A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
- said beverage bottling plant comprising:
- a plurality of rotary machines, comprising at least a rotary beverage bottle filling machine and a rotary beverage bottle closing machine;
- said beverage bottle filling machine being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
- said beverage bottle filling machine comprising:
- a plurality of beverage bottle filling elements for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
- each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold bottles to be filled;
- each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense liquid beverage material into bottles to be filled;
- at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a liquid to be bottled;
- at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said beverage bottle filling machine to supply liquid beverage material to said beverage bottle filling machine;
- a first beverage bottle filling machine conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles into said beverage bottle filling machine;
- said first beverage bottle filling machine conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
- a second beverage bottle filling machine conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle filling machine;
- said second beverage bottle filling machine conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
- at least one of said plurality of rotary machines comprising a bearing arrangement being configured to permit rotation of said rotor in at least one of said plurality of rotary machines;
- said bearing arrangement comprising:
- a shaft being disposed vertically;
- a sleeve being configured and disposed to encircle at least a portion of said shaft;
- an annular space being disposed between said sleeve and said shaft;
- said annular space being configured to hold a lubricant material;
- a lower gasket being configured and disposed to close the lower portion of said annular space;
- an upper gasket being configured and disposed to close the upper portion of said annular space;
- at least two bearings being disposed in said annular space, between said shaft and said sleeve;
- said at least two bearings comprising a lower bearing being disposed in the lower portion of said sleeve and an upper bearing being disposed in the upper portion of said sleeve;
- said lower bearing being closer to said lower gasket than said upper bearing, and said upper bearing being closer to said upper gasket than said lower bearing;
- said annular space extending from said lower bearing to said upper gasket;
- said annular space being configured to permit movement of lubricant material from adjacent said lower bearing to adjacent said upper gasket;
- a bearing arrangement lubrication system;
- said bearing arrangement lubrication system comprising:
- a lower lubrication duct being disposed in the lower portion of said sleeve;
- said lower lubrication duct comprising a vertical duct portion being disposed to run parallel to said shaft and a horizontal duct portion being disposed perpendicularly to said vertical duct portion and being disposed to operatively connect to said annular space;
- said lower lubrication duct being disposed adjacent said at least one bearing;
- a lubricant inlet being configured and disposed to permit a lubricant material to be introduced into said lower lubrication duct;
- said lower lubrication duct extending from said lubricant inlet to said lower bearing;
- said lower lubrication duct being configured and disposed to permit the flow of a lubricant material into said annular space;
- an upper lubrication duct being disposed in the upper portion of said sleeve;
- said upper lubrication duct being disposed perpendicularly to said annular space, and being disposed to operatively connect to said annular space;
- a removable closing element being configured and disposed to seal said upper lubrication duct;
- said upper lubrication duct extending from said removable closing element to said upper gasket;
- said removable closing element being configured to permit the flow of air out of said upper lubrication duct upon the introduction of a lubricant material into said lubrication system;
- said bottling plant further comprising a beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles and comprising:
- a rotor;
- a rotatable vertical machine column;
- said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;
- a plurality of closing devices disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
- each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled bottles;
- each of said plurality of closing devices being configured and disposed to place closures on bottles upon bottles being filled;
- a first beverage bottle closing machine conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move bottles into said beverage bottle closing machine;
- said first beverage bottle closing machine conveyor arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
- a second beverage bottle closing machine conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move bottles out of said beverage bottle closing machine;
- said second beverage bottle closing machine conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure.