Handling Beverage Bottles

Filled and capped beverage bottle 30 of the type having an elongate shape in transverse cross-section, are passed on an endless conveyor via a labelling station and an orienting station to a packing station. Labels 60 are stuck to one larger side so as to have free ends 61. These are then applied to the shorter sides e.g. by blade-type brushes 65, 66 preferably as the bottles are orientated. The orientating mechanism comprises two driver elements e.g. endless belts (68, 69, Fig 7) gripping the bottle neck and operated at different speeds. Thereafter the bottles are preferably stopped with a mechanism having an extension leg (82, Figs 9-11) having a length equivalent to the number of bottles it is desired to pack before being shifted transversely to a bottle assembly station. Preferably, empty bottles are filled with e.g. beverage syrup from a holding tank (16, Figs 2 and 3) and thereafter capped (45, Fig 5) whilst being clamped (e.g. by belts 50, Fig 5). Preferably the surface of the belt is lubricated by spraying water thereon using an inclined bottle (41, Fig 4).