US 4,072,117 A · Canister indexing spout-inserting machine

Abstract

A machine for inserting a pouring spout at a precise, predetermined position on a canister wall, which machine consists of a first holding means that releasably holds a canister on a carriage that moves in a discontinuous manner through a series of work stations. At one of the work stations, the canister is temporarily released by the first holding means and captured by second holding means associated with a turntable that is rotatably positioned by means responsive to a control signal generated from scanning means at the work station, which sense the position of an indexing mark on the canister. After the turntable and the canister are positioned, the canister is released by the second holding means and carried by an elevator back to the carriage where the canister is held in the indexed position by the first holding means and continues through the remainder of the work stations. At subsequent work stations, pouring spouts in blank form are fed to a carrier positioned near the zone on the canister intended to receive the spout. A ram in the carrier acts to simultaneously form one spout from the blanks while synchronously coacting with a mandrel to push another formed spout through and secure it to the canister wall.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A machine for mounting a pouring spout at a predetermined position on the wall of a canister comprising:

carriage means for intermittently moving in one direction a canister on a continuous path having a plurality of work stations;
first holding means for releasably holding said canister on said carriage, said holding means operable between an open position and a closed position;
detection means for sensing an indexing mark and for providing a control signal in response thereto, said detection means disposed adjacent a first one of said work stations;
registration means for rotation of a canister with first holding means at said open position, said rotation at said first work station to present an indexing mark on a canister to said detection means, said registration means responsive to said control signal by stopping said rotation of said canisters;
a carrier adjacent a second one of said work stations for supporting a pouring spout and for sequentially presenting a spout to a predetermined portion of a canister wall;
and
a ram reciprocally operable toward and away from a canister wall to push a spout portion through said canister wall and withdraw from the spout respectively;
and
said sequencing means coacting with said first holding means to open said first holding means to receive said canister, to close said first holding means for transporting said canister to said first work station, to open said canister at said first work station for rotation of said canister, to close said first holding means after rotation of said canister for movement of said canister through the remainder of said plurality of work stations while holding said canister in a fixed angular orientation with relation to said plurality of work stations, and opening said first holding means to release said canister at the end of said continuous path having a plurality of work stations.

6 more elements

A machine for mounting a pouring spout at a predetermined position on the wall of a canister comprising:

carriage means for intermittently moving in one direction a canister on a continuous path having a plurality of work stations;
first holding means for releasably holding said canister on said carriage, said holding means operable between an open position and a closed position;
detection means for sensing an indexing mark and for providing a control signal in response thereto, said detection means disposed adjacent a first one of said work stations;
registration means for rotation of a canister with first holding means at said open position, said rotation at said first work station to present an indexing mark on a canister to said detection means, said registration means responsive to said control signal by stopping said rotation of said canister;
sequencing means for returning said first holding means to said closed position upon the stopping of said registration means;
a carrier adjacent a second one of said work stations for supporting a pouring spout and for sequentially presenting a spout to a predetermined portion of a canister wall;
and
a ram reciprocally operable toward and away from a canister wall to push a spout portion through said canister wall and withdraw from the spout respectively;
and
said registration means further comprise:
a rotatable member adjacent and below said first work station for receiving a canister released thereat:
a second holding means for releasably holding said canister to said totatable member during rotation of said member;
and
a canister elevator adjacent said rotatable member for moving a canister after rotation thereof to the position prior to release by said second holding means.

11 more elements

A pouring spout inserting machine comprising:

a carriage for supporting and moving a plurality of canisters that have indexing marks thereon;
holding means connected with said carriage for holding and releasing said canister on said carriage;
first drive means for intermittently moving said carriage in one direction through a predetermined path having a plurality of spaced work stations:
said drive means operative for sequentially moving a canister from one of said work stations to the next of said work stations and then dwelling at said work station for a predetermined time;
a registration device support adjacent a first one of said work stations;
receiving means mounted on said registration device support for supporting a canister during a portion of said predetermined dwell time;
second drive means for rotating said receiving means and for stopping said rotation within a fixed angular displacement of a canister;
spout forming and feeding mechanism disposed at a second one of said work stations at one side of said path, including means for feeding a flat strip of spout blanks step-by-step, forming means for shaping spout blanks into spouts, a mechanism in said path for severing spouts from a strip and inserting them into a predetermined portion of a canister during the cessation of movement of said drive means;
a carrier adjacent said second one of said work stations for supporting a pouring spout and for sequentially presenting a spout to a predetermined portion of a canister wall;
and
a ram reciprocally operable toward and away from said canister wall to push said side flanges through said canister wall and withdraw from the spout respectively;
and
sequencing means coacting with said holding means for holding said canister while said carriage moves said canister to said first work station, releasing said canister during rotation thereof by said second drive means, and holding said canister in fixed angular relation to said carriage as said canister travels through said path having a plurality of spaced work stations.

10 more elements

A pouring spout inserting machine comprising:

a carriage for supporting and moving a plurality of canisters that have indexing marks thereon:
first drive means for intermittently moving said carriage in one direction through a predetermined path having a plurality of spaced work stations, said drive means operative for sequentially moving a canister from one of said work stations to the next of said work stations and then dwelling at said work stations for a predetermined time;
a registration device support adjacent a first one of said work stations;
receiving means mounted on said registration device support for supporting a canister during a portion of said predetermined dwell time;
second drive means for rotating said receiving means and for stopping said rotation within a fixed angular displacement of a canister;
spout forming and feeding mechanism disposed at a second one of said work stations at one side of said path, including means for feeding a flat strip of spout blanks step-by-step, forming means for shaping spout blanks into spouts, a mechanism in said path for severing spouts from a strip and inserting them into a predetermined portion of a canister during the cessation of movement of said drive means;
detection means at said first one of said working stations for sensing said indexing mark and providing a control signal in response thereto;
and
a clutch interposed between said receiving means and said second drive means, said clutch member engaging said second drive means initially during said portion of said predetermined time and disengaging said second drive means in response to said control signal for at least the remainder to the predetermined time;
and
a first holding means, including:
a pair of arms at each work station pivotally mounted on said turntable for releasably holding said canister each of said pair of arms movable to successive work stations;
biasing means attached to said pair of arms for urging one of said pair of arms toward the other of said paid of arms to hold securely the canister therebetween;
and
cam following means attached to at least one of said pair of arms for tracing the stationary cam and thereby causing said pair of arms to be urged to the open position and the closed position.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Canister indexing spout-inserting machine

Life of this patent

Canister indexing spout-inserting machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20