Patent GB-673860-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to machine for making bottle caps
IPC: B21D51/48
Filed: 1949-08-12
Abstract: 673,860. Bottle-cap making machines; feeding webs. MID-WEST BOTTLE CAP CO. Aug. 12, 1949 [Jan. 21, 1949], No. 21071/49. Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii). Apparatus for forming closure devices such as bottle caps from a strip of metal foil or the like material comprises means 31 for feeding the strip, means 32 for forming and inking characters or indicia at spaced positions on one surface of the strip., closure forming means 33 operable in timed relation with the character forming means 32 for forming a closure device from the strip, while the ink is still wet, with the characters disposed in the mouth spanning portion, and means 34 for conveying the closure devices from the forming means 33 to a receiving station 36. Feeding webs; cutting apparatus.-The foil strip is fed intermittently by feed rollers 262, 263 from a coil 293 past a breakage detector 299, a tensioning device 302, and under a roller 306 which, together with a friction pad, holds the foil down on a ramp 307 leading to the pressure platen 62 of the character forming means 32, 'a ramp 309 and roller 310 passing the foil down to the feed rollers, which feed the strip downwardly to the cap forming means 33. For splicing the strip on breakage or at the end of a coil, clamps either side of a cutter are provided to hold the overlapped ends to be joined, the cutter having a fixed and a manually operable movable blade, the cut ends then being joined by a piece of thin adhesive material. The feed rolls 262, 263 are provided with knurled edges to engage the edge of the strip and the roll 263 has an annular recess 274 to span the imprinted portion of the foil. To provide cuts on either side of the imprinted design, a groove 280 in roll 263 co-operates with a number of annularly spaced cutters 275 provided or formed on the roll 262. The feed rollers are driven intermittently from shaft 229 through a crank 277 connected by a link 278 to a lever 279 pivoted on shaft 281, a pawl 283 being mounted on lever 279 to engage a ratchet wheel 284 rigidly mounted on shaft 281, to rotate the shaft 281 intermittently. A spur gear 286 on shaft 281 meshes with a pinion gear 287 on shaft 264 of roll 262 and gears 288, 289 between the roller shafts 264, 266 gives positive movement of both rolls. The roll 263 may be disengaged from roll 262 by rotation of a crank 276 eccentrically mounted on shaft 266, the crank being normally held in the position of Fig. 8 by a spring detent 276<SP>1</SP> and the fed roll 263 being pressed against the roll 262 by springs 272 on adjustable abutments 273. Colour embossing, inking arrangements.-The printing mechanism 32 comprises a printing head 61 movable vertically towards and away from the pressure platen 62, the head 61 comprising a cylinder 63 carrying two embossing dies 71, or as many dies as required, and supported on a shaft 64 on spaced cross arms of a frame 66 rigidly attached to the upper ends of reciprocatory columns 67, and the platen 62 comprising a rigid platform 72 secured to sleeves 73 in which the columns are mounted, the platform 72 supporting opposite each die 71 a section 77 of backing material, such as blotting paper, capable of being deformed so as to form a female die. A conventional ink fountain 78 is supported on a bracket 79 above the cylinder 63 and ink is fed by rolls 81 rotated through gearing or reciprocation of the printing head 61, the cylinder 63 receiving a strip of ink from doctor rolls 89 which is distributed round the cylinder 63 and over the dies 71 by means of inking rolls 92 supported so as to rotate around the cylinder 63 in timed relation to the reciprocation of the cylinder. The reciprocation of the columns 67 and rotation of rolls 92 is effected from the main drive shaft 39 by suitable power transmission trains. Cap-forming mechanism.-The cap-forming mechanism 33 comprises male blanking and forming punches 131, 132 coacting with resiliently mounted female blanking and forming dies 133, 134, the punch 131, which cuts a circular blank from the web, being supported by an axially movable block 136 having an opening 137 for the punch 132 and the die 133 being supported in a recess in a die shoe 139 on a bolster plate 141 bolted to the body 37 of the machine, the die 133, shoe 139 and plate 141 having central openings for the die 134, and guide pins 142 on the shoe 139 position and guide the male punches during formation of a cap, the pins 142 sliding in bushings 144 on the block 136 which engage straps 147 to limit movement of the block 136. The male punch 132 comprises (1) a skirt-forming punch 151, (2) a punch 152, on a head 154, having a convexly curved annular surface 159 to form a definite juncture between the rounded portion and the skirt of the cap, 'and (3) an ejector 153 comprising a disc 164, forming a backing for the mouth-spanning portion of the cap, joined to a shaft 167 sliding in the shaft 156 of the punch 152 and pressed outwardly by a spring 169. The female cap forming'die 134 comprises (1) a skirt-forming die 181 resiliently mounted by means of a base portion 184 secured to a plug 186 by bolts 187 and. having coil springs 192 between axially aligned recesses 193, 194, (2) a die centre piece 182 having a concavely rounded surface 199, the die shaft 202 sliding in the plug 186 and being resiliently mounted by a spring 206 between an adjustable nut 204 and an adjustable abutment 207, relative movement of the dies 181 and 182 being limited by the nut 204 and by a shoulder 201 engaging a recess 197 in the die 181, and (3) an ejector 183 comprising a disc 211, with a central recess 213 so that the inked surface of the foil is not touched, joined to a shaft 217 extending through shaft 202 and positioned by means of a nut 221, a spring 222 being interposed between the end of the shaft 217 and an adjustable plug 208. The male punches 131, 132 are mounted to be moved axially by a suitable power train from shaft 39 to shaft 229 which includes a clutch 228 such that the power is interrupted when a predetermined load is exceeded in the feeding mechanism 31. Eccentrics 231, 232 on shaft 229 are connected to the punch block 136 and the head 154 by pivoted links 233, 234 secured to straps encircling the eccentrics, the eccentrics being mounted so that block 136 advances to cut the blank before head 154 moves to form the cap. A stripper plate 236, with central recess 237 for the punches, forms a guide for the strip of foil into the cap forming mechanism and for the waste into a shoot 239. To expedite the removal of a formed cap, a stream of air or suitable fluid pressure is directed from a nozzle at the top of the mechanism. Cap conveyer and stacking mechanism.-The cap conveyer mechanism 34 includes a shoot 341 to receive the caps from the forming mechanism 33 which delivers the caps to between a pair of spaced screws 342 supported over an endless belt 344 which are operated in timed relation to pass the caps to a trough 364 where they are stacked in nested relation. The screws 342 are driven from a shaft 378 by means of spiral gears 381 on the shaft engaging spiral gears 382 on the screw shafts 354, the belt 344 being driven from one of the screws 342 through a cog wheel 361. In a modification, the shoot delivers the caps on to an endless belt with side guides to allow inspection of the caps before stacking, a short shoot then delivering the caps to the endless belt and spaced screws. A counter may be provided in the conveyer mechanism. A safety cut-out switch for the motor 41 may be provided for the operator adjacent the stacking mechanism. Specification 647,611, [Group XVII], is referred to. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 659,919.