Method and apparatus for trimming a can

Abstract

A trimming turret including a first trimmer head including a first pilot. The turret is configured to receive a stress induced plastically deformed container having earing about a respective opening in the container, and at least one of (i) direct the container to the first trimmer head so that the pilot becomes located inside the opening, and (ii) direct the first trimmer head to the container so that the pilot becomes located inside the opening. The turret is configured to trim off the earing from the container with the first trimmer head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a trimmer head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A-2C are schematic representations of the trimmer head of FIG. 1

FIG. 3A depicts a side-view of a trimmer machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B depicts a cross-sectional view of a trimmer machine of FIG. 3A, wherein a trimmer turret may be seen.

FIGS. 4A-C depict cross-sectional views of a trimmer turret according to the present invention.

FIGS. 5A-5D depict various views of a trimmer turret according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts an isometric view of a trimmer machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 depicts an isometric view of a portion of the trimmer machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts a spindle assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A trimming turret, comprising: a first trimmer head including a first pilot,wherein the turret is configured to: receive a stress induced plastically deformed container having earing about a respective opening in the container; andat least one of (i) direct the container to the first trimmer head so that the pilot becomes located inside the opening, and (ii) direct the first trimmer head to the container so that the pilot becomes located inside the opening,wherein the turret is configured to trim off the earing from the container with the first trimmer head.

2. The turret of claim 1, wherein the container is an aluminum can.

3. The turret of claim 1, the turret further comprising: a second trimmer head including a second pilot,wherein the first pilot has a first working diameter and the second pilot has a second working diameter that is different than the first working diameter,wherein the first working diameter is sized to pilot into a first sized opening of the container created after a first series of necking operations has been performed on the container,wherein the turret is configured to trim off earing from the container with the first trimmer head after the container has undergone the first series of necking operations while the first pilot is piloted in the first sized opening,wherein the second working diameter is sized to pilot into a second sized opening of the container created after a second series of necking operations has been performed on the container,and wherein the turret is configured to trim off earing from the container with the second trimmer head after the container has undergone the second series of necking operations while the second pilot is piloted into the second sized opening.

4. The turret of claim 3, further comprising: a third trimmer head including a third pilot having a third working diameter that is substantially the same as the first working diameter; anda fourth trimmer head including a fourth pilot having a fourth working diameter that is substantially the same as the second working diameter,wherein the first, second, third and fourth trimmer heads are arranged in at least one of a clockwise and a counterclockwise manner about a rotation axis of the turret, in the following order: the first trimmer head, the second trimmer head, the third trimmer head and the fourth trimmer head.

5. The turret of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of the first and the second trimmer heads, wherein the first trimmer heads and the second trimmer heads are arranged in a circular manner about a rotation axis of the turret such that the first trimmer heads are interposed between the second trimmer heads.

6. The turret of claim 5, further comprising at least one third trimmer head including a third pilot having a third working diameter that is different than the first and second working diameters, wherein the third trimmer head is interposed between one of the first and second trimmer heads.

7. The turret of claim 1, wherein the turret is configured to hold the container and rotate the first trimmer head to establish a relative rotation between the first trimmer head and the container, and wherein the turret is configured to allow a user to control a rotating speed of the first trimmer head.

8. The turret of claim 7, further comprising: a bull gear; anda rotation gear mechanically linked to the first trimmer head and in gear communication with the bull gear,wherein relative movement of the rotation gear with respect to the bull gear imparts rotation onto the rotation gear and thus the first trimmer head.

9. The turret of claim 8, wherein the bull gear is configured to rotate, and wherein the turret is configured such that rotation of the bull gear at varying speeds varies the rotation speed of the first trimmer head accordingly.

10. The turret of claim 9, wherein the turret orbits the rotation gear about the bull gear such that meshing of teeth of the rotation gear with teeth of the bull gear imparts rotation onto the first trimmer head.

11. The turret of claim 1, wherein the turret is configured to orbit the first trimmer head about a bull gear to create a relative rotation between the first trimmer head and the container.

12. The turret of claim 10, wherein the orbiting of the rotation gear about the bull gear results from rotation of a shaft, and wherein the bull gear rotates independently of the shaft.

13. The turret of claim 12, wherein the center of rotation of the shaft is coaxial with the center of rotation of the bull gear.

14. The turret of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the first trimmer heads and a plurality of second trimmer heads, wherein the second trimmer heads have pilots of different working diameters than the pilots of the first trimmer heads, wherein the turret is configured to hold a plurality of respective containers and rotate the respective first trimmer heads and second trimmer heads to establish a relative rotation between the respective trimmer heads and the respective containers during trimming of the containers, and wherein the turret is configured to allow a user to control a rotating speed of the trimmer heads.

15. The turret of claim 14, further comprising: a bull gear; anda plurality of rotation gears mechanically linked to respective first trimmer heads and second trimmer heads and in gear communication with the bull gear,wherein relative movement of the rotation gears with respect to the bull gear imparts rotation onto the rotation gears and thus the trimmer heads.

16. The turret of claim 15, wherein the bull gear is configured to rotate, and wherein rotation of the bull gear at varying speeds varies the rotation speed of the trimmer heads accordingly.

17. The turret of claim 1, wherein, the turret is configured to allow the user to adjust the rotating speed of the first trimmer head by rotating a bull gear that is in gear communication with a rotation gear that imparts rotation onto the first trimmer head, wherein the rotation gear orbits about the bull gear such that meshing of gear teeth of the rotation gear with gear teeth of the bull gear create the rotation of the first trimmer head, wherein the turret is configured to rotate the bull gear in a direction counter to a direction of orbit of the rotation gear, such that the speed of rotation of the rotation gear is higher as compared to when the rotation gear is orbiting about the bull gear when the bull gear is not rotating.

18. The turret of claim 9, further including a device configured to at least one of impart rotation onto the bull gear and control the imparted rotation of the bull gear.

19. The turret of claim 18, wherein the device configured to at least one of impart rotation onto the bull gear and control the imparted rotation of the bull gear is a motor that is in rotational communication with the bull gear.

20. A can forming device comprising, the turret of claim 1; anda recirculation device configured to recirculate the container after it has been trimmed by the turret back into the turret to be trimmed a second time.

21. A can forming device, comprising: the turret of claim 3; anda recirculation device configured to recirculate the container after it has been trimmed by the first trimmer head back into the turret to be trimmed a second time by the second trimmer head and not by the first trimmer head.

22. A can forming device, comprising: the turret of claim 5; anda recirculation device configured to recirculate the container after it has been trimmed by one of the first trimmer heads back into the turret to be trimmed a second time by one of the second trimmer heads and not by one of the first trimmer heads.

23. A method of preparing a stress induced plastically deformed container for use as a liquid beverage container, comprising: automatically conveying an embryonic stress induced plastically deformed container having earing about an opening in the container to a position proximate a first trimmer head, wherein the first trimmer head includes a first pilot;at least one of (i) automatically moving the container to the first trimmer head so that the first pilot becomes located inside the opening and guides the movement of the container, and (ii) automatically moving the first trimmer head to the container, so that the first pilot becomes located inside the opening and guides the movement of the first trimmer head; andautomatically trimming off the earing from the container with the first trimmer head.

24. A method of preparing a stress induced plastically deformed container for use as a liquid beverage container, comprising: automatically necking the container to plastically deform the container to have a neck, generating the earing; andexecuting the method of claim 23.

25. A method of preparing a stress induced plastically deformed container for use as a liquid beverage container, comprising: executing the method of claim 23 after:automatically necking the container a first time to plastically deform the container to have a neck and earing about the opening;automatically necking the container a second time to plastically deform the container so that the geometry of the neck is altered and earing are again present about the opening;automatically mechanically conveying the container with the altered neck having the earing about the opening to a position proximate a second trimmer head, wherein the second trimmer head includes a second pilot;at least one of (iii) automatically moving the container with the altered neck to the second trimmer head so that the second pilot becomes located inside the opening and guides the movement of the container, and (iv) automatically moving the second trimmer head to the container with the altered neck, so that the second pilot becomes located inside the opening and guides the movement of the second trimmer head; andautomatically trimming off the earing from the container with the altered neck with the second trimmer head.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first pilot has a first working diameter and the second pilot has a second working diameter that is different than the first working diameter, the working diameters correlating to respective diameters of the openings of the containers after the respective necking operations such that respective piloting may be performed effectively.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the trimmer heads are arrayed on a trimmer turret, the method further comprising: a) automatically rotating the trimmer turret such that the first trimmer head is aligned with the container having the neck resulting from necking the container the first time; andb) after action “a,” automatically rotating the trimmer turret such that the second trimmer head is aligned with the container having the neck resulting from necking the container the second time.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the trimmer heads are arrayed on a trimmer turret, the method further comprising: rotating the trimmer turret such that the first trimmer head is aligned with the container having the neck resulting from necking the container the first time, the alignment taking place at a first position relative to an axis of rotation of the turret;automatically moving the container from alignment with the turret;rotating the trimmer turret such that the second trimmer head is aligned, at the first position, with the container having the neck resulting from necking the container the second time.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising rotating the first trimmer head to establish a relative rotation between the first trimmer head and the container.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising orbiting the first trimmer head about an axis rotation, wherein orbiting the first trimmer head imparts the rotation on the first trimmer head.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising: automatically rotating a gear about the axis of rotation, wherein the first trimmer head is orbited about the gear; andautomatically controlling rotation speed of the first trimmer head by varying rotation speed of the gear.

32. A method of preparing a stress induced plastically deformed container for use as liquid beverage container, comprising: automatically conveying a plurality of first embryonic stress induced plastically deformed containers having first earing about first openings in the first container to a position proximate a trimmer turret including at least one of a first trimmer head including a first pilot and at least one of a second trimmer head including a second pilot,automatically mechanically conveying a plurality of second embryonic stress induced plastically deformed containers having earing about second openings in the second container to a position proximate the trimmer turret, wherein the size of the second openings is smaller than the size of the first openings, wherein conveying the plurality of second containers includes: automatically repeatedly placing one of the plurality of second containers proximate to the trimmer turret after placing one of the plurality of first containers proximate to the trimmer turret; andautomatically repeatedly placing one of the plurality of first containers proximate to the trimmer turret after placing one of the plurality of second containers proximate to the trimmer turret;at least one of (i) automatically moving the first containers to the respective first trimmer head so that, respectively, the first pilot becomes located inside the first opening and guides the movement of the first container, and (ii) automatically moving the respective first trimmer head to the first container, so that, respectively, the first pilot becomes located inside the first opening and guides the movement of the respective first trimmer head;automatically trimming off the earing from the first container with the respective first trimmer head;at least one of (i) automatically moving the second containers to the respective second trimmer head, so that, respectively, the second pilot becomes located inside the second opening and guides the movement of the second container, and (ii) automatically moving the respective second trimmer head to the second container, so that, respectively, the first pilot becomes located inside the opening and guides the movement of the respective second trimmer head; andautomatically trimming off the earing from the second container with the respective second trimmer head.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first pilot has a first working diameter and the second pilot has a second working diameter that is different than the first working diameter.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising automatically positioning the first and second containers proximate to the turret at the same location.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the second containers are first containers that have been trimmed and have been automatically recirculated to the turret.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising: automatically recirculating the first containers, after the first containers have been trimmed, back to the turret, to obtain the second containers.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the respective first openings and the respective second openings are the same openings, and wherein the respective first openings and the respective second openings are of different diameters.

38. A can forming device comprising, the turret of claim 1; anda pressurization device configured to increase air pressure in an interior of the container relative to ambient air pressure.

39. A trimmer, comprising: a trimmer device with a pilot for trimming a container;a means for receiving a stress induced plastically deformed container having earing about a respective opening in the container; andmeans for at least one of (i) directing the container to the trimmer device so that the pilot becomes located inside the opening, and (ii) directing the trimmer device to the container so that the pilot becomes located inside the opening,wherein the trimmer device is configured to trim off the earing from the container.