US2323939A - Can end closure attaching machine - Google Patents

Can end closure attaching machine Download PDF

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Publication number
US2323939A
US2323939A US303991A US30399139A US2323939A US 2323939 A US2323939 A US 2323939A US 303991 A US303991 A US 303991A US 30399139 A US30399139 A US 30399139A US 2323939 A US2323939 A US 2323939A
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Prior art keywords
turret
shaft
end closure
container
machine
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Expired - Lifetime
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US303991A
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Otto A Schmitt
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Continental Can Co Inc
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Continental Can Co Inc
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Priority to US303991A priority Critical patent/US2323939A/en
Priority to US360669A priority patent/US2354068A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D51/00—Making hollow objects
    • B21D51/16—Making hollow objects characterised by the use of the objects
    • B21D51/26—Making hollow objects characterised by the use of the objects cans or tins; Closing same in a permanent manner
    • B21D51/2653—Methods or machines for closing cans by applying caps or bottoms

Definitions

  • the invention relates generally to the art of manufacturing containers of sheet metal, or of a combination of sheet metal and paper or similar non metallic body and end closure elements, and primarily seeks to provide a novel machine for assembling such body and end closure elements.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which is embodied novel container body and end closure element feeding and positioning means and novel means for eiiecting adjustments in the relative positions of these equipments so as to adapt the machine for assembling containers of different sizes.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated embodying a novel turret structure having provision for holding the container bodies and the end closure elements in registering relation, novel means for bringing about a nested relation between each body and the associated end closure element while they are held on said turret, and novel means for moving the nested container parts into the zone of influence of a seam forming or sealing means for securing said closure elements on said bodies while they are supported by said turret.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the turretl structure includes novel holding elements for holding each end closure at edge portions thereof, and novel means for separating said elements to release said end closures as the nested container parts are moved into the zone of influence of the sealing means.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the sealing devices are mounted in a housing which is swingably supported on the machine frame so that it can be readily moved into cooperative relation with the turret, or swung away from the turret in order to render the turret parts and said devices readily accessible for manipulation or replacement.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which is ineluded power means for transmitting movement to the various mechanisms of the machine, and novel pneumatically actuated means for shutting off the power application whenever the proper complements of container parts is not being fed into the machine.
  • Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the axis of the main drive shaft.
  • Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine taken through the axis of the seaming head.
  • Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan View and part horizontal section illustrating portions of the turret, the cross feed mechanism and the reciprocable pre-assembly plate and driving connections therefor.
  • Figure 5 is a vertical cross section of the machine, the section being taken between the seaming head and the turret looking toward the turret.
  • Figure 6 is a detail vertical longitudinal section through the container body feeding table.
  • Figure '7 is a horizontal section taken through the table illustrated in Figure 6, the section being taken through the axis of the table adjusting devices and parts being shown in plan View.
  • Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating the mounting of the can body accelerating disks.
  • Figure 9 is a detail vertical cross section taken on the line 9-9 on Figure 8.
  • Figure 10 is a detail vertical cross section taken on the line I0-IU on Figure 6.
  • Figure 11 is a fragmentary horizontal section illustrating the adjustable mounting of the container body end opposing sector.
  • Figure 12 is anfenlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken through the axis of the turret and the end closure feeding mechanism.
  • Figure 13 is an enlarged detail horizontal section taken through the end closurel feeding mechamsm.
  • Figure 14 is a diagrammatic sectional view i1- lustrating the mechanism for discontinuing operation of the machine whenever a proper complement of container body and end closure to be assembled is not present in the machine.
  • Figure 15 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustrating the relation of a container body and the end closure with which it is to be assembled just after the body has been fed into the turret pocket.
  • Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15 and illustrates the pre-assembly or nesting of the con- 55. tainer body and its companion end closure.
  • Figure 17 is a fragmentary horizontal sectio-n of the securing station at the bottom of the turret and illustrates the seaming function r the step of securing the assembly of the container body and its companion end closure.
  • Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 17 and illustrates the displacement of the assembled and secured container from the chuck and cooperating seaming rollers.
  • a frame A In the machine herein disclosed as an example of embodiment of the invention there is included a frame A, a motor or power source B, a clutch housing C, a clutch actuator housing D, and a pneumatic clutch actuator E.
  • the machine also includes a vertically adjustable container body feed-in mechanism F, a cross feed mechanism G, a finished container feed-off way H, an end closure feed I, and a turret J and a sealing unit K disposed in opposed relation on horizontal axes.
  • the frame A includes a base portion and an upper or main housing portion 6. Within the housing portion a main or power shaft 1 is rotatably supported in horizontal bearings 8.
  • the motor B imparts rotation to a driver' pulley 9 composed of spring-pressed cone disks, and the rotation of this pulley is imparted through a V-belt It to the clutch drive pulley (not ⁇ shown) disposed within the clutch housing C.
  • the motor may be bodily moved through the medium of a screw adjusting means I I in order to vary the driving ratio of the pulley equipments just mantioned so as to vary the speed of operation of the power shaft 1.
  • the main drive shaft 'I is hollow, and a clutch actuator rod I2 is longitudinally movable in said shaft and extends into the actuator housing D where it is secured to an annularly grooved head i3 splined as at i4 on the shaft l.
  • a shifter ring I5 is mounted in the head groove and is trunnionconnected with a shifting fork I5 secured upon a crank shaft I'I rockably mounted in bearings I8 supported on the frame 5 in the manner best illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
  • a crank i9 is affixed to the shaft Il' and is linkconnected as at 26 t0 a crank 2l secured upon another crank shaft 22 rockably supported as at 23 on the frame in the manner illustrated ⁇ in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.
  • the crank shaft 22 carries a crank arm 24 which is linkconnected as at 25 with one end of a piston rod 26 which has its other end secured to a piston 2T reciprocable within a cylinder 28 forming a part of the pneumatic actuator equipment E and secured as at 29 to the frame portion See Figures 1 and 14 of the drawings.
  • the cylinder 28 is connected by a duct 3B with pneumatic control equipment later to be described and includes a slideway 3l traversed by an air vent 32.
  • a venting slide 33 is mounted in the slideway and is equipped with a venting aperture 34, which, when aligned with the venting equipment 32, will serve to admit atmospheric air into the interior of the cylinder 28.
  • the slide 33 is frictionally held against its seat by a, springpressed plunger 35, and movement is imparted to this slide thro-ugh the medium of an actuator rod 35.
  • the rod 35 is freely straddled by a boss or fork 3l projecting from the link 25, and this boss is disposed between spaced stop collars 38 secured to said rod.
  • the slide 33 is normally positioned as illustrated in Figure 11, and in this normal position the venting apertures are out of registry and the cylinder 28 is closed against ingress of atmospheric air. In this condition of the parts it will be obvious that upon evacuation of the cylinder 23 through the conduit 30, the
  • a hand lever 39 may be actuated for manually effecting a de-clutclnng action and discontinuing the operation of the machine if desired.
  • the can body feed-in mechanism F includes a table Q5 having rigidly mounted, vertically disposed bearings 4f and 112 thereon.
  • the vertical bearing members 6I and 52 respectively, surround a vertical shaft Q3 and a vertical sleeve lill, the former including a threaded part 45 threadably received in a bearing Q6 stationariiy supported on the frame portion 6, and the latter including a threaded portion 41 threadably received in a bearing 48 stationarily mounted on said frame portion.
  • a worm wheel 49 is secured to each of the elements i3 and 44, and each said i worm wheel is engaged by a worm gear 5G mounted on a short cross shaft 5I rotatably supported in a bearing 52 and connected by a bevel pinion couple with a manually operable adjuster shaft 54 rotatably supported in bearings 55 secured upon the table and equipped with a hand wheel 56. See Figures l, 6 and 7 to 9.
  • the rectangular container bodies or openended sleeves 5l are fed onto the table by laterally spaced feeder chains 58 which pass over driver sprockets 59 secured upon a cross shaft 60.
  • This shaft is rotatably supported at the front end of the table and has a driver sprocket EI aflixed to one end thereof and a cam member 62 afIiXed to its other end. See Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9.
  • the rotating cam member 62 is adapted to alternately lift and lower a roller 63 and the end of the lever t4 to which said roller is affixed.
  • the lever is spring-depressed and is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 65 on the table.
  • the front end of the lever Se is link-connected as at 66 with one arm of a bell crank lever 67 rockably supported in a bearing member 68 verticallly adjustably secured at the front end of the table, and the other arm of the bell crank lever carries a vertically adjustable stop member 69 adapted to be alternately projected into and removed from a position for obstructing free movement of the container bodies 67 on the conveyor chains 58.
  • each housing member includes spaced wail portions 'l forming lateral guides for the traveling can bodies and is adjustably supported as at 12 so that the spaced relation of the housings can be varied.
  • Beneath the housings the table is equipped with a pair of laterally aligned slideways 13 in each of which a bearing block 14 is slidably mounted.
  • Each block 14 ⁇ in-f cludes a vertically disposed bearing portion 15 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft member 16, and a horizontally disposed bearing portion 11 in which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 18 equipped with a bevel pinion 19, said sleeves surrounding and being spline-connected to the cross shaft 60 hereinbefore referred to.
  • Adjusting devices 80 are provided for moving the blocks 14 in the slideways 13, and by this means the spaced relation of the shafts 16 can be adjusted.
  • is secured t0 the lower end of each shaft 16 and meshes with the bevel pinion 19 of the adjacent sleeve 18, and by this means the rotation of the shaft 69 is imparted to the spaced vertical shafts 16.
  • a feed wheel 82 is secured upon the upper end of each shaft 16, and each wheel carries a feeder segment 83 grooved to straddle the reduced side guide wall portion of the casing in the manner illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings and disposed to oppose and cooperate with the segment of the companion wheel in yieldably gripping and imparting accelerated feed movement to the can bodies in the manner illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings.
  • the can bodies 51 are fed into the machine in a continuous line by the chains 58, the line of cans being alternately intercepted and then released by the vertically oscillating stop member 69.
  • the stop 69 Each time the stop 69 is moved up to release the can bodies the segments 83 engage the side walls of the foremost can body in the line and rapidly move it away from the line while the stop member is elevated and feeds it into the zone of influence of the other feeding devices of the table. Immediately after the feeder segments have thus separated the foremost can body from the remainder of the line, the stop member 69 will descend and again intercept the line o-f can bodies.
  • a feed bar 84 is reciprocably mounted in a receiving grooveway 85 formed in the table and carries a xed feed finger 86 at its front end and equi-distantly spaced series of spring-elevated feed ngers 81 throughout the remainder of its length.
  • the feed bar' is flanked at its respective sides with guide rails 88 which are adjustably supported as at 89 on the table so that their spaced relation can be altered.
  • a guard rail 90 is disposed in spaced relation above the feed bar and carries a plurality of gravity depressed back check fingers 9
  • the guard rail also includes a springdepressed back check finger 92 disposed in cooperative relation above the xed finger 86 and which is displaced by each can body as it is rapidly moved into the feed line by the rotating wheels 82.
  • the main shaft 1 has a worm gear 93 affixed thereon which meshes with a worm wheel 94 on a cam shaft 95 rotatably supported in vertically aligned bearings 96 and 91, respectively, provided in the base frame and the frame housing portion 6.
  • Spur gears 98 and 99 are anxed to the shaft 95 and this shaft also carries a grooved plate cam
  • the spur gear 99 meshes with a spur gear
  • the purpose of this cam will later become apparent.
  • 04 meshes with a spur gear
  • 09 carries a spur gear
  • the pinion I3 meshes with the integral ring gear I4 which is fixedly mounted as at
  • 2 is connected by an adjustable link
  • the pinion I3 isrso proportioned with relation to the ring gear within which it meshes that as it is rotated about within said ring gear the position of the crank member
  • the spur gear Il) meshes with a pinion H8 mounted on a shaft rotatable in a vertically disposed bearing
  • 22 also rotatably supports a short shaft E24 which is bevel gear coupled as at
  • the guard rail is supported on a bracket arm
  • 29 may be effected through the medium of an adjuster screw
  • the can body guiding rails 88 can be adjusted laterally to accommodate can bodies of diierent sizes, and this adjustment can be accompanied by a vertical adjustment of the guard rail 90.
  • the guard rail 90 may also be freely swung upwardly about its pivotal mounting
  • the turret J comprises a plate or disk body
  • Each pocket is flanked by slideways
  • 31 limit movement of the jaws toward each other, and each opposed pair of jaws is spring-urged toward each other to the limit permitted by said pin and slot equipments by compression spring equipments
  • the opposed edges of the jaws are grooved as at
  • 33 is riveted to a supporting sleeve
  • 43 carries a disk
  • 41 project rearwardly from a flange on the sleeve
  • 48 is made one inch in length, another 78 of an inch, and the third 1/2 inch in length. It will be Obvious that by changing the positions of the members
  • the turret is indexed by an indexing cam which engages the indexing rollers
  • is mounted on the upper end of a shaft
  • 55 opposes the open pockets of the turret over about half the lower portion of the turret in the manner best illustrated in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings, and this sector is removably secured as at
  • 55 forms a closure for the peripherally open turret pockets in which the container bodies travel and serves to prevent any radial displacement of the container bodies while travelling about the lower half of the turret travel.
  • 58 is hingedly mounted as at
  • the stack provides a vertical way in which a stack of container end closures
  • 62 is provided beneath the stack, and a slide member
  • 63 includes a suction duct
  • This valve equipment serves to time suction communication between the suction cup
  • 61 is connected by a conduit
  • 12 is equipped with a seat
  • 16 is mounted on a plunger
  • the plunger is connected by a link
  • Each end closure thus withdrawn from the bottom of the stack is deposited on a pair of horizontally disposed laterally spaced conveyor chains
  • 81 may be manually rotated by use of a hand wheel
  • the shaft has a spring-pressed overload release drive head
  • 95 is driven by a bevel pinion couple
  • 98 is secured on the shaft
  • This lever is urged to its slide lowered position by a tension spring 203.
  • 95 also carries a grooved plate cam 204 the purpose of which will later become apparent.
  • Container end closure feeding lugs 205 project from the chains
  • the plate 208 is provided with an opening 203 (Fig. 14) which registers with the uppermost turret pocket presented one station beyond the vertical in the direction in which the turret moves. This comprisesv a test station at which means is positioned for detecting the presence or absence of an end closure in the turret pocket presented at that station.
  • the plate 208 supports a valve structure 210 in the manner best illustrated in Figures 12 and 113 of the drawings, and this valve is connected by the duct with the clutch control cylinder 28 and by another duct 211 with a similar valve structure 212 secured upon the guard rail 90.
  • the ducts 30 and 211 of the valve structure 210 are disposed in spaced relation, and that the valve structure 212 is connected by a duct 213 with the suction source duct 114, said duct 213 being similarly spaced from the duct 211.
  • a seat 214 is interposed between the ducts 211 and 213 within the valve structure 212, and passage through this valve structure is controlled by a valve member 215 which cooperates with said seat and is carried by a plunger member 216.
  • valve member 215 is urged toward its seat by a compression spring 211, and the plunger is connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 218 pivcted as at 219 on the guard rail 90 and including a horizontally disposed arm or leg portion 220 adapted to be actuated by a container body 51 for unseating the valve member 215 in the manner illustrated in Figure 14.
  • the valve structure 210 also includes a seat 221 interposed between the ducts 30 and 211 and controlled by a valve member 222 carried by a plunger 223 spring urged in the valve seating direction by a compression spring 224 and having an abutment head 225 thereon.
  • a feeler head 226 is movable in the plate opening 209 so as to be projectible into and retractible from turret pockets presented at the testing station in the manner illustrated in Figure 14.
  • the head 226 is mounted on a plunger 221 which is slideguided as at 228 on the valve structure 210 and has an abutment ear 229 straddling the valve plunger 223.
  • the rod 221 also has an abutment collar 230 thereon, and a block 231 is slidably mounted on said plunger and yeldably held against the collar 230 by a compression spring 232.
  • a crank shaft 233 is rockably supported on the plate 208 and has a depending crank 234 which is slot and pin connected as at 235 with the block 231. It will be obvious by reference to Figure 14 of the drawings that as the crank 234 is moved to the left it will move the feeler head 226 into the turret pocket presented at the test station. Should no container end closure 160 be present in the po-cket the head would move freely into the pocket and the abutment ear 229 would engage the valve rod abutment 225 and unseat the valve member 222. Whenever a container end closure is present in the turret pocket, the feeler head will engage it in the manner illustrated in Figure 14 and further movement of the head will be arrested.
  • the rock shaft 233 also carries a crank 236 connected with a thrust link 231 equipped with a roller 238 at its other end which rides inthe groove in the plate cam 204. It will be obvious that rotation of the cam 204 imparts the desired oscillation to the crank member 234. lSee Figures 1, 13 and 14.
  • a link 241 is pivotally connected to the slide as at 242 'and the other end of this link is pivotally connected as at 243 With a crank arm 244 secured upon the upper end of a shaft 245 rockably mounted in bearings vertically disposed on the frame. At its lower end, the shaft 245 carries a crank arm 246 which is link-connected as at 241 with a crank disk 243 adjustably secured to an idler gear 249 meshing with the gear 98 hereinbefore referred to.
  • the cross slide 240 has a feed arm 250 secured to one end thereof, and this arm functions to feed container bodies laterally ofi the feed table 40 and into the turret pockets as they are presented in horizontal posiy tion in the manner best illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. See also Figures 4 and 12.
  • 16 connected therewith will so control the feeding of an end closure that that particular end closure 'and the container body which controlled its feeding Will be brought together as a closure and container body complement in a particular turret pocket.
  • the same container body 51 which actuated the bell crank lever arm 182 for controlling the feeding of the particular end closure to be applied to that particular container body also actuates the bell crank vlever Iarm 220 when the presence or absence of an end closure in theparticular turret pocket timed to receive that particular container body is being tested in the manner diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 14.
  • valve structures 210 and 212 are connected in series with the declutching mechanism actuating cylinder 28.
  • both of the valve members 222 and 215 must be unseated by the absence of an -end closure and the presence of a container body in order to pneumatically eifect a declutching 'actuation and a stoppage of the machine operation.
  • the cross slide 240 carries la pair of spaced stripper or discharge iingers 251 which are adjustably supported as at 252 on said slide. It will be obvious by reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings that each time the cross slide moves to the left as viewed in these figures the feeder element 250 and discharge fingers carried thereby will respectively function to feed a container body 51 into a horizontally presented turret pocket and remove or discharge a finished or completely assembled container and end closure from the turret pocket horizontally presented at the opposite side of the turret.
  • a container body As a container body is fed into a turret pocket in the manner just above described the rear end is opposed by a pre-assembling or nesting plate 253 which is mounted on a carrier 254 adjustably secured as at 255 on a slide member 256 guided as at 251 on the frame in the manner best illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings.
  • the slide 256 carries a roller 258 and is yieldably urged by a spring 259 against the cam
  • Each end closure member usually includes a depressed central portion dimensioned to t snugly within the end of the container body with which it is to be assembled, and because of this projection of the central portion of the end closures it is necessary to initially position the bodies and end closures in spaced relation in the pockets in the manner illustrated in Figure 16 of the drawings. Thus it is necessary to bring about relative endwise movement between the complementary container elements in order to properly nest them prior to permanent assembly thereof in the manner illustrated in Figure 16.
  • This pre-assembly or nesting function is accomplished by reciprocation of the plate 253, and this plate is reciprocated by action of the rotary cam
  • By adjustably mounting the plate 253 it can be made to cooperate with container bodies of different lengths.
  • the rear ends of the containers are opposed by a stationary abutment sector 260 having its abutment face disposed flush with the like face of the pre-assembling plate 253 when it is positioned at the completion of its nesting function.
  • the sector 25D is carried on a shank 25
  • the medium of a suitable hand wheel 256, adjustment of the position of the sector 262 can be eiected so as to present it in guiding or end abutting relation with turret pocket carried container bodies of different lengths.
  • the turret pockets When the turret pockets are presented at the lowermost vertical position they are presented at the securing station, at which station the end closures are permanently secured to the container bodies by a seaming operation.
  • this securing operation will probably take the form of a double seam securing operation.
  • the securing function may take the form of a false Seaming operation in which it is necessary only to effect a permanent attachment of the end closure By manipulation of the shaft 265 through and the complementary container body. In its broadest aspects the invention comprehends these and other container body and closure securing functions.
  • a vertical slideway 261 is provided beneath the turret and in this slideway a slide member 268 is vertically reciprocable.
  • the slide is engaged by the forward end of a lever 269 which is piveted intermediate its ends as at 215 on the frame and has its rearmost end equipped with a roller 21
  • the slide 253 carries a removably mounted wedge piece 212 which engagesl between opposed jaws 35 presented at the securing station for the purpose of spreading the jaws from the position indicated in Figure 16 of the drawings to the positions illustrated in Figures l' and 18 to thereby free the edges of the end closure
  • the wedge piece 212 is shaped to form a completion of the turret pocket presented at the securing station, and this element aids the turret disk
  • a container eliucking pad 213 supported on the end of a screw member 2111 is forced against the end of the container to slide the container in the turret pocket forwardly against the chuck of the seaming head.
  • the screw member 212 is threaded in a sleeve 215 slide-guided as at 216 on the frame and having a depending roller 211 engaged in the groove of the plate cam
  • the plate cam imparts the desired reciprocation to the chucking pad 213 and that the position of the pad can be readily adjusted by threading the screw member in the sleeve 215 so as to position the pad for proper engagement with container bodies of different lengths.
  • the take-olf way H includes a supporting table 218 upon which are mounted guide rails 219 disposed in adjustably spaced relation in the man- Vner ⁇ best illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings.
  • ) supports the table 218 and is threadably adjustable in a bearing arm 28
  • the take-off way H is mounted for vertical adjustment so that it can be properly positioned with respect to containers of different sizes presented at the discharge station, and this way H can also be swingably displaced so as to facilitate access to machine parts thereadjacent. See Figures 1 to 5.
  • the frame G includes a step portion 283 equipped with a vertically disposed bearing 284, as is best shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
  • the seaming head employed in this machine is horizontally disposed with an open end portion opposed to the lower portion of the turret in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.
  • This seaming head is composed of upper and lower separable casing sections 285 and 28S, a portion of the upper section being hingedly supported on the lower section as at 281.
  • the lower section of the seaming head casing is axed to a depending hollow standard 288 which is swingably mounted in the bearing 284, and the seaming head is supported on anti-friction bearings 289 interposed between the head and said bearing.
  • the vertical axis about which the seaming head is swingably mounted is disposed to one side of the axis of the turret and also to one side of the axis of the main portion of the seaming head.
  • a rest boss 290 is provided on the lower casing section in position for riding over and being supported on an arcuate support step 29
  • a securing lug 292 projects from the lower casing section for receiving a hinged securing screw 293 pivotally supported on a portion of the frame.
  • This quick detachable securing screw means serves to secure the seaming head in the operative position illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.
  • the securing means employed in this machine may be of any approved type, and when a securing means of the seam forming type is employed it may be of a type for providing a false seam or a double roll seam kas hereinbefore stated, Any suitable form of square can seam forming mechanism may be employed, and the specific details of construction and operation of the seaming mechanism herein disclosed will not be dwelt upon at length herein because this seaming mechanism is fully illustrated and described in the co-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent led November 27,
  • the specific seaming mechanism referred to includes a stationary sleeve 294 which supports a chuck and cam unit 295.
  • This unit includes a grooveway conforming to the shape of the can ends and serving the purpose of determining the positions of pivotally mounted supporting arms, said arms being pivotally mounted at their ends as at 296 in a rotor 291.
  • the supporting arms support the seaming roller carrying arms 298 which are moved toward the chuck by cam elements mounted on the ends of shafts 299 rotatable about the axes of the pivotal supports 296 and driven by pinions 300 meshing with a large spur gear 30
  • the rotor 291 is xed to a sleeve 303 having a gear 304 affixed thereto, and the gears 302 and 304 respectively mesh with spur gears 305 and 306 mounted on the sleeve 301 which is rotatable about a stud 308 iixedly supported in the seaming head casing.
  • the sleeve 301 also carries a bevel gear 303 which meshes with a bevel gear 3
  • 4 is reciprocable in and through the stationary sleeve 294, and this rod is connected at its front end with one end of a lever 3
  • 5 has a quick release connection 3
  • Rotation of this cam imparts movement to the knockout rod 3
  • the container bodies are fed onto the feed-in table in a continuous line in the manner indicated in Figure 8 of the drawings.
  • the infeedin-g line of 'container lbodies is intercepted by the depressed stop member 69 until the accelerating segments 83 are about to contact the most advanced container body in the manner indicated in said Figure 8.
  • the stop member 99 is lifted to free the container body and it is rapidly moved away from the line of incoming can bodies by the rotating segments 83 and fed into the zone of influence of the feed bar 84.
  • the container body moves under the guard rail 90 and over the feed bar 84 it displaces the spring depressed detent 92 and rides over the xedly mounted detent 85 on the feed bar 84.
  • the can body actuates the bell crank lever and displaces the valve member
  • valve member 255 With the valve member 255 thus displaced by the container body which is to be fed into the pocket now positioned at the test station, should no end closure be present in the pocket, due to faulty operation of machine parts or the exhausting of the supply of end closures, the feeler head .29 will move full stroke into the turret pocket and the lug 229 movable therewith will act to unseat the valve member 222, thus opening suction communication through both valve structures 2

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  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)

Description

July 13, 1943. o. A. SCHMITT GAN END CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed NOV- l0. 1939 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTQR.
man l ATTORNEYQ- lhilly 13, 1943 o. A. SCHMITT 2,323,939
CAN END CLOSURE TTACHING MACHINE Filed NOV. 10, 1939 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 lq n ATTORNEYS July 13, 1943. o. A. SCHMITT CAN ENDV'CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Nov. lO, 1939 l5 Sheets-Sheet 5 @Z5/. w mw y @Q1/ l ATTORNEYS July 13, 1943. o. A SCHMITT 2,323,939
CAN END CLOSRE ATTACHING MACHINE FiledNov. 10, 1939 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY S July 13, 1943. o. A. SCHMITT 2,323,939
CAN END CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed NOV. l0, 1959 13 Sheets-Sheet 5 x I 94 12 (L lNvENToR. y
ATTORNEYS July 13, 1943. o. A. SCHMITT 2,323,939
` GAN END CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Fild Nov. 1o, 1939 1s sheetssheet e July v13, 1943.
O. A. SCHMITT CAN END cLosURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1939 13 sheetssheet 'l ATTORNEY 5 July 13, 1943. o, A, SCHMITT 2,323,939
CAN END CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Nov. l0, 1939 l5 Sheets-Sheet 179 17 7 127 128 l '/A l( l 679 88 129 ATTORNEY 5 July 13, 1943. o. A. SCHMITT 2,323,939
CAN END CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed NOV. l0, 1959 v l5 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR.
145 am @fw BY WWU ATTORNEYS Jllv 13, 1943. o, A scHMlT-r 2,323,939
GAN END AczLosUm-z ATTACHNG MACHINE Filed Nov. l0, 1939 13 Sheets-Sheet l0 l\ l s N l? O w S.
Bf A n d IyNTOIL w BY W FN Q55 July 1.3, 1943. o. A. SCHMITT A2,323,939
CAN END GLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1939 13 Sheets-Sheet 12 "TL-915' Z50 ATTORNEYS July 13, 1943. o. A. s'cHMlTT 2,323,939 4 CAN END CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Nqv. 1o, 1959 1s sheets-sheet 1s INVENTOR.
ATTORNEY Patented J-ulxy 13,
UNITED STATES -YPATENT orifice;
CAN END CLOSURE ATTACHING MACHINE Application November 10, 1939, Serial No. 303,991
12 Claims.
The invention relates generally to the art of manufacturing containers of sheet metal, or of a combination of sheet metal and paper or similar non metallic body and end closure elements, and primarily seeks to provide a novel machine for assembling such body and end closure elements.
An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which is embodied novel container body and end closure element feeding and positioning means and novel means for eiiecting adjustments in the relative positions of these equipments so as to adapt the machine for assembling containers of different sizes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated embodying a novel turret structure having provision for holding the container bodies and the end closure elements in registering relation, novel means for bringing about a nested relation between each body and the associated end closure element while they are held on said turret, and novel means for moving the nested container parts into the zone of influence of a seam forming or sealing means for securing said closure elements on said bodies while they are supported by said turret.
Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the turretl structure includes novel holding elements for holding each end closure at edge portions thereof, and novel means for separating said elements to release said end closures as the nested container parts are moved into the zone of influence of the sealing means.
Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which the sealing devices are mounted in a housing which is swingably supported on the machine frame so that it can be readily moved into cooperative relation with the turret, or swung away from the turret in order to render the turret parts and said devices readily accessible for manipulation or replacement.
Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated in which is ineluded power means for transmitting movement to the various mechanisms of the machine, and novel pneumatically actuated means for shutting off the power application whenever the proper complements of container parts is not being fed into the machine.
With the above and other objects in View that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more fully understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the machine.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the axis of the main drive shaft.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine taken through the axis of the seaming head.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan View and part horizontal section illustrating portions of the turret, the cross feed mechanism and the reciprocable pre-assembly plate and driving connections therefor.
Figure 5 is a vertical cross section of the machine, the section being taken between the seaming head and the turret looking toward the turret.
Figure 6 is a detail vertical longitudinal section through the container body feeding table.
Figure '7 is a horizontal section taken through the table illustrated in Figure 6, the section being taken through the axis of the table adjusting devices and parts being shown in plan View.
Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating the mounting of the can body accelerating disks.
Figure 9 is a detail vertical cross section taken on the line 9-9 on Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a detail vertical cross section taken on the line I0-IU on Figure 6.
Figure 11 is a fragmentary horizontal section illustrating the adjustable mounting of the container body end opposing sector.
Figure 12 is anfenlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken through the axis of the turret and the end closure feeding mechanism.
Figure 13 is an enlarged detail horizontal section taken through the end closurel feeding mechamsm.
Figure 14 is a diagrammatic sectional view i1- lustrating the mechanism for discontinuing operation of the machine whenever a proper complement of container body and end closure to be assembled is not present in the machine.
Figure 15 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustrating the relation of a container body and the end closure with which it is to be assembled just after the body has been fed into the turret pocket.
Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15 and illustrates the pre-assembly or nesting of the con- 55. tainer body and its companion end closure.
Figure 17 is a fragmentary horizontal sectio-n of the securing station at the bottom of the turret and illustrates the seaming function r the step of securing the assembly of the container body and its companion end closure.
Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 17 and illustrates the displacement of the assembled and secured container from the chuck and cooperating seaming rollers.
In the machine herein disclosed as an example of embodiment of the invention there is included a frame A, a motor or power source B, a clutch housing C, a clutch actuator housing D, and a pneumatic clutch actuator E. The machine also includes a vertically adjustable container body feed-in mechanism F, a cross feed mechanism G, a finished container feed-off way H, an end closure feed I, and a turret J and a sealing unit K disposed in opposed relation on horizontal axes.
The frame A includes a base portion and an upper or main housing portion 6. Within the housing portion a main or power shaft 1 is rotatably supported in horizontal bearings 8.
The motor B imparts rotation to a driver' pulley 9 composed of spring-pressed cone disks, and the rotation of this pulley is imparted through a V-belt It to the clutch drive pulley (not` shown) disposed within the clutch housing C. The motor may be bodily moved through the medium of a screw adjusting means I I in order to vary the driving ratio of the pulley equipments just mantioned so as to vary the speed of operation of the power shaft 1.
The main drive shaft 'I is hollow, and a clutch actuator rod I2 is longitudinally movable in said shaft and extends into the actuator housing D where it is secured to an annularly grooved head i3 splined as at i4 on the shaft l. A shifter ring I5 is mounted in the head groove and is trunnionconnected with a shifting fork I5 secured upon a crank shaft I'I rockably mounted in bearings I8 supported on the frame 5 in the manner best illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. A crank i9 is affixed to the shaft Il' and is linkconnected as at 26 t0 a crank 2l secured upon another crank shaft 22 rockably supported as at 23 on the frame in the manner illustrated `in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. The crank shaft 22 carries a crank arm 24 which is linkconnected as at 25 with one end of a piston rod 26 which has its other end secured to a piston 2T reciprocable within a cylinder 28 forming a part of the pneumatic actuator equipment E and secured as at 29 to the frame portion See Figures 1 and 14 of the drawings.
The cylinder 28 is connected by a duct 3B with pneumatic control equipment later to be described and includes a slideway 3l traversed by an air vent 32. A venting slide 33 is mounted in the slideway and is equipped with a venting aperture 34, which, when aligned with the venting equipment 32, will serve to admit atmospheric air into the interior of the cylinder 28. The slide 33 is frictionally held against its seat by a, springpressed plunger 35, and movement is imparted to this slide thro-ugh the medium of an actuator rod 35. The rod 35 is freely straddled by a boss or fork 3l projecting from the link 25, and this boss is disposed between spaced stop collars 38 secured to said rod. The slide 33 is normally positioned as illustrated in Figure 11, and in this normal position the venting apertures are out of registry and the cylinder 28 is closed against ingress of atmospheric air. In this condition of the parts it will be obvious that upon evacuation of the cylinder 23 through the conduit 30, the
' ually shift the rod 36 to cause the aperture equipments 32 and 34 to communicate and allow air to enter the cylinder 28 so that the piston 21 can be restored to its normal position illustrated in Figure 14. Restoration of the piston to its no1'- mal position will cause the fork 37 to contact the outermost collar 38 and restore the slide S3 to the Vent closing position illustrated in Figure 14.
A hand lever 39 may be actuated for manually effecting a de-clutclnng action and discontinuing the operation of the machine if desired.
The can body feed-in mechanism F includes a table Q5 having rigidly mounted, vertically disposed bearings 4f and 112 thereon. The vertical bearing members 6I and 52, respectively, surround a vertical shaft Q3 and a vertical sleeve lill, the former including a threaded part 45 threadably received in a bearing Q6 stationariiy supported on the frame portion 6, and the latter including a threaded portion 41 threadably received in a bearing 48 stationarily mounted on said frame portion. A worm wheel 49 is secured to each of the elements i3 and 44, and each said i worm wheel is engaged by a worm gear 5G mounted on a short cross shaft 5I rotatably supported in a bearing 52 and connected by a bevel pinion couple with a manually operable adjuster shaft 54 rotatably supported in bearings 55 secured upon the table and equipped with a hand wheel 56. See Figures l, 6 and 7 to 9.
The rectangular container bodies or openended sleeves 5l are fed onto the table by laterally spaced feeder chains 58 which pass over driver sprockets 59 secured upon a cross shaft 60.
This shaft is rotatably supported at the front end of the table and has a driver sprocket EI aflixed to one end thereof and a cam member 62 afIiXed to its other end. See Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9.
. The rotating cam member 62 is adapted to alternately lift and lower a roller 63 and the end of the lever t4 to which said roller is affixed. The lever is spring-depressed and is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 65 on the table. The front end of the lever Se is link-connected as at 66 with one arm of a bell crank lever 67 rockably supported in a bearing member 68 verticallly adjustably secured at the front end of the table, and the other arm of the bell crank lever carries a vertically adjustable stop member 69 adapted to be alternately projected into and removed from a position for obstructing free movement of the container bodies 67 on the conveyor chains 58.
rEhe vertical oscillations of the stop member 69 are so timed that each time this member is in its lowered position it will intercept temporarily and hold an inwardly traveling container body 51 in the space between two laterally spaced housings in the manner illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings. Each housing member includes spaced wail portions 'l forming lateral guides for the traveling can bodies and is adjustably supported as at 12 so that the spaced relation of the housings can be varied. Beneath the housings the table is equipped with a pair of laterally aligned slideways 13 in each of which a bearing block 14 is slidably mounted. Each block 14` in-f cludes a vertically disposed bearing portion 15 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft member 16, and a horizontally disposed bearing portion 11 in which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 18 equipped with a bevel pinion 19, said sleeves surrounding and being spline-connected to the cross shaft 60 hereinbefore referred to. Adjusting devices 80 are provided for moving the blocks 14 in the slideways 13, and by this means the spaced relation of the shafts 16 can be adjusted. A bevel pinion 8| is secured t0 the lower end of each shaft 16 and meshes with the bevel pinion 19 of the adjacent sleeve 18, and by this means the rotation of the shaft 69 is imparted to the spaced vertical shafts 16.
A feed wheel 82 is secured upon the upper end of each shaft 16, and each wheel carries a feeder segment 83 grooved to straddle the reduced side guide wall portion of the casing in the manner illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings and disposed to oppose and cooperate with the segment of the companion wheel in yieldably gripping and imparting accelerated feed movement to the can bodies in the manner illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings. The can bodies 51 are fed into the machine in a continuous line by the chains 58, the line of cans being alternately intercepted and then released by the vertically oscillating stop member 69. Each time the stop 69 is moved up to release the can bodies the segments 83 engage the side walls of the foremost can body in the line and rapidly move it away from the line while the stop member is elevated and feeds it into the zone of influence of the other feeding devices of the table. Immediately after the feeder segments have thus separated the foremost can body from the remainder of the line, the stop member 69 will descend and again intercept the line o-f can bodies.
A feed bar 84 is reciprocably mounted in a receiving grooveway 85 formed in the table and carries a xed feed finger 86 at its front end and equi-distantly spaced series of spring-elevated feed ngers 81 throughout the remainder of its length. The feed bar'is flanked at its respective sides with guide rails 88 which are adjustably supported as at 89 on the table so that their spaced relation can be altered. A guard rail 90 is disposed in spaced relation above the feed bar and carries a plurality of gravity depressed back check fingers 9| which function to hold can bodies in the positions to which they have been fed each time the feed bar is retracted for a new feeding stroke. The guard rail also includes a springdepressed back check finger 92 disposed in cooperative relation above the xed finger 86 and which is displaced by each can body as it is rapidly moved into the feed line by the rotating wheels 82.
The main shaft 1 has a worm gear 93 affixed thereon which meshes with a worm wheel 94 on a cam shaft 95 rotatably supported in vertically aligned bearings 96 and 91, respectively, provided in the base frame and the frame housing portion 6. Spur gears 98 and 99 are anxed to the shaft 95 and this shaft also carries a grooved plate cam |00, a grooved drum cam a spur gear |92, and a grooved plate cam |03 in the manner best illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the purpose for all 0f which will be disclosed hereinafter.
' The spur gear 99 meshes with a spur gear |04 on a shaft |95 rotatably supported in a vertical- 1y disposed bearing |06 in the frame housing 6 and having a cam |01 axed to the upper end thereof. The purpose of this cam will later become apparent.
The spur gear |04 meshes with a spur gear |08 secured upon a shaft |09 splined in the gear |08 and vertically rotatable within the screw sleeve 44 hereinbefore referred to. The shaft |09 carries a spur gear ||0 at its uper end which includes an off-center crank pin on which a crankV member I2 and an integral or rigidly connected pinion ||3 are rotatably mounted. The pinion I3 meshes with the integral ring gear I4 which is fixedly mounted as at ||5 on the table. The crank member ||2 is connected by an adjustable link ||6 with a bracket member I|1 se-, cured to and depending from the feed bar 84.
The pinion I3 isrso proportioned with relation to the ring gear within which it meshes that as it is rotated about within said ring gear the position of the crank member ||2 will constantly be altered so that its pivotal connection with the link |6 will always move in a straightline centered on the feed bar slideway, and by this means the rotary motion of the vertically disposed shaft |99 is transmitted in the form of the desired straight line reciprocation to the feed bar 84.
The spur gear Il!) meshes with a pinion H8 mounted on a shaft rotatable in a vertically disposed bearing ||9 secured upon the table and connected by a bevel gear couple |20 with a shaft |2| having rotative bearing in a portion of the same bearing member ||9 and in a bearing |22 secured as at |23 on the table. The bearing |22 also rotatably supports a short shaft E24 which is bevel gear coupled as at |25 with the shaft |2| and carries a driver sprocket which is chain connected as at |26 with the driven sprocket 6| on shaft 60 hereinbefore referred to for the purpose of imparting rotation to the shaft 68. See Figures 6, '7, 8 and 9 of the drawings.
The guard rail is supported on a bracket arm |21 which is pivotally mounted as at |28 on a standard |29 vertically-slidably secured as at |39 on the table in the manner illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawings. Vertical adjustment of the standard |29 may be effected through the medium of an adjuster screw |3| which is threaded through a lug portion of the standard and engages an abutment block |32 affixed to the table. It will be obvious by reference to Figure 10 that the can body guiding rails 88 can be adjusted laterally to accommodate can bodies of diierent sizes, and this adjustment can be accompanied by a vertical adjustment of the guard rail 90. The guard rail 90 may also be freely swung upwardly about its pivotal mounting |28.
The turret J comprises a plate or disk body |33 having a plurality (eight being shown) of equidistantly spaced peripheral pockets |34. Each pocket is flanked by slideways |35 in which opposed jaw members |36 are slidably mounted. Pin and slot equipments |31 limit movement of the jaws toward each other, and each opposed pair of jaws is spring-urged toward each other to the limit permitted by said pin and slot equipments by compression spring equipments |38. The opposed edges of the jaws are grooved as at |39 (Figs. 15 to 18) to receive and retain the edges of end closures fed into the pockets in the manner hereinafter to be described.
The disk or body |33 is riveted to a supporting sleeve |40 secured by a removably mounted sleeveV |4| and screw equipment |42 to the end of a turret sleeve |43 rotatably supported in a horizontal bearing |44 provided therefor in the machine frame. The shaft |43 carries a disk |45 at its other end, and a plurality (eight in this disclosure) of equi-distantly spaced rollers |45 project from this disk in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 12 of the drawings. Pintles |41 project rearwardly from a flange on the sleeve |40 through selectively positioned spacer sleeves |48. These sleeves are selectively positioned in the manner best illustrated in Figures 3 and 12 of the drawings to alter the spaced relation between the disk |33 and a body supporting disk |49 which is equipped with peripheral pockets |50 aligned with those of the disk and is adapted to support the rear ends of the container bodies 51 in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 15 through 18 of the drawings. It will be observed by reference to these figures of the drawings that the disk pockets support the front ends of the container bodies.
In practice, one of the sleeves |48 is made one inch in length, another 78 of an inch, and the third 1/2 inch in length. It will be Obvious that by changing the positions of the members |48 on the supporting sleeve |40 the position of the disk |49 with respect to the disk |33 can be altered to best suit the size of can body being operated upon at the particular time.
The turret is indexed by an indexing cam which engages the indexing rollers |46 in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 12 and operates in a manner well-known in the alt for moving the turret through successive steps to present the turret pockets at successive stations and to hold the turret for an interval at the indexed positions while the various operations incident to assembly of the container parts are effected. The cam |5| is mounted on the upper end of a shaft |52 rotatably supported in a vertical bearing |53 on the frame, and this shaft carries a spur gear |54 at its lower end which meshes with the spur gear |02 within the frame housing portion 6.
A concentric track sector |55 opposes the open pockets of the turret over about half the lower portion of the turret in the manner best illustrated in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings, and this sector is removably secured as at |56 upon the portion 6 of the machine frame. This sector |55 forms a closure for the peripherally open turret pockets in which the container bodies travel and serves to prevent any radial displacement of the container bodies while travelling about the lower half of the turret travel.
Upon a housing or super-structure framing |51 an end closure stack |58 is hingedly mounted as at |59. The stack provides a vertical way in which a stack of container end closures |60 are supported on spring-pressed fingers ISI. A vertical slideway |62 is provided beneath the stack, and a slide member |63 is reciprocably mounted in this slideway and carries a suction cup |64 at its upper end adapted to be alternately engaged with and withdrawn from contact with the stack of end closures for the purpose of individually withdrawing closure members from the stack.
The slide |63 includes a suction duct |55 which communicates at one end in the suction cup |64 and is connected by a conduit |56 with the interior of a valve plate |61 spring-urged as at |58 against a valve member |69 freely rotatable about a stationary stud shaft on which said valve plate |61 is mounted and held against rotation.
This valve equipment serves to time suction communication between the suction cup |64 and a suction source in a manner soon to be described. The interior coring of the valve plate |61 is connected by a conduit |1| with the interior of a valve structure |12 mounted on the guard rail 90, and the valve structure |12 also has a conduit connection |13 with the suction source conduit |14 leading to an evacuating pump or other source of negative pressure (not shown).
The valve structure |12 is equipped with a seat |15 between the duct connections |1| and |13, and a valve member |15 cooperates with this seat to permit or prevent communication between said ducts. The valve member |16 is mounted on a plunger |11 and is normally pressed against its seat by a compression spring |18. The plunger is connected by a link |19 with one arm of a bell crank lever which is pivoted at |8| on the guard rail 90 and includes a horizontal arm or leg portion |82 positioned as illustrated in Figures 6 and 14 of the drawings for being lifted by a can body 51 entering the Zone of influence of the feed bar 84 in the manner clearly indicated in Figure 14.
Each time an incoming can body lifts the bell crank arm |82 and opens the valve |15, suction communication is afforded through the ducts |14, |13, |1|; the control valve equipments |61 and |69; and the ducts |66 and |65, so that when the suction cup |64 is pressed against the bottom of the stack of end closures |50 and again withdrawn from contact with the stack it will remove the lowermost closure from the stack and move it downwardly. It will be understood, of course, that the communication through the various ducts and passages just referred to is properly timed by the Valve |59 which is rotated in timed relation with the other feeding devices.
Each end closure thus withdrawn from the bottom of the stack is deposited on a pair of horizontally disposed laterally spaced conveyor chains |63 which pass over sprockets |84 on an idler shaft |85 rotatably supported in the housing |51 and over driver sprockets |86 mounted on a driven shaft |81 rotatably supported in said housing. The shaft |81 may be manually rotated by use of a hand wheel |88 affixed thereto, but during the normal operation of the machine it is actuated mechanically and in suitably timed relation with the other mechanisms of the machine. The shaft has a spring-pressed overload release drive head |89 keyed thereon which yieldably holds driving and drive releasing balls |90 in seats or recesses on a spur gear |0| freely rotatable about the shaft |81 and adapted to be driven by an intermeshing small spur gear |92 keyed on a sprocket sleeve |93 secured to the valve rotor |69 and driven by a chain connection |94 with a sprocket on the cross shaft |95 rotatably supported as at |95 in the housing |51. The shaft |95 is driven by a bevel pinion couple |91 with the upper end of the shaft |05.
A cam |98 is secured on the shaft |95 and engages a roller |99 mounted on one end of a lever 200 which is pivotally supported intermediate its ends as at 20| and has its other end connected as at 202 with the suction cup actuated slide member |63. This lever is urged to its slide lowered position by a tension spring 203. The shaft |95 also carries a grooved plate cam 204 the purpose of which will later become apparent.
Container end closure feeding lugs 205 project from the chains |83, and these lugs engage the end closures individually deposited on the chains 183 by the suction cup 164 and individually deliver the end closures into the downwardly curved guide or chute portions 206 from whence they are delivered into the vertically disposed guideways '1 mounted on a frame plate 208 which is secured in vertical position upon the housing I 51 directly in advance of and close to the upper portion of the turret. See Figures 5, 12 and 13.
The plate 208 is provided with an opening 203 (Fig. 14) which registers with the uppermost turret pocket presented one station beyond the vertical in the direction in which the turret moves. This comprisesv a test station at which means is positioned for detecting the presence or absence of an end closure in the turret pocket presented at that station.
The plate 208 supports a valve structure 210 in the manner best illustrated in Figures 12 and 113 of the drawings, and this valve is connected by the duct with the clutch control cylinder 28 and by another duct 211 with a similar valve structure 212 secured upon the guard rail 90. It will be noted that the ducts 30 and 211 of the valve structure 210 are disposed in spaced relation, and that the valve structure 212 is connected by a duct 213 with the suction source duct 114, said duct 213 being similarly spaced from the duct 211. A seat 214 is interposed between the ducts 211 and 213 within the valve structure 212, and passage through this valve structure is controlled by a valve member 215 which cooperates with said seat and is carried by a plunger member 216. The valve member 215 is urged toward its seat by a compression spring 211, and the plunger is connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 218 pivcted as at 219 on the guard rail 90 and including a horizontally disposed arm or leg portion 220 adapted to be actuated by a container body 51 for unseating the valve member 215 in the manner illustrated in Figure 14.
The valve structure 210 also includes a seat 221 interposed between the ducts 30 and 211 and controlled by a valve member 222 carried by a plunger 223 spring urged in the valve seating direction by a compression spring 224 and having an abutment head 225 thereon. A feeler head 226 is movable in the plate opening 209 so as to be projectible into and retractible from turret pockets presented at the testing station in the manner illustrated in Figure 14. The head 226 is mounted on a plunger 221 which is slideguided as at 228 on the valve structure 210 and has an abutment ear 229 straddling the valve plunger 223. The rod 221 also has an abutment collar 230 thereon, and a block 231 is slidably mounted on said plunger and yeldably held against the collar 230 by a compression spring 232.
A crank shaft 233 is rockably supported on the plate 208 and has a depending crank 234 which is slot and pin connected as at 235 with the block 231. It will be obvious by reference to Figure 14 of the drawings that as the crank 234 is moved to the left it will move the feeler head 226 into the turret pocket presented at the test station. Should no container end closure 160 be present in the po-cket the head would move freely into the pocket and the abutment ear 229 would engage the valve rod abutment 225 and unseat the valve member 222. Whenever a container end closure is present in the turret pocket, the feeler head will engage it in the manner illustrated in Figure 14 and further movement of the head will be arrested. When movement of the feeler head 226 is thus normally arrested by presence of a container end :closure in the turret pocket, normal additional movement of the crank arm 234 is permitted by sliding of the block 231 and compression of the spring 235. The rock shaft 233 also carries a crank 236 connected with a thrust link 231 equipped with a roller 238 at its other end which rides inthe groove in the plate cam 204. It will be obvious that rotation of the cam 204 imparts the desired oscillation to the crank member 234. lSee Figures 1, 13 and 14.
In a horizontal slideway 329 formed on the machine, across slide 240 is reciprocably mounted. One end of a link 241 is pivotally connected to the slide as at 242 'and the other end of this link is pivotally connected as at 243 With a crank arm 244 secured upon the upper end of a shaft 245 rockably mounted in bearings vertically disposed on the frame. At its lower end, the shaft 245 carries a crank arm 246 which is link-connected as at 241 with a crank disk 243 adjustably secured to an idler gear 249 meshing with the gear 98 hereinbefore referred to. The cross slide 240 has a feed arm 250 secured to one end thereof, and this arm functions to feed container bodies laterally ofi the feed table 40 and into the turret pockets as they are presented in horizontal posiy tion in the manner best illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. See also Figures 4 and 12.
The various feeding devices for the container bodies 5'1, the end closures 160 'and the turret are so cooperatively timed that each container body 5'! which actuates the bell crank lever arm 182 and the valve member |16 connected therewith will so control the feeding of an end closure that that particular end closure 'and the container body which controlled its feeding Will be brought together as a closure and container body complement in a particular turret pocket. The same container body 51 which actuated the bell crank lever arm 182 for controlling the feeding of the particular end closure to be applied to that particular container body, also actuates the bell crank vlever Iarm 220 when the presence or absence of an end closure in theparticular turret pocket timed to receive that particular container body is being tested in the manner diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 14. It will be observed also that the valve structures 210 and 212 are connected in series with the declutching mechanism actuating cylinder 28. Thus both of the valve members 222 and 215 must be unseated by the absence of an -end closure and the presence of a container body in order to pneumatically eifect a declutching 'actuation and a stoppage of the machine operation.
In this manner the operation of the machine will be stopped whenever proper complements of container bodies and end closures are not in proper position to be moved into assembled relation in the turret pockets. Whenever the machine is stopped by a test indicating the absence of an end closure in the particular turret pocket which -is to receive the container body engaging the bell crank lever arm 220 at the time the test is made, and it is desired to normally continue operation oi the machine, the operator has but to manually insert an end closure inthe empty pocket and re-start the machine in the manner hereinbefore described.
At its leit hand end, as viewed in Figure 5, the cross slide 240 carries la pair of spaced stripper or discharge iingers 251 which are adjustably supported as at 252 on said slide. It will be obvious by reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings that each time the cross slide moves to the left as viewed in these figures the feeder element 250 and discharge fingers carried thereby will respectively function to feed a container body 51 into a horizontally presented turret pocket and remove or discharge a finished or completely assembled container and end closure from the turret pocket horizontally presented at the opposite side of the turret.
As a container body is fed into a turret pocket in the manner just above described the rear end is opposed by a pre-assembling or nesting plate 253 which is mounted on a carrier 254 adjustably secured as at 255 on a slide member 256 guided as at 251 on the frame in the manner best illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings. The slide 256 carries a roller 258 and is yieldably urged by a spring 259 against the cam |01 mounted on the upper end of the shaft |65 'as hereinbefore described.
Each end closure member usually includes a depressed central portion dimensioned to t snugly within the end of the container body with which it is to be assembled, and because of this projection of the central portion of the end closures it is necessary to initially position the bodies and end closures in spaced relation in the pockets in the manner illustrated in Figure 16 of the drawings. Thus it is necessary to bring about relative endwise movement between the complementary container elements in order to properly nest them prior to permanent assembly thereof in the manner illustrated in Figure 16. This pre-assembly or nesting function is accomplished by reciprocation of the plate 253, and this plate is reciprocated by action of the rotary cam |1. By adjustably mounting the plate 253 it can be made to cooperate with container bodies of different lengths.
Following the pre-assembly or nesting of the complementary container elements at the stations at which the container bodies are received in the turret pockets and before the container elements are permanently secured in assembly at the securing station, the rear ends of the containers are opposed by a stationary abutment sector 260 having its abutment face disposed flush with the like face of the pre-assembling plate 253 when it is positioned at the completion of its nesting function. See Figure 4. The sector 25D is carried on a shank 25| spline-connected as at 252 to a portion of the machine frame and r threaded through a worm wheel 263 engaged by a worm gear 254 mounted on an adjuster shaft 265 having rotative bearing in the frame in the manner best illustrated in Figure 1l of the drawings. the medium of a suitable hand wheel 256, adjustment of the position of the sector 262 can be eiected so as to present it in guiding or end abutting relation with turret pocket carried container bodies of different lengths.
When the turret pockets are presented at the lowermost vertical position they are presented at the securing station, at which station the end closures are permanently secured to the container bodies by a seaming operation. It is to be understood that when the containers are intended for the packaging of products which require them to be gas or liquid tight, this securing operation will probably take the form of a double seam securing operation. When the containers are intended for the packaging of granular materials or products not requiring such secure sealing, the securing function may take the form of a false Seaming operation in which it is necessary only to effect a permanent attachment of the end closure By manipulation of the shaft 265 through and the complementary container body. In its broadest aspects the invention comprehends these and other container body and closure securing functions.
At the securing station a vertical slideway 261 is provided beneath the turret and in this slideway a slide member 268 is vertically reciprocable. The slide is engaged by the forward end of a lever 269 which is piveted intermediate its ends as at 215 on the frame and has its rearmost end equipped with a roller 21| whichrides in the groove in the drum cam |0|, thereby serving to impart the desired reciprocation to the slide 268 in suitably timed relation with the turret movements so that the slide will be moved toward the turret each time a turret pocket comes to rest at the securing station. At its upper end the slide 253 carries a removably mounted wedge piece 212 which engagesl between opposed jaws 35 presented at the securing station for the purpose of spreading the jaws from the position indicated in Figure 16 of the drawings to the positions illustrated in Figures l' and 18 to thereby free the edges of the end closure |60 now held by nesting in the front end o1" the container body 51. It will be observed that the wedge piece 212 is shaped to form a completion of the turret pocket presented at the securing station, and this element aids the turret disk |33, the turret plate |49 and the sector 355 in properly supporting the container parts at the securing station.
After the jaws |36 have been separated and the pocket completed by presentation of the wedge piece 212, a container eliucking pad 213 supported on the end of a screw member 2111 is forced against the end of the container to slide the container in the turret pocket forwardly against the chuck of the seaming head. The screw member 212 is threaded in a sleeve 215 slide-guided as at 216 on the frame and having a depending roller 211 engaged in the groove of the plate cam |93. It will be obvious by reference to Figure 3 of the drawings that the plate cam imparts the desired reciprocation to the chucking pad 213 and that the position of the pad can be readily adjusted by threading the screw member in the sleeve 215 so as to position the pad for proper engagement with container bodies of different lengths.
The take-olf way H includes a supporting table 218 upon which are mounted guide rails 219 disposed in adjustably spaced relation in the man- Vner `best illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings. A screw member 28|) supports the table 218 and is threadably adjustable in a bearing arm 28| swingably mounted as at 282 upon the frame. Thus the take-off way H is mounted for vertical adjustment so that it can be properly positioned with respect to containers of different sizes presented at the discharge station, and this way H can also be swingably displaced so as to facilitate access to machine parts thereadjacent. See Figures 1 to 5.
The frame G includes a step portion 283 equipped with a vertically disposed bearing 284, as is best shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The seaming head employed in this machine is horizontally disposed with an open end portion opposed to the lower portion of the turret in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. This seaming head is composed of upper and lower separable casing sections 285 and 28S, a portion of the upper section being hingedly supported on the lower section as at 281. The lower section of the seaming head casing is axed to a depending hollow standard 288 which is swingably mounted in the bearing 284, and the seaming head is supported on anti-friction bearings 289 interposed between the head and said bearing. It will ybe noted by reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings that the vertical axis about which the seaming head is swingably mounted is disposed to one side of the axis of the turret and also to one side of the axis of the main portion of the seaming head. By thus swingably mounting the seaming head about an axis disposed in the particular manner stated, the seaming head can be completely swung away from its cooperative relation with the turret illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings so las to facilitate access to and manipulation of turret and seaming head parts. Y
In order to prevent setting up of twisting stresses in the seaming head during movement thereof between operative and inoperative position, a rest boss 290 is provided on the lower casing section in position for riding over and being supported on an arcuate support step 29| projecting upwardly from the frame part 6.
A securing lug 292 projects from the lower casing section for receiving a hinged securing screw 293 pivotally supported on a portion of the frame. This quick detachable securing screw means serves to secure the seaming head in the operative position illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.
As has been hereinbefore stated, the securing means employed in this machine may be of any approved type, and when a securing means of the seam forming type is employed it may be of a type for providing a false seam or a double roll seam kas hereinbefore stated, Any suitable form of square can seam forming mechanism may be employed, and the specific details of construction and operation of the seaming mechanism herein disclosed will not be dwelt upon at length herein because this seaming mechanism is fully illustrated and described in the co-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent led November 27,
1939, by Alfred L. Kronquest and Otto A. Schmitt,
and identified by Serial No. 306,366, now Patent No. 2,271,153, granted January 27, 1942.
The specific seaming mechanism referred to includes a stationary sleeve 294 which supports a chuck and cam unit 295. This unit includes a grooveway conforming to the shape of the can ends and serving the purpose of determining the positions of pivotally mounted supporting arms, said arms being pivotally mounted at their ends as at 296 in a rotor 291. The supporting arms support the seaming roller carrying arms 298 which are moved toward the chuck by cam elements mounted on the ends of shafts 299 rotatable about the axes of the pivotal supports 296 and driven by pinions 300 meshing with a large spur gear 30| fixed to a sleeve carrying a spur gear 302. The rotor 291 is xed to a sleeve 303 having a gear 304 affixed thereto, and the gears 302 and 304 respectively mesh with spur gears 305 and 306 mounted on the sleeve 301 which is rotatable about a stud 308 iixedly supported in the seaming head casing. The sleeve 301 also carries a bevel gear 303 which meshes with a bevel gear 3|9 secured upon the upper end of a shaft 3| rotatably supported in bearings mounted in the pivot standard 288 of the seaming head.v At its lower end the shaft 3| i carries a bevel gear 3|2 to which rotation is imparted by a bevel gear 3|3 carried by the main shaft 1.
A knockout rod 3|4 is reciprocable in and through the stationary sleeve 294, and this rod is connected at its front end with one end of a lever 3|5 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a bracket 3|8 secured to the seaming head. At its lower end the lever 3|5 has a quick release connection 3|1 with a link member 3|8 pivotally connected to a thrust-element 3| 9 slide-guided as at 320 in the frame and equipped at its rear end with a roller 32| which engages in the groove in the plate cam |00. Rotation of this cam imparts movement to the knockout rod 3|4 for at the proper time displacing from the chuck a can which has had its end closure securely Xed thereupon. See Figure 18 of the drawings.
In operation, the container bodies are fed onto the feed-in table in a continuous line in the manner indicated in Figure 8 of the drawings. The infeedin-g line of 'container lbodies is intercepted by the depressed stop member 69 until the accelerating segments 83 are about to contact the most advanced container body in the manner indicated in said Figure 8. At this time the stop member 99 is lifted to free the container body and it is rapidly moved away from the line of incoming can bodies by the rotating segments 83 and fed into the zone of influence of the feed bar 84.
As the container body moves under the guard rail 90 and over the feed bar 84 it displaces the spring depressed detent 92 and rides over the xedly mounted detent 85 on the feed bar 84. As it attains this position the can body actuates the bell crank lever and displaces the valve member |16 thereby opening suction communication through the ducts |14, |13, |1I so that when the rotary valve |69 effects a communication with the duct |86, a suction will be created at the suction cup and the reciprocating cup will withdraw the lowermost end closure |60 and deposit it on the feed chains |83 so that it will be deposited in the turret pocket which is to receive the container body which controlled the feeding of said end closure.
The parts are so timed that when the turret has advanced from the end closure receiving station to the next or end closure presence testing station, the container body which controlled the withdrawal from the supply stack of the particular end closure contained in that pocket will have been advanced to the control station illustrated at the left end of the feed line portion shown in Figure 14. At this testing station, the feeler head 228 is moved into the turret pocket in the manner hereinbefore described. and the end closure |80 in that pocket will intercept its movement in the manner illustrated in Figure 14 so that the valve member 222 will not be displaced for the purpose of opening suction communication. It will be noted, however. that each time a can body arrives at the control station stated it will eifect unseating of the valve member 2|5. With the valve member 255 thus displaced by the container body which is to be fed into the pocket now positioned at the test station, should no end closure be present in the pocket, due to faulty operation of machine parts or the exhausting of the supply of end closures, the feeler head .29 will move full stroke into the turret pocket and the lug 229 movable therewith will act to unseat the valve member 222, thus opening suction communication through both valve structures 2|@ and 2li?, the ducts i254, 2i3 and 30, thereby evacuating the cylinder 28 and bringing about a declutching of the motor
US303991A 1939-11-10 1939-11-10 Can end closure attaching machine Expired - Lifetime US2323939A (en)

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US360669A US2354068A (en) 1939-11-10 1940-10-10 Container body and end closure feeding mechanism

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3583347A (en) * 1968-07-15 1971-06-08 A J Whitten Jr Apparatus for applying closure members
EP0078360A2 (en) * 1981-11-02 1983-05-11 The Continental Group, Inc. Assembly head for assembling domed can ends with can bodies

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3583347A (en) * 1968-07-15 1971-06-08 A J Whitten Jr Apparatus for applying closure members
EP0078360A2 (en) * 1981-11-02 1983-05-11 The Continental Group, Inc. Assembly head for assembling domed can ends with can bodies
EP0078360A3 (en) * 1981-11-02 1983-09-21 The Continental Group, Inc. Assembly head for assembling domed can ends with can bodies

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