Cleaning, filling, and capping containers

A cap setter for capping a container, the cap setter comprising:

• a bar with an engagement surface having a constant radius, the engagement surface positioned to engage caps on each container of a set of the containers such that the caps are pressed radially towards an associated container of the set of the containers;
• wherein the cap setter comprises an inclined edge along the bar;
• and
• wherein the cap setter comprises linear actuators operable to adjust a distance of the bar from the central axis of the rotary assembly, wherein the linear actuators are connected to a passive limit switch that detects whether a detected container includes two caps and prevents double capping by detecting two signals when the detected container does not include any cap, one signal when the detected container includes a single cap, and zero signals when the detected container includes two caps, and the switch controls the linear actuators so that the linear actuators adjust the distance of the bar when the switch detects that the detected container includes two caps.

An apparatus for filling and sealing a container, the apparatus comprising:

• a portable housing having an opening for receiving containers;
• a rotary assembly disposed in the housing, the rotary assembly comprising a plurality of mount assemblies, each mount assembly configured to hold a set of the containers, the rotary assembly operable to rotate the plurality of mount assemblies about a central axis of the rotary assembly;
• a washing station disposed in the housing;
• a filling station disposed in the housing;
• a steam injector disposed in the housing, the steam injector comprising:
• an inline steam generator operable to heat water to steam;
• and
• discharge piping coupled to the inline steam generator to receive steam from the inline steam generator and configured to inject equal amounts of steam onto each cap of a set of caps as a set of containers of a mount assembly approaches or is aligned with the steam injector;
• and
• a capping station disposed in the housing, the capping station comprising a cap setter, the cap setter comprising a bar with an engagement surface positioned to engage caps on each container of the set of the containers of the mount assembly aligned with the steam injector such that each cap is pressed radially towards an associated container of the set of the containers of the mount assembly aligned with the steam injector;
• and
• a water heating system disposed in the housing, the water heating system comprising:
• an immersion heater installed directly into a hot water holding tank, and
• a distribution manifold having a lower thermal conductivity than the water heater, the manifold being external to the hot water holding tank.