An article transfer device (R) comprising a rotating structure bearing cantilevered gripping tongs, each comprising two jaws (11, 12) each on one side of a longitudinal axis (A2) of the tongs and movable relative to each other to maintain a central axis (A1) of the cylindrical portion of the articles intersecting with the longitudinale axis of the tongs regardless of the transverse dimension. The jaws have ends (111, 121) in the same plane (P1), provided with bearing surfaces (1111, 1211) 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 (A3) of the cylindrical portion perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A2) of the tongs and to a central axis (A1) of the cylindrical portion. The end of one of the jaws is extended by a first finger (16), which extends offset from the plane and is angled to be supported on the cylindrical portion beyond the transverse axis. A system comprising such devices.

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 production system for producing and/or filling containers, including beverage bottles, includes modular processing units. Each of the modular processing units includes a stationary operating module configured to produce or process the containers and handling devices. The handling devices are configured to handle the containers between a container entry of the processing unit and a container exit of the processing unit and to position the containers in the operating module. The handling devices are configured such that the processing units are individually replaceable. Alternatively or additionally to this, at least two processing units of a same kind are provided to which the containers are specifically distributable.

An aseptic filling machine and an aseptic filling method are provided with which a petaloid-shape bottle or an unstable bottle is filled with sterilized content and sealed with a sterilized cap in an aseptic atmosphere is discharged without a delay from an aseptic zone to a non-aseptic zone and even if the petaloid-shape bottle or the unstable bottle falls over on a discharging conveyor when being discharged from the aseptic zone to the non-aseptic zone, a stopping time of the aseptic filling machine is shortened by providing a barrier chamber into which air containing a gas of a sterilizer is supplied and a discharge portion chamber that shields discharge portions that are provided downstream of the sealing portion that fills the content into the bottle and seals the bottle with the cap.

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.

The invention relates to a device (1) for gripping and holding PET bottles in filling systems or the like, having a carrier body (3) that can be mounted on a star-shaped element (2) or the like, and spring-loaded gripper arms (7) that can pivot on said carrier body. The aim of the invention is to allow simple, rapid, and low-cost replacement of the gripper arms. To achieve this, a fixing element (11) is positioned between the bearing ends (13) of the gripper arm (7), wherein the bearing ends (13) of the gripper arms comprise an edge recess (14) allowing removal of the gripper arm (7) past the fixing element (11) when a gripper arm (7) is positioned in the extreme opening position.

The present disclose relates to a receptacle handling apparatus, in one implementation, the apparatus includes a filling carousel with filling units adapted tor filling respective receptacles during advancement of the receptacles from a receiving station to a transfer station and a capping carousel with capping units adapted for receiving respective filled receptacles at an Insertion station and adapted to cap said receptacles during advancement from the Insertion station to a release station. The transfer station and the insertion station are spaced apart, and the capping carousel includes gripping units, each having at least one outwardly extensible gripping arm assembly moveable between a retracted and an extracted configuration, such that the gripping arm assembly cooperates with the filling carousel to transfer a relative filled receptacle from the transfer station to the Insertion station.

Transfer star-wheel (1) of containers (100) made of thermoplastic material provided with concave closures (200), comprising: a rotary carousel (2) having a plurality of supporting stations (3) for supporting the containers (100), each supporting station (3) comprising a pocket (4) at the external circumference of the rotary carousel (2) for receiving and supporting the neck (100b) of one of the containers (100), characterized in that each supporting station (3) comprises a striking element (5) located above the corresponding pocket (4), said striking element (5) being configurable in an operative position in which it is in contact with the concave closure (200) of the container (100) supported in the corresponding pocket (4), and a neutral position in which it is spaced from the concave closure (200).

The present invention relates to a packaging method for packaging a pourable product in at least one container, by means of which it is obtained an improvement in the flexibility of the packaging machine configured for carrying out the method with regards to the type of the product which is to be packaged, and to a machine configured for carrying out the method.

To reduce an amount of use of a replacement gas used for replacing air in a container. A gas replacement system includes: a washing machine that washes the container with water; a filling machine that fills the container with a content fluid; a sealing machine that seals the container transferred from the filling machine; a chamber that covers the filling machine and the sealing machine, and contains a replacement gas; and a water discharge mechanism (washing machine) that discharges the water in the container having been carried into the chamber while containing the water out of the container in the chamber. The water in the container is replaced with an ambient gas in the chamber along with the discharge of the water.