Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material, a container filling plant container information adding station, such as, a labeling station, configured to add information to containers, such as, bottles and cans, and modules for labeling stations

A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material, said beverage bottling plant comprising:

• a filling machine being configured to fill empty bottles with liquid beverage filling material;
• a conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move empty bottles to said filling machine;
• said beverage filling machine comprising a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling bottles with liquid beverage filling material;
• said filling devices comprising an apparatus being configured to introduce a predetermined volume of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of bottles to a substantially predetermined level of liquid beverage filling material;
• said apparatus being configured to introduce a predetermined volume of liquid beverage filling material comprising an apparatus being configured to terminate the filling of beverage bottles upon liquid beverage filling material reaching said substantially predetermined level in bottles;
• a closing station being configured and disposed to close filled bottles;
• a conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to transfer filled bottles from said filling machine to said closing station;
• a labeling station being configured and disposed to receive bottles to be labeled;
• a conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to convey bottles to said labeling station;
• said labeling station comprising:
• a frame structure, said frame structure having an axis disposed vertically;
• a turntable structure being configured and disposed to rotate about said vertical axis of said frame structure, said turntable structure having a peripheral region;
• a drive arrangement being configured and disposed to rotate said turntable structure about said vertical axis of said frame structure;
• a plurality of support tables being configured to support and to rotate a bottle;
• said support tables being disposed at said peripheral region of said turntable structure;
• each support table having an axis disposed vertically about which vertical axis a support table can rotate;
• each support table comprising a drive arrangement being configured and disposed to rotate its corresponding support table about its vertical support table axis, to permit rotation of a bottle supported on a support table;
• a plurality of modules comprising:
• a first module comprising:
• at least one camera being configured and disposed to produce an image representative of the actual rotational position of a bottle supported on its corresponding support table adjacent said first module and to output signals representative of the image representative of the actual rotational position of a bottle;
• a computer being configured and disposed to receive from said camera the output signals representative of the actual rotational position of a bottle, to compare the image representative of the actual rotational position with an image representative of a preset rotational position, and to output signals, to the drive arrangement of an adjacent support table, to energize the drive arrangement and thus to rotate to a first position said adjacent support table and a supported bottle;
• a second module comprising:
• at least one camera being configured and disposed to produce an image representative of the actual rotational position of a bottle supported on its corresponding support table adjacent said second module and to output signals representative of the image representative of the actual rotational position of a bottle;
• a computer being configured and disposed to receive from said camera of said second module the output signals representative of the actual rotational position of a bottle, to compare the image representative of the actual rotational position with an image representative of a preset rotational position, and to output signals, to the drive arrangement of said support table adjacent said second module, to energize the drive arrangement and thus to rotate to a second position said support table adjacent said second module and a supported bottle;
• said second position being of greater precision than said first position;
• a third module being configured and disposed to affix a label to a bottle disposed in said second position on a support table adjacent said third module;
• a fourth module being configured and disposed to print information on the label affixed to a bottle by said third, labeling, module;
• and
• a fifth module being configured and disposed to inspect for the presence of a label on a bottle, and to determine the position of a label on a bottle;
• each of said modules comprising a first coupling structure;
• a plurality of second coupling structures, each being connected to said frame structure;
• each first coupling structure being configured to be connectable to and to be disconnectable from its corresponding second coupling structure;
• and
• each module being configured, upon connection to a second coupling structure, to be disposed adjacent moving bottles supported on said support tables.