Disclosed is a container treatment apparatus for transporting plastic containers and in particular plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path, wherein the container treatment apparatus has at least one transport device having a plurality of holding elements, wherein the transport device is a pitch distribution starwheel having a movement device configured to allow movement of the holding elements in at least two planes.

Disclosed is a container treatment apparatus and treatment method, in particular a container sterilisation apparatus, having a plurality of transport devices for transporting a container along a predetermined transport path, at least one of the transport devices having at least one holding device for holding at least one container during container treatment and/or transport along the transport path, the transport device having a rotatable carrier and a plurality of holding elements arranged on this carrier, wherein a holding element in a first sector, in which a container is received, having a height with respect to a perpendicular projection of the transport path which is different from that in a second sector in which a container is dispensed, and wherein a sector in which an at least partial compensation of the height difference of the holding elements takes place lies along a direction of rotation of the carrier after the second sector and before the first sector.

A container treatment apparatus includes a transport apparatus for transporting containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein the transport apparatus has at least one transport device (100) for transporting the containers (100) and at least one container treatment device (150) for treating the container in a predetermined manner, wherein the transport devices include a rotatable carrier on which a plurality of holding elements (40) for holding at least one container is arranged. The container treatment device is arranged to treat the containers transported by the transport device and the holding element is rotatable such that the container held by the holding element is rotatable with respect to its longitudinal direction and the container treatment apparatus includes a monitoring device for monitoring the rotational movement of the containers.

Disclosed is a container treatment apparatus, in particular a container sterilisation apparatus, having a plurality of transport devices for transporting a container along a predetermined transport path, at least one of the transport devices having at least one holding device for holding at least one container during container treatment and/or transport along the transport path , the transport device having a rotatable carrier and a plurality of holding elements arranged on this carrier, wherein a holding element in a first sector, in which a container is received, having a height with respect to a perpendicular projection of the transport path which is different from that in a second sector in which a container is dispensed, and wherein a sector in which an at least partial compensation of the height difference of the holding elements takes place lies along a direction of rotation of the carrier after the second sector and before the first sector. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for the treatment, in particular the sterilisation, of containers.

Apparatus for producing plastic containers has a heating device having a transport device for transporting the plastic preforms singly along a predefined transport path. The transport device has a plurality of holding devices for holding the plastic preforms, and at least one heating unit for heating the plastic preforms, wherein furthermore a rotating device is provided which rotates the plastic preforms held by the holding devices and is connected to a forming device, which transforms the plastic preforms transported by the heating device into plastic containers. The apparatus has an alignment device which enables alignment of the rotational position of the plastic preforms with respect to their longitudinal direction relative to the holding devices holding these plastic preforms and/or the apparatus has a rotational position alignment device arranged along the transport path which enables alignment of a rotational position of the holding devices with the plastic preforms arranged thereon.

A transforming device for transforming plastic preforms into plastic containers, comprising a blow-molding device which forms a cavity inside which the plastic preforms can be transformed into the plastic containers through the application of a flowable medium, wherein the blow-molding device has at least two side parts which are arranged at least indirectly on blow-mold carriers, wherein the side parts are arranged on the blow-mold carriers by an attachment device is provided. The attachment device also has a return which, at least temporarily during a working mode, pushes at least one side part towards the blow-mold carrier on which the side part is arranged.

The invention relates to a machine for production of containers that are filled with a liquid product from preforms made from a thermoplastic material. The problem addressed by the invention is the proposing of such a machine which is easy to clean and disinfect. This problem is solved in that a machine comprises a heating section (1) for thermal conditioning of the preforms in a drying region (2) of the machine, a molding and filling section (3) for simultaneous molding and filling of the containers within a mold by a filled product inserted into the preforms under pressure in a wet region (4) of the machine and transport wheels (5, 6, 7, 8, 10) for transporting the preforms or the molded containers through the machine, wherein the distance of adjacent preforms is smaller in the heating section (1) than in the molding and filling section (3). The enlarging of the distances of the preforms between the heating section (1) and the molding and filling section (3) is performed by means of a transfer wheel (11) and the drying region (2) of the machine is separated from the wet region (4) of the machine by a lock (13) having a lock chamber (14). The machine is characterized in that the transfer wheel (11) for enlarging the distances of the preforms is arranged in whole or at least in part before the lock (13) in the drying region (2).

The invention concerns a method for managing captive preforms immobilized in a heating station during an interruption of production, the preforms following a production stream, the heating station including a device for conveying preforms and a heating cavity bordered by at least one row of emitters of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation. The method consists in ejecting from the production stream the cold captive preforms that have been immobilized before they have been exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a recycling stream and rejecting from the production stream the hot captive preforms that have been at least partly exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a reject stream separate from the recycling stream.

A molded article supply apparatus is provided in a transport device 30 having transport members 20 on which molded articles 1 having mouths 2 are held in an inverted state, with the mouths 2 facing downward, and which are provided with rod members 22 to be inserted into the molded articles 1; and a transport path 31 on which the transport members 20 are continuously transported. The molded article supply apparatus comprises a supply unit 110 disposed above the transport path 31, for holding the molded articles 1 at predetermined intervals and lowering the molded articles 1, while transporting the molded articles 1 in synchronization with movement of the transport members 20, to supply the molded articles 1 to the transport members 20.

The invention relates to devices and to methods for transporting preforms in the region of a blow-molding machine, in particular a sorting device (10) for transporting preforms (20) composed of a thermoplastic material in the region of a blow-molding machine for the blow-molding of containers, comprising a transportation wheel (12), which has a plurality of accommodating recesses (18) for accommodating and conveying the preforms (20), which accommodating recesses are arranged on the circumference of the transportation wheel in such a way that the accommodating recesses are distributed in the circumferential direction, a guide collar (16), which extends circumferentially around the transportation wheel (12) in some regions in such a way that the guide collar is radially spaced apart from the transportation wheel, wherein the preforms (20) are transported in suspension between the transportation wheel (12) and the guide collar (16) in the region of the sorting device (10), and a selection unit for selectively removing a respective individual preform (20) transported in one of the accommodating recesses (18) of the transportation wheel (12), wherein the selection unit comprises a pivotable ejecting star (14) with a plurality of ejecting arms (31), which ejecting star, when in the idle position, reaches into the peripheral region of the transportation wheel (12) by means of a first ejecting arm (31) immediately adjacent to the guide collar (16) in the transportation direction of the preforms (20), in such a way that the preforms (20) in the accommodating recesses (18) that are transported past the first ejecting arm (31) are secured against unintentionally falling out, wherein the ejecting star (14), in the event of a rotational motion, pushes an individual preform (20), which is marked for removal, out of one of the accommodating recesses (18) of the transportation wheel (12) by means of a second ejecting arm (32) following after the first ejecting arm (31), and wherein, in a recurring manner after the preform (20) marked for removal has been pushed out, the second ejecting arm (31) takes on the securing of the preforms (20) transported past the second ejecting arm against falling out of the accommodating recesses (18).