Abstract: A beverage fill valve actuator adapted for being sealing mounted thru the wall of a beverage fill tank, the actuator having an elongated housing formed with an axial bore extending completely therethrough and providing a tubulate bearing structure at its inner end, a camshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having its distal end rotatably mounted within the bearing structure with a predesigned selected clearance therebetween, and wherein the camshaft, bearing and barrel structures allow axial motion of the camshaft within the bore of from about 0.002 in. to about 0.020 in. while maintaining the selected clearance.

Abstract: An actuator for operating a fill valve of a bottle filling machine, said actuator having a camshaft provided with a cam fork on its inner end adapted to engage cam follower means on a fill valve, and having a trip lever on its outer end adapted to engage a rotating shoulder means on a turntable of the machine, the camshaft being rotatable within a sleeve bearing, wherein a braking means comprising a helical wave spring is mounted over the camshaft to provide a desired frictional resistance to rotation of the camshaft within the bearing for preventing rotational drift of the cam fork from its desired operating position.

Abstract: A product gripping device adapted for mounting on a link of a product capturing chain, the device including a base plate having on its lower side a connector structure for attaching the plate to a chain, and having two opposing posts extending upwardly from opposite ends of the top of the plate, wherein the posts are apertured for receiving a pin passing thru a bore of a resilient gripping member interposed between the posts for retaining the member tightly on the top of the plate.

Abstract: Fill seal structures having an elastomeric seal element contained in a housing for use with a liquid filling machine for bottles having fill necks, wherein lifting mechanisms are employed to move the bottles upwardly toward sealing faces of fill ports on the fill bowl of the machine, and wherein the seal structures are designed to provide for fluid tight seals between the top open ends of the bottle necks and the sealing faces, wherein the seal element consists of a generally tubular wall providing a fluid flow passage having an outlet end section and a complex inlet end section, the outlet end section being formed to provide a first contact surface for engaging and sealing against the top open neck end of a bottle, the inlet end section having a generally radially inwardly directed flexible hinge segment integral with the wall at a hinge seam, an annular crest on a radially inner portion of the hinge segment and extending and facing generally axially outwardly therefrom, the crest being adapted to bear again