A cylinder-and-piston assembly for a bottle attachment apparatus for handling liquids in which the stroke length of the piston of the cylinder-and-piston assembly is delimited by a stroke length stop when suctioning from the cylinder and is delimited by a readjustment stop when exhausting into the cylinder. The readjustment stop is disposed on the piston or on the cylinder housing and interacts with a fixed stop. The readjustment stop is accessible and adjustable by way of a removable seal. The seal is connected by way of ribs to a piston bearing. The readjustment stop is disposed below this removable seal. The seal has a molding and the piston bearing has a counter molding. Displacement of the seal in relation to the piston bearing moves the seal in the longitudinal direction, and by this movement, the seal is removed in a manner that preferably is not capable of re-assembly.

A filling unit (1) for filling containers (90) of a first type, such as bottles, and for filling containers (95) of a second type, such as cans, with a liquid substance (99). The filling unit (1) comprises: a resting plate (12) for a container to be filled; a housing (2) which faces towards the plate (12) and is configured to receive a mouth of the container; a dispenser (3) which opens onto the housing (2) and faces the plate (12), so as to dispense the liquid substance (99) towards the container; a valve (4) which is controllable for allowing and preventing the liquid substance (99) to be dispensed from the dispenser (3). The plate (12) is movable towards or, vice versa, away from the dispenser (3), The housing (2) comprises a bottom wall (24), on which the dispenser (3) opens, and a lateral wall (25), formed at least partly by an annular body (6) that is movable relative to the bottom wall (24), moving towards or, vice versa, away from the plate (12), The housing (2) is fitted with a first annular gasket (21) and a second annular gasket (22): the first annular gasket (21) is smaller in size than the second annular gasket (22) and is positioned on the bottom wall (24); the second annular gasket (22) is mounted on the annular body (6). After a container (90) of the first type has been positioned on the plate (12), the plate (12) is moved towards the dispenser (3) to bring the mouth (91) of the container (90) into contact with the first annular gasket (21). After a container (95) of the second type has been positioned on the plate (12), the annular body (6) of the housing (2) is moved towards the plate (12) to bring the second annular gasket (22) into contact with the mouth (96) of the container (95).

A filling unit (1) for filling containers (90) of a first type, such as bottles, and for filling containers (95) of a second type, such as cans, with a liquid substance (99). The filling unit (1) comprises a housing (2), configured to receive a mouth of the container, and a dispenser (3) for dispensing the liquid substance (99) through a dispensing opening (30) towards the container. The housing (2) comprises a cavity (26) which is delimited by a bottom wall (24), on which the dispenser (3) opens, and by a lateral wall (25) which at least partly has a truncated cone shape. The housing (2) is fitted with a first annular gasket (21) for the mouth (91) of a container (90) of the first type and a second annular gasket (22) for the mouth (96) of a container (95) of the second type. The first annular gasket (21) is smaller in size than the second annular gasket (22) and is positioned on the bottom wall (24) of the housing (2), encircling the dispensing opening (30). The dispenser (3) has a dispensing duct (31) in whose central region a flow modifier (34) is present, configured to impart a rotational motion on the liquid substance (99) passing through the dispensing duct (31), so that the liquid substance (99) comes out of the dispensing opening (30) with a helical flow. When filling a container (90) of the first type, the liquid substance (99) coming out of the dispensing opening (30) is dispensed directly into the mouth (91) of the container (90) and flows onto an internal surface of a lateral wall of the container (90). When filling a container (95) of the second type, the liquid substance (99) coming out of the dispensing opening (30) flows onto the lateral wall (25) of the housing (2) and, after having entered the mouth (96) of the container (95), flows onto an internal surface of a lateral wall of the container (95).

A filling unit (1) for filling containers (90) of a first type, such as bottles, and for filling containers (95) of a second type, such as cans, with a liquid substance (99). The filling unit (1) comprises a dispenser (3), which in use faces towards a mouth of the container to be filled so as to dispense the liquid substance (99) through a dispensing opening (30) towards an internal volume of the container, and a valve (4) which is controllable for allowing and preventing the liquid substance (99) to be dispensed from the dispenser (3). The filling unit (1) further comprises a level sensor (51) for detecting a filled level of the liquid substance (99) in the container, a volume meter (52) for measuring a volume of the liquid substance (99) fed to the dispenser (3), and a control system for controlling the valve (4). The control system is configured to control the valve (4) based on the filled level detected by the level sensor (51), when the filling unit (1) is used for filling a container (90) of the first type, and is configured to control the valve (4) based on the fed volume that is measured by the volume meter, when the filling unit (1) is used for filling a container (95) of the second type.

A filling element has a gas valve that controls flow of gas through a gas channel that extends into or faces the container during filling thereof. The gas valve transitions between discrete states, which includes a fully-open state, a closed state, and one or more partially-open states.

A fluid distribution system includes single use distributor manifolds each having a distributor manifold inlet and a plurality of distributor manifold outlets in fluid communication with the distributor manifold inlet. A set of single use filler manifolds can be sequentially connected to a respective one of the outlets of a single use distributor manifold immediately upstream of the connection point of the set of single use filler manifolds. In embodiments, an upstream distributor manifold can be used to feed fluid to a set of intermediary distributor manifolds where the set of intermediary distributor manifolds corresponds to the number of outlets of the upstream distributor manifold.

A valve block assembly for a bottle attachment apparatus for handling liquids has a valve block, an intake valve insert and/or an exhaust valve insert, and a valve receptacle assigned to the respective valve insert. The valve insert is inserted in a replaceable and sealing manner in the valve receptacle. The valve insert has a stop portion, a fastening portion distinct therefrom and a sealing portion distinct from both. The associated valve receptacle has stop, fastening, and sealing portions matching the equivalent portions of the valve insert. When the valve insert is installed correctly both the stop portions and the sealing portions bear on one another in a planar manner.

A valve block assembly for a bottle attachment apparatus for handling liquids has a valve block, an intake valve insert and/or an exhaust valve insert, and a valve receptacle assigned to the respective valve insert. The valve insert is inserted in a replaceable and sealing manner in the valve receptacle. The valve insert has a stop portion, a fastening portion distinct therefrom and a sealing portion distinct from both. The associated valve receptacle has stop, fastening, and sealing portions matching the equivalent portions of the valve insert. When the valve insert is installed correctly both the stop portions and the sealing portions bear on one another in a planar manner.

A fluid distribution system includes single use distributor manifolds each having a distributor manifold inlet and a plurality of distributor manifold outlets in fluid communication with the distributor manifold inlet. A set of single use filler manifolds can be sequentially connected to a respective one of the outlets of a single use distributor manifold immediately upstream of the connection point of the set of single use filler manifolds. In embodiments, an upstream distributor manifold can be used to feed fluid to a set of intermediary distributor manifolds where the set of intermediary distributor manifolds corresponds to the number of outlets of the upstream distributor manifold.

A device for filling a container with a filling product, preferably for filling a glass container with a beverage in a bottling plant, comprising a filling valve for introducing the filling product into the container to be filled, a control device for controlling the filling valve, and a filling level sensor which communicates with the control device for detecting the presence of a target filling level (H.sub.S) of the filling product in the container, the control device being configured to close the filling valve upon detection of the target filling level (H.sub.S), the control device being configured to determine the presence of the target filling level (H.sub.S) by means of the filling level sensor again after the filling valve has been closed and to initiate an ejection process for the container if it is detected that the target filling level (H.sub.S) has been undershot.