Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B59/00—Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages, to handle different types of packaging material, or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
  • B65B59/04—Machines constructed with readily-detachable units or assemblies, e.g. to facilitate maintenance
• • 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
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
  • B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
  • B65B7/28—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
  • B65B7/2842—Securing closures on containers
  • B65B7/285—Securing closures on containers by deformation of the closure

Definitions

• a seamer is a machine that enables to apply a lid to a container to close it hermetically, connecting the edge of the lid to the edge of the container by folding them one onto the other.
• Such containers have cylindrical geometry, e.g. they are constituted by cans.
• seaming is achieved by setting the container in rotation around its own axis, in a seaming station in which the container interacts with an appropriately shaped idle pivot, i.e. shaped such as to cause said folding of the edges of the container and of the corresponding lid.
• the seaming station is pivotally associated to a seaming turret, also called carrousel because it rotates around its own axis.
• the seamer comprises a plurality of seaming blocks, each provided, according to the seamer model, with one or two idle pivots and connected to a shaft hinged on the seaming turret.
• each idle pivot is made to interact (one at a time) with the container.
• a lever causes said shaft to rotate on its own axis in such a way as to make first an idle pivot and then the other one approach the container; during these approaching motions, the sheet metal of container and lid are first rolled together, then crushed obtained a hermetic seal between the interior of the can and the external environment.
• the present invention relates, in particular, to the manner of connection of the seaming block to the shaft. Therefore, the technical solution of the invention relates to some fundamental components of the seaming turret, such as the seaming block and the shaft whereon the seaming block must be mounted.
• the idle pivots mounted on the seaming block are the tools whereon most of the seaming result depends, so it is of fundamental importance that the mechanism that makes them work is as rigid and free of play as possible.
• the seaming block moves in an alternating rotation to make first one idle pivot work and then the other one and the work load thus produces an alternating torque Stressed in this way, the seaming block loses stiffness because both solutions in practice allow a certain play in the direction of rotation of the seaming block relative to the axis of the shaft.
• the play is due to the conicity, which is not sufficient to lock the two components together, and to the clearance required for mounting the tongue; in the second case, the play is the required one to mount the groove in its seat.
• the seaming block defines a cavity with longitudinal development, complementarily shaped relative to an end of the shaft with square cross section, in order to be coupled thereto by inserting the shaft into the cavity; in these cases, means are used to anchor the seaming block to the shaft transversely, which act in a predetermined, transverse direction such as to create at least one contact surface between shaft and cavity
• known solutions are disadvantageous because they require relatively long mounting times and they do not allow to reach high levels of precision and strength in the assembly.
• An object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforesaid drawbacks and to make available a seamer in which the mounting of the seaming blocks on the respective shafts is fast and particularly strong and precise.
• the seamer according to the present invention is also provided, originally, with means for eliminating the plays linked to the construction tolerances of the seaming block and of the shaft.
• Said means comprise, in particular,
• first thrusting element associated to said seaming block and movable in said predetermined transverse direction between a position of non interference with the shaft and a position of tightening, in which it presses on a surface of the shaft that is orthogonal to said transverse direction;
• a second thrusting element associated to said seaming block and movable in said predetermined transverse direction or parallel thereto between a position of non interference with the shaft and a working position, in which it presses one of its ends having rounded shape on a surface of a countersink defined by the shaft on said surface, orthogonal to said transverse direction.
• FIG. 1 shows a partially sectioned front view of a seamer according to the present invention
• - figure 2 shows an exploded view of a detail of the seamer of figure 1, i.e. a shaft and a seaming block;
• - figure 3 shows a sectioned view, according to a transverse plane, of the detail of figure 2;
• - figure 4 shows a sectioned view, according to a longitudinal plane, of the detail of figure 2;
• - figure 5 shows an enlargement of the detail A of figure 4;
• figure 6 shows the detail of figure 3, in a subsequent mounting step
• figure 7 shows the detail of figure 4, in a subsequent mounting step
• - figure 8 shows the detail of figure 3, in an additional subsequent mounting step
• - figure 9 shows the detail of figure 4, in an additional subsequent mounting step.
• the reference number 1 designates a seamer according to the present invention, whereof is shown, in particular, a portion of a seaming turret 2 rotating around its own axis 3.
• a pan 4 and a mandrel 5 which define a seaming site, to set a container 6 and a lid 7 in rotation around their own axis 8.
• the reference number 9 designates a seaming block provided with rotating idle pivots 10 (in particular a first and a second rotating pivot, but according to the seamer model there may be a single pivot per block and consequently the number of the blocks and of the pivots doubles).
• the seaming block 9 is anchored to a shaft 11 hinged on the seaming turret 2, such that it can rotate around its own axis 12.
• FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the shaft 11 and of the seaming block 9.
• the shaft 11 has a first end 13, hinged in the seaming turret 2, and a second end 14.
• the seaming block 9 internally defines a cavity 15 with longitudinal development, complementarily shaped relative to said second end 14 of the shaft 11 in such a way that it can be coupled thereto by inserting the shaft 11 into the cavity 15. Note that a certain play is provided between the cavity 15 and the second end 14 of the shaft 11, to facilitate the insertion of one into the other.
• said second end 14 of the shaft 11 and the cavity 15 preferably have constant section along a longitudinal axis (i.e. along the axis 12 of rotation of the shaft 11).
• the reference number 16 designates means for anchoring the seaming block 9 to the shaft 11.
• Said means are associated to the seaming block 9 in such a way as to act in a predetermined transverse direction 17 to create at least one contact surface between the shaft 11 and the cavity 15, oblique relative to the direction in which the means act.
• said means are associated to the seaming block 9 in such a way as to act in a said predetermined transverse direction 17 to create preferably two contact surfaces between the shaft 11 and the cavity 15, oblique relative to the direction in which the means act.
• Said second end 14 of the shaft 11, originally, has triangular prism shape.
• the second end 14 (and consequently the cavity 15 of the seaming block 9) may have different conformations.
• said second end 14 may have triangular or trapezoidal section.
• the conformation of the second end 14 is such that the locking means, acting on said second end 14 in said predetermined direction 17, determine a distribution of pressure on at least one surface (but preferably two surfaces) of contact between shaft 11 and cavity 15 not orthogonal to said predetermined direction. Said means for anchoring the seaming block 9 to the shaft 11 are obtained, in the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, in the manner described hereafter.
• a first threaded thrusting element 18 engages in a through hole obtained in the seaming block 9, to place said cavity 15 in communication with the exterior. Said first thrusting element 18 is movable in said predetermined transverse direction 17.
• a screw 21 is coupled to the seaming block 9.
• said screw 21 is threaded with the same pitch as the first thrusting element 18 and it is movable in a cavity (substantially a through hole) obtained internally to the screw 18 itself with appropriate threading.
• first thrusting element 18 Inside the first thrusting element 18 is also housed a ball 22, positioned between one end of the screw 21 and the cavity 15, or the end 14 of the shaft 11.
• the ball 22 is free to move but not to exit said cavity internal to the first thrusting element 18, prevented by a special projection 23 (shown in figure 5).
• the ball 22 and the screw 21 constitute a second thrusting element.
• the end 14 of the shaft 11 (in particular its surface 19 orthogonal to said predetermined direction 17) defines a countersink 24, preferably having conical shape.
• Said countersink 24 is positioned such that, when the second end 14 of the shaft 11 is inserted in the cavity 15, an axis of symmetry of the countersink 24 is parallel to said predetermined direction 17, but at a predetermined distance therefrom, in order to produce a certain misalignment between said second thrusting element and the countersink 24.
• a pressure is created between the ball 22 and a surface of the countersink 24; this entails a relative displacement of the seaming block 9 relative to the shaft 11, in a plane orthogonal to said predetermined direction 17 (in particular vertically, because horizontally the cavity 15 and the end 14 centre themselves), tending towards an alignment of the axis of the second thrusting element (i.e. of said predetermined direction 17) relative to the axis of the countersink 24.
• the second thrusting element alternatively to the preferred embodiment illustrated (which provides the screw 21 and the ball 22), may also comprise a thrusting element movable between a position of non interference with the end 4 of the shaft 11 and a position in which it presses its own rounded end (e.g. with hemispherical shape) against the surface of the countersink 24.
• the technical solutions providing for the use of the ball 22 presents some disadvantages.
• a ball 22 made of thermally hardened stainless steel is used, which is thrust out of its seat in such a way that relative to the countersink 24 there is no relative sliding of the surface but only a thrust.
• the threaded element i.e. the screw 21
• the present invention also makes available a method for mounting the seaming block 9 in the shaft 11. Said mounting method is described in detail hereafter.
• a first step shown in figures 3 and 4
• the seaming block 9 is applied to the shaft 11.
• the seaming block 9, whereon are mounted the threaded element 18 and 21 and the ball 22, is applied to the second end 14 of the shaft 11, preferably with triangular prism shape.
• a second step (shown in figures 6 and 7) enables to obtain an elimination of the plays, as follows. Acting on the screw 21, the ball 22 is thrust against the second end 14 of the shaft 11 at the countersink 24. In this way, a dual effect is produced: in the first place, the seaming block 9 is made to adhere to the shaft 11, eliminating horizontal play, then the seaming block 9 is thrust to abut against the shaft 11 eliminating vertical play. The ball 22 then makes surfaces of the seaming block 9 and of the shaft 11 (at the second end 14) that are opposite and face each other (having triangular profiles) adhere to each other and it produces a resulting vertical that thrusts the seaming block 9 upwards to abut on the shaft 11.
• a third step (shown in figures 8 and 9) enables to obtain a locking of the seaming block, as follows.
• stiffness is provided to the system by tightening the first thrusting element 18 (which is preferably a threaded element). Keeping still with a spanner the second thrusting element (i.e. the screw 21), one acts on the first thrusting element 18, moving it towards the seaming block 9 and pressing it against it, in particular on a surface of the seaming block 9 orthogonal to the direction of advance of the first thrusting element 18 (i.e. said predetermined transverse direction).
• the pitch of the inner and outer threads of both thrusting elements must be equal, in order not to alter the position of the second thrusting element that eliminated play.
• Adjusting the rollers means their positioning relative to the mandrel 5 obtained acting on appropriate adjusting screws (not shown because they are not part of the present invention). Adjustment of the rollers 10 is achieved by attempts and it consists of a major part of the time required to set up the machine; obviously, the more rollers need to be adjusted, the longer the time required to do so, so eliminating this activity translates into an economic advantage.
• the particular conformation of the second end 14 of the shaft 11 and of the cavity 15 also entails that the step of associating the seaming block 9 to the shaft 11 occurs in a univocal angular position of the seaming block 9 relative to the shaft 11, even though the execution of said step of associating is particularly rapid.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Pivots And Pivotal Connections (AREA)
• Sewing Machines And Sewing (AREA)
• Supercharger (AREA)
• Iron Core Of Rotating Electric Machines (AREA)
• Valve Device For Special Equipments (AREA)
• Clamps And Clips (AREA)
• Centrifugal Separators (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=39495506

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2007
  • 2007-03-01 IT IT000009A patent/ITPR20070009A1/it unknown
• 2008
  • 2008-02-27 AT AT08719485T patent/ATE498549T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-02-27 WO PCT/IB2008/050703 patent/WO2008104940A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-02-27 EP EP08719485A patent/EP2114771B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2008-02-27 DE DE602008004991T patent/DE602008004991D1/de active Active
  • 2008-02-27 US US12/528,654 patent/US20100119335A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-02-27 ES ES08719485T patent/ES2361379T3/es active Active

Patent Citations (2)

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