Beverage bottling plant having a beverage bottle closing machine with a bearing system to guide a reciprocating shaft in the beverage bottle closing machine

1. A method of operating and cleaning at least a portion of a container closing machine in a contaminatable environment to remove or minimize the presence of contaminants in said at least a portion of said closing machine, said closing machine comprising: at least one closing arrangement for placing closures on containers filled with a product; said at least one closing arrangement comprising: at least one shaft arrangement comprising a shaft and a bearing arrangement to guide said shaft; a container holding structure being configured to hold a container during closing and being connected to said at least one shaft arrangement to permit raising and lowering of said holding structure; a closure applicator being configured and disposed to apply closures to the open tops of filled containers; said bearing arrangement comprising: a bearing housing comprising an opening; said bearing housing being configured to be moved up and down to raise and lower said holding structure connected thereto; a bearing sleeve being inserted into and retained in said opening in said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve being configured and disposed to receive said shaft; said bearing housing being configured to permit the feed and discharge of cleaning media into and out of said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve comprising an exterior surface being disposed to face an interior surface of said opening in said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve comprising an interior surface being disposed about and to face said shaft in said bearing sleeve; said interior surface of said bearing sleeve comprising a plurality of recesses being disposed substantially along the length of said bearing sleeve; said exterior surface of said bearing sleeve comprising a plurality of projections; and at least a portion of said projections being configured to secure said bearing sleeve against radial or axial movement in said bearing housing; said method comprising the steps of:

operating said closing machine and introducing contaminants or contaminatable material onto said shaft and into said bearing arrangement, said step of operating comprising:

moving filled containers into said closing machine and holding a filled container with said holding structure;

moving said bearing housing in an upwards movement to raise said holding structure and the filled container held thereby into a position adjacent said closure applicator;

closing the open top of the filled container with said closure applicator by placing a closure on the open top of the filled container;

moving said bearing housing in a downwards movement to lower said holding structure and the closed container held thereby into a position to be moved out of said closing machine;

cleaning said bearing arrangement to remove or minimize the presence of contaminants in or on said at least one shaft arrangement to minimize the presence of contaminants on or in the filled containers and thus to minimize contamination of the product in the filled containers, said step of cleaning comprising:

supplying cleaning medium into said bearing housing;

conducting said cleaning medium through said plurality of recesses of said interior surface of said bearing sleeve to clean the interior surface of said bearing sleeve and at least a portion of said shaft; and

conducting said cleaning medium in between said plurality of projections of said exterior surface of said bearing sleeve to clean the exterior surface of said bearing sleeve and the interior surface of said opening in said bearing housing.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said container closing machine comprises a bottle closing machine, and the diameter of the bearing sleeve is variable with respect to its final installed diameter to facilitate its insertion and removal.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein:

the bearing sleeve has a longitudinal slot on the external surface thereof; and

the bearing sleeve can be varied in its inside and outside diameter by the gap width of the longitudinal slot.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:

the bearing sleeve is realized so that it can be rolled or coiled up; and

said recesses run in a spiral pattern on the inner cylindrical surface of the bearing sleeve and are divided into a plurality of segments and are connected to one another by guide channels, whereby the spiral-shaped segments are offset from one another so that the cleaning medium is forced to travel at least one complete rotation around the shaft.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the distance between the recesses is a maximum of 5 mm; and

some of the projections are engaged in a groove that runs at least partly around the interior of the bearing housing to fix the bearing sleeve in position axially.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein:

the distance between the recesses is 2 mm; and

some of the projections are engaged in openings in the bearing housing to fix the bearing sleeve in position radially.

7. A method of operating and cleaning at least a portion of a container closing machine in a contaminatable environment to remove or minimize the presence of contaminants in said at least a portion of said closing machine, said closing machine comprising: at least one closing arrangement for placing closures on containers filled with a product; said at least one closing arrangement comprising: at least one shaft arrangement comprising a shaft and a bearing arrangement to guide said shaft; a container holding structure being configured to hold a container during closing and being operatively connected to said at least one shaft arrangement to permit raising and lowering of said holding structure; a closure applicator being configured and disposed to apply closures to the open tops of filled containers; said bearing arrangement comprising: a bearing housing comprising an opening; a bearing sleeve being inserted into and retained in said opening in said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve being configured and disposed to receive said shaft; said bearing housing being configured to permit the feed and discharge of cleaning media into and out of said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve comprising an exterior surface being disposed to face an interior surface of said opening in said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve comprising an interior surface being disposed about and to face said shaft in said bearing sleeve; said interior surface of said bearing sleeve comprising a plurality of recesses being disposed substantially along the length of said bearing sleeve; said exterior surface of said bearing sleeve comprising a plurality of projections; and at least a portion of said projections being configured to secure said bearing sleeve against radial or axial movement in said bearing housing; said method comprising the steps of:

operating said closing machine and introducing contaminants or contaminatable material onto said shaft and into said bearing arrangement, said step of operating comprising:

moving filled containers into said closing machine and holding a filled container with said holding structure;

raising said holding structure and the filled container held thereby into a position to be closed;

closing the open top of the filled container with said closure applicator;

lowering said holding structure and the closed container held thereby into a position to be moved out of said closing machine;

cleaning said bearing arrangement to remove or minimize the presence of contaminants in or on said at least one shaft arrangement to minimize the presence of contaminants on or in the filled containers and thus to minimize contamination of the product in the filled containers, said step of cleaning comprising:

supplying cleaning medium into said bearing housing;

conducting said cleaning medium through said plurality of recesses of said interior surface of said bearing sleeve to clean the interior surface of said bearing sleeve and at least a portion of said shaft; and

conducting said cleaning medium in between said plurality of projections of said exterior surface of said bearing sleeve to clean the exterior surface of said bearing sleeve and the interior surface of said opening in said bearing housing.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the diameter of the bearing sleeve is variable with respect to its final installed diameter to facilitate its insertion and removal.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein:

the bearing sleeve has a longitudinal slot on the external surface thereof; and

the bearing sleeve can be varied in its inside and outside diameter by the gap width of the longitudinal slot.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein:

said container closing machine comprises a bottle closing machine;

the bearing sleeve is realized so that it can be rolled or coiled up; and

said recesses run in a spiral pattern on the inner cylindrical surface of the bearing sleeve and are divided into a plurality of segments and are connected to one another by guide channels, whereby the spiral-shaped segments are offset from one another so that the cleaning medium is forced to travel at least one complete rotation around the shaft.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:

the distance between the recesses is a maximum of 5 mm; and

some of the projections are engaged in a groove that runs at least partly around the interior of the bearing housing to fix the bearing sleeve in position axially.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:

the distance between the recesses is 2 mm; and

some of the projections are engaged in openings in the bearing housing to fix the bearing sleeve in position radially.

13. A method of operating and cleaning at least a portion of a container closing machine in a contaminatable environment to remove or minimize the presence of contaminants in said at least a portion of said closing machine, said closing machine comprising: at least one closing arrangement for placing closures on containers filled with a product; said at least one closing arrangement comprising: at least one shaft arrangement comprising a shaft and a bearing arrangement to guide said shaft; a container holding structure being configured to hold a container during closing and being operatively connected to said at least one shaft arrangement to permit raising and lowering of said holding structure; a closure applicator being configured and disposed to apply closures to the open tops of filled containers; said bearing arrangement comprising: a bearing housing comprising an opening; a bearing sleeve being inserted into and retained in said opening in said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve being configured and disposed to receive said shaft; said bearing housing being configured to permit the feed and discharge of cleaning media into and out of said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve comprising an exterior surface being disposed to face an interior surface of said opening in said bearing housing; said bearing sleeve comprising an interior surface being disposed about and to face said shaft in said bearing sleeve; said interior surface of said bearing sleeve comprising a plurality of projections; and said exterior surface of said bearing sleeve comprising a plurality of projections; said method comprising the steps of:

operating said closing machine and introducing contaminants or contaminatable material onto said shaft and into said bearing arrangement, said step of operating comprising:

moving filled containers into said closing machine and holding a filled container with said holding structure;

raising said holding structure and the filled container held thereby into a position to be closed;

closing the open top of the filled container with said closure applicator;

lowering said holding structure and the closed container held thereby into a position to be moved out of said closing machine;

cleaning said bearing arrangement to remove or minimize the presence of contaminants in or on said at least one shaft arrangement to minimize the presence of contaminants on or in the filled containers and thus to minimize contamination of the product in the filled containers, said step of cleaning comprising:

supplying cleaning medium into said bearing housing;

conducting said cleaning medium in between said plurality of projections of said interior surface of said bearing sleeve to clean the interior surface of said bearing sleeve and at least a portion of said shaft; and

conducting said cleaning medium in between said plurality of projections of said exterior surface of said bearing sleeve to clean the exterior surface of said bearing sleeve and the interior surface of said opening in said bearing housing.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the diameter of the bearing sleeve is variable with respect to its final installed diameter to facilitate its insertion and removal.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the bearing sleeve has a longitudinal slot on the external surface thereof.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the bearing sleeve can be varied in its inside and outside diameter by the gap width of the longitudinal slot.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein:

said container closing machine comprises a bottle closing machine; and

the bearing sleeve is realized so that it can be rolled or coiled up.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein:

said inner cylindrical surface of said bearing sleeve comprises recesses disposed between said projections; and

said recesses are disposed run in a spiral pattern on the inner cylindrical surface of the bearing sleeve and are divided into a plurality of segments and are connected to one another by guide channels, whereby the spiral-shaped segments are offset from one another so that the cleaning medium is forced to travel at least one complete rotation around the shaft.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein:

the distance between the recesses is a maximum of 5 mm; and

some of the projections of the exterior surface of said bearing sleeve are engaged in a groove that runs at least partly around the interior of the bearing housing to fix the bearing sleeve in position axially.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein:

the distance between the recesses is 2 mm; and

some of the projections of the exterior surface of said bearing sleeve are engaged in openings in the bearing housing to fix the bearing sleeve in position radially.