KHS GmbH

The invention relates to a distributing conveyor for distributing packs, in particular packs of containers, said distributing conveyor comprising a plurality of peripherally driven product carriers ( 1 ) which can be moved in a distributing section of the distributing conveyor along at least two guide tracks ( 3 a , 3 b , 3 c , 3 d ) in the conveying direction (F), at least some of the product carriers ( 1 ) being guided by a guide pin ( 6 ) along one of the guide tracks ( 3 a , 3 b , 3 c , 3 d ). According to the invention, at least some of the product carriers ( 1 ) have a deflection element ( 9, 10 ) which is separate from the guide pin ( 6 ) and is designed to divide the product carriers ( 1 ) between the guide tracks ( 3 a , 3 b , 3 c , 3 d ) by engaging in one of at least two deflection devices ( 7, 8 ) positioned adjacent to one another.

A container handling machine, such as a container filling machine or container closing machine, is used to handle containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, which containers are configured to hold or contain a beverage, such as water, soft drinks, beer, wine, and juices, or a similar product for transport and consumption by consumers of beverages and similar products. Such container handling machines are usually supported on container handling machine feet, which can be adjusted in height.

A method and device for grouping packages into specified package groups in an interference-free and fault-free manner with a conveyor having multiple individually actuatable conveyors arranged one behind the other with an inlet-side and a discharge-side end. The packages are supplied to the conveyor device at the inlet-side end one after the other, and a control algorithm is carried out to interpolate and/or detect the position and/or the speed of each individual package. A target speed is determined for each individual package based on the detected and/or interpolated position and/or speed of the package. A target speed is determined for the individual conveyors to achieve the target speed for each package to set a specified distance to the leading and/or following package at the discharge-side end. The speed of the individual conveyors is controlled to the respective determined target speed for the conveyor.

The invention relates to a treatment head ( 1 ) for treating kegs ( 3 ), each of which is equipped with at least one keg fitting ( 2 ). The treatment head ( 1 ) has a treatment head housing ( 4 ), as well as at least one plunger ( 5 ), which is held in the treatment head housing ( 4 ) so as to be displaceable in the axial direction of a treatment head axis (BA), for opening the keg fitting ( 2 ) of the keg ( 3 ) which is to be treated and is disposed in a sealing position on the treatment head ( 1 ). At least one fluid space ( 6 ) as well as flow paths or conduits (SK 1 , SK 2 ) which communicate controllably with the fluid space ( 6 ) are formed in the treatment head ( 1 ). The flow paths or conduits (SK 1 , SK 2 ) can be connected to the interior ( 3.1 ) of the keg ( 3 ) to be treated when the keg fitting ( 2 ) is open. The treatment head ( 1 ) also has at least one first controllable media valve ( 7 ) which is associated with the fluid space ( 6 ), is connected to a filling product feed ( 8 ) and is designed as a product valve for controlled feeding of a filling product, in particular a beverage, into the interior ( 3.1 ) of the keg ( 3 ) to be treated, as well as at least one second controllable media valve ( 12 ) which acts as a return valve. The invention is characterised in particular in that at least the first media valve ( 7 ) which acts as a product valve has a multiple sealing arrangement ( 9 ) for multiple sealing of the filling product feed ( 8 ) with respect to the fluid space ( 6 ). By means of the multiple sealing arrangement ( 9 ) at least one safety or leakage space ( 10 ) is formed which in at least one first closed valve position (V 1 ) of the first media valve ( 7 ) forms a separate intermediate space between the fluid space ( 6 ) and the filling product feed ( 8 ).

The invention relates to a system ( 10 ) for treating kegs ( 12 ), comprising: at least two treatment modules ( 14 a - 14 g ), each of which has—a keg receiving area ( 35 ) for receiving at least one keg ( 12 ) during the treatment process, —a treatment head ( 36 ) for treating the keg ( 12 ), and—at least one interface ( 41 ) for a discharge and for at least one cleaning medium line and/or for at least one filling product line; and a controller ( 30 ) for controlling the treatment modules ( 14 a - 14 g ), wherein at least one of the treatment modules ( 14 a - 14 g ) is designed to treat kegs ( 12 ) of a first type and/or of a first size, and at least one other treatment module of the treatment modules ( 14 a - 14 g ) is designed to treat kegs ( 12 ) of a second type and/or of a second size.

A linear filling machine for filling containers that are transported in groups along a linear conveying path has a plurality of machine sections following one another along the conveying path. The respective machine sections form an input station for receiving the containers, a handling station for treating the containers, a filling station for filling the containers, and a discharge station for delivering the containers. The machine sections are exchangeable machine modules, wherein each machine module forms an independent functional unit with a power supply unit and a media supply unit, in particular a pneumatic medium supply unit. The supply units are arranged spatially separate from one another, with the power supply unit arranged on a first side and the pneumatic medium supply unit arranged on an opposite, second side of the machine module.

A beverage container handling machine, such as a beverage container filling machine or a beverage container closing machine, is used to handle beverage containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, which containers are configured to hold or contain a beverage, such as water, soft drinks, beer, wine, and juices, or a similar product for transport and consumption by consumers of beverages and similar products. Container packages, such as multipacks, are used for transporting groups of beverage containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, for containing beverages or other products.

The invention relates to a handling apparatus for containers (I), in particular for beverage containers, having a transporting carousel, which can be driven in rotation about a central axis of rotation (D), and container mounts, which are arranged on the transporting carousel and are designed to transport containers (I) along a transporting route (T), which extends over a circumferential portion of the transporting carousel, wherein the container mounts can be driven in rotation at least along part of the transporting route (T), and wherein the container mounts are each assigned a braking device (IO). According to the invention, the respective braking device (IO) is designed to brake the rotation of the container mounts variably in a braking portion (B), which extends at least along part of the transporting route (T).

A system for assembling layers of packages and for forming transport and storage units from the layers. A grouping station has a grouping table for arranging and grouping the packages in a predefined layer arrangement. A package delivery feeds the packages to the grouping table in a conveying direction. The package delivery has two row conveyors for transporting at least one row of packages each on either side of the grouping table. A transfer unit transfers the packages from the row conveyors to the grouping table by sliding them in a respective sliding direction over a slide-over buffer region between each row conveyor and the grouping table, in order to form the layer of packages. A layer stacker then slides the layer of packages from the grouping table over onto a plate provided in the layer stacker, while maintaining the layer arrangement, in order to form the transport and storage unit.

A system for treating kegs with data carriers. One or more treatment modules, each of which has a keg receiving area, a treatment head, and an one interface for a discharge line and for a cleaning medium line and/or at least one filling product line. A signaling device configured for signaling operations to be carried out with the treatment modules and/or a loading device for supplying and discharging the kegs to and from the treatment modules. A controller configured for controlling the treatment modules, the signaling device, and/or the feed device. A reading device connected to the controller for reading information from the data carriers. The controller being configured to control and/or regulate the treatment of the kegs, in particular a cleaning process and/or a filling process, in the treatment modules based on the information on the data carriers. The information being read by the reading device.