PL218517B1 - Device for performing continuous local and / or extended deformations on metallic containers - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the invention is a device for continuously producing local and / or widened deformations on metal containers.

In particular, the present invention relates to a device specially adapted to perform sequentially and continuously deformation operations of the side surface and / or the bottom, if required, of metal containers made of aluminum, their alloys, steel and other suitable materials.

Metal containers of this type undergo a multitude of deformation and / or conical surface forming operations ranging from cylindrical extruded bodies or drawn tubes and seamless drawn tubes of very thin thickness.

The term metal container, as used in the description and in the claims, also includes tubular bodies, the end ends of which are open or one of them is closed.

Said bodies, prior to a series of operations that deform and / or conically shape their side surface, or part thereof, may be externally and / or internally coated with varnish and lithographic printing along their outer side surface. Lithography is used to make multicolored inscriptions and ornaments on cut bodies, along with indications relating to the content and information intended for the target user.

The device according to the present invention carries out working operations on metal containers, for example spray bottles, beverage cans, and the like, in particular during the end phases of the process, when the tubular container, with one of its ends still open, passes through. plastic deformation modifying its geometric shape (shaping), location (necking, shaping the conical surface) or the shape of the surface (embossing / pressing).

Many different types of metal containers are known in the art, usually intended for food and drink and aerosols. There are noticeable differences in the manufacture of these types of containers, especially with regard to higher or lower complexity depending on the number of individual operations that are required.

Consequently, the machines used are very different, both in terms of design and production capacity.

A different type of manufacturing can be classified with respect to the following parameters:

- production speed, high or low, and

- production complexity, high or low.

Containers for beverages, such as cans or cans for sparkling drinks, do not have a high level of manufacturing complexity; the operations required to obtain an end body from the cut piece dictate the number of operations, usually less than the equivalent of fifteen processing stations. The production speed of these containers can usually be high.

In contrast, containers intended for aerosol applications undergo a more complex process; the number of operations required is very large, and therefore the production speed of such containers is usually slow.

The devices used to obtain such containers are therefore special; they allow the treatment of a very large number of containers with a very low complexity of construction, such as those used for beverages, or a small number of containers with a high level of complexity, such as those used for aerosols.

Today, the market increasingly demands, also in the beverage field, complex containers known as a bottle can, which accentuate shapes or deformations through the entire side surface or a large part of it.

The said requirement, which also arises from market needs, represents an evolution which, in the field of beverages, aims to replace or create an alternative to glass or PET containers, recreating, on a metal container, its aesthetic properties.

However, this hypothesis has a double problem, since the number of bottle cans in the beverage field is very large, as are the manufacturing difficulties arising from their implementation, as containers of this type may require up to fifty processing stations in the manufacturing process.

PL 218 517 B1

The known prior art solutions for the production of canned sparkling drink cans envisage the use of a production line system in which the containers are moved progressively from the w line, through the outward line to a substantially sine-like line, respectively, and gradually undergo processing on the plates. rotary devices containing a plurality of machining stations using the same type of tools. However, this known device has the drawback of having large overall dimensions, taking into account the fact that each individual operation requires a special swivel plate.

In the manufacture of aerosol canisters, the manufacturing difficulties of which are numerous due to the number of deformations required, devices with an alternating translational movement table are used to carry a series of tools and drills to successive operations.

However, these devices suffer from a drawback of slow production speed.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for continuously producing localized and / or widened deformations on metal containers, which is suitable for producing a large number of such containers, also for a large number of successive operations, without the need for a large installation area.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device as described previously which can be conveniently equipped with tools for various operations on metal containers intended for both beverages and aerosols, thus creating a system characterized by high flexibility and modularity in structure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that is easily expandable with added modules according to production needs.

According to the invention, a device for continuously producing local and / or widened deformations on a metal container, where the metal container is formed by extruded tubular bodies or by drawn and drawn seamless tubular bodies, and local and / or expanded deformations are obtained according to the sequence of steps carried out continuously on the metal container itself, characterized in that it moves the metal containers along a closed path defined by a modular structure comprising a coupling module, at least one work module and possibly mechanical means suitable to allow the metal containers to be recycle within it. a closed path according to the sequence of operating operations programmed on the surface of the metal container itself.

Preferably, said mechanical means suitable for enabling the recycle of the metal containers within the closed path are defined by one inversion module comprising a shift drum and two synchronously rotating side transfer drums connected to the shift drum.

Preferably, each processing module includes at least one active tower and a transfer drum, the active tower includes a plurality of deformation tools located on the first turntable and a plurality of container clamping devices located on the second turntable, and said containers and / or dies are provided with an alternating relative movement mechanism, and said first and second tables share a common axis of rotation and are provided with a synchronous coaxial rotation mechanism.

Preferably, each work module comprises two work stations, among them at least a rotatable transfer drum.

Preferably, each working module cooperates with a selective dispensing element for containers and / or with towers for transferring containers from the coupling module to the individual working modules and from there to the inversion module.

Preferably, each drum of the shift drum and the transfer drum is provided with sealing means, the transfer drums being operatively connected to the metal container transfer towers.

Preferably, the total number P of containers contained in a single track and the number of deforming tools or clamping devices H are selected so as not to have any divider in common.

Preferably, the inversion module comprises a shift drum mounted within any work module and operatively connected to the transfer drums of each work station.

Preferably, the selective dispensing element is a mechanical device.

Preferably, the selective dispensing element is a pneumatic device.

Preferably, the selective delivery element is a magnetic device.

PL 218 517 B1

Preferably, each active tower is provided with identical deformation tools.

Preferably, each active tower is provided with different deformation tools.

Preferably, the coupling module drums, the tower drums, the transfer drum, the shift drum, and the inversion module drums are arranged with their rotation axes parallel to each other and are all provided with a synchronous rotation mechanism.

Preferably, the number of different dies mounted on each tower is equal to the number of cycles / retry cycles performed by the containers, and is a number that ranges from 1 to H, where H is the number of deformation tools for each tower.

Preferably, the maximum number of active work steps that can be performed on the container is given by NxH, where N is the number of towers and H is the number of seats for each tower and the maximum number of cycles / retry cycles that can be performed.

Preferably, the apparatus among the operating modules includes a plurality of loading drums and discharge drums in order to perform other operations on modules not belonging to the closed path.

The design and functional features of the device for continuously producing localized and / or widened deformations on metal containers according to the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment, in which: Fig. 1 is a structural diagram. of the device of the present invention in accordance with an exemplary execution of one type of operation, Fig. 2 is a functional diagram of the closed path of container movement within the apparatus of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a functional diagram of a possible configuration of the apparatus of the present invention, Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing using the device to manufacture two different products simultaneously, and Figure 5 is a schematic view of the configuration of the device in the event of a re-cycle.

As can be seen from the accompanying drawings, the device for continuously producing localized and / or widened deformations on metal containers according to the present invention, indicated by 10 in Fig. 1, comprises a coupling module 12, at least an operating module 14, 14 ', 14 and possibly inversion module 16. These modules are arranged such that they form a closed path.

Coupling module 12 includes a loading station or loading drum 18, a first change drum 20 capable of receiving containers from loading drum 18, and an unloading station or discharge drum 22.

Each processing unit 14, 14 ', 14 includes at least a tower 24 and a transfer drum 26. The combination of one tower 24 and one transfer drum 26 represents the work station 30.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each work module 14, 14 ', 14 comprises two work stations 30, one upper and one lower.

Each tower 24 is provided with a number of operating stations corresponding to the same number of the same or different types of dies. Transfer drums 26 cooperate with the shift drum 20 and / or the towers 24 to transfer the containers from the coupling module 12 to a single working module 14, 14 ', 14, and from these modules to the inversion module 16.

Said inversion module 16 comprises a shift drum 32 and two further side transfer drums 34 synchronously rotating functionally connected to said shift drum 32; the shift drum 32 and the transfer drum 34 are provided with sealing means.

Side transfer drums 34 are functionally connected to towers 24 for carrying containers. In an embodiment of the example of the drawings, each tower 24 typically includes twelve operating stations, but it should be understood that the number may be greater or less, for example from 5 to 50, as required by production.

Each of the said elements, drums and towers, is constituted by a disc or a plate, where seats are fixed for a given number of containers, with the option of rotation about the axis of the disc itself; said rotation allows the parts of the device to move, but each of the parts is unable to move relative to the target, except during loading / unloading operations.

The movement of the containers along the path to be processed within the apparatus is therefore the same as what happens within the transport chain, where the position of each container is always set as it always remains integral with the links of this chain.

PL 218 517 B1

According to a preferred embodiment, but not limited thereto, said elements, i.e. the towers 24, the transfer drums 26, 34 and the change drums 20, the loading drums 18 and the discharge drums 22, are arranged with their axes of rotation parallel to each other so that the movement containers during processing takes place approximately in a plane perpendicular to these axes, and they are all characterized by synchronous rotation.

Apparatus 10 includes a plurality of drums, such as shift drums 20, transfer drums 26, 34, shift drums 32, and towers 24 in a closed expansion or path as shown in Fig. 2; while the loading stations or loading drums 18 and the discharge drums 22 are positioned outward of said path and adjacent to the shift drum 20. Each tower 24 includes a turntable provided with clamping fixtures (not shown) and a turntable provided with tools. both of which share a common axis of symmetry.

Each treatment on the containers takes place on towers 24, rotating continuously synchronously around their axis of symmetry. Along the perimeter of each turntable, a plurality of slots or seats are provided to accommodate, respectively, and opposing each other, container locking devices and shaping dies.

The rotation of the tables about their axes determines, through kinematics known in the art (and therefore not described in detail), the relative movement between the die and the starting container.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container dies are attached to the first turntable, while the grips remain integral with the second turntable via the prismatic clutch, and therefore are free to move in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of these tables. Nevertheless, designs are possible that allow movement of the first, second, or both tables.

While the machine is in steady operation, the majority of the clamping elements or grips are occupied by the vessel in the process to achieve simultaneous processing of multiple vessels on each individual tower.

The structure of the device is modular: the loading drums 18 and the discharge drums 22 and the shift drum 20 constitute the coupling module 12; another shift drum 32 and two transfer drums 34 constitute the inversion module 16.

The central part of the device located between the coupling module 12 and the inversion module 16 comprises a number (K) of operating modules 14, 14 ', 14 which, in a preferred and non-limiting embodiment, are equal to each other, each comprising two towers 24 and two transfer drums 26.

However, a solution must be provided for the working modules to include a different number of towers 24 and / or transfer drums 26 equal or different from each other. The reference to the position of items within the device, shown in Fig. 1, is pertinent since the overall architecture of the device itself allows for a closed path of the containers during processing.

Furthermore, the overall dimensions of the device, depending on the number of operating modules installed, may be important and it is therefore desirable to limit its dimensions as much as possible.

Shift drums 20 and 32 are primarily used to close the container path; and furthermore, the same shift drums work together to provide the correct positioning of the containers during processing on the towers 24 to locate them at the right time in contact with a tool punch that is suitable for the particular operation to be followed.

In accordance with the present invention, each individual container may be cycled one or more times on towers 24 which are provided with the same or different dies.

The number of different dies mounted on each individual tower is equal to the number of cycles / recycle cycles performed by the containers, ranging from 1 to H, with H being the number of deforming tools on each individual tower 24 to allow all the different processing steps to be performed on the containers during the respective re-cycles. cycles in the device.

During the recycle / recycle, the container that has already been processed will be placed on the towers 24 in a different position compared to the previous position so that it will encounter a different piston rod.

If the treatment schedule provides for a number of retry cycles equal to the number of dies on each tower 24, each canister being processed will pass all cavities on each tower during the scheduled cycles.

The correct positioning of the receptacles themselves within the apparatus is possible by choosing the number of nests on the same shift drums, provided that the position of each

The design of the container being processed is always known, provided that all the seats on the tower 24 are well known on the transfer drums 26, 34 and on the shift drums 20, 32.

In particular, in order not to have any common divider, the total number of containers processed in the closed path and the number of dies H. are selected.

The first shift drum 20, in addition to cooperating with adjacent transfer drums 26, engages two stations such as a loading drum 18 and a discharge drum 22 that load and unload containers, even if only some of the available nests are loaded.

It is in fact possible for the loading drum 18 to leave a number of slots in a free condition that will be occupied on the drum connected to it (shift drum 20 of another machine) by containers in the process of recycle; similarly, the discharging drum 22, cooperating with the shift drum 20 associated with it, fulfills the task of only and selectively retracting containers that have been fully processed when all scheduled cycles have been completed.

The combination of all components that perform this function is known as a selective dispensing component.

In the embodiment shown, the selective dispensing element is formed by a shift drum 20 and a discharge drum 22 discharge station. Any means such as mechanical, pneumatic or magnetic systems may be used as the selective dispensing element.

Finally, the device comprises, at least in the preferred embodiment, an interface module 12, a K number of work modules 14, 14 ', 14 and an inversion module 16, where K may be any number depending on the number of operations to be performed.

The possibility of accommodating a shift drum 32 in any of the operating modules 14, 14 ', 14 must be provided; this embodiment is illustrated in fig. 3, in which the shift drum 32 is connected to the transfer drums 26 avoiding the downstream towers 24; the module, according to this modification, becomes functionally equivalent to the inversion module and enables the work modules downstream to be bypassed, with considerable advantages in terms of the processing and the device itself.

For example, the benefits may be, but are not limited to, the following:

1) tooling only workstations 30 necessary for processing the product;

2) the possibility of using workstations 30, not working, for the maintenance and replacement of tools;

3) the possibility of using the machine to process two or more different products at the same time (see Fig. 4).

In order to cycle / re-cycle, imposing the staggering position of the processing containers on the towers 24, a predetermined number of seats are required to be left free on the loading drum 18; consequently, a sufficient number of pockets will be left in the shift drum 20 in a free state to be occupied by the containers during the recycle. In the same way, the discharge drum 22 only retracts fully processed containers at the end of all recycle cycles that have been scheduled.

For example, Fig. 5 shows the device of the invention in a single cycle and a re-cycle configuration: loading drum station 18 has its seats alternately empty x or occupied y, as is the discharge drum station, while the shift drum 20 is almost completely empty. busy. Similarly, in a two re-cycle configuration, the loading drum and discharge drum stations will have a seat occupied by a container every three seats.

In the apparatus of the present invention, the maximum number of operating steps that can be performed on the container is given by NxH, where N is the number of existing towers 24, and H is the number of seats per tower and the maximum number of cycles / retry cycles that can be performed. . By reducing the number of re-cycles, the number of operating steps to be achieved on the container will be correspondingly reduced as the production speed increases.

The presence of this number of M cycles / re-cycles in the machine (M is from 1 to H) reduces the production rate to one M, but this allows the number of processing steps M times greater; this technique of recycle treatment, moreover, makes it possible to reduce the overall dimensions of the device.

PL 218 517 B1

The devices of the invention can easily be modified (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) according to the production needs and / or the required work steps, adding or excluding some of the work stations 30, and equipping only the towers 24 that will actually be used and allowing others operations on unused modules. To this end, a second input and a second output can be provided, i.e. different loading and unloading stations of the coupling module 12 for processing containers in different ways (see Fig. 4).

Complex phases requiring a large number of steps (shaping, necking) can be performed on the same device, to the detriment of the production capacity. Conversely, a solution with no repeat cycles (where M = 1 and the towers 24 were equipped with an equal number of tools and all containers were unloaded from the shift drums 20) leads to maximum production capacity.

The device, in its various configurations, makes it possible to achieve the same level of performance as with the related prior art solution, gathering in a single device all the production possibilities provided by the different groups of special tools. In addition to the high level of configurability, the flexibility of the system is guaranteed thanks to the modular structure of the device.

According to the characteristics of the production capacity and / or the number of steps required, it is possible to add or exclude some of the work modules 14, 14 ', 14 or workstations 30, tooling only the towers 24 that are currently going to be used, possibly allowing other operations to be performed. for example, using a different line, a new tooling operation, or programming maintenance on unused modules. This type of intervention may be accomplished by modifying any of the modules 14, 14 ', 14 by actuating or actuating the shift drum 32 as shown in Figure 3; this solution imposes the exclusion of the towers 24 belonging to the module from the production cycle, but allows modifications to be made without any physical movement of the modules. It is also possible to reconfigure the production units by introducing or physically removing said working modules, consequently placing the inversion module 16 in the correct place.

While the device of the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, it should be understood that various modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the above description.

Therefore, the present invention covers all such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of protection defined in the appended claims.

Claims (17)

A device for continuously producing local and / or expanded deformations on a metal container, where the metal container is formed by extruded tubular bodies or by drawn and drawn seamless tubular bodies, and local and / or expanded deformations are obtained according to the sequence of steps carried out continuously on the metal container itself, characterized in that it moves the metal containers along a closed path defined by a modular structure comprising a coupling module (12), at least one operating module (14, 14 ', 14) and possibly mechanical means suitable for allowing the metal containers to be recycle within this closed path in accordance with the sequence of operating operations programmed on the surface of the metal container itself. 2. The device according to claim The device of claim 1, characterized in that said mechanical means suitable for allowing the recycle of the metal containers within the closed path are defined by one inversion module (16) comprising a shift drum (32) and two synchronously rotating side transfer drums (34) connected therewith. the shift drum (32). 3. The device according to claim The process unit of claim 1, characterized in that each processing unit (14, 14 ', 14) comprises at least one active tower (24) and a transfer drum (26), the active tower (24) comprising a plurality of deformation tools disposed on the first turntable. and a series of clamping devices for containers located on the second turntable, said containers and / or dies are provided with an alternating relative movement mechanism, and said first and second tables have a common axis of rotation and are provided with a synchronous coaxial rotation mechanism. PL 218 517 B1 4. The device according to claim 1 The process unit according to claim 3, characterized in that each processing unit (14, 14 ', 14) comprises two work stations (30), among them at least a rotating transfer drum (26). 5. The device according to claim 1 3. The process unit of claim 3, characterized in that each operating module cooperates with a selective container dispensing element and / or with towers (24) for transferring containers from the coupling module (12) to the individual operating modules (14, 14 ', 14) and from there to the inversion module. (16). 6. The device according to claim 1 The shifting drum (32) and the transfer drum (34) are each provided with sealing means, the transfer drums (34) being operatively connected to the metal container transfer towers (24). 7. The device according to claim 1 1 or claim 2, or claim 3 or claim 4 or claim 5 or claim The method of claim 6, characterized in that the total number (P) of containers contained in a single track and the number of deforming tools or clamping devices (H) are selected not to have any divider in common. 8. The device according to claim 1 The device of claim 7, characterized in that the inversion module (16) comprises a shift drum (32) seated within any processing module (14, 14 ', 14) and operatively connected to the transfer drums (26) of each work station (30). 9. The device according to claim 1 The device of claim 8, characterized in that the selective dispensing element is a mechanical device. 10. The device according to claim 1 8. The device of claim 8, characterized in that the selective dispensing element is a pneumatic device. 11. The device according to claim 1 The device of claim 8, characterized in that the selective dispensing element is a magnetic device. 12. The device according to claim 1, 5 or claim 6. The device of claim 6, characterized in that each active tower (24) is provided with identical deformation tools. 13. The device according to claim 1, 5 or claim 6. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that each active tower (24) is provided with different deformation tools. 14. The device according to claim 1, 9 or claim 10 or claim 11, or claim 12 or claim A device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the drums of the coupling module (12), the drums of the towers (24), the transfer drum (26), the shift drum (32), the drums of the inversion module (16) have their rotation axes parallel to each other and are all provided with into a synchronous rotary motion mechanism. 15. The device according to claim 1, The method of claim 14, characterized in that the number of different dies mounted on each tower (24) equals the number of cycles / retry cycles performed by the containers, and is a number that ranges from 1 to H, where H is the number of deformation tools for each tower ( 24). 16. The device according to claim 1, 15, characterized in that the maximum number of active work steps that can be performed on the container is given by NxH, where N is the number of towers (24) and H is the number of seats for each tower (24) and the maximum number of cycles / recycle. that can be made. 17. The device according to claim 1 16. The apparatus of claim 16, characterized in that among the operating modules (14, 14 ', 14) it comprises a plurality of loading drums (18) and discharge drums (22) to perform other operations on the modules not belonging to the closed path.