A method of operating a beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising:
- a beverage bottle filling machine being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
- a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey beverage bottles to said beverage bottle filling machine;
- a beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles;
- a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled beverage bottles to said beverage bottle closing machine;
- a beverage bottle packing machine being configured and disposed to pack closed, filled beverage bottles;
- a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey closed, filled beverage bottles to said beverage bottle packing machine;
- a beverage bottle forming machine being configured and disposed to form beverage bottles;
- a central control system being operatively connected to each of said machines to monitor and control the operation thereof;
- said beverage bottle filling machine 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 beverage bottle filling elements for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
- each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold beverage bottles to be filled;
- each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense liquid beverage material into beverage bottles to be filled;
- at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a supply of liquid beverage material;
- 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 star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles into said beverage bottle filling machine;
- and a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle filling machine;
- said beverage bottle forming machine 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 beverage bottle forming arrangements for forming beverage bottles being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
- each of said plurality of beverage bottle forming arrangements comprising:
- a mold being configured to mold blown, plastic material into a beverage bottle;
- said mold comprising two movable side portions disposed opposite one another and a movable bottom portion;
- said movable bottom portion being configured and disposed to insert a beverage bottle sleeve in between said two movable side portions;
- said two movable side portions being configured and disposed to hold a beverage bottle sleeve there between;
- a movable blower head being configured and disposed to insert a beverage bottle blank into said mold;
- and said movable blower head being configured and disposed to blow air into a beverage bottle blank to expand the blank against the interior of said mold to form a beverage bottle, and to press a portion of the outer surface of the beverage bottle against the inner surface of a beverage bottle sleeve in said mold to connect the beverage bottle sleeve to the beverage bottle;
- and a star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle forming machine;
- said beverage bottle closing machine 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 being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
- each of said plurality of closing devices being configured and disposed to place closures on filled beverage bottles;
- each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled beverage bottles;
- a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles into said beverage bottle closing machine;
- and a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle closing machine;
- said beverage bottle packing machine comprising:
- a sorting arrangement being configured and disposed to sort and group beverage bottles into groups;
- and a packaging arrangement being configured and disposed to package the groups of beverage bottles;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- moving beverage bottles to said filling machine;
- moving beverage bottles into said filling machine;
- filling beverage bottles with a liquid beverage material in said filling machine;
- moving filled beverage bottles out of said filling machine;
- moving filled beverage bottles to said closing machine;
- moving filled beverage bottles into said machine;
- closing filled beverage bottles with a closure in said closing machine;
- prior to filling beverage bottles in said filling machine, moving beverage bottle blanks into said beverage bottle forming machine;
- inserting with said blower heads beverage bottle blanks into said molds;
- inserting with said movable bottom portions beverage bottle sleeves into said molds;
- blowing air into beverage bottle blanks in said molds and expanding the blanks against the interiors of said molds to form beverage bottles and to press a portion of the outer surface of the beverage bottles against the inner surfaces of the beverage bottle sleeves in said molds to connect the beverage bottle sleeves to the beverage bottles;
- moving beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle forming machine and to said beverage bottle filling machine;
- moving filled, closed beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle closing machine;
- moving filled, closed beverage bottles to said packing machine;
- sorting filled, closed beverage bottles;
- grouping filled, closed, sorted beverage bottles;
- and
- packaging filled, closed, sorted, grouped beverage bottles in packages.