BEVERAGE BOTTLING PLANT FOR FILLING BEVERAGE BOTTLES WITH A LIQUID BEVERAGE, WITH AN INFORMATION ADDING ARRANGEMENT FOR ADDING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE BEVERAGE BOTTLES, AND A METHOD OF OPERATING THE BEVERAGE BOTTLING PLANT
First Claim
1. 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, and a rotary beverage bottle closing 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 beverage bottle 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;
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 beverage bottle 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;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle closing machine;
a rotary beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey beverage bottles from said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
said beverage bottle information adding arrangement being configured and disposed to add information to the outside surface of empty beverage bottles prior to the bottles being filled;
said beverage bottle information adding arrangement comprising;
a rotor having a central rotational axis;
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 beverage bottles;
a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move empty beverage bottles into said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles with information thereon out of said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
at least one beverage bottle information adding device being configured and disposed to add information to the surface of a beverage bottle;
said at least one beverage bottle information adding device comprising at least one charged information adding head;
said at least one information adding head having a longitudinal axis being disposed substantially perpendicular to the central rotational axis of said rotor;
said at least one information adding head comprising a plurality of individually actuatable information adding dispensers disposed in a row one after another along the longitudinal axis; and
a packing station configured to pack filled bottles ready to be packed into packs.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with a liquid beverage, with an information adding arrangement for adding information relating to the beverage bottles, and a method of operating the beverage bottling plant. 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.
52 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising:
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a plurality of rotary machines comprising at least a rotary beverage bottle filling machine, and a rotary beverage bottle closing 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 beverage bottle 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;
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 beverage bottle 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;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle closing machine;
a rotary beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey beverage bottles from said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
said beverage bottle information adding arrangement being configured and disposed to add information to the outside surface of empty beverage bottles prior to the bottles being filled;
said beverage bottle information adding arrangement comprising;
a rotor having a central rotational axis;
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 beverage bottles;
a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move empty beverage bottles into said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles with information thereon out of said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
at least one beverage bottle information adding device being configured and disposed to add information to the surface of a beverage bottle;
said at least one beverage bottle information adding device comprising at least one charged information adding head;
said at least one information adding head having a longitudinal axis being disposed substantially perpendicular to the central rotational axis of said rotor;
said at least one information adding head comprising a plurality of individually actuatable information adding dispensers disposed in a row one after another along the longitudinal axis; and
a packing station configured to pack filled bottles ready to be packed into packs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating 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 arrangement;
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 beverage bottle 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;
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 beverage bottle 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;
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 beverage bottles from said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
said beverage bottle information adding arrangement being configured and disposed to add information to the outside surface of empty beverage bottles prior to the bottles being filled;
said beverage bottle information adding arrangement comprising;
a rotor having a central rotational axis;
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 beverage bottles;
a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move empty beverage bottles into said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles with information thereon out of said beverage bottle information adding arrangement;
at least one beverage bottle information adding device being configured and disposed to add information to the surface of a beverage bottle;
said at least one beverage bottle information adding device comprising at least one charged information adding head;
said at least one information adding head having a longitudinal axis being disposed substantially perpendicular to the central rotational axis of said rotor;
said at least one information adding head comprising a plurality of individually actuatable information adding dispensers disposed in a row one after another along the longitudinal axis;
said method comprising the steps of;
filling beverage bottles with said filling machine;
closing filled beverage bottles with said closing machine; and
adding information to beverage bottles with said information adding dispensers of said information adding arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
- 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 arrangement;
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12. A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising:
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a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty beverage bottles with a filling material;
a first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles to said filling machine;
said filling machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept beverage bottles from said first moving arrangement and to move beverage bottles within said filling machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold beverage bottles during filling; and
at least one filling device being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with a filling material upon the beverage bottles being within said filling machine;
a closing machine being configured and disposed to close filled beverage bottles;
a second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept filled beverage bottles from said moving device of said filling machine to move filled beverage bottles out of said filling machine;
said second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles from said filling machine to said closing machine;
said closing machine comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to accept filled beverage bottles from said second moving arrangement and to move filled beverage bottles within said closing machine;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold filled beverage bottles during closing; and
at least one closing device being configured and disposed to close filled beverage bottles upon the filled beverage bottles being within said closing machine;
a beverage bottle information adding arrangement being configured and disposed to add information to the beverage bottles;
said beverage bottle information adding arrangement comprising;
a moving device being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles within said information adding arrangement;
an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold beverage bottles during adding of information; and
at least one beverage bottle information adding device being configured and disposed to add information to beverage bottles;
said at least one beverage bottle information adding device comprising at least one charged information adding head;
said at least one information adding head having a longitudinal axis;
said at least one information adding head comprising a plurality of individually actuatable information adding dispensers disposed in a row one after another along the longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification