A material supply assembly includes a valve assembly having an outer valve member and an inner valve member rotatable relative to the outer valve member. A base assembly includes an base structure and an actuator. An engagement structure is operative between the outer valve member and the actuator to prevent relative movement between the outer valve member and the actuator. A locking structure is operative between the inner valve member and the base structure to prevent relative movement between the inner valve member and the base structure. Movement of the actuator relative to the base structure moves the outer valve member relative to the inner valve member to operate the valve assembly.

A system for contained sterile/aseptic transfer of materials comprises a coupler assembly (6) including an active valve assembly (9) having an active valve and docking part and a passive valve assembly (7) which comprises a passive valve and a complimentary docking part, the two docking parts enabling the two valve assemblies to be secured together in a first position with a void formed between the two facing surfaces of the closed valves. A sterilisation device (20) including a UV emitter assembly is arranged to emit UV light into the void such that the exposed outer surfaces of at least the passive valve and active valve are exposed to UV light emitted by the emitter assembly after the two docking parts are secured together in the first position, and prior to moving of the passive/active valve to a second position where material may transfer through the opened valves.

A transfer device is designed for contamination-protected transfer of flowable process material between a first container and a second container. The transfer device includes a guide tube having an axial passage for the flow of the process material, which has a connection at one end and terminates with a tube edge at the other end. A transfer unit opens into the guide tube, which allows engagement with the guide tube. A tubular liner supply having a plurality of peelable useful sections, each provided with a first crimp, is stored on the transfer unit. The useful sections can be used to isolate liner remnants from previous transfer operations for disposal. A first tensioner and a second tensioner are arranged circularly on the guide tube and concentrically to each other, which serve for temporary sealed fixing of residual ends and open ends of new liner pieces originating from inner liners from the second containers.

A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.

A filling and/or emptying apparatus (I) for filling and/or emptying flexible containers (5) having a filling and/or emptying neck (2) with an open end portion and at least one deformable disposable fastening ring (9), wherein the ring (9) is designed in relation to the internal diameter of the neck (2) such that once a container edge (7) is folded over around the ring, it is possible to insert the ring (9) in an end portion of the neck (2) so that the ring (9) is arranged substantially concentrically with the neck (2), and a radially outer fold-over portion (8) of the container edge (7) is arranged and/or clamped between an inner surface of the neck (2) and a radially outer surface. It is possible to press the ring (9) into a sealing portion (15) of the neck (2), which is arranged after the end portion in the axial direction (A) and has a smaller internal diameter than the end portion. The ring (9) undergoes deformation in the radial direction, so that the insertion and/or pressing into the interior of the neck (2) leads to a radial deformation and a counterposed pressure force which presses the outer fold-over portion (8) of the container edge (7) against the inner surface of the neck (2), thereby sealing the container (5) against the neck (2).

The present invention discloses a feeding system that comprises a plurality of material tanks having air outlets, a plurality of blowers, a dust remover having an air inlet, and a connecting pipe. Air inlets of the plurality of blowers are in communication with the air outlets of the material tanks in one-to-one correspondence. The first end of the connecting pipe is in communication with the air inlet of the dust remover, and the second end of the connecting pipe is movable between being connected with the air outlet of a first one of the plurality of blowers and being connected with the air outlet of a second one of the plurality of blowers. The disclosed feeding system has a simple structure and zero dust leakage. Also disclosed is a glass production apparatus that comprises the disclosed feeding system.

The object of the invention is a floating split butterfly valve that allows connection of two processing devices or containers in a way that one of the devices (e. g. a transport device or a container) is closed by one half of the valve (passive part) while the other device (e. g. a stable device or a container) is closed by another half of the valve (active part), wherein the material (powder and/or liquid substance) transferred from one device/container into another device/container cannot get trapped in dead corners of the valve and does not get accumulated in the equipment. The construction of the floating split butterfly valve of the invention provides for the fact that due to the arrangement of shafts (5, 5a) of split flaps (2, 2a) in a housing of an active and a passive part of the valve via displaceable (floating) hinges (3, 3a), seals (1, 1a) of the active and passive parts of the valve are flush with the level of the split flaps (2, 2a) on the active and passive parts, when the valve is in a closed position, while the seals (1, 1a), while in an opened position, are arranged by a distance X higher than valve housings (4, 4a) and the flaps (2, 2a) and the seals (1, 1a) remain on the same level due to clearance S1=X.

The invention relates to a transport system for pourable and flowable media having a coupling device (56), consisting of at least one first connection part (14) and a plurality of further connection parts (54), which are connected to the first connection part (14) by means of flexible, tubular connecting parts (16), which can be blocked by means of at least one closing device (68), after the release of which the connecting part (16) that can be associated is open for media transport, wherein, after media transport has occurred along a specified transport path, said transport path is blocked by means of a separate blocking device or is closed again by the closing device (68).

A material supply assembly includes a valve assembly having an outer valve member and an inner valve member rotatable relative to the outer valve member. A base assembly includes an base structure and an actuator. An engagement structure is operative between the outer valve member and the actuator to prevent relative movement between the outer valve member and the actuator. A locking structure is operative between the inner valve member and the base structure to prevent relative movement between the inner valve member and the base structure. Movement of the actuator relative to the base structure moves the outer valve member relative to the inner valve member to operate the valve assembly.

A material supply assembly includes a valve assembly having an outer valve member and an inner valve member rotatable relative to the outer valve member. A plurality of discharge seals may be provide between the outer valve member and the inner valve member, with one of the discharge seals extending around openings of the outer valve member or openings of the inner valve member. A first circumferential seal may also be provided. An engagement structure including a plurality of spaced apart vertical engagement projections and a plurality of complementary configured engagement recesses may be provided between the valve assembly and the base. A locking arm having a locking member may be provided with the locking member positioned in a locking receptacle. A projection engages the locking arm to move the locking member from the locking receptacle.