US1162156A

US1162156A - Automatic can-end-feed mechanism.

Info

Publication number: US1162156A
Application number: US83226314A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Gray
Original assignee: American Can Co
Current assignee: Primerica Inc
Priority date: 1914-04-16
Filing date: 1914-04-16
Publication date: 1915-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 1932-11-30

Description

' 1. A: GRAY.

AUTOMATIC cm END fEED MECHANISM.- APPLICATION FILED an. I6. 1914.

1,162.1 5 Patented Nov. 30, 191:1

WITNESSES INVENTOR/ W BY 3-. Q

I ATORNEY I A. GRAY. AUTOMATIC CAN END FEED MECHANISM.

X APPLICATION HLED APR. 16. F914- 1,162,156-

Pat ented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES J'AJHES A. GRAY, OF SAN FRANCISCQ, GALIEFOB-NIA, ASSIGNQE TC AMER/1043K COMPANY, GE SAN FRANCISCG, CALIFORNIA, AfiORPGRATION 3 NEE? JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC CABFEHD-FEEI HECHfitl TISN.

mama-unau- Application filed April 16, rem.

from a stack of such ends or heads and de livering the same to any suitable structure or associated instrumentality designed to receive the same, the said feed mechanism being more especially utilized for the feeding of what is. known as curled flanged can ends or heads, although its use is not restricted to such type of heads; the object of the invention being to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable and eficient structural apparatus for expeditiously and accurately removing the lowermost end or head from a stack of such ends or heads, and one wherein the construction and interworking of the associated parts is such that the entire stack of the ends or heads, with the exception of the lowermost one of the said stack, is first bodily lifted or raised a given distance to clear the lowermost end or head of the staclc which released end or head is then removed from the holder for the stack of ends or heads and delivered to a suitable place of deposit. after which the entire stack of the raised ends or heads is gradually lowered or restored to position within the holder.

To comprehend the invention. reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings. wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation. partly broken away. illustrating the can end or head holder. the recipr w*atin; teed slide. the

means for operating the same. the position of one of [he cut out blades a tuated by the movements of the feed slide. and themcans for receiving the end or head removed from the stark within the holder therefor. Fig". 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the parts sot forth-in Fig. 1 of the drawings. with the food slide in its advanced position and the actuating necbanism for the said slide broken away. Fig. I) is a plan view disclosing. the improved can end orhead feed mechanism o'l Fig. of the drawings, illustrating the cutout blades in open position-and the Specification of Letters izatent.

bracket 3, Fig. of the drawings,

Patented New. Serial no. 832,263.

feed slide drawn outwardly its full distance. Fig. 4, is a similar view with the out out blades in closed position and the feed slide illustrated as ren'ioving from the holder and delivering to its associated instrunientality the lowermost end or head of the stack of can ends or heads. Fig. 5 is a cross sectionai ViEW taken on line Ell--56 F 4 of the drawings and viewed in the direction cit-tie arrows.

In the drawings, the nuinerai 1 is used to I designate any suitable form of a supporting structure for sustaining the working part-s of the appa 'atus, carrying, in the present case, at its upper end portion, a table section 2 and an outwardly projected supporting bracket 3. The bracket 3 supports the can end holder 4, in which is held a stack of horizontally disposed can ends 'or heads 5, each of which in the present is formed with an incuried edge flanged portion The lowermost end or head of tee ste l: within the holder 4 rests on and is support ed by the bracket 3 in horizontai alinenn with a transverse can end or head open 7 formed by the plate 8 attached to the frame 1 so as to lie aslight distance above the horizontal plane (liillile table 52. v

To the upper face of the bracket 13 the spaced. arms .9 and 9' are i ulorumed by the pins 10 to swing horizontally (Figs. 55, 3 and i of the drawings)- and the inner nd. of each arm tcrin-inatine in a beveled blade section 11 and said arms are conne ted at their outer end portion by the spring 19, in

order that the blade section otthe arms will be held normally separated their-full distance. To the outer end of each swinging arm is secured a depcnrlingg roll 13, which rolls are held in. contact by the pressure of the spring with the edge surface ot' a. horizontally reciprocating: slide plate 14-, which slide plate works within a guide-way ii" formed in face of the supporti position of the said slide plate 14- such. that its inner edge is in line with the ended edge of the can end or head 5 resting on the surface of the said supporting bracket 5.

To a short stud 15 depending from the outer end of the slide 14- isconnected by a link 16, the upper end of a lever 17. which lever is fulcrumed, to a bracket 18 projectin; from the bottom portion of the frame i,-Fi". 1 of the drawings, and at its lower and the end the said lever 17 4 carries aprojecting roll- 19, which roll works within an irregular shaped guide groove 20,;formed in the cam 21 secured to'the. drive shaft 22 working in 1 suitable bearingsanddriven by any suitable means, as, for instance, by a power belt working over a belt pulley 23 secured on the shaft22. V

The can ends orheads 5 as removed successively from the stack orfe nd's or head's contained within theholder '4, are delivered through the-passageway? onto-the table 2, and into one of a-series ofisemi-circular seats 24, cut in the periphe'ry' of a horizontally rotatable tiarret 25 working'over'the table v2 and desiighod-totre ceive ther'ian ends or heads and 'remov same to a suitable place of Qristruction and working of 1th1s'riturret. forms'nolportion of the present z'oinvention, and-therefore calls for no specific description" herein, the same merely serving toi'llnst'rate 'a c'onvenient form of an asso- V v ci ated instrumentality for receiving the can ends or heads delivered thereto by the feed 25 mechanism and removing the same either to be acted on by other can machinery or to a suitable place of deposit. I

In the operation of the described can end or ,1 head feed mechanism, assuming the holder 4 to be filled with a stack'bf ends or heads 5, as the slide 14 is thrown forward or inwardly by the action of the fulcrumed lever 17 toward the can end or head holder 4:, the outwardly inclined surfaces 26 thereof engage with the rolls 13 of the horizontally swinging arms 9 and '9 and forces or spreads apart the said arms at their outer end portions, bringing together the inner end portions thereof and forcing the blade 40 sections 11 of said arms beneath the stack of ends 01- heads 5 immediately above the lowermost one of the stack and by the continued inward movement thereof gradually raising the entire stack a slight distance, leaving the lowermost one of the stack of heads free. As the slide 14 continues its inward stroke or movement, the inner edge thereof engages 3 with the flange of the released can end or head and forces the same from off its seat and through the passageway or opening 7 into one of the semi-circular seats 24of the horizontally rotatable turret 25 in registry with-the passageway-or opening 7 to re ceive the same, the said cut-out end or head being removed by said associated instrumentality to any suitable place of'deposit.

, On the return or outward stroke of the slide 14, the inclined surfaces 26 gradually'move out of contact with the rolls 13 and the action of the spring 12 draws together the outer portion ofthe swinging arms 9 and gradually opening or spreading apart i-ire inner end portions thereof and removing theblade sections 11 fro beneath the stack of 46 can ends or heads, t us allowing the entire stack to lower to place the lowermost end or head thereof in the position formerly occupied by the displaced end or head. The ends or heads are thus successively removed from within the holder therefor, and the stack of heads within the holder, with the exception of the lowermost one, gradually raised during the instroke of the reciprocating slide 14, while the said stack is lowered on the outward or return stroke of the said slide. For convenience, the

fulcrumed arms

9 and 9 shall hereafter be termed cut-out blades or devices, inasmuch as the function thereof is to raise the confined stack 0" heads to cut out the lowermost one, while so the slide 14 shall be termed a feed slide, due to the fact that its function is to remove the cut out end or head from within the sphere of the holder for the stack to feed the same to the associated instrumentality for receiving the same for removal to a suitable place on dvlposit.

The cut out blades are actuated to raise the desired ends or heads of the stack within the holder during the inward or forward stroke of the reciprocating feed slide, and to open for gradually lowering the stack of ends or heads during the outward or return stroke of the said feed slide, it being understood that owing to the shape of the por tions 11 of the cut out blades, the raising and lowering of the stack of heads within the holder 4 is a gradual. one, so that the lowermost end or head of the stack of heads is gently deposited onto the supporting bracket 3.

The movement of the actuating mechanis m for the feed slide is so timed with re spect to the movement of the associated instrumentality 25, that a can end or head is delivered thereto only at such times as there is positioned in alinement with the passageway 7 a semi-circular seat 24 to receive the cut out end or head.

lVhile the member 25 has been reerred to as a means for receiving the cut out end or head and delivering the samsstq a suitable place of deposit, it is obvious that the same maybe dispensed with and any suitably constructed device substituted therefor to re. ceive the cut out end or head discharged by the feed slide from within the sphere of the holder for the stack of ends or'heads, which means, if so desired, may partake of the form of an ordinary runway or a belt carrier for deliverin the end or head discharged hythe feet lslide to a suitable place of deposit,"

.In the present case, the can ends or heads are represented as being nonlined, 2'. e. not provided with a seal liner ring for the flange thereof, and the feed-mechanism as employed for delivering the ends or heads successively to means for conveying the same to an apparatus applying a ring liner to the curled flange of the said ends or heads, but obviously this is only one use to which the improved feed mechanism may be applied, inasmuch as it is applicable for the feeding of can ends of any type to machinery generall y in connection with either the can making machinery or the canning art.

lVhile I have described the preferred embodiment of the improved can end or head feed mechanism as embraced within a practical, and operative apparatus for delivering can ends or heads to associated instrumentalities in the can makingart, still, I do not wish to be understood as restricting or confining the invention to the details of construction of the working parts as herein illustrated and described, being well aware that vari us changes may be made in the operation and construction of the working parts Without creating a departure from the nature'and sco of the invention, which resides essential y in automatically operated means. for raising and maintaining in a raised position a stack of assembled can ends or heads, with the exception of the one to be cut out, remo'ving said released end or head from within the sphere of'the holder for the stack thereof while held in its raised position, .andthen lowering the said stack to 3G positionlthe lowermost one thereof to be cut out.

Having thus describedthe 'invfiitionwhat is claimed as new and desired to be n otected by Letters Patent is':-=

1. In a can/6nd feed mechanism, the combination with a holder for a stack of horizontally disposed can ends, of a supporting frame therefor, of horizontallv reciprocating swinging devices t'ulcrumed to the sunp'ort- 40' ing frame for cutting out the lowermost end "of the stack by raising the remainder of said stack within the holder, and sliding means co-a'cting with said devices for throwing the same into action and for removing the cut-out'end fromwithin the sphere of the holder.

2. In a can end feed mechanism, the combination with a holder for a stack of can ends, of a supporting frame therefor, of

swinging devices fulcrumed upon said frame for raisin the stack of ends within the holder wit the exception of,the lowermost one of the stack, and sliding means for re moving the freed lowermost end of the stack from within the sphereof the holder and for actuating the swinging devices for raising the stack of can ends with the exception of the lowermost end thereof.

3. A can end feed mechanism, the same comprising a holder for a stack of can ends, a supporting frame therefor, swinging means fulcrumed upon said frame, movable into and out of the sphere of said holder adja cent the bottom thereof for raising thestack of ends to cut out-the lowermost one thereoi G5 and lowering the stack after the removal of said end, a reciprocating slide for actuating said means and removing from within the sphere of the holder the cut out end of the stack of ends.

4:. A. can end feed mechanism, the same comprising a holder for a stack of can ends, a supporting frame therefor. primary swinging means tulcrumed upon said holder for raising the stack of ends with the exception of the lowermost onc'of the stack and lowering the said stack on the removal of the out out end, secondary sliding means for actuating said primary swinging means and removing from within the sphere of the 86 holder the out cut end. mechanism for imparting motion to the secondary sliding means, and means for receiving the {B11191 end. and conveying the same to a suitabl place-of deposit. In a can end ieed---mechamsm tor the described purpose, the combination with a fiipporting frame, of an open holder'secured thereto adapted to contain a. stack of horizontally disposed can ends, a pair of swingso ing cut out blades pivoted to the supporting frame for engaging the stack of am ends to raise the same for cutting out he lowermost end of the stack and lowering the said stack on the removal of the cut outend, a horizontallyreciprocating slide for removing the cut out end, said slide actuating the cut out blades for engaging and raising the stack of ends with the exception of the lowermost end of the. stack, and means for restoring the 16% cut out blades to normal position on the re turn movement of the said slide.

ln'testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrlbing witnesses.

JAMES A. GRAY.

. l). B. RICHARDS.