Patent ID: 6167743
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: B21D

Abstract:
A container necking apparatus comprising: a container support for supporting a cylindrical container workpiece having an upper edge surface surrounding an open end and a closed bottom end; tooling facing said container support so as to be aligned with the open end of any cylindrical container positioned on said container support, said tooling including: a necking die support including stop, a generally cylindrical necking die mounted on said necking die support for axial movement from a home position in a forward direction toward said container support and the open end of any cylindrical container supported thereon and having an inwardly facing working surface engageable at the outer end portion of such cylindrical container when moved in said forward direction for inwardly necking the open end of such cylindrical container; a pilot mounted on said pilot support coaxially positioned in said generally cylindrical necking die for movement in said forward direction and for limited relative axial movement relative to said necking die, said pilot support including a forwardly facing follower surface on said pilot support which is engageable with said stop on said necking die support to preclude subsequent relative forward movement of the pilot relative to the necking die when said pilot is urged in said forward direction, a surface on said pilot engageable with the upper end edge surface of the container during a necking operation without inhibiting continued forward movement of the necking die; and mechanical drive for moving said necking die support in said forward direction toward the container support to bring the necking die into contact with the container and seal the interior of the container and initiate a necking operation on the container and then in a rearward direction away from the container for repositioning of necking die in its home position for a subsequent cycle of operation; a pressurized air source providing pressurized air to the pilot support to urge the pilot in said forward direction and for pressurizing the interior of the container and for causing the pilot support to engage and stop as the necking die support moves in said forward direction to initiate the necking operation; and so that the forward motion of the pilot stops when the pressure of the pressurized air urging the pilot forward is equal to the pressure in the interior of the container.