US1597776A

US1597776A - Machine for putting covers on cans

Info

Publication number: US1597776A
Application number: US39985A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles O Ericson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-06-27
Filing date: 1925-06-27
Publication date: 1926-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 1943-08-31

Description

Aug! v I. .CLOJERI CSON mcamgir'oa PUTTING covmas on CANS Filed June 27, 1925 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Show 7km,

Aug. 31 1926.

1,57,776 c. o. ERICSON MACH INE FOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Filed June 27. 1925 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 v M A 4 a; aha-31"?" Aug. 31 1926.

C. O. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS on CANS 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 27, 1925 404 g auolemtioz I flbtm I Aug. 31 1926.

C. O. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS on CANS 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filegi June 27, 1925 Aug. 31 1926. 1,597,776

' c. o. ERICSON momma FOR PUTTING covmas on CANS Filed June 27, 1925 9 Sh ets-Sheet 5 N v v N 37% \a N x, Q q l\ M g I 0 Q 9 7 i Ii m i;

\ n I I h I I w j i: I w q Q U A 3 WW 1gb I WQMW c. o. ERICSQN MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Aug. 31 1926.

9 Sheets-Sheet 6' F'J'ed June 27 1925 Aug. 31 1926.

' C. O. ERICSON momma on PUTTING covsas on cans 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 27, 1925 Aug. 31 192 7 Z I flwluenboz, Z4 abtmm 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 C. O. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Filed June 27, 1925 Aug. 31,1926;

. c. o. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Filed June '27, 1925 9 Sheet s-Sheet 9 Patented A... 31, 1 926.

musear-e n, on nnnmnrm, NEW JERSEY,

- 7 *MACHDIET .ron'rum'rme covnns on cans.

smuch m 27, 1925. Serial m. 39,985.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for putting covers on loans, and the general object of my invention is to produce a practical machine which will automatically place the covers on filled cans and press the covers firmly to place. More particular- 1y my invention is intended to produce a ma chine through which filled cans may be fed one behind the other, to provide means for shaping the cans so as to make them true and in cond1t10n to receive the covers, to automatically appl the covers to theindi "idual cans whi e they are held in shape ready to receive the covers, and then to push the cover firmly to. its seat.

My invention also is intended to produce a machine whichwill work with great rapidity, and to this end I provide a hopper into which the covers may be dumped loosely, and have means. for automatically raising these covers or lids to a chute which delivers them tothe cans, and further pro: vide means for automatically placing these covers right side up in the chute through which they are fed; Furthermore, 'to'provide means for maintainingla c'onstant'supply of covers right side up in the delivery (hute, and for returning the covers which are wrong side up, and which'are in excess of the number required, to the-supply hopper. My invention is also intended to provide means for accurately and resiliently guiding the individual covers to'the appropriate cans, and placing the covers on at one edge and'then graduallyplacing the whole cover over the can top by the movement of the can through the machine. These and other advantages will appear from the des'u-ipti'on which follows. I

Reference is to be'had' to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters 1nd1cate corresponding parts 1n allthe J views.

end to that shownin Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 5 is an elevation partly in sec:-

' tion taken from the side opposite to that shown in Figure 4. I 9

Figure 1 is a plan view of'the machine em.

lngure 3 is an end view of the opposite Figure -6 is a detail showing the means for-finally pressing the covers to place.

Figure 7 is a broken enlarged detaiu plan of the part of the machine where the cover is applied ,to the can.

Figure 8 is a broken enlarged side elevation of the part of the machlne shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a vertical section on the line line 9-9 of Figure 7 4 4 Figure 10. is a. vertical ,section on the line m-m of Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrows 10, and Figure 11 is a cross section on the line ww of: Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrow 11.

The drawings are made from a machine which isw in actual operation putting covers on cans filled with snufi', but'it will be understood. that many details of. the machine may he changed without afiecting the invention, and that it can be readily adapted to cans of other shapes and kinds. f

As shown in the drawings, the machine is provided with a frame 10-which can be of any approved design, and at one end 1s a conveyor for carrying the cans into and through the machine, which is in the form ofa belt 11, the upper member ofwhich runs over a support 12 in a common manner, and the belt conveyor is carried by pulleys 13 and 14. Above the-upper mem- .ber pf the belt are spaced guides 15 referpulley 13 is provided witha pulley 18, and

the shaft 19 of the pulley 14; is mounted in suitable bearings onthe end of the machine (see Figure 4). The pulley 18 which is preferably in the form of a sprocket wheel, connects by a chain 18 with the sprocket wheel 20 on the shaft 21, and the latter connects by pinions 22and 23 with the driving shaft 24 which extends lengthwise of the machine (see Figuresl and 4:) and is provided with driving means which in the present instance comprises a pulley 25 and belt 26. Thus the carrier or belt 11. is-

constantly driven through the means described, or. equivalent means, and the cansjlfif which have been filled, are placed on the belt so as to be carried through the machine. The cans can be placed in any convenient way, as for instance by hand, or as is customary in analogous machines the cans may vbe delivered from a filling machine directly properly receive the cvers,they are at this.

point engaged by the rotating shaping Wheels 27 and 27' (see Figures 1, 8 and 10) which have spaced recesses 28 shaped tofit half around the can, and as the shaping.

wheels are opposed, the-opposite and registering recesses 28 W11]. close around each can as it passes between the arms of the wheel, and give it its proper form' ready to receive the cover. To facilitate this operation, a pair of similar wheels 29-29" are arranged on the same shafts as the wheels 2727, but are placed below so as to en- ,gage the can sides lower down. Cans of the kind shown in the drawings are usually provided with beads .16 near the top, and therefore the backs'of the recesses 28 are grooved as shown at 30. (see Figure 8) so as to fit over these beads without distorting the can. These

members

27 and 29 can be rotated in any convenient way, and I have shown parallel shafts 31 which are spaced apart and vertically arranged in the machine frame, the shafts being arranged to turn in unison, and the most convenient way is to connect them bygears 32 (see Figure 3). One of the shafts 31 is driven, and as shown in Figure 3 this shaft is provided with a-worm gear 33 connecting with a worm 34 (see Figure 6) on a counter shaft 35 which is hung in suitable bearings 36 and is arranged parallel with the driving shaft 24. This shaft is provided with a conventional slip clutch 37, so that in'case of too much resistance the clutch will slip without damaging any connected parts, and the shaft can be driven inany suitable way, as for instance by the pulley 38, belt 39,and pulley 40 on the shaft 24. Covers for the cans are supplied from a hopper 41, which has preferably a screen bottom 42 (see Figure 1) to permit dust and dirt to rattle throu h, and into this hopper the covers 43 are dumped promiscuously. These covers it will be noted are in the present instance of a dish shape so as to fit nicely over the can top, but both the cans and covers might be of'difi'erent shapes, in which case anyone familiar with the art would understand shaping the parts which fit the can and cover correspondingly.

The covers are raised from the hopper 41 by a continuous carrier44 which can most conveniently be a belt having cleats 45.

thereon, and I have shown the belt carried at its upper end by a .pulley 46, and at the lower end by a pulley 47 (see Figures 2 and 3). The belt or carrier 44 enters the hopper 41 through an opening 48 (see Figures 1 and 2), and the upper member runs parallel with the wall of the ho per which serves as a support for the elt.

After it leaves the hopper, the belt passes extends'inward across the belt and is spaced tl'ierefrom' so that a-cover which lies flat will pass'beneath the member 51, but if it is cocked, or rides on another, it will be engaged by the member 51 and pushed off into the chute 49 so as to be returned to the hopper. The upper end of the carrier together with its pulley, is supported by the pulley shaft52 which turns inhangers 53, and these serve as supports for this part of the mechanism, including the chutes and' hoppers presently described.- The lower pulley47 of the carrier 44 is secured to a shaft 54 (see Figure 3) which is mounted in suitable bearings 55 on the hopper '41, and has a sprocket wheel 56 driven by a chain 57 connecting with a sprocket, wheel 57 (see-Figure 1,) on' the driving shaft 24.

The covers in the hopper 41 must be kept agitated and moved about so that a sufficient number of them will fall on the carrier 44, and a convenient and eflicient form of agitator is shown in Figures 1 and 5, comprising belts 58 which are. arranged on each side of the carrier 44 and parallel therewith,

these belts passing through

holes

59 and 60 in the wall of the hopper 41 and running over pulleys 61 and 62 (see Figure 3), one of the pulley shafts 63 being driven by means of a sprocket wheel 64 and chain belt 65 connecting with a sprocket wheel 66 on belts 58 are constantly running, they keep the covers in the hopper agitated, and a sufficientnumber of them will fall on the carrier 44 to keep the latter fairly well filled, and in practice it is completely filled.

The capacity of the carrier 44 is much greater than is necessary to supply covers to the cans as they pass through the machine, because many of the covers have to be returned to the hopper on account of their disarrangement, or being wrong side up, as will presently appear.

the shaft 54 already referred to. As these i connects by a pipe 73 with the pipe 71, and

as the covers are discharged from the lower end of the chute to be pressed on the cans,

they will be top side' up. It is important that the chute 69 be loaded, and so more than a sufficient supply is delivered from the carrier 44 to the mouth of the chute, but to provide for this excess without clogging the machine, the receiving end portion of the chute has a sidev opening 69 (see Figure 1), delivering into the hopper 72, which this delivers into the hopper 41 When the chute 69 is filled up to the opening 69", the excess covers will roll off through the opening, but the chute will be kept full to this point. The pipe 71 also connects with a hopper 70 which is in line with the. pulley 46 and the upper end of the carrier 44, so that the covers 43 which are topside up as they pass over the top of the carrier, will not be blown into the mouth 68 but will pass over and fall into the hopper 70 and so back to the hopper 41. Thus it will be seen that I provide a positive means, thoroughly automatic, for keeping the hopper 69 loaded with covers in sufficient supply to cover the cans 16 passing through the machine. a e

The chute 69 is a gravity chute, and its lower portion is supported by a bracket 74 (see Figures 5, 7 and 9) on the machine frame, and this -bracket carries a spring member 75 whichis bent over as shown in Figure 9, and has its lower portion formed into a guard plate 75' which extends just above the filled cans and prevents the cans and their contents from being displaced.

Before further describing the operation of applying the covers, attention is called tothe factthat after the cans leave the inner end of-the carrier 11, theyare pushed further along through the machine on spaced guide rails 76 which are suitably supported between the guides 15', their tops being substantially on the same level as the top of the carrier 11, and these rails'serve the double purpose of permitting any dust or scattered material from the cans to drop through, and also of asolid support for the cans when pressure is applied to them in putting on the covers.

At the lower end of the cover-delivery chute 69 and on the top thereof is a guide 77 which is held substantially parallel with the bottom of the chute and serves to nicely guide the covers toplace, this member being turned up slightlyiat its lower free end as shown at 78 in Figure 9. It can be supported in any convenient way, and I have shown it carried by cross bars 79 on the top of the chute. The member 77 is riveted to the upper cross bar 79 and can be ad'usted up and down by a'thumb screw 80 in the second cross bar so asto make it properly fit the covers.

The chute 69 is open at the under side as shown at 81 to permit the covers to drop through, and the sides of the chute are prolonged as shown at 69 to assist in guiding the covers to place. At the lower endof the chute 69 and at the point where theeovers are applied to the cans, is a pair of pawls 82 each pivoted as shown at 83 on the top sides of the chute, and the pawls are shaped to fit against the can covers, and are limited in their movements by the pins 83 on the chute which enter the recesses 83* in the pawls.

wards each other by a spring 84, and act so that the same will first engage-one edge of the can as shown clearly in Figure 9, and thus be properly started so that the continued movement of the can through the machineand the pressing down of the cover as presently described, will permit the latter to be surely adjusted; and to further facilitate this movement, the cover is guided as it descends and leaves the chute bya to easily engage the covers without dentin'g" them. This presser foot can be supported in any convenient way, and I have shown it hinged to. a spindle 92 and pressed to place by a spring 91' arranged between the presscr The pawls are lightly pressed to-' like a pair of fingers to align the lowermostcover to the can beneath and guide the cover foot and a fixed collar 93 on the lower part of a hanger 94, the latter being supported from a bracket 95 (see Figures 8 and 9), and this has an arm96 acting as a guide for the spindle 92, and the latter is further" guided in the sleeve 94 arranged between the

members

93 and 96. A nut 98 serves to hold the spindle in place.

The covers. are now in place on thecans, and a final compression means is used to seat them firmlv and securely for This is. accomplished by the rollers 99 and 100 (see Figure 6) which are yertically, 3

packing.

' cans through so as to easily engage the cans without .injury. 'The roller 100 is carried by a shaft 102, and the" roller 99 'by a shaft 101, the latter roller also working in an opening 103 in the rails 76 so as to contact with the bottom of the cans as they pass through. The direction of the rollersrotation corresponds to the progressive movement of the cans so that the latter will pass freely through them, and it will be seen that every cover must be pressed securely to place, the lower edge pressing down to the bead '16.

The

compression rollers

99 and 100 can be turned in any convenient manner. To show an operative means I have illustrated them as connecting by gears 104, and I have shown theshaft 102 provided with a sprocket wheel 105 driven by a chain 106 connecting with a sprocket wheel 107 on theshaft 108, and the latter connects by

gears

109 and 110 with the driving shaft 24.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have produced a very positive and comparatively simple scheme for applying covers to filled cans with great accuracy and speed. It will be noted that the cans pass continuously without the necessity even of an intermittent movement through the guide of the machine, that the covers are automatically supplied to the delivery chute 69 in such a way that there is no'danger of the covers missing, that the covers are ac curately and automatically guided to their seats on the can tops as the latter pass beneath them, that the presser foot 89 serves simply by the movement of the cans, themselves to press the covers to place, and that finally the

compression rollers

99 and 100 force the covers to their final seats in a perfeet and secure manner.

I claim 1. A machine of the kind described comprising means for, moving a row of filled the machine one behind the other, means for delivering covers successively to the cans so that each cover will first engage the corresponding edge portion of a can, and means for guiding and pushing the cover to its seat on the can, said means being actuated by the progressive movement of the can.

2. A machine of the kind described comprising means for moving a row of cans one behind the other through the machine, a delivery chute discharging individual covers upon the individual cans, a hopper supplying covers to the delivery chute,- and means coacting with said covers to'positipn the same in said chute whereby to guide the covers to the cans.

3. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row of cans one behind the other through the machine,

means for shaping the cans symmetrically,

for applying covers to the cans while held in the shaper, and means for finally forcing the covers to their seats on the cans.

5. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row of cans one behind the other through the machine, means for guiding covers to their seats 0 .1 the cans as they pass through the machine, and spaced compression rollers arranged above and below the row of cans and adapted to engage the cans and move the same in the direction of travel and also to force the covers to their final seats as the cans pass through them.

6. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a. row of cans one behind the other through the machine, shaping means for the cans, means for guiding the covers to their seats on the cans while the latter are in said shaping means, and a compression device exerting endwise pressure on the cans to force the covers to their final seats and to move the same in the direction of travel.

7. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row of cans one behind the other through the machine, a shaper comprising rotating members having recesses to engage and symmetrically shape the cans as they passthrough, and means for applying the covers to the cans while they are held in the shaper.

8. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row of cansone behind the other through the machine, and

a shaper comprising a plurality of pairs of rotating members to shape the cans as the latter pass between the said members and operative on a particular can as the cover is applied thereto.

9. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row of cans one behind the other through. the machine, a delivery chute arranged to deliver covers to the cans, and guiding pawls near the junction of the chute and cans, said pawls being arranged to guide the covers to their seats on the cans,

10. A machine of the kind described comprising'means for carrying.a row of cans onebehind the other through the machine, a guide chute delivering covers to the can tops, a pair of guide pawls arranged above the chute and in position to engage the covers and guide them so that their edge portions will engage the corresponding edge portions of the cans, and a second pair of pawls behind the first pair acting to guide 11. A machine of the kind described comprising means for carrying cans one behind the other through the machine, 'a guide chute delivering covers to the cans, means for aligning the individual covers with the individual oans as the cans pass the bottomof the chute, means for guiding the individual covers to the individual cans after said covers have been aligned, and a presser footabove the can tops and in the path of the covers acting to push the covers upon the cans.

12. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a. row of cams one behind the other through the machine, a delivery chute arranged to deliver covers to the cans,.fiexible means for grasping the covers and guiding the same to the cans, and a stationary presser foot arranged above the can tops and behind the cover guiding means whereby the forward movement of the cans will cause the presser foot to push the covers upon the cans.

13. In a machine of the kind described, the combination of means for carrying a row of cans one behind the other through the machine, a delivery chute arranged to deliver successiye covers to the successive cans, a guide in the top of the chute, flexible guides on the sides of the chute arranged to align the covers with the cans, and fieXi-. ble guides on said chute to engage the covers after alignment and guide the same to their seats on the cans.

y 14. A machine of the'kind described comprising a horizontally moving carrier for cans, spaced rails forming an extension of the carrier, and means for applying covers tofhe cans while the cans are on the said rai s.

15. A machine of the kind described comprising a carrier moving in substantially a straight line, spaced rails forming an extension of the carrier, and means for applying covers to the cans and pressing the covers to place while the cans are on the said rails.

16. A machine of the kind'described comprising means for moving a row of cans one behind the other through the machine, a delivery chute to discharge the covers upon the cans, a guide on the top of the chute at the point where the chute discharges the covers, and a presser foot forming an extension of said guide and arranged to push the covers uponthe cans. I i

17. A machine of the kind described comprising means for moving a row of cans through the machine, means for delivering covers to the cans with the rear edges of the covers first engaging the cans, and a yieldingpresser foot arranged substantially I -opposite the end of the cover delivering.

means and adapted to push the covers upon the cans and spaced above the cans and in line with the partly raised cover tops, said presser foot having its front portion rounded at the point where it strikes the cover.

18. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through the a machine a cover supplying means comprising a delivery chute, a hopper for carr ing covers, means for raising the covers rom the hopper to the mouth of the delivery chute, and a jet pipe arranged to blow the covers from the carrier to the chute.

19. A. machine of the kind described, comprising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through themachine a cover supplying means comprising a cover delivery chute, a hopper, a carrier movable through theihopper and arranged to raise covers tothe mouth of the delivery chute, means for blowing the covers from the top of the carrier into the chute, and guides opposite the cover carrier acting to center the covers on the carrier and to brush ofi improperly placed covers.

20. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination with means for feed ing cans one behind the other through the machine, a cover delivery means comprising a hopper, a cover delivery chute, a carrier arranged to raise covers from the hopper to the delivery chute, a second chute through which the carrier runs, said second chute discharging into the hopper and having a width permitting covers to lie between the side of the chute and the carrier, and means for brushing improperly placed covers from the carrier to the said second chute.

21. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a cover delivery means comprising ing a hopper,Ia cover delivery chute, a carrier to raise the covers from the hopper to the chute, a jet pipe to blow a portion of a'jet pipe to blow a-portion of the covers from the carrier to the delivery chute but ermittin the remainder to return to said opper t rough said second chute, and means for returning; certain of the blown covers to the hopper. 1

23. A machine of the kind described, com, prising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine *a cover delivery means comprising a delivery chute, a hopper, a carrier arranged to carry an excess supply of covers to the delivery chute with some of the covers top side up and the others bottom side up, and a jet pipe directed and arranged to blow the covers which are bottom side up into the said delivery chute.

24. A machine of the kind described,'comprising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a cover delivery means compris-' ing a delivery chute, a hopper, a carrier arranged to carry an excess supply of covers to the mouth of the delivery chute, a second chute near the mouth of=the delivery chute and extending back to the hopper, means for discharging the excess cover supply to the second or return chute and means for returning some of the covers from the delivery chute to the hopper. i

25. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a cover supply means comprising a hopper, a delivery chute, means for raising an excess supply of covers to the mouth of the delivery chute, means for blowing the covers which are bottom side up into the delivery chute, a second chute arranged to return the unblown covers back to the hopper, and means for discharging the excess covers from the side of the delivery chute into the said second chute.

26. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a cover delivery means comprising a chute of a width to guide the covers and with a side opening therein, means for delivering an excess number of covers in the mouth of the chute whereby the surplus orexcess covers will pass out through the aforesaid side opening and means permitting only a portion of the covers to be delivered to the delivery chute.

27. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination with means for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a cover delivery means comprising a chute to deliver covers having its main portion of substantially the Width of the covers and with a side opening therein, a hopper, a carrier to raise the covers from the hopper to the mouth of the delivery chute,

means for carrying an excess number ofcans comprising means for carrying the cans one behind the other row-wise through the machine, a cover delivery chute arranged to deliver the covers to the cans with the back edges of the covers first engaging the corresponding edge port-ions of the cans, means operated by the progressive movement of the cans to seat the covers on the cans, a cover supply hopper, means for delivering covers to the delivery chute from the hopper in excess of the number required to load the delivery chute, and means for returning the excess number of covers to the hopper.

20. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding cans through the machine a cover delivery means comprising a cover hopper, a chute delivering covers, a carrier raising the covers from the hopper to the chute, means for discharging a portion of the covers from the carrier to the chute, means for returning the remaining covers to the hopper, an agitator in the hopper comprising movable belts running adj acent the walls of the hopper, and means to seat the covers on the cans.

In testimony whereof, I have, signedmy name to this specification this 26th day of June, 1925.

CHARLES O. ERICSQN.