US1865320A - Apparatus for closing cans and method of vacuumizing the cans prior to sealing - Google Patents

Description

A. L. KRONQUEST APPARATUS FOR CLOSING CANS AND METHOD OF June 28, 1932.

VACUUMIZING THE CANS PRTOR TO SEALING Filed Feb. ll, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l fred/L.

June 28, Ah KRONQUEST 1,865,320

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING CANS AND METHOD OF VACUUMIZING THE CANS PRIOR TO SEALING Filed Feb. ll, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j 2 lll `L| |J l 1 f ,5 ifi V ,lv V J\ manto@ QCredL. vzws Patented `lune 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED Ii. KRONQUESKT, F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL GAN I COMPANY, INC., 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., yA CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR CLOSING CANSYAND METHOD OF VACUUMIZING THE CANS PRIOR v T0 SE'ALING Vals f Application led February 11, 1931. Serial No. 515,097.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in an apparatus for closingv clinched thereto, after which the can is passed into a separate chamber which may be maintained under dili'erent atmospheric conditions wherein the cover is seamed to the can and the can sealed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above character wherein the first and second chambers are separated by a valve which conveys the cans from one chamber into the other without establishing direct communication between the chambers. i A further object 0f the invention is to provide a method of closing cans in vacuum whereby the can after the cover has been clinched thereto and before being passed into the seaming chamber is subjected to a vacuum slighter greater than the vacuum in the seaming chamber, so that when a can is passed into the seaming chamber, no f`air or contents will be drawn from the can.

These and other Objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

Inthe drawings- FigureA 1 vis a horizontal sectional View showing more or less diagrammatically an apparatus embodying the invention, and

Fig'. 2 is a vertical section-al view through the valve and the main casing showing one of the seaming mechanisms.

The invention is directed vto ran apparatus for closingcans, and has to do particularly with an apparatus `for creating a vacuum 1n the can prior to the sealing of the same, or for charging the can with an inert gas 'prior to the sealing of the same. Tothis Aend, the t can body has the end which is to be secured thereto for closing the same, clinched t0 the body. This will hold the can endin place on the body and it will also prevent the drawing, to a certain extent, of a finely powdered product from the can when it is placed under vacuum. The cover, however, does not interfere with the drawing of the vacuum on the can, and some of the finely powdered product may be drawn from the can during this prelimlnary treatment for creating a vacuum within the can. The can with the cover clinched thereto is passed through a valve into this chamber where it is vacuumized, and then through another valve into the sealing chamber where the cover is seamed to the body. This last-named valve separates the two chambers, preventing direct communication between the two, but at the same time, it passes the cans after the first preliminary vacuum treatment into al chamber where the cover may be seamed to the body. This seallng chamber may be placed underv vacuum when it is desired to seal the contents of the can in vacuum. It may also be charged with an inert gas, such as CO2 gas, nitrogen or the llke, which enters the can replacing the vacuum therein, so that the can is sealed with the food product in the presence of an inert gas. f The invention hasvto'do also with 'a new method of sealing cans with the products thereof in vacuum, which 'is particularly adapted for the packaging of dry powdered products. `When a vacuum 1s drawn on a can having a linelypowde'red product therein, some of the product passes out with the air, and the operating parts of the seaming mechanism Within the chamber become clogged with the product.

In the apparatus described above, the first chamber where the vacuum is drawn on the can is placed under a greater degree of vacuum than the chamber wherein the cover is seamed to the can body.' When the can is placed under a greater degree of vacuum than that maintained on the sealing chamber, then when the can is passed into the 'sealing chamber, air, if anything, passes into the can rather thanout of the can, and therefore, no product is drawn from the can. In this chamber having a less degree of vacuum, the desired vacuum on the can is maintained and the cover is seamed to the can body, thus ratus includes a machine for joining the can end to the can body by double seaming.V This part of the apparatus, as shown, is similar in construction to that described in the application of Nelson Troyer, Serial No. 372,772, filed June 21, 1929. The machine of this application has only been shown diagrammatically and it will be understood, of course, that other types of closin machines may be used. This machine inclues a casing 1 having a vacuum chamber 2 in which is a rotating turret 3 which receives the cans and conveys them to the seaming stations. The vacuum chamber 2 is, of course, connected through suitable piping means with a vacuum creating apparatus, as disclosed in the application referred'to. One of the seaming heads is indicated at 4 in the drawings. There are two seaming heads, a first and a second operation seaming head. The can which is indicated at C is moved on to a support 5 beneath the seaming station which raises the can into range of the seamingrolls. The support at the first seaming station is indicated at 5 in Fi 1, and the second one is indicated at 5.` T e cans are passed into the seaming chamber through a valve 6 which is provided with a series of pockets 7, 7.- The can is taken from the pocket by a device 8 which reaches into the pocket and removes the can from the pocket, placing the same against a guide 9 and forcing the can into the pocket 10 of the rotating feed turret within the seaming chamber. Thus it 1sthat thev cans are carried first to one seaming station and then the other, and finally delivered to the pocket 7 in the valve 6, and thus,the sealed cans are delivered from the chamber. The cans to be sealed with their ends clinched thereto, are fed by a conveyor 11 along a supporting table and into a rotating valve 12. A transfer device 13 aids in the moving of the cans from the conveyor 11 into a pocket 14 of this valve 12. The valve 12 rotates in a housing 15. The can is removed from the valve by a rotating device 16 which reaches into the pocket and withdraws the can from the pocket and places the same behind a feed lug on a conveyor chain 17. This device 16 is similar to the device 8 used in the closing machine. A casing 18 forms a chamber 19, and it is into this chamber that the cans are passed bythe rotating valve 12. The cans are guided through the chamber by guide rails 20 and 21 and are moved by the conveyor 17 This conveyor is arranged so that the chamber is a closed chamber, and the chamber may be placed under vacuum by a suitable apparatus connected to a pipe 22. This chamber is, ofysuificient length so that while thev can is passing through the chamber, a vacuum will be drawn on the can. The cover is clinched to the can, but this does not prevent the drawing of the vacuum on the can. This chamber is preferably placed under a vacuum slightly greater in degree than the vacuum in the seaming chamber. For example, this chamber may be maintained under a vacuum of twenty-nine inches, while the seaming or sealing chamber is under a vacuum 0f twenty-eight and one-half inches.

In carrying out my improved method, it is essential that the vacuum drawn on the can in this chamber 19 shall be slightly greater than the vacuum m'aintained'on the chamber 2 where the seaming operation is performed. The cans are transferred from the conveyor 17 by means of a rotating device 23 into the pockets 7 of the rotating valve 6, and thus the cans are delivered from the first vacuum chamber 19 into the second vac-- uum chamber 2, which are separated from each other by this rotating valve 6.4 This prevents direct communication between the two chambers, so that the degree of vacuum or the atmospheric condition in the chamber 2 may be different from that in the cham'- ber 19. The cans, after they have been closed, are removed from the pockets of the valve 6 by a rotating device 24 which places the cans in front of suitable lugs carried by a conveyor chain 25, and thus the cams are delivered from the apparatus.

No attempt has been made to show the means for operating the valve 12 or the transfer devices 13, 16 and 23. 4Neither has any attempt been made to show the operating means for the conveyors 11, 17 and 25. These features may be of any well known construction, and the power for operating the same taken from the main shaft of the closing machine through suitable gears and sprocket drives.

The chamber 2 may be charged with an inert gas, such as carbon dioxide gas, or nitrogen gas, and thus the apparatus used for sealing cans where the product is packed in an inert gas. This chamber 2 maybe placed under vacuum, and thus the cans sealed with the product in a vacuum.

When the chamber 19 is maintained under a greater degree of vacuuln than the chamber 2, a vacuum'may be drawn on the can very quickly. When the can contains a finely powdered product, some of the product may be drawn from the can as the air passes "therefrom. This occurs in the chamber 19 where there a're no active seaming elements.

Therefore, a product drawn from the can with the air does not, in any way, interfere with the operating parts of the lseaming mechanism. In the chamber 2, when the vacuum isof less degree than the vacuum established inthe can in the chamber 19 and incase@ v maintained in the can as it passes into the chamber 2, there will be, it anything, a'passing of air into the can rather than out of the can, and therefore, no product whatever will be withdrawn trom the can in the seaming chamber, and the rotating seam'ing parts will be protected from Contact with the product. The chamber i9 may be provided with a closure means whereby it may be readily opened, and the accumulating product removed therefrom. 1

@ne feature ot the invention is this new method oi vacuumizin'g a can which consists' in the subjecting oi the can to a higher degree of vacuum than that maintained in the sealing chamber prior to the passing oi the can into the sealing chamber, This accom-v plishes two functions-it enables the vacuum in the can to be'drawn very quickly and to the 'proper' degree by a very high degree oiF vacunm pull, and it also revents the drawing oi any product out oi tne can in theichamber where the seeming Ataires place by the vacuum pull on said chamber,

The apparatus may be used notonly tor producing a vacuum on a can which is to be sealed, but also for charging the can with an inert gas, and this is accomplished by reason oit the tact that the chamber 2 is cut oil ir'om direct communication with the chamn ing machines may be used and other arrange ments ot the valves and chambers may be made, The essential ieatures consist 'in the maintainingd oi the two separated chambers through which the cans pass, the tiret for drawing the vacuum on 'the can, and the second ior either maintaining a vacuum while the can is being sealed, or tor charging the can with an inert iras rior to the sealin oi the same..

` Having thus described the invention, what il claim as new and desire to secure by l,liet-f ters-Patent, is=

l. in apparatus for closing cans comprising a closed sealing chamber having a seaming mechanism therein, a closed treating chamber associated with said sealing chamber, a' pocketed valve between said chambers for receiving cans from the treating chamber and delivering the same to the sealing chamber without exposing the can to the atmosphere, a'pocketed valve for closing the entrance to said treating chamber, and means within said treating chamber for receiving the cans from the entrance valve, conveying the cans through said chamber and delivern "ing the same to the valve torpassing the same ext/ending lengthwise of the treating chamber tor conveying the cans iromone end thereoit to the other, means or removing the cans trom thevalve at the entrance to said 'treatu ing chamber and positioning the same on the conveyor, and means tor receiving cans trom the conveyor and placing the same in the pocket or the valve 'for the passing oil the can into the 'sealing chamber,

3. rthe method ont sealing cans in vacuum consisting in passing the can with the cover loosely applied thereto through a vacuum chamberv` wherein the vacuum is maintained at substantially a predetermined degree, transferring the can iromsaid chamber directly into a sealing chamber maintained at a less degree ot vacuum than the tiret named chamber and seeming said cover to the container while in said last named chamber,

l, The method oi sealing cans in vacuum consisting in passing the can with the cover loosely applied thereto, through a closed chamber maintained substantially ata predetermined degree ot vacuum, passing the can trom said chamber into a second ,chamber without exposing the same to atmospheric pressure, which second chamber is main tained under a degree oi vacuum slightly less than the vacuum on the tirst named chamber and sealing said container in said second named chamber,

ln testimon whereof, ll ama my si ature,

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