US784856A - Apparatus for unsoldering the joints of sheet-metal cans. - Google Patents

Description

v No. 784,856. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

S. K. GREEN. APPARATUS FOR UNSOLDERING THE JOINTS 0F SHEET METAL CANS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET l No. 784,856. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

s. K. GREEN. APPARATUS FOR UNSOLDERING THE JOINTS 0F SHEET METAL CANS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 16, 1904- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES .Eatented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR UNSOLDERING THE JOINTS 0F SHEET-METAL CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,856, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed June 16,1904. Serial No. 212,763.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY K. GREEN, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Unsoldering the Joints of Sheet- Metal Cans, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of apparatus for the abovenamed purpose in which waste sheet-metal cans having soldered .joints are subjected to the action of flame for the double purpose of opening the soldered joints in order that the bodies, and in some cases the heads, may be utilized in the manufacture of various articles and the recovery of the solder which falls from the cans during the heating operation.

The said invention consists in part in providing the apparatus with reticulated holders in which the soldered cans are carried through a flame of suflicient heat to melt the solder in the joints and allow it to escape to a suitable receiver, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the further description of the said in vention which follows reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming .a part hereof, in which 4 Figure 1 is a partly-sectional side elevation of the improved apparatus,and Fig. 2 a partlysectional plan of the same.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is the frame of the machine, which may be of any suitable description.

2 and 3 are sprocket-wheels secured to shafts 4 and 5, respectively supported in bearings from the frame 1. The shaft 4 is the driver, and in order to adapt it for that purpose it is provided with a driving-pulley 7. The driving-belt (denoted by 9) is represented in Fig. 1 by a dotted line.

10 10 are endless sprocket-chains extending over the sprocket-wheels 2 and 3.

12 12 are the reticulated holders for the cans ferred that the reticulated can-holders in passing from the feeding end of the apparatus v should ascend an incline until they reach a certain height and then move in a horizontal plane before reaching the discharge end of the machine. To effect this result, the reticulated holders are provided with transverse bars 14, which rest on and traverse angular guiderails 15, supported by the frame 1, as shown particularly in Fig. 2.

17 17 are burners, shown as supplied with gas through the feed-pipe 19 and with air through the pipe 21 from the blower 20. The blower is driven directly from the shaft 22 through the medium of the pulleys 23 and 2 1 and indirectly from the idle sprocket-wheel shaft 25 through the medium of the pulleys 27 and 29. While I have described burners whereby an intense heat is produced by the commingling of gas and air, I do not limit myself to that description of burners, as other burners adapted to heat or thoroughly envelop one or more of the reticulated holders 12 and their contents with flame as the holders pass in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 along the horizontal portion of the guiderails 14 may be employed.

30 is a hood to prevent the escape of and concentrate the heated products of combustion within and around the reticulated holders. The said hood is shown in section in Fig. 1 and partly in section in Fig 2.

In constructing the reticulated holders or baskets 12 I employ large or open mesh wirework, which practically offers no obstruction to the direct passage of flame or heat to the cans.

In the manufacture of tin-plate cans the assembling of the heads and bodies invariably places the said parts under some slight tension, and in almost all cases when the solder is liquefied the tension causes the opening of the seams without the application of mechanical means for that purpose. I am aware that in can-soldering machines it is common to convey cans by means of holders from one point to another and in their passage to subject the parts of the cans to be united by solder to the action of flames and that waste tin-plate scraps have been placed in a crate and the whole dipped into a heating medium to remove the tin coating; but I am not aware that before the present invention waste tin-plate cans have been conveyed througha hood by means I ported by the said guide-rails, Substantially of reticulated holders attached to endless sprocket-chains and enveloped during their passage by a flame which has access to the cans V in the holders for the purpose of melting the solder in the seams and the heated cans, from the seams of which the solder has been melted, dropped suddenly to dislodge the heads from the bodies.

The reticulated holders or baskets are made large enough to hold several cans, and in filling the baskets at the entrance end of the machine the cans are placed therein indiscriminately or without regard to size or their position with respect to the baskets, as shown to the right of Fig. 1. The solder as melted from the seams of the cans flows by gravity from the reticulated holders and may be caught by any suitable receptacle arranged for the purpose of collecting it. In Fig. 1 I have shown a tray (denoted by 35) as well adapted for the purpose.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus for detaching the heads from the bodies of waste sheet-metal cans, the combination of two sets of sprocket-wheels carrying endless sprocket-chains, a series of reticulated holders secured to the said chains, a burner so situated as to project flame and heat around and into the reticulated holders as the same are moved by the said chains, substantially as specified.

2. In an apparatus for detaching the heads from the bodies of waste sheet-metal cans, the combination of two sets of sprocket-wheels carrying endless sprocket-chains, a series of reticulated holders for the cans, transverse bars situated under the said reticulated holders and secured to the said chains and reticulated holders, guide-rails whereby the upper runs of the said chains are supported, and bu rners situated between the said guide-rails, and under the reticulated holders which at the time are supas specified.

3. In an apparatus for detaching the heads from the bodies of waste sheet-metal cans, the combination of two sets of sprocket-wheels carrying endless chains and transverse bars, a series of reticulated holders connected to and placed over the said transverse bars, guide-rails to support a portion of the upper runs of the said chains together with the reticulated holders and the transverse bars attached thereto, and burners situated on a lower plane than the transverse bars adapted to project flames which envelop and enter the said reticulated holders supported by the said guide-rails, and a hood through which the reticulated holders are carried while the same are subjected to the action of flame, substantially as specified.

4. In an apparatus for detaching the heads from the bodies ofwaste sheet-metal cans, the combination of a frame, sprocket-wheels situated and supported at the entrance and delivery ends of the frame, the sprocket-wheels at the entrance end beingon a lower plane than those at the delivery end, a pair of guide-rails which begin at the entrance end of the machine and extend in an incline position to a certain height, and then extend in a horizontal plane to the delivery end of the machine, sprocket-chains supported by the sprocket-wheels and provided with transverse. bars Which rest on the guide-rails, holders for the cans, gas-burners situated beneath the path of the upper runs of sprocket-chains, adapted to project flame toward and so envelop the holders supported by the horizontal portion of the guide-rails substantially as specified.

STANLEY K. GREEN.

Witnesses:

OREGON MILTON DENNIS, \V M. T. HOWARD.

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