent outlet below the valve flange;

a valve sleeve defining a second through passage, the valve sleeve movable between a lowered valve closed position and a raised valve open position, the valve sleeve including a first portion positioned for sliding movement within the first through passage and a second portion positioned below the valve flange and configured for sealingly closing both the liquid fill outlet and the air vent outlet when the valve sleeve is in the lowered valve closed position;

wherein the valve sleeve has a weight sufficient to cause the valve sleeve to move downward from the raised valve open position to the lowered valve closed position in no more than 0.66 seconds under the force of gravity and without requiring any biasing member between the valve flange and the valve sleeve,

wherein the weight of the valve sleeve is sufficient to overcome frictional forces between an outer surface of the first portion of the valve sleeve and an inner surface of the first through passage.

12. The valve of claim 11 wherein a dynamic seal member is provided between the inner surface of the first through passage and the outer surface of the first portion of the valve sleeve.

13. The valve of claim 12 wherein the dynamic seal includes a seating side seated in an annular recess and a wiping side projecting outward from the annular recess.

14. The valve of claim 13 wherein the wiping side has a configuration that is non-arcuate.

15. A filling machine including a plurality of valves according to claim 11 , each valve mounted with the valve flange fixed to the machine, the nozzle assembly having a fixed position relative to the valve flange, and the valve sleeve supported by the nozzle assembly when in the lowered valve closed position and slidable upward to the raised valve open position by a container to be filled by the valve, the container movable upward by a lift plate spaced below the valve.