Apparatus and method for stripping a workpiece from a supporting device
AssigneeCoors Brewing Company
InventorsBruce A. Moen, Warren R. Williams, Bert E. Johansson, Leo W. Mayer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method for stripping a can body having an open end and a closed end from the punch on a reciprocating ram of a can body making apparatus wherein a cavity exists between the closed end and the punch and wherein the ram has a forward stroke and a return stroke by moving the closed end into contact with doming apparatus during the forward stroke to move a valve from a closed to an opened position to feed air under pressure into the cavity to hold the closed end against the doming apparatus during the return stroke until the can body is separated from the punch and ejecting the stripped can body from the doming apparatus.
Claims19
Apparatus for stripping a cylindrical workpiece, such as a can body, from a cylindrical supporting device, such as a punch on a reciprocating ram of a can body making apparatus, comprising:
- a cylindrical supporting device mounted on said ram for reciprocal movement therewith, said reciprocal movement having a forward stroke and a return stroke along a longitudinal axis;
- said cylindrical supporting device having a cylindrical workpiece supported thereon, said cylindrical workpiece having a closed end and an open end;
- doming means located to be contacted by said closed end of said cylindrical workpiece as said cylindrical supporting device is moving in said forward stroke;
- valve means having a movable stem portion for movement between closed and opened positions mounted on said cylindrical supporting device;
- a supply of fluid under pressure;
- said valve means mounted on said cylindrical supporting device so that a cavity is formed between at least a portion of said valve means and said closed end of said cylindrical workpiece;
- force applying means for applying a force on said movable stem portion so that it is normally in said closed position;
- at least one passageway extending through said stem portion and when said stem portion is in an opened position, said passageway having one end thereof in fluid communication with said supply of fluid under pressure and the other end thereof in fluid communication with said cavity;
- and
- moving means for moving said stem portion from said closed position to said opened position so that said fluid under pressure moves through said at least one passageway into said cavity to apply forces on said closed end to prevent axial movement of said cylindrical workpiece as said cylindrical supporting device moves in said return stroke to strip said cylindrical workpiece from said cylindrical supporting device.
A method for stripping a cylindrical workpiece, such as a can body, from a cylindrical supporting device, such as a punch on a reciprocating ram of a can body making apparatus, comprising:
- reciprocating said cylindrical supporting device along a longitudinal axis in a forward stroke and a return stroke;
- supporting said cylindrical workpiece having an open end and a closed end on said cylindrical supporting device so that a cavity is formed between said cylindrical supporting device and said closed end;
- mounting doming means at a relatively fixed location to be contacted by said closed end during said forward stroke;
- mounting valve means on said cylindrical supporting device so that said cavity is between said valve means and said closed end, said valve means having a stem portion for movement between closed and opened positions;
- urging said stem portion toward said closed position;
- maintaining a supply of fluid under pressure;
- connecting said stem portion to said supply of fluid under pressure;
- moving said closed end of said cylindrical workpiece into contact with said doming means during said forward stroke;
- continuing said movement of said closed end in said forward stroke so that said closed end is deformed and moves into contact with said stem portion to move said stem portion from said closed position to said opened position;
- feeding fluid under pressure through said stem portion in said opened position to hold said closed end of said cylindrical workpiece against said doming means while moving said cylindrical supporting device in said return stroke to remove said cylindrical workpiece from said cylindrical supporting device;
- and
- retaining said stem portion in said opened position until said cylindrical workpiece has been stripped from said cylindrical supporting device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.