fig1 shows a rotary filling - machine 1 for filling bottles 2 with liquid filling - material . the filling machine 1 comprises a rotor 3 that rotates about a vertical machine axis ma passing through its center . the rotor &# 39 ; s pitch circle has first and second filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 disposed thereon . the center of the pitch circle is the machine axis ma . the distance between two adjacent filling points is a “ pitch distance .” in the illustrated embodiment , all pitch distances are the same . the first and second filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 are formed in such a way that , in the direction of rotation a of the rotor 3 , every second filling point 4 . 2 is adjacent to and between two first filling points 4 . 1 . empty bottles 2 arrive at the filling machine 1 through a container inlet 5 and leave as filled bottles 2 through a container outlet 6 . the filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 are configured for different filling methods . one method is pressurized filling of bottles 2 . pressurized bottle filling includes pre - tensioning a bottle &# 39 ; s interior with a pressurized process gas or inert gas , such as co 2 gas . it can also include purging the bottle &# 39 ; s interior one or more times with a process gas or an inert gas . pressurized bottle filling can also include evacuating the bottle &# 39 ; s interior , rapid or slow filling of the bottle , and pressure - relief of the bottle &# 39 ; s interior after filling . these process steps are controlled in part by gas - path control - valves in gas paths of the filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 . as shown in fig2 , each filling point 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 has one filling element 7 and a container carrier . the container carrier is a conventional one that suspends a bottle 2 from its opening flange 2 . 1 and that presses the bottle &# 39 ; s mouth against the underside of the filling element 7 during the filling process . the container carrier is a conventional feature whose detailed illustration is not essential for a proper understanding of the invention . accordingly , it has been omitted from the drawing . fig4 shows a cam follower 8 that interacts with a control cam that does not rotate with the rotor 3 and is part of a lifting device to raise the particular container carrier . in the illustrated embodiment , the cam follower 8 , or the associated lifting device , is provided jointly for the two container carriers of each filling - point pair 4 . as shown in fig4 , each filling element 7 comprises a filling - element housing 9 in which a liquid channel 10 is formed . the liquid channel 10 connects to a product pipe 11 that leads to a common tank 12 on the rotor 3 for supplying liquid filling - material to the filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 . during the filling process , liquid filling - material at least partially fills the common tank 12 . on the underside of each filling - element housing 9 , the liquid channel 10 forms an annular dispensing opening 13 for dispensing liquid filling - material into a bottle . inside the liquid channel 10 is a liquid valve 14 with a valve body . moving the valve body axially along the vertical filling element axis fa opens and closes the liquid valve 14 and controls the dispensing of the liquid - filling material through the dispensing opening 13 and into a bottle 2 . a pneumatic actuation device 15 causes this movement . the filling machine 1 defines an aseptic space 16 through which the open mouths of bottles 2 move during the filling process . this aseptic space 16 is separated from by walls , among which is a top wall formed by a disc - type pipe element 3 . 2 bearing the annual rotor element 3 . 1 . the filling elements 7 are fitted on an outer surface of the rotor element 3 . 1 . each filling element 7 has an upper portion and a lower portion . only the lower portion of the filling element 7 extends into the aseptic space 16 . above the rotor element 3 . 2 , and hence outside the aseptic space 16 , are common annular chambers or channels 17 that provide fluid communication to all the filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 . these channels 17 route process gases and / or provide a vacuum to all filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 during the filling process . as shown in fig4 , the channels 17 are between the machine axis ma and the filling element axis fa . referring back to fig2 , each filling - point pair 4 has gas - path control - valves 18 that control flow through various external gas - paths 20 , each of which has a first gas - path section 20 . 1 and a second gas - path section 20 . 2 . the control valves 18 thereby provide control over the various phases of the particular filling process . these gas - path control - valves 18 are provided jointly for the two filling elements 7 of each filling - point pair 4 . the gas - path control - valves 18 are also controlled jointly . the external gas - paths 20 are outside the filling - element housings 9 . there are also internal gas - paths 19 inside the filling - element housings 9 . however , these internal gas - paths 19 are uncontrolled because there are no gas - path control - valves inside the filling - element housing 7 . at least one external gas - path 20 connects to the associated internal gas - paths 19 of the two filling elements 7 of each filling - point pair 4 . the gas - path control - valve 18 is arranged in an external gas - path 20 . as a result , controlling the gas - path control - valve 18 provides simultaneous control over both filling elements 7 of a particular filling - point pair 4 . in the illustrated embodiment , the gas - path control - valves 18 for a filling - point pair 4 are preferably pneumatically actuated valves that are part of a valve block 21 comprising multiple electrically controlled pneumatic valves . a central machine - controller 22 controls these valves . the valve block 21 also provides control for opening and closing the liquid valves 14 in each of the filling elements 7 . it does so based at least in part on how much liquid filling - material has flowed into the bottles 2 during the filling phase . a flow meter 23 shown in fig2 measures this amount and sends a suitable signal back to the central machine - controller 22 . in some embodiments , the flow meter 23 is a magnetic induction flow meter . as long as the filling elements 7 are designed with sufficient precision , their filling behavior will be essentially identical . therefore , each filling - point pair 4 will require only one flow meter 23 . this flow meter 23 can be placed in a product pipe 11 that supplies either one of the two filling elements 7 . the gas - path control - valves 18 and first gas - path section 20 . 1 of each external gas - path 20 of the particular filling - point pair are part of a control module 24 , which is shown with a dashed line surrounding it in fig2 . in the illustrated embodiment , for each filling - point pair 4 , there is a separate control module 24 on the top face of the rotor element 3 . 1 . as shown in fig4 , each control module 24 includes a block or module housing 25 that encloses both the first gas - path section 20 . 1 of the external gas - path 20 and the gas - path control - valve 18 that controls the external gas - path 20 . meanwhile , the second gas - path section 20 . 2 of the external gas - path 20 is formed in the rotor element 3 . 1 . this second gas - path section 20 . 2 is what opens into the annular chambers 17 and also into an internal gas - path 19 of the filling elements 7 . in the illustrated embodiment , the second gas - path section 20 . 2 of the external gas - path 20 is not controlled . this means that there are no gas - path control - valves in the second gas path section 20 . 2 . as can be seen in fig3 and 4 , the control modules 24 lie between the machine axis ma and the filling element axes fa . the control modules 24 are thus located inside the pitch circle tk . this places them inside the movement path of the filling elements 7 . the foregoing design results in a modular architecture in which filling - point pairs 4 and control modules 24 can be readily interchanged . this modular structure allows simple replacement of defective components . for example , if a filling element 7 or control module 24 goes bad , all one has to do is swap it out for a new one . moreover , the modular structure also allows specially - made filling elements 7 for special filling processes to be assembled with a standard control module 24 , or conversely , to use non - standard control modules 24 with standard filling elements 7 . as a result , it becomes possible for the first time to have a filling machine 1 in which one can mix and match control modules 24 and filling - point pairs 4 with abandon . fig5 - 9 show the rotor 3 of a filling machine 1 a together with two filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 that form a filling - point pair 4 a . fig6 and 7 show a view from above , while fig6 and 8 show a side view in which the filling elements 7 a of the filling points 4 . 1 and 4 . 2 are only partially indicated . the filling elements 7 a are arranged with their filling element axes fa spaced apart by a division spacing ta on a pitch circle tk . the difference between fig5 and 6 and fig7 and 8 is the radius of the pitch circle tk . in particular , the pitch circle tk in fig5 and 6 has a smaller radius than the pitch circle tk in fig7 and 8 . this difference can be readily ascertained by noticing the difference in curvature in fig5 and 7 . in the filling machine 1 a , the openings in the control modules 24 a must be made to mate with corresponding openings in a filling element 7 a . referring to fig9 , this is carried out by providing the control module 24 a with a housing 25 having a level underside that is oriented in a plane perpendicular to the machine axis ma . similarly , the filling element 7 a has a mating surface that is oriented in a plane perpendicular to the machine axis ma . this area of the filling element 7 a is radially offset so that it can mate with the level underside of the housing 25 . when the mating surface of a filling element 7 a contacts the level underside of the housing 25 , a mouth opening 20 . 1 . 1 of the first gas - path section 20 . 1 of the external gas - path 20 connects to a corresponding mouth opening 19 . 1 of an internal gas - path 19 of the filling element 7 a . a seal 26 completes the connection so that gas can flow without loss between the control module 24 a and the filling element 7 a . the seal 26 has a seal opening 26 . 1 that is somewhat larger than necessary . as shown in fig9 , the seal opening 26 . 1 is quite a bit larger than either mouth opening 20 . 1 . 1 , 19 . 1 . this makes it possible to maintain the same division spacing ta across pitch circles tk of different radii , as shown in fig5 - 8 . as a result , it is possible to do more than just swap control modules and filling elements in and out of a particular filling machine 1 with a particular rotor 3 . it is also possible to take a control module and filling element that fits a rotor having one radius and move them to a rotor that has a different radius . referring to fig6 and 8 , one can see that a distance x changes due to a change in the pitch circle size . however , because the seal opening 26 . 1 is so much larger than the connection opening 19 . 1 , this does not matter . all that will happen is that the connection openings 19 . 1 , 20 . 1 . 1 will be at different relative positions . they will still both open in to the chamber defined by the seal 25 . as a result , compensation for variations in the distance x is possible up to a measurement that is double the difference of the lineal dimensions of the seal opening 26 . 1 and the mouth opening 19 . 1 . for different division spacing ta of the filling points 4 . 1 and 4 . 2 , i . e . for different axial distances between the filling elements 7 a forming these filling points 4 . 1 , 4 . 2 on the circumference of the rotor 3 , it is necessary to provide control modules 24 a for which the axial distance of the connection openings 20 . 1 . 1 has been adapted to the particular division spacing ta .