Apparatus for cleaning out and flushing away debris such as soil, rocks and the like from around a shut-off valve on a gas or water main located at the bottom of a concrete pipe or sleeve is disclosed. The apparatus is comprised of a first elongated section of pipe having means for connecting sources of water and compressed air thereto, and a second parallel section of pipe generally of the same length. The two sections of pipe are inserted into the concrete pipe or sleeve and water and compressed air travel down the first pipe and loosen the debris from around the valve stem, flushing it up the second pipe. A slideable cover is carried by the two pipes and serves to seal the upper end of the sleeve or cylinder thereby insuring that all the debris and flushing fluid is forced to exit through the second pipe.

A method and an arrangement for the cleaning and sterilizing of a filler pipe on a packing machine are disclosed. A cleaning and sterilizing duct is provided which can be concentrically arranged around the filler pipe, which duct is closed at one end and in tight engagement with the filler pipe at its other end, while also being connected to a drainage duct. Cleaning or sterilizing fluid can flow through the filler pipe, into the sterilizing duct, to be discharged through the drainage duct.

In packing machines which produce aseptic packing containers for e.g. foodstuffs, it is of greatest importance that the machines can be cleaned and sterilized in a satisfactory manner prior to the production of packing containers. In accordance with the invention a method and an arrangement are provided on a packing machine for the sterilization of the lower end of a filling pipe 10 as well as of surrounding parts of a packing material tube 8. Use is made for this prupose of a connecting element 20 which connects two feed ducts 11,12 present in the filling pipe 10 to each other so that cleaning and sterilizing agent can circulate in the filling pipe. In a subsequent stage the connecting element 20 is removed so that sterilizing agent can be made to circulate also along the outside of the filling pipe 10 and in the packing material tube surrounding the filling pipe, whereupon the production of the packing containers commences.

In packing machines which have a filling pipe with two or more ducts, a rinsing of the filling pipe with cleaning fluid may lead to only one duct being properly cleaned. In order to prevent this, an arrangement is provided on packing machines which have a coupling part provided with valves with passages which are coupled in series with respective ducts in the filling pipe. The valve is adapted so that it is acted on towards the closed position by the cleaning fluid flowing past and thus limits the flow through the one duct so that the other duct too is assured of an adequate flow for effective cleaning.