Equipment for handling various containers

An apparatus for handling various sized containers comprising:

• a carrier for transporting containers, said carrier including:
• a pair of side plates in spaced opposed relation;
• and
• at least one groove in each said side plate of said pair of side plates, each said at least one groove of said one side plate being opposed to the other said at least one groove in the other said side plate, thereby comprising a pair of grooves;
• and
• at least one flexible container holder for holding various sized containers, said flexible container holder being slidably received in said pair of grooves, said flexible container holder including a holding member having a central hole therein, said holding member having means for centering, exerting a holding force on, and releasably retaining a container, said flexible container holder including a holding frame for detachably retaining said holding member, and said flexible container holder including at least two different adaptor plates which are respectively individually detachably secured to said holding frame one at a time for releasably retaining said holding member against said holding frame, each adaptor plate of said at least two adaptor plates engaging said holding member for causing said holding member to exert a holding force on the container which is individual to the particular adaptor plate, and one of said at least two adaptor plates being interchangeable with another one of said at least two adaptor plates for effecting a different holding force of said holding member on the container;
• and
• at least one apparatus being connected to said carrier, said at least one apparatus being selected from the group of apparatuses consisting of means for casing, uncasing, cleaning, filling, capping, sealing, and sterilizing containers held by said carrier holder.

An apparatus for changing the temperature of containers, said apparatus comprising:

• a carrier for transporting containers, said carrier including:
• a pair of side plates in spaced opposed relation;
• at least one groove in each said side plate of said pair of side plates, each said at least one groove of said one side plate being opposed to the other said at least one groove in the other said side plate, thereby comprising a pair of grooves;
• and
• at least one flexible container holder for holding various sized containers, said flexible container holder being slidably received in said pair of grooves, said flexible container holder including a holding member having a central hole therein, said holding member having means for centering, exerting a holding force on, and releasably retaining a container, said flexible container holder including a holding frame for detachably retaining said holding member, and said flexible container holder including at least two different adaptor plates which are respectively individually detachably secured to said holding frame one at a time for releasably retaining said holding member against said holding frame, each adaptor plate of said at least two adaptor plates engaging said holding member for causing said holding member to exert a holding force on the container which is individual to the particular adaptor plate, and one of said at least two adaptor plates being interchangeable with another one of said at least two adaptor plates for effecting a different holding force of said holding member on the container;
• means for repeatedly turning said carrier, whereby a container which is held by said container holder is repeatedly turned;
• and
• means connected to said carrier for changing the temperature of the containers as the containers are repeatedly turned by said turning means.