Patent GB-135340-A (GB)
IPC: B21D51/32
Abstract: 135,340. Thompson, W. P. Dec. 12, 1918, [Convention date]. Hollow-ware.-In a machine for closing cans, by placing a lid upon the can and passing the can and lid to a machine which seams the lid on the can, cans filled with liquid are received by a rotating timing-table which accurately times the movement of the cans with respect to the other parts of the machine. During the passage of the can on the timing-table a lid is released on to a rotating assembling-turret. A number is printed on this lid by embossing-rollers, and, at the moment when the can is guided on to the assembling-turret by guide-rails, the lid is placed on the can. The can and lid are carried round by the assembling-turret to be guided on to a seaming-turret on which are four rotating chucks. The can is positioned on the seaming-turret by halfmoulds carried by the seeming-turret and the assembling-turret, and, during the subsequent rotation of the seaming-turret, the can and lid are rotated while a seaming-roller seams the lid on the can in two stages as described below. Timing-mechanism. Cans 76, Fig. 2, filled with liquid are guided by a rail 208 on to the rotating timing-table, the cans being initally delivered at a point about midway between a pair of fingers 204. In order to time the can accurately without spilling the contents, the annular table 200 rotates faster than the supporting-rim 205, thus causing the can to rotate on its own axis until it is caught up by the finger 204, which carries it forward. During :he subsequent travel of the can, it meets a bracket 228 and pushes it out against a spring control, thus causing the lever 223 to operate on the assembling-mechanism to release a lid for the can in a manner to be described below. During the movement of the can up to the bracket 228, the can is inspected and the quantity of its contents adjusted. If necessary, the can may be removed, as, in that case, no lid will be released in the assembling- mechanism. The can is guided on to the assembling-turret shown in the centre of Fig. 2. Assembling mechanism. The can is received on the assembling-table by a half-mould 123. The half-mould is carried on a rotating turret 122, the rotation of this turret and of the timing-table being time to enable the half-mould to be in place to receive the can. A stack of lids is held between rods 125, Figs. 1 and 2, the stack being normally supported by dogs 127, Fig. 32, pivoted on a ring 124 and adapted to be oscillated by pins 132 on a loose ring 133. The dogs are provided with supporting-fingers and separating-fingers. When the lever 223, Fig. 2, referred to above is operated by a can on the timing-table, a cam 226, Fig. 32, is raised, and, during the rotation of the turret, the pin 135 is raised by this cam. This pin strikes the projection 134 on the loose ring 133 and thus rotates the pivoted dogs 127 to withdraw the supporting-fingers 129 and cause the separating-fingers 130 to separate the lowest lid from the stack. The lid is received on the rotating turret 122, being supported between a ledge 141 on the turret and a ledge on the outer rail 144. The ring 133 and dogs 127 are subsequently swung back by the action of pins carried by the turret. The travel of the cover is delayed by the pressure of a spring-pressed ball until the back edge of the ledge 141 reaches the lid and carries it beyond the ball. This action effects an accurate timing of the movement of the lid with respect to the can, thus ensuring that the lid is brought over the can as the can reaches the assembling-mechanism. The can and lid are thereupon carried round by the turret together. Before reaching the can, the lid is supported on the one side by a ledge on the outer rail 144 and is held by the head 180 on the other. The ledge on the rail 144 gradually slopes downwards in such a way that, when the lid and can are brought together, the lid is placed on the can on this side, thus preventing any spilling of the contents. The head 180 is controlled by a cam so shaped that, during the travel of the can and lid to the seaming- mechanism, the second edge of the lid is gradually lowered on to the can. Embossing the lids. Before the lid reaches the can, it is carried by the turret between the two embossing-rollers 151, Fig. 1. Each of these rollers has four recesses in which die-types may be placed, and the rollers are driven from the turret at such a rate that the pair of dies for which the rollers are set impresses a number on each lid as it passes. Seaming-mechanism. The turret 21, 22, Fig. 3, is rotated about the shaft 16, and the four chuck spindles 29, which are carried round by the turret, are rotated about their own axes by the gears 33. The can and lid are received from the assembling-mechanism on the rotatable. table- 37, the half-mould on the assembling-mechanism and the half-mould 69 serving to position the can on this table. The chuck spindle 29 is then lowered, and the chuck 32 seats the lid on the can body and rotates the can and lid. The chuck spindles are raised and lowered, during the rotation of the turret, by rocking frames 39 actuated by cams 54, 55 bearing on rollers 62, 65. The rocking frames operate on the collars 48 supported in the sleeves 50, 51, which are loosely mounted on the chuck spindles between the threaded rings 52, 53. The seaming-roll 71, Figs. 3 and 22, is carried by a spindle 76 the movements of which are controlled by rollers 89, 97 operated on by cams 94 95. The roller 89 works against the spring 80, and springs are provided to work against the roller 97. When the chuck 32 has seated the lid 75 on the can 74 and is rotating it as shown in Fig. 33, the seaming-roll 71 is brought to position with its groove 72 opposite the edge of the lid. The spindle carrying the seaming- roll is then swung round its axis by the roller 97 to bring the roll into engagement with the lid and complete the first part of the seaming operation, as shown in Fig. 34. The seaming-roll is then moved away from the lid by the roller 97, and the roller 89 depresses the spindle 76 to bring the second groove 73 of the seaming-roll opposite the lid. The roll is then again swung into engagement with the lid, and the second part of the seaming operation is performed, as shown in Fig. 36. The seaming-roll is subsequently swung away from the lid, the chuck spindle rises, allowing the chuck housing 68 to strip the work from the chuck, and the can is guided on to the delivery table 109. The cam 95 is provided with an adjustable pivoted portion on its surface to control the tightness of the first seam. Two seaming-rolls 71 adapted to engage the lid in succession may be used instead of the one roll operating on two different levels. The cam 54 has a yielding spring pressed portion enabling the chuck spindle to be forced up for examination of the can when in a certain position. The distance between the parts 21, 22 of the turret may be adjusted by the ring-nut 24 to enable the machine to take cans of different heights.