The disclosed concept relates generally to machinery for container closures and, more particularly, to liner systems for container closures such as, for example, can ends. The disclosed concept also relates to unload stacking assemblies and methods for liner systems.
It is known to apply sealant material, commonly referred to as compound, to the underside of container closures, for example, to facilitate subsequent sealing attachment (e.g., without limitation, seaming) of the closures to containers such as, for example, beer/beverage and food cans.
A liner machine, such as for example and without limitation, a rotary liner machine, is used to line (i.e., apply sealant or compound) to container closures, commonly referred to as can lids, shells, or can ends. Traditional liner machines (sometimes referred to simply as “liners”) generally include a base having a processing assembly. In a rotary liner for example, the processing assembly may include a chuck assembly having a number of rotatable chucks, and a pivotal upper turret assembly disposed over the chuck assembly and including an electrical tank assembly, a rotary compound tank assembly, and a number of peripherally disposed fluid dispensing apparatus (e.g., sealant or compound guns) each being associated with a corresponding rotatable chuck of the chuck assembly. In operation, the can ends or shells coming into the liner are delivered into a downstacker in “stick” form (i.e., nested together in a vertical column or stack). The liner machine peels the bottom can end or shell from the bottom of the stack and deposits it into the aforementioned processing assembly where lining compound is subsequently applied.
Once completely lined, the can ends or shells are typically ejected linearly onto a flat belt conveyor, which then conveys the freshly lined shells directly into a hopper where the shells are stacked, or re-stacked, for transportation. Among other disadvantages, this manner of conveying and re-stacking freshly lined shells does not employ any time-gating devices to ensure the shells are re-stacked in an efficient manner, or that the compound has sufficiently cured within the shells prior to re-stacking. Consequently, traditional liner machines are unable to re-stack shells at high speeds (e.g., without limitation, 2100 ends per minute (EPM), or more) without damaging the shells and/or displacing compound within the shells. More specifically, there is no mechanism to prevent the shells from being re-stacked in a suboptimal configuration, for example, with shells undesirably overlapping, commonly referred to as “shingling,” which can result in jamming. Furthermore, lining compound can be displaced from the shell, commonly referred to as compound spillover. Moreover, forces applied to the shells during the re-stacking process can result in physical damage to the shells. These issues have historically limited the operating speed of liner machines to about 2100 EPM, or less. Accordingly, production output, or throughput, has been limited.
There is, therefore, room for improvement in can liner systems and in re-stacker assemblies therefor.
These needs, and others, are met by embodiments of the disclosed concept, which are directed to an unload stacking assembly and method for a liner system. Among other advantages, the unload stacking assembly and method reduces forces applied to container closures, thereby overcoming known disadvantages of prior art liner systems and allowing the liner to operate at greater speeds and increased production volumes.
As one aspect of the disclosed concept, an unload stacking assembly comprises: a discharge hopper structured to receive a plurality of container closures from a conveyance assembly, a deflector structured to deflect the container closures into the discharge hopper in a desired orientation, a pusher assembly, and a control system adapted to detect the container closures and operate the pusher assembly to control movement of the container closers.
The control system may include at least one presence sensor for detecting the container closures and, responsive to detecting the container closures, adjusting the pusher assembly. The control system may include a first presence sensor for detecting the container closures upstream of the discharge hopper and a second presence sensor for detecting the location of the container closures with respect to the discharge hopper.
The conveyance assembly may be disposed in a horizontal plane, and the discharge hopper may be disposed at a discharge angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The unload discharge angle is preferably between 15-60 degrees and, more preferably, is about 35 degrees.
The deflector may be structured to induce a rotation motion of the container closures inside the discharge hopper. The discharge hopper may further comprise a vacuum structured to induce a force on the container closures to facilitate stacking of the container closures.
A liner system employing the aforementioned unload stacking assembly and an associated method are also disclosed.
A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
It will be appreciated that although an unload stacking assembly in accordance with the disclosed concept is shown and described herein as used with respect to a rotary liner for applying a sealant or compound to container closures, e.g., without limitation can ends, it could alternatively be employed to convey container closures with a wide variety of other types of equipment and machines (not shown) in other applications.
Directional phrases used herein, such as, for example, up, down, clockwise, counterclockwise and derivatives thereof, relate to the orientation of the elements shown in the drawings and are not limiting upon the claims unless expressly recited therein.
The specific elements illustrated in the drawings and described herein are simply exemplary embodiments of the disclosed concept. Accordingly, specific dimensions, orientations and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered limiting on the scope of the disclosed concept.
As employed herein, the statement that two or more parts are “coupled” or “mounted” together shall mean that the parts are joined together either directly or joined through one or more intermediate parts.
As used herein, the term “operatively coupled” shall mean two or more components are functionally connected through one or more intermediate parts such that displacement, manipulation, or actuation of any of the coupled components causes a predefined response in the remaining components.
As used herein, the term “communicably coupled” shall mean that two or more electrical components are connected in such a way that power, information, or both may be exchanged between the coupled components.
As used herein, “structured to [verb]” means that the identified element or assembly has a structure that is shaped, sized, disposed, coupled and/or configured to perform the identified verb. For example, a member that is “structured to move” is movably coupled to another element and includes elements that cause the member to move or the member is otherwise configured to move in response to other elements or assemblies. As such, as used herein, “structured to [verb]” recites structure and not function. Further, as used herein, “structured to [verb]” means that the identified element or assembly is intended to, and is designed to, perform the identified verb. Thus, an element that is merely capable of performing the identified verb but which is not intended to, and is not designed to, perform the identified verb is not “structured to [verb].”
As used herein, “number” means one or a number greater than one (i.e., a plurality).
Referring generally to
In the non-limiting example embodiment of
As will be discussed, among other benefits, the disclosed concept provides a means for increasing the speed at which the container closures 2 can be processed. Specifically, the disclosed concept enables processing speeds and throughput of more than 2100 ends per minute (EPM), and in accordance with one preferred non-limiting embodiment, speeds of up to 3500 EPM. Further, the disclosed concept improves upon previous technology utilized in the industry by reducing the forces applied to container closures 2 during the unloading and stacking process. The reduction of forces applied to the container closures 2 minimizes, or eliminates, the occurrence of physical damage to the container closures 2. The reduced forces applied to the container closures 2 also minimizes, or eliminates, the possibility of a lining compound being undesirably displaced (e.g., without limitation, spilling out of the curl of the shell or can end).
As shown in
Continuing to refer to
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Additionally, the liner system 10 preferably further includes a vacuum (generally indicated by reference 320 in
Accordingly, a method of stacking container closures 2 in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the disclosed concept includes the steps of: conveying a plurality of container closures 2 from a liner machine 100 to a discharge hopper 302 on a conveyance assembly 200; inducing a rotation motion of the container closures 2 using a deflector 304 to move the container closures 2 into the discharge hopper 302 in a desired orientation (best shown in
Among other advantages, the disclosed unload stacking assembly 300 and discharge hopper 302 therefor reduces forces on the container closures 2, thereby reducing or eliminating displacement of lining compound and mechanical damage to the container closures 2. The lower forces imparted on the container closures 2 enables higher operating speeds and throughput. Accordingly, operating speeds in accordance with the disclosed concept can be up to 3500 EPM, or more, while reducing forces applied to the container closures 2 by up to 50 percent, or more, compared to the known prior art.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of disclosed concept which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.