Patent ID: 7325372

Claim:
A screwtop container closing arrangement configured to screw screw caps onto screwtop containers in a container filling plant, said screwtop container closing arrangement comprising: a container inlet being configured and disposed to permit containers to enter said screwtop container closing arrangement; at least one screw capper being configured to screw screw caps onto screwtop containers; a container holding arrangement being configured and disposed to receive and hold, lift and lower screwtop containers to permit screw caps to be screwed onto screwtop containers by said screw capper; said container holding arrangement comprising a friction structure being configured and disposed to minimize screwtop bottle rotation during container closing; a lifting apparatus being configured and disposed to lift said container holding arrangement in a first lifting direction toward its corresponding screw capper, and to move said container holding arrangement in a second lowering direction away from its corresponding screw capper upon screwtop containers being closed; a flexible elongated element system being configured and disposed to secure screwtop containers from rotating during the container closing process; said flexible elongated element system comprising: a flexible elongated element being configured and disposed to contact screwtop containers in said screwtop container closing arrangement; a drive element being configured to drive said flexible elongated element; a portion of said flexible elongated element being configured to be disposed toward and to be in contact with containers in said screwtop container closing arrangement; said portion of said flexible elongated element being configured to synchronously move at substantially the same speed and in the same direction as containers in said screwtop container closing arrangement that come into contact with said portion of said flexible elongated element; said portion of said flexible elongated element being configured to press containers against said friction structure to minimize rotation of containers during container closing; a container outlet being configured and disposed to permit closed containers to exit said screwtop container closing arrangement.