Beverage filling plant for filling beverage containers with a beverage having a device for the feeding and removal of beverage containers

Abstract

A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material having a device for the feeding and removal of containers, in particular for the feeding of upright kegs, barrels, cans, bottles and similar containers from a conveyor belt to a linear conveyor or revolving carousel turntable or also for the return of said containers to a removal conveyor belt with a star wheel, the star pockets of which or the arms of which can be brought at least partly in contact with the container and which are realized so that they can be adjusted to accommodate different 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.

1 . A beverage container filling plant for filling beverage containers, such as beverage bottles, beverage kegs, beverage barrels, beverage drums, and beverage cans, with a liquid beverage, said beverage container filling plant comprising: 
 a rotatable beverage container cleaning machine being configured and disposed to clean empty beverage containers;    a feed arrangement to supply empty beverage containers to said beverage container cleaning machine;    a rotatable beverage container filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty beverage containers with liquid beverage material;    said beverage container filling machine comprising a plurality of beverage container filling devices for filling beverage containers with liquid beverage material;    at least one storage unit being configured and disposed to store a supply of liquid beverage material;    at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one storage unit to said beverage container filling machine to supply liquid beverage material to said beverage container filling machine;    a first conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move empty beverage containers from said beverage container cleaning machine into said beverage container filling machine;    said first conveyer arrangement comprising: 
 a first linear conveyor device to move empty beverage containers from said beverage container cleaning machine to said beverage container filling machine;  
 a first output star wheel structure to move empty beverage containers from said beverage container cleaning machine to said first conveyor device; and  
 a first input star wheel structure to move empty beverage containers from said first conveyor device into said beverage container filling machine;  
   a rotatable beverage container closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage containers;    a second conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled beverage containers from said beverage container filling machine into said beverage container closing machine;    said second conveyer arrangement comprising: 
 a second linear conveyor device to move filled beverage containers from said beverage container filling machine to said beverage container closing machine;  
 a second output star wheel structure to move filled beverage containers from said beverage container filling machine to said second conveyor device; and  
 a second input star wheel structure to move filled beverage containers from said second conveyor device into said beverage container closing machine;  
   a rotatable beverage container labeling machine being configured and disposed to label filled, closed beverage containers;    a third conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage containers from said beverage container closing machine into said beverage container labeling machine;    said third conveyer arrangement comprising: 
 a third linear conveyor device to move filled, closed beverage containers from said beverage container closing machine to said beverage container labeling machine;  
 a third output star wheel structure to move filled, closed beverage containers from said beverage container closing machine to said third conveyor device; and  
 a third input star wheel structure to move filled, closed beverage containers from said third conveyor device into said beverage container labeling machine;  
   each of said star wheel structures comprises projecting star arms or prisms being configured to be brought at least partly in contact with beverage containers and to be adjusted to accommodate different beverage containers; and    said star arms or prisms being configured to be driven independently and to be adjusted to accommodate different beverage container diameters by adjustment of their rotational position with reference to at least one of: the center of the beverage container, the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the beverage container, and the required position of the beverage container in one of said beverage container filling, closing, and labeling machines.    
   
   
       2 . The beverage container filling plant according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the pushing and/or centering arms or prisms of the star wheel and/or slide can be advanced or retracted by the angle required to compensate for the offset of the center of the respective different container diameters and/or can be brought into the pushing position.  
   
   
       3 . The beverage container filling plant according to  claim 2 , characterized by the fact that the pushing and/or centering arms or prisms of the star wheel move the center of the container onto the center of the receiving plane of a linear conveyor or the support plates of a revolving handling machine by advancing or retracting the feeder speeds.  
   
   
       4 . The beverage container filling plant according to  claim 3 , characterized by the fact that the arms or prisms of the star wheel move the centers of the containers at the correct intervals to the center of the receiving or conveyor plane of a linear handling machine.  
   
   
       5 . The beverage container filling plant according to  claim 4 , characterized by the fact that at least the inlet-side star wheel is driven by its own motor and can be actuated and/or adjusted separately.  
   
   
       6 . The beverage container filling plant according to  claim 5 , characterized by the fact that this motor can be actuated both synchronously as well as relatively synchronously and/or step-wise in relation to the movement of the work stations of the handling machine.  
   
   
       7 . The beverage container filling plant according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the star arms and/or prisms can be brought synchronized in terms of angle or position with the center axes of the receiving plate of the carousel turntable or of the linear handling position;    a guide element that steers the containers into the centered position with respect to the center of the support plates or receiving plane is provided in the transfer area;    the position of the guide element can be set automatically as a function of the size of the container to be processed;    the transfer star wheel has the same speed as the transferring conveyor element and the support plate or conveyor has the same speed as the receiving conveyor element and vice-versa, not later than at the transfer point;    the faces or guide arms are realized in the shape of a prism to accommodate containers of different sizes;    the center axis of the prism coincides or can be made to coincide with the center of the receiving plane; and    the prism is mounted so that it can be pushed or moved by a motor on the face or on the guide arm to adjust to different center positions.    
   
   
       8 . Device for the feeding and removal of containers, in particular for the feeding of upright barrels, cans, bottles and similar containers from a conveyor belt to a linear conveyor or revolving carousel turntable or also for the return of said containers to a removal conveyor belt with a star wheel, the star pockets of which or the arms of which can be brought at least partly in contact with the container and which are realized so that they can be adjusted to accommodate different containers, characterized by the fact that the pushing and/or centering arms or prisms ( 2 ,  2 ′,  8 ) of the star wheel ( 1 ) can be driven independently, and their rotational position can be adjusted to the different container diameter by rotational adjustment with reference to the center of the container, to the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the container and to the required position of the container ( 4 ) in the machine.  
   
   
       9 . Device as recited in the introduction to  claim 8 , characterized by the fact that the pushing and/or centering arms or prisms ( 2 ,  2 ′,  8 ) of the star wheel and/or slide can be advanced or retracted by the angle required to compensate for the offset of the center of the respective different container diameters and/or can be brought into the pushing position.  
   
   
       10 . Device as claimed in  claim 9 , characterized by the fact that the pushing and/or centering arms or prisms ( 2 ,  2 ′,  8 ) of the star wheel move the center of the container onto the center of the receiving plane of a linear conveyor or the support plates of a revolving handling machine by advancing or retracting the feeder speeds.  
   
   
       11 . Device as claimed in  claim 10 , characterized by the fact that the arms or prisms ( 2 ,  2 ′,  8 ) of the star wheel move the centers of the containers at the correct intervals to the center of the receiving or conveyor plane of a linear handling machine.  
   
   
       12 . Device as claimed in  claim 11 , characterized by the fact that at least the inlet-side star wheel is driven by its own motor ( 5 ) and can be actuated and/or adjusted separately.  
   
   
       13 . Device as claimed in  claim 12 , characterized by the fact that this motor ( 5 ) can be actuated both synchronously as well as relatively synchronously and/or step-wise in relation to the movement of the work stations of the handling machine.  
   
   
       14 . Device as claimed in  claim 13 , characterized by the fact that the star arms and/or prisms ( 2 ,  2 ′,  8 ) can be brought synchronized in terms of angle or position with the center axes ( 9 ) of the receiving plate of the carousel turntable ( 10 ) or of the linear handling position.  
   
   
       15 . Device as claimed in  claim 14 , characterized by the fact that a guide element ( 6 ) that steers the containers ( 4 ) into the centered position with respect to the center of the support plates or receiving plane is provided in the transfer area.  
   
   
       16 . Device as claimed in  claim 15 , characterized by the fact that the position of the guide element ( 6 ) can be set automatically as a function of the size of the container to be processed.  
   
   
       17 . Device as claimed in  claim 16 , characterized by the fact that the transfer star wheel has the same speed as the transferring conveyor element and the support plate or conveyor has the same speed as the receiving conveyor element and vice-versa, not later than at the transfer point.  
   
   
       18 . Device as claimed in  claim 17 , characterized by the fact that the faces or guide arms ( 2 ) are realized in the shape of a prism ( 8 ) to accommodate containers ( 4 ) of different sizes.  
   
   
       19 . Device as claimed in  claim 18 , characterized by the fact that the center axis ( 9 ) of the prism coincides or can be made to coincide with the center of the receiving plane.  
   
   
       20 . Device as claimed in  claim 19 , characterized by the fact that the prism ( 8 ) is mounted so that it can be pushed or moved by a motor on the face or on the guide arm ( 2 ,  2 ′) to adjust to different center positions.