US1888133A

US1888133A - Method of vacuumizing containers

Info

Publication number: US1888133A
Application number: US558108A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred L Kronquest
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1931-08-19
Filing date: 1931-08-19
Publication date: 1932-11-15
Anticipated expiration: 1949-11-15

Description

Nov. 15, 1932. A. KRONQUEST METHOD OF VACUUMIZING CONTAINERS Filed Au 19, 1931 the don 1e seam for the PM Nov. 15, 1932 m ran s'ra'ras PATENT OFFICE 1.. noxobnsr, or roan, assr'ciioa mcon rrnnman yconm, me, or raw roman. r., a coaronarron or nnwvoax men or vacuums conramnas Application fled amt 19, 1881. Serial 80. 558,108.

' 1o connection between the cover and-the container body. It is found that the great velocity of the air rushin out of the container through the small or ces' or spaces left be tween the loosely folded metal parts carries .15 with it the powder from the container into the vacuum chamber and leaving in the infolded parts sufiicient'powdered material to interfere with the proper operation of the seamin rolls in the forming and finishing of joining of the cover to the container body.

An object of the present invention'is'to' provide a method of vacuumizing a container with the cover clinched thereto so as to avoid- 2 drawing any of the powdered material from the container after the cover has been secured thereto b clinching or crimping of the metal parts so that they are loosely connected.

In the drawing-- '80 Figure 1 is a view partly in plan and partly in section showing more or less diagrammaticall one form of-appar'atus forcarry-.

in out e invention;

i 2 be view of a container with the pow ered material therein and with-the cover removed as the container is subjected to the action'of a vacuum chamber for withdrawthe air from the powdered material;

i 3 is a view showing the-container after clinched to the body of the container, and

a '1 is a view similar to Rig. 3, but show J the usual manner, and the container, without any cover being applied thereto, is passed into a vacuum chamber or otherwise conthe air has been withdrawn from the pow-- dered material and with the cover loosely.

nected with a vacuum creating'apparatus so that the air in the container and in the owdered material is withdrawn there rom.

When the container is subjected to a twentynine inch vacuum with the cover removed, the whole mass of the powder appears to flufi' up and then settle back into the container in a more compact space. The loosely packed powdered material when placed in the container contains entrapped air. When the container passes into the vacuum chamber, this entrapped air expandsand is drawn from the powdered material, causing first, the flutfing up of the material, and 1n case of very finel powdered material, a mist of powder int e space surrounding the contamer. When the container is removed from the vacuum chamber and again subjected to atmospheric pressure, the powder has settled back into the container in a compact conditlon. 'The cover is then applied to the container and clinched thereto loosely, after which the container is placed a second time in a vacuum chamber and subjected to a vacuum creating apparatus, and the air drawn from the container will now be free from any powder, and-the infolded parts of the metal through which the air passes will .also be free from entrapped powder. If the product in the container is to be sealed in vacuum, then the cover is double seamed .to the container body while the container is under vacuum. The vacuum in the container may, if desired, be replaced by an inert gas, and the cover then secured to the container body by double seaming.

It is thought that possiblythe invention will be better understood by a brief reference to the apparatus shown in the drawing. ,The r I containers which are indicated at I C are fed on toa disk 1 and conveyed by the disk against a guide rail 2 with-,which is associated a transfer device 3, and thus the container is placed in one of the pockets 4 of a rotating valve 5. The container is fi 1led to the desired extent with the powderedmaterial, No cover is placed on the container. Associated with the valve 5 is a casing 6 having a chamber 7 which is placed continually under vacuum by a vacuum creating apparatus con nected in a suitable way with a pipe 8 leading to the chamber 7. I As the valve rotates, the

pockets will be brought into communication tainer. Any powder passing ofi with the airwithdrawn fromthe container may be collected in a sanitary receptacle associated with the vacuum creating a paratus, and thus waste of material is avoided. Furthermore,

in this vacuum chamber 7 there are no operating parts which are likely to be clogged by the powdered material accumulating thereon. The container after it is subjected to the vacuum pull in the chamber7, and after the air has been withdrawn from the powdered material in the container, is passed to the atmosphere and removed from the valve pocket by a rotating transfer device 9. The rotating transfer device places the container on the conve or 10 which takes the container into the c 'ching mechanism indicated ,dia-

45 a pocket 13 of a rotary valve 14 which carries grammatically at 11. In this clinching mechanism, the cover is applied to the container body, and the flange of the cover and the flange on the container body loosely joined by clinching together. This will hold the cover on the container body, but at the same time, it.will permit the air to be withdrawn from the container body. When the con.- tainer comes out of the first vacuum chamber,

v the powdered material settles back into the container in a compact form and substantially'free from any entrapped air. After the container passes through the clinching mechanism, it is placed by a transfer device 12 in the container into the chamber 15 The transfor device 16 removes the container from the pocket of the valve and places the same on a.

conveyor 17. As the container passes through the vacuum chamber 15, the air is withdrawn ered is the air in-the powdered material and t e cover, and the operation station. .The first operation station from the container, and during this withdrawing of the air, the powdered material,

does not pass out with the air. Practically the only air inthe container after it is covace between the withdrawin of this air does not carry with it the pow cred material. The container then is taken from the conveyor by a. transfer device 18 and placed in a pocket 19 by a valve 20 which carries the container into a chamber 21 which is located a double seamingmechanism'. double seaming mechanism may includea first and secon is indicated at 22 and the second at 23. The rotatin transfer device 24 carries the container st to one station and then the other, and thus it is that the cover is double seamed to the container body and the container sealed. The containers are again placed in thepocket 19 of the valve 20, and a transfer device 25 removes the closed container from the pocket of the valve and places the same on the conveyor 26.

Thecontainer C, as shown in the drawing, comprises a cylindrical body portion, in

which a bottom end 0 has been secured. The material is indicated at M in the drawing. In Fi 2, the container isshown with the body t ereof flanged, ready for the cover, but no cover has been place thereon. This is the condition of the container as it passes from the vacuum chamber 7. In Fig.3, a

cover 0 is shown applied to the container body, and the metal arts of the cover and the body are loosely fold at c. In Fig. 4 of the drawing, the cover a is shown as secured to the container body by adouble seam c which seals the container;

When it is desired to seal the container with the product'thereof in vacuum, then" the chamber 21 is placed under vacuum, and the ed together as indicated 1 container passes from the chamber 15 into this chamber 21 with the vacuum maintained within the container and the end is double seamed to the container body, thus sealing the container.. If it is desired to close the container with the material in an inert gas, then the chamber 21 is charged with an inert gas,

such for example, as carbon dioxide. When the container passes into this chamber, the

inert as will pass in through the loosely connecteg parts of the cover and the container body, thus charging the container with an inert gas. The coverv is then double seamed to the body, and this will seal thecontainer with the inert gas therein.

may be greatly modified, and is merely illustrative of a type of apparatus that can be used in the.carrying out of the improved method of vacuumizing a container. While my improved method is particularly adapted for the vacuumiz'ing and sealing of a con- It will be obvious that the apparatus shown tainer having a powdered material therein, it I will also be useful in the vacuumizing and sealing of containers with other kinds of material; p 7

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Batters- Patent, is-

1. The process of packaging powdered material in sealed containers under vacuum comprising placin the wdered material a container and su'bjectmg the container toa iv; uum before the sealing cover is applied e tainer, placing a cover on the container, subjecting the container to a vacuum for with- 1 to,- releasing the'vacuum on the conresales redrawing the air therefrom and a.

cover to the container whiie maintain under said vacuum. a

2. A method of packaging powdered material in sealed containers comprising plac the powdered material in the container an subjecting the container to a. vacuum before the sealing cover is applied thereto, releasmg a vacuum on the container, placing the cover thereon and loosel securin the cover to the container body, su jecting t e container with the loosely attached cover to a vacu um for withdrawing the air therefrom, charging the container with an inert gas, and seaming the cover to the container body while charged with the inert gas.

In testimony whereof, I aflix m si ature. ALFRED L. KRO QIEST.