US1799857A - Can-feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Description

A ril 7, 1931. R. s. METZNER CAN FEEDING APPARATUS Filed May 23, 1928 INVENTEHR A TTUQN EY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNETEE) STATES ldATENE OFFICE ROBERT B. METZNER, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CAN-FEEDING APPARATUS Application filed May 23,

This invention relates broadly to can-feeding apparatus, and it has for its primary ob ject to provide a simple and practical mechanism for effecting a rapid and orderly transfer of cans from a filling machine or table to a seaming turret whereon caps or can ends are applied to said cans.

A further object is to provide a feed mechanism of the character mentioned by means of which the cans to be headed are advanced to the seaming turret in relatively spaced, or timed, relation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the inven tion;

Figure 2 is a cross section on line 22 Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail section on line 38, Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates a stationary supporting structure, preferably of circular form, by which is carried an upwardly directed vertical spindle Q. Mounted for rotation on said spindle is a gear wheel 3 which carries in fixed overlying concentric relation thereto a horiontal ly disposed can-advancing, or feed, disk 4. Provided in the upper face of said feed disk is a plurality of relatively spaced radial channels 5, the purpose of which will hereinafter be explained.

Disposed in overlying relation to the rotary feed disk 4 at a suitable elevation with re spect to said disk is a can guide composed of two guide plates or members 6 and 7 which are shaped and positioned relatively to provide therebetween a. can-feed channel or runway 8 through which cans deposited in upright position upon said feed disk at the entrance end of said runway are successively advanced.

The guide member 6, which possesses an approximately crescent shape, has a depending flange 9 about its outer, or peripheral, edge, which flange is seated upon and is 1928. Serial No. 280,033.

rigidly attached to the top of the supporting structure 1 in partially enclosing relation to the feed disk l. Form-ed on the inner curved edge of said guide member 6 is a relatively narrow flange 10 which defines the outer edge of the runway 8 and against which the cans ride in their passage through the latter.

The guide member 7 has on its outer end a depending flange 11 which is seated upon and attached to the top of the supporting structure 1 adjacent to the peripheral edge of said top. Said member presents an irregularly curved edge which parallels the inner irregularly curved edge of the guide member 6 and thusrcomplemen'ts the latter in the formation of the runway 8 which is of substantially even width throughout its length. The inner end portion of said mom ber 7 overlies the upper end of the spindle 2 and the hub P of the feed disk and has a depending supporting leg 12 which rests upon said hub and which may be centrally bored for the reception of a pin or a reduced stem 13 carried on the end of said shaft and whereby said end of said member is firmly held against movement.

Provided on the under side of said guide member 7 is a downwardly facing guide channel 14 of roughly elliptical or ovate form in which are received for travel a pair of relatively spaced anti-friction rollers 15 car-' ried on the top face of each of a plurality of dogs 16. Each of said dogs which are pro vided in a number corresponding to the number of the radial channels 5 in the feed disk l, carries on its under face an anti-friction roller 17 which is disposed for travel in one of said channels 5, as will presently be explained. V

The cans 18 which are to be headed or capped are successively entered upon the feed disk a at the entrance end of the runway 8 by any suitable means. Vhether the cans be enter-ed in said runway at regular or at irregular intervals, the mechanism of the present invention effects delivery thereof through the delivery end at regularly timed intervals, or in regularly spaced relation, so that an interval of the required duration is provided between successively delivered cans to permit the heading or capping machine, which receives the cans from said runway, to perform its function of double seaming the end on each can, and also such can to be removed frtun the end-closing position, prior to the 24 re cc of the next succeeding can to said position.

The entrance end portion of the runway is disposed approximately at tangent to one side of the broader end portion of the ovate channel 1-1:. or to th a portion of the feed disk 4, as shown. Consequently, forward rotation o said disk acts to carry the cans entare: 1 *e' n to advance along said runway toward its axial portion to a point at which said runway possesses a clnvature substantially in the arc of circle struck on a radius having the a of said dis; as its center. At such point the cans are successively engaged by the nose portion 16 of a dog 16 which is advanced into engagement therewith and which thence acts to push the engaged can in front thereof to and through the delivery end of the runway.

As hereinbefore indicated, the dogs 16 are carried by the feed disk at, each thereof having an antifriction roller 1. mounted for radial travel in or along a channel 5 of said disk. Said dogs also have continuous rotary travel with said disk, and in such travel the two rollers carried on top faces thereof follow the endless ovate path constituted by the channel 14 provided in the under face of the guide member 7. Thus, as the radial channels 5 are advanced in the rotation of the disk l, the ovate channel 14 cooperates with each thereof for eii'ecting shifting of the dogs therealong for properly positioning the latter in advancing, or pushing relation, to the cans received in the runway. As each dog approaches the inner end of the tangentially disposed portion of the runway, or a point at which the ovate channel 1% very closely approaches said runway, it is actuated to move from beneath the guide member 7 to a position in which its nose projects into the runway distance sufiiciently great to enable it to engage in pushin relation to the rearmost portion of the body of a can located in said runway in advance of said position. Since the ovate channel 14 is disposed substantially parallel to the runway from said point to the delivery end of the latter, each dog is adapted to push a thereby engaged can along said runway to and through said delivery end. A number of dogs are at all times in closely grouped relation at and adjacent to the point at which they enter t 1e runway, as aforesaid, due to the fact that they then occupy positions adjacent to the closely related inner ends of their radial guide channels 5. Thus, cans occupying closely grouped. relation adj acent to said point in the runway may individually be operatively engaged by said dogs and thereafter advanced along said runway.

Due to the fact that the distance between the runway and the axis of the feed disk gradually, or progressively, increases from the aforementioned point of entrance of the dogs to the delivery end of the runway, the advancing dogs are actuated gradually to move outwardly along their radial guide channels, increasing the distance between adjacent dogs, until, at the delivery end of the runway, in which )osition it is positioned at or adjacent to tie outer end of its said guide channel, each dog is spaced from the next succeeding dog the distance required to afford the interval of time necessary for the can heading machine to perform its function with respect to successive cans delivered thereto.

The rotation of the feed disk 4 is effected through a drive pinion 18 operatively engaged with the gear wheel 3.

Provided at the outer side of the runway at and adjacent to the point at which the cans are initia .ly engaged by the dogs is means whereby injury to, or crushing of, a can body is prevented in the event that the nose of a dog, gradually emerging from beneath the guide membe 7, should engage the can body at a point substantially at a right angle to the direction of travel of the cans rather than behind the can body. Said means, as herein shown, comprises a plate 1 having a depending flange 20 which is normally disposed in alined relation to the flange 10 of the guide member 6. Said plate is slidably mounted on a countersunk seat 21 provided in said member 6, and a keeper plate mounted on the top surface of said mem ber overlies said plate, as shown. Vertically disposed pins 23 mounted in the seat 21 are received in transverse slots 24rprovided in said plate, whereby the distance of shifting movement of the latter is limited. Compression springs 25 having their inner ends disposed in sockets 26 provided therefor in the guide member beneath said seat 21 have their outer ends resting against the flange 20 and serve normally to hold the plate in its outwardly thrust position.

Manifestly, the plate will readily yield against pressure applied thereto, allowing a can, under direct pressure of an emerging dog applied thereto at the side opposite the plate, to shiftsuch a slig t distance as may be necessary to permit the dog either to pass by such can or to assume a position slightly rearward with respect to the latter.

W hat is claimed is 1. Can feeding apparatus of the character described comprising a horizontally rotating disk having in its top face a plurality of radial guide channels, means overlying said disk forming a runway for cans deposited on said disk, said runway being disposed in par tially encircling relation to the axis of said disk and having entrance and delivery end portions which open outwardly over the peripheral edge of said disk, said delivery end portion being positioned relative to said axis at a distance which progressively in creases to its outward end, said runway-forming means having an ovate axis-encircling guideway of which a portion closely parallels throughout said delivery end portion of said runway, and a plurality of shiftable dogs having upper and under guide members en gaged, respectively, with said guide channels and said guideway, said dogs being engage able with cans introduced in the entrance end portion of said runway and adapted to advance such cans to the delivery end of said runway.

2. Can feeding apparatus of the character described comprising a horizontally rotating disk having in its top face a plurality of radial guide channels, means overlying said disk forming a runway for cans deposited on said disk, said runway being disposed in partially encircling relation to the axis of said disk and having entrance and delivery end portions which open outwardly over the peripheral edge of said disk, the distance of said delivery end portion from said axis being progressively increased toward its delivery outlet, said runway-forming means having therein an axis encircling guide channel of which a portion of its length occupies closely adjacent substantially parallel relation to said delivery end portion of the runway throughout the length of the last-mentioned portion, and a plurality of bodily shiftablecan-advancing elements carried by said disk, said elements being engaged both with said radial and said axis-encircling guide channels whereby they are caused to enter said runway at a point adjacent the axis of the disc and to travel in said runway to the delivery outlet of the latter for effecting relative spacing of successive cans at said outlet.

8. Can feeding apparatus of the character described comprising a horizontally rotating disk having in its top face a plurality of radial guide channels, means overlying said disk forming a runway for cans deposited on said disk, said runway being disposed in partially encircling relation to the axis of said disk and having entrance and delivery end portions which open outwardly over the peripheral edge of said disk, the distance of said delivery end portion from said axis being progressively increased toward its delivery outlet, said runway-forming means having therein an axis encircling guide channel of which a portion of its length occupies closely adjacent substantially parallel relation to said delivery end portion of the runway throughout the length of the last-mentioned portion, and a plurality of shiftable canpushing dogs carried by said disk, said dogs having bottom rollers disposed for travel in the radial guide channels of said disk and having top rollers arranged for travel in the axis-encircling channel of the runway-forming means, whereby rotation of said disk induces travel of said dogs in which the latter project into said runway for advancing cans received therein. 7

4. A can feeding apparatus comprising a horizontally rotating disc, a stationary member overlying said disc and having a channel forming a guide-way for cans deposited on said disc, said guide-way being disposed in a partially encircling relation to the axis of the disc and having entrance and delivery end portions which open outwardly over the peripheral edge of said disc, said guide-way extending inwardly from the entrance end thereof to a point adjacent and one side of the center of the disc and curving gradually and progressively outwardly to the delivery end thereof, said disc having radially disposed channels, said stationary member having a channel paralleling the edge thereof throughout a portion of its extent and dogs disposed between said disc and said stationary member and provided with rollers engaging respectively the radial channels and the channel paralleling the guide-way, whereby said dogs are caused to be projected beyond the edge of the stationary member into the guide way for engaging the cans and moving the same and for delivering said cans in spaced and timed relation to each other.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ROBERT B. METZNER.

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