System for beading and flanging can bodies

Abstract

A system for the beading and flanging of opposed ends of a cylindrical can body wherein the opposed beading and flanging chucks are sequentially withdrawn. Stop means is mounted on the can carrying wheel adjacent the flanging chuck and cooperates with the flanging chuck for a retention of the flanged end of the can therein during the initial removal of the beading chuck which inherently effects a greater frictional engagement with the beaded end of the can. The stop allows a free subsequent withdrawal of the flanging chuck.The invention herein is generally concerned with the forming of can bodies for peel-top containers, and more particularly relates to a system for substantially simultaneously beading one end of a cylindrical can body and flanging the second end thereof.Apparatus for the simultaneous or substantially simultaneous flanging or beading of opposed ends of cylindrical cans are evidenced by the following U.S. Pat Nos:2,424,581 Peters2,741,292 Butters2,956,610 Diezel3,062,263 Austing et al.3,418,837 Vanderlaan et al.3,483,722 Fink3,688,538 Hoyne3,782,314 Franek et al.3,797,429 WolfeAttention is also directed to several machines actually in use in the various involved industries, including one machine known commercially as Bliss Model 1315 and the Borden Horizontal Flanger Model 610. Each of these basically includes a pair of star wheels which sequentially carry a series of cylindrical can bodies along a path wherein they are engaged by opposed chucks or dies which simultaneously flange or otherwise form the opposed ends of the can and are subsequently withdrawn therefrom with the formed can discharging from the star wheel carriers. The selective engagement and disengagement of the chucks is effected through a series of camming guides including camming tracks and cam followers traveling in the tracks, this structure also being readily apparent in several of the above referred to patents, note for example Vanderlaan et al. 3,418,837.In typical equipment of the type described supra, the forming being effected at the opposed ends of the container is the same, and as such, no difficulty has been encountered in effecting a simultaneous withdrawing of the opposed forming chucks. However, when different formations are to be provided on the opposed ends of a can body, a different frictional grip is developed at the opposed ends of the can due to the different deformations to which the can ends are subjected. This in turn precludes an effective stripping of the can from that chuck at which a greater frictional grip is developed during the can end formation. This problem is considered in great detail in Wolfe, U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,429, which is concerned with utilizing axially aligned necking and flanging dies, and wherein the problem is resolved by utilizing an elaborate air pressure controlled system for clamping the can body as required during a selective stripping of the dies.It is the express purpose of the present invention to provide a system for enabling the substantially simultaneous beading and flanging of the opposed ends of a cylndrical can and the sequential withdrawal of the relatively tighter beading chuck and then the more easily withdrawn flanging chuck. This can be effected, in the preferred form of the invention, by a modification of an existing flanger, for example the Borden Horizontal Flanger Model 610 through merely a substitution of beading chucks for one series of flanging chucks, the provision of fixed can stops on the outer face of the star wheel adjacent the second set of flanging chucks for cooperation therewith in initially providing a means to prevent a sliding of the cans from the flanging chucks, and a slight change in the camming tracks to provide for an initial withdrawal of the beading chucks. The stops, while preventing withdrawal of the can bodies from the flanging chucks as the beading chucks are withdrawn, in no way interfere with the subsequent withdrawal of the flanging chucks.While the apparatus of the invention can obviously be built as a new piece of equipment, the features of the invention particularly lend themselves to being adapted into commercially available equipment through a selective, relatively straight forward and economical modification thereof. This in turn will increase the versatility of existing equipment.

Description

Claims

1. An apparatus for the formation of the opposed ends of a tubular can body including a pocketing rotary carrier for receiving and moving a can body along a predetermined path through said apparatus, opposed first and second die chuck means mounted for forming movement into engagement with the opposed ends of a can body as the can body moves along a portion of the path through the apparatus, and means for simultaneously moving said chuck means into engagement with said can ends; the improvements comprising means for sequentially moving said first chuck means out of engagement with the can body and then said second chuck means out of engagement with the can body, and stop means on a rigid with said carrier cooperating with the second chuck means, when engaged with the can body end, to engage and retain one end in engagement with the second chuck means as the first chuck means is moved out of engagement with the can body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stop means allows free retraction of the second chuck means from the corresponding can body end and from the stop means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said rotary carrier comprises a pair of laterally spaced star wheels, each adjacent and having an outer face directed toward one of the opposed chuck means and each incorporating a series of peripheral can body receiving pockets, the pockets on the wheels being in laterally aligned pairs, each pair being adapted to receive and support a can body with the opposed ends thereof projecting outward of the outer faces of the star wheels respectively toward and for selective engagement by the first and second chuck means, said stop means comprising outwardly projecting enlargements defined about the pockets on the outer face of the wheel adjacent the second chuck means for orientation closely adjacent the end of the can body as it is formed by the second chuck means to effect, in cooperation with the second chuck means, a retention of this formed can body end on the second chuck means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the outwardly projecting stop means is formed separately from and is secured to the star wheel adjacent the second chuck means.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the outwardly projecting retaining means is formed integrally with the star wheel adjacent the second chuck means.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first chuck means comprises beading chucks, said second chuck means comprising flanging chucks.