US3095100A - Can handling process - Google Patents

Description

June 1963 L. E. RUSSELL. ETAL 3,09

CAN HANDLING PROCESS Filed March 29. 1957 6 .Sheets-Sheet 1 w E: r m N d 7a m N am m vlll QHNIJ E 9 Rm C H M 5 M m m NN! m M June 25, 1963 .L. E. RUSSELL ETAL CAN HANDLING PROCESS 6 Sheets$heet 2 Filed March 29, 1957 W2z/ Izz011s", L55 5'. RUSSFLL, FRANKLIN I? ROBINSON June 1963 L. E. RUSSELL ETAL 3,095,100

CAN HANDLING PROCESS 6 Sheets-Shea Filed March 29, 1957 6 NW 5 w m if June 25, 1963 RussELL ETAL 3,095,100

CAN HANDLING PROCESS v 6 Sheets$heet 4 Filed March 29, 1957 a J W W n m & ,m LB I @Nbw ham 3 v \M W M M.||r|;l|- EM, M LF W? n 1963 L. E. RUSSVELL ETAL 3,095,100

CAN HANDLING PROCESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 29, 1957 17211:? LEE 5. RUSSELL,

FRANKLIN f, ROBINSON June 25, 1963 RUSSELL ETAL CAN HANDLING PRQCESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 29, 1957 mu m 65 U WP M an U N mm W H- IQN United States Patent 3,695,109 CAN HANDLING PRQCESS Lee E. Russell, Plant City, and Franklin P. Robinson, Lakeland, Fla, assignors of one-third to Ira B. Russell, Plant City, Fla.

Filed Mar. 29, 1957, tier. No. 649,501 8 Claims. ((31. 214-152) The present invention pertains to a process and means for handling large numbers of cans or similar articles in a rapid and facile manner, and more particularly relates to a novel bulk can carrier employed in such processes.

Present-day can-forming apparatus has attained such efficiency that the rate of can production is so high as to create a handling problem. The extremely fast rate of can production made possible by modern machinery militates against the efiicient and economical manual packing of empty cans in transporting cartons in accordance with the practice heretofore commonly employed. In addition, the space required in the factory area for storing the empty cans prior to shipment to the place of utilization is of necessity quite large and obviously imposes an additional expense on the can manufacturer.

An even more serious problem confronting the canning industry, however, comprises the difficulty experienced in manually feeding the cans at the speed required to keep pace with the latest can-filling and closing machines. Present-day canning lines utilize apparatus which fill and close up to 1,000 cans per minute. This latter speed, however, cannot be used efficiently if suflicient personnel are not present to manually feed the cans fast enough to keep these high-speed machines running at their rated efiiciency. This needed added labor offsets the greater part of the reduction in cost resulting from the high filling speeds.

A canner is usually located so as to be substantially in the center of a plurality of outlying satellite can suppliers. The distance obviously should not be too great for reasons of transportation economy, plus other reasons such as desired ready accessibility of cans to meet unexpected demand such as may occur to a canner of beverages during an extremely hot spell.

It is to the can manufacturers advantage, therefore, to manufacture large numbers of cans so as to most efficiently use his can-forming apparatus and readily remove the same from the can-making plant to the place of usage. The means most commonly used in transporting the cans comprises trailer trucks because of the short distances generally involved plus their ability to move the entire distance between the can manufacturer and canner. Once the cans arrive at the canner, they must be rapidly fed into the filling and closing apparatus if advantages resulting from the apparatus speed are to be obtained.

The problems confronting the canning industry are thus apparent. The can manufacturer must manufacture cans at the rated speed of his machines so as to most eificiently utilize the same. He then must deliver them to the canner without incurring heavy labor, storage and transportation costs, which costs will erase and perhaps at times exceed the savings effected by the high production rate of his plant equipment. Once the cans arrive at the canner, they must be fed into the can-filling and closing apparatus at such speed that the latter apparatus may be most efliciently employed without allowing the labor charges to again erase the advantages of high-speed operation.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a process of conveying cans from can-making apparatus to the canner in a more efficient manner than has heretofore been known.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a process whereby cans may be automatically fed from a transport means into can-filling and closing apparatus so rapidly as to enable the latter apparatus to operate at its normal rated speed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a process of conveying cans utilizing a novel can magazine into which cans may be substantially automatically loaded and from which cans may be substantally automatically unloaded.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel can magazine, which is divided into a plurality of longitudinal cells holding substantially more cans than an equivalent volume will accommodate when utilized for storing packaged can members contained in re-shipping cartons.

It is a still further object of this invention toprovide a can magazine divided into a plurality of longitudinal cells defined by parallel Wall members which may have the interval therebetween regulated to accommodate cans of varying length.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel can magazine which is constructed so as to prevent damaging impact to the individual cans in the course of loading and unloading said magazine.

The above and other objects of this invention will become more apparent upon proceeding with the following detailed description of one practical embodiment of the invention, when read in the light of the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

The following description will outline the general procedure followed in conveying cans from the can-manufacturing apparatus to the can-filling apparatus in the course of practicing the process herein disclosed.

A high speed can-manufacturing machine is allowed to discharge its normal output onto a moving conveyor. The latter conveyor communicates with an automatic feeding device having a plurality of discharge chutes. Each of the chutes terminates over one of a plurality of open top longitudinal cells which define a unitary magazine structure. Each of the cells has an opening disposed at one end limit thereof, the size of which is governed by a reciprocally movable gate member, The feeding device proceeds to fill all of the magazine cells. The latter magazine is detachably mountable on a truck trailer bed and, upon being filled, is mounted on such a bed and co11- veyed to a canner. Upon reaching the canner destination the magazine may be removed from the trailer bed by means of power rollers onto a tilting crib member which may also employ power rollers to assist magazine movement.

After locking the magazine to the crib by suitable locking means, the same may be tilted to an appropriate angle, with the gated end portion of the magazine disposed in a lower-most position. Selected cell gates are opened, allowing cans contained in the corresponding cells to move by gravity into a conventional powered can line merger or blending boot. In this latter manner, all of the magazine cells are emptied. The latter boot is connected to a conventional oifbearing conveyor which automatically conveys the cans to the filling machines.

The empty can magazine is returned to horizontal position, removed from the tilting crib, reassembled to a truck trailer bed, and returned to the can manufacturer, where at it may again be refilled on a loading dock after removal from the truck bed as before described.

The can magazine employed in the above-described system is of novel design and constitutes an important part in the over-all efiiciency of the provided system. The

magazine enables larger numbers of cans to be hauled than had heretofore been possible because of the novel arrangement of the longitudinal cells contained therein. In addition, the magazine is so constructed that the width of the magazine cells is adjustable to conform with the length of different size cans. Each magazine 'cell possesses bafile members which prevent damage being inflicted on the cans in the course of loading. Also, the baffie members act as a reinforcement maintaining the cell walls in desired spaced relationship.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a bulk can magazine embodying one form of the invention and illustrating the magazine when locked on a fiat bed trailer and also when locked on a tilting cribmember;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a can body as it emerges from a can-manufacturing machine;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a roller bed utilized for supporting the can magazine of FIG. 1 in the course of carrying out the provided process or system;

FIG. 4 is aside elevational view partly in section of the bulk can magazine of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the bulk can magazine of FIG. 4 as viewed in the direction of the arrows 6-6 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a gate member utilized with the bulk can magazine;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the bulk can magazine of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are sectional views taken on lines 99, 1010, 1111 and 12-12, respectively, of FIG. 4 and illustrated on a scale enlarged thereover;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary, enlarged detailed view of a joint construction utilized in forming the longitudinal cell wall portions of the bulk can magazine;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken on line 1414 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of mechanism used 'in one process for loading the bulk can mechanism pro- :lines 17-17 of FIG. 15 and illustrated on a scale enlarged thereover;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 15 illustrating the use of power-driven conveyors on the illustrated docks and flat bed trailer;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary side elevational view partly in section of one of the power-driven dock conveyors of FIG. 18 illustrated on a scale enlarged over that of FIG. 18; 5

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2020 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary top plan view of a powerdriven roller bed conveyor illustrated in FIG. 18;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken on line 22-22 of FIG. 21 and illustrated on a scale enlarged thereover; and

FIG. 23 is a sectional view taken on line 2323 of FIG. 21 and illustrated on a scale enlarged thereover.

Process Operation Outline As has above been explained, it is one of the purposes of this invention to provide a process whereby cans emerging from high-speed can-fabricating apparatus may be transported therefrom in a ready and facile manner to can-filling and closing apparatus. The high speed and efiiciency of modern apparatus employed in the canning industry cannot be utilized to its full extent unless additional apparatus also of an automatic nature is utilized for purposes of packing cans in a transport magazine and automatically feeding the latter cans from the transport magazine at the canner to the filling and closing apparatus.

The drawings disclose the various steps employed in the provided process plus detailed views of the bulk can magazine utilized in the practice of the process. In FIG. 15 a rotary can distributor 10 known in the art is illustrated in the process of receiving cans 70, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 2, from a can-making apparatus (not illustrated) by means of a conveyor 12. The cans are then discharged from the distributor 10 by means of a flexible chute portion 14 into a plurality of longitudinal cells 16 of a bulk can magazine 29. Although schematically illustrated the can distributor 10 may be mounted on a carriage which is disposed above the cells on tracks and adapted to automatically travel thereover in the course of discharging cans. The chute 14- may also be telescopic in nature and have its end limit mounted on a movable carriage 15 illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 17. The cells 16 of the latter magazine may be more clearly seen in FIGS. 5 and 17 It should be noted that the number of chutes 14 emerging from the distributor 10 may equal the number of cells 16. The structural details of the magazine 20 will hereinafter be described in greater detail.

After the magazine 20 has been loaded by means of the distributor 10, it may be moved with the assistance 'of roller members 22 over dock portions 23 and 24, after which it may engage the adjacent rollers 22 of roller bed '26 disposed on the flat bed trailer 28 of FIG. 15. The dock portion 24- enables a loaded magazine to be available for attachment to a flat bed trailer while one magazine is being made ready for transport and another is being loaded. The bulk can magazine 20 is now ready for transporting to a canning factory wherein the latter cans contained in the bulk can magazine will be automatically fed into can-filling and closing apparatus (not shown).

FIG. 18 comprises a figure illustrating a system which is somewhat similar to that of FIG. 15 with the exception that the docks 25' therein illustrated utilize power driven conveyor portions 27. The latter portions com prise elongate slats aflixed to a link chain 29 more clearly seen in FIG. 19 which is driven by means of a powerdriven sprocket wheel 30 also illustrated in FIG. 19.

The sectional view of FIG. 20 illustrates in greater detail the outside frame channels 32 and inner I beams 34 which supportingly engage the links of the driven chain 29 as they move the slat portions 27 of the power driven conveyor. The rotary can distributor 1i) illustrated in FIG. 18 and the appurtenant conveyor sections 13 and 14 are precisely the same as those illustrated in FIG. 16.

It is thus seen from the above described FIGS. 15 and 18 that the output of a high-speed can-making machine (not illustrated) may be readily removed by means of conveyor belts utilizing twist portions (such as portion 13 illustrated in FIG. 15) to a rotary distributor 10 which is particularly adapted to handle cans of a predetermined size. The distributor in turn discharges the flow 'of cans into the cells of a bulk can magazine 20 illustrated in FIGS. 15' and =18.

The filled magazine may be either pushed from a dock over freely rolling roller members in a manner employed in conjunction with the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 16, or else it may be moved by means of power driven roller conveyors in the manner illustrated in FIG. 18. It will be noted from the latter figure that the flat bed 28 of the illustrated trailer member may have mounted thereon a conveyor bed :19 which may also employ power-driven rollers 36, which are interconnected by means of link chains 37 (see FIG. 21) which engage sprocket wheels 39 of the rollers 36. The power-driven rollers 36 comprise the magazine-engaging means of the conveyor beds 19, one of which is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 21 through It will be noted from FIG. 21 that the latter bed comprises channel frame portions 21 on which the powerdriven rollers 36 are mounted by means of bearings 23. The frame channels 21 defining opposed sides of the bed 19 are intermittently braced by means of the cross ties 25, and the opposed end portions of the bed 19 are further reinforced by means of the diagonal frame brace portions 27. The power conveyor portions of the docks 25 of FIG. 18 and the flat bed trailer 28 may be provided with limit switches (not shown) which automatically stop the roller movement after the bulk can magazine has reached a predetermined position either on the dock or on the trailer bed.

Unloading of the Bulk Can Magazine After the bulk can magazine 28 has been locked to the fiat bed trailer of the vehicle 35 in either of the manners described in FIG. or 118, the latter vehicle proceeds to its point of destination which is usually a canning factory. As has been mentioned above, a canning factory is preferably located in the center of a number of surrounding can-manufacturing plants. Thus a ready supply of cans is always assured even on short notice.

Upon arriving at the canner or a canning factory, vehicle 35 pulling the magazine and trailer 28 approaches a tilting crib member 38 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. The latter crib may employ the freely rotatable roller members 40, more clearly shown in FIG. 3, or may employ power-driven roller members similar to those used on the loading docks and the bed 19 of H6. 21.

After the driver of the vehicle has aligned his trailer with the magazine crib, identical motor means (not shown) driving the trailer flat bed rollers and the crib rollers may be energized whereby the loaded can magazine will be conveyed from the fiat bed trailer to the tilting crib 38; a limit switch mounted at one end of the crib will automatically stop the magazine when it is completely and properly positioned thereon. The driver of the trailer truck may then secure an empty magazine to the now empty trailer bed for return to the can-manufacturing plant.

The loaded bulk can magazine after being locked in place as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 1 is tilted into the elevated full-line position of FIG. 1 by means of tilting apparatus 42. The latter apparatus which is given by way of illustration only is seen to comprise a plurality of mechanical linkages; a hydraulic piston means or other equivalent power means, however, will function to equal advantage for purposes of tilting the overlying crib and attached can magazine 29.

In the latter tilted position, gate members 54 which are disposed at one end, the lowermost end, of the magazine 2i) and which are used to regulate the discharge of cans from each cell disposed in the magazine are then opened. The cans in certain cells are then allowed to move by gravity from the bulk can magazines into a can-blending boot 46, more clearly seen in FIG. 1, and, from the latter boot, to a can line merger 48. Both the blending boot and can line merger are well known in the art and are schematically illustrated. The moving cans then move onto an oil-bearing conveyor 5t which automatically moves the cans discharging from the tilted can magazine to a can-filling and closing apparatus (not shown).

It is thus seen from the latter description that the can magazine 20 upon arriving at the canning plant may be automatically move from the trailer bed of the transporting vehicle 35, placed upon a tilting crib member 38, after which the cans will discharge by gravity from selected cells 16 of the can magazine, into a blending boot from which they will be automatically conveyed to a high-speed filling and closing apparatus.

The gates 54 for the cells 16 disposed in the can magazine 20 are more clearly seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. It will be noted from these latter figures that each gate 54, as here shown, comprises an elongated slotted strip which engages two bolt members 56 having enlarged head portions or washer portions whereby the latter gates may be retained to the supporting magazine structure in the course of moving and forming openings in each cell whereby cans contained therein may be discharged.

Detailed Description of the Bulk Can Magazine As has been previously mentioned, the bulk can magazine 243 comprises a container structure having a plurality of longitudinal cells 16. The individual cells are defined by a plurality of wall members 60 which are maintained in spaced relationship by interposed vertical spacer members 62, more clearly seen in FIG. 10. It will be noted from FIG. 4, however, that the vertical spacers 62 terminate a substantial distance above floor portion 64 of the magazine. The gap thus provided enables all of the cans in a single cell 16 to flow along the floor of the magazine, through the end opening 66 illustrated in FIG. 4 which is regulated by the previously discussed gate member 54, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 7.

An additional means maintaining the wall portions 66 of each magazine cell in a rigid condition comprises baflle members 68, more clearly seen in FIG. 4 and illustrated in transverse section in FIG. 11. It will be noted from the latter sectional View that the surface of the bafile members 63 which engage a can member such as a can member 7-9 illustrated in perspective in FIG. 2 is routed or grooved at 72 (see 1G. 11) whereby less surface r'ction w ll be exerted between the can and the bathe.

in addition, the opposed end circumferential portions of differing diameters (see dotted line representation of the can in FIG. 11) of each can will not engage a baffle surface portion, thereby eliminating the possibility of jamming of the can members in the cells.

The most obvious function of the baffle members 63 is, of course, to prevent the direct fall of a can member from the chute 14 of the rotary can distributor 10 to the floor 64 of the can magazine. It is seen that a can discharged from the chute 14 will first rotatably engage the grooved surface of the upper angularly disposed bafile member after which it will drop and engage the second angularly disposed bafile member 68 preliminarily to dropping to the fioor 64 of the magazine. This latter engagement between the can and baffles in the normal course of magazine loading is apparent from an inspection of FIG. 4. Through bolts 84 illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 traverse the entire width of the cell 259 passing through walls 69, vertical spacers 62 and baffles 68 in the course of effecting a stable over-all cell construction.

It will be noted from FIG. 9 that end wall 30 of the bulk can magazine 29 comprises a plurality of discrete wall lengths 82 which are grooved at their opposed lateral edge portions of their inwardly disposed surface so as to avoid contact with the enlarged end portions of the cans '76 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 9. it will also be noted from this latter figure that the wall sections 82, interposed between magazine walls 6 and the sectional floor 64 of the provided magazine are all maintained in assembled relationship by means of through bolts 34, in cooperation with a nut member not shown. The sectional nature of the magazine floor 64 is clearly seen in H6. 12, which illustrates floor sections 86 which are routed at opposed lateral portions similarly to the manner in which the end Wall portions 82 are routed. Floor sections 86 are also maintained in assembled relationship with the magazine walls 16 by means of the through bolts 84.

This latter sectional nature of the magazine floor and walls imparts to the latter magazine an advantage assist ing its adaptability to cans of varying size in the normal course of operation. By varying the width of the baffle members 68, the bottom floor sections 86, the vertical wall sections 82 and the gate members 54-, bulk can magazines having cells of varying width to accommodate cans of varying length may be readily fabricated. Such modiportion 88 illustrated in FIG. 6.

Magazine Cell Walls An additional structural feature of the bulk can magazine coniprises'the manner in which the vertical celldefining walls 6% engage each other at the point of overlap. It is apparent that the cell walls 60 cannot con veniently be composed of integral members which run the entire length of the magazine because of the length of the latter member. Consequentl a plurality of sections are utilized to define a unitary wall member which runs the entire length of the magazine.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are enlarged detailed views illustrating the manner in which wall section 60a disposed away from the direction of can travel in the course of can discharge has its end portion cut into a plurality of square portions 99. The square portions 96 are bent or deformed in opposite lateral directions whereby they define a channel adapted to engage a straight edge portion of a wall section 60b disposed in the direction of can travel in the course of can discharge from the magazine.

Referring to FIG. 14, it will become apparent that the rotatably moving cans of the magazine cells are not exposed to a projecting cell wall edge surface on which a can end may become caught or wedged in a cell space because of the dovetailing effect created by the wall squares 90 of section 66a disposed over the straight edge portion of adjacent wall portion 60b. In the absence of a sharp projecting wall edge on which to catch, a smooth continuous discharge of the can members from each of the magazine cells is assured in the normal course of the unloading operation.

Magazine Locking Means The projecting apertured lug portions 94 illustrated in FIG. *8 comprise one means whereby a locking means such as pin member 96 illustrated in FIG. 4 may traverse the same and secure the magazine 20 either to the tilting crib member in the course of can unloading or to the fiat bed of a trailer in the course of being transported.

The latter description of the bulk can magazine aids in understanding the manner in which the latter magazine may be utilized in the course of adding to the efficiency of can removal from a can-making machine and can feeding to a can-filling and closing apparatus.

It is believed apparent from the above description that the advantages which the bulk can magazine provides in the course of conveying cans from the can-manufacturing apparatus to the can-filling and closing apparatus have been made apparent. The volume of cans which may be held by a bulk can magazine 20 exceeds by approximately 80 percent the number of cans which a trailer of equal size would be able to hold if the cans were merely packed in cartons. In addition, the manual labor involved in removing cans from a conveyor in communication with a can-making apparatus has been dispensed with by allowing the cans to move directly from the can-making apparatus to a rotary can distributor and from thence by means of flexible chutes 14 into the various longitudinal cells of the can magazine 20. This latter portion of the provided system is illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 18.

It will be noted from the latter two figures that the end limits of the chutes 14 may be mounted on movable carriage portions 15 which may automatically move over the longitudinal cells 16 of each magazine 20 and reversibly move in the opposite direction by means of limit switches not shown which may be disposed overthe opposed end limits of the latter cells. It is, of course, obvious that manual labor may be substituted for certain portions of the illustrated system. For instance, an

, attendant along a catwalk disposed atop the magazine rotary distributor into the cell 16.

favorable weather is the exception. .mates tarpaulins may be used to cover the open tops of Following the loading operation, the magazines 2%) are moved onto the flat beds of the vehicles 35 and conveyed to the canning plant whereat the magazines 26 may be removed by means of a power conveyor disposed on the truck trailer bed and a series of powered conveyor rollers disposed on a tilting crib member. The magazine is locked to the crib and tilted in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1; after which the gate members 54 regulating the openings 65 in each cell end portion, see FIG. 4, may be raised, allowing the cans to enter a blending boot from which they will automatically move to a conveyor belt 50.

It should be noted from FIG. 3 that, although two blending boots 46 are illustrated as being in operation, at any one time, a larger number, or one blending boot, may be employed at any one instant. The procedure to be followed when two boots are to be utilized is apparent from FIG. 3. The two boots are spaced a distance apart preferably equal to half the number of cells. The gates of the two cells with which the boots are in alignment are opened, and can discharge takes place until the cells are empty. The two boots' are then moved laterally to the next adjacent'cells and a similar discharge procedure is followed until all of the cells have been emptied.

Thus it is seen that cans may be substantially automatically conveyed from a bulk can magazine to can-filling and closing apparatus. The process herein disclosed enables the cans to be conveyed throughout Without the danger of damage occurring to any of the cans.

Various closure members for the open top of the provided magazine may be utilized. However, such closures are usually not necessary especially in climates where un- In these latter clithe cells whenever rain or other type of unfavorable weather threatens.

It is believed apparent that modifications may be effected in the illustrated process and apparatus which will still remain within the ambit of this invention and within the scope of the claims.

We claim:

' 1. The process of transporting cylindrical cans from a can-manufacturing plant to a can-using plant comprising providing a portable, elongated, open-top magazine divided into a plurality of laterally spaced, substantially vertically disposed, open-top cells having a width slightly greater than the length of such cans to be transported as measured along the can axis of rotation and having can-supporting means at the bottom thereof, discharging cans as they come from a can-fabricating machine into cells through the open tops thereof so that the discharged cans form a regular, close-packed arrangement in said cells with the length of said cans as measured along the can axis of rotation disposed substantially transversely to the walls of said cells until the cells are filled, transporting the filled, portable magazine to a canning plant, tilting the magazine so that one end thereof is elevated to dispose the can-supporting means at the bottom at an inclination, and discharging cans from said cells through the lower end of the magazine onto means conveying the cans to filling apparatus.

2. The process of transporting cylindrical cans from a can-manufacturing plant to a can-using plant comprising providing a portable, elongated, open-top magazine divided into a plurality of laterally spaced, substantially vertically disposed, open-top cells having a width slightly greater than the length of such 'cans tobe transported as measured along the can axis of rotation and having cansupporting means at the bottom thereof, discharging cans into said cells through the open tops thereof so that the discharged cans form a regular, close-packed arrangement in said cells with the length of said cans as measured along the can axis of rotation disposed substantially trans versely to the walls of said cells until the cells are filled, transporting the filled, portable magazine to a canning plant, tilting the magazine so that one end thereof is elevated to dispose the can-supporting means at the bottom at an inclination, and discharging cans by gravity from said cells through the lower end of the magazine onto means for conveying the cans to filling apparatus.

3. The process of transporting cylindrical cans from a can-manufacturing plant to a can-using plant comprising providing a portable, elongated, open-top magazine divided into a plurality of laterally spaced, substantially vertically disposed, openatop cells having a width slightly greater than the length of such cans to be transported as measured along the can axis of rotation and having cansupporting means at the bottom thereof, discharging cans as they come from a can-fabricating machine into said cells through the open tops thereof so that the discharged cans form a regular, close-packed arrangement in said cells with the length of said cans as measured along the can axis of rotation disposed substantially transversely to the walls of said cells until the cells are filled, securing said portable magazine to a vehicle chassis, trransporting the filled, portable magazine to a canning plant, removing said portable magazine from said chassis and securing the same to a tilting means, tilting the magazine so that one end thereof is elevated to disposed the cansupporting means at the bottom at an inclination, and discharging cans from said cells through the lower end of the magazine onto means for conveying the cans to filling apparatus.

4. In a method for delivering cylindrical cans or similar receptacles from a fabricating machine to a filling machine for said earns, the steps comprising depositing said cans from said fabricating machine onto a conveyor means, conveying said cans to a dispensing means, dispensing said cans into a multicelled magazine means having a plurality of open-top longitudinal cells each of which has a gated discharge opening at one end limit thereof so such cans assume a regular, close-packed relation with surrounding cans in both the vertical and horizontal planes with the can axis of rotation arranged substantially parallel to said gated openings, conveying said latter magazine means to a transport-unloading means, tilting said magazine means, discharging said cans from said transport means to a conveyor means, and conveying said cans from said transportunloading means to said filling machine.

5. In a method for delivering cylindrical cans or similar objects from a fabricating machine to a can-processing machine, the steps comprising discharging such cans to be delivered from the fabricating machine to a conveyor means, conveying said cans to a dispensing means, dispensing said cans into a multicelled, detachable magazine means having discharge gates for each of said cells, each of said cells having an open top; said cans being delivered being discharged into said magazine cells in such a manner so as to assume a regular, close-packed arrangement with the length of said cans as measured along the can axis of rotation disposed substantially transversely to the Walls of said cells, conveying said latter means to a tiltable dock means, securing said detachable magazine means to said tiltable dock means, tilting said magazine means until the discharge gates thereof are in a lowermost position, and opening selected gates whereby the cans in predetermined cells of said magazine are allowed to discharge therefrom by gravity, rotatably discharging said close-packed cans into a blending boot means in communication with a conveyor means and conveying said discharged cans to can-processing apparatus.

6. In a method for conveying cylindrical cans from a can-fabricating apparatus to a can-filling apparatus, the steps comprising automatically loading the can output of a can-fabricating machine into a portable magazine comprising a plurality of discrete, gated, substantially vertical, open-top cells having a width slightly greater than the length of such cans to be conveyed until full, said cans being discharged into such magazine so as to assume a regular, close-packed arrangement with the length thereof as measured along the can axis of rotation arranged substantially transversely to the walls of said cells, securing the latter magazine to a vehicle means and conveying the same to the can-processing destination, detaching the loaded magazine from the vehicle and securing the same to a tiltable dock means, tilting the secured magazine until the magazine cell gates are in a lowermost position, opening predetermined cell gates whereby the cans disposed in the cells are allowed to discharge by gravity into a blending boot means, and automatically conveying such discharged cans from said blending boot means to a canfilling apparatus.

7. In a method for conveying ceans, the steps comprising automatically loading the cans into a portable magazine, comprising a plurality of discrete substantially vertical, open-top cells, each of said cells having a width slightly greater than the length of such cans to be conveyed, each of said cells being provided with at least one closable opening for the discharge of the cans, said opening being located at a lower portion of at least one end of the cells, all of the cans in each of said vertical cells being dischargeable through said opening, said cans being discharged into such magazine as to assume a regular closepacked arrangement with the length thereof as measured along the can axis of rotation arranged substantially transversely to the walls of said cells, placing the magazine on a transporting means and conveying the same to a can-processing destination, moving the cells in such direction as to result in a lowering of at least one of the discharge openings of the cells relative to parts inwardly thereof and opening the closable openings disposed in the lowered position whereby said cans may be discharged.

8. In a method for conveying cans, the steps comprising dispensing cans into a portable magazine comprising a plurality of discrete, gated, open top substantially vertical cells having a width slightly greater than the length of such cans to be conveyed, said cans being discharged into such magazine so as to assume a regular, close-packed arrangement with the length thereof as measured along the can axis of rotation arranged substantially transversely to the walls of such cells, conveying such magazine to a predetermined destination, tilting the magazine until the magazine cell gates are in a lowermost position, and opening predetermined cell gates whereby the cans disposed in the cells are allowed to discharge by gravity.

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Claims (1)

1. THE PROCESS OF TRANSPORTING CYLINDRICAL CANS FROM A CAN-MANUFACTURING PLANT TO A CAN-USING PLANT COMPRISING PROVIDING A PORTABLE, ELONGATED, OPEN-TOP MAGAZINE DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED, SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED, OPEN-TOP CELLS HAVING A WIDTH SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF SUCH CANS TO BE TRANSPORTED AS MEASURED ALONG THE CAN AXIS OF ROTATION AND HAVING CAN-SUPPORTING MEANS AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, DISCHARGING CANS AS THEY COME FROM A CAN-FABRICATING MACHINE INTO CELLS THROUGH THE OPEN TOPS THEREOF SO THAT THE DISCHARGED CANS FORM A REGULAR, CLOSE-PACKED ARRANGEMENT IN SAID CELLS WITH THE LENGTH OF SAID CANS AS MEASURED ALONG THE CAN AXIS OF ROTATION DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY TO THE WALLS OF SAID CELLS UNTIL THE CELLS ARE FILLED, TRANSPORTING THE FILLED, PORTABLE MAGAZINE TO A CANNING PLANT, TILTING THE MAGAZINE SO THAT ONE END THEREOF IS ELEVATED TO DISPOSE THE CAN-SUPPORTING MEANS AT THE BOTTOM AT AN INCLINATION, AND DISCHARGING CANS FROM SAID CELLS THROUGH THE LOWER END OF THE MAGAZINE ONTO MEANS CONVEYING THE CANS TO FILLING APPARATUS.

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