Metal deforming – By use of tool acting during relative rotation between tool... – During rotation of work
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-25
2001-06-05
Larson, Lowell A. (Department: 3725)
Metal deforming
By use of tool acting during relative rotation between tool...
During rotation of work
C072S379400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240760
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The current invention is directed to a method and apparatus for closely coupling machines, such as multi-stage necking machines, used to perform successive operations on cans.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Two piece cans are conventionally used to package beverages, such as beer and carbonated soft drinks. Such cans are often made from aluminum and are formed by attaching a circular lid to a generally cylindrical can body formed by a drawing and ironing process. Typically, the diameter of the open end of the can body is reduced prior to attaching the lid in order to enable reducing the diameter of the lid. The reduction in the diameter of the can end is accomplished in a series of operations referred to as “necking”.
In order to avoid wrinkling or otherwise undesirably distorting the can end, necking is performed in a number of incremental steps, with the diameter of the open end being reduced only slightly in each step.
FIG. 1
shows the open end
3
of a can body
2
as it undergoes successive necking operations. Although, for simplicity, only three discrete necking operations are shown in
FIG. 1
, it should be appreciated that a larger number necking operations will frequently be utilized. A variety of methods have been employed to perform the necking operation. In one approach, referred to as die necking and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,130 (Tung et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,232 (Traczyk et al.) and U.S. Pat. NO. 4,774,839 (Caleffi et al.), each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, the open end of the can body is forced into a die having an inwardly tapered surface that permanently deforms the metal inward. Another approach, referred to as “spin necking,” involves reducing the can end diameter by pressing the can end against a rotating tool.
A variety of machines have been developed for necking can ends. One such machine
6
, which employs a die necking process, is shown in
FIGS. 2-5
. Such machines are available from Belvac Production Machinery of Lynchburg, Va., as model 595 6N/8. As shown best in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, such machines typically comprise a plurality of modules, designated
11
,
17
,
19
, and
21
, attached to a unitary base
5
. An input chute
8
directs the can bodies
2
to an input module
11
—specifically, to one of the pockets of a multi-pocket input feed wheel
10
that forms a portion of the input module. The input feed wheel
10
is constructed similar to the intermediate wheels
18
, discussed below, except that its pockets have a saw tooth geometry that aids in picking cans from the input chute
8
. The input feed wheel
10
carries the can body counterclockwise, when viewed from the front, approximately 210° and deposits it into a first necking module
17
—specifically, into one of the pockets of a multi-pocket rotary necking station
16
that forms a portion of the necking module.
Using techniques well known in the art, in the necking station
16
, the open end of the can body
2
is brought into contact with a die so as to reduce its diameter slightly, as previously discussed. The rotary necking station
16
carries the partially necked can body clockwise and deposits it into a first intermediate module
19
—specifically to one of the pockets of a multi-pocket intermediate wheel
18
that forms a portion of the intermediate module. As discussed further below, the intermediate wheel
18
carries the can body counterclockwise and deposits it into one of the pockets of the next multi-pocket rotary necking station
16
, which further reduces the diameter of the can end. Thus, a intermediate wheel
18
is disposed between each pair of necking stations
16
and carries the can body from the each necking station to the next down stream necking station. The necking process is repeated in each necking station
16
of the machine
2
so as to gradually reduce the diameter of the can end
3
. As many as nine necking stations
16
may be incorporated into a single machine
2
.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, each intermediate module
19
comprises a base plate
64
that supports a bearing housing
60
and rear support plate
62
that, in turn, support the drive shaft
32
for the intermediate module. The drive shaft
32
is driven by a gear
24
, affixed to its rear end, as discussed further below. The shaft
32
has a hub
90
at its front end that supports the intermediate wheel
18
. As previously discussed, the intermediate wheel
18
has a plurality of pockets
56
formed on its rim
94
. Circumferentially extending front and rear stationary plates
92
and
93
, respectively, project outward from the hub
90
and extend to just below the rotating rim
94
so as to form an annular passage
95
. A pair of baffles (not shown) divide the annular passage into upper and lower halves
95
′ and
95
″, respectively.
Piping
88
conveys suction
99
from a vacuum source
84
to a valve
86
. A manifold
87
directs the suction from the valve
86
to the lower portion
95
″ of the annular passage via openings
97
in the lower half of plate
93
. From the lower portion
95
″ of the annular passage, the suction
99
is directed to each of the pockets
56
in the lower half of the wheel
18
via the vacuum ports
58
. The upper portion
95
′ of the annular passage is vented to atmosphere via an opening
96
in the upper half of plate
93
. Thus, suction
99
is applied to the pockets
56
as they rotate counterclockwise past the lower portion
95
″ of the annular passage and is released as they rotate past the upper portion
95
′ of the annular passage—that is, suction is applied to each of the pockets
56
from about the 3 o'clock location, at which time the they receive a can body
2
from the upstream necking module
17
, to about the 9 o'clock location, at which time they discharge the can body to the downstream necking module.
A set of upper and lower guide plates
66
and
70
, respectively, are located in front of the intermediate wheel
18
. In addition, another set of upper and lower guide plates
68
and
72
are located behind the transfer wheel. The guide plates are supported from a bracket
78
by spacers
74
,
76
,
80
and
82
. The guide plates ensure that the can bodies maintain their position along the flow path formed by the intermediate module
18
.
Returning to
FIG. 2
, the last necking module
16
deposits the can body
2
to a discharge module
21
—specifically to one of the pockets in a discharge wheel
20
that forms a portion of the discharge module. The discharge wheel
20
, which is constructed similar to the intermediate wheels
18
, carries the can body counterclockwise and deposits it into a discharge chute
22
. Although the can body
2
is carried circumferentionally by the wheels
10
,
18
and
20
and necking stations
16
, the general flow path of the can body through the machine is along a linear, horizontally oriented path from left to right as viewed in FIG.
2
.
The input feed module
10
and the discharge module
21
each employ a suction system for retaining and releasing can bodies of the type describe above with reference to the intermediate module
19
.
As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
, the input feed wheel
10
, intermediate wheels
18
, and discharge wheel
20
are each driven by a shaft
31
that is, in turn, driven by a gear
24
. The necking stations
16
are also driven by a shaft
34
driven by a gear
24
. The gears
24
are indexed and meshed so that the pockets of one component are in registration with the pockets of the adjacent components. One of the gears
24
′ is driven through a gear box
26
by a motor
28
using a belt drive
30
. The gear
24
′ then drives the two immediately adjacent gears
24
, which, in turn, drive the next gears, and so on. Thus, the gear train for the necking machine comprises a row of gears each of which engages the adjacent gear. As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
, the gear
24
′ that is driven directly the gear box is part of the intermediate module
19
′ is located in
Aschberger Anton A.
Heiberger Joseph M.
Jones Floyd Arnold
Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
Larson Lowell A.
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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