Can end distributor apparatus
AssigneeRapsco Incorporated
InventorRonald A. Pearce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A distributor apparatus is characterized by having a transfer starwheel with individual pockets which are successively advanced beneath a feeder unit, such as, a downstacker mechanism, each pocket having a ring gear and individual feed screw elements controlled by the ring gear to successively engage an outer rim of an individual can end advanced into the pocket by the downstacker and subsequently remove each end from the pocket through rotation of the ring gear when it moves into alignment with a discharge chute. One or more discharge chutes may be placed in the path of movement of the pockets of the transfer starwheel, and output level sensors at each discharge chute determine when ends are to be supplied to each chute.
Claims16
In starwheel transfer apparatus for transferring can ends from one or more stacks of can ends to one or more discharge lanes and wherein a can end feeder includes means for advancing can ends one at a time from said stack, the improvement comprising:
- a starwheel having a plurality of circular pockets at equally spaced circumferential intervals around an outer periphery thereof;
- means for rotating said starwheel such that said pockets are successively advanced into registry with said ends advanced by said feeder;
- each said pocket including can end-receiving means along an outer peripheral portion thereof to receive an individual can end advanced into said pocket;
- pocket drive means associated with each said pocket for positively removing each said end from said pocket, said drive means including feed screw members at spaced circumferential intervals around said outer peripheral portion of each said pocket, said end-receiving means including a radially outwardly projecting ledge on each of said feed screw members, each of said feed screw members including a ramp portion engageable with each said end disposed on said can end-receiving means to displace said end downwardly and away from said pocket when said feed screw members are rotated, and means for rotating said feed screw members to cause said ramp portions to displace said can end from said pocket;
- and
- guide means for guiding each said end removed from said pocket away from said starwheel.
In starwheel transfer apparatus for distributing can ends from at least one stack of can ends to one or more discharge lanes and wherein a can end feeder mechanism includes means for advancing can ends one at a time from each said stack, the improvement comprising:
- a starwheel having a plurality of closed circular pockets at equally spaced circumferential intervals around an outer periphery thereof;
- means for rotating said starwheel whereby said pockets are successively advanced into registry with said ends advanced by said feeder mechanism;
- drive means associated with each said pocket for positively removing each said end disposed in said pocket, said drive means including means mechanically engaging an outer rim of each said end and advancing said end from said pocket;
- and
- a plurality of discharge stations, each said station having a discharge chute aligned in the path of movement of said end removed from a respective one of said pockets including means for guiding each said end away from a respective pocket, and activating means associated with each said station for selectively activating said drive means for a selected pocket.
In starwheel transfer apparatus for distributing can ends from a downstacker mechanism containing at least one stack of said ends and wherein said downstacker mechanism includes means for advancing said ends one at a time from each said stack of ends, the combination comprising:
- a starwheel having a plurality of closed circular pockets at equally spaced, circumferential intervals around an outer periphery thereof, each said pocket being sized to receive one of said ends from one of said stacks of ends, means for rotating said starwheel whereby said pockets are successively advanced beneath said stack(s) of can ends for receiving an individual can end from one of said stacks;
- each said pocket including a plurality of feed screw members in an outer peripheral edge portion thereof engageable with an outer rim of an individual can end received by said pocket, a ramp portion on each said feed screw member engageable with said end in said pocket, and means for synchronously rotating said feed screw members whereby said ramp portions displace said can end downwardly and away from said pocket;
- and
- guide means including a discharge chute for stacking said ends as they are removed from each said pocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.