US2502413A - Seaming head for containers - Google Patents

Description

IN VENTOR.

JHM #9. W

{5 A T TOE 2 536 S. BIRKLAND SEAMI-NG HEAD FOR CONTAINERS April 4, 1950 Filed May 17, 1948 BIRKLAND SEAMING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS April 4, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1948 Aprll 4, 1950 s. BIRKLAND 2,502,413

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April 4, 1950 s. BIRKLAND 2,502,413

SEAMING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS Filed May 17, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORQ' JMW 25W Fatented Apr. 4, 1950 U -NI'TED JSHATES rATENT SEAMING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS Stellan Birkland, San Francisco, Cali., .assignor to American" Can Company, New'Yo'rk,"N."Y.,' a i corporation'of New Jersey ApplicationfMayv 17, 1948,.- Serial No. 27',400

6 Claims.

present invention relatesto. seaming heads :suchtas, are used in the; uniting of sheet metal .coyersi or end members toseontainers or cans-by anninterfolding of flange parts thereof ,and. has

particular reference.to arrirnprovedseaming head "machine asawholeandrequired floor space are reduced toe-minimum.

.wAnother.object-is the. provision of such anim- .:proved .vseaming head wherein; greater speed of rotation" is obtained due "to. the decreased size of -the..-.head, withithe result that vgreateroproduc- :tion may beiefiected.

,wAnother objectis the provision of suchan improved seaming head. the initial cost and upkeep ,Ofv which is: very. economical. and wherein the arrangement of ,the. -head I parts facilitates .greater accuracy-"in K thetqoperationsof the ;head and the (forming -.ofra, tl'ie endeseam that unites the covers iwithcthe cans.

{Another object is the provision of.- such a seaming .head wherem each seaming -unit includes. a single rocker-Fshaft which carries the seaming roller, and-whichisrocked for thedual purpose :Ofu, guiding the a seaming roller. around a: chuck in .ansorbitparallel toithe contour of the chuck and .of sl iifztingi-theaseamingrollerintoiand 'out of seaming position.

Numerousother. objects and advantagesof the invention will betapparent as it is betterunderstoodfrom the. following description, which, .tak- I Fig. 2 being. omitted;

.,Eig.. 6. is an enlarged perspective view .ofone of the seaming units embodied in the head, with parts broken away; and

Iiig. '7. isa .vertic'al section ofv the seamingw unit shown inFigL 6.

.As a preferrediand exemplary embodiment of the invention the drawingsillustrate ahi'gh speed rotary type seaminghead having 'ffirst and second operation seaming units A including seaming rollers B which revolve aroundastationary sheet metal can 0 (Fig. 1) and asuperimposednover D to effect. an interfolding offfiange,partstof the can and the coverior uniting; these parts? inan end seam such, for examplenthe well? known double seam used inlthe loan ,,making industry. The seaming operation ..preferably "is performed with the can C. and. its superimposed coverffD clamped .b'etweena can'l'iiten plate ,or supportfgll and a. chuck 22,-.Whic11'1form8fi. part of fthe head.

The can support 2 I preferably.isfformedongthe .upperend of. a verticallymovable stem" 23 jslideably disposed in agbearing ..bracket .24 which projects outwardly from a lmachine, frame 25 whichmay constitutethe main frame of. a more elaborate machine in whichthe. seaming..,head is .used. The stem 23, may be; raised and lowered in any suitable-manner to. clampjthe' can and its cover against the chuck.

The. chu'ck'i22 .(Figs. l, 5 aridtfi); is stationary and in the case shown in" .thefdrawings is-rectangular in contour with rounded corners for .a can 0' of rectangular shape" although the invention is equally-welladapted to'oval cans andca-ns of other irregular shape. The chuckiz-isbolted'to a 'fiange28 -f'ormed on' the lower'end-ofa'vertically disposed stationary chuck sleeve 29- which a't its upper end isclamped tightly in asplitbearingi 3| formed in the upper l portion of the-machine frame 25. -An..-adjusting-nut 32tthreadedlyen- "vided -for .ver.tica1ly adjustingthechucls 22. 'iAitel' an: adjustmenattheanut iszrzlamped against rutaiy I andvertical:movementbyaclamp ring-.33secured byscrewstov the-bearing.

i The bottom of the: chuck; 22 is. recessed for a conventional :knockout .;-pad :35 for ejecting a seamed can and? .itswcover; frornthechuclnafter the seaming operation. Thisrknockout padc- 35zis secured to the;lowenendofiarodrw which extends up-through the, chuck sleeve 29. .The rod .pro- .jects above thersleeve and is. actuated ,by item action in theusualvmanner.

The seaming units, A-Qwhich carry ,the seaming rollers Baroundwthe stationarycan Care located 1 in a rotatable, cylindrical. head .housing, 4 I. filings.

1, 3,4,and 6)' which ismounted onandkeyedto thevlower. end'of aiheadsleeve. 42 ll-Ties; 1 andje) which surrounds and-whichis rotatably mounted on the chuck sleeve-29. Anutfl' lLthreadedly secured to the. .lower "end; of ,jthe' head, sleeve 42 holds the head 4| in place on the sleeve. The head sleeve extends upwardly along the chuck sleeve and at its upper end is formed with a hub 44. This hub is mounted on a roller thrust bearing 45 (Fig. 1) carried on a bushing 46 threadedly secured to the chuck sleeve 29 and held in place by a lock nut 41.

The head housing 4| is rotated continuously by a gear 5| which is formed on the hub 44 (Fig. 1) and which meshes with and is driven by a driving gear 52. The driving gear 52 may be a part of the mechanism of the seaming machine in which the seaming head is mounted and this gear 52 may be driven in the usual manner.

There are four seaming units A carried in the head housing 4| and they are equally spaced around its interior periphery. These units are all identical in construction and operation. Two of the units, disposed diametrically opposite, are first operation units and carry first operation seaming rollers 55 (Fig. 5) and the other two, also diametrically disposed, are second operation units and carry second operation seaming rollers 56.

Each seaming unit A includes a vertically disposed rocker shaft 6| (Figs. 1 and 7) which adjacent its lower end carries a ball bearing 62 (see also Fig. 6) mounted in a retaining bore or collar 63 in the head housing 4|. Below the ball hearing, the rocker shaft is reduced in diameter and carries a seaming roller arm 65. It is on the outer ends of these arms thatthe seaming rollers 13 (55, 56) are rotatably mounted. The rollers are disposed in a horizontal plane with the chuck 22 and the flange parts of the can C and its cover D for rolling action against these flange parts as will be hereinafter explained.

Above the ball bearing 62, the rocker shaft 6| is rotatably mounted within a rocker sleeve 61 which is rotatably carried in a bearing 68 which projects inwardly from the inner surface of the head housing 4| (Fig. 6). Above the rocker sleeve 67, the rocker shaft 6| carries a rocker gear 69 which is keyed to the shaft and which is held in place by a screw threadedly secured in the upper end of the shaft. The gear 69 and the shaft 6| and the seaming roller arm 65 thus are rotatable as a unit. 7

The rocker sleeve 61, immediately below its bearing 68 carries a seaming lever 13 which is clamped around the sleeve and which extends in a horizontal direction opposite to that of the seaming roller arm 65 and at a slight angle thereto (see Fig. 6). This seaming lever 13 at its outer end carries a seaming cam roller 14 (see also Fig. 3). There is one of these cam rollers for each seaming unit A. The two cam rollers on the first operation seaming units are disposed at a higher level than those of the two rollers on the second operation seaming units, and operate against a rotatable first operation edge cam 16 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 6) The lower level rollers of the second operation seaming units operate against a second operation edge cam H which is integral with the first op-. eration edge cam l6 and which rotates therewith (Figs. 1 and 3). These cams operate at the; proper time to move the seaming rollers B into and out of seaming engagement with the can and cover flange parts to effect the seaming operation as will be hereinafter explained. The rollers are pressed against the cams 76, H by spring barrels 18 (Fig. 3) carried in sockets l9 threadedly secured in the head housing 4|. The spring barrels 76 duction.

4 engage against the seaming levers 73 as shown in Fig. 3.

Rotation of the seaming edge cams 16, TI is effected by a cam sleeve 8| on the lower end of which the cams are secured (Figs. 1 and 3). This sleeve is rotatably mounted on the head sleeve 42 and is also journaled in a long stationary bearing 82, clamped at its upper end in the machine frame 25 (see Fig. 1). Above the bearing 82, the cam sleeve 8| is formed with a gear 83 which meshes with and is driven by a gear 94, which like the gear 52 may be a part of the mechanism of the seaming machine in which the seaming head is mounted. The gear 84 is driven in unison with the gear 52 and is slightly larger in diameter than the gear 52 for rotating the gear 83 slightly faster than the gear 5|. This is a conventional differential gear arrangement which is common in seaming heads used in the can making industry.

Movement of the seaming rollers B into and out of seaming engagement with the can and cover flange parts to effect the seaming operation is brought about through a rocker arm 81 (Figs. 2, 6 and '7) which is formed on the rocker sleeve 61 and which extends outwardly in the general direction of the seaming lever 13. There is one of these rocker arms 81 for each rocker sleeve. These rocker arms at their outer ends carry a vertical stationary pin 88 on which a follower or contour gear 39 is freely mounted.

The gear 89 of each seaming unit A meshes with the gear 69 keyed to the rocker shaft 6|. Each of the gears 89 are also secured to a follower or contour arm 9| which extends back over the tops of the gears 69, 89 and at its free end carries a cam roller 92. There is one follower arm 9| and one cam roller 92 for each seaming unit A. The cam rollers operate in a cam groove 94 of a stationary contour cam 95 bolted to a flange 96 of the stationary bearing 82. The contour cam groove 94 is designed to provide for the seaming rollers B, a path of travel around the can C and its cover D, identical in contour to that of the shape of the can and cover.

Hence as the head housin 4| rotates and revolves the seaming units A around the stationary can C and its superimposed cover D, the follower cam rollers 92 traverse the stationary cam groove 94. During this travel of the cam rollers 92, the cam rocks the follower arms 9| and the attached follower gears 89 in accordance with the shape of the cam groove and this rocks the meshing rocker gears 69 and their attached rocker shafts 6|. This rocking of the shafts 6| swings the attached seaming roller arms 65 in the opposite direction to that of the follower arms 9|. Hence when the follower arms 9| move outwardly, the seaming roller arms 65 move inwardly and in like manner when the follower arms move inwardly, the seaming roller arms move outwardly. In this manner the seaming rollers B on the arms 65 are made to follow the exact contour of the chuck 22 and the can and cover flange .parts carried thereon while the seaming rollers move around the chuck in spaced relation thereto.

Since the follower cam 95 is disposed above the head housing 4| it may be made in dimensions of a size large enough to insure extremely accurate operation. Being above the head housing it is not restricted by the size of the housing and therefore the housing may be small enough to permit of considerable saving in its over-all diameter. Thus the head may be rotated at higher speeds with a resultant increase in pro- Movement; of. the: seaming rollers '13 inwardly" toward. the: can: and, cover: flange parts to eflect the seaming operation as the; rollers-follow the contour. of the. chuck. 22, as: effected. by' the seaming cams 1.6,. 1.1 andcam rollers .14 onth'e seaming.

leversg'l3, rocksthe sleeves 6:13 on. the rocker shafts Ball and thus swings the rocker arms 81 outwardly. This shifts. the pins 88 on which the. follower: gears- 89 are mounted and thus pivotslthe contour arms 91; on their cam rollers 92 operating in the; stationary cam groove 9.4; This pivoting. of the. contour arms has the. effect of partially rotating. therfollower gears- 89' and. their meshing rocker gears 69 in a direction which: swingsthe seaming? roller arms 65: inwardly toward the chuck 22. In like manner, when the seaming operation is completed the seaming cams I6, 1'! swing the rocker: arms 8'! inwardly and thus rotates the gears 69 and B9 in a direction. which movesth'e: seaming roller arms 65 away fromthe. chuck 22.

It should. be understood that in effecting this seaming operation, the first operation seaming rollers 55- are first moved intoengagement with thecan: and cover flange parts on the chuck 22 to effect the first operation of the seam as is customary in such. double seaming operations and upon completion of this first operation these rollerszare shifted away from the partially'formed seam and the second operation rollers 56 are moved into engagement with the seam parts to complete the seam.

In such a construction of seaming head there is only one rocker shaft 6! for each seaming unit A. The seaming roller B is attached to this rocker shaft and the shaft is rocked, through the gears 69, 89 for the dual purpose of guiding the seaming roller around the chuck 22 and its held can and cover in an orbit parallel to the contour of the chuck and of shifting the seaming roller into and out of seaming position. Thus the entire movement of the seaming roller is effected through rotation of the rocker shaft. This greatly simplifies the construction of the head and provides for greater accuracy and economy in the formation of the end seam.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a seaming head for uniting either circular or non-circular can ends to cans, the combination of a chuck having a shape corresponding to a can and an end to be seamed, a head housing having rotative movement around said chuck, a rocker shaft mounted in said head housing, a seaming roller carried by said rocker shaft adjacent said chuck, means including a stationary cam for rocking said rocker shaft during rotation 6'" or non-circular can ends to cans; the combination of: a chuck having. a shape corresponding to a can and an. end to be seamed, a head housing having rota-tivem'ovement around said: chuck, a;

. rocker shaft mounted in said head housing, an

arm secured to said rocker shaft and carrying a seaming rolleradjacent said chuck, a; stationary cam patterned on theshape of said chuck, corinectin'g' m'eans disposed between said stationary cam and said rocker shaft for guiding said seam ing roller around said chuck in anorbit parallelto: the. contour of the chuck during rotation ofsaid: housing; saidconnecting: means including a rocker arm mounted for rotation. onsaid rocker shaft, means for oscillating said rocker arm on saidrocker shaft,- and means operating through said. connecting means for transferring the oscillating'movement ofsaid rocker armto said ro'cker sh'aftl'tomodify the said orbit movement of said seaming roller thereby shifting said roller into and outofseaming position.

3*. In a scanning head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination of a non-circular chuck for-holding a can having a non-circular endtobeseamed; a head housing having rotative movement'around said chuck, a rocker shaft mounted in said head housing, a seaming roller arm se-- cured to'said rocker shaft and carrying a seaming roller adjacent said chuck, a gear also secure'd tosaid rocker shaft, means including a contour cam and interconnectingmovableparts operating through said gear for oscillating said rocker shaft to guide said seaming roller around said chuck in an orbit parallel to the contour of the chuck, and means including a cam and interconnecting parts operable through said gear and also through some of said contour cam movable parts for oscillating said rocker shaft to modify its orbit movement to shift said seaming roller into and out of seaming position.

4. In a seaming head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination of a stationary chuck for holding a can having a non-circular end to be seamed, a head housing having rotative movement around said chuck, a rocker shaft rotatably mounted in and carried by said head housing, a seaming roller arm secured to one end of said rocker shaft and carrying a seaming roller adjacent said chuck, a gear secured to the other end of said rocker shaft, follower means including a follower gear engaging with said rocker shaft gear, said follower gear having rotation on 3, normally stationary pin, means including a stationary cam for actuating said follower means to oscillate said follwer gear on its pin and through said rocker shaft gear to oscillate said rocker shaft for guiding said seaming roller around said chuck in an orbit parallel to the contour of the chuck during rotation of said head housing, and means mounted in part on said rocker shaft and having connection with said follower gear for moving its pin and through said gears for rocking said rocker shaft to shift said seaming roller into and out of seaming position.

5. In a seaming head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination of a stationary chuck for holding a can having a non-circular end to be seamed, a head housing having rotative movement around said chuck, a rocker shaft rotatably mounted in said head housing and carried thereby around said chuck, a seaming roller arm secured on one end of said rocker shaft, said arm carrying a seaming roller adjacent said chuck, a gear secured to the other end of said rocker shaft, a rocker sleeve rotatably mounted on said rocker shaft intermediate said rocker shaft gear and said roller arm, and providing a support element, a follower arm pi-votally mounted on said support element, said follower arm having geared connection with said rocker shaft gear, cam means operable on said follower arm and through said geared connection with said rocker shaft gear to oscillate said rocker shaft for guiding said seaming roller around said chuck in an orbit parallel to the contour of the chuck, and means operable on said rocker sleeve and through said support element and gear connections with said rocker shaft for shifting said seaming roller into and out of seaming position.

6. In a seaming head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination of a stationary non-circular chuck for holding a can having a non-circular end to be seamed, a head housing having rotative movement around said chuck, a rocker shaft rotatably mounted in and carried by said head housing, a seaming roller arm secured to said rocker shaft, said arm carrying a seaming roller disposed adjacent said chuck, a rocker gear also secured to said rocker shaft, a rocker sleeve rotatably mounted on said rocker shaft, said sleeve projecting laterally in a rocker arm, a pin mounted on and carried by said rocker arm, a follower gear rotatably mounted on said pin for meshing with said rocker gear, a follower arm secured to said follower gear, a cam roller mounted on the end of said follower arm, a stationary contour cam having a cam track corresponding to the non-circular contour of said chuck said cam track being traversed by said cam roller during rotation of said head housing for rocking said follower gear and its meshing rocker gear to rotate said rocker shaft on its axis thereby guiding said seaming roller in an orbit surrounding and parallel to the contour of the chuck, a lever secured to said rocker sleeve, said lever carrying a seaming cam roller, a rotatable seaming cam operable on said seaming cam roller for independently rocking said follower gear and its meshing rocker gear to move said rocker shaft and shift said moving seaming roller into and out of seaming position.

STELLAN BIRKLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 877,480 Beyer Jan. 28, 1908 1,972,862 Birkland Sept. 11, 1934 1,972,878 Erb Sept. 11, 1934 2,149,543 Peyser Mar. 7, 1939 2,193,981 Peyser Mar. 19, 1940 2,216,082 Kronquest Sept. 24, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 721,855 France Mar. 9, 1932

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