Apparatus for trimming can bodies

Apparatus for trimming a can body along a cylindrical open end thereof, comprising:

• (a) a support shaft;
• (b) an annular outer shearing element having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the can body open end;
• (c) a cylindrical inner element having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the can body open end;
• wherein said inner element and said outer shearing element are coaxially mounted around the shaft and are sufficiently spaced from each other to receive the open end therebetween;
• and
• (d) a displacement arrangement means for radially displacing said inner and outer elements in relation to each other and into a portion of the can body defining said open end to thereby shear the can body,
• wherein said apparatus is a cartridge assembly including:
• (i) a cartridge housing having said support shaft projecting therefrom;
• (ii) a cartridge spindle rotatably mounted through bearings to said housing;
• (iii) a cartridge retainer mounted to the spindle for connecting said cartridge assembly to a turret disk for co-rotation therewith about a turret axis of rotation which is parallel to a cartridge axis;
• and
• (iv) a drive gear mounted for co-rotation with the shaft, said drive gear meshing with a stationary ring gear mounted adjacent the turret disk to thereby rotate the inner and outer elements with the shaft about a shaft axis thereof during orbital rotation of the cartridge assembly about the turret axis,
• wherein said displacement arrangement means further includes a penetrator hub mounted on the shaft concentrically about the inner element which is in the form of an inside penetrator having a trimming edge, said penetrator hub including a cylindrical cam follower surface engageable with a cam surface formed on a stationary cam ring mounted adjacent the stationary ring gear, wherein radial inward displacement of the penetrator hub under camming action causes corresponding radial inward displacement of the trimming edge toward the turret axis so that the trimming edge intersects the can body and overlaps with a cutting edge of the outside shearing element to generate cutting forces which trim the can body as said trimming edge is maintained by camming action radially closer to the turret axis than the cutting edge during orbital movement of the cartridge assembly and rotation of the inner and outer elements about the shaft axis, wherein said penetrator hub is mounted to the drive gear with plural screws respectively passing through a series of circumferentially spaced first through bores formed in the hub, said screws extending through spacers in the first through bores which permit radial displacement of the hub relative to the shaft axis.

Apparatus for trimming a can body along a cylindrical open end thereof, comprising:

• (a) a support shaft;
• (b) an annular outer shearing element having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the can body open end;
• (c) a cylindrical inner element having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the can body open end;
• wherein said inner element and said outer shearing element are coaxially mounted around the shaft and are sufficiently spaced from each other to receive the open end therebetween;
• and
• (d) a displacement arrangement means for radially displacing said inner and outer elements in relation to each other and into a portion of the can body defining said open end to thereby shear the can body,
• wherein said inner element and said outer shearing element, when in centered position on a support shaft axis, define an ejection slot spaced axially forwardly from an annular trim ring discharge chamber formed between the inner and outer elements,
• further comprising forcible election means in said chamber, responsive to pressurized fluid, for propelling a trim ring through said chamber toward said election slot to remove the trim ring from the apparatus,
• wherein a forward end wall defining a front end of the chamber and an entrance to the ejection slot is formed by a pair of oppositely and forwardly inclined surfaces radially spaced from each other to define the beginning of the ejection slot and such that the trim ring being ejected from the chamber through the slot is guided by said inclined surfaces into the slot.

Apparatus for trimming a can body along a cylindrical open end thereof, said apparatus comprising:

• a cartridge assembly including a cartridge spindle for mounting the cartridge assembly to a support structure;
• a support shaft operatively connected to the cartridge spindle through bearings so as to be rotatable relative to the spindle about a support shaft axis which defines a trimming axis on the cartridge assembly;
• first and second elements being respectively formed with a machined radiussed trimming edge and a sharp cutting edge, said first and second elements being mounted coaxially around said support shaft and being radially spaced from each other to receive the open end of the can body therebetween;
• and
• a displacement arrangement means for radially displacing said trimming edge, relative to the support shaft axis, into a portion of the can body defining said open end to thereby shear the can body with the cutting edge.

Apparatus for trimming a can body along a cylindrical open end thereof, said apparatus comprising:

• a cartridge assembly including a cartridge spindle for mounting the cartridge assembly to a support structure;
• a support shaft operatively connected to the cartridge spindle through bearings so as to be rotatable relative to the spindle about a support shaft axis which defines a trimming axis on the cartridge assembly;
• first and second elements being respectively formed with a trimming edge and a cutting edge, said first and second elements being mounted coaxially around said support shaft and being radially spaced from each other to receive the open end of the can body therebetween;
• and
• a displacement arrangement means for radially displacing said inner and outer elements in relation to each other and into a portion of the can body defining said open end to thereby shear the can body,
• wherein said cartridge assembly is mounted to a turret disk through the spindle such that the cartridge assembly is co-rotatable with the turret disk about a turret axis of rotation which is parallel to the cartridge trimming axis;
• and means for rotating the inner and outer elements about the shaft axis during orbital rotation of the cartridge assembly about the turret axis,
• wherein said displacement arrangement means further includes a penetrator hub mounted on the support shaft concentrically about the first element which is in the form of an inside penetrator having said trimming edge, said penetrator hub including a cylindrical cam follower surface engageable with a cam surface formed on a stationary cam ring mounted adjacent a stationary ring gear, wherein radial inward displacement of the penetrator hub under camming action causes corresponding radial inward displacement of the trimming edge toward the turret axis so that the trimming edge intersects the can body and overlaps with the cutting edge of the second element to generate cutting forces which trim the can body as said trimming edge is maintained by camming action radially closer to the turret axis than the cutting edge during orbital movement of the cartridge assembly and rotation of the first and second elements about the support shaft axis,
• wherein said penetrator hub is mounted to a drive gear with plural screws respectively passing through a series of circumferentially spaced first through bores formed in the hub, said screws extending through spacers in the first through bores which permit radial displacement of the hub relative to the shaft axis.

Apparatus for trimming a can body along a cylindrical open end thereof, comprising:

• (a) a support mechanism having a support mechanism axis;
• (b) an annular outer shearing element having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the can body open end;
• (c) a cylindrical inner element having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the can body open end;
• wherein said inner element and said outer shearing element are coaxially mounted for support by the support mechanism and are sufficiently spaced from each other to receive the open end therebetween;
• and
• (d) a displacement arrangement mechanism operatively connected to the support mechanism for radially displacing said inner and outer elements in relation to each other and into a portion of the can body defining said open end to thereby shear the can body,
• wherein said inner element and said outer shearing element, when in centered position on the support mechanism axis, define an ejection slot spaced axially forwardly from an annular trim ring discharge chamber formed between the inner and outer elements,
• further comprising a forcible ejection mechanism in said chamber, responsive to pressurized fluid, for propelling a trim ring through said chamber toward said ejection slot to remove the trim ring from the apparatus,
• wherein said chamber is an annular chamber coaxial with the support mechanism and the ejection slot is formed by a pair of oppositely and forwardly inclined surfaces radially spaced from each other such that the trim ring being ejected from the chamber is freely slidable through the chamber and is guided by said inclined surfaces of the slot.