JPH03128B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a can sealing machine that transports cans in a straight line and seals them.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a can sealing machine for sealing cylindrical cans, a linear can sealing machine in which the can revolves around its axis while being sealed is generally employed. The can seaming machine has a lifter provided corresponding to a pocket of a seaming turret, and a seaming head consisting of a seaming chuck, a first seaming roll, and a second seaming roll. The can is transferred to the seaming turret, and as the seaming turret rotates, the can revolves around its own axis, during which double seaming is performed by the first seaming roll and the second seaming roll.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The above-mentioned conventional rotary can sealing machine has the following drawbacks.

(a) Since the can is seamed while rotating and revolving,
Liquid spillage occurs due to centrifugal force. In particular, this tendency has become more noticeable as the speed of can tightening machines has increased in recent years.

(b) While the lifter was rising, vibration caused the liquid content to splash.

(c) Therefore, the filling amount in the filling machine had to be filled in a larger amount than the specified amount, taking into account the reduction in advance, and the amount of loss was enormous on a production line that mass-produced.

(d) In addition, in the case of canned goods that are filled with liquid nitrogen and sealed, liquid spillage occurs as described above, and the liquid nitrogen filled in the head space also spills out, which tends to cause variations in the internal pressure of the can. Ta. This tendency is particularly remarkable in high-speed can seaming.

(e) Since the shapes of the forming grooves of both the first seaming roll and the second seaming roll are the same around the entire circumference of the rolls, the can suddenly deforms into the predetermined seaming shape from the initial position where it engages with each seaming roll. As a result, the impact is strong and the seaming portion is forced to undergo unreasonable deformation, resulting in failure to obtain a good seaming shape and resulting in poor seaming. In addition, cans must be held with strong pressure (lifter pressure) in order to withstand strong impacts, so cans with weak shaft strength will buckle, and cans made of flexible materials such as those mentioned above cannot be strengthened. It was difficult to tighten.

As a measure to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional can cinching machine, the present inventor first provided a linear cinching machine as a new type of cinching machine to replace the conventional can cinching machine. No. 62-173866-8 (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 1999-1-
18538-18540)).

The present invention is a further improvement of the above-mentioned linear can seaming machine proposed earlier, and is capable of ensuring that even when operating at high speed, there is almost no spillage from the can during can seaming, and the seaming is performed smoothly. A good seaming shape can be easily and reliably obtained, and a large number of cans can be seamed at the same time, making it possible to seam a significantly larger number of cans in a shorter time compared to conventional methods. To provide a can seaming machine of a new type, in which each seaming unit can be configured compactly without the need to provide a special rotation drive source for forcibly rotating a can to be seamed for each seaming unit. The purpose is to

Means for Solving the Problems The linear can sealing machine of the present invention has a seaming chuck supported by a seaming chuck holder in an upper part so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, and a seaming chuck that can be moved up and down. a seaming chuck lifter cam follower attached to the seaming chuck holder in order to provide a can support; A jointed seaming unit formed by connecting a plurality of seaming units each having a gear train for rotating a rotary plate in an endless manner,
an endless track having a linear track portion on which the seaming unit connecting body moves; and a molded groove formed therein for engaging a seaming portion of a can held by the seaming unit to seam the can. a seaming rail disposed along the endless track; a rack for driving the can support rotary plate disposed along the endless track so as to mesh with the gear train for driving the can support rotary plate; and the seaming chuck lifter cam follower. The above-mentioned problem has been solved by adopting a configuration characterized in that a seaming chuck lifter cam is provided along the endless track so as to engage with the seaming chuck lifter cam.

Further, by forcibly driving the seaming chuck to rotate in synchronization with the can support rotary plate, twisting of the can body is prevented.

Operation By transferring the can filled with liquid to the can support rotary plate and moving it on a straight track on which the seaming rail is arranged, the gears of the drive gear train of the can support rotary plate are activated. It engages with a rack for driving the can support rotary plate arranged along a linear trajectory, and forcibly rotates the can support rotary plate in synchronization with the transfer speed of the unit. As a result, the can is transferred while being rotated while being held between the seaming chuck and the can support rotary plate under a predetermined pressure, and is pressed into contact with the seaming rail. By moving the can into pressure contact with the seaming rail while rotating, the degree of seaming changes from a weak seaming state to a strong seaming state due to continuous changes in the shape of the molded groove on the seaming rail and changes in its protrusion amount. Sealing is performed by gradually changing the Therefore, the impact on the can is reduced, and even if the can is clamped with weak pressure, it can be tightly wrapped. Furthermore, since can seaming is performed in a straight line, there is no liquid spillage due to revolution, and the amount of liquid lost during seaming can be significantly reduced compared to conventional rotary type seaming systems.
Furthermore, since there is no need to move the can support rotary plate up and down, unlike conventional lifters that move up and down, it is possible to eliminate the splashing phenomenon of liquid caused by raising and lowering the can. Furthermore, as the seaming unit moves along the track, the can support plate is automatically forcibly rotated, so the seaming unit itself does not require a special rotation drive device.

Furthermore, by forcing the seaming chuck to rotate in synchronization with the can support rotary plate, the circumferential speeds of the can bottom and seaming section are always the same, and twisting of the can body due to differences in circumferential speed is prevented. This can be prevented and good seaming can be achieved.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a linear can sealing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a seaming unit, and a plurality of units are connected by a pair of upper and lower traction chains 30, 31 to constitute a seaming unit connection body, and a chain sprocket over which the traction chains are stretched. By rotationally driving one of 49 and 50 by a drive device (not shown), it is configured to circulate on an endless orbit consisting of a combination of a linear orbit and a circular arc orbit.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the framework of the seaming unit 1 includes an upper casing 2 having a seaming chuck 3 located at the top and driven up and down, and an upper casing 2 facing the seaming chuck 3. a lower casing 5 having a can support rotary plate 4 disposed at the lower part; and a semi-circular can holder 6 which connects them together and into which the can body fits into the middle part.
It is composed of a unit frame 7 having a

The seaming chuck 3 is fixed to a chuck stem 10 rotatably supported by a chuck holder 8 which is vertically slidably supported by the upper casing 2 of the seaming unit. A gear 11 is attached to the middle part of the chuck stem 10, and this gear drives a seaming chuck which is arranged and fixed in the seaming process section inside the endless track via a gear 12 supported by the casing 2. It is engaged with the rack 35. These gear trains have a meshing ratio for rotating the seaming chuck so that the circumferential speed of the seaming portion during can seaming becomes equal to the speed in the moving direction of the can. This prevents the can seaming portion from slipping on the linear seaming rail, which will be described later, during seaming. 13
is a cam follower of the seaming chuck lifter cam 36 arranged along the endless track, which is attached to the chuck holder 8 and controls the vertical position of the seaming chuck as the seaming unit moves along the track. Control. Further, a vacuum hole communicating with a negative pressure source (not shown) is formed inside the seaming chuck 3, so that the seaming chuck can suction and hold the can lid in a predetermined area.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a knockout pad, which passes through the chuck stem 10 and the chuck holder 8, and the knockout pad holder 1 whose upper part is fitted into the chuck holder 8 so as to be able to move up and down.
5, and its vertical position is controlled by a knockout pad lifter cam 37 disposed along an endless track. Note that 16 is a cam follower attached to the knockout pad holder. Further, 17 is an upper inner guide roller, 38
is its guide, 18 is the upper outer guide roller,
39 is the guide.

The can support rotary plate 4 corresponds to the lifter of a conventional can seaming machine, and is attached to the upper part of a can support rotary plate holder 20 rotatably supported by the lower casing 5 of the unit, and is attached vertically via a spring 21. movably supported. The spring pressure of the spring 21 can be adjusted by an adjustment screw 22,
This makes it possible to adjust the pressure when the can is held between the seaming chuck and the can support plate.
A gear 23 is fixed to the can support rotating plate holder 20, and the gear 23 is supported by the lower casing 5.
4, it engages with a can support rotary plate drive rack 40 which is arranged and fixed inside the endless track in the seaming process section. These gear mechanisms have the same meshing ratio as the gear mechanism for driving the seaming chuck, so that the seaming chuck is forced to rotate in synchronization with the can support rotary plate. At the lower end of the lower casing 5, the unit is mounted on an endless track 4.
a pair of running rollers 25 for moving on 1;
26 is rotatably supported on a bearing. When the seaming unit is towed by the traction chains 30, 31 and moved, it is desirable that the distance between the running rollers 25, 26 in the moving direction be as large as possible in order to run stably. However, in order to fasten the cans and save space, it is desirable that the spacing between the units be small. In order to satisfy these conflicting demands, in this embodiment, the roller bearing part of the lower casing is divided into two parts, an inner part and an outer part of the raceway, and each part is extended alternately below the adjacent unit, so that the roller bearing part of the lower casing is It is placed below the unit.

27 is a lower inner guide roller provided on the inner side of the lower housing; 28 is a lower outer guide roller similarly provided on the outer side;
2 is an endless orbiting lower inner guide, and 43 is a lower outer guide.

32 is a first seaming rail, which is placed along a straight track in the seaming process section, and presses the seaming part of the can fitted into the seaming chuck from the outside to form seaming. It functions as the conventional first seaming roll and seaming roll drive cam. The seaming rail 3
A molding groove 33 is formed on the surface that engages with the seaming of No. 2. The forming groove 33 has a shape that changes along the moving direction of the can in order to continuously tighten the seaming by gradually changing the degree of seaming as the can moves from the start of seaming to the end of fast seaming. Continuously changing. The engagement surface with the seaming part protrudes into the travel path of the can and presses the seaming part to form the seam, so the amount of protrusion also changes continuously along the can traveling direction. is formed. Reference numeral 34 denotes a second seaming rail, which is arranged along a straight track after the first seaming rail and performs second seaming following the first seaming. The shape of the forming groove and the amount of protrusion into the can passage path are continuously changed according to the direction of movement of the molding groove.

45 is the chain feed chain,
It is provided along the can transport path 46 and pushes the cans 55 along the transport path at a constant pitch. 47 is a can lid supply device, 48 is a can lid supply conveyor, 51, 52
is the traction chain support rail.

Next, the operation of the can sealing machine configured as above will be explained.

Can 5 filled with liquid with a filler (not shown)
5 is a seaming unit 1 that is linearly transported through a conveyance path 46 by a dog chain 45 and shifted from an arcuate trajectory to a straight trajectory at a point A at the entrance of the can seaming machine.
The can support rotating plate 4 is transferred to the can support rotary plate 4, and the body is fitted into the arc of the can holder 6. When the can 55 is transferred to the can support rotary plate 4, the seaming chuck 3 is lowered in the section A-B, and the can lid 56 fitted and held by the seaming chuck 3 is attached to the flange of the can 55. and the can covered with a lid is held between the can support rotary plate 4 and the seaming chuck 3 under a predetermined pressure. While the seaming unit moves in a straight line section which is the seaming process section, the gear 12 for driving the seaming chuck and the gear 24 for driving the can support rotating plate are rotated.
are each seaming chuck drive rack 35.
and meshes with the can support rotary plate drive rack 40,
Both rotate synchronously, and with the can held under a predetermined pressure, the circumferential speed of the can seaming outer circumferential portion rotates at the same speed as the moving speed of the unit. In this state, the first seaming rail is moved to section C-D where the first seaming rail is arranged, and in that section it is pressed against the first seaming rail 32 protruding into the seaming progress path, and seaming is performed continuously. be done. Due to continuous changes in the shape of the molded groove of the seaming rail 32 and the amount of protrusion into the can movement path, the seaming starts with light tightening at first.
The seaming gradually becomes stronger and the first seaming is performed. Subsequently, second seaming is performed by the second seaming rail 34 in the DE section in the same manner. Therefore, unlike conventional seaming rolls, there is less impact when the seaming rail is pressed into contact with the can, and the seaming rail is smoothly formed.

When seaming is completed, seaming chuck 3
The seaming chuck lifter cam 36 raises it and separates it from the can lid. At this time, the knockout pad 14 is lowered by the knockout pad lifter cam 37, pushing down the can to ensure that the can is separated from the seaming chuck 3. The cans that have been seamed are transported to the next process along the can transport path by the can feed dog chain 45.

On the other hand, the seaming unit 1 that has passed through the seaming process circulates on an endless track, and in the can lid supply section, it is aligned with the trajectory of the can lid conveyor 48 that separates and conveys the lids 56 one by one from the lid supply device 47. Then, the seaming chuck 3 is lowered by the cam 36, sucks and receives the can lid 56 from the can lid conveyor 48, and rises again. In this way, the seaming chuck 3 suction-holds the can lid, reaches point A again, places the lid on the filled can as described above, and moves to the seaming section.

Note that the above example is a normal case, but when performing undercover gassing to replace the gas in the head space of a can filled with contents with inert gas, undercover gassing is performed in the A-B section. If the shing device is installed, the can does not move upwards unlike a conventional can sear, so gas replacement can be performed at the same height position, and gas replacement can be performed with excellent replacement efficiency.

Furthermore, in the liquid nitrogen filling can manufacturing line, a liquid nitrogen filling device is placed on the can transport path immediately before the A position. During the seaming process, cans filled with liquid nitrogen are transported in a straight line at the same level as the can transport path, so there is less liquid spillage due to vibration or centrifugal force, less loss of liquid nitrogen, and the desired internal pressure is maintained. Obtained stably.

In each of the above embodiments, a case was explained in which it was applied to a can manufacturing line, but the can seaming machine of the present invention is not limited to a can manufacturing line, but can also be applied to seaming the bottom lid of a three-piece can in a can manufacturing line. It goes without saying that it can be done. In addition, in the above embodiment, the seaming rail is separated into the first seaming rail and the second seaming rail, but the seaming rails are formed continuously and double seaming can be performed using only one seaming rail. You can do it as well. Furthermore, it is also possible to support the seaming chuck in a freely rotating state without forcing the rotation, and only the can support rotary plate to rotate forcibly.

Effects The present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and eliminates the revolution of the can and the vertical movement of the lifter during can seaming, moves the can linearly on a plane, and seams the can during that time. Because of this, unlike the conventional method in which the lifter is raised and the can is seamed while the can revolves, there is almost no spillage from the can during can seaming even during high-speed operation.
Therefore, the content liquid can be saved, and in the case of cans filled with liquid nitrogen, variations in the amount of liquid nitrogen filled can be eliminated, and cans with stable internal pressure can be obtained. Unlike conventional rotary can seaming, there is no adverse effect of centrifugal force due to revolution, so it is possible to sear at a higher speed compared to conventional methods, making it possible to speed up the can manufacturing line. can. In addition, since seaming is performed by continuously changing the degree of seaming using seaming rails, there is less impact during seaming, and the can can be held and seamed with a weak clamping pressure, making it possible to seam flexible materials. Even cans made of cans can be seamed without buckling. Furthermore, since the seaming process is performed smoothly, a good seaming shape can be obtained. Furthermore, since a plurality of seaming units are connected, a large number of cans can be seamed in a short time. Further, it is not necessary to provide a rotation drive device such as a can support rotary plate to each seaming unit, and each seaming unit can be configured compactly.

In addition, by forcing the seaming chuck to rotate in synchronization with the can support rotary plate, the circumferential speeds of the can bottom and seaming section are always the same, and twisting of the can body due to differences in circumferential speed is prevented. This can be prevented and good seaming can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the can seaming device of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a plan view thereof, FIG. 2 being a front view of the seaming unit, and FIG. 3 being a side view. 1: seaming unit, 2: upper casing, 3: seaming chuck, 4: can support rotating plate, 5: lower casing, 6: can holder,
7: Unit frame, 8: Chuck holder,
10: Chuck stem, 11, 12: Gear, 1
3: Seaming chuck lifter cam follower, 14: Knock out pad, 15: Knock out pad holder, 16: Knock out pad drifter cam follower, 17: Upper inner guide roller, 18: Upper outer guide roller ,2
0: Can support rotating plate holder, 21: Spring,
22: Adjustment screw, 23, 24: Gear, 25, 2
6: Running roller, 27: Lower inner guide roller, 28: Lower outer guide roller, 30,3
1: Traction chain, 32: First seaming rail, 33: Forming groove, 34: Second seaming rail, 35: Seaming chuck drive rack, 36: Seaming chuck lifter cam, 3
7: Knockout pad drifter cam, 38: Upper inner guide, 39: Upper outer guide, 40: Can support rotating plate drive rack, 41: Endless track, 4
2: Lower inner guide, 43: Lower outer guide, 4
5: Can feed dog chain, 46: Can conveyance path, 47: Lid supply device, 48: Can lid supply conveyor, 49, 50: Chain sprocket, 51,
52: Chain support rail, 55: Can, 56: Can lid.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A seaming chuck supported by a seaming chuck holder in an upper part so as to be movable up and down and freely rotatable, and a seaming chuck attached to the seaming chuck holder to move the seaming chuck up and down. a seaming chuck lifter cam follower, a can support rotary plate provided at a lower portion facing the seaming chuck, and a gear train for rotating the can support rotary plate. A seaming unit connector formed by connecting a plurality of seaming units in an endless manner, an endless track having a linear track portion on which the seaming unit connector moves, and a can sandwiched by the seaming unit. a seaming rail disposed along the endless track in which a molded groove for engaging the seaming portion and seaming the can is formed;
a can supporting rotating plate driving rack disposed along the endless track so as to mesh with the can supporting rotating plate driving gear train; and a can supporting rotating plate driving rack disposed along the endless track so as to engage with the seaming chuck lifter cam follower. A linear can tightening machine characterized by being provided with a seaming chuck lifter cam and a seaming chuck lifter cam. 2. The seaming unit has a gear train for rotating the seaming chuck, and a seaming chuck driving rack meshing with the gear train is disposed along the endless track, and the seaming chuck is rotated by the seaming chuck. The linear can tightening machine according to claim 1, wherein the linear can tightening machine is forcibly driven to rotate in synchronization with the can supporting rotary plate.