AU607913B2 - Closing tool - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1952 7 RM O7 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION V 7 t 0

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl Application Number: Lodged: 00 o Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: 00 0 o a 0 o o o 00 00 So000 Priori ty: Related Art: This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

0 0 0 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT 008 0 Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Rheem Australia Limited Brodie Street Rydalmere NSW 2116 Douglas Charles DUFFY Fredric Robert GEE Mr A W Tilley Rheem Australia Limited Brodie Street Rydalmere NSW 2116 Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "CLOSING TOOL" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: A63F kft 1 a i i 0 I 0 0 0 0 o 0 00 o 1o90 ooo o 00 o 000 0 0 00 0 0000 20 000 o *0 o o o This invention relates to a closing tool for metal pails of the type closed at the top end by a multi-lugged metal lid, the lid being provided with a resilient gasket in its rim region. The type of container relevant to the invention is used for the packaging of goods such as paints, printing inks and powdered or granular solids. The type of pail to be closed by the tool is as illustrated in the accompanying figures. The invented closing tool is best appreciated by looking at the accompanying Fig 3, which shows a view of the top end of a pail for which the closing tool is used.

Whilst closing tools of this general type have been well known for several decades, the inventor of this present invention has found it necessary to take new steps to overcome deficiencies in the known type -in the context of having made an invention of an improved pail or drum closure, which requires use of a closing tool of the type the subject of this invention, the closure being described in our co-pending patent application 52357/86.

When faced with the need to perform a closing operation as required for the newly invented pail closure it was found that all known closing tools were not capable of closing the pail quickly enough on a production filling line or not capable of enabling the closing operation at all. The problem encountered was one of having inadequate mechanical effort available to properly deform all lugs simultaneously to the required shape and adequately compress the resilient gpsket. Moreover, the best of the available tools was already 2 i, 00 a S 0 1 0 00 0 00 0 0 0 o 00oo 0 0 oo 0 00 o0o 0 0oo o r o o oe oQ 0 0 0 005 o o o oo o ao oo oo o oo o oo oo oOO 00 oo0 regarded as being unacceptably heavy because very frequently it is most convenient if such closing tools be portable. Thus it was necessary to increase the available power to the closing jaws of the machine and yet to avoid increasing its mass. The need to provide a higher powered, preferably lighter weight tool was also accompanied by the need to ensure a high level of safe operation in the hands of typical operators.

A further shortcoming of known types of tool was difficulty of adjustment of the tool dimensional setting affecting the degree of tightness of the lugs of the lid in their engagement with the outwardly directed curl of the pail. In usual practice wear in linkages was not countered by the appropriate adjustment because of the inaccessability of the resetting adjustment. Hence the quality of the closure achieved when using a tool over an extended period would gradually but inevitably deteriorate, but not in an obvious manner.

The present invertion has resulted from the above mentioned needs and shortcomings and combines means to meet the above identified needs and overcome those shortcomings in a new closing tool able to rapidly close steel lug cover pails to the correct degree of tightness of the closure- a much increased degree of tightness than hitherto- and yet weighing only approximately one third the mass of known tools of the type. The closing tool of the invention is capable of meeting known filling line speeds and, in a preferred form, performing the closure operation in a single placement on the 3 lid of the pail. (That is, it does not require one or more operate-release-rotate-operate cycles). Furthermore it is readily portable and can be readily reset to counteract the effects of wear.

The invention consists of a pneumatically powered closing tool for effecting closure of a multi-lugged metal lid onto the open end of a metal pail, said closing tool having constructional features comprising: 00 0 0 00 0 00 0 0 0 a ,0 i a base incorporating a fluid power cylinder and a plurality of 0 0o, radially directed pivot supports integrally cast as a single unit; 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 00o a piston slidable in said fluid power cylinder and connected by a 0 0ooo00 0 rod to an upper pivot support plate; 00 00 0 a pivot ring member carried by the upper pivot support plate; 00ooo00 0 0 0 o a a 00o o 0 o° a plurality of jaws, each having a lower clevis means for attaching the jaws in pivotable relationship to the pivot supports on said O base, a lid lug contact effector to deform the lugs of the lid into a t a sealing relationship with the pail and an extended lever arm having upper clevis means for attaching each jaw in pivotable relationship with the lower end of one corresponding rigid linkage; -4a plurality of rigid linkages each connected at a first end in pivotal relationship with an upper end of said jaw member and at a second end in pivotal relationship with an upper pivot ring; a spring to return the jaws to an open position at the conclusion of a closing cycle; and a two handed actuator capable of requiring both hands of an Sa operator of the tool to be out of reach of jaws and movable Slinkages during an actuation cycle.

0o o a o0 0 00 Sooo o° o The invention will be described with the aid of a detailed 0 0 0 0 description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: o0 Fig 1 is a part cross-sectional elevation of a full-open-top metal 0, 0 pail which is to be closed for transport with a multi-lugged type metal lid shown in position prior to the lid lugs being crimped.

4 0 Fig 2 is a part cross-sectional elevation of a full-open-top metal 4 'pail with a multi-lugged type metal lid shown crimped in position, on which is schematically superimposed one jaw of the closing tool accordingto this invention, the jaw being shown in both the fully open and fully closed positions.

C, i. -r L lll- t UYY-:flli.i-- ~-iiiiil:-~-tl. i- II'~ 'i i rrPL~XL~-I-L i _l~~i 1 Fig 3 is a perspective view of the closing tool according to this invention, positioned on a multi-lugged type metal lid prior to attachment to a metal pail.

Fig 1 illustrates the type of metal pail and lid to which the closing tool according to this invention applies.

Referring to Fig i, the multi-lugged type metal lid 10 is inserted in the open top of a metal pail having a vertical wall 11 terminating at its extremity with a radially outwardly directed curl 12 particularly envisaged as being of the type described in our co-pending patent application 52357/86. Lugs 13 of the metal lid 10 are shown in Fig 1 It, before crimping to seal the top of the pail. (Fig 2 shows the same lugs after crimping.) The crimping action of the lugs N, compresses the resilient gasket 14 to provide a tigh damage resistant seal between the lid and pail.

4, Fig 2 illustrates a lug cover pail of the type illustrated in Fig 1, after crimping of the lugs of the lid by the use of the closing tool according to this invention.

P The base 20 of the closing tool 30 see Fig 3) rests in contact with the upper rim 21 of the lid 10. The base is preferably of aluminium and is preferably cast as an integral unit with the cylinder 36. Jaw 22 of the closing tool 30 is actuated by linkages 23 and 24 which are caused to rotate around pivot points 25 and 26. The component parts 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 apply to the jaw position at the completion of the closing action of the tool while the positions of the corresponding items at the beginning of the tool operation are designated in Fig 2 by 22a to 26a I ~Rln 1 respectively.

Fig 3 illustrates a closing tool according to the invention positioned on a pail and lug cover lid prior to ef.cting a closing operation. The base 20 rests on the lid the lugs 13 of which are visible. Jaws 22 comprise a lower, lid-lug tucking portion 27, a lower pivot point 25, an upper pivot point 26 and a rigid linkage 23 extending between the pivot points. Upper linkages 24 connect each jaw to an upper pivot ring hidden from view in Fig 3 by handle supports 31. Fluid power valve 33 provides actuation fluid, preferably o o compressed air, to cylinder 36. Valve 33 may be only actuated n- by simultaneous depression of both start pads 34 o simultaneously, thereby encouraging the user of the tool to keep both hands on the handles while initiating a closing action and thereby increasing user safety. The actuation cycle of the tool causes the base and handle sections of the o oo tool to move relatively closer to each other and the compression spring 35 returns the tool to its starting ocot configuration as illustrated in Fig 3.

00 o e 1 aA closing tool as described has been constructed having a mass of 15 kilograms which is capable of closing a 0.55mm thickness steel lid of a 20 litre pail as described and illustrated in co-pending patent application 52357/86 to effect complete folding of the lugs under the curl as illustrated in that specification when sealing the pail using a single placement of the tool on the pail, the tool being powered by compressed air at a pressure of 600kPa, -7- I Although the foregoing describes a preferred embodiment, variations readily apparent to users of such equipment would fall within the scope of the present invention. Included in such variations would be an embodiment having a number of jaw/linkage sub-assemblies less than the number of lugs on the lid of the pail and wherin the closing of the pail requires multiple placement of the tool around the lid and the pail, clenching some of the lugs only at each placement.

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Claims (1)

1. 2. A pneumatically powered closing tool substantially as described and as shown in the accompanying illustrations. 0 0 c: i '0 0 0 00 *s 0 &t 0' 0c.0 0 *0 q 0 0 000 01 *0 00O '4 0 0' 0 00 0, 000 0 DATED this 27th day of November 1990 RHEEM AUSTRALIA LIMITED 00ooo00 o o o So a o D000 00 00 0 0 0o t a 1 0 i 0l 0 O IS D i O I 050875