Abstract: An apparatus for filling containers with a liquid filling material includes a container treatment unit, a weighing unit, container carriers, weighing cells, a conveying element, filling positions, container receptacles, and a container-conveying section. As the conveying element, on which the filling positions are formed, rotates, it introduces filling material into the containers. The conveying element includes the container-conveying section, which moves the containers in a container-conveying direction. The weighing unit, which is made in the conveying element, weighs containers on the container-conveying section. Each container receptacle forms a weighing position with an associated container carrier and weighing cell.

Abstract: A container-conveying segment includes a driving conveyor and a driven conveyor that couple to each other at a handoff area at which containers are transferred from one to the other. The conveyors comprise star wheels that rotate in opposite directions about their respective vertical machine axes. The rotors interact with one another at the handoff area. A drive couples to the driving conveyor but not to the driven conveyor. The driving conveyor transfers torque to the driven conveyor at a torque-transfer area.

Abstract: A container-processing machine includes a conveyor that rotates about a vertical machine axis, processing stations disposed around the conveyor, a star that delivers unprocessed containers to the conveyor and removes processed containers from the conveyor, and recesses disposed around a periphery of the star for engaging containers. Container transfer occurs by raising a container from a transfer position into a processing position.

Abstract: A method for purging a container with a purgative gas before filling the container with liquid filling-material includes sealing the container against a treatment head, connecting the container to a vacuum source, thereby at least partially evacuating the container, and with the container still connected to the vacuum source, introducing purgative gas into the container such that pressure in the container is between 0.05 bar and 0.4 bar and any pressure change within the container during the introduction of purgative gas remains below 0.2 bar.

Abstract: Disinfecting a surface of packaging includes breaking up one of an outer covering and a membrane of germs on the surface, and applying carbon dioxide to the surface. Breaking up the outer covering or membrane is carried out by one or more of applying bactericidal energy, illuminating with UV radiation, illuminating with ultrasonic radiation, applying a bactericidal treatment medium, and applying a chlorine compound.

Abstract: A receptacle treatment-machine features a shield arranged along a region of the receptacle-treatment machine. The shield's cladding segments define a protection wall that catches receptacle shards hurled machine. These cladding segments are arranged following one another. Each segment hangs freely from an upper end thereof to form a pendulum or connects at an end thereof to the receptacle treatment machine by a working connection with an elastically deformable element. Lower ends of the cladding segments are beneath a level of treatment positions of the receptacle-treatment machine, beneath a level on which the receptacles rest on bases thereof as they move during treatment thereof, and beneath a level on which the receptacles are supported on lower regions thereof as they move during treatment thereof.

Abstract: Cleaning a sealing element includes pausing a rotor that bears the sealing elements at an angle from a set of discrete angles such that a sealing element is brought to a cleaning station. The station's coupling piece connects to the sealing element and allows cleaning medium to flow into it.

Abstract: A filling element includes a flushing tube that carries flushing gas used to drive air out of a container's interior before filling it with liquid filling-material. The flushing tube moves between a starting position and a flushing position. In the flushing position, the flushing tube chokes a connection between a gas chamber and a gas channel that leads into a container. In the starting position, this connection is wide open.

Abstract: A method of pressure-filling a container includes placing its opening tightly against a filling element, extending a return gas tube into the container, causing and measuring a progression of pressures in the container's interior, thereby generating a measured progression of pressures, generating a signal indicative of the measured progression of pressures, recording it, monitoring it for information indicative of a pressure peak, identifying such information, comparing a measured value of the pressure peak with a reference value, measuring an absolute pressure at a point in time at which the pressure peak is measured, based at least in part this measurement, determining that the pressure peak is caused by the filling-material level having reached the return gas tube, and upon making the determination, transmitting closing the filling element.

Abstract: A filling element for filling containers includes a tulip that moves, under the influence of a controller, between two positions, one of which seals the container. A first seal seals a junction between the tulip and a filling-element housing. First and second filling-element regions are respectively outside and inside a clean space of a filling machine. The tulip and a dispensing opening are in the second region. The second seal connects by its first free to the tulip. This second seal seals a junction between the tulip and the two filling-element regions.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing containers includes a container-filling system having filling-point pairs in which each filling point has a filling element. Each filling element has a channel formed in a housing, a liquid valve in the channel that controls flow through a dispensing opening. The filling system also has internal and external gas-paths that are internal and external relative to the filling elements. These gas paths connect to each other. A gas-path control-valve controls the external path. Nothing controls the internal path. A stand-alone control module contains part of the external gas-path and the gas-path control-valve.

Abstract: A gaiter seal for shielding a functional element of a container-processing machine extends between parts of a working head of the container-processing machine includes axially-adjacent gaiter modules that extend along an axis and support-and-sliding elements at interfaces between adjacent gaiter modules. The support-and-sliding elements radially support and guide the first and second gaiter-modules along the functional element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a piston assembly for pumping a liquid, in particular in a bottle filling system. The object of the invention is to propose a piston assembly for pumping a liquid, which can be cleaned and/or disinfected without dismantling of the piston or performing any other external interventions into the assembly. The object is achieved by a piston assembly for pumping a liquid, which comprises a piston 1 that travels within a cylinder 2 and has a working path A between a first inversion point U1 and a second inversion point U2, with the piston 1 forming a tight seal with respect to the cylinder 2 in the region of the working path. The assembly is characterized in that beyond one of the two inversion points U1, U2, outside of the working path A, the diameter of the cylinder 2 is enlarged in one section 8 such that the sealing closure is eliminated there, and the piston 1 can be moved into this area for a cleaning and/or disinfection process.

Abstract: A method for filling containers with a liquid filling-medium supplied from a filling-medium tank includes sealing a container against a filling element, connecting an interior of the container to a flow duct within the filling element, adding liquid filling-medium to the container, thereby causing gas to exit the container via the flow duct, using pressurized gas, removing liquid filling-medium from the container through a flow duct, guiding the removed liquid filling-medium to a collection chamber, and monitoring flow of matter that passes through the flow duct on its way to the collection chamber.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and to a capping or closing machine for the capping or closing of bottles or similar containers filled with an oxygen-sensitive product.

Abstract: A method and device for producing containers filled with a liquid filling material from preforms made of a thermoplastic material, wherein the respective preform is at least thermally conditioned and subsequently re-formed during a forming and filling phase into the container with at least one liquid filling material as a pressure medium having a filling pressure p2. The filling material or portions of the filling material is/are supplied at at least two points in time and/or during at least two process phases having different carbon dioxide contents and/or different temperatures. The filling pressure p2 of the container formed in the first process phase is reduced to a pressure p1 and filling material is supplied in the second process phase, after which the pressure of the container is reduced to atmospheric pressure p0. In the first process phase filling material that has been previously degassed and/or uncarbonated is supplied.

Abstract: A filling-element assembly for both pressurized and open-jet filling of containers includes a filling element having a filling-element housing, a liquid valve, a return-gas channel, and a seal. The housing has a fixed first segment, a vertically movable second segment, and an extendable segment between them to surrounds the valve housing in a fluid-tight manner. A return-gas channel extends along the filling-element axis between the valve housing and the filling-element housing. In a raised position of the second segment, the seal contacts the valve housing along a circumferential contact area and seals the filling-element discharge opening thereby forming a fluid-tight closure for the return-gas channel.

Abstract: A method for operating a filling machine includes conducting purgative gas via a first controlled gas path from a first ring channel common to all filling elements to the interior of a container sealed against a filling element via a controllable choke arrangement that switches between choking state and non-choking states, draining the purgative gas out of the container's interior through return-gas openings and into return-gas channels of a second controlled gas path, the first and second return-gas channels being controlled by corresponding first and second control valves that are operable independently of each other, and pressure-filling the container with the liquid contents.

Abstract: A method for processing containers includes introducing flushing gas into a container's interior while the interior remains connected to a vacuum source, and adjusting flow of the flushing gas and an underpressure of the vacuum source such that, while flushing gas flows through the interior, a flushing pressure in the interior lies between 0.46 and 0.9 bar.

Abstract: A filling element includes a filling-element housing and a liquid-carrying duct formed therein that ends in an opening for discharging liquid product into a container. A liquid valve controls flow through the duct. During filling, a return-gas tube extends into the container's interior. An actuator uses the gas tube as a valve tappet to open and close the liquid valve. As it moves the gas tube up and down, the actuator simultaneously controls a first control-valve that controls flow between the return-gas tube and a gas-chamber. The gas chamber is configured for conducting away return gas forced out of the container's interior by incoming filling product during filling thereof, for imposing a filling pressure in the container's interior, for flushing said container's interior with a flushing gas, or for evacuating the container's interior.