Continuous vertical spraying of bodies such as cans

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

N/A

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to production of cans or similar bodies (two piece cans, three piece cans, draw or redraw, containers, cylinders, etc), which may be of any material including but not limited to steel, or aluminum, and in particular relates to internal coating of the inner surfaces of cans and similar bodies.

BACKGROUND

Production and coating of metal cans, such as steel or aluminum cans and other hollow cylindrical bodies is a highly mechanized operation involving numerous steps in a long process from the initial metal to the final, properly shaped and coated can. For purposes of this application, aluminum will be used as an exemplary material for cans, however, the invention is not so limited and the term aluminum may be understood to stand in for any customary metal for cans.

Coils of aluminum or steel or other materials are uncoiled from a roll and flattened, then fed through a cupping press which stamps/draws a cup of aluminum or steel material. This goes through a bodymaker press which pulls it upward into a distinctly can-like cup shape, then the bottom is indented, that is, formed into a pressure dome such as customarily seen on the bottom of aluminum and steel beverage cans, bottle containers or other containers. Many beverages sold in cans are carbonated and thus mildly or highly pressurized, the dome shape allows the can to retain its shape despite the pressure. Thereafter the edge of the can must be trimmed since the structure of aluminum or steel metal causes irregularity in the draw and iron process. Note that the D&I process is as follows for beverage and/or food cans: cupper, bodymaker & trim, wash & dryoff oven, decoration followed by decoration cure oven, internal can spray and internal can oven, necker/flanger (bottles may require extra operations at this point), and finally to the palletizer. Note also that most food cans do not get decoration (exterior labels being more common for food cans), so the process is slightly modified to spray, bake, spray, bake, and in use they are vacuum packed.

In the case of three piece cans, they are fed into a blank auto feeder, a welder, side stripper, and oven for curing the stripping, (necker, beader, flanger) and tester, and then the palletizer. This process also may have internal spraying of a coating into the inner surface followed by an oven, if these steps are required.

At this point in almost any type of can operation involving internal coating, the middle part of the can production and coating process begins, and it is this middle part which is of particular interest to understanding the present invention. An understanding of the present invention's benefits requires some understanding of the current bottle necks and operation conditions of the prior art in can production and coating.

The can production and coating facility may normally be laid out on two levels: an upper level and a lower level. The lower level may be ground level, the upper level may be a mezzanine, an upper story of the facility and so on. In practice, the cans must travel from production station to production station while moving up and down the levels.

A can conveyor may convey the cans, en masse, to a decorator machine for decoration. Such can conveyors may be of several types. In particular, some can conveyors may be “mass” can conveyors with many cans arranged to be carried in parallel, for example, something rather like a conveyor belt which is wide enough to carry a number of cans abreast. Other can conveyors can be single file conveyors with a single column of cans in motion. Yet other conveyors may use pins to carry the cans. Conveyors may also have rails to hold the cans in place.

Significantly, such conveyors may convey cans not just horizontally but vertically. Cans may feed through a chute downward, or they may be raised upward if they are placed on a conveyor which exerts a modest negative pressure against the bottom of the can, so that normal ambient air pressure pushes the can against the moving conveyor (this is often thought of as “sucking” the can to the conveyor so that the conveyor may even go straight up, vertically, with the can remaining in place on the vertical conveyor as it moves).

The decorator may be disposed upon the lower level of the facility, with the cans entering from above. The cans exit the decorator and by means of a pin chain or the like may be conveyed, possibly single file, to a pin oven. The pin oven will obviously cure the decorations, however, the pin over will also raise the cans so that they are somewhat elevated above the lower level, possibly as high as the upper level, when the cans depart the pin oven. They may at this point be single file, or in mass, or they may be single file and then conveyed thereafter in mass.

The cans will then descend to the lower level as they enter the horizontal can internal coating machine which is at the heart of the present invention. The cans as they descend leave the vertical orientation and instead feed into something very much like a chute. In the chute the cans lay on their sides, with their axes of symmetry horizontal. The horizontal can internal coating machine will coat the inner surface of the cans as they descend to it. At this point, the cans are of course open at one end but otherwise have their final shape, so the coating operation must occur through the open end of the can.

In the past, the coatings which could be applied to aluminum/steel/alloys at high speed had the disadvantage of slumping. That is, if the coating were applied as one might paint a wall, the coating would thin at the top end and thicken at the bottom end. This is extremely undesirable. Thus the cans were of necessity coated while the cans were in a horizontal position.

The horizontal can internal coating machine would accept the can coming out of the bottom of the conveyor/chute by receiving it into a pocket on the top of a star wheel. The star wheel is vertically oriented, that is, it rotates in a plane which is vertical. The pocket of the star wheel would be dimensioned and configured to receive the horizontal can. The pocket of the star wheel may also have a roller on the side to cause the can to begin rotating within the star wheel.

The star wheel itself is driven by an indexing gear box. The indexing gear box rotates the star wheel by a set angle, the angle equal to the angle between pockets of the star wheel. The indexing gear box then stops the star wheel, and the next can coming down the chute/conveyor may drop into the next pocket. The star wheel is advanced one more index position and stopped and another can drops in the top.

The original can has by this time advanced considerably around the star wheel. At an index position later than the top of the star wheel, it will pass beside a spray gun(s). The spray gun (or guns, two are known in the prior art) will coat the can as it sits in the momentarily motionless star wheel. The roller or similar device will be causing the can to rotate, so the motionless spray gun(s) will quickly coat the entire inner surface of the can. Some steel cans require a spray-bake-spray-bake process because of the products which will be packaged in the steel containers.

When the star wheel is advanced again, the coated can will index forward again by the same angle. In due course, it will move, stopping and starting, until it is on the lower side of the star wheel and gravity begins urging it to fall from the pocket. Devices may cause/assist removing the internally coated can from the star wheel.

Thus in practice, the cans' advance through the horizontal can internal coating machine is actually carried out in a stop-and-go manner, much like a traffic jam on a highway. Like a traffic jam, this places limits on the amount of traffic which can pass through the highway in a given amount of time. In practice, real world prior art horizontal can internal can coating machines can achieve only about 300 to 350 cans per minute (cpm) in internal coating speed of the machine. This is a significant limitation to the can production and coating process.

One obvious way to circumvent this process limitation is to use several horizontal can internal coating machines in parallel, so the facility is likely to be laid out with a number of internal coating machines on the floor of the facility in a row. Each machine will have an individual conveyor/chute descending to it from above carrying an individual row of cans for the machine. From the row of machines, the cans are conveyed horizontally and in mass on the ground floor to an internal bake oven so that the internal coating may be baked.

Emerging from the internal bake oven, the cans are conveyed in mass on a vacuum elevator such as mentioned previously, and the cans are raised in mass to a higher level, possibly as high as the upper level of the facility. Logic would suggest that this is to be taken to another station in the production process which is located on the upper level. However in point of fact, the cans must simply be fed vertically downward to the next step in the process, the necker, rather in the same manner in which they had to be fed vertically downward to the horizontal internal coating machine.

Thus the cans emerge from the internal bake oven, are raised, nothing is done to them at the higher level, and then they are lowered back to the ground level to go to the necker. The vacuum elevator or similar conveyor device is thus needed simply in order to feed the necker properly.

The later steps in the process may then be carried out from the necking forward. The can may be flanged, inspected, and palletized open ended. The beverage/food maker's facility may be the site of filling and seaming of the lid onto the can.

Turning to FIG. 1A, an exemplary PRIOR ART star wheel and horizontal can internal coating machine may be seen. Star wheel 902 accepts can 904 as it is descending (arrow 910 showing descent from a high level, a mezzanine, upper story, etc). The stop-and-go motion of star wheel 902 is depicted by broken arrow 908. When the star wheel 902 rotates by one position and stops, spray gun 906 may spray the stationary can beside it.

FIG. 1B shows the exemplary PRIOR ART from the side, showing that the plane of rotation of star wheel 902 is in fact vertical. Spray gun 906 may be seen to be spraying 914 can 904 as can 904 sits stationary on the momentarily stationary star wheel 902.

FIG. 1C also shows this PRIOR ART device in a limited isometric view. Obviously, there is a time requirement for the spraying to occur. While this time may be fairly short (for example a few hundred milliseconds or less) it is obvious that the can rotate in one place, within the pocket of the star wheel, while the star wheel itself must sit still so that the body may be sprayed for that duration. Then the star wheel must spin by one index position, taking further time. The end result is that a prior art device, as discussed previously, can achieve a coating capacity of at most around 300 to 350 cans per minute under optimal conditions.

FIG. 2 shows the PRIOR ART production and coating facility, at least through the middle stage. As can be seen, there are two levels 920 and 922. Pin oven 924 raises the cans to the upper level 922, after which they are lowered again via chutes/conveyors 926 down to the horizontal can internal coating machine 928 which as can be seen has a vertical star wheel processing the cans. At the new lower level, the cans are conveyed and raised as necessary to the internal bake oven 936 to bake the internal coating just applied. The cans then are raised from the internal bake oven 936 by means of a vacuum or similar elevator previously discussed (not shown). This piece of equipment is present simply in order to raise the cans so that they can then be lowered into necker 934 where they receive their necking and flanging process.

One final issue faced by such facilities is the emission of volatile organic compounds by the horizontal can internal coating machine and by the coatings themselves after they have been applied but before the cans are baked and the coatings solidified. This occurs on the conveyor which runs from the horizontal can internal coating machine to the internal bake oven.

Turning now to more specific and detailed prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,270, “CAN SPRAYING MACHINE”, in the name Murch, dated Dec. 28, 1937, teaches this horizontal internal coating machine. Obviously the machine is spraying cans which are horizontal, while the plane of rotation of the star wheel 11/12 is vertical. The cans “a” must descend chute 16/17 to reach the stationary first index position (marked by can “A”), before rotating to index position (marked by “B”) and then sitting still again, and so on around until they may depart by chute 125. The process is clearly vertical so that the cans may be horizontal.

The machine of the Murch disclosure does teach that the interior of a horizontally disposed can or container can be sprayed or coated in a manner building up the final coating in stages and/or on different sections of the inner surfaces to that an even and unbroken coating results, despite the tendency of the coating to slump. At that time, filing in 1934, cans were normally of materials other than aluminum.

By the late 1950's, cans for beer had been known and the Adolf Coors Company first put beer into an aluminum can rather than a steel can or the like. This proved to be immensely popular and other companies followed, developing the pull tab top and other refinements.

One Coors patent is in the name of Hartmeister et al, dated Jul. 1, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,709 for “MACHINE FOR COATING INTERIOR OF CONTAINERS”. This device shows horizontally oriented cans 28 sliding down chute 29 to star wheel 15. Star wheel 15 is seen to be rotating and can 27′ (one index position after the top) is seen to be counter-rotating due to frictional engagement. Once again, the star wheel is seen to be vertical in order to provide horizontal pockets so that the rotating cans can be held horizontally.

This patent relates to a machine for coating interior surfaces of metal cans with lacquer and/or other protective coatings. The machine is particularly adapted for coating the interior surfaces of fragile cans (such as aluminum cans) without damage to the cans.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,313 issued in the name of Stumphauzer et al for “METHOD OF SPRAYING CLOSED END CANS” (Oct. 10, 1972), taught that a can could be spun while a stationary spray gun sprayed into it. By spinning the can, an asymmetrical pattern could nonetheless coat the entire can interior.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,225 in the name of Smith et al for “METHOD OF COATING THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF A HOLLOW ARTICLE” (Jan. 29, 1980), teaches a two layer spraying technique in which there is no intervening drying or baking step, the second layer is thus applied wet onto the still wet first layer. Once again, this patent teaches spinning of the can (1000 to 3000 RPM), the use of stationary spray guns, and so on.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,932 in the name of Blakeslee issued Nov. 18, 1980 for “CONTROLLED DISPERSION OF COATINGS” teaches that the sprayer nozzle might spin, that is, spin on the axis of the spray gun nozzle itself. It does not teach that the gun may move on a spinning turret.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,300 issued to Jensen on Jan. 20, 1981 for “CAN TRANSPORT” once again shows a vertically oriented star wheel designed to hold cans horizontally, that is, another horizontal coating machine. The cans drop in to the star wheel from a chute coming down from above, and fall from the star wheel at the bottom.

EP 0568365 B1, Sep. 18, 1996 (filing Apr. 29, 1993) for INSTALLATION AND PROCESS FOR CLEANING A SPRAY NOZZLE, in the name of Wayru et al (a Nordson patent) points out another problem with can interior coating machines. The nozzles of spray guns become fouled with use, in particular, the nozzles become fouled due to periods of interrupted use. If a nozzle is used to spray a can interior and then the nozzle is unused for a short time while a star wheel rotates a new can underneath, the nozzle becomes fouled more quickly than if the nozzle is used continuously or in longer time segments.

It would be preferable to provide a novel and nonobvious design which allows can production to exceed, even dramatically exceed, the present day practical limit of around 300-350 CPM imposed by the start-stop nature of the spray process.

It would be desirable to provide a method of allowing spray guns to spray longer into each can, without slowing down production.

It would further be desirable to provide a method of reducing the number of can coating machines required on a production line.

It would yet further be desirable to provide an improved facility layout which minimized the number of times cans must be moved from a lower level to an upper level and vice-versa, thus reducing the number of conveyors, vacuum conveyors and the like which the line required.

All these advantages and more may be attained by means of the present invention, which is described in greater detail below and illustrated in the accompanying diagrams.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches providing a vertical interior coating machine which sprays the interior of a body such as a can of any type or process, container, a cylinder or other similar body, which is oriented vertically. Doing vertical spraying implicates the use of a coating formulation which will not slump. The improved machine has a star wheel which is oriented in a horizontal plane of rotation rather than a vertical plane of rotation. The pockets of the horizontal star wheel thus hold cans therein in a vertical orientation. This in turn means that the cans may enter the machine horizontally or nearly horizontally, from the side rather than from a higher story, mezzanine, or other raised area.

In addition, the present invention teaches that product speeds vastly exceeding 300-350 cans per minute may be attained by providing a turret above the star wheel, the turret having a plurality of spray guns thereon spraying each can in each pocket simultaneously and without the necessity for the stop-and-go motion of older machines. By this means the star wheel may be in continuous motion, the spray guns may achieve a higher percentage of time spent spraying rather than waiting for the star wheel, and output can be doubled or more than doubled per machine.

Furthermore, the present invention teaches that multiple guns may be used: rather than one or two spray guns in a stationary configuration (see FIG. 1A), the present invention teaches a plurality of spray guns for each pocket of the star wheel, and a larger star wheel with more pockets. Thus a single machine may have in one presently preferred embodiment and best mode contemplated at this time eight pockets and sixteen spray guns.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, an improved facility layout is taught. It will be understood that the facilities used at this time require a number of vertical raisings and lowerings of the cans as they are conveyed from one production process to the next. For example, after exiting the internal bake oven a vacuum conveyor is frequently employed to raise the cans up to a higher level simply in order to lower the cans down into the necker machine. The present invention teaches that the internal bake oven, fed by the vertical internal coating machine of the invention, may be on the upper level itself, thus eliminating the need to raise the cans before the necker and thus entirely eliminating the need for the vacuum conveyor after the internal bake oven. This eliminated item of machinery is not simply transferred forward in the line to another location: the need for that particular item is entirely removed, other pre-existing items which raise the cans (pin overs, etc) still raise the cans but now the cans remained elevated until the necker.

In a green aspect of the invention, protection of the ambient environment and reduction in emissions is provided by immediate burning of volatile organic compounds emitted by the coatings during the process of spraying and while the cans are not yet baked. These emissions can occur due to overspray, due to dispersion, and due to emission by the wet coating as it moves on the conveyor from the vertical can internal coating machine to the internal bake oven. The present invention teaches that the vertical can internal coating machine may be provided with a negative pressure hood to entrain the VOCs from the spraying and the conveyor may be provided with a positive pressure tunnel to entrain the VOCs from the coated cans. The air (possibly ambient air pushed by pressure into the cabinet/tunnel) is then fed through a VOC destruction device, where it is destroyed. One example of a VOC destruction device is the internal bake oven or another oven in which the VOC molecules are destroyed.

It is another aspect and advantage of the present invention to allow quick switching from production of one type of body to another type of body having different axial length and diameter by use of a controller which controls the spray gun mounts in particular, but which also controls other parameters of operation. This may reduce the need to switch out parts between different types of products for various production runs.

If is yet a further aspect and advantage of the invention to keep the spray guns operating for longer periods of time. It is an observed fact of spray gun usage that the stopping and starting which is used in the older reference designs of IC machine leads to more fouling of the spray guns. The present invention reduces stopping and starting and increases spray time, thus reducing the need for maintenance.

These, and other, embodiments of the invention will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description, while indicating various embodiments of the invention and numerous specific details thereof, is given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many substitutions, modifications, additions and/or rearrangements may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such substitutions, modifications, additions and/or rearrangements.

SUMMARY IN REFERENCE TO THE CLAIMS

It is thus one advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine for coating the inner surface of a plurality of cylindrical bodies, each of the cylindrical bodies having an open end, one closed end, and an axis and a diameter, the machine comprising:

a rotating star wheel having a periphery and a plurality of pockets in the periphery, the star wheel having a plane of rotation and an angular speed of rotation, the star wheel operative in a first mode of rotation to rotate continuously without indexing motion,

the star wheel having under each of the plurality of pockets one of a plurality of chucks,

each of the plurality of chucks dimensioned and configured to accept thereon one such cylindrical body closed end,

each of the pockets cooperating with the chuck thereunder to secure such cylindrical body therein,

a plurality of spray guns, each of the pockets having a first spray gun associated therewith, the first spray gun oriented so as to spray into such open end of such cylindrical body,

the first spray gun associated with each of the pockets rotating with the pocket at the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel,

such cylindrical body may be sprayed while in motion in the pocket of the star wheel.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

a second spray gun associated with each of the pockets of the star wheel, the second spray gun also oriented so as to spray into the same such open end of such cylindrical body,

the second spray gun associated with each of the pockets rotating with the pocket at the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel, whereby

such cylindrical body may be sprayed from two spray guns simultaneously while in motion rotating in the pocket of the star wheel.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein the star wheel is oriented with its plane of rotation horizontal, and further wherein such cylindrical body is oriented with its axis vertical, whereby

such cylindrical body is sprayed while in a vertical orientation.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein the star wheel is oriented with its plane of rotation vertical, and further wherein such cylindrical body is oriented with its axis horizontal, whereby

such cylindrical body is sprayed while in a horizontal orientation.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein the controller is operative to select the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel and the plurality of spray guns associated with the pockets of the star wheel, the controller operative to select between at least a first angular speed of rotation from the range spanning 1 to 300 RPM, and a second angular speed of rotation from the range of angular speeds of rotation in excess of 100 RPM.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein such cylindrical body is held in the pocket of the star wheel for at least 270 degrees of rotation of the star wheel.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein such cylindrical body is sprayed while the star wheel is in motion for at least 90 degrees of rotation of the star wheel.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein each of the plurality of chucks spin in relation to the pocket while the star wheel rotates.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein each of the plurality of chucks is operative to provide a vacuum or other methods to such closed end of such cylindrical body, thereby assisting the securing of such cylindrical body in the pocket.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein each of the plurality of chucks is operative to provide a puff of air or other methods to such cylindrical body in order to remove such cylindrical body from the chuck.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

a spray gun mount associated with each of the first spray guns, the spray gun mount operative to provide three axis alignment in translation and at least one axis alignment in rotation, whereby

the first spray gun and the second spray gun may be offset from one another, whereby the first and second spray guns spray two different parts of such inner surface of such cylindrical body.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein the star wheel further comprises:

at least six pockets, preferably at least eight pockets.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

an infeed conveyor line, the infeed conveyor line having a slope providing a gravity feed for such cylindrical body to ride to the star wheel, such cylindrical body oriented vertically upon the infeed conveyor line, and an outfeed conveyor line, the outfeed conveyor line horizontal.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein the sloped infeed conveyor line has a total vertical drop of less than 18 inches.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

an out feed conveyor line, the outfeed conveyor line having a slope providing a gravity removal for such cylindrical body to ride from the star wheel, such cylindrical body axis oriented vertically upon the outfeed conveyor line, and an infeed conveyor line, the infeed conveyor line horizontal.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein the sloped outfeed conveyor line has a total vertical drop of less than 18 inches.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

a negative pressure cabinet substantially surrounding the machine, the negative pressure cabinet exhausting volatile organic compounds to a VOC destruction device or an oven.

It is thus another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

a positive pressure tunnel substantially surrounding the outfeed, the positive pressure tunnel exhausting volatile organic compounds to a VOC destruction device or an oven.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine for coating the inner surface of a plurality of cylindrical bodies, each of the cylindrical bodies having an open end, one closed end, and an axis and a diameter, the machine comprising:

a rotating star wheel having a periphery and a plurality of pockets in the periphery,

the star wheel having under each of the plurality of pockets one of a plurality of chucks,

each of the plurality of chucks dimensioned and configured to accept thereon one such cylindrical body closed end,

each of the pockets cooperating with the chuck thereunder to secure such cylindrical body therein,

a plurality of spray guns, each of the pockets having a first and a second spray gun associated therewith, the first and second spray guns oriented so as to spray into such open end of such cylindrical body,

the first and second spray guns associated with each of the pockets rotating with the pocket at the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel,

a controller operatively connected to the spray guns, the controller directing each of the first and second spray guns to spray into such cylindrical body, whereby such cylindrical body may be sprayed by two guns simultaneously.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

the star wheel having a plane of rotation and an angular speed of rotation, the star wheel operative in a first mode of rotation to rotate continuously without indexing motion,

the controller directing each of the first and second spray guns to spray while the star wheel is simultaneously rotating, whereby

such cylindrical body may be sprayed while in motion in the pocket of the star wheel.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein the star wheel is oriented with its plane of rotation horizontal, and further wherein such cylindrical body is oriented with its axis vertical, whereby such cylindrical body is sprayed while in a vertical orientation.

a rotating star wheel having a periphery and a plurality of pockets in the periphery, the star wheel having a plane of rotation and an angular speed of rotation, the star wheel oriented with its plane of rotation horizontal,

the star wheel having under each of the plurality of pockets one of a plurality of chucks,

each of the plurality of chucks dimensioned and configured to accept thereon one such cylindrical body closed end,

each of the pockets cooperating with the chuck thereunder to secure such cylindrical body therein, such cylindrical body axis oriented with its axis vertical,

each of the pockets having a first spray gun associated therewith, the first spray gun oriented so as to spray into such open end of such cylindrical body,

the first spray gun associated with each of the pockets rotating with the pocket at the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel,

a controller operatively connected to each of the plurality of spray guns, whereby

such cylindrical body is sprayed while in a vertical orientation.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine further comprising:

a second spray gun associated with each of the pockets of the star wheel, the second spray gun also oriented so as to spray into the same such open end of such cylindrical body,

the second spray gun associated with each of the pockets rotating with the pocket at the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel, whereby

such cylindrical body may be sprayed from two spray guns simultaneously while in motion in the pocket of the star wheel.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine wherein, and further wherein the star wheel is operative in a first mode of rotation to rotate continuously without indexing motion, and further wherein:

the controller directs each of the plurality of spray guns to spray continuously into such cylindrical body while the star wheel is simultaneously rotating, whereby

such cylindrical body may be sprayed while in motion in the pocket of the star wheel.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine for coating the inner surface of a plurality of cylindrical bodies, each of the cylindrical bodies having an open end, a closed end, and an axis and a diameter, the machine comprising:

a rotating star wheel having a periphery and a plurality of pockets in the periphery, the pockets dimensioned and configured to accept therein one of such cylindrical bodies in an orientation with such cylindrical body axis vertical, the star wheel having a horizontal plane of rotation and an angular speed of rotation, the star wheel operative in a first mode of rotation to rotate continuously without indexing motion,

a plurality of chucks, one chuck disposed under each of the plurality of pockets, each of the plurality of chucks dimensioned and configured to accept thereon one such cylindrical body closed end, each of the pockets cooperating with the chuck thereunder to secure such cylindrical body in a vertical orientation therein, each of the chucks operative to deliver a positive air pressure and a negative air pressure to such cylindrical body closed end, whereby each chuck may assist to secure and remove such cylindrical body from the chuck, each of the plurality of chucks spinning at a spin speed in relation to the pocket while the star wheel rotates,

a turret, the turret arranged above the star wheel and rotating therewith at the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel, the turret having a plurality of arms, the number of arms equal to the number of pockets, each arm projecting to a position above a corresponding pocket, each arm having thereon a pair of spray gun mounts, each spray gun mount having thereon a spray gun, each of the spray gun mounts operative to provide three axis alignment in translation and at least one axis alignment in rotation, whereby each of the pockets has a first and second spray guns associated therewith, the first and second spray guns oriented so as to spray into such open end of such cylindrical body when such cylindrical body is secured with in the pocket, the first spray gun and the second spray gun offset from one another, whereby the first and second spray guns spray two different parts of such inner surface of such cylindrical body,

an infeed conveyor line, such cylindrical body axis oriented vertically upon the infeed conveyor line, and an outfeed conveyor line, such cylindrical body axis oriented vertically upon the outfeed conveyor line,

a negative pressure cabinet substantially surrounding the machine, the negative pressure cabinet drawing ambient air into itself, the moving ambient air entraining volatile organic compounds from the spray guns and a positive pressure tunnel substantially surrounding the outfeed, the positive pressure tunnel expelling ambient air, the expelled ambient air entraining volatile organic compounds emitted by such cylindrical body after spraying, the negative pressure cabinet and the positive pressure tunnel exhausting volatile organic compounds to a VOC destruction device,

a controller operatively connected to each of the plurality of spray guns, the controller directing each of the plurality of spray guns to spray continuously into such cylindrical body from a first time when such cylindrical body moves from the infeed into a pocket until a second time when such cylindrical body moves from the pocket to the outfeed while the star wheel is simultaneously rotating, whereby

such cylindrical body inner surface may be sprayed while oriented vertically and while in motion in the pocket of the star wheel,

the controller operatively connected to the star wheel, the controller selecting the angular speed of rotation of the star wheel and thus the angular speed of rotation of the turret,

the controller operatively connected to the chucks, the controller selecting the spin speed of the chucks and thus the spin speed of such cylindrical body on the chucks.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a machine having at least 8 pockets and at least 16 spray guns.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a can coating and production facility for use with cans having an axis, the facility comprises:

a lower level and an upper level;

a pin oven releasing such cans onto a conveyer on the upper level;

a vertical can coating machine which coats such cans with such can axis oriented vertically, the vertical can coating machine having a horizontally oriented star wheel, the vertical can coating machine on the upper level;

an internal bake oven on the upper level, the cans from the vertical can coating machine conveyed to the internal bake oven;

a necker located on the lower level, the cans from the internal bake oven conveyed while being lowered to the necker.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a can coating and production facility further comprising:

a negative pressure cabinet substantially surrounding the vertical can coating machine, the negative pressure cabinet exhausting volatile organic compounds to the internal bake oven.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a can coating and production facility further comprising:

a positive pressure tunnel substantially surrounding such cans while they are conveyed to the internal bake oven, the positive pressure tunnel exhausting volatile organic compounds to the internal bake oven.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a can coating and production facility further comprising:

a plurality of devices on the star wheel assisting in securing such cans to the star wheel.

It is thus yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a can coating and production facility further comprising:

a plurality of devices on the star wheel assisting in removing such cans from the star wheel.

It is thus even yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a method of coating cans internally, for use with cans having an inner surface and an axis, the method consisting of the steps of:

feeding the cans to a coating machine having a continuously rotating star wheel having peripheral pockets thereon and an angular rotations speed,

securing the cans in the pockets while the star wheel continues to rotate without stopping,

spraying the cans in the pockets while the star wheel continues to rotate without stopping,

removing the cans from the pockets while the star wheel continues to rotate without stopping,

conveying the cans to an internal bake oven.

It is thus even yet another advantage, aspect, objective and embodiment of the present invention to provide a method further comprising the step of:

providing a plurality of spray guns associated with each pocket,

rotating the spray guns without stopping at the angular rotation speed, whereby the spray guns remain in alignment with the pockets as the star wheel and spray guns rotate.