US2567096A - Protective liner for can impellers - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1951 BERRAR I 2,567,096

PROTECTIVE LINER FOR CAN IMPELLERS Filed Nov. 12, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IE E 35 INVENTOR F I I::|' 1|:l KARL 1.. BER/MR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 4, 1 951 Q PROTECTIVE LINER FOR CAN IMPELLERS Karl L. Berrar, San Jose, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application November 12, 1946, Serial No. 709,255

The present invention relates to can handling apparatus and is concerned more particularly with the provision of a protective lining for the can engaging surfaces of can impelling mechanism associated with such apparatus.

Movement of cans by a can impelling mechanism causes continuous wearing of the can engaging surfaces thereof, particularly when used in apparatus in which canned goods undergo a treatment such as cooking, cooling, or the like. Such treating apparatus, as exemplified in Patent No. 2,211,801, issued to A. R. Thompson, August 20, 1940, are usually of the rotating reel and spiral canway type comprising a treating chamber through which the can impellers move for urging cans along a spiral path from a receiving toward a discharging station while the canned goods undergo treatment.

In order to minimizecost, the can impellers are usually mill rolled stock steel angles, and

since the treatment of canned goods within such treating chambers entails the use of steam, moisture, and air, these angles are susceptible to rusting or corrosion.

The cans undergoing treatment are, of course, filled and sealed and therefore offer resistance to movement by the impeller angles causing friction between the cans and the rusted or corroded surfaces of the steel angles. Since cans are continuously fed through such treating chambers, constant friction between the cans and the can engaging surfaces of the impeller angles causes the rust and corrosion on such surfaces to be scraped off resulting in pitting and irregular wearing of the angles. the angles become so irregular and thin in spots as to require replacement in order to prevent damaging of the cans by jamming of the cans in the impelling mechanism.

It is one object of this invention to provide a non-corrosive, Wear resisting lining for can impelling angles in continuous cookers and coolers to thereby eliminate the need for frequent replacement of the can impeller angles thereof.

Another object is to provide a unitary stainless steel liner for the can impelling angles of can handling apparatus.

Another object is to provide a single sheet can impeller liner so configurated as to grip the impeller as the liner is pressed in one direction toward the same.

Another object is to provide can impeller angles with a single sheet lining having can engaging portions joined by an integral web and diverging slightly relative to the contiguous inner faces In time the surfaces of 8 Claims. (Cl. 198211) 2 of a can impeller angle so as to grippingly hug the same when the web is urged toward'the angle by securing means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross section of a can impeller provided with the lining strip of the present invention prior to permanent attachment thereto.

Fig.2 is a view similar'to Fig. 1 showing the lining strip of the present invention firmly secured to the can impeller.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a can impeller lined in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of securing means for firmly securing the. lining of the present invention to a can impeller.

' Fig. 5 is similar to Figs. 2 and 4 showing another form of securing means for securing the lining strip to the can impeller.

Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive illustrate the liner of the present invention associated with the can impelling angles of a cooker or cooler reel disposed in different positions relative to a spiral trackway associated with the reel.

Fig. '10 is a section'taken along line III-Ill in Fig. 6. r

In the drawings, (Figs. 1 to 3) I designates a can impeller adapted to be lined in accordance with the present invention. In practice, such can impellers are secured in any conventional manner to a moving carriage with their long axes extending transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the carriage (Fig. 6). While the can impeller I, shown herein, is a simple form of L-shaped angle iron, it is to be understood that it may be of any other form, for instance T-shaped, so long as it comprises a flange 2 (Fig. 1) adapted to be secured to a moving carriage and a flange 3 so disposed relative to the flange 2 as to receive a can therebetween. The can may be supported solely by the flanges 2 and 3 for movement in a static condition or it may be supported by an auxiliary runway associated with the can impellers in such a manner (Fig. 9) that the cans will roll as they are pushed along by the flanges 3 thereof. The cans may thus be moved along an inclined or a declined track so that either one or the other side of the flange 3 may be engaged by a can.

For purposes of illustration, the present invention has been disclosed in connection with a can impeller of the type referred to as an angle iron pusher bar in the can handling apparatus disclosed in the Thompson patent mentioned above. In Figs. 6 to 10 of the drawings herein, the angle iron pusher bars are designated by the reference numeral 5 and have their flanges 2 secured to the outer rim 6 of a spider wheel or wheels i so that their flanges 3 extend radially with respect to the wheels 1 and constitute therewith a rotating reel 8. The reel 8 is usually some 40 feet in length, provided with cross bracing between wheels 1 and is supported for rotation in a conventional manner within a cooker shell l0 concentric to a spiral trackway l I secured to the inner wall of the shell II]. In such arrangement, the cans are guided by the spiral trackway II for movement in the direction of the arrows l2 (Figs. 6 to 10) along a spiral path provided by the trackway l I. In this circuitous path, the cans, when beneath the reel 8 (Fig. 9), are supported by the spiral trackway I I, when above the reel (Fig. 6), they are supported by the pusher bars 5, and, when lowered (:Fi'g'. "7).; .or elevated (Fig. *8), on either side of the reel, the cans are supported by :either or hot a pusher bar or the spiral trackway l i.

It is,.therefore,apparerit that when .the pusher bars 5 are bare or eunlined thecans contactseveral difiernt surfacesthereof during one complete revolution of the reel. In other words, a can positioned the region .of the spiral trackway below thereel as shown in Fig. 9, contacts the leading face of the flange 3 of the bare I pusher bar. As the bare pusher bar is moved from the position shown inlFig. 9, the can remains supported :by the trackway H and the face 15 of the flange';3, the :canin transit rotating slightly with respect to the face I5 of the flange v3. .After the bare "pusher bar passes beyond horizontal the can'rolls by gravity along, the face l5 into contact with the :face [6 of the flange .2 of the pusher bar asshown in Fig. :8. When the pusher bar arrives vertically abovez thereel at the position shown in Fig;'6, the can rests upon the surface it"of the flange 2 and as 'theibare pusher bar descends relative to the spiral trackway H, the can rolls by gravity along the face l6 into contactfwith the face 11 on the flange .3 of the preceding pusher bani. e., the face thereof opposite the face 115 of the flange 3; Upon further descent of the bare pusher bar, to the position shown in :Fig. 7, the can rolls along the :face .l 1

into contact with the spiral trackway H and subsequently rotates relative to the face ll of the bare pusher bar as the latter completes one revolution'relative to the trackway.

Simultaneous with the progress of a can through one revolution of the reel, as stated above, the can'is shifted lengthwise relative to the bare pusher bar, .as indicated by the arrows ZD in'Fig. 10, a distance substantially equal to one *can length or the pitch of .one convolution of the spiral trackway' II. It is, therefore apparent that the cans are shifted and rotated dur-' ingcontact with either or :a pair of the surfaces l5, t6,'or H of the pusher bars and, consequently, scrape the surfaces so contacted, thereby causing a: removal of incrustations of rust and/or corrosion therefrom.

In accordance with the present invention, the surfaces [5, l6, and I! which would ordinarily be contacted by a can, are protected by the provision of a liner 22 in the .ma-nner as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

- The liner .22, preferably comprises a single sheet or strip 23 of non-corrosive wear resisting material, such as stainless steel of approximately .020 gauge corresponding in length to the length the pusher bar 5 so as to prevent the cans from contacting the faces i5, I6, and ll of the pusher bar.

The section v2"! of-the sheet 23 is bent back upon the section 25 thereof providing a bight portion 28 therebetween adapted to flt the rounded edge "29 of the flange 3 of the pusher bar. The section 21 provides a can engaging lip parallel to the face ll of the pusher bar 5 and the section 25 is substantially but not quite parallel with respect to the section 21, as well as the face 55 of the pusher bar. The section 25 of the sheet 23 has its extreme "outer -edge v3 bent to fit the rounded edge 3:1aoftheflange12-of thebar 5 so that the section 26 Willlie in-a plane nearly but not quite parallel with respect to the face I6 of the flange 2. The sheet 23 is bent at break lines 25' and 25 which are substantially-equidistant the arcuate extremities 2'8 and 38, respectively, of the sections 25 and 25, i. e., preferably a distance conforming to the width of the section 27, to provide a central web 3-3 between the sections 25181161 :26. This central web 53 is adapted to be disposed normal to a hypothetical line 35 'bisecting the angle between the sections 25 and 26, as is illustrated in Fig; '1. The strip 23 thus formed presents a liner '22 substantially conforming to-' the shape of the pusher bar 5 except that the angle between the sections :25 and 26 is slightly greater than the angle between the flanges 3 and 2. It is, therefore, apparent that the sections 25 and '25 diverge relative to each other and, consequently, "the liners 22 are easily applied to the pusher bars from the periphery of the reel by sliding the substantially parallel sections 25 and 2? over the radially disposed flanges 3 of the pusher barsuntil theextremity "30 of the sectionifi engages the flange 2, as shown in Fig.1.

It will be noted that the sections 25, 26, and web 33 combined are of lesser dimension than that of the facesrl5 and it so that although the web 33 may be pressed toward the pusher bar it will not engage the :same but merely flex the sections 25 and 26 closer toward parallelism with the respective faces 15 and [5 of the pusher bar. When a liner 22 is placed on a pusher bar 5 as stated above, the diverging sections 25 and 26 of the liner and the central web 33 therebetween are spaced from the inner faces of the pusher bar and only the rounded edges 28 and 35 contact the flanges 3 and 2, respectively. It should be understood that the edge 30 of the liner overlying the rounded edge 35 of the flange :2 need not completely circumscribe the rounded edge 3| as a matter 'of fact, it need not be curled over the rounded edge '3! but'may terminate at the end of the face it where the latter merges with the edge 3|.

Since the section 2'5 of the liner only extends downwardly suflicient to prevent cans from contacting the face i"! of the flange 3 and the edge 3i? of the section 26 ends at the rounded edge 3| of the flange 2 it is apparent that no part of the liner 22 extends inwardly of the reel beyond the periphery of the rim 6 of any of the spider wheels 7 thereof. Consequently, special Cutting and fitting of the liner 2.2 with respect to the rims 6 and any incidental cross bracing between the rims is avoided.

The web 33 of each liner is provided with apertures 38 at desired positions along its length, preferably every three to four feet along its length. These apertures 38 may be formed in the liner while it is still a flat sheet to facilitate stacking of several sheets 23 with a jig for manifold drilling or punching on a mass production basis.

The apertures 38 so formed are centered crosswise the web 33 and, therefore, are adapted to be aligned with the hypothetical line 35 which bisects the angle between the sections 25 and 26 of the liner and the angle between the flanges 2 and 3 of the pusher bar 5.

-Wlren the liners 22 are assembled on the pusher bars '5 (see Fig. 6) their diverging sections 25 and 26 are so disposed as to permit the passage of fasteners through the apertures 38 for attachment to the cove portion 39 of the pusher bar. Any well known form of fastening member may be utilized if desired, but from the standpoint of efficiency, best results are obtained by using blind type fasteners for reasons later to be made apparent.

The preferred form of blind type securing member shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is a stud 40 adapted to be welded to the cove portion 39 of the pusher bar in any conventional manner. However, the liner 22 of the present invention is so constructed as to permit Welding of the studs to the pusher bars by a stud Welder of the type disclosed in the Nelson Patent No. 2,191,494 dated February 26, 1940. The stud welder referred to is not shown herein but is a hand tool having a chuck for firmly holding the stud so that it can be inserted through one of the apertures 38. The stud is thereby held in a proper position against the cove portion 39 of the pusher bar while an arc is established between the bar 5 and the stud 40 to weld the two together. Thereafter, the chuck can be withdrawn from the stud which remains secured to the pusher bar with its axis substantially bisecting the angle between the flanges 2 and3 of the pusher bar, as shown in Fig. 1.

The stud 48 is provided with a tubular formed end 44 adapted to receive a heading die which, for purposes of illustration, is generally indicated by reference numeral 45 in Fig. 1. The annular extremity of the tubular end 44 is flared during spinning of the die 45 as the latter is pressed against the end 44 to form a head 46 on the stud. During formation of the head 4'6 the latter is pressed against the web 33 of the liner to force the web toward the base of the stud thereby drawing the contiguous sections and 26 closer toward parallelism with respect to the faces [5 and I6, respectively, of the pusher bar. Consequently, the bight portion 28 of the liner is'drawn down tightly upon the rounded edge 29 of the pusher bar and simultaneously the edge is pressed firmly against the rounded edge 3| of the flange 2 into the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

While the specific form of securing member illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 has a tubular end adapted to be flared outwardly to bear against the web 33, the same effect may be attained by blind rivets or by a stud are welded to the angle and having a solid end, not shown, and by forming a head thereon with a riveting die, not shown. Another modified form of stud is illus-. trated in Fig. 5 in which a solid ended stud 48 or securing members is shown provided with threads adapted to re ceive a nut 49 for pressing the web 33 and sec tions 25 and 26 of the liner toward the pusher bar. If desired, a plain stud having an internal thread, not shown, may be employed to receive a drive screw; or, as exemplified by the modification shown in Fig. 4 the pusher bar may be provided with a hole 58 and a drive screw 5| driven into the hole 50.

From the above it is apparent that in applying matter for one man to apply the liners and securing members to their respective pusher bars.

As is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, any one of these securing members when applied to the pusher bars, in the manner as stated above, will bear against the web 33 of the liner to press the latter unidirectionally toward the pusher bar along the line 35 which bisects the angle between the fianges 2 and 3 of the pusher bar. Since the angle between the sections 25 and 26 of the liner is slightly greater than the angle between the flanges 3 and 2 of the pusher bar and the bight portion 28 between sections 25 and 21 is hooked over the rounded edge 29 of the pusher bar, only the outer edges 28 and 30 of the sections 25 and 26, respectively, are in contact with the pusher bar when the liner is applied thereto, as shown in Fig. 1. Consequently, there is a substantial three point bearing between the bar and the liner, namely, at the two outer edges 28 and 36 of the liner and at the center of the web 33 when the web 33 is pressed toward the pusher bar by the head of a securing member (Figs. 2, 4 or 5). Since the combined dimension of the sections 25, 2B, and web 33 is less than that of the faces I5 and I6 of the pusher bar, it is apparent that the section 25 and web 33 are placed under tension as they are urged closer toward the face I5 of the pusher bar and are thereby stretched relative to the pusher bar. Moreover, the same pressure against the web 33 causes a flexing of sections 25 and 26, simultaneously springing the latter closer toward parallelism with the faces of the flanges 2 and 3. The liner 22 is thereby rigidly secured to the can impeller to prevent upturning of the extreme end 38 of the section 26 thereof and to eliminate undue vibration during operation.

From the above, it will be particularly noted that no portion of the lining is so disposed as to become snagged on any stationary mechanism associated with the can impeller. In other Words, the edge 30 of the liner is pressed tightly against the rounded edge 31 of the pusher bar and the bight portion 28 of the liner is drawn tightly downupon the extreme edge 29 of the flange 3 so as to assure sufiicient clearance relative to the spiral trackway I 1. Moreover, the bight portion 28 protects the extremity of the flange 3 from undue wear and tear by cans fed into or discharged from the can impelling'mechanism. From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a can impeller lining so configurated as to cooperate with a unidirectional securing force as to embrace and cover all can engaging surfaces of a can impeller to thereby protect such surfaces against constant wear during normal operation.

Having thus described the present invention in connection with a specific application, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the same may be modified or altered for adaptation to other applications without departing from the spirit of the invention and, therefore, I desire to avail myself of all modifications and alterations coming within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A lining for angularly disposed can engaging surfaces of a can impeller comprising a single sheet of non-corrosive wear resistant material bent to dispose contiguous portions thereof in angular relation with respect to each other so that the angle between them is slightly greater than the angle between said can engaging surfaces whereby the extremities of said contiguous portions engage the can engaging surfaces, said sheet having an opening therein in axial alignment with a line bisecting the angle between said contiguous portions, and a securing member having a shank extending through said opening for attachment to said can impeller and provided with a head for urging said lining toward said impeller.

2. A lining for angularly disposed can engaging surfaces of a can impeller comprising a single sheet of non-corrosive wear resisting material having contiguous portions thereof disposed at a greater angle with respect to each other than the angle between said can engaging surfaces whereby the extremities of said contiguous portions engage the can engaging surfaces, one of said contiguous portions having a hook shaped end for overlying the extremity of the adjacent can engaging surface, and securing means attached to said can impeller having a head portion urged toward said lining and can impeller along a line bisecting the angle between said contiguous portions for tensioning the latter to thereby stretchthe liner over the can engaging surfaces of the can impeller.

3. A lining for the can engaging surfaces of a can impeller having a base lying in a predetermined plane and a pusher bar substantially normal with respect thereto adapted to be engaged by cans on either of its sides, comprising a single sheet of non-corrosive wear resisting material bent back upon itself to fit over said pusher bar and bent in an opposite direction to provide contiguous portions disposed at an angle which is slightly greater than the angle between said base and pusher bar, and means secured to said can impeller and having a shank portion extending through said lining substantially along a line bisecting the angle between the contiguous portions thereof and provided with a head for urging said liner toward said can impeller for stretching the lining tightly over the can impeller.

4. Alining for angularly disposed can engaging surfaces of a can impeller comprising a single sheet of non-corrosive wear resisting material having a central portion adapted to lie in a plane normal to a line bisecting the angle between said can engaging surfaces and having contiguous can engaging portions disposed at a greater angle with respect to each other than the angle between said can engaging surfaces, and means attached to said can impeller for applying a force against said central portion for urging the latter toward the can impeller whereby the extremities of said can engaging portions are pressed tightly against the can engaging surfaces of the can impeller.

5. A lining for angularly disposed can engaging surfaces of a can impeller comprising a single sheet of non-corrosiveulwear resisting material having; one edge be'nt'back upon itself to provide a bight portion adapted to embrace the extremity of one can engaging surface, said sheet having an intermediate portion adapted to lie normal to a plane bisecting the angle between said can engaging surfaces and having can engaging portions on either side of said intermediate portion disposed at a greater angle with respect to each other than the angle between said can engaging surfaces, and means secured to said can impeller for applying force against said intermediate portion for urging the latter toward the can impeller to press the extremities of said can engaging portions against said can engaging surfaces and for drawing the bight portion tightly down upon the extremity of the can engaging surface embraced thereby.

6. A lining for the can engaging surfaces of a can impeller having a pusher bar adapted to engage cans disposed on either side thereof and a base substantially normal with respect thereto. comprising a single sheet of non-corrosive wear resisting material having a can engaging lip adapted to lie parallel to one side of said pusher bar and a can engaging portion adapted to overlie the opposite side of said pusher bar to pro vide a bight portion over the extremity of the pusher bar, said sheet having a portion thereof adapted to overlie the base of said impeller for engaging cans disposed thereon and so disposed relative to said first named can engaging portion that the angle between such can engaging portions is slightly greater than the angle between said base and pusher bar, said sheet having a web portion intermediate said can engaging portions disposed normal to a line bisecting the angle between them, and meanssecured to the can impeller for applying a force against said web to urge the latter toward said can impeller to thereby draw said bight portion tightly down upon the extremity of the pusher bar and stretch the adjacent can engaging portion relative to the same.

7. A lining for the can engaging surfaces of a can impeller having a pusher bar adapted to be engaged by cans disposed on either side thereof and a base substantially normal to said pusher bar for supporting cans adjacent the same, comprising a single sheet of non-corrosive wear resisting, material having an intermediate portion adapted to be disposed normal to a line bisectin the angle between the pusher bar and base and diverging can engaging portions bent forwardly relative to said intermediate portion so that the angle between said can engaging portions is slightly greater than the angle between said pusher bar and base, said sheet being bent backupon one of said can engaging portions to provide a bight portion adapted to overlie the extremity of the pusher bar and to provide a can engaging lip disposed parallel to the back face of said pusher bar and adapted to engage the same, said intermediate portion having openings at. predetermined positions along its length, and a blind fastener having a shank portion extending through each of said openings and attached to the can impeller and having a head portion for applying a force to said intermediate portion to thereby draw the bight portion tightly down upon the extremity of the pusher bar and press the extremities of said can engagin portions against the pusher bar and base for flexing said can engaging portions relative thereto.

8.. A protector for angularly disposed can engaging surfaces of a can impeller comprising non-corrosive wear resistant material formed to provide an angularly related pair of surfaces adapted to overlie the angularly disposed can engaging surfaces of the can impeller, each of said angularly related surfaces having a terminal 10 Number edge engageable with the terminal edge of the can engaging surface of the impeller over which it is overlaid, and means on said impeller engaging said protector intermediate said angularly"related surfaces thereof and exerting tension 15 2,278,627

on the protector to hold said protector edges 10 against the terminal edges of said can engaging surfaces of said impeller;

KARL L. BERRAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,422,002 Shaw July 4, 1922 1,579,676 Thompson Apr. 6, 1926 2,068,562 Murphy et al. Jan. 19, 1937 2,275,244 Bee et a1. Mar. 3, 1942 Wernig Apr. '7, 1942

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