Method of orienting cans

Details Method of orienting cans Method of orienting cans

1998-05-11

2000-01-04

Larson, Lowell A.

Metal deforming

With use of control means energized in response to activator...

Sensing work or product

72 94, 72421, B21D 5126

Patent

active

060097337

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to orientation of cans and, in particular, to the orientation of cans which are to have a textured finish which should preferably be registered with the can print, side seam or other features. Such cans may include food cans, beverage cans or aerosol cans, and may be drawn and wall-ironed (DWI), drawn and redrawn (DRD) or may have welded bodies.
One example of texturing is known as "roll-forming", in which cans are placed on a profiled mandrel and are rolled between the mandrel and a curved rail. A single revolution of the can is required to form the desired textured finish. This texturing method is described in particular in GB-A-2251197, where the mandrel is profiled with flutes so that the can body is deformed into the fluted configuration of the mandrel during the roll-forming operation. Alternatively, texturing may be achieved by forming the can between a hard profiled rail and a mandrel of elastomeric material. The textured or fluted finishes which can be obtained by such roll-forming is aesthetically pleasing but would be further enhanced if such texturing could be formed in register with print or other surface features on the can body.
GB-A-2077684 describes an apparatus for aligning bottles which have a mark in the form of a black line on the bottle neck. The apparatus uses a starwheel with spaces for the bottles, each space having a belt which engages and rotates the bottle and prevents the bottle from rotating further when the black line is detected. Such a system is not viable for registration at line speeds of the order of 1000 containers per minute and cannot align the containers with an accuracy of up to 0.5 mm+0.25 mm which is desired by present day can manufacturing lines. Furthermore, the black mark used in GB-A-2077684 would still be visible in the final product.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of orienting cans comprising: providing at least one unique mark at or around a free edge of each can body; scanning at least a section of the unique mark with a sensor; and correcting the orientation of each can body in accordance with positional data obtained by the scanning step; in which the unique mark is provided in such a position that, in use, when the can body is closed by a can end fixed to the can body around the free edge, the unique mark is covered.
In the present invention, when the can end is joined to the can body by a double seam, for example, the mark is therefore invisible. Since the mark is hidden, it will not detract from the appearance of decorated flutes, texturing, or other roll-formed feature. In addition, the use of a unique mark enables registration to be achieved independently of changes in the design or pattern of the can.
The unique mark may comprise a series of sets of markings which extend around the whole of the periphery of the free edge so that at any position of the can, at least one set of marks can be scanned to determine the orientation of the can.
Each set of markings, or code sector, may comprise a start sector mark followed by a binary code and, in a three piece can, preferably includes a weld sector. The start sector mark defines the start of the sector and the binary code represents the position on the can body e.g. relative to a welded seam in a three-piece can. Alternative marking methods may be used, if preferred, such as lettering or pictorial data but these may be less satisfactory due to high speed of the machine and the time required to process such a form of data. Furthermore, the type of sensor required to read data of this type may be more complex and expensive.
The method may be used for either two or three piece cans. The unique mark may be provided in an independent operation or, more preferably, it may be printed together with the actual decoration of the container for a two piece container or in a sheet from which a three piece container is to be formed.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a d

REFERENCES:
patent: 5035569 (1991-07-01), Alznauer
patent: 5058724 (1991-10-01), Hinton

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