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US 7,401,444 B2Granted
Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material having an information adding station
AssigneeKHS Maschinen- und Anlagenbau AG
InventorsKlaus Krämer, Siegmar Sindermann, Martin Schach, Winfried Schlüter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material having an information adding station.
Claims20
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 label filled, closed beverage bottles;
- 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 labeled 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 a beverage bottle;
- said at least one beverage bottle information adding device being disposed to the side of said rotor outside the perimeter of said rotor;
- centering elements being disposed on the floor of said beverage bottling plant and separate from said rotor and vertical machine column;
- and
- said at least one beverage bottle information adding device being connected to and centered by said centering elements.
39 more elements
A container filling plant for filling containers, said container filling plant comprising:
- a plurality of rotary machines comprising at least a rotary container filling machine, a rotary container closing machine, and a rotary container information adding machine;
- a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey containers to be filled to said container filling machine;
- said container filling machine being configured and disposed to fill containers;
- said container 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 container filling elements for filling containers being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
- each of said plurality of container filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold containers to be filled;
- a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers into said container filling machine;
- and
- a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers out of said container filling machine;
- a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled containers from said container filling machine to said container closing machine;
- said container closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled containers;
- said container 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 containers;
- each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled containers;
- a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled containers into said container closing machine;
- and
- a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed containers out of said container closing machine;
- a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled, closed containers from said container closing machine to said container information adding machine;
- said container information adding machine being configured and disposed to label filled, closed containers;
- said container 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 container support structures being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;
- said container support structures being configured to support and hold filled, closed containers;
- a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed containers into said container information adding machine;
- a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move labeled containers out of said container information adding machine;
- at least one container information adding device being configured and disposed to add information to a container;
- said at least one container information adding device being disposed to the side of said rotor outside the perimeter of said rotor;
- centering elements being disposed on the floor of said container filling plant and separate from said rotor and vertical machine column;
- and
- said at least one container information adding device being connected to and centered by said centering elements.
36 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.