JPH01254593A - Cap forming/mounting unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the moving speed of containers faster and improve the working efficiency, by making respective retainers of the feeder move in the same direction with the suction head with the same speed while a multiple number of caps on the retainers are picked up simultaneously, and making respective suction heads move in the same direction with the containers with the same speed when the caps are placed. CONSTITUTION:A suction head 4, which has picked up three caps B simultaneously from a retainer 2, starts descending gradually when a cam follower 37 reaches an uphill tilting surface 29a of a cam 29. When the cam follower 37 reaches a top horizontal surface 29c, the caps B are placed on containers C. When the cam follower 37 approaches a downhill tilting surface 29b of the cam 29, the suction head 4 is cut off from the vacuum source. When the cam follower 37 descends the downhill tilting surface 29b, the suction head 4 ascendes, leaving the caps B on the containers C. Since the suction head 4 is equipped on a live endless chain 27, the same motion is repeated. The containers C are sent to the next process by a conveyor 70.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a cap forming/fitting device, and more specifically, to forming and punching a cap from a processed strip material such as a strip of aluminum foil, and attaching the punched cap to a container. The invention relates to a device that is automatically attached to the mouth of a person.

PRIOR ART AND THEIR PROBLEMS Conventional cap forming and fitting devices are designed to form and punch a cap from a workpiece strip and attach the punched cap to the mouth of a container that is being moved intermittently when the container is stopped. (Refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-44727).

This conventional device is designed to attach a cap to a container.
Since the container being moved must be stopped at a predetermined position each time, there is a problem in that mounting the container is extremely inefficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an efficient cap forming and mounting device that solves the above-mentioned problems.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the cap forming/fitting device according to the present invention includes a press that simultaneously forms and punches a plurality of caps from a workpiece strip in a lined state; an intermittent moving feeder having a plurality of retainers that receive a plurality of caps from a press and hold them in a line; and a plurality of caps on each retainer are simultaneously picked up and arranged in series;
The capping device consists of a large number of suction heads that attach caps to the mouths of containers that are continuously moving in a row, and each retainer has the same suction head as the corresponding suction head while the caps on it are simultaneously picked up. Each suction head is configured to move in the same direction and at a constant speed as the corresponding container when the cap is attached.

Embodiments Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the lower side in Figure 1 is referred to as the front, the upper side in Figure 1 is referred to as the rear, the left side in Figure 1 is referred to as left, and the right side in Figure 1 is referred to as right.

1 to 3 show the entire cap forming and mounting device according to the present invention. This device has a press (1) that simultaneously forms and punches three caps (B) side by side from a strip of aluminum foil (A), which is a strip material to be processed, and a press (1) that simultaneously forms and punches three caps (B) that are lined up from a strip of aluminum foil (A) that is a strip material to be processed. An intermittent moving feeder (3) comprising a number of retainers (2) received from 1) and held in a line, and three caps (B) on each retainer (2) simultaneously picked up and arranged in series. , a capping device (5) equipped with a large number of suction heads (4) for attaching caps (B) to the mouths of containers (C) that are continuously moving in a row, and placed on a base (6). Press (1), feeder (3) and capping device (5) from the rear
is placed.

The cap (B) is concave and has a flange (
7) and a knob (8) formed by a part of the flange (7) protruding outward in a triangular shape.
A cylindrical container made of glass with a bottom as shown in the figure (C)
It is attached to the The material of the container (C) is not limited to glass, and may be synthetic resin, paper, a composite material mainly made of paper, or the like. The peripheral wall of the cap (B) has a tapered shape that expands upward.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the press (1) has a chute extending from below its fixed male mold (9) and movable female mold (10) pair toward the feeder (3). (
11) is installed. Male (9) and female (l
There are three pairs of O), and shoots (11
) also exist. The chute (11) has a vertical upper half (
Lla) and an arched lower half (llb). The vertical upper half (lla) is composed of a flat rectangular cylinder whose cross-sectional area decreases as it goes downward. As shown in FIG.
Both side plates (13) where the edges of the flange (7) of B) touch,
It consists of a horizontal bar (14) connecting these.

The feeder (3) is formed in the form of a slat conveyor, each slat containing three cap storage pockets (one
5) is formed on the retainer (2). The pocket (15) is circular and is shown in Figures 5, 7 and 1.
As shown in FIG.
2) A recess (17) having a bottom surface on the same level as the horizontal surface of the stepped portion (16) is formed toward the rear edge. A pair of grooves (18) having a bottom surface on the same level as the horizontal surface of the front wall (lea) of the semicircular arc step (1B) are provided on the front wall (lea) of the semicircular step (1B).
2) extends from the front edge of the chute (1B) to the semicircular step (1B), so that the pair of bars (12) of the chute (II) relatively pass through the groove (18) when the retainer (2) moves forward. It has become. As is clear from FIGS. 5 and 7, the tip of the bar (12) is located just behind the recess (17) when each retainer (2) stops at the cap receiving position from the chute (11). As if to come,
Further, the tips of the side plates (13) of the shoe (11) are respectively arranged so as to be close to the upper surface of the retainer (2) at the rear end of the semicircular arc-shaped stepped portion (16). On the center line of each chute (11) and above its tip, there is a diagonally downward air injection nozzle (1
9) is arranged, and the extension line (X
) reaches halfway between the center of the pocket (15) of the stop retainer (2) and the front end of the pocket (15). The direction of the nozzle (19) and the air jet strength are as follows:
In consideration of the descending speed of the cap (B) from the chute (11), as shown in FIG.
) is adjusted so that it does not ride on the front wall (lea) of the step (16). The three nozzles (19) are provided in one air supply horizontal vibe (20) that is closed at one end.

The cap (B), shown in solid line in Figure 5, descends down the chute (11) and enters the pocket (15) of the retainer (2).
1) further advances due to its own descending speed, and its front end passes the center of the pocket (15) and moves to the position shown by the dashed-dotted line, and when air (21) is blown inside its tip,
Since the cap (B2) is pressed diagonally downward from its tip side, the speed of descent from the shoe (11) is reduced. As a result, there is no risk that the cap (B) will ride on the front wall (lea) of the stepped portion (16). Cap (B2)
However, it is further propelled by air and becomes 2
It will come to the position indicated by the dotted chain line. At this time, the air is capped (B3
) since you will be spraying the bottom of the pocket ( ) from above.
The cap (B3) is held down and stored in the pocket (15) in a stable state without floating up from the cap (B3).

If the air injection nozzle (19) were not present, the descending blade would be too weak and the cap (B) would stop before reaching the tip of the pocket (15), or conversely the descending blade would be too strong and would cause the pocket (■5) to stop. Sometimes it collides with the tip and then goes back. If the air injection nozzle (19) is present, the cap (B) will be propelled by air in any case and will therefore be reliably placed in the predetermined position in the pocket (15).

The feeder (3) is equipped with a pair of intermittent drive endless chains (21
), thick side plates (22) fixed to horizontal protrusions (78) provided on every predetermined number of links inside both chains (21), and a pair of side plates (22).
) and the two guide bars (23) that stopped me.
Said retainer (2) is slidably attached to two guide bars (23) and each endless chain (21
) and front and rear chain wheels (24). A cam φ follower (25) is installed on the bottom surface of the left end of each retainer (2).
are provided, and each retainer (2) is made to slide in sequence by a cylindrical cam (2B), which will be described later.

The capping device (5) has an approximately 0, horizontal continuous drive endless chain (2
7) 24 suction heads (4) which are attached to the caps at predetermined intervals so as to be movable up and down and which move above the retainer (2) at the cap pick-up position in a direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the feeder (3); A lifting device (28) for picking up multiple caps at the same time, a cam (29) for attaching caps, and a cam follower (25) disposed below the retainer (2) at the above-mentioned position and guiding the cam follower (25) of each retainer (2). Groove (
32) is provided with a cylindrical cam (2B) for sliding in one direction laterally.

This will be explained in more detail. The horizontal drive endless chain (27) has left and right pairs of chain wheels (31).
), and is arranged so that its linear moving portion is parallel to the guide bar (23).

A rising portion (30) is provided on the outside of every second link of the horizontal drive endless chain (27), and the inside of a pair of brackets (33) are fixed to this at a predetermined interval. . The bracket (33) includes an upper protrusion (33a) and an oblique downward protrusion (33b) that avoids the chain guide (34). A swing arm (35) is fitted between a pair of brackets (33).

The swing arm (35) has an inverted inner half (3
5a) and a plate-like L-shaped outer half (35b).

The lower end of the inverted inner half (35a) is pivotally connected to a pair of brackets (33) by a pin (36), and a cam follower (37) is attached to the inner end surface. The outer corner of the inverted inner half (35a) is cut diagonally to form a slope, on which the bottle (74) is erected at right angles, and the upper protrusion (3) of one of the pair of brackets (33)
A bottle (3B) is also provided horizontally on the inner surface of 3a), and a tension spring (39) is secured to both pins (74) and (38). The suction head (4), which is connected to a vacuum source, is attached to the lower surface of the outer end of the L-shaped outer half (35b).

As is clear from FIGS. 8 and 9, the elevating device (28) for picking up multiple caps at the same time has upper surfaces at both ends inclined outward, and has cam followers (28) of three swing arms (35). Horizontal square guide bar (40) receiving 37)
A guide bar (40) is fixed to the rear surface of the upper end, and a roller (41) is attached to the rear surface of the lower end.
Book lifting bar (42) and a pair of vertical walls of the machine frame (43)
a pair of horizontal guide bars (44) running parallel to the
The sliding block (46) is slidably attached to (45).
), and two elevating bars (42) are fixed to the rear surface of the sliding block (4B) and partially protrude upward from the long hole (75) drilled in the top plate (47). A rear guide bar (
A pair of arms (
The rail (51) is fixed across the rail (50) and receives the roller (41), and the rail (51) is fixed to the rear guide bar (45) on the outside of one vertical wall (43) and extends downward. A lever (53) with a cam follower (52) in the middle, and a cam follower (52) of the lever (53).
2) is in contact with the horizontal square guide bar lifting plate cam (
54) and bins (55) (5B) provided on the outer surface of the vertical wall (43) at the lower end and front lower position of the lever (53) to move the cam follower (52) to the plate cam ( The tension spring (57) is in pressure contact with the lifting bar (54), the collar (58) is fitted into the lifting bar (42) and provided at the lower part thereof, and the horizontal part of the L-shaped member (48) is interposed between the tension spring (57) and the horizontal part of the L-shaped member (48). the rollers (41) of the lifting bar (42).
) is pressed against the rail (51) by a compression spring (59).
), and a horizontal angular guide bar reciprocating cylindrical cam (61) equipped with a groove (B2) for guiding a cam follower (60) attached to the lower surface of the negative end of the sliding block (4B). In the pair of guide bars (44) (45),
The front guide bar (44) is fixed, but the rear guide bar (45) is rotatable. Further, the suction head (4) is always urged upward by the force of the tension spring (39).

The cylindrical cam (2B) for sliding the retainer in one horizontal direction is the second retainer (2) from the front in the drawing of the advancing upper retainer group.
The cam groove (32) is disposed below and parallel to the left side of the pair of guide bars (23) of the retainer (2) (see FIGS. 8 and 11), and the cam groove (32) has an end. In the developed view shown in FIG. 13, the part where the cam follower (25) enters and the part where it exits is the straight part (32a).
(32b), and the part that moves the cam follower (25) in one horizontal direction is the inclined part (3'2e). When viewed from the end surface of the cylindrical cam (26), the straight part (32a
) (32b) is 0″ to 120″ of the cylindrical cam (26),
It corresponds to 360″ (θ°) to 120″, and the slope part (32
c) corresponds to 120' to 360@min. As a result, while the cylindrical cam (26) rotates 2/3, the feeder (3)
is at rest, while the cam follower (25) is guided along the ramp (32c), causing the retainer (2) to move two pitches to the left. Immediately before the lateral movement of the retainer (2), the cam followers (3
7) rests on the horizontal square guide bar (40), and when the retainer (2) starts moving, the center of each suction head (4) of the three swing arms (35) is placed on the retainer ( 2
) is aligned with the center of the three pockets (15).

The horizontal square guide bar (40) is repeatedly raised, slid forward in synchronization with the retainer (2), lowered, and slid in visibility by the plate cam (54) and cylindrical cam (61). , by this actuation of the horizontal square guide bar (40),
The three suction heads (4) descend while moving at the same speed as the retainer (2), and simultaneously adsorb the caps (B) of the three pockets (I5) and rise. The curve Y in FIG. 10 represents the horizontal square guide bar (4
0), the relationship between forward sliding (a) and visibility sliding (b) is shown, and the curve Z in the figure shows the rise (a) of the horizontal square guide bar (40) due to the action of the plate cam (54). ), the relationship between holding the raised position (b), lowering (C), and holding the lowered position is shown in temporal correspondence with the above reciprocating movements (a) and (b),
The suction head (4) moves in the opposite direction to the lifting and lowering of the horizontal square guide bar (40).

The cylindrical cam (2B) rotates 273 times as described above, and then the feeder (3) advances one pitch during the remaining 1/3 rotation. That is, the empty retainer (2) in the pocket (15) comes to the first position from the front of the feeder (3) in a horizontal state.

In order to keep the retainer (2) in the right position, a cam follower (25
) with a groove (64) for guiding the guide wheel (6
5) is installed. The guide wheel (
65), a pair of guides that form an oblique movement path (6B) for the cam follower (25) in order to return the retainer (2), which has been moved to the left side of the feeder (3), to its original position on the right side. - A plate (67) is placed. Exit cam follower straight part (3) of cylindrical cam (26)
Above the position corresponding to 2b) and from the front of the cylindrical cam (2B) to the front end of the pair of guide plates (67), there is a cam that moves in a horizontal U shape, and a groove (68) that guides the follower (25). A lateral U-shaped guide member (69) is arranged (see FIGS. 8, 11 and 12). From the rear upper end of the guide wheel (65) to the cylindrical cam (
At a position corresponding to the linear part (32a) for the approach cam follower of 2B) and towards the upper rear of the cylindrical cam (2B),
A pair of guide plates (77) are arranged which form a linear path (7B) for the cam follower (25).

A container conveyor (70) is arranged opposite the feeder (8) via the horizontally driven endless chain (27), as is clear from FIGS. 8 and 14. The cap mounting cam (29) is attached to the top plate (47
) is provided in front of and opposite to the horizontal square guide bar (40), the length of which is approximately equal to the width of the feeder (3), and an upward slope (29a) and a downward slope (29a) at both ends. 29b) is formed, and the top horizontal surface (29e)
Four cam followers (37) can ride on it at the same time.

At the position corresponding to the cap mounting cam (29),
Along the front side of the container transport conveyor (70), the timing
A screw (71) is arranged, and a conveyor (7
The pitch between the containers (C) when the caps are attached on the container (C) is automatically made to match the pitch between the suction heads (4). Timing screw (
71), there are guide members (72) that guide the body of the container (C) along both sides of the conveyor (70).
is placed. A star wheel (73) is placed in front of the container (C) entering the timing screw (71) and on the opposite side, and a large number of containers (C) are transported in close contact with each other. are sequentially separated before entering the timing screw (71), so that one side of the container (C) can easily fit into the groove of the timing screw (71).

The suction head (4), which has picked up three caps (B) from the retainer (2) at the same time, uses the cam follower (37
) reaches the upward slope (29a) of the cam (29), it begins to descend one by one, and when it reaches the top horizontal surface (29c), it reaches its lowering limit and the cap (B) is completely attached to the mouth of the container (C). . And the cam follower (37) is the cam (29)
By the time the suction head (4) approaches the downward slope (29b), the suction head (4) is already disconnected from the vacuum source and loses suction power. Therefore, the cam follower (37) is placed on the downhill slope (2
9b), the suction head (4) picks up the cap (B
) in the container (C). Since the suction head (4) is attached to the drive endless chain (27), the same operation is repeated continuously thereafter. The container (C) with the cap (B) attached is sent to the next process by the conveyor (70).

In the above embodiment, three caps are molded and punched, and correspondingly there are three pockets on the retainer, and the three pockets are picked up by the suction head at the same time.
It is not limited to this number, but may be more than one.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, it is not necessary to stop the moving container at a predetermined position every time to attach a cap to the container, and the cap can be attached to a container that is continuously moving. Even if the caps are molded and punched one by one, the efficiency of stopping time is improved, and since it is possible to mold and punch multiple caps at the same time, the moving speed of the container can be increased by several times. . Therefore, the efficiency of automatic molding and mounting of the cap can be significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the cap forming and mounting device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the same, FIG. 3 is a front view of the same, and FIG. 4 is a view of a press equipped with a chute and a retainer of a feeder. FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view with a portion cut away; FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower half of the chute, the retainer and the air supply horizontal vibrator with the air injection nozzle, showing the state in which the chute lowering cap is stably accommodated in the retainer; FIG. The figure is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the lower part of the chute and the retainer showing a state in which the chute lowering cap does not fit into the designated position in the pocket of the retainer. Figure 7 is a front view of each member in Figure 5, with part of the retainer cut away. ing. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cap forming and mounting device with the press omitted, and Fig. 9 is the I of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 is a curve diagram showing the movement of the horizontal square guide bar due to the action of the cylindrical cam and the plate cam;
11 and 12 are cross-sectional views taken along the lines XI-XI and xn-xn of FIG. 8, respectively, FIG. 13 is a developed view of the cylindrical cam, and FIGS. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the container with the cap attached. be. (A)...Workpiece strip material, (B)...Cap, (C
) Container, (1) Press, (2) Retainer, (3) Feeder, (4) Suction head, (5) Capping device. Applicant for the above patents: Showa Aluminum Co., Ltd. Figure 3 Figure 13 Figure 16

Claims (1)

[Claims] A press (1) simultaneously forms and punches a plurality of caps (B) from a workpiece strip (A) in a lined manner, and a press (1) that receives a plurality of punched caps (B) from the press (1) and lines them up. An intermittent moving feeder (3) equipped with a large number of retainers (2) to hold and a plurality of caps (B) on each retainer (2) are simultaneously picked up and arranged in series, and are continuously moving in a single line. A capping device (5) equipped with a number of suction heads (4) for attaching a cap (B) to the mouth of a container (C).
), and each retainer (2) has a corresponding suction head (4) while a plurality of caps (B) on it are simultaneously picked up.
), and each suction head (4) is configured to move in the same direction and at the same speed as the corresponding container (C) when the cap is attached. .