A filling unit (1) comprises: a plate (12) for resting a container to be filled; a housing (2) facing the plate (12) to receive container's mouth; a dispenser (3) which opens onto the housing (2) to dispense liquid substance towards the container. The plate (12) is movable towards or, vice versa, away from the dispenser (3). The housing (2) comprises a bottom wall (24), fitted with a first annular gasket (21), and an annular body (6), movable relative to the bottom wall (24) and fitted with a second annular gasket (22). With a container (90) of a first type positioned on the plate (12), the plate (12) is moved towards the dispenser (3) to bring container's mouth (91) into contact with the first annular gasket (21). With a container (95) of a second type positioned on the plate (12), the annular body (6) is moved towards the plate (12) to bring the second annular gasket (22) into contact with container's mouth (96).

A plant (1) for filling and closing cans (2) under hygienic conditions which comprises a hygienic compartment (3), a lid applying device (7) and an inlet (30) for a filling material. The lid applying device (7) is arranged in the hygienic compartment (3) and the inlet (30) is formed on the hygienic compartment (3). When used as intended, one or more cans (2) can be assigned to the hygienic compartment (3) and the hygienic compartment (3) can be moved together with the can(s) (2) in the system (1).

A filling unit (1) configured to receive container's mouth, and a dispenser (3) for dispensing liquid substance 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 dispenser (3) has a dispensing duct (31) with a flow modifier (34) to impart a rotational motion so that the liquid substance comes out with a helical flow. When filling a container (90) of the first type, the liquid substance is dispensed directly into container's mouth (91) and flows onto an internal surface of container's lateral wall. When filling a container (95) of a second type, the liquid substance flows onto the lateral wall (25) of the housing (2) and, after having entered container's mouth (96), flows onto an internal surface of container's lateral wall.

Provided is a production line management system for managing a manufacturing line for containers. The production line management system includes a first reading unit for reading an identification code applied to each of the containers when the container with the identification code indicating an identifier being information identifying the container passes through a first point on the manufacturing line, a second reading unit for reading the identification code applied to each of the containers after the first reading unit reads the identification code, and a computing unit for generating a database in which the identifier indicated by the identification code and relevant information about each of the containers are associated, and determining normality/abnormality of each of the containers by comparing the relevant information associated in the database with the identifier indicated by the identification code read in the second reading unit with predetermined setting information.

A machine (100) for filling containers (90) of a first type and for filling containers (95) of a second type comprises a carousel filler (1), a first device (11) for loading the containers onto the carousel filler (1), a second device (12) for removing the containers (90) of the first type from the carousel filler (1), and a third device (3) for removing the containers (95) of the second type from the carousel filler (1). The carousel filler (1) is equipped with a plurality of filling units (2), each comprising a plate (21) for resting one of the containers and a filling head (22) for filling that container. The first device (11), the second device (12) and the third device (3) are positioned in respective angular positions on a circumferential path of the carousel filler (1), the third device (3) being between the first device (11) and the second device (12). The third device (3) in an operating condition removes the containers on the plates (21) passing through the angular position of the third device (3), whereas the third device (3) in a non-operating condition allows the containers on the passing-through plates (21) to continue towards the second device (12).

A container-handling apparatus, in particular a filling machine for filling cans or similar containers with liquid contents, has a first transporter for a container infeed, a downstream rotor with a plurality of handling positions for handling the containers, and a second transporter downstream of the rotor and forming a container outfeed. The second transporter is a chain conveyor with at least one guide finger having first and second guide portion, which receives the as yet unsealed containers and guides them by the first guide portion initially along a first, at least partially curved transport path portion, continuously in contact with a guide rail, before the second guide portion of the guide finger then conveys the container on a straight, second transport path portion along the container treatment path.

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 method and apparatus of filing beer for craft breweries combines pressurized beer delivery (rather than gravity feed) with variable pressure control of the beer flow into the can. By modulating beer flow and especially beer pressure, it is possible to fill a can's widget (gas reservoir) with gas with a shorter set of fill steps. In addition, the speed of beer filling can be dramatically increased compared to small scale systems normally used by craft brewers. Unlike known large scale pressure systems, the beer bowl may be located beneath the rest of the apparatus and modulated pressure may be used, making for a smaller and more portable unit.

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).