US1366742A - Can-capping machine - Google Patents

Description

J. F. MRAZEK.x

CAN CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2,1920.

9 'Z ML Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. F. MRAZEK.

CAN CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED'MARZ, I920.

' Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. MRAZEK, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

GAN-CAPJPING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH F. Mnaznk, a citizen of the United States,.resi d1ng at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Capp1ng Machines, of which the following isa specr fication. I 4

This invention relates to the packlng of commodities in paper cans or shells, and the object of the invention is to provide means whereby the bottoms and covers of such packages may be applied automatically by machinery.

Many commodities, such as oatmeal and other articles of food, are put up for the market in cylindrical paper cans, closed at the top and bottom by flanged end-covers, the bottom one being usually made fast to the can, as by gluing. The attachment of y the bottoms, before the cans are filled, and

of the covers after filling, is hand work,"

and in large factories many employees are required for this work alone, the operation calling for considerable dexterity, as the thin-flanged covers are made to fit. the cans snugly, and are usually warped out of true cylindrical shape before they reach the operator. The machine, which is the sub ect matter of this invention is designed to perform the operation neatly, rapidly and automatically.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of a-machine embodying my 1nvention, as seen from the receiving end thereof. Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section of the same, as seen from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts below the circuitous section line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. i is a side elevation illustrating mechanism for gluing the cans preliminary to attaching the bottom-s. Fig. 5 is an enlarged. sectional View of a compound cover-seating device adapted for special functions as will top and bottom, isusually called a paperside ofthe drum to the adjoining guideribs at the righ t, (Fig. 1). While moving can.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral '5,

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 25, 1921 Application filed March 2, 1920. Serial No. 362,711.

designates a table to which the most of the mechanism is attached. This is supported on suitable legs 6, which are provided with bearings 7 for the main cam-shaft 8. The

width of the table is somewhat less than double the diameter of a cameo that when a can is pushed from the center of the table This has a wide annular flange 11, in the circumferential face of which is a series of accurately and equally spaced sockets 12, into which the covers fit very nicely. To facilitate the placing .of the covers the throats of the sockets flare outwardly a little, as shown in Fig. 5. Eight-of these .60 SlClGWlSG by another can somewhat more sockets-are shown on-the drum herein illustrated,-the one at the top just receiving a cover, flange up, the next one in advance being in position for the placing or seating of the cover, the next two carrying seated covers, though not shown, and the one at the bottom being in position for the capping of the shell directly below it. This leaves three empty sockets at all times, and into these sockets covers may be thrust by hand,

if desired. Automatic feed mechanism for this purpose will be described presently.

The magazine is rotated from space to space intermittently, pausing for the recep' tion of a cover, the placing of another, and the capping of the shell and ejection of its cover from the seat, which different operations may all take place simultaneously, or

practically so. The mechanism for this stepby-step rotation is very simple, and will now be described. a H From the flat face of the drum project a series of accurately machined ribs 13, a pair for each socket. A shaft 14 journaled in a standard 15 and a lateral projection of one of the standards 9, carries at its inner end a crank-wheel 16, and on its crankwrist is mounted a roller 17 (Fig. 2). As this shaft revolves in. the dlrection indicated by the vertically disposed guide-ribs at the lower ioo arrow (Fig. 1) the roller moves; from the from one to the other through space, the drum is left at rest, and during this interval the various operations above noted take place. Continuing its movement, the roller causes the advance of the drum one eighth of a revolution, when the operations are repeated.

The covers are preferably delivered to the magazine automatically, and at the top thereof. On standards 18 is mounted a chute 19 supposed to lead from the capforming machine, not shown. inclined chute the inverted covers slide to a slight detent 20, which is sufficient to arrest their downward movement, but does not prevent their being forced past it, one by one, as desired. On a rock-shaft 21 is hung an arm 22 provided with a pair of fingers 23 hinged thereto by a rule-joint 24. A shorter arm 25 attached to the rock-shaft connects by a link 26 with suitable actuating mechanism to give reciprocating movement to the arm and fingers, so as to suecessively engage and advance the lowermost of the train of covers. Directly over the upper socket of the drum is an opening in the chute, which allows the cover to through into the socket. Thence it is advanced one step to the placer, where it is accurately seated. This operation is performed by a plunger 27 hung on an arm 28 attached to a rock-shaft 29 journaled in the standards 18. The link 26 may connect with this arm, as shown. Another arm 30 connects by a link 31 with a lever 32 hung from the main standard 9 at 33. In its movement through space the roller above referred to.

a table 37. Over this conveyer, and serv-. 'ing as a stop for the train of shells, is

a cross-barrier 38, which serves also as a guide for cross-head 39 adapted to transfer the most advanced one of theshells from the train to its capping position at the center of the main table, and stop temporarily the advance of the others. The cross head connects by a link 40 with a lever 41 pivoted to a bracket 42, and at its lower end linked by its strap 43 to an eccentric 44 attached to the shaft 8.

The shell is held accurately in capping position by a pair of semi-cylindrical keepers 45. These are attached to suitable slide-rods 46 moving in guide-bearings 47. They are held in true vertical position by attached brackets 48 running on guide-rods 4:59, which are providedwith springs 50 to force the keep- Down this drop escapee ers outwardly. To give inward movement to the keepers the under sides of these brackets are formed as racks 51 to engage segmental gears 52 mounted on short standards 53, and also engaging vertical rack-bars 54 slidably mounted in suitable guides in the main table. The lower ends of these rack-bars engage cams 55, whose lifting action forces the keepers to the proper holding position.

\Vhen in capping position the shell rests on a plunger 56 mounted on a vertical stem 57 slidable in a guide-bearing 58. The lower end of this stem engages a cam 59, the lifting action of Which forces the shell upwardly, and its upper end into the cover.

In each socket is'mounted a plunger 60, with a radially extending stem 61 with a terminal head 62, between which and the main flang of the magazine is a compression spring 63, In the capping position this plunger-stem has moved under an arm 64 attached to a rock-shaft 65 journaled at 66.

To the rock-shaft is attached another arm lowing the retreating movement of the ejector, the cross-head feeds in a new shell, and the capped can is thrust sidewise to the position indicated by dotted outline in Fig. 3, more than half over a conveyer belt 72, by which it is carried away.

The two main shafts of the machine are connected by sprockets 7 3 and 7 4 and chain 75. The driving pulley 76 is here shown attached to the upper shaft. V

As thus constructed the machine caps shells as neatly and perfectly as is possible by hand, and as rapidly as may be desired. This is possible, even if the shell is perfectly cylindrical, and full size clear to the end, though in fact this is hardly ever true, since the cutting off of the shells from the long tubes in ,which they are formed has the effect of slightly reducing their diameter just at the ends.

An offset to this advantage, however, is the tendency of the cover flanges to curl in wardly, as shown in exaggerated degree in Fig. 5. To counteract this constriction of the cover flanges, this figure illustrates a special type of placer. This comprises a hollow head 77, bored cylindrical inside to receive a movable plunger 78, held outwardly by a spring 79. Outwardly the head has a slight taper, corresponding to the flare in the throat of the socket which receives the cover. The plunger is small enough to readily enter the cover, which it forces home by the pressure of the spring. The following head, in the final movement of the placer, enters the flange and spreads it slightly at the incurling edge. Thus ironed out, the cover readily receives the end of the shell.

As heretofore mentioned, the bottoms of the cans should preferably be made fast to the shells. This is commonly done by touching the edge of the shell with little glue before the cover is put on. In Fig. 4 is shown a simple device by means of which this operation may be performed automatically.

Over the conveyor table, on the shell-receiving side, is mounted a gluer of a familiar type, whose glue-roller 80 projects below the level of the glue-pan 81. The glueroller is revolved at a surface speed corresponding to the advance of the conveyer, by pulleys 82 and 83 and a belt 84. Asthe shells pass under the glue-roller their upper edges receix e a film of glue, to hold the cover firmly in place when the capping operation is completed.

To prevent any tendency of the shells, as advanced by the supplying conveyor, to work out of line sidewise, suitable side barriers 85 are provided.

The cycle of operations of the machine has already been-sufficiently indicated to render any further description thereof un necessary. It is to be understood, however, that the holding position of the keepers is maintained until the shell has been forced inside the cover flange, the fit of the keepers on the shell being close enough to hold it very accurately to osition, but not so ti htly as to obstruct its endwise movement. The long bearing of the keepers on the shell insures a very straight and true movement of the shell, so that the capping of the same never misses, and is accomplished without any bending or mutilation of the parts.

aving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a can-capping machine, a rotating magazine provided with a series of coverholding sockets, means for imparting intermittent motion thereto, keepers to hold a shell in capping relation to one of said sockets, means for forcing the shell and cover together, and means for ejecting the capped can.

end cover-holding sockets, keepers to hold a shell in capping relation to one of the sockets, means for forcing the shell and cover together, and means for ejecting the capped can.

2. In a can-capping machine, a rotating magazine provided with a series of periph-.

i. In a can-capping machine, a vertically rotating magazine provided with a series of cover-holding sockets, a placer to seat the covers in the sockets successively, keepers to hold a shell in capping relation to another socket, and means for'forcing the cover and shell together, and for ejecting the capped can.

5. In a can-capping machine, a vertically and intermittently-rotating magazine pro- 6. In a can-capping machine, a shell-cone veyer to deliver the shells successively to a position opposite the capping position, across-feed to transfer the end-shell to capping position, reciprocating keepers to hold the shell in capping position, an intermittently rotating cover-magazine adapted to present covers successively in accurate capping relation to the shell as so held, and means for forcing the shells and covers together, and for ejecting the capped cans.

7. In a can-capping machine, and in combination with a movable cover-holding magazine, a placer adapted to seat the covers successively in the sockets of the magazine, and to slightly expand the cover flange at the edge.

8. In a can-capping machine, a magazine provided with a series of cover-holding sockets, plungers slidably mounted in said sockets, and'ejecting mechanism cooperating with said plungers to eject the capped cans covers successively toproper capping po'sltion, reciprocating keepers to hold the shell in capping position and to guide it endwise,

and means to force the shell endwise. be

. carrying magazine having a series of equally radial spaced peripheral cover-sockets,

guides coincident with each of the sockets, T

a roller adapted to move between said guides, and a rotating carrier for said roller adopted to transfer it from one pair of guides to an adjacent pair and therebyro-' tate the magazine intermittently.

11. In a can-capping machine, a covercarrying magazine having an annular flange with peripheral, cover-holding sockets therein, a spring-held plunger mounted in each socket, and with a radial, inwardly projecting stem, an intermittently rocking arm in the path of said stems, and means to recipro-..

cate said am at a predetermined time to ment of theother s until it returns to initial eject the covers successively. position.

12. In a. camcapping machine, a shell-de- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature livering conveyer to carry the shells alongin presence of two Witnesses.

' 5 side the machine, a barrier to stop the train JOSEPH F. MRAZEK.

of shells at the proper point, and a' cross- Witnesses: feed adapted to transfer the terminal shell JosEPH MRAZEK, to capping position, and arrest the 'move- F. W. ARMSTRONG.

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