US198965A - Improvement in can-seaming machines - Google Patents

Description

` E. R. BOWIB. Gan-SeamingvMaohine.

Y Patented' Jan. 8,1878.

Awww@ @Sir/ MMM UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

. EDWIN n. Bowrn, or Nnw BEDFORD, MAssAoHUsnTTsAssrGNor-i To f VEDWARD T. oovnLL, on sAMn PLAGE. i i

IMPROVEMENT lNdcAN-.sl-:A'Mme MAoI-HNES.`

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,965, dated January 8, 187.8, application filed` v November 15,1877.

To all whom it may concern;-

-Be it known that I, EDWIN R. BOWIE, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Closing the Scams of. Metallic Vessels,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. u

My present invention Vrelates to machinery for turning over and compressing or closing the seams uniting the headwith-the body of cans of peculiar construction. The distinguishingfeature of such cans islthat the seam is formed and perfected without the use of internal support or mandrels, but is closed or turned vdown upon the head itself, or upon an auxiliary or false head which maybe interposed between the head and the turned-down iiange. Y f

In illustration of or to exemplify such cans I would refer to the patent issued to E. T. Covell on the 7th dayof September, 1875, and to that issued to said Covell, as assignee of Charles l?. Manfield, on the 6th dayof November, 1877. A y 4 The machine, therefore, which embodies my improvements dispenses with the use of mandrels, either internal or external, but contains devices for the simultaneous turning over and closing of all the flanges or seams oneither or both heads; and to -this effect my said invention consists in the `employment and use, in combination with a stationary angular supporting-frame and a movable or reciprocating angular follower, of angular jaws or aps actuated to converge, for the purpose of turning over and compressing the flan ges against the heads of the can by means of the can itself when,resting upon its support, itis compressed between the said support and the follower.

In order to enable others to make and use my said invention, and to'understand the manner in which the same is vor may be carried into effect, I shall now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed -in accordance with my said invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views according to a plane through the center o f the can atan angle of forty-five degrees with the perpendicular, and passing through the operformed by the underside of the yoke. jaws are rectangular levers, having their fulcra inl the hinge referred to, and are, by av d ative parts of the machine, showingthe seam bending and compressing jaws respectively open and closed.

In Fig. 4. I have shown a diagram of the can as the same appears before and after being operated upon bythe machine, the one end at A showing the head as combined with the sides of the can in the former position, while the end B shows it so combined in the'latter position.

The frame of the machine consists of a pedestal, C, cast'in one piece or otherwise united with a goose-neck bracket, D, in' the top of which is the bearing E of the main shaft, to which is or may be imparted rotary movement from a belt over a pulley, F, or. by gearing, or by any other mechanismV driven by steam or other power. To the front end of the shaftv is secured a disk, Cr, and a connecting-rod or pitman, I, is attached at one `end to an eccentric pin, H, on said disk, and at the other to a sliding block, K, traveling, in vertical guides in the head of-the frame,"and imparting an up-and-down reciprocatingxmovement to the cross-head L, which carries on each extremity a segmental yoke, M. The contour of the interior or under side of these yokes is shaped Ito conform to the two adjoining sides of a can lof rectangular areaF-that is to say, forming an angle of ninety degrees--which is so arranged that a vertical plane shall vbisectv the Each yoke on the exterior face is pro-'- angle. vided with lugs or knuckles a, to contain the hinge-pins ror pivotal axes of jaws N and N, whichl are thereby respectively held in a line parallel with oneof the sides 'ofthe angle These spring in a recess in the yoke, thrown out and maintained in the position shown in Fig. 2. .On the interior face of the yokes are lugs b, from which are suspended, by means of loose spindles c, the platens C. These are plain- Vsurfaced plates, of the dimension correspond-A ing to that of a side of the lcamand extend transversely from one yoke to the other, en-

gaging from beneath one side of the jaw. l

The length of the spindle determines the` amount of play which each platen has toward and Vaway from the angular underside or clamping-surface of the yoke, and the movement of the platen controls the swinging or tilting action of the jaw.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the extreme positions are indicated. In the former gure the platen is shown thrown out Iby the spring acting on the jaw-levers, which are engaged by the platen. In the latter the platen is shown forced back into its seat in the yoke, and tilting the jawlevers, the spring being compressed.

For the purpose of regulating the amount of play thus given the platen and the jaws, the spindles may be screw-threaded on either or both ends, and a movable head or nut may be applied to the one end, or it may be screwed more or lessinto the platen at the other. Directly opposite, in the same planes with and underneath the movable yokes, (provided with the two platens arranged at right angles relatively to each other, and with` four jaws, one on each outer end of each platen,) are arranged the xed yokes P, firmly secured upon a platform, R, supported by standards Q on the pedestal. These yokes carry two platens and four j aws, and their accessories, in themanner precisely similar to those of the movable yokes, differing from them only inthe arrangement-that is to say, while the angle in the movablev yokes, and consequently the angle which the platens in the movable yokes form with each other, faces downward, that of the Xed yokes and that of the platens within the iiXed yokes face upward; but the vertical plane which bisects the one angle bisects alsok the other.

On one side of the machine there is a disk, S, supported by a post or bracket in a position to afford an abutting-surface to the can when placed into the machine, and a similar disk, T, is arranged on the opposite side of the machine, to securely hold the can in position while being operated Fupon. The latter disk is supported by a movable post or tiltingbar, V. A handle, W, is arranged for convenience of manipulation.

The operation of the machine is as follows: By proper revolution of the driving-shaft the upper yoke is raised and the disk T is dropped, as shown in Fig. 1, to allow the can to be perfected to be placed `on the llower yokes, or, rather, to rest with its two contiguous sides upon the two platens when the can is brought home-11. e., when the one head butts against the stationary disk S the movable disk T is lifted to close against the other head of the can. The can thus securely held in the proper position, the driving-shaft is rotated, and the upper yokes are caused to descend. During part of this descent, and until the platens of the upper yokes come in actual contact with thel can, the latter presses upon the lower platens by its own weight, which is, however, insufficient to counteract the action of the springs, whereby the platens are kept away from their seats, and whereby, also, the jaws are kept open or deflected from the seam-lian ge to be closed by them.

The moment the can is clasped on its four sides by theY lower and upper platens the action of the eight jaws commences simultaneously, and is continued by the progress of the downward stroke of the upper yoke until the seam is completed, and this is effected in the manner as follows: The four platens surrounding the can, on compressing it, meet with a certain resistance. Being backed by springs, and loosely hung, as before described, the platens simultaneously yield, and by thus yielding act on the lever ends of the jaws with which they are engaged, and cause them to tilt or close in against the heads of the can. In thus closing in the jaws meet the seamlanges of the can, which are bent and compressed against the head, as shown in Fig. 3. The action of the jaws, it will be observedis regularly continuous or gradual and progressive. For this reason the injurious effects attending blows or percussive action of seam bending devices heretofore used are avoided.

When the seams of the can are thus closed and perfected, the can is readily removed by dropping the can-confining disk T, and by raising the upper yoke.

Having thus described my said invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I would observe that many modifications may be made to the machine herein described without departure from y I have shown the parts of the machine arranged with reference to cans the body of which has a square cross-section as the simplest form, or the form which is most commonly in use 5 but any quadrangular or polygonal shaped can, constructed with a seam which isto be turned down inwardlyupon the head or false head, can be operated upon in like manner by the means described by simply changing the form of the yokes and the number and arrangement of their intermediate platens and of the jaws accordingly.

kWhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis as follows:

l. A can-seaming machine in which the jaws for bending and compressing the seams are arranged in frames or yokes closing against the can, and are operated by the can itself through the intermediary of mechanical depair of movable yokes similarly provided with Y `intermediate platens and seam bending and closing jaws, substantially as herein set forth. 3. The combination, with the stationary and movable can-confining frames or yokes, of f seam-closing jaws the pivotal axes of which are parallel with the seam to be operated upon, substantially as set forth.

4f.v In a machine for closing and compressing seams of metal cans, the combination, with the side platens, arranged in stationary and movable yokes to correspond to the sides of the can, and with jaws operated by said platens, of springs, arranged for operation substair tially as herein shown and described.

5. In a machine for closing and compressing seams of metal cans, the platens loosely hung in the stationary and movable yokes, and the means, substantially as herein shown and described, for regulating their play Within said yokes.

6. In a machine for closing and compressing seams of metal cans by means of jaws operated automatically, as described and claimed, a stationary and a movable end plate for hol ding the can confined in its proper position during the operation of closing the seam, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 11th day of October, A. D. 1877.

EDWIN R. BOWIE.

Witnesses ALANsoN BORDEN, ALBERT B. COLLINS.

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