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A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material having a filling device and a filling machine having such a filling device. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. ��1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. ��1.72(b): A brief abstra

A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material having a filling device and a filling machine having such a filling device. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. ��1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. ��1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading "Abstract of the Disclosure." The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

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What is claimed is: 1. A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising: a beverage bottle cleaning machine being configured and disposed to clean beverage bottles; a feed arrangement to supply beverage bottles to said bev

What is claimed is: 1. A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising: a beverage bottle cleaning machine being configured and disposed to clean beverage bottles; a feed arrangement to supply beverage bottles to said beverage bottle cleaning machine; a beverage filling machine being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with liquid beverage material; said beverage filling machine comprising a plurality of beverage filling devices for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material; at least one storage unit being configured and disposed to store a supply of liquid beverage material; at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one storage unit to said beverage filling machine to supply liquid beverage material to said beverage filling machine; a first conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles from said beverage bottle cleaning machine into said beverage filling machine; said first conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure; a beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles; a second conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles from said beverage filling machine into said beverage bottle closing machine; said second conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure; a beverage bottle labeling machine being configured and disposed to label filled, closed beverage bottles; a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles from said beverage bottle closing machine into said beverage bottle labeling machine; said third conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure; a beverage bottle packing station being configured and disposed to package labeled, filled, closed beverage bottles; a fourth conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move labeled, filled, closed beverage bottles from said beverage bottle labeling machine to said beverage bottle packing station; said fourth conveyer arrangement comprising a linear conveyor structure being configured and disposed to arrange beverage bottles in groups for packing; said beverage filling machine comprising a rotor being configured and disposed to carry said plurality of filling devices about its periphery; each of said filling devices comprising: a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit the flow of liquid through said dispensing opening and into a bottle to be filled; a liquid duct being configured and disposed to permit the flow of liquid from a liquid reservoir; a housing being configured and disposed to house said liquid duct; a first liquid valve being disposed in said liquid duct to control the flow of liquid to said dispensing opening; a first valve actuating arrangement being configured and disposed to open and close said first liquid valve; a tube comprising an open top end portion and an open bottom end portion; said tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of a liquid beverage into a bottle to be filled in an open-jet filling process; said tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of gas out of a bottle being filled in a bottle-contact filling process; at least one gas valve being configured and disposed to be opened and closed with an actuating device and to control the flow of gas from said tube in a bottle-contact filling process; at least one gas duct being configured and disposed to carry gas from said filling device in a bottle-contact filling process; a second liquid valve being configured and disposed to be closed with an actuating device to stop a liquid beverage from flowing into said tube in a bottle-contact filling process; and said second liquid valve being configured and disposed to be opened with an actuating device to permit the flow of liquid beverage into said tube in an open-jet filling process. 2. The filling device for bottling a liquid in bottles or similar containers according to claim 1, with a liquid duct realized in a housing of the filling device, which liquid duct is in communication by means of an inlet with a reservoir or bowl for the liquid being bottled and forms a dispensing opening for the dispensing of the liquid into a container to be filled, with a first liquid valve with an associated actuator device located between the inlet and the dispensing opening in the liquid duct for the controlled opening and closing of the first liquid valve, with a tube which is open on both ends and is provided with a first open end in the vicinity of the dispensing opening, with a plurality of ducts that are realized in the housing of the filling device, and with control valves controlling said ducts, whereby to fill the respective container that is positioned in sealed contact with the filling device, at least one of the control valves controls a return gas duct that leads through the tube, wherein: in addition to the first liquid valve, a control valve that functions as an additional liquid valve is provided, by means of which, for an open-jet filling of the respective container with its mouth at some distance from the filling device, the second end of the tube can be placed in communication in a controlled manner with the reservoir or bowl that contains the liquid to be bottled; the control valve that forms said additional liquid valve is located in a connecting duct between the second end of the tube and a portion of the liquid duct that extends between the inlet for the liquid into the filling device and the first liquid valve; the connecting duct is in communication on one end with the second end of the tube; the connecting duct and the tube empty into a common chamber that is realized in the housing; the at least one gas valve is located in a connection between a gas duct and a segment of the connecting duct that is in communication with the tube; the tube is surrounded in a ring-like manner on its first end by the dispensing opening; the tube projects out of the filling device beyond a contact surface that is formed on the dispensing opening for the mouth of the respective container; the first liquid valve is formed by a valve body that is provided on the tube and interacts with a valve surface in the liquid duct, and that the tube can be moved over axially over a limited distance together with the valve body for the opening and closing of the first liquid valve by the actuator device of said valve; at least three gas ducts realized in the housing, with respective gas valves that each control one of said ducts; and each of the gas ducts can be placed in communication in a controlled manner by means of their control valves with the segment of the connecting duct that is in communication with the one end of the tube. 3. A filling device for use in a beverage bottling plant, said filling device comprising: a tube comprising an open top end portion and an open bottom end portion; said tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of a liquid beverage into a bottle in an open-jet filling process; said tube being configured and disposed to permit gas to be evacuated from a bottle during a bottle-contact filling process; liquid valving being configured and disposed to lead a liquid beverage into said open top end of said tube and to discharge a liquid beverage from said open bottom end of said tube during an open-jet filling process; gas valving being configured and disposed to permit gas to be evacuated from a bottle via said tube in a bottle-contact filling process; and said liquid valving being configured and disposed to permit liquid to flow into a bottle during a bottle-contact filling process. 4. The filling device for bottling a liquid in bottles or similar containers according to claim 3, with a liquid duct realized in a housing of the filling device, which liquid duct is in communication by means of an inlet with a reservoir or bowl for the liquid being bottled and forms a dispensing opening for the dispensing of the liquid into a container to be filled, with a first liquid valve with an associated actuator device located between the inlet and the dispensing opening in the liquid duct for the controlled opening and closing of the first liquid valve, with a tube which is open on both ends and is provided with a first open end in the vicinity of the dispensing opening, with a plurality of ducts that are realized in the housing of the filling device, and with control valves controlling said ducts, whereby to fill the respective container that is positioned in sealed contact with the filling device, at least one of the control valves controls a return gas duct that leads through the tube, characterized by the fact that in addition to the first liquid valve, a control valve that functions as an additional liquid valve is provided, by means of which, for an open-jet filling of the respective container with its mouth at some distance from the filling device, the second end of the tube can be placed in communication in a controlled manner with the reservoir or bowl that contains the liquid to be bottled. 5. The filling device as claimed in claim 4, characterized by the fact that the control valve that forms said additional liquid valve is located in a connecting duct between the second end of the tube and a portion of the liquid duct that extends between the inlet for the liquid into the filling device and the first liquid valve. 6. The filling device as claimed in claim 5, characterized by the fact that the connecting duct is in communication on one end with the second end of the tube. 7. The filling device as claimed in claim 6, characterized by the fact that the connecting duct and the tube empty into a common chamber that is realized in the housing. 8. The filling device according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the at least one gas valve is located in a connection between a gas duct and a segment of the connecting duct that is in communication with the tube. 9. The filling device according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the tube is surrounded in a ring-like manner on its first end by the dispensing opening. 10. The filling device according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the tube projects out of the filling device beyond a contact surface that is formed on the dispensing opening for the mouth of the respective container. 11. The filling device according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that the first liquid valve is formed by a valve body that is provided on the tube and interacts with a valve surface in the liquid duct, and that the tube can be moved over axially over a limited distance together with the valve body for the opening and closing of the first liquid valve by the actuator device of said valve. 12. The filling device according to claim 11, characterized by at least three gas ducts realized in the housing, with respective gas valves that each control one of said ducts; and characterized by the fact that each of the gas ducts can be placed in communication in a controlled manner by means of their control valves with the segment of the connecting duct that is in communication with the one end of the tube. 13. A method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device, said filling device comprising: a tube comprising an open top end portion and an open bottom end portion; said tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of a liquid beverage into a bottle in an open-jet filling process; said tube being configured and disposed to permit gas to be evacuated from a bottle during a bottle-contact filling process; liquid valving being configured and disposed to lead a liquid beverage into said open top end of said tube and to discharge a liquid beverage from said open bottom end of said tube during an open-jet filling process; gas valving being configured and disposed to permit gas to be evacuated from a bottle via said tube in a bottle-contact filling process; and liquid valving being configured and disposed to permit liquid to flow into a bottle during a bottle-contact filling process said method comprising the steps of: operating said liquid valving to permit a liquid beverage to flow through said tube; leading a liquid beverage down said tube and into a bottle in an open-jet filling process; evacuating gas from a bottle being filled through said tube during a bottle-contact filling process; operating said gas valving to permit gas to be evacuated from said filling device; and permitting liquid to flow through said valving to fill a bottle in a bottle-contact filling process. 14. The method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device according to claim 13, said filling device comprising a liquid duct realized in a housing of the filling device, which liquid duct is in communication by means of an inlet with a reservoir or bowl for the liquid being bottled and forms a dispensing opening for the dispensing of the liquid into a container to be filled, with a first liquid valve with an associated actuator device located between the inlet and the dispensing opening in the liquid duct for the controlled opening and closing of the first liquid valve, with a tube which is open on both ends and is provided with a first open end in the vicinity of the dispensing opening, with a plurality of ducts that are realized in the housing of the filling device, and with control valves controlling said ducts, whereby to fill the respective container that is positioned in sealed contact with the filling device, at least one of the control valves controls a return gas duct that leads through the tube, characterized by the fact that in addition to the first liquid valve, a control valve that functions as an additional liquid valve is provided, by means of which, for an open-jet filling of the respective container with its mouth at some distance from the filling device, the second end of the tube can be placed in communication in a controlled manner with the reservoir or bowl that contains the liquid to be bottled. 15. The method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device according to claim 14, said filling device comprising a control valve that forms said additional liquid valve is located in a connecting duct between the second end of the tube and a portion of the liquid duct that extends between the inlet for the liquid into the filling device and the first liquid valve. 16. The method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device according to claim 15, said filling device being characterized by the fact that the connecting duct is in communication on one end with the second end of the tube. 17. The method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device according to claim 16, said filling device being characterized by the fact that the connecting duct and the tube empty into a common chamber that is realized in the housing. 18. The method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device according to claim 17, said filling device being characterized by the fact that the at least one gas valve is located in a connection between a gas duct and a segment of the connecting duct that is in communication with the tube. 19. The method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device according to claim 18, said filling device being characterized by the fact that the tube is surrounded in a ring-like manner on its first end by the dispensing opening. 20. The method of filling bottles with a liquid beverage with a filling device according to claim 19, said filling device being characterized by: the fact that the tube projects out of the filling device beyond a contact surface that is formed on the dispensing opening for the mouth of the respective container; the fact that the first liquid valve is formed by a valve body that is provided on the tube and interacts with a valve surface in the liquid duct, and that the tube can be moved over axially over a limited distance together with the valve body for the opening and closing of the first liquid valve by the actuator device of said valve; at least three gas ducts realized in the housing, with respective gas valves that each control one of said ducts; and the fact that each of the gas ducts can be placed in communication in a controlled manner by means of their control valves with the segment of the connecting duct that is in communication with the one end of the tube.