System for blow-molding, filling and capping containers

Apparatus for efficiently blow-molding, filling and capping plastic containers blown from pre-forms having a neck finish, comprising:

• first means for advancing a plurality of preforms in sequence under positive control while pre-heating them in an oven;
• means for transferring, the preforms under positive control from said pre-heat oven and into a blow-mold;
• means for blowing the preforms into containers in the blow-mold;
• means gripping said neck finish for discharging the blown containers under positive control from said blow-mold;
• and
• second means gripping said neck finish for advancing the containers under positive control while filling the containers and capping the filled containers;
• whereby container preforms and resulting containers are maintained under continuous positive control throughout the entire container manufacturing and filling and capping process.

In an automated blow-molded plastic container filling process wherein containers having necks with finishes are delivered to a filling machine having a fill nozzle with a discharge port for charging the containers with a liquid as they advance in tandem, the improvement comprising the steps of:

• sterilizing each container interior,
• gripping each container by its neck finish for advancing the container in the filling machine,
• tilting each container as it advances, and while tilted,
• flowing the liquid into the container through its neck while maintaining the fill nozzle stationary relative to the path of movement of the neck.

A process for efficiently filling and capping in a sterile environment plastic containers blown from pre-forms having a neck finish, comprising the steps of:

• blowing the preforms into containers in a blow-mold;
• discharging the blown containers under positive control from said blow-mold while gripping them by their neck finishes;
• introducing said neck finish gripped blown containers into a sterile enclosure;
• and
• advancing the containers in said sterile enclosure by gripping them by their neck finishes while filling the containers and capping the filled containers;
• whereby containers are maintained under continuous positive control throughout the container sterilization, filling and capping process.

Apparatus for efficiently filling and capping in a sterile environment plastic containers blown from pre-forms having a neck finish, comprising:

• means for blowing the preforms into containers in a blow-mold;
• a sterile enclosure for containing a sterilized gaseous medium adjacent said blow-mold;
• means for discharging the blown containers under positive control from said blow-mold and transferring them into said sterile enclosure while gripping them by their neck finishes, and
• means for gripping said neck finishes while advancing the containers under positive control during filling the containers and capping the filled containers in said sterile enclosure;
• whereby containers are maintained under continuous positive control throughout the entire container sterilization, filling and capping process.