Method and apparatus for packaging

Claim 1

AN METHOD FOR PACKAGING A FLOWABLE LIQUID-CONTAINING PRODUCT IN A CONTAINER, WHICH COMPRISES: (1) SUPPORTING A HOLLOW PISTON AT AN ELEVATION AT WHICH THE PISTON IS PARTIALLY INSERTED IN SHIFTABLE AND HERMETICALLY SEALING RELATIONSHIP IN A CYLINDRICAL BOTTOM OPENING OF A FILLING CHAMGER; (2) INSERTING A CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER UP THROUGH THE AN OPEN UPPER END, THROUGH THE HOLLOW PISTON UNTIL HOLLOW PISTON UNTIL ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CHAMBER AND SPACED FROM THE HOLLOW PISTON BUT IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE PISTON; (3) SUPPORTING THE CLOSURE IN THE FILLING CHAMBER; (4) RAISING A CONTAINER HAVING A TOP PART, INCLUDING AT LEAST THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER IS IN THE FILLING CHAMBER AND SPACED FROM THE CLOSURE AND THE PISTON; (5) INTRODUCING GAS INTO THE CHAMBER AT THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER TO PURGE AT LEAST SOME AIR FROM THE CONTAINER BY PASSING THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE CONTAINER AND THEN PISTON TO THE ATMOSPHERE; (6) CLOSING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PISTON AND THE CONTAINER TO CLOSE THE BOTTOM OPENING OF THE FILLING CHAMBER TO PROVIDE A HERMETICALLY-SEALED CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER AND TO CAUSE THE PISTON TO BE MOVABLE ABOVE ITS SUPPORTED ELEVATION UPON ANY LIFTING OF THE CONTAINER; (7) INTRODUCING PRESSURIZED GAS INTO THE CHAMBER THROUGH A GAS INLET TO PROVIDE AN ELEVATED GASEOUS PRESSURE WITHIN THE CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER BY COMMUNICATING THE GAS INLET WITH A SOURCE OF PERSSURIZED GAS; (8) MOVING THE CLOSURE LATERALLY IN AN ARCUATE PATH UNTIL OUT OF THE PRODUCT FLOW ZONE OF THE PRESSURIZED CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER; (9 INTRODUCING FLOWABLE PRODUCT INTO THE PRESSURIZED CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER AND THEN INTO THE CONTAINER THROUGH A DIFFERENT INLET IN THE CHAMBER AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH AT LEAST PART OF THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER UNTIL THE CONTAINER IS FILLED WITH THE PRODUCT TO THE DESIRED EXTENT WHILE MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GAS INLET AND THE SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED GAS AND WHILE MAINTAINING THE PISTON AT ITS INTIALLY-SUPPORTED ELEVATION; (10) CEASING THE INTRODUCTION OF FLOWABLE PRODUCT THROUGH THE DIFFERENT INLET; (11) RETURNING THE CLOSURE THROUGH THE ARCUATE PATH UNTIL AGAIN IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE HOLLOW PISTON WHILE CLOSING THE GAS INLET; (12) ROTATING THE CLOSURE WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE CLOSURE FOR ITS MAINTENANCE AT A FIXED ELEVATION; (13) LIFTING THE CONTAINER AND THEREBY RAISING THE PISTON UNTIL THE CLOSURE ABUTS THE TOP PART OF THE CONTAINER; (14) CONTINING THE ROTATION AND SUPPORT OF THE CLOSURE WHILE CONTINUING TO RAISE THE CONTAINER AND THEREBY THE PISTON WHEREBY THE CLOSURE IS APPLIED TO THE CONTAINER IN HERMETICALLY SEALING REALTIONSHIP; (15) OPENING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE HOLLOW PISTON AND SEALED CONTAINER TO RELEASE ELEVATED GASEOUS PRESSURE IN THE CHAMBER AND TO RELEASE THE PISTON FROM ITS SUPPORT BY THE CONTAINER, WHEREBY THE PISTON MOVES TO ITS LOWER INTIALLY-SUPPORTED ELEVATIONF AND (16) LOWERING THE SEALED CONTAINER UNTIL THE CONTAINER IS COMPLETELY OUTSIDE THE CHAMBER AND OUTSIDE THE HOLLOW PISTON.

Claim 2

AN METHOD FOR PACKAGING A FLOWABLE LIQUID-CONTAINING PRODUCT IN A CONTAINER, WHICH COMPRISES: (1) SUPPORTING A HOLLOW PISTON AT AN ELEVATION AT WHICH THE PISTON IS PARTIALLY INSERTED IN SHIFTABLE AND HERMETICALLY SEALING RELATIONSHIP IN A CYLINDRICAL BOTTOM OPENING OF A FILLING CHAMGER; (2) INSERTING A CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER UP THROUGH THE AN OPEN UPPER END, THROUGH THE HOLLOW PISTON UNTIL HOLLOW PISTON UNTIL ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CHAMBER AND SPACED FROM THE HOLLOW PISTON BUT IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE PISTON; (3) SUPPORTING THE CLOSURE IN THE FILLING CHAMBER; (4) RAISING A CONTAINER HAVING A TOP PART, INCLUDING AT LEAST THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER IS IN THE FILLING CHAMBER AND SPACED FROM THE CLOSURE AND THE PISTON; (5) INTRODUCING GAS INTO THE CHAMBER AT THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER TO PURGE AT LEAST SOME AIR FROM THE CONTAINER BY PASSING THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE CONTAINER AND THEN PISTON TO THE ATMOSPHERE; (6) CLOSING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PISTON AND THE CONTAINER TO CLOSE THE BOTTOM OPENING OF THE FILLING CHAMBER TO PROVIDE A HERMETICALLY-SEALED CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER AND TO CAUSE THE PISTON TO BE MOVABLE ABOVE ITS SUPPORTED ELEVATION UPON ANY LIFTING OF THE CONTAINER; (7) INTRODUCING PRESSURIZED GAS INTO THE CHAMBER THROUGH A GAS INLET TO PROVIDE AN ELEVATED GASEOUS PRESSURE WITHIN THE CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER BY COMMUNICATING THE GAS INLET WITH A SOURCE OF PERSSURIZED GAS; (8) MOVING THE CLOSURE LATERALLY IN AN ARCUATE PATH UNTIL OUT OF THE PRODUCT FLOW ZONE OF THE PRESSURIZED CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER; (9 INTRODUCING FLOWABLE PRODUCT INTO THE PRESSURIZED CLOSED FILLING CHAMBER AND THEN INTO THE CONTAINER THROUGH A DIFFERENT INLET IN THE CHAMBER AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH AT LEAST PART OF THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER UNTIL THE CONTAINER IS FILLED WITH THE PRODUCT TO THE DESIRED EXTENT WHILE MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GAS INLET AND THE SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED GAS AND WHILE MAINTAINING THE PISTON AT ITS INTIALLY-SUPPORTED ELEVATION; (10) CEASING THE INTRODUCTION OF FLOWABLE PRODUCT THROUGH THE DIFFERENT INLET; (11) RETURNING THE CLOSURE THROUGH THE ARCUATE PATH UNTIL AGAIN IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE HOLLOW PISTON WHILE CLOSING THE GAS INLET; (12) ROTATING THE CLOSURE WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE CLOSURE FOR ITS MAINTENANCE AT A FIXED ELEVATION; (13) LIFTING THE CONTAINER AND THEREBY RAISING THE PISTON UNTIL THE CLOSURE ABUTS THE TOP PART OF THE CONTAINER; (14) CONTINING THE ROTATION AND SUPPORT OF THE CLOSURE WHILE CONTINUING TO RAISE THE CONTAINER AND THEREBY THE PISTON WHEREBY THE CLOSURE IS APPLIED TO THE CONTAINER IN HERMETICALLY SEALING REALTIONSHIP; (15) OPENING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE HOLLOW PISTON AND SEALED CONTAINER TO RELEASE ELEVATED GASEOUS PRESSURE IN THE CHAMBER AND TO RELEASE THE PISTON FROM ITS SUPPORT BY THE CONTAINER, WHEREBY THE PISTON MOVES TO ITS LOWER INTIALLY-SUPPORTED ELEVATIONF AND (16) LOWERING THE SEALED CONTAINER UNTIL THE CONTAINER IS COMPLETELY OUTSIDE THE CHAMBER AND OUTSIDE THE HOLLOW PISTON.