A container labeling machine, which comprises a base structure which forms a region for the input of the containers to be labeled and at least one region for the output of the labeled containers and supports elements for the conveyance of the containers from the input region to the output region, at least one container labeling assembly being provided along the conveyor; the conveyor comprises at least two carousels provided with respective supporting plates for individual containers. At least one respective labeling assembly is associated with each one of the carousels. The conveyor furthermore comprises, substantially at the input region, elements for sorting the containers fed to the input region toward one and the other of the carousels and comprises elements for unloading the labeled containers from the carousels and for sending the labeled containers toward the output region.

Disclosed is a device and a method for filling and closing a thin-walled plastic container, in particular a PET bottle, wherein a plastic container is produced from a preform by a blow moulding process, and the plastic container is filled with a flowable medium and in particular a liquid, and also a replacement medium is introduced into the plastic container so that as the internal container pressure increases at least partial displacement of the previously contained medium takes place and the plastic container is at least partially closed, plastic container, a wall of the container closure or between a wall of the plastic container and a wall of the container closure at least one opening is introduced, and through this opening in the interior space of the plastic container a predetermined internal container pressure is set by feeding in and/or discharging a gaseous medium.

A filling system includes a conveyance chamber in which a center wheel for conveying vessels is housed inside, a filling chamber where filling machines are housed inside, an inlet/outlet wheel that transfers the vessels from the center wheel to the filling machine, an opening that allows conveyance of the vessels, and a shutter that closes the opening. The inlet/outlet wheel includes grippers configured from a fixed section and a movable section. The movable section can be raised or lowered with respect to the rotational axis of the inlet/outlet wheel. When the shutter closes the opening, movable section is raised or lowered by a predetermined amount relative to the fixed section, after which the movable section is rotated by a predetermined amount to a position where it does not interfere with the shutter.

A container handling machine, such as a container filling machine or container closing machine, and a method of operation thereof. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading Abstract of the Disclosure. The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

A filling apparatus configured to simultaneously fill multiple containers of different shapes and sizes. The filling apparatus including a feed conveyor mechanism including two or more feed conveyors, wherein each of the two or more conveyors is respectively configured to transport an empty fluid container of a different size along a manufacturing line, a turntable mechanism including two or more concentric rings, wherein each of the two or more concentric rings is configured to receive an empty fluid container from the respective two or more feed conveyors and rotate about a common axis while filling the empty fluid containers via at least to fill ports, and an output conveyor mechanism including two or more output conveyors, wherein each of the two or more output conveyors is respectively configured to receive a filled fluid container of a different size from the turntable mechanism for transport along the manufacturing line.

A container-handling machine that comprises a rotor that rotates around a machine axis, an inlet transporter that brings containers to the rotor, an outlet transporter that takes containers from the rotor, and a container-handling section that extends along a handling direction along which the containers move after having been taken from the rotor, wherein the rotor comprises handling positions and a transport element, wherein the transport element comprises pockets along a circumference thereof, wherein each of the pockets comprises a flank that forms a first abutment surface that abuts a container during motion thereof, wherein the container-handling machine further comprises a finger that is assigned to the pocket, and wherein the finger forms a second abutment surface that adjoins the first abutment surface and that extends in a radial direction away from the machine axis.

A filling system includes a conveyance chamber that conveys vessels, a filling chamber provided with a filling head that fills content into the vessels, a pressure control means that controls the pressure conditions of each chamber, an intermediate chamber that is provided between the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber, and a shutter that can separate the conveyance chamber and the intermediate chamber. When the filling chamber is separated by the shutter, the pressure control means controls the pressure of the intermediate chamber to become lower than the pressure of the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber.

A container filling machine is provided having one or more filling units. The filling units have a valve actuator assembly having a first end moveably connected to the filling machine to effect both lateral movement and reciprocating longitudinal movement; and a valve connected to a second end of the valve actuator assembly, such that longitudinal movement of the valve actuator assembly actuates the valve to open and fill a container. The filling machine has alternating filling units each comprising a different valve dedicated for a particular variety of container. A method is also taught for filling one or more types of containers with a liquid. The method includes the steps of feeding a stream of alternating types of containers to a filling machine, said filling machine comprising one or more travelling filling units, each filling unit comprising a valve actuator, and a valve; associating each of said alternating types of containers with a filling unit wherein said valve is dedicated for a particular variety of container; actuating said valve actuator as it travels along the filling machine to actuate said valve; actuating said valve to fill said associated container; and disengaging each of said alternating types of containers from said filling unit. A container filling unit adapted for filling one or more types of containers is further taught.

A filling system includes a conveyance chamber in which a center wheel for conveying vessels is housed inside, a filling chamber where filling machines are housed inside, an inlet/outlet wheel that transfers the vessels from the center wheel to the filling machine, an opening that allows conveyance of the vessels, and a shutter that closes the opening. The inlet/outlet wheel includes grippers configured from a fixed section and a movable section. The movable section can be raised or lowered with respect to the rotational axis of the inlet/outlet wheel. When the shutter closes the opening, movable section is raised or lowered by a predetermined amount relative to the fixed section, after which the movable section is rotated by a predetermined amount to a position where it does not interfere with the shutter.

A filling system includes a center wheel that conveys vessels, a first filler provided with a plurality of filling heads, a second filler provided with a plurality of filling heads and arranged downstream from the first filler, a first inlet wheel that receives the vessels from the center wheel and supplies the vessels to the first filler, and a second inlet wheel that receives the vessel from the center wheel and supplies the vessels to the second filler. Operation modes are switchable between a first operation mode that conveys the vessels to the first filler and a second operation mode that conveys the vessels to the second filler instead of conveying to the first filler by controlling the reception of the vessels at the first and second inlet wheels.