US2626581A - Crimping head with laterally movable jaws - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 27, 1953 A.YE. ALMGREN ET AL 2,626,581

CRIMPING HEAD WITH LATERALLY MOVABLE JAWS Filed Nov. 8, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l A T To ENEYS Jan. 27, 1953 A. E. ALMGREN ETAL 2,626,581

CRIMPING HEAD WITH LATERALLY MOVABLE JAWS Filed Nov. 8, 194a 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J5 J6 53 Z29 I 6 L 50 I 30 f 24 6 57 Z9 Z9 5] I 31 Z4 M I 2a IN V EN TOR. j

A 7' Tole/vs Y5 1953 A. E. ALMGREN ETAL 2,626,581

Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNI TED S TATES PATENT OFFICE .CRIMPING'HEAD WITH LATERALLY .1-M01VABLE JAWS A guste. jAl mgrenfHillsida and John P. "Jakob, *Rosell efN. .,-"as sig'nors to AmericanCan Compa'n'y, New 'York, N. Y., 'a -corporation.of.-'New Jersey -Applicatio n November 8, 1948,: 'S efial'No.58 ,854

' The present invention relates'to crimping heads for uniting parts of containers and other'articles and has particular reference to an 'improved jaw type crimpingheadhavingnovel devices for ac.-

tuating the crimping jaws.

An object of the 'inventionis theprov'ision of an improved crimping head which fissimple'in construction and which isparticularly adaptable to small work such as crimping or expanding or contracting one part relative to anotherjpart to eiiec't the uniting of the parts.

Another object is the'provisionof an improved "crimping head wherein the operation of the "crimping jaws intoand out'of'operative position "is controlled by a single 'reciprocable member without the aid of devices such as springs and the-like ordinarily'used for'operating the "jaws in one direction.

Numerous other objects and advantages of-the invention will be apparent as-it'is'better understood from thefollowing description; which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a-preferred embodiment -thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a crimping he'ad embodying the instant invention, part of theih'ead being shown in section;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlargedzperspective.details of crimping jaws used .in the head;shown inzFi'g. c1,

withxparts brokenraway;

:Figs. :4 and-.5 are:sectional' viewsitakemsubstantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, the .viewsshowing .parts of :the head indifferent. positions, and

showing the upper portion of a container in .sec- *tion and in .position for closing by the head;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view'taken substantially along the line 6-6 in Fig. 4, with .parts shown in full; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are bottom plan views-takensubstantially along the lines 'll, 8-8 vin the :respective Figs. 4 and 5, with parts broken away.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a crimping head for outwardly crimping by expansion, the side walls A (Fig. 4) of a fibre friction plug B for closing and sealing a dispensing-opening C of a fibre milk container'Dof the'type disclosed in United States Patent 2,085L979' issued July 6, 1937 to John M.'Hothersallon'Container, although the invention is equally well adapted to crimping by contraction and to other similar crimping operations and to metallic articles as well as nonmetallic articles.

I he crimping head preferably is of substantially cylindrical formation and includesalhollow tapered shell ll (Figs. 4 and 5) having an open upper "end and having an integral foot section "or'elem'ent l2 surrounding arestricted opening l3 at its lower end for engaging the article to be operatedupon forlocating and supporting the article during the crimping operation. This shell l [at its upper endisthreadedly secured to a depending, surrounding flange 14 of a cup shaped cylindrieal body member l5 having 'a centrally located hub l 6 surrounding the axisof the head.

The hub 16 of the body member [5 is formed partly inside and partly-outside of the-member.

This hubservesas a bearing for a reciprocable rod lfiwhich extends downinto the interior of the shell H. The rod-may be reciprocated in its bearing in-any suitable manner.

"The inner orlower end of therod [8, as viewed in Fig. hcarries -an invertedfrusto-conical shaped bearing block or jaw actuating element H which is held in place by a'large headed screw-22 threadedly'engagedin the lower end of the rod. This block carriesa plurality'of cylindrical ' jaw shanks 24, 25 which are slidably disposed in upright James or bearings 26, '21 formed in the block around its axis and at an angle thereto. The

"bearings-21 aredispo'sed' at agreater anglerela- 'tive to'the axis of the block, than the bearings "26, as will :be readily observed in the drawings, for a;purpose to 'behereinafter explained.

The drawings show three shanks Maud three shanks 25 alternately located and they slope downwardly "and inwardly toward the opening 13 in the shell H. At their upperends, all of the shanks are individually supported on horizontally and'radially disposed stationary sliders "or-slide pins 28 which extend through transverse bearing holes 29 formed'in the upper ends of the I shanks.

The inner ends of the pins 28-are supported in spaced' and radial bores 3'!) in the bearing N5 of the head body I5. The outer'ends of the pins are supported in similarly spaced and'radial bores 3| formed in the flange I l of the head body 15. The outer ends of the pins are formed with enlarged locating heads 32 which are recessed into the body flange 14 and which are engaged by a ring 33 which surrounds the body flange forretaining the pins 28 .in' place.

At their lower ends each jaw shank 22, 25 is formed. with a depending extension .35 whichprojects through the opening 13 in the'shell H and which terminates in a crimping jaw. For an inside expanding operation such as that shown in the drawings as an example of a crimping action, the jaws are proportioned and arranged in such a manner as to form "a compact group or nest which may be contracted forinsertion into the article to be crimped and which may be expanded to produce a full continuous outer-crimping surface for effecting the crimping operation. For this purpose each of the extensions 36 of the three shanks 24 are formed with segmental shaped jaws 3'! (Figs. 2, 4, 7 and 8) having a relatively long outer curved crimping edge 38 and an inner straight guiding edge 39.

In a similar manner each of the extensions 36 of the alternate three shanks 25 (Figs. 3, '7 and 8) are formed with trapezoidiform jaws 4| having a relatively short outer curved crimping edge 42 and a pair of diverging or tapered straight guiding edges 43. In the contracted position of the jaws 31, 4| as best shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the trapezoidiform jaws 4| are disposed inside of the nest of jaws, with their guiding edges 43 engaging against the inner or guiding edges 39 of the segmental jaws 31. When the jaws are expanded into their crimping position as best shown in Fig. 8 they move outwardly in such a manner that the guiding edges 43 of the trapezoidiform jaws 4| slide along the guiding edges 39 of the segmental jaws 31 until the outer curved edges 38, 42 of these jaws align with each other and thus produce the full, continuous outer crimping surface hereinbefore mentioned.

During this expanding action, the trapezoidiform jaws 4| move outwardly a greater distance than the segmental jaws 31. It is for this reason that the bearings 21 in the actuating block 2| for the jaw shanks 25 are disposed at a greater angle to the axis of the head, than the bores 23 for the shanks 24, as hereinbefore mentioned.

In the operation of the crimping head described above, the crimping jaws 31, 4| are normally disposed in their contracted position as best shown in Figs. 4 and '7 for insertion into the friction plug B of the container D when the container or other article is positioned in locating engagement with the foot element |2 of the shell through relative movement between the head and the container. By relative movement between the head and the container is meant that the head could be moved down onto the container, or the container could be forced against the head. Also the body member l could be held stationary and the rod I8 made movable, as described, or the rod i8 held stationary and the body member i5 made movable. In either case there is a reciprocating movement between the body member I5 and the rod 18 with its attached bearing block 2|. Any or all of these relative movements are inherently possible in the construction disclosed. With the contracted jaws located within the friction plug B of the container, the rod I8 is pushed downwardly as viewed in Fig. 4 when the body member is stationary and this moves down the actuating or bearing block 2| into the position shown in Fig. 5. As the block 2| moves down into this position it slides along the jaw shanks 24, 25 and since the upper ends of these shanks are supported on the slide pins 28, the shanks are forced outwardly.

During this outward movement of the shanks 24,25 the upper ends of the shanks slide outwardly along the slide pins 28 and the jaws 31, 4| at the lower ends of the shanks move outwardly into their expanded positions as shown in Fig. 8. The jaws, in thus moving int their expanded position engage and expand the side wall section A of the friction plug B of the container D and thus crimp these side walls under the top wall of the container, producing an expanded bead E (Fig. 5) which secures the plug in place in the 4 opening C of the container. This completes the crimping operation.

Upon completion of the crimping operation, the rod l8 and its attached bearing block 2| are raised to their upper or normal position as shown in Fig. 4 and this shifts the jaw shanks 24, 25 inwardly and thus returns the jaws 31, 4| to their normally contracted positions. With the jaws thus contracted the crimped container may be readily removed from the head. This completes a cycle of operation of the head.

It will thus be observed that the action of the jaw shanks 24, 25 and their jaws 31, 4| is controlled in both inward and outward directions by a simple lowering and raising of the bearing block 2|. In this respect the block 2| serves as a cam or double Wedge for alternately acting against opposite sides of the jaw shanks 24, 25.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described bein merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In a crimping head for reforming bendable portions of articles, the combination of a body member having a plurality of radially disposed support elements therein, a bearing block having an axis and a plurality of slide bearings in said block arranged around said axis and disposed at an acute angle thereto, and a plurality of jaw shanks slideably disposed within said slide bearings, each of said shanks having at one end a crimping jaw and having its opposite end movably mounted on a said radial support for lateral movement only relative to said body member, said body member and said bearing block being movable toward and away from each other, said shanks through said movement being reciprocable in-said slide bearings and said jaws being movable by said block laterally relative to the axis of said slide block into and out of article crimping position.

2. 'In a crimping head for reforming bendable portions of articles, the combination of a body member, a bearing block having an axis and a plurality of slide bearings in said block arranged around said axis and disposed at an acute angle thereto, and a plurality of jaw shanks slideably disposed within said slide bearings, a crimping jaw at one end of each shank, and slide means in said body member and engaging the opposite ends of said shanks and confining movement of the engaged ends of said shanks to a lateral direction only relative to said body member, said body member and said bearing block being movable toward and away from each other, said shanks through said movement being reciprocable in said slide bearings and said jaws being movable by said block laterally relative to the axis of said slide block into and out of article crimping position.

3. In a crimping head for reforming bendable portions of articles, the combination of a body member, a bearing block mounted for movement relative to said body member along a longitudinal axis, said block having a plurality of slide bearings, some of said slide bearings being disposed at a specific acute angle to said longitudinal axis and other bearings being disposed at a less acute angle, a jaw shank slideably disposed within each slide bearing and having a lateral opening at one end, the jaw shanks located in the bearings at said specific acute angle having segmental shaped crimping jaws with inner straight guiding edges formed on the ends opposite to said lateral openings and the jaw shanks in the bearings disposed at said less acute angle having trapezoidiform crimping jaws formed on the ends opposite their openings with outer tapered guiding edges adapted to slide inside of the guiding edges of said segmental crimping 10 jaws to contract the over all dimensions of said jaws and when in an expanded position to provide a continuous crimping edge, and slide pins secured in said body member and projecting at right angles to said longitudinal axis, each slide pin extending through the lateral opening of one of said shanks and each shank having lateral sliding movement on its associated pin, whereby movement of said bearing block along its longitudinal axis moves said trapezoidiform crimping jaws a greater distance laterally than said 6 segmental crimping jaws for expanding and contracting said jaws.

AUGUST E. ALMGREN. JOHN P. JAKOB.

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

, UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 583,184 Kutzner May 25, 1897 808,556 Lindsay Dec. 26, 1905 1,099,757 Malmquist June 9, 1914 15 1,585,820 Baum May 25, 1926 1,839,501 Rollason Jan. 5, 1932 2,170,821 Hothersall Aug. 29, 1939 2,282,495 Proctor May 12, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date 330,690 Great Britain June 19, 1930

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