US3253722A - End closure feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Description

y 1, 1966 E. w. DE GEAR 3,253,722

END CLOSURE FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 4. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. 23 www Mil/4M A? 6277/? 'llmililllllllll By 32 3d 7;. QM

May 31, 1966 E. w. DE GEAR END CLOSURE FEEDING APPARATUS 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1963 INVENTOR. 5mm? M1 min/2am FZMJQQ;

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United States Patent 3,253,722 END CLOSURE FEEDING APPARATUS Edward William De Gear, San Jose, Calif., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 327,889 Claims. (Cl. 214-85) The present invention relates to apparatus for handling end closures for containers or the like and more particularly to apparatus for feeding end closures from a plurality of stacks to a transfer means at high speed and with a minimum of damage thereto.

With the recent development of extremely high speed operation of can closing 'or end seaming machines, the feeding of end closures at high speeds has become a problem. At the speeds of operation involved, which in some instances substantially exceed 1000 ends/minute, there is the ever present possibility that when the ends are fed from a stack, the high speed contact between moving parts of the feeding apparatus and the stationary end closures will cause nicking or other curl damage to the end closures which will interfere with the seaming operation.

The general purpose of the instant invention, therefore, is to provide an apparatus for feeding end closures at high speeds in a manner such that there is little possibility of damage to the end closures. This is accomplished by utilizing an end feeding mechanism which comprises a pair of end closure supply stacks which are diametrically disposed with respect to a delivery turret. The delivery turret comprises a driven planet carrier carrying a plurality of rotatable planetary gears which mesh with a stationary sun gear. Each of the planetary gears has eccentrically mounted thereon a feed pin or pusher for engaging and removing an end closure from its associated stackand conveying the end closure in an accurate path to subsequently discharge the end into an adjacent transfer means leading to the end seaming or closing station. The epicyclic path of each eccentric feed pin is so arranged relative to the transfer means that the feed pin is moving at a reduced or medial speed when it engages an and closure, and the feed pin and its associated end closure. are moving at a maximum Velocity at the point of discharge from the delivery turret to the transfer means. Thus, the possibility of damage to the end closure is minimized since they are originally engaged at a reduced speed, and then are accelerated to the highest possible speed just prior to their discharge to the transfer means.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for feeding end closures at high speeds with little possibility of damage to the end closures.

A further object is to provide an end feeding device wherein the ends are alternately removed from dual stacks by feed pin devices which are carried on a single rotary planet carrier in such manner that the speed of rotation of the carrier need only be half of that which would be required in the event only a single stack were employed, thereby reducing the speed of impact between the feed pins and the ends and thus reducing the possibility of damage to the ends.

Another object is the provision of such an apparatus wherein the end closures are picked up at a speed which 3,253,722 Patented Ma 31, 1966 is less than the discharge speed to thereby reduce the initial impact force between the feeding apparatus and the end closures.

A further object is to provide a high speed apparatus for safely engaging and feeding end closures from a plurality of stacks thereof.

A still further object is the provision of such an apparatus wherein the end closures are engaged by eccentrically mounted means at a reduced speed and then are accelerated to a maximum speed at the point of discharge from the feeding apparatus.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: 7

FIG. 1 isa top plan view, with parts broken away and parts in section, of an apparatus constructed according to the principles of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, with parts broken away, taken substantially along line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a developed, elevational view of a portion of the depending housing flange and guide channels therein shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the paths of both the planetary gears and the eccentric pushers or feed pins mounted thereon, which parts are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the separator screw of the instant mechanism.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of themstant invention,-FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a feeding device which utilizes two stacks A and B of container end closures C which are supported between inclined parallel ' rods 10 and 11, respectively. The supporting rods 10 and 11 are supported on the top plate 12 of a generally circular housing 13 which is in turn rigidly attached to a supporting frame F in any suitable manner. The top plate 12 is formed with a pair of circular openings 14, 15 through which the stacks A and B, respectively, pro ject (see FIG. 4).

The housing 13 also includes a depending flange 16 which is provided with a first guide channel 17 and a second guide channel 18 which are formed in the interior surface thereof.

The first guide channel 17 begins at the base of the stack B and extends around the flange 16 to the area at which the ends C are discharged from the feed mechanism, as will be hereinafter explained.

The second guide channel 18 begins at the base of the stack A at the level of the first channel 17 and is formed with a depressed portion 19 which passes beneath the first guide channel 17 and then inclines upwardly and merges into the latter at 21 as seen in FIG. 4.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the first guide channel 17 provides a support for the outer portion of the lowermost end C in the stack B, while the second guide channel 18 in similar manner supports the outer portion of the lowermost end C in the stack A.

therewith which is rigidly mounted on a suitable support means (not shown). A gear 30 is rigidly attached to the lower end of the shaft 22 and is in engagement with a driving gear 32 that is driven by any suitable driving means such as a motor (not shown).

A sun gear 34 is rigidly mounted on the outer surface of the stationary bearing member 26 adjacent the upper end thereof. Four identical planetary gears 36, 37, 38 and 39 of the same size as the sun gear 34 are disposed approximately 90 apart and are in engagement with the sun gear 34. Each of the planetary gears 36 through 39 and the sun gear 34 have a one-to-one gear ratio, with the result that each planetary gear rotates 360 about its own central axis for each complete revolution around the sun gear 34. Each of the planetary gears 36 through 39 has rigidly attached thereto or integral therewith a downwardly extending shaft 40 which is rotatably mounted on a planetcarrier 41 which is in turn rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the stationary bearing member 26 below the sun gear 34.

A gear 42 is keyed to the lower end of the planet carrier 41 and is in engagement with a driving gear 44 which preferably is driven by the same driving means or motor (not shown) as that for the driving gear 32, although a separate driving means may be provided for each of the gears 32 and 44. The relative sizes and ratios of the gears 30, 32 and 42, 44 are such that the shaft 22 rotates through two revolutions for every one revolution of the planet carrier 41. Thus, the separator screw which is rigidly attached to the shaft 22 travels through two revolutions for every one revolution of the planetary gears 36 through 39 around the stationary sun gear 34.

As shown in FIG. 2 (and in broken lines in FIG. 1), the upper portion of the stationary sun gear 34 is provided with a radially extending flange 46 which defines an annular support ledge 47 on the upper surface thereof. The flange 46 is provided with a portion 43 which extends radially outwardly a greater distance than the major portion of the flange 46 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The separator screw 20 has a helical thread or groove 45 on the outer surface thereof in which the inner portion of the lowest end closure C of each of the stacks A and B is disposed and supported. The helical thread i 45 leads into a spiral groove 53 which at its bottom end opens onto the support ledge 47 (see FIG. 6). Thus, each time the separator screw 20 makes a full rotation beneath the stacks A and B, the-lowermost end closure C in each stack is cut out from the bottom of the stack and forced into the spiral groove 53, the momentum of each end closure C and the force of gravity thereafter causing the closure to drop through the spiral groove 53 and onto the ledge 47 in horizontal position, as seen at the right of FIG. 2. The separator screw 20 is of a type which is disclosed in the United States patent to Pe-chy 2,750,913, issued June 19, 1956. a

Each of the planetary gears 36, 37, 38 and 39 has eccentrically mounted thereon an upwardly extending feed pin or pusher 48, 49, 50 and 51, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each of the feed pins 48 through 51 extends upwardly from its respective planetary gear a predetermined distance which allows the pin to engage an end closure C when the inner portion thereof has been lowered onto the support ledge 47 of the sun gear flange 46 by the separator screw 20, and which permits each feed pin to clear or pass under the lowest end C of each of the stacks A and B when the inner portion of the lowest end C is supported on'the helical thread 45 of the separator screw 20 (see FIG. 2).

FIG. 5 illustrates the path 54 of the planetary gears 36 through 39 and the path 56 of the eccentrically mounted feed pins 48 through 51 with respect to the center 52 of the shaft 22. I Since the speed of each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is a function of its radial distancefrom the center of rotation 52, each feed pin is traveling at maximum speed when it occupies the position of the feed pin 51, shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, wherein the feed pin 51 is at the maximum radial distance from the center of rotation 52. Similarly, when each feed pin reaches the position of the feed pin 49 (FIGS. 3 and 5), it is traveling at minimum speed since it is at the smallest radial distance from the center of rotation 52. When each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at the position of the pins 48 and 50, therefore, it is traveling at a speed which is between the maximum and minimum speeds.

A transfer turret 58 or other means of receiving the end closures C which are removed from the stacks A and B, is disposed adjacent the depending flange portion 14 of the housing 12 at apoint where each of the feed pins 48 through 51 reaches maximum velocity, namely, the position of the feed pin 51 in FIGS. 3 and 5. The turret 58 is provided with pockets 60 which are indexed with the feed pins 48 through 51 to receive therein end closures C which are being advanced at maximum velocity by the feed pins 48 through 51. 'As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a guide member 62 is provided to retain the ends C in the pockets 60.

In operation, the rotating separator screw 20 makes two revolutions for every one revolution of the planetary gears 36 through 39 around the stationary sun gear 34, as hereinbefore described. Since the helical thread 45 of the separator screw 20 is so constructed to remove one end closure C from each of the stacks A and B for each revolution of the separator screw 20', during one revolution of the planetary gears 36 through 39 around the stationary sun gear 34, the separator screw 20 makes two revolutions and thus removes two ends C from each stack A and B. In addition, owing to the identical size and one-to-one gear ratio of the planetary gears 36 through 39 and the stationary sun gear 34, each of the eccentrically mounted feed pins 48 through 51 rotates 360 around the center of its respective planetary gear for each revolution of the planetary gear around the stationary sun gear 34.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the rotation of the separator screw 20 is timed or indexed with the rotation of the planetary gears 36 through 39 such that an end C is dropped from the stack B onto the supporting ledge 47 of the sun gear flange 46 just pior to the time that each of the feed pins 48 and 50 on the planetary gears 36 and 38, respectively, reach the stack B. Similarly, the helical thread 45 of the separator screw 20 causes an end C to drop from the stack A onto the supporting ledge 47 of the flange 46 just prior to the time that the feed pins 49 and 51 on the planetary gears 37 and 39, respectively, reach the stack A. Thus, the feed pin 48 on the planetary gear 36 passes under the stack A, while the feed pin 50 on the diametrically opposed planetary gear 38 engages the separated end closure C from stack B on the support ledge 47 of the sun gear flange 46 (see FIG. 2). At the same time, the feed pin 49 on the planetary gear 37 is in engagement with and is advancing an end C on the support ledge 47 which was previously separated from the stack A by the helical thread 45 of the separator screw 20, and the feed pin 51 on the diametrically opposed planetary gear 39 is advancing an end C, previously separated from the stack A, into one of the pockets 60 of the transfer turret 58.

When the planetary gears 36 through 39 have rotated in a counter-clockwise direction from the positions shown in FIG. 3, the separator screw 20 has rotated approximately 180 so that the helical thread 45 thereon causes the bottorn'end C of the stack A to drop onto the support ledge 47 of the sun gear flange 46, and the feed pin 51 is advanced to the position of the'feed pin 48 in FIG. 3 wherein the pin 51 engages the end C which has dropped from the stack A onto the support ledge 47. Also, after the 90 of rotation, the feed pin 48 is advanced to the position of the feed pin 49 in FIG. 3 wherein the pin 48 is without an end closure C since the feed pin 48 has passed under the stack A as shown in FIG. 2; the feed pin 49 is advanced to the position of the feed pin 50 in FIG. 3 wherein the end closure C in engagement with the pin 49 has the outer portion thereof disposed in the depressed portion 19-of the guide channel 18 in the flange portion 16 of the housing 13, so that the last mentioned end closure C is advanced under the stack B (see FIG. 4); and at the same time, the feed pin 50 is advanced to the position of the feed pin 51 in FIG. 3 wherein its respective end closure C supported on the ledge portion 43 is discharged into a pocket 60 of the transfer turret 58.

After approximately 180 of counter-clockwise rotation of the planetary gears 36 through 39 from the position shown in FIG. 3, the separator screw has rotated 360 to again cause the lowest end closure C to drop from the stack B onto the support ledge 47 of the sun gear flange 46, and the feed pin 48 is advanced to the position of the feed pin in FIG. 3 wherein it engages the end C which has dropped from the stack B. Also, the feed pin 49 is advanced to the position of the feed pin 51 in FIG. 3 wherein it discharges its respective end C into a pocket of the transfer turret 58; the feed pin 50 is in the position of the feed pin 48 shown in FIG. 3 wherein it is disposed adjacent to and below the stack A, and the feed pin 51 is advanced to the position of the feed pin 49 in FIG. 3 wherein it is in engagement with and is advancing an end C from the stack A.

Thus, it will be readily seen that the separator screw 20 continuously separates or drops ends C from the stacks A and B, and that the feed pins 49 and 51 continuously engage and advance the separated ends C from stack A, while the feed pins 48 and 50 continuously engage and advance separated ends C from stack B. Because the ends C from stack A are disposed in the depressed portion 19 of channel 18 rather than in the channel 17 of flange 16 as they pass the'stack B, there is no interference between ends from the different stacks A and B.

Since, as hereinbefore described, the radial distance of each of the feed pins 48 through 51 from the center 52 of the shaft 22 varies as the planetary gears 36 through 39 travel around the stationary sun gear 34, the speed of each of the feed pins 48 through 51 varies in accordance with its radial distance from the center of rotation 52 as it travels thereabout. Thus, when each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at the position of the feed pin 49 in FIG. 3, it is traveling at minimum speed since it is at the smallest radial distance from the center 52 of the shaft 22. Similarly, when each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at the position of the pin 51 in FIG. 3, it is traveling at a maximum speed since it is at the greatest radial distance from the center 52; and, when each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at the position of either the pin 48 or the pin 50 in FIG. 3, it is traveling at a speed which is greater than that of the pin 49 but less than that of the pin 51.

It will be understood, therefore, that the end closures C which are removed from the stack A and engaged by the feed pins 49 and 51, are initially engaged by these feed pins at a medial speed, then decelerated to the minimum speed and finally accelerated to the maximum speed as they are transferred to the pockets 60 of the transfer turret 58. Similarly, when the end closures C are removed from the stack B, they are initially engaged by the fed pins 48 and 50 at a medial speed and then they are accelerated in a counter-lockwise direction to the maximum speed, at which latter speed the ends C from stack B are discharged into the pocket 60 of the transfer turret 58. Since the end closures C from the stacks A and B are initially engaged by their respective feed pins at a speed which is less than the maximum speed, there is less possibility of damage to the end closures from the impact force of the feed pins. Subsequent to the initial engagement of the ends C by the feed pins 48 through 51, the feed pins then are accelerated to maximum speed as they are adjacent the transfer turret 58. Thus, the ends C are inserted into the pockets 60 of the transfer turret 58 at maximum speed to thereby provide safe, high speed transfer of the ends C from the stacks A and B to the transfer turret 58. v

The instant apparatus obviously may be used for feeding many types of articles other than end closures for containers, and it may be used for feeding articles from a single stack or from a number of stacks in excess of two, With011t departing from the scope of the instant invention.

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. Apparatus for feeding container end closures at high speed from a pair of substantially diametrically opposed stacks thereof to a predetermined point, comprising a rotatable separator screw having a helical thread on the outer surface thereof on which the lower-most end closure ofeach stack is partially supported, said thread being so constructed that the lowermost end closure drops from each stack during each revolution of said separator screw, means for supporting said end closures after the dropping thereof from the stacks, and feeding means rota-ting in a predetermined timed relationship with said separator screw for engaging the dropped end closures on said supporting means at a first speed and for accelerating said dropped end closures to a second and higher speed as they are advanced on said supporting means to said predetermined point, said feeding means comprising four planetary gears in engagement with and equally spaced around a stationary sun gear, each of said planetary gears having end closure engaging means thereon and making one revolution around said sun gear for each two revolutions of said separator screw.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said end closure engaging means comprises upwardly extending feed pin which is eccentrically mounted on each of said planetary gears, the upper end of each of the feed pins being disposed above said dropped end closure and below said lowest end closures of each of said stack-s.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said supporting means is constructed so that the dropped end closure from one of said stacks passes under the other of said stacks when it is advanced on said supporting means by one of said feed pins.

4. Apparatus for feeding articles at high speed from a stack thereof to article transfer means, comprising a rotatable separator screw having a helical thread on the outer surface thereof in which a portion of the lowermost article in the stack is disposed, at predetermined rotation of said separator screw serving to separate said lowermost article from the stack through said helical thread, and feeding means rotating in a predetermined timed relationship with said separator screw for engaging each separated article at a first speed which avoids damage to the article and for advancing and accelerating the article to a second speed for discharge to the article transfer means, said feeding means comprising a plurality of planetary gears, each of which has a feed pin eccentrically mounted thereon which is adapted to engage a separated article.

plurality of stacks thereof to article transfer means, comprising rotatable separator means on which the lowermost article of each stack is partially mounted, said separator means causing the lowermost article from each stack to drop therefrom after a predetermined rotation thereof, means for supporting articles after they have dropped from the stacks, and feeding means rotating in a predetermined timed relationship with said separator means for engaging said dropped articles at a first speed and for accelerating said dropped articles to a second and higher speed as they are advanced on said supporting means to the article transfer means, said feeding means comprising a plurality of planetary gears which are in engagement With a stationary sun gear, each of said planetary gears 11 having an upwardly extending feed pin eccentrically mounted thereon which is positioned to engage a dropped article.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Blankenhorn 221-222 X Loweree 198-22 Echols 221-116 X Guenther 198-22 Douglass 221-290 X Stover' 221-277 Smith 221-222 Jaskowiak 133-4 Osmond 221-222 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CONTAINER END CLOSURES AT HIGH SPEED FROM A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED STACKS THEREOF TO A PREDETERMINED POINT, COMPRISIING A ROTATABLE SEPARATOR SCREW HAVING A HELICAL THREAD ON THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF ON WHICH THE LOWERMOST END CLOSURE OF EACH STACK IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED, SAID THREAD BEING SO CONSTRUCTED THAT THE LOWERMOST END CLOSURE DROPS FROM EACH STACK DURING EACH REVOLUTION OF SAID SEPARATOR SCREW, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID END CLOSURES AFTER THE DROPPING THEREOF FROM THE STACKS, AND FEEDING MEANS ROTATING IN A PREDETERMINED TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEPARATOR SCREW FOR ENGAGING THE DROPPED END CLOSURES ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AT A FIRST SPEED AND FOR A ACCELERATING SAID DROPPED END CLOSURES TO A SECOND AND HIGHER SPEED AS THEY ARE ADVANCED SO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO SAID PREDETERMINED POINT, SAID FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING FOUR PLANETARY GEARS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH AND EQUALLY SPACED AROUND A STATIONARY SUN GEAR, EACH OF SAID PLANETARY GEARS HAVING END CLOSURE ENGAGING MEANS THEREON AND MAKING ONE REVOLUTION AROUND SAID SUN GEAR FOR EACH TWO REVOLUTIONS OF SAID SEPARATOR SCREW.

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