Metal deforming – By use of tool acting during relative rotation between tool... – During rotation of work
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-06
2004-03-02
Tolan, Ed (Department: 3725)
Metal deforming
By use of tool acting during relative rotation between tool...
During rotation of work
C072S405030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698265
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to machinery for manufacturing containers. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for closely coupling machines used to neck metallic can bodies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Beverages such as beer and carbonated soft drinks are commonly packaged in two-piece cans formed from aluminum material. Two-piece cans are typically manufactured by attaching a circular lid to an open end of a generally cylindrical can body formed by a drawing and ironing process.
The diameter of the open end of the can body may be reduced prior to attaching the lid thereto. Reducing the diameter of the open end facilitates the use of a smaller-diameter lid than would otherwise be possible. The process by which the diameter of the can end is reduced is known as “necking.”
Necking is typically performed in a number of incremental steps, with the diameter of the can end being reduced only slightly in each step. Necking the can end in this manner reduces the potential for the can end to become wrinkled or otherwise distorted as its diameter is reduced.
Necking can be performed in several different manners. For example, a process known as “die necking” is 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 incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Die necking involves forcing an open end of a can body into a die so that an inwardly tapered surface of the die permanently deforms the open end inward. Another type of necking operation is known as “spin necking.” Spin necking involves reducing the diameter of a can end by pressing the can end against a rotating tool.
A variety of machines have been developed for necking can ends. For example,
FIGS. 1-3
depict a five-stage necking machine
12
adapted to perform a die necking process on a can body
2
. (The can body
2
is depicted as entering the necking machine
12
in
FIG. 1
, with the direction of travel of the can body
2
denoted by the arrow
4
).
Necking machines such as the necking machine
12
are available from Belvac Production Machinery of Lynchburg, Va., as model 595 6N/8. A necking machine substantially similar to the necking machine
12
is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,563 (Heiberger et al.), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The necking machine
12
comprises a unitary base
5
, and a bearing plate
9
fixedly coupled to a top surface of the base
5
. The base
5
forms an enclosure adapted to contain a vacuum generated by an external source (not pictured). In other words, the base
5
has a sealed internal volume
35
adapted to contain an externally-generated vacuum (see FIG.
2
). (In other words, the internal volume
35
of the necking machine
12
functions as a vacuum chamber.)
Three pipes
58
extend into and out of the base
5
by way of through holes formed in end plates
5
a of the base
5
(see FIG.
3
). The uppermost pipe
58
conveys vacuum, and the remaining pipes
58
convey positive or pressurized air to the necking machine
12
.
The necking machine
12
further comprises an input chute
7
and an input module
11
. The input module
11
comprises a feed wheel
6
having a plurality of pockets
25
formed therein (see FIG.
1
). The pockets
25
are each adapted to receive the can body
2
from the input chute
7
. The feed wheel
6
rotates in a counterclockwise direction (from the perspective of FIG.
1
).
The can body
2
is retained in one of the pockets
25
by a vacuum force. More particularly, a port is defined in the surface that defines each of the respective pockets
25
. The port communicates fluidly with the internal volume
35
, of the base
5
by way of a hose
48
coupled to the internal volume
35
and a rotary manifold (not shown) within the feeder wheel
6
. The vacuum is transmitted to the port by the hose
48
and the rotary manifold, and generates a suction force that retains the can body
2
in the pocket
25
.
The necking machine
12
further comprises a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth necking module, respectively designated
17
a
,
17
b
,
17
c
,
17
d
,
17
e
. The necking modules
17
a
,
17
b
,
17
c
,
17
d
,
17
e
each comprise a necking station, respectively designated
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
,
16
e
(see FIG.
1
). The necking stations
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
,
16
e
are adapted to incrementally reduce the diameter of an end of the can body
2
, as explained below. Each of the necking stations
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
,
16
e
rotates in a clockwise direction (from the perspective of FIG.
1
).
The necking stations
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
,
16
e
each have a plurality of pockets
27
formed therein. The pockets
27
are adapted to receive the can body
2
. The can body
2
is retained in the pockets
27
by mechanical guides (not shown), and by the necking process that is performed by the necking stations
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
,
16
e.
The feed wheel
6
carries the can body
2
through an arc of approximately
210
degrees, and deposits the can body
2
into one of the pockets
27
of the necking station
16
a
. Using techniques well known in the art of can making, an open end of the can body
2
is brought into contact with a die (not shown) in the necking station
16
a
. The necking station
16
a
carries the can body
2
through an arc of approximately 180 degrees, along the top portion of the necking station
16
a
. The noted contact between the can body
2
and the die slightly reduces the diameter of the open end of the can body
2
. (The diameter -reduction process, as noted above, is commonly referred to as “necking.”)
The necking machine
12
also comprises first, second, third, and fourth intermediate, or transfer, modules, respectively designated
19
a
,
19
b
,
19
c
,
19
d
. The transfer modules
19
a
,
19
b
,
19
c
,
19
d
each comprise an intermediate, or transfer, wheel, respectively designated
18
a
,
18
b
,
18
c
,
18
d
(see FIG.
1
). The transfer wheels
18
a
,
18
b
,
18
c
,
18
d
each rotate in a counterclockwise direction.
Each of the transfer wheels
18
a
,
18
b
,
18
c
,
18
d
has a plurality of pockets
29
formed therein. The pockets
29
are adapted to receive the can body
2
. The can body
2
is retained in the pockets
29
in a manner substantially identical to that described above with respect to the input module
11
and the pockets
25
.
The transfer modules
19
a
,
19
b
,
19
c
,
19
d
are each located between a respective pair of the necking modules
17
a
,
17
b
,
17
c
,
17
d
,
17
e
, as depicted in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The necking station
16
a
deposits the can body
2
into one of the pockets
29
of the transfer wheel
18
a
after the necking station
16
a
has reduced the diameter of the end of the can body
2
as described above.
The transfer wheel
18
a
carries the can body
2
through an arc of approximately 180 degrees, and deposits the can body
2
into one of the pockets
27
of the necking module
16
b
. The necking module
16
b
further reduces the diameter of the end of the can body
2
in a manner substantially identical to that noted above with respect to the necking station
16
a.
The can body
2
is subsequently transferred between the necking stations
16
c
,
16
d
,
16
e
by the transfer wheels
18
b
,
18
c
,
18
d
, in a manner substantially identical to that described above with respect to the transfer wheel
18
a
. The diameter of the end of the can body
2
is further reduced by the necking stations
16
c
,
16
d
,
16
e
, in a manner substantially identical to that noted above with respect to the necking station
16
a.
The necking machine
12
further comprises a discharge module
21
located immediately downstream of the necking module
16
e
, and a discharge chute
22
. The discharge module
21
comprises a discharge wheel
20
having a plurality of pockets
31
formed therein. The pockets
31
are adapted to receive the can body
2
from the necking module
Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
Tolan Ed
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