Feed system for a redraw press

An apparatus for delivery of a partially formed, thin walled, cylindrical can body into a die pocket of a can drawing press, at a rate in excess of 80 can bodies per minute with delivery synchronized with reciprocating action of tools of the press, comprising:

• a floor on which a base portion of the can body rests as the can body is fed along a feed path,
• a first rotatable feed screw lying in an axis substantially parallel to the feed path, having
• an entry end,
• a discharge end opposite the entry end, and
• a continuously helical groove in an outside surface of the first feed screw, said groove having a curvilinear profile for engaging a portion of an outside cylindrical surface of the can body, said groove having a pitch greater at the discharge end portion than the pitch immediately upstream of the discharge end portion adapted to accelerate movement of the can body through the discharge end portion and into the die pocket during a 0.10 to 0.15 second time window that the reciprocating tools of the press are open a sufficient degree to accept the can body,
• a second rotatable feed screw generally opposite the first feed screw in an axis substantially parallel to the feed path having
• an entry end,
• a discharge end axially opposite the entry end, and
• a helical groove in an outside surface of the second feed screw, said groove having a curvilinear profile for engaging a portion of an outside cylindrical surface of the can body, said groove having a pitch cooperating with the pitch of the groove in the first feed screw,
• means for simultaneously rotating the first and second feed screws to move the can bodies, said rotating means integrally linked with reciprocating motion of the reciprocating press,
• means for feeding the can bodies between mating grooves of the opposed first and second feed screws at the entry ends thereof,
• means for confining the can bodies within the mating grooves along the feed path so that simultaneous rotation of the feed screws continuously moves the can body along the feed path at a rate in excess of 80 can bodies per minute and accelerates the movement of the can body through the discharge end portion as can bodies are deposited in the die pocket, with each can body deposit occurring when the tools of the press are in the open position, and
• means for retaining the can body in the die pocket until the can body is engaged by the reciprocating tools of the press. 17