A method for format adaptation of carriages for the transportation of bottles on a linear motor system and a corresponding linear motor system are described. According thereto, container guides provided on the carriages are adapted to the body cross-section of the bottles by adjusting a guide width in an automated manner between guide jaws of the container guides which in relation to the direction of travel are the leading and trailing ones. There is then no need to replace component parts at the container guides, and the production in filling systems is optimised in terms of staff requirements, resultant production stoppages, and error sources.

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 filling plant for handling bottles as required, has at least one bottle handling device, a first supply line which supplies a first bottle type and at least one further supply line which provides a first further bottle type, the first further bottle type differing in shape and/or size from the first bottle type. In order to increase the flexibility, to reduce the inventory and nevertheless to meet the requirements for mass production, the filling plant also has a sorter which is configured to remove bottles selectively and arbitrarily from each of the supply lines, to line up the bottles in a predetermined order on a forward section and to deliver them to the bottle handling device in the predetermined order. The predetermined order can be chosen freely.

A gas stem assembly is disclosed including a vent tube having at least one protrusion extending radially from the vent tube and a receiver having a non-circular opening and an attachment surface at an end of the non-circular opening. The vent tube is at least partially insertable through the non-circular opening of the receiver when the vent tube and the at least one protrusion are aligned with the non-circular opening. The attachment surface of the receiver contacts the at least one protrusion to inhibit the at least one protrusion from passing back through the non-circular opening when the at least one protrusion is misaligned with the non-circular opening.

A method of connecting a vent tube to a bottling machine comprising providing a vent tube having a vent tube alignment mechanism, a receiver defining a through-opening and a receiver alignment mechanism, and a biasing mechanism for biasing against at least a portion of the vent tube. Aligning the vent tube with the through-opening and the vent tube alignment mechanism with the receiver alignment mechanism, inserting the vent tube into the receiver against the biasing mechanism, rotating the vent tube such that the vent tube alignment mechanism is not aligned with the receiver alignment mechanism, and locking the vent tube to the receiver using the biasing mechanism to bias the vent tube alignment mechanism out of alignment with the receiver alignment mechanism to form a positive locking feature that keeps the vent tube connected to the receiver throughout bottling machine operations.

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.

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 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 multi-purpose container-handler includes a carrier for receiving and carrying the container, a handling station extending along a vertical axis, and a filling-and-closing member arranged on the handling station, connected to a filling product supply and a closure supply, and configured to both fill and close the container at the handling station. The filling-and-closing member comprises a filling valve and a mating holder, both of which are above the carrier. The carrier and the mating holder carry out controlled vertical movement relative to one another to cause the carrier and the mating holder to transition between a starting position, a filling position, and a closing position. The mating holder and the carrier are configured such that either mating holder or carrier generates a controlled force, which is either being a closing force directed vertically downward or a holding force directed vertically upwards.

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.