A gripper system includes a gripper module carrier and a gripper module for holding containers or container preforms, the gripper module having a gripper base and two gripper arms with gripping elements for at least partially gripping around a holding region of containers or container preforms, the gripper arms being mounted on the gripper base such that they can pivot relative to one another, the gripper module being releasably connected to the gripper module carrier, wherein the gripper system further includes a locking device for locking the gripper module to the gripper module carrier, and wherein the locking device is movable into a locking position for locking the gripper module to the gripper module carrier.

An apparatus (100) for filling and sealing containers comprises a carousel (401) with a plurality of stations (106) revolving about an axis (104), each station (106) comprising a holder (108) adapted to accommodate a container (110), a filling tool (126) for dispensing a fluid product in the container, and a sealing tool (200) for applying a closure (202) to the container (110); at each station (106), the holder (108) is mobile in a radial direction (R) of the carousel between a first, retracted position substantially aligned with the filling tool (126), and a second, extended position substantially aligned with the sealing tool (200).

A machine for labeling containers includes a rotating carousel with a lower base which supports a plurality of supporting pans for the containers and an upper supporting structure for a plurality of heads which are intended to engage the top portion of the containers. The labeling machine further includes a device for feeding the containers to be labeled to the rotating carousel and a device for unloading the labeled containers. The feeding device includes at least one first device for conveying the containers to be labeled which is provided with first elements for supporting the containers to be labeled at the neck. The labeling machine includes first elements for varying the height of the bottom of the containers to be labeled in order to bring the bottom to substantially the same height as the supporting pans.

A transport module for transporting a container from a container source to a container receiver, the transport module includes a transport route with a transporter, the transport route between a reception area and a transfer area. A first holder configured to receive and hold the container is arranged and configured at the transporter in such a manner, that the container is grasped by the first holder in the reception area and the container is suspendingly transported along the transport route from the reception area to the transfer area, carried by the first holder.

Sterilization is efficiently performed with a small amount of sterilizing agent. A first partition plate separating an upstream zone and a downstream zone is provided with an opening for allowing a container holding section that moves according to rotation of a fifth rotation wheel (transfer rotation wheel) to pass through, and the fifth rotation wheel is disposed across the upstream zone and the downstream zone. A first tunnel that allows the container holding section of the fifth rotation wheel to pass through is provided along a movement path of the container holding section, and a sterilizing nozzle for spraying a sterilizing agent toward the container holding section is provided inside the first tunnel. The first tunnel is provided in the downstream zone, at a position adjacent to the opening where the container holding section passes through at a time of entering the upstream zone from the downstream zone.

An article transfer device includes a rotating structure bearing cantilevered gripping tongs, each including two jaws each on one side of a longitudinal axis of the tongs and movable relative to each other to maintain a central axis of the cylindrical portion of the articles intersecting with the longitudinal axis of the tongs regardless of the transverse dimension. The jaws have ends in the same plane, provided with bearing surfaces facing one another to form together a centring V of the cylindrical portion and a length such that they extend back from a transverse axis of the cylindrical portion perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tongs and to a central axis of the cylindrical portion. The end of one of the jaws is extended by a first finger extending offset from the plane and is supported on the cylindrical portion beyond the transverse axis. A system includes such devices.

The present invention relates to a rotor of an apparatus for forming and/or filling containers made from preforms. The object of the invention is to propose a rotor of such an apparatus, that allows the preforms or the filled containers to be transferred with reduced forces to a processing station downstream. This object is achieved by a rotor 100 of such an apparatus having a rotational axis A and having processing stations that rotate about the rotational axis for receiving preforms or containers, wherein the processing stations move along a closed path 1 about the rotational axis A, which is characterized in that the distance of path 1 from the rotational axis A varies depending upon the position on path 1, and the radius of curvature of path 1 in at least one section 12 is greater than the greatest distance of path 1 from the rotational axis A.

A holding device for holding a container, for example for holding a container in a transport device of a beverage filling plant is described. The holding device includes a fastening part and two gripping arms, which are pivotably connected to the fastening part and can be brought into a closed position in order to hold the container and can be brought into an open position in order to insert and remove the container. A preloaded elastic bow is disposed between the gripping arms, and the elastic bow can be brought into a first position, in which the gripping arms are in the open position, and into a second position, in which the gripping arms are in the closed position. The preload of the elastic bow in the first position holds the gripping arms in the open position and the preload of the elastic bow in the second position holds the gripping arms in the closed position.

A device for transporting containers in a beverage filling plant is provided. The device has at least one first clamp, which can be pivoted between an open switching position and a closed switching position and is disposed in a pivoting plane, for holding a container of a first container size, and one second clamp, which can be pivoted between an open switching position and a closed switching position and is disposed in the pivoting plane, for holding a container of a second container size. A first control cam is provided for controlling the switching position of the first clamp and a second control cam is provided for controlling the switching position of the second clamp. The first control cam is disposed in a first control plane parallel to the pivoting plane, and the second control cam is disposed in a second control plane parallel to the pivoting plane. The first control plane and the second control plane are spaced apart from each other.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for filling orders with used container. A system for filling orders comprises an order database storing a plurality of orders, a used container database storing dimensions of a plurality of used containers, and a control circuit coupled to the order database and the used container database. The control circuit being configured to: determine a container requirement of an order in the order database based on dimensions of products in the order, determine whether an available used container in the used container database meets the container requirement of the order, in an event that an used container meets the container requirement of the order, assign the used container to the order, and in an event that no available used container meets the container requirement of the order, select a new container for the order.