US2114484A

US2114484A - Lid seaming machine

Info

Publication number: US2114484A
Application number: US146952A
Authority: US
Inventors: Chorlton Frank Oscar Levi; Mayson Herbert
Original assignee: CHORLTON
Current assignee: CHORLTON
Priority date: 1936-02-20
Filing date: 1937-06-07
Publication date: 1938-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 1955-04-19

Description

April 19, 1938. F. O. L. CHORLTON ET AL 2,114,484

LID SEAMING MACHINE Filed June '7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 19, 1938. F. o. l.. cHoRLToN ET AL LID SEAMING MACHINE Filed June 7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J0 JL pril 19, w38, F. o. L. cHoRLToIN E1- AL' 2,114,484

LID SEAMING MACHINE Filed June '7, 1937 4 SheebS-Sheel'l 3 April 19, 1938. F. o. i.. cHoRLToN Er AL 2,114,454

LI'D SEAMING MGHINEq Filed June 7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Lm sEAMING MACHINE Frank Oscar Levi Chorlt on and Herbert Mayscn,

Bury, England; said Mayson assignor to said Chorlton 10 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to machines, for seaming lids on cans or like containers, of the type comprising a sealing chamber Within which the seaming operation takes place in vacuo or in an inert gas, said sealing chamber being provided with a door which is opened for the introduction of the vcan and is closed during the seaming operation, a fluid control valve adapted during a seaming operation to connect the sealing chamber to a source of subatmospheric pressure or inert gas, means for positioning and supporting the containers for rotation relatively to a seaming means, and a container rotating mechanism connected or adapted to be connected to a source of motive power, the seaming operation being effected by the rotation of the can with the lid in position thereon, about the axis of the can, and in engagement with a seaming means.

An object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and inexpensive machine of the type above referred to, which, with the exception of the power-operated means for rotating the can and maintaining the sub-atmospheric air pressure or the pressure of the inert gas, is hand-operated.

Another object is to provide a machine of the type above referred to according to which the actuated parts of each of the several means for closing the sealing chamber door, for operating the uid control valve, and for positioning the containers for rotation relatively to the seaming means are arranged in proximity to a single manually operable lever and are all actuated thereby, the sequence of the several operations being automatically determined by interlocking means.

Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following specific description.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one example of a seaming machine for seaming a lid onto a can in vacuo, and incorporating an operating and control mechanism according to the present invention. In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the complete machine,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation, to an enlarged scale, of a clutch mechanism through which rotation of the can at the appropriate time is eifected, Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the hand operating mechanism by which the various operations are eiected in sequence,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation on the line IV-IV of Figure 1, but with the hand lever pulled down to the position of closing the sealing chamber door and just prior to lateral movement to operate the suction valve,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing the sequence of positions of the operating mechanism when it is moved from the position shown in Figure 1 to effect a seaming operation on kthe can,

Figures 6 and 7 are respectively front and side elevations of the machine, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary View of a modification.

Referring to the drawings (Figures 1-7) the machine comprises a base frame I0 on which is mounted a hollow column II supporting a sealing chamber I2 adapted to be closed by a sliding door I3. During a, seaming operation the can and lid are supported in the chamber I2 between an axially movable table or chuck I4 and a freely rotatable axially fixed chuck I5, and the seaming operation is eiected by means of one or more seaming rollers I B. The rollers I6 are mounted on an arm I6*ab on a shaft Iiib and are moved against the action of a spring I 6C. The chucks I4 and I5 are journalled in gas-tight bearings and the chuck I4 is rotated to effect rotation of a can during the seaming operation from a motor I1 through a friction clutch comprising a constantly rotating element I9 and an axially movable element 20, a V-pulley I9a on the element I9 being driven from a V-pulley I'Ia on the motor I1 through a rope or V-belt 2l passing over

jockey guide pulleys

23 and 24, adjustable by means of any suitable form of screw device 25 to vary the tension of the belt. The motor I'I also drives a suction pump 26 connected by a conduit 21 to the hollow column II which constitutes a suction reservoir, and the 7sealing chamber I2 is put in communication with the suction reservoir as hereinafter described by means of an axially slidable piston valve 28 (see Figure 4) controlling the

passageways

29, 30, and the port 28b opening to atmosphere, the end of the passageway y30 communicating with the interior of the column II through a chest 3| mounted on the upper part of said column. The port 28b is closed bythe part 28a of the valve 28 when the latter moves to put the chamber into communication with the exhausting means.

After a can tted with a lid which is to be seamed to the can has been placed on the chuck I4, the door I3 is closed and the chuck I4 is raised so as to bring the upper part of the can with the lid in position thereon into proximity with the chuck I5, after which the valve 28 is operated to connect the chamber I2 to the vacuum reservoir and the clutch element 20 is brought into engagement with the clutch element i9 to effect rotation of the chuck I4 and thereby of the can which is now firmly gripped between the chucks i4 and |5. The lid is generally dished to receive the chuck l5 by which it is centered on the can.

This sequence of operations is effected from a single hand control mechanism comprising a hand-operated main lever 32. The hand-operated lever 32 is mounted on a rock shaft 33 carried in fixed bearings 35 supported by brackets 36; the bore of the lever is substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft and the lever is connected to the shaft by a transverse pivot pin 34; the lever therefore is capable of movement (which will be termed the primary movement) in a plane at right angles to the axis of the shaft 33, and thereby impart angular movement to the shaft, or to have secondary movement -in a plane at right angles to the pivot 34 without imparting angular movement to the shaft 33. A lever 31 is loosely mounted on the shaft and is connected to the door i3 by the links l5.

There is keyed to the shaft 33 a lever 38 which isV connected by a connecting rod 39 to a bellcrank lever 49, 4D. The chuck I4 is moved to position the container and is connected to` the driving element i9 of the clutch by the movement of the arm 45' of the lever 43, 45', the arrangement being as followsz--The clutch member 23 has a sleeve 41 which is mounted in a bearing 41a so as to be capable of rotation and axial movement therein, the clutch member I8 is rotatably mounted in the fixed bearing l!!a by which it is held against axial movement; the bearing I9a has a hollow bore through which passes a spindle 45, the upper end of which is connected to the chuck i4, said spindle being axially movable relatively to the sleeve but being feathered or splined thereon so as to be rotated by the sleeve and clutch member 20.

rIhe sleeve 41 is extended so` as to form a coupling 45 and a head 45a of the spindle engages a shoulder 45h of the coupling; the interior of the coupling is screw-threaded so as to take a hollow screw-threaded nut 48 having an internally projecting flange, and a spring 49 is interposed between the said ange and the face of the head 45a of the spindle 45. Axial movement is irnparted to the coupling 46 by the arm 40 of the bellcrank lever through a spring connecting rod comprising two portions 4 l, 42 mounted in a casing 44 in which they are movable axially but maintained in axial alignment, and are pressed apart by a spring 43, the part 4| is pivotally connected to the arm 40', and the upper end 42 is pivotally connected to a part 45a housed in the coupling 45 which latter is capable of rotation but not of axial movement relatively to the part 4|.

The rocking lever 31 which is loosely journalled on the rock shaft 33 is coupled to the door i3 through links 50 and is operatively connected to the hand lever 32 through a gate device 5| formed on the lever 31 and having an aperture through which the hand lever S2 projects, the aperture comprising a slot 52 and alateral recess 53 which provides an abutment 54 for the lever as shown in Figure 4. The engagement of the door with the bottom of the door aperture will limit the downward movement of the lever 31 and the gate but if desired a pin or Vthe like fixed lon the frame of the machine may be provided to limit movement of the gate.

The hand lever 32 is restrained in the lateral recess 53 by an arm 32a, see Fig. 6, until the hand lever 32 has moved to the position in which the door is closed (that is tosay, the position shown in Figure 4), when the hand lever 32 reaches this position it is free of the restraining means 32SL and can move clear o-f thel abutment 54 to undergo its secondary movement for operating the valve controlling the exhausting of the sealing chamber. The

passageway

29, 30 in the wall of the sealing chamber which connects the interior ofthe sealing chamber with the reservoir 3| is arranged so that the two parts 29 and 3S are laterally displaced on opposite sides of a cylindrical bore which intersects the passageway, and in which slides a piston valve 2S, 28a. The bore has a port 28b leading to the atmosphere.

When the valve is in its extreme right position, that shown in Figure 4, the interior of the sealing chamber communicates through the .upper part 29 of the passageway, the bore and the port 28b with the atmosphere, the part of the passageway 3B leading to the reservoir 3| being closed by the part 28 of the valve; when the valve is movedto its extreme left position, the reservoir 3| communicates with the interior of the sealing chamber |2 through the

passageway

29, 30, the'part 28a of the Valve closing the port` 28b before the passageway is opened.

The piston valve 28 is adapted to be slid axially in a Valve chamber 55 to put the parts of the

passageway

29, 30, into and out of communicapivoted at 51 on the frame of the2 machine and its tail 56a is connected to. the piston valve through the pivot pin 58. The upper part of the lever 56 bears against one side of the hand lever tion with each other, by means of `a lever 55A 32 as shown in Figure 4, so that when said handV lever is moved angularly about its pin 34 and laterally with respect to the rock shaft 33 to bring the hand lever out of engagement with the abutment 54 of the gate, the lever 55 is rocked about its pivot to move the piston valve 28 to put the

ports

29 and 30 into communication with each other. The return movement of the piston valve may if necessary be effected by springs.

The operation of the machine above is as followsr-v A can which may initially be located on the table 59 is placed on the chuck I4 and the hand lever 32 is pulled down from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in full lines in Figure 5. This movement of the hand lever through the engagement thereof with the abutment 54 of the gate, moves the lever 31 into the position shown in full lines in Figure 5, and thereby closes the door I3. At the same time the lever 38 is moved by the rock shaft so as to effect an initial elevation of the chuck |4 so as to bring the can with the lid in position thereon into close proximity with the chuck I5. This movement of the lever 38 is not sufflcientto bring the clutch element 2li into engagement with the driven element I9 and the hand lever 32 is now moved laterally out of engagement with the abutment 54 of the gate, therebyoperating the lever 56 and valve 28 to exhaust the chamber l2,` after which the hand lever can be given a further downward movement in the slot 52 so as to bring the clutch element into engagement with the clutch element i9 vto transmit a drive to the chuck |4 between which and the chuck l5, the can is firmly held and rotated. The seaming rollersA I6 of-which there described may be two, are then brought successively into engagement with the upper edge of the can and the edge of the lid by means of a hand lever 60 v to form the seam, after which the hand lever 32 can be released and will return to the position shown in Figure l under the action of a, weight 6I, thus lowering the chuck I4, disengaging the clutch I8, closing the valve 28 and finally opening the door I3.

It will be appreciated from the above description that the present invention provides a very simple operating mechanism for eiecting a vacuum seaming operation on a can, the various operations being eected by only two manually operated members, namely, the lever 32 and the lever 60 and furthermore the operations effected through the lever 32 take place in the correct sequence and independently of the operator. f

In the modification shown in Figure 6 the upper chuck is rotated from the motor I'I in a similar manner to the lower chuck in the arrangement shown in Figure 1. The spindle Ia of the upper chuck has splined on it one element 20a of a clutch, the other element I9a of which is freely journalled on the spindle I5a and is driven from the motor I'I 'by means of the belt 2l. Movement of the clutch element 2l!a into and out of engagement with the element |98 is effected by the hand lever 32 through a lever 62 xed on the rocking shaft 33, a link 63 and a bell-crank-lever 64 pivoted on a bracket mounted on the sealing chamber I2. The lower chuck is rotatably supported and is adjustable axially to position a can and hold it in driving engagement with the upper chuck I5 in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 1.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a machine of the type specified, the combination with a sealing chamber having an opening through which the containers are introduced and having a passageway through its wall; a door closing the said opening; a valve closing the said passageway; seaming means within the chamber; means for positioning the containers in relation to the seaming means; and means for rotating the positioned container; of a main operating part connected to the door, the positioning means and the valve, and being movable by hand in a primary direction, and also movable by hand in a secondary direction, said primary movement closing the door and operating the positioning means, and said secondary movement opening the valve.

2. In a machine of the type specified, the combination with a sealing chamber having an opening through which the containers are introduced and having a passageway through its wall; a door closing the said opening; a lever for actuating the door; a valve closing the said passageway; seaming means within the chamber; means for positioning the containers in relation to the seaming means; and means for rotating the positioned container; of a main operating lever connected to the door actuating lever, the positioning means and the valve, and being movable by hand in a primary direction and also movable by hand in a secondary direction, said primary movement operating the door actuating lever and the positioning means, and said secondary movement opening the valve; and a gate-lock device interposed between the door actuating lever and the main operating lever, said gate-lock having a transversely disposed locking part which, when the operating lever has, by primary movement, been moved from its initial position until it has closed the door, prevents the further primary movement being imparted to the operated lever until the secondary movement to open the valve has been imparted thereto.

3. In a machine of the type specified, the combination with a sealing chamber having an opening through which the containers are introduced and having a passageway through its wall; a door closing the said opening; a lever for actuating the door; a valve closing the said passageway; seam-` member connected to the chuck,.and an axially.

movable chuck and clutch actuating member to impart axial movement to the chuck to position it, and axial movement tothe driven clutch member to cause engagement of the clutch; of a main operating lever connected to the door actuating' lever, the chuck and clutch actuating member and the valve, and being movable by hand in a primary direction and also movable by hand in a secondary direction, said primary movement closing the door and operating the chuck and` clutch actuating member, and the secondary mov-ement opening the valve; and a gate-lock device interposed between the door actuating lever and the main operating lever, said gate-lock having a transversely disposed locking part which, when the operating lever has, by primary movement, been moved from its initial position until it has closed the door, prevents the further primary movement being imparted to the operating lever until the secondary movement to open the valve has been imparted thereto.

4. The combination with the elements in claim 3, a sleeve connected to an axially movable driven part of the clutch; said sleeve having an extension forming a coupling unit to which axial movement is imparted by the main operating.

handle; a spindle splined in the sleeve, one end being connected to the chuck and the other end having a head one face of which engages a shoulder of the sleeve; and a spring interposed between the other face of the head of the spindle l and a second shoulder in the coupling unit.

5. The combination with the elements claimed in claim 2, of a fixed locking piece adapted to engage the main operating lever and to prevent secondary movement being imparted to it while it is being moved in a primary direction from its initial position to a position in which it has closed the door.

6. The combination with the elements claimed in claim 3, of a iixed locking piece adapted to engage the main operating lever and to prevent secondary movement being imparted to it while it is being moved in a primary direction from its initial position to a position in which it has closed the door.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the sealing chamber is provided with a cylindrical bore intersecting the passageway through its wall., in which the said passageway is divided by the bore into two laterally displaced portions on opposite sides of the bore, Aand in which a port, and in its other extreme position toclose the said port and to open both parts of the passageway.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the sealing chamber is provided with a cylindrical bore intersecting the passageway through itswall, in which the said passageway is divided by the bore into two laterally displaced portions on opposite sides of the bore, and in which a port opening into the bore is connected to the atmosphere; and in which the Valve is a piston valve reciprocated axially by the main operating lever and fitting the said cylindrical bore, adapted in the one extreme position to close the part Vof the passageway remote from the sealing chamber and to connect the part of the passageway opening into the sealing chamber to the said port, and in its other extreme position to close the said port and `to open both parts of the passageway.

9. In a machine of the type specified, the cornbination with a sealing chamber having an opening through which the lcontainer is introduced, vand having a passageway through its wall; a

door closing the said opening; a valve closing the said passageway; seaming means within the chamber; means for positioning the containers in relation to the seaming means; and means for rotating the positioned container; of a main operating shaft; a main operating lever pivotally connected to the said shaft by a transverse pivot; a lever keyed to the shaft and connected to the said positioning means; a lever connected to the door and loosely mounted on the said shaft; a gate-lock device connecting the loosely mounted lever to the main operating lever; and a lever in proximity to the main lever which is actuated to close the valve by secondary movement of the main operating lever about the transverse pivot thereof.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the connection between the operating lever and the coupling extension of the clutch sleeve is made through a bellcrank lever, one arm of which is actuated by the operating lever, and the other arm of Which is connected by a resilient connecting rod to the coupling extension.

FRANK OSCAR LEVI CHORLTON. HERBERT MAYSON.