Patent ID: 8729499

Claim:
An apparatus for sterilising at least a segment of an inner wall and a segment of an outer wall of containers by accelerated charge carriers, with at least one first external application device for sterilising at least a segment of an outer wall of containers and an internal application device for sterilising at least a segment of an inner wall of containers, wherein the internal application device at least in portions can be introduced through an opening into the container in order to apply the emitted charge carriers to an inner wall of the container, and a transport device for transporting the containers along a transport path during their sterilisation, wherein along a segment of the transport path of the containers between the first external application device and the internal application device is arranged a pitch change device for changing a distance between two containers succeeding each other along the transport path, wherein in a region in which sterilisation of the outer wall takes place, a distance between two containers succeeding each other along the transport path is shorter than in a region in which sterilisation of the inner wall takes place.