US2578731A

US2578731A - Container end assembling machine

Info

Publication number: US2578731A
Application number: US653776A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ronald E J Nordquist; Jr Herbert F Cox
Original assignee: American Can Co
Current assignee: Primerica Inc
Priority date: 1946-03-12
Filing date: 1946-03-12
Publication date: 1951-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1968-12-18

Description

Dec. 18, 1951 R. E. J. NORDQUIST ETAL 2,578,731

CONTAINER END ASSEMBLING MACHINE 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Filed March 12, 1946 INVENTORS BY 7g I am/ 2am 47'70EA/EY5 Dec. 18, 1951 R. E. J. NCRDQUIST ETAL 2,578,731 7 4 CONTAINER END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORS 4 T To ENE Y5 Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,57 8,731 CONTAINER END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Application March 12, 1946, Serial No. 653,77 6

The present invention relates to container end assembling machines and the like and has particular reference to curling over a flange part of a fibr container body to hold an end member in place in the body. This is an improvement on the can end assembling machine disclosed in United States Patent 2,265,188, issued December 9, 1941, to J. H. Murch;

In securing end members to fibre containers of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, to J. M. Hothersall, wherein a flange part of the can body is folded inwardly over the inserted end member, it has been found most convenient to fold the flange part with a curling head which travels in endwise relation to the end of the container to be closed.

In such a curling head the curling edge sometimes cuts into the edge of the flange at the beginning of the curling operation and thereby splits the fibre material of which the body is made or crushes the flange so that dimculty is experienced in forming the end seam on the container. This 3 Claims. (01. 93-551) Figure 1 is a sectional view of a curling head mechanism embodying the instant invention, the view showing one end of a container in place in themechanism, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front or face view of the curling head of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail showing some of the parts in Fig. 1 in a different position relative to the container. As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of the container flange curling mechanism disclosed in the above mentioned Murch patent.

In such a mechanism the work to be done is disclosed as a rectangular shaped square cross section fibre container body A (Fig. 1) having an inwardly bent annular bead or shoulder B which terminates in a straight longitudinally extending annular flange C. Bodies of this character when they enter the curling mechanism carry is particularly true where the inherent spring in the body side walls bows or curves them outwardly beyond their normal straight, flat condition.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difiiculty by providing a curling head having air blast nozzles for projecting blasts of air against the outer surface of the annular flange of the container body thus pressing and holding the flange inwardly toward the container end member prior to and during the curling operation. An object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism for curling the flange of a fibre container body into overlapping relation to an end member inserted within the body, wherein fluid means are utilized for pressing and holding the annular flange of the body inwardly toward the container end member so that the flange will be properly engaged by the curling head and the edge of the flange will not be cut or crushed at the beginning of the curling operation.

Another object is the provision of such a cur ing head mechanism, wherein the pressing and holding of the annular flange of the body inwardly toward the container end member is effected by air blast nozzles controlled by valves actuated in time with the operation of the curling head so that improved curling action may be obtained.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

flat fibre end members D which are in inserted position within the container body and are in engagement with the bead shoulder B, as shown in Fig. 1.

A container body A with its inserted end member D is inserted endwise into the curling mechanism in any suitable manner, for example as disclosed in the above mentioned Murch patent. In this inserted position the end of the body is surrounded by a container holding head 12 which carries a plurality of radially movable slides I1. There are preferably four of these slides, one located adjacent each side of the rectangular container body. These slides have movement in slideways l8 formed in the holding head l2. At their inner ends the slides are formed with shaped jaws l9 which are adapted to engage within the bead shoulders B- of the container body A (see Fig. 1). When moved into operative position the jaws l9 grip the container on all sides and hold it firmly against displacement.

The container body A thus held against movement is disposed in endwise alignment with a curling head which includes a punch 2| which is movable toward the adjacent held end of the container body. The forward end of the punch 2| preferably is hollow and is of such a shape as to provide a shell of square cross section to fit the square container body A. The face of the punch shell is formed with a concave annular or peripheral recess 22 having a curved surface 23.

A flange confining rin member 35 is carried on the outside of the punch and is adapted to slide on ashouldered section thereof. This ring is square in cross section and is attached yieldably to the punch by long screws 36 each screw extending through a shouldered bore 31 in the ring. The screws are threaded into a shoulder portion 38 of the punch 2|. A large head 39 is formed oneach screw and these heads limit the inner travel of the ring. Compression springs 4| retained in

bores

42, 43 formed respectively in the ring and in the punch shoulder, normally keep the ring in its inward position against the heads of the screws.

The innermost edge of the ring 35 extends beyond the punch 2! and is tapered both inwardly and outwardly to form a wedge 49. The inward taper, indicated by the numeral 5| is adjacent the container body flange C. The dimension be-v tween opposite inner faces of this ring adjacent the tapered surfaces 5| is exactly the dimension across the container on the outside of the flange C. Thus, the inner peripheral surface or contour of rin 35 and the outer peripheral surface or contour of punch 2! on which the ring slides are substantially coincident in outline with the perimeter or contour of the container body flange when the latter is straight. dition of the containerbody flange will be referred to hereinafter as the normal outer contour" of the flange.

The outer taper, indicated by the numeral 53, extends back to the outside oi the ring. The tapered wedge thus formed by these two tapered surfaces is adapted to extend intovcorres-ponding tapered recesses-55 formed in the jaws l9. These latter serve as centering devices for bringing the jaws into proper position, transversely of the container body when the punch vmoves forward.

Adjacent the wedge shaped edge of the square This straight conflange ring 35, a plurality of air blast nozzles 6! are located each for projecting compressed'air or other fluid medium against the flange C of the container body. The function of this is for bowing and holding the flange inwardly toward-the end member D during the curling operation.

There are four of these nozzles El, located one adjacent each faceof the square ring 35. These nozzles extend inwardly at an angle toward the flange of the container body and are located in clearance openings 62-formed in the wedge shaped edge of the ring.

The outer ends of the nozzles 6| are connected to valve housings 64 (Figs. 1 and 2) secured to the outer face of the container holding head l2. There are four of these valve housings, one for each nozzle. communicates with the outerend of an L-shaped channel 65 formed in the housing. The-inner end of the channel communicates'with a valve The nozzle of each housing port 66 in the housing. The port is normally line N (Fig. 2)- which connects allof the housings and is in communication with all of the air chambers. This pipe line H is connected to an inlet pipe 12 which leads from any suitable source of compressed air or other fluidmedium.

Openin and closingof the valves is efi ected the outer end of'the valvehousings. The inby actuating pins 13 .whichareslidablycarried 4 ner ends of the pins are disposed adjacent the ball valves 61. The outer ends of the pins extend beyond the housings and terminate adjacent the inner face of a plate I4 secured to the outer end of the punch 2 I.

Hence as the punch 2| moves toward the end of the held container body A for the curling op vflow through the channels 65 and the nozzles 6|.

This air issues from the nozzles in blasts which impinge against the outer surfaces of the four sides of the flange C of the container body and thus forces the sides of the flange inwardly from an outwardly bowed condition into a straight or slightly inwardly bowed condition. This stream of air against the flange along each of the four sides of the body continues during the entire inward travelof the punch and holds the flange in the desired position during at least the beginning of the curling operation.

As the punch 21 continues to move toward the end of the held container body A, the tapered wedge49 surrounds the flange C while it is still maintained under the pressure of the stream of air projected against it and guides the flange into the ring. While the punch continues to move in toward the container body the wedge 49 of the ring engages into the wedge recesses 55 in the jaws I9 and thus properly centers them this position by the air impinging against them.

This insures that only the smooth curved surface 23 of the recess is presented to the flange and thus the curling action on the flange is immediately started and splitting or crushing of-the flange is thereby prevented.

The curling action continues as the punch further proceeds toward the container body, the body flange sliding along the curling surface 23 of the punch until it is foldedentirely over and is in overlapping position against the end member D. It ispressed home so as to crease the outer edge ofthe flange, as shown in Fig. 3.

The punch is thereupon withdrawn and the jaws are moved outwardly away from the container so'that it maybe removed from the head l2. During this outward movement of the punch, the plate 14 moves back away from the valve actuating pins 13 and thus permits the valve compression springs 69 to close the ball valves 61 against the air outlet ports 66. The streams of air issuing from the nozzles Bl are thereby cut off.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made infthe form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing fromthespirit and scope'o'f the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for securing an end member in inserted position against a shoulder provided by an inwardly extending bead formed adjacent a projecting flange of a fibre container body, the combination of means engageable with said shoulder to hold the container in supported position, a movable die member disposed in spaced longitudinal relation to the supported body for engaging and bending inwardly the projecting flange of said body into overlapping position against the end member while said shoulder of the body is backed up by said holding means, said die member having an unbroken continuous working surface for engaging the full outer surface of said container body flange, means disposed adjacent the end of the con tainer body for projecting a fluid medium against the body flange, and valve means engageable by said die member for actuating said fluid projecting means to impinge said fluid medium against said flange of the container body to press the flange inwardly into the path of travel of the moving die member to facilitate the aforesaid bending engagement of the die with the flange for securing the end member to the container body.

2. In an apparatus for securing an end member in inserted position against a shoulder provided by an inwardly extending peripheral bead formed adjacent a projecting peripheral flange of a fibre container body, the combination of a plurality of radially movable slide members for externally engaging said shoulder to hold the container in supported position, a movable die member disposed in spaced longitudinal relation to the supported body for engaging and bending inwardly the projecting flange of said body into overlapping position against the end member while said shoulder of the body is backed up by said slide members, said die member having an unbroken continuous working surface for engaging the full outer surface of said container body flange, a series of nozzles arranged around the end of the container body for projecting blasts of air against the body flange of the container, and valve means engageable by said die member for actuating said air blast projecting means to impinge said air blasts against peripherally spaced portions of said container body flange to press the flange inwardly into the path of travel of the moving die member to facilitate the aforesaid bending engagement of the die with the body flange for securing the end member to the container body.

3. In an apparatus for securing an end member in inserted position against a shoulder provided by an inwardly extending peripheral bead formed adjacent a projecting peripheral flange 20f .a fibre container body, the combination of a plurality of radially movable slide members for externally engaging said shoulder to hold the container in supported position, a movable die member having means for supporting the same in spaced longitudinal relation to the supported body for engaging and bending inwardly the projecting flange of said body into overlapping position against the end member while said shoulder of the body is backed up by said slide members, said die member having an unbroken continuous working surface for engaging the full outer surface of said container body flange, a series of nozzles arranged around the supported end of the container body for projecting spaced. air blasts against the container body flange, ports for connecting said nozzles with a source of compressed air, each of said ports including a valve seat normally closed by a valve member, and movable means actuated by the movement of said die member for opening said valve members prior to engagement of the die member with said container body flange, whereby a series of air blasts from said nozzles impinge against peripherally spaced portions of said body flange to press the flange inwardly into the path of travel of the moving die member to facilitate the aforesaid bending engagement of the die with the flange for securing the end member to the container body.

RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST. HERBERT F. COX, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,908,823 Daniell May 16, 1933 2,264,317 Koehler Dec. 2, 1941 2,265,188 Murch Dec. 9, 1941