Beverage bottling plant having an information adding station for adding information to bottles and a method of operating a beverage bottling plant information adding station

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, a rotary beverage bottle closing machine, and a rotary beverage bottle information adding machine;
• a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey beverage bottles to be filled to said beverage bottle filling 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 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;
• a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled beverage bottles from said beverage bottle filling machine to said beverage bottle closing machine;
• said beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles;
• 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;
• a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled, closed beverage bottles from said beverage bottle closing machine to said beverage bottle information adding machine;
• said beverage bottle information adding machine being configured and disposed to add information to filled, closed beverage bottles;
• and
• said beverage bottle information adding 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 support structures being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
• said beverage bottle support structures being configured to support and hold filled, closed beverage bottles;
• a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles into said beverage bottle information adding machine;
• a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle information adding machine;
• at least one beverage bottle information adding device being configured and disposed to add information to the surface of a beverage bottle;
• a sensor unit being configured and disposed to sense a diameter of a bottle;
• a computer control device being configured and disposed to determine the deviation of the diameter of a bottle from at least one stored nominal diameter of a bottle corresponding to the bottle being sent;
• said computer control device being configured and disposed to send a signal via a connection to adjust said bottle support structure to compensate for the sensed position upon sensing a deviation of the diameter of a bottle;
• and
• said at least one beverage bottle information adding station being configured and disposed to apply information on a bottle to compensate for the deviation of the diameter of a bottle, upon said computer control device sensing a deviation of the diameter of a bottle.