Abstract: A bottle closing device for placing press-fit closures, such as crown corks, crown caps, and similar closures, on bottles or similar containers. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

Abstract: A container guide includes a guide rail and a single piece having a main body and retainers. At least one of the retainers is arranged in either a through passage or a recess in a surface-area portion of the main body. Each retainer includes a bent rail bar and a rail support. A portion of the rail support comprises a support arm that is perpendicular to a plane defined by the surface-area portion of the main body. The guide rail is arranged directly on the support arms for guiding the container.

Abstract: An apparatus for grouped take-up and feeding of a container-group of containers to a cyclical processing machine having a cyclical take-up device for taking up the group of containers includes an intake, a feed, and a transfer apparatus arranged in a transfer region between the intake and the take-up device. The intake forms a closed conveyor section that comprises a linear section, a conveyor, and carrying-and-holding elements that convey containers in a continuous container stream along the conveyor section. The feed uses mechanical propulsion to convey suspended containers to individually transfer the suspended containers to the carrying-and-holding elements. The transfer apparatus has rotatable grippers for taking up a container group from the container stream and after having taken up the group of containers, feeding the group of containers to the cyclical take-up device.

Abstract: In a container-filling machine, a filling element includes a housing, a sealing tulip, and a bellows. The housing has a housing section and an orifice. The sealing tulip moves relative to the housing section along an axis between a raised and a lowered position. The bellows surrounds the axis. The bellows' two ends connect tightly to the housing and the tulip respectively. As a result, the bellows seals a transition between the tulip and the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing on containers includes a transporter transports containers that are to be printed upon along a transport track to a container inlet of a printing station. An inspector inspects containers upstream of where transfer of the containers to the container inlet occurs. The inspector includes a light and camera that face each other. The light illuminates a first side of a container and the camera views an opposed second side thereof. Illumination of the first side scatters light from the container, thereby rendering its material distribution visible to the camera. The camera collects data that represents this distribution as different brightness values or gray scale values. A controller uses this data to identify a defective container, the defective container having brightness values or gray scale values that differ from standard values thereof.

Abstract: A filling method includes adjusting a start of a filling phase on a filling machine so that the container completes filling within a detection region at which an optical sensor is able to inspect the container to determine the actual fill-level and to send a signal to a controller to cause the container to be topped off if need be.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting containers along a transport route includes first and second transport elements, at least one of which comprises grippers that are radially movable in relation to a vertical machine axis about which said first transport element rotates. The said first and second transport elements define a transport route that comprises first and second transport-route sections defined by circular arcs and a third transport-route section disposed between them. The third transport-route section comprises a transport-route region that defines a course having a kink-free transition-curve section having a curvature that either only increases or only decreases.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming packs from multiple packaging units includes three transporters, a deflector, and an exchange transporter having no more than one transport segment. A gap exists between the first transporter and the third transporter. Either the exchange transporter or the second transporter is in the gap. Movement of the deflector adjusts a lineal dimension of the gap so as to accommodate insertion of the exchange transporter.

Abstract: A sterilizing device for sterilizing closures for closing containers has vertically-oriented closure receivers arranged around a circumference of said rotor that moves said closures through a treatment zone between a closure inlet and outlet. One of the closure receivers is provided with said actuating device that at least partially engages the housing for applying, using the actuator, an actuation movement to a closure in said closure receiver. The actuator is movably connected to the opening via a bellows.

Abstract: A method for packaging liquid products under pressure in thermoplastic containers includes blow-molding a container from a sterilized preform, exposing an exterior of the container to a mixture that includes liquid coolant and either a sterilizing agent or a disinfectant, pressure-filling the container with liquid product, and sealing the filled container.

Abstract: A filling element includes a filling-level sensor having an oscillating body disposed to interact with fluid that is in a container being filled. A change in the oscillation of the body, triggered either electromechanically or by fluid flow, provides information indicative of filling level.

Abstract: A container-handling device includes two rotors, holders that are arranged around a periphery of the first rotor and receptacles around the first rotor such that as it rotates, the receptacles pass through distinct angular ranges. When a receptacle has a container, relative movement therebetween causes its centering element and its counter-bearing to clamp a container between them with the holder engaging the container above the counter-bearing A first partial-stroke occurs while the receptacle is in a first angular region and a second partial-stroke occurs after the receptacle has left the first angular region. During the first partial-stroke, the centering element bears against a container's mouth with a pressure, and, during the second partial-stroke, this pressure increases.

Abstract: A crown cork closure and closing method. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a narrow container stream, into a wide container stream includes container guides and a shaping region that extends between an inlet and an outlet. Transport bands connecting laterally to each other and define a transport plane along which the containers are transported. The container guides are constrained to be between defined limit curves defined by second and third order polynomials. As a result, the container guides are cambered in a way that promotes interruption-free widening of the container stream.

Abstract: A method comprising controlling a beverage-filling system that comprises a filling machine with a ring bowl that feeds beverage to filling elements, each having a valve and a flow meter includes deriving a flow signal and using it to derive a regulating signal for regulating an inflow of beverage into the ring bowl, thereby maintaining a target level of beverage in the ring bowl. The flow signal comes from either summing signals from all flow meters to obtain aggregate quantity of beverage being filled into all containers or a calculation that relies on a measured speed of the filling machine, the number of filling elements in the filling machine, and the volumes of the bottles to be filled.

Abstract: An apparatus for transforming a pre-form into a container filled with liquid filling-material includes a feed line, a high-pressure source, a removal line, and a molding station having a mold, a mold space, and a mold head that permits liquid filling-material to be introduced into the pre-form under a filling pressure sufficient to transform the pre-form into a container and to seal against an opening of the pre-form as liquid filling-material flows through the feed line. The high-pressure source is in fluid communication with the liquid filling-material in the container such that exposure of the liquid filling-material to gas pressure in excess of the filling pressure pushes a pre-determined volume of the liquid filling-material out of the container, thereby forming a headspace in the container.

Abstract: A shrink tunnel for shrinking shrink films on packages includes a transport path that passes through the treatment chamber. Arrays on opposite sides thereof have nozzles for dispensing hot gas. Each array has an associated guide plate and a lifting device for adjusting the guide plate. Adjusting the guide plates covers up certain nozzles, thus controlling the flow of air on the packages.

Abstract: Method and device for producing containers which are filled with a liquid filling substance from parisons made from a thermoplastic material, wherein the respective parison is at least conditioned thermally and is subsequently shaped into the container during a shaping and filling phase in a mould by way of at least one liquid filling substance as pressure medium, and wherein, while it is being shaped into the container, the prison is preferably guided at least temporarily through a stretching rod and is stretched in the axial direction.

Abstract: Using an acoustic signal to monitor a transfer of a puck that is holding and centering a container as it is being transferred from a first to a second transport-element includes using a sensor to capture an acoustic signal generated by the transfer. This acoustic signal indicates that the puck has been received at a treatment station associated with said second transport-element.

Abstract: A method for producing a multipack of containers includes heating a preform, cooling at least part of the preform, the at least part of the preform defining a cooled region, and producing a first container from the preform. The container has a reinforced wall portion formed from the cooled region. The method continues with applying adhesive to the reinforced wall portion, thereby forming an adhesive point and fixing a second container to the adhesive point.