GB1603267A - Apparatus for handling cans and tubes - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (11) is provided which serves to guide cans or tubes (15), closed on one side or provided with only a small aperture at one side, to and from a processing station (12), for example a coating or printing mechanism. In order to be able to guide the cans or tubes (15) continuously or by stages to the processing station, in a simple manner, without disrupting their passage, and in order simultaneously to guarantee continuous, uniform coating and/or printing, the apparatus (11) has a turret-like rotating part which carries a plurality of shell-type spindles (34), a brace (56, 57), which acts at least in the region of the processing section, being provided for the axial fixing of a can or tube (15) on the corresponding shell-type spindle (34) and being formed by a vacuum device which holds the can or tube (15) on the shell-type spindle. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CANS AND TUBES (71) I, KURT GOTTLOB HINTERKOPF, a citizen of the Federal Repulic of Germany of Gutenbergstr 5. Eislingen Fils, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: lhis invention relates to an assembly for handling cans or tubes which are closed at one end or are provided in one end with only a small hole, in their passage to and from a processing station for example a varnishing or a printing station or the like. The terms 'cans' as used hereinafter in the claims is to be interpreted as relating to cans and tubes.

Hitherto, cans or tubes have been conveyed on a continuous chain provided with suitable holding pegs, to the processing station to be, for example, varnished or printed. Since such conveyor chains are continuously in motion the cans or tubes have to be taken off the chain to be fed through the processing machine and have subsequently to be returned to the conveyor chain.

According to the present invention there is provided an assembly for handling cans which are closed at one end, along an annular path, said assembly comprising a rotary member mounting at least one support means for a can, the or each support means having a passage which opens into an end face of the support means and which can be connected to a compressed air source or evacuated through a vacuum source in a predetermined sequence by means of a valve assembly, the latter comprising an annular rotary part arranged for rotation with the rotary member and having primary control ports for communicating with the passage of the or each support means, and an annular fixed part in sliding contact with the rotary part and having secondary control ports for communicating with the compressed air source, the vacuum source and the atmosphere, the primary and secondary control ports opening onto contact surfaces of the valve parts, and the contact surfaces are formed by conical surfaces, and the fixed parts of the valve assembly being axially movable and biassed against the rotary part by means of a spring arrangement.

The cans or tubes can be fed into the processing station either continuously or intermittently without interfering with the normal flow of conveyance of the cans or tubes and thereby ensure that the processes of varnishing andlor printing are continuous and uniform.

The use of a turrnet type rotary base makes it possible for the individual tubes or cans to be fed into the station or to move past the situation without interfering with the general flow of objects. By fixing the cans or tubes in the axial direction it is ensured that they may be varnished evenly and that the print is clear and free from smudges or similar blemishes. The number of the holding spindles on the rotary base should preferably be such that their plurality corresponds to the capacity of the other stations involved with the manufacture of cans of this kind.

With the invention the locking element is constituted by a vacuum device capable of fixing the can or tube relative to the holding spindle. For this purpose a given point on the periphery of a feeder element which centrally projects through the rotary base, is provided with a connecting bore for assembly with a vacuum pump or vacuum pipe to provide a connection with a suction duct in the rotary base which leads to a first spindle, as soon as the latter reaches the operating region of the processing station. In this extremely simple manner the cans or tubes are reliably fixed in their processing position.

In addition to the above the fixed part has additional connecting bores extending at predetermined positions and in predetermined directions of rotational angles relative to the rotating part. These additional bores are used for the supply of compressed air and as connections with the atmosphere to be used as vent ducts. Depending on the rotational position of the rotating part, the other end of said bores connect with at least one holding spindle from which, in a first case, the varnished or printed can or tube may be detatched; in a second case, for example, cans or tubes could be pushed over the supporting spindles, to be processed.

This may be done without difficulty because the space between the bottom and the spindle is vented through a bore. The operations are thereby fully automatic, and the methods and means used with the fitting and removal respectively of the processed objects, are extremely simple.

Any tubes or cans which happen to be damaged while being fitted on a holding spindle are preferably discarded by the processing machine, for example the varnishing or printing station.

For this purpose an additional spindle is provided in the chosen embodiment of the invention, which is connected with a compressed air controlled by a sensing member for damaged objects so that the tube or can which is found to be faulty may be blown off without having to stop the machine.

The supply section of the assembly consists of a ring comprising the required connecting bores, whereas the rotary base is provided with a sleeve which pressure-tightly embraces the stationary feeder ring, the sleeve comprising channel bores which either connect with a corresponding spindle or isolate it depending on the process to which the objects are subjected.

It is moreover possible for more than one spindle to be supplied through the individual connecting bores. This may for example be desirable in order to increase the operating efficiency by fitting more spindles with cans or tubes and remove them accordingly. Similarly, a smaller or greater number of spindles could be connected with the rotary base through corresponding fixing arms.

Further details and embodiments of the invention are discussed in the specification which follows below, reference being made to the accompanying drawings which explain the invention by way of a chosen embodiment. In particular, Figure 1 is a schematic presentation of an assembly for the feeding and removal of hollow bodies into, and from, a processing station according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a section along the line II-II in Figure 1.

The assembly 11 represented in the drawing which shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, serves as a means of feeding into, and removing from, a processing station 12 especially such cans or tubes 15 of cylindrical, conical, or a similar form, which are closed on one end or comprise only a very small opening on one end, and are to be varnished, printed, or finished in a similar manner, in a suitable station. The assembly 11 lifts for example the cans 15 off their supporting pegs on a continuous conveyor chain to carry them continuously or intermittently along a processing station 12. While passing along this processing station the objects may be varnished, printed, or finished in a similar manner to be finally returned by the assembly to the continuously moving conveyor chain.

As indicated in the drawing, the assembly 11 consists essentially of a supply ring 13 which is stationary in its circumferential direction, and a turrent type rotary base 14 which may revolve continuously or intermittently around the ring 13 in a direction indicated by the arrow A. The rotary base 14 is provided with a sleeve 16 to which a conical ring 17 is connected through flanges in a rotationally locked manner. The unit composed of the sleeve 16 and the conical ring 17 are rotatable about a shaft 18 which supports the non-rotatable ring 13 in an axially resilient connection. The rotatable mounting of the sleeve 16 and the conical ring 17 is effected by an antifriction bearing 19, part of which is shown in the drawing, and by the conical bearing areas 21,22 on the fixed ring 13 and on the conical ring 17 respectively. The form of these bearing areas is such that they constitute on the one hand a plain bearing for the relative revolutions of the two rings 13 and 17 and provide, on the other hand, a pressure tight sealing area.

With the illustrated embodiment, one of the matching bearing surfaces consists of cast iron, and the other is made of brass.

The non-rotational, axially resilient ring 13 being located inside of, and concentric with, the conical ring 17, is held in its axially resilient position with the aid of at least one bolt 24 screwed into a flanged sleeve 23, and a compression spring 27 which is supported on one side against the bolt head and on the other side against a step in the bore 26 in the supply ring 13. The bearing surfaces 22,21, are thus permanently in close contact whereby the surface 22 on the supply ring is actively pressed against the axially immobile area 21 on the conical ring 17.

The flanged sleeve 23 is non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 18, using at least one grub screw 28. Needless to say it would be feasible for several screws 24 and compression springs 27 to be arranged around the periphery of the fixed ring 13 at uniform spacing and to use additionally a number of guide pins 29 between the flanged sleeve 23 and the ring 13.

Between the sleeve 16 and the conical ring 17 on the rotary base 14 which are connected through axial bolts 31 are wedged a number of radially projecting arms 32, for example 7 as shown in the figures, whose free ends serve as collets 37 for the bearing sleeves 33 in which axially parallel spindles 34 are rotably supported in ball bearings 36. The cans 15 to be processed may be pulled over the spindles 34 in a substantially tight fit. Depending on the diameter of said cans, the spindles may be exchanged together with their bearing sleeves 33. The disconnectable manner in which the spindle arms 32 are mounted on the rotary base 14 enables the number of arms and spindles carried on the rotary base 14 to be varied as desired depending on requirements. This applies similarly to the number of the chosen connecting points as will be explained below. From this it follows that the composition of the assembly 11 according to the invention is variable in the manner of modular units, whereby the fixed ring 13 may supply power to all operating stations together or to any chosen number of the possible operations which could be carried out on the machine.

All spindles 34 are provided with an axial bore 41 which extends from the free end into the region where the bearing sleeve 33 is located. The end section of these axial bores 41 has at least one transverse, radial bore 42 which connects with the annular space 43 between the spindle 34 and the bearing sleeve 33. The bearing sleeve 33, the collar 37, and the supporting arm 32 in turn are provided with radial connecting bores 44 which extend from the annular space 43 through an axially parallel connecting member at the arm 32 into an external connecting nipple 46. A number of through bores 47, arranged around the periphery of the conical ring 17 on the rotary base 14 extend radially from the bearing surface 21 into an external connecting nipple 48 on the peripphery of the conical ring 17. In the case of the chosen embodiment the number of through bores 47 corresponds to the number of arms 32 or rather spindles 34 carried on the arms. Depending on the number of operations involved with the process, the connecting bores 44 in the spindle arms 32 and the radial through bores 47 in the conical ring 17 will be either sealed off against each other or interconnected through an external, L-shaped pipe 49.

The fixed, central supply ring 13 comprises a number of blind bores 53 extending from the end face 51 and furnished with connecting nipples 52 and opening into radially directed bores 54 which lead into the radial, through bores 47 and to the bearing surface 22 on the conical ring 17 at positions opposite to the through bores. The number of these connecting ducts 57 composed of the bores 53 and 54 is, in the chosen embodiment, smaller than the number of spindles or of the corresponding ducts 56 respectively which are constituted by the various bores, annular spaces, pipes and the like 41 to 44 and 47,49 because in the embodiment shown in the illustration two spindles 34 are connectable at several positions with one common feeder channel 57. The connection of one or several of the channels 56 supplying the individual spindles 34 with a common supply duct is such that a predetermined operation may be carried out on the hollow bodies 15 supported on all, or most, of the spindles 34 whatever their angular position relative to the processing station. The functions of the assembly 11 according to the invention are explained below, reference being made to Figure 1.

In the position shown in Figure 1, the spindle 34/1 is connected with a channel 57/1 through a supply channel 56/1 which, being connected with a vacuum pump which is not shown in the drawing, acts as a suction duct. In consequence of this connection the can 15 on the spindle 34/1 is axially fixed by the effect of the vacuum which presses it against the free end face 35 of the spindle 34/1. This locking effect, or axial anchorage enables the can 15 to be processed very evenly as there is no danger that the can on the spindle might inadvertently be displaced, turned, or removed from the spindle while the work is in progress.

The supply channel 56/2 of the spindle 34/2 which is consecutive in the rotational direction A, is closed blind which means that in this position the can 15 on its spindle is not affected.

The subsequent third and fourth positions in the rotational direction are occupied by the spindles 34/3 and 34/4, each of which supports a can 15; the corresponding supply or feeder channels 56/3 and 56/4, acting as pressure channels, lead into the connecting duct 57/3 which is connected with a compressed air line or pneumatic compressor which are not shown in the drawing. Viewed in the circumferential direction this connecting duct 57/3 is located between the two pressure channels 56/3 and 56/4 with which it is connected through a groove 58 in the external circumferential surface of the ring 13, opening towards the outside and, in the position depicted in the drawing, extending over an angular rage which is wide enough to connect with both of the feeder channels 56/3 and 56/4. In this position, compressed air is used to loosen the cans 15 on their spindles so that the cans arriving at the fourth position may for example be removed without difficulty by elements of the continuous chain. The purpose of loosening the cans prior to removal from the spindles is to avoid damaging the surfaces of objects adhering to the spindles under the effect of the vacuum otherwise it would be difficult for transfer tools such as tongs or grippers to remove the objects mechanically from the spindles without damaging their newly manufactured surfaces. Alternatively, the effects of compressed air could be utilised for loosening the hollow bodies while they are in the third position so that they may be blown off the spindles in the fourth position.

If the fifth position which actually constitutes the initial stage of feeding a can 15 into a processing station 12, the spindle 34/5 is used as a means of accommodating the can transferred from the continuously moving chain. The corresponding feeder channel 56/5 is connected with a connecting duct 57/5 in the ring 13, which leads into the atmosphere, acting as a breather pipe. The can 15 is pushed over the spindle 34/ 5 with the aid of suitable mechanical means, for example grippers, and this operation is facilitated by the effect of venting, which means that the air may escape from between the end face 35 of the spindle 34 and the bottom 20 of the can 15.

This applies similarly to the spindle 34/6 in the sixth position, the corresponding channel 56/6 being likewise connected with the breather pipe 57/5 through a groove 59 which extends along the periphery of the ring 13 and in analogy to the above covers an angular range which is wide enough to enable both channels 56/5 and 56/6 to be simultaneously connected.

The spindle 34/7 in the seventh position is connected through the corresponding feeder channel 56/7 with a connecting duct 57/7 which serves as a pressure line as it is connected with a compressed air line or compressor in analogy to the connecting duct 57/3.A sensing element 61 located between the sixth and the seventh positions examines the cans 15 for any damage caused when pushing the object over its spindle or possibly during a preceding operation. If no damage is detected the can 15 is passed on to the processing station 12 without further interruption. However, if the can is found to be faulty, the sensing element 61 will actuate a stop valve (not shown) which is located inside the compressed air line leading to the connecting duct 57/7, the opened valve admitting compressed air to the hollow body 15 through the feeder channel 56/7 so that it may be blown off the spindle 34/7. Being completely blown off, the hollow body is received in a catch basket to be taken to a scrap pile. The sensing element 61 may be of any suitable design which is not discussed in detail. Its incorporation into the assembly makes it possible or the rotary base 14 to revolve without stopping.

The method described above is therefore such that the cans 15 may be fed into, or removed from, the processing station 12 in continuous motion. This includes the movements carried out when removing objects from the conveyor chain and when they are replaced on the chain after processing. The pneumatic actions of the axial anchorage, the loosening of cans and their being blown relative to the spindle positions provide a simple and economical solution which ensures trouble-free and reliable operations. Needless to say each of the spindles 34/1 to 34/7 are consecutively connected with each of the connecting ducts 57/1 to 57/7 used in the process, as the rotary base 14 revolves about the ring.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing there are, moreover, a number of breather pipes provided which are arranged around the circumference of the supply ring 13 and have the forms of axially parallel grooves 62 which open into the atmosphere, for example in the region of the free front end. All of these breather pipes 62 are located between two channels 57 of which one would connect with a vacuum line or a vent bore while the other connects with a pressure line. The advantage of this arrangement is that creep pressures which might escape through the area between the bearing surfaces 21 and 22 on the rings 13 and 17, cannot reach the adjacent connecting channels, because they are removed by the breather pipes 62. More especially, the above arrangement prevents compressed air in the connecting channels 57/3 and 57/7 from reaching the vacuum channel 57/1. Apart from this the effect of the plain bearing 21,22 is not interfered with.

The assembly 11 according to the invention may of course comprise a greater, or a smaller number of connecting and feeder channels or spindles respectively. Depending on the type of the cans to be processed, this may be favourable under certain conditions. Similarly it is feasible that some of the feeder channels 56 are sealed off and thus put out of action. The essential feature of the assembly 11 according to the invention is that the cans are axially fixed while they are being processed.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. An assembly for handling cans which are closed at one end, along an annular path, said assembly comprising a rotary member mounting ate least one support means for a can, the or each support means having a passage which opens into an end face of the support means and which can be connected to a compressed air source or evacuated through a vacuum source in a predetermined sequence by means of a valve assembly, the latter comprising an annular rotary part arranged for rotation with the rotary member and having primary control ports for communicating with the passage of the or each support means, and an annular fixed part in sliding contact with the rotary part and having secondary control ports for communicating with the compressed air source, the vacuum source and the atmosphere, the primary and secondary control ports opening onto contact surfaces of the valve parts, and the contact surfaces are formed by conical surfaces, and the fixed part of the valve assembly being axially movable and biassed against the rotary part by means of a spring arrangement.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control ports for communicating with the atmosphere are formed by axial grooves in the contact surface of the fixed part of the valve assembly.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the control ports for communicating with the atmosphere is provided between each pair of control ports in the fixed part for communicating respectively with the compressed air source and with the vacuum source.

4. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein one of the contact surfaces of the valve parts is formed of cast iron, and the other is formed of brass.

5. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each support means is mounted in an arm which is releasably fitted to the rotary member.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein a passage in the or each arm communicates between the passage of the respective support means and a respective primary control port of the rotary part of the valve assembly by way of an external line.

7. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one of the control ports of the fixed part is connected to the compressed air source under the control of a sensor responding to faulty components.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to be simultaneously connected. The spindle 34/7 in the seventh position is connected through the corresponding feeder channel 56/7 with a connecting duct 57/7 which serves as a pressure line as it is connected with a compressed air line or compressor in analogy to the connecting duct 57/3.A sensing element 61 located between the sixth and the seventh positions examines the cans 15 for any damage caused when pushing the object over its spindle or possibly during a preceding operation. If no damage is detected the can 15 is passed on to the processing station 12 without further interruption. However, if the can is found to be faulty, the sensing element 61 will actuate a stop valve (not shown) which is located inside the compressed air line leading to the connecting duct 57/7, the opened valve admitting compressed air to the hollow body 15 through the feeder channel 56/7 so that it may be blown off the spindle 34/7. Being completely blown off, the hollow body is received in a catch basket to be taken to a scrap pile. The sensing element 61 may be of any suitable design which is not discussed in detail. Its incorporation into the assembly makes it possible or the rotary base 14 to revolve without stopping. The method described above is therefore such that the cans 15 may be fed into, or removed from, the processing station 12 in continuous motion. This includes the movements carried out when removing objects from the conveyor chain and when they are replaced on the chain after processing. The pneumatic actions of the axial anchorage, the loosening of cans and their being blown relative to the spindle positions provide a simple and economical solution which ensures trouble-free and reliable operations. Needless to say each of the spindles 34/1 to 34/7 are consecutively connected with each of the connecting ducts 57/1 to 57/7 used in the process, as the rotary base 14 revolves about the ring. In the embodiment shown in the drawing there are, moreover, a number of breather pipes provided which are arranged around the circumference of the supply ring 13 and have the forms of axially parallel grooves 62 which open into the atmosphere, for example in the region of the free front end. All of these breather pipes 62 are located between two channels 57 of which one would connect with a vacuum line or a vent bore while the other connects with a pressure line. The advantage of this arrangement is that creep pressures which might escape through the area between the bearing surfaces 21 and 22 on the rings 13 and 17, cannot reach the adjacent connecting channels, because they are removed by the breather pipes 62. More especially, the above arrangement prevents compressed air in the connecting channels 57/3 and 57/7 from reaching the vacuum channel 57/1. Apart from this the effect of the plain bearing 21,22 is not interfered with. The assembly 11 according to the invention may of course comprise a greater, or a smaller number of connecting and feeder channels or spindles respectively. Depending on the type of the cans to be processed, this may be favourable under certain conditions. Similarly it is feasible that some of the feeder channels 56 are sealed off and thus put out of action. The essential feature of the assembly 11 according to the invention is that the cans are axially fixed while they are being processed. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. An assembly for handling cans which are closed at one end, along an annular path, said assembly comprising a rotary member mounting ate least one support means for a can, the or each support means having a passage which opens into an end face of the support means and which can be connected to a compressed air source or evacuated through a vacuum source in a predetermined sequence by means of a valve assembly, the latter comprising an annular rotary part arranged for rotation with the rotary member and having primary control ports for communicating with the passage of the or each support means, and an annular fixed part in sliding contact with the rotary part and having secondary control ports for communicating with the compressed air source, the vacuum source and the atmosphere, the primary and secondary control ports opening onto contact surfaces of the valve parts, and the contact surfaces are formed by conical surfaces, and the fixed part of the valve assembly being axially movable and biassed against the rotary part by means of a spring arrangement.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control ports for communicating with the atmosphere are formed by axial grooves in the contact surface of the fixed part of the valve assembly.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the control ports for communicating with the atmosphere is provided between each pair of control ports in the fixed part for communicating respectively with the compressed air source and with the vacuum source.

4. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein one of the contact surfaces of the valve parts is formed of cast iron, and the other is formed of brass.

5. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each support means is mounted in an arm which is releasably fitted to the rotary member.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein a passage in the or each arm communicates between the passage of the respective support means and a respective primary control port of the rotary part of the valve assembly by way of an external line.

7. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one of the control ports of the fixed part is connected to the compressed air source under the control of a sensor responding to faulty components.

8. An assembly for handling cans substant

ially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.