Method and an arrangement on packing machines

In a method for sterilizing parts of a packing machine of the type wherein packing material is shaped and filled with contents through a pipe having two feed ducts, the steps of:

• internally sterilizing the insides of the feed ducts by connecting the outlet ends of the feed ducts to each other by means of a connecting element to form a closed flow path and passing a sterilizing agent through the closed flow path, and thereafter
• interrupting the flow path by detaching the connecting element from the outlet ends of the feed ducts and placing the connecting element into the packing material tube, and
• externally sterilizing the outside of the filling pipe by introducing a sterilizing agent between the pipe and material surrounding the pipe.

In a packing machine of the type wherein packing material is shaped and filled with contents, an arrangement comprising:

• a filling pipe having a lower end and including two feed ducts, said feed ducts having outlet ends,
• a connecting element joined to said lower end of said filling pipe and connecting said outlet ends of said feed ducts to each other, and
• detachment permitting means for permitting the connecting element to detach from the lower end of the filling pipe when a pressure in the filling pipe exceeds a predetermined value.

In a method for sterilizing parts of a packing machine of the type wherein packing material is shaped and filled with contents through a pipe having two feed ducts, the steps of:

• internally sterilizing the insides of the feed ducts by connecting the outlet ends of the feed ducts to each other to form a closed flow path and passing a sterilizing agent through the closed flow path, and thereafter
• interrupting the flow path and externally sterilizing the outside of the filling pipe by introducing a sterilizing agent between the pipe and the material which surrounds the pipe and which extends substantially vertically and has a closed lower end,
• wherein during the internal sterilization the feed ducts are connected to each other by means of a connecting element held in position by means of a safety device which is removed before the connection between the feed ducts in interrupted, the connecting element being detached from the filling pipe to interrupt the flow path, and being placed into the packing material tube.

In a method for sterilizing parts of a packing machine of the type wherein packing material is shaped and filled with contents through a pipe having two feed ducts, the steps of:

• internally sterilizing the insides of the feed ducts by connecting the outlet ends of the feed ducts to each other to form a closed flow path and passing a sterilizing agent through the closed flow path, and thereafter
• interrupting the flow path and externally sterilizing the outside of the filling pipe by introducing a sterilizing agent between the pipe and the material which surrounds the pipe and which extends substantially vertically and has a closed lower end,
• wherein during the internal sterilization the feed ducts are connected to each other by means of a connecting element which is detached from the filling pipe when the connecting is interrupted and is placed into the packing material tube, the connecting element being detached through mechanical action from inside of the filling pipe.