Apparatus and method for closing and plastically forming a non-circular cylindrical shell for a container

Appartus for plastically deforming and closing a very open form, non-circular cylindrical shell having axially extending lips spaced slightly farther apart than the diameter of a wound spool of strip material so as to permit said wound spool to pass laterally between said lips, said diameter of said wound spool being slightly less than that of a desired final circular cylindrical shape for said shell, said apparatus comprising:

• a pair of closure jaws having concave cylindrical surfaces for contacting the exterior surface of said very open form shell between said lips, said concave surfaces having a curvature corresponding to said desired final circular cylindrical shape for said shell, each of said closure jaws having an axially extending tip edge;
• means for placing said closure jaws in an open configuration about said very open shell by relatively moving said very open shell laterally between said tip edges;
• means for supporting said shell between said jaws to prevent formation of bulges during plastic deformation;
• and
• means for moving both of said closure jaws about said shell to move said lips into close proximity and plastically deform said shell into said final circular cylindrical shape between said lips and thereafter for opening said closure jaws without contacting the closed shell during opening of said jaws.

Apparatus for plastically deforming and closing a very open form, non-circular cylindrical shell having axially extending lips spaced sufficiently far apart to permit a wound spool of strip material to pass laterally between such lips, said apparatus comprising:

• a pair of closure jaws having concave cylindrical surfaces for contacting the exterior surface of such a very open form shell between such lips, said concave surfaces having a curvature corresponding to a desired final circular cylindrical shape for such shell;
• means for placing said closure jaws in an open configuration about such shell, said means for placing comprising a frame;
• a first arm pivotably mounted on said frame, said closure jaws being mounted on said first arm;
• and means for pivoting said first arm about an axis;
• and
• means for moving both of said closure jaws about such shell to move such lips into close proximity and plastically deform such shell into a circular cylindrical shape between such lips and thereafter for opening said closure jaws without contacting the closed shell during opening of said jaws, said means for moving and opening comprising a first pulley mounted for rotation relative to said first arm on a first shaft supported by said first arm, said closure jaws being operatively connected to said first shaft;
• a second pulley mounted for rotation relative to said first arm on a second shaft supported by said first arm;
• a belt operatively connecting said first and second pulleys;
• means for rotating said second pulley to move said belt, rotate said first pulley and close said closure jaws;
• first and second rocker links pivotably attached at a first end of each link to said first arm, one of said closure jaws being attached to a second end of said second rocker link;
• an actuator crank attached at a first end to said first shaft;
• a connector link pivotably attached at a first end to a second end of said actuator crank;
• a coupler link pivotably attached at a first end to a second end of said connector link, the other of said closure jaws being attached to a second end of said coupler link;
• and at least one attachment flange extending laterally from said coupler link between said other closure jaw and said first end of said coupler link, a second end of said first rocker link being pivotably attached to said attachment flange and said second rocker link being pivotably attached to said attachment flange between said one closure jaw and said first end of said second rocker link.

Apparatus for plastically deforming and closing a very open form, non-circular cylindrical shell having axially extending lips spaced sufficiently far apart to permit a wound spool of strip material to pass laterally between such lips, said apparatus comprising:

• a pair of closure jaws having concave cylindrical surfaces for contacting the exterior surface of such a very open form shell between such lips, said concave surfaces having a curvature corresponding to a desired final circular cylindrical shape for such shell;
• means for placing said closure jaws in an open configuration about such shell, said means for placing comprising a frame;
• a first arm pivotably mounted on said frame, said closure jaws being mounted on said first arm;
• and means for pivoting said first arm about an axis;
• and
• means for moving both of said closure jaws about such shell to move such lips into close proximity and plastically deform such shell into a circular cylindrical shape between such lips and thereafter for opening said closure jaws without contacting the closed shell during opening of said jaws, said means for moving and opening comprising a first pulley mounted for rotation relative to said first arm on a first shaft supported by said first arm, said closure jaws being operatively connected to said first shaft;
• a second pulley mounted for rotation relative to said first arm on a second shaft supported by said first arm;
• a belt operatively connecting said first and second pulleys;
• means for rotating said second pulley to move said belt, rotate said first pulley and close said closure jaws, said means for rotating said second pulley comprising a second, radially extending arm attached to said second pulley;
• a connecting rod pivotably attached at a first end to said second arm, the pivot axis between said first end of said connecting rod and said second arm being coincident with the pivot axis of said first arm when said closure jaws are open, whereby rotation of said first arm does not cause said closure jaws to close;
• and a crank arm mounted for rotation relative to said frame, a second end of said connecting rod being pivotably attached to said crank arm, whereby rotation of said crank arm causes said closure jaws to open or close.

Apparatus for plastically deforming and closing a very open form, non-circular cylindrical shell having axially extending lips spaced sufficiently far apart to permit a wound spool of strip material to pass laterally between such lips, said apparatus comprising:

• a pair of closure jaws having concave cylindrical surfaces for contacting the exterior surface of such a very open form shell between such lips, said concave surfaces having a curvature corresponding to a desired final circular cylindrical shape for such shell;
• means for placing said closure jaws in an open configuration about such shell, said means for placing comprising a frame;
• a first arm pivotably mounted on said frame, said closure jaws being mounted on said first arm;
• and means for pivoting said first arm about an axis;
• means for supporting said shell between said jaws to prevent formation of bulges during plastic deformation;
• and
• means for moving both of said closure jaws about such shell to move such lips into close proximity and plastically deform such shell into said desired final circular cylindrical shape between such lips and thereafter for opening said closure jaws without contacting the closed shell during opening of said jaws, said means for moving and opening comprising a first pulley mounted for rotation relative to said first arm on a first shaft supported by said first arm, said closure jaws being operatively connected to said first shaft;
• a second pulley mounted for rotation relative to said first arm on a second shaft supported by said first arm;
• a belt operatively connecting said first and second pulleys;
• and means for rotating said second pulley to move said belt, rotate said first pulley and thereby close or open said closure jaws.