US2253383A - Apparatus for gooling cans - Google Patents

Description

1941- R.'H. LLOYD ET AL 2,253,383

APPARATUS FOR COOLING CANS Filed Jun 13, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 45 IE1 'l'orney Aug. 19, 1941. I R. H. LLOYD ET AL v APPARATUS FOR COOLING CANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I'm/anions WoBERT H. may

Filed June 13, 1959 h s g E APPARATUS FOR COOLING CANS Filed June 15, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lnzren l'am' 1035M H.Laovb JANE: T. Yum

Patented Aug. '19, 1941 APPARATUS FOR COOLING CANS Robert H. Lloyd, Honolulu, and James T. Youd, Lanakai, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, assignors to Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Limited, Honolulu, Territory or Hawaii, a corporation of the Territory of Hawaii Application June 13, 1939, Serial No. 278,908 18 Claims. (Cl. 62-104) The present invention relates to the canning art and more particularly to apparatus for cooling canned goods after they have been cooked.

The cooling apparatus to which the invention primarily relates is of the type wherein the cans are cooled by passing them through a chamber in which they are subjected to a spray of cooling liquid. One common type of such apparatus comprises in general concentric vertically disposed cylindrical shells providing therebetween an, annular enclosed passage into the top of which the cooling medium is sprayed and through which the cans are propelled in agradually ascending helical path by means of a reel having a plurality of pusher bars vertically disposed centrally in i said annular passage and revolved therethrough,

and co-operating helical tracks on the side walls of said passage at the sides of the pusher bars.

Objects of the present invention are to provide improvements in the construction of such cooling apparatus, particularly of the above mentioned common type which greatly enhance its cooling efficiency, Without increase in operating costs and with appreciable decrease in quantity of cooling medium required for any given cooling capacity. Other advantages made possible by those improvements in construction are more rapid cooling to the same degree and consequently increased capacity, and/or cooling to a greater extent in the same or shorter time and/or reduction in size of the apparatus withoutimpairment of cooling effectiveness, resulting in savings in construction and operating costs of the apparatus and in floor space. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing more particular description in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a partial elevation, partial vertical section with parts broken away of cooling ap- -paratus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 215 a topplan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 with pare broken away;

Fig, 3 is ahorizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction. of the arrows;

and

Fig. 4- is a broken vertical section through the cooling chamber; showing construction of the reel bars and spray pipes.

and inner walls of the annular passage l4 which constitutes the cooling chamber of the apparatus into which the cooling medium is sprayed through an annular head ii at the top of the apparatus, being collected and returned to the system through a suitable drain (not shown) located in the base of the passage I4. On the inner surfaces of the shells Ill and I l are secured opposed spaced helical rails l6 forming together a helical can track having a central aperture through which the vertically disposed pusher bars ll extend from top to bottom of the passage. The lower ends of the bars ll are secured to an annular ring l8 and their upper ends are secured to a spider IS, the hub of which is fixed to a vertical shaft 20 rotatably mounted in the hub of a spider l l' fixed to the top of the shell ll, there being a suitable thrust bearing 2| interposed between the hubs of the spiders I9 and II.

The bars ll, ring l8, spider l9, and shaft 20 constitute the can propelling reel of the apparatus.

In the embodiment illustrated, the reel is rotated by means of a drive shaft 22 external to the shell l0 having an upper driving gear 23 meshing with gear teeth 24 on the outer rim of the spider l9 and a lower driving gear 25 meshing with gear teeth 26 on the ring l8, the shaft 22 being connected to a suitable motor (not shown). Idler rollers 21 on the outer wall of the ,shell ll bear against the inner surface of the ring l8 to maintain the reel in proper vertical' position.

Feed mechanism designated generally at 28 automatically positions the cans as they are received from the cooker horizontally with an end on each of the rails [5 between the successive rotating bars ll of the reel through an aperture- 29 in the base of the shell III at the lower ends of the rails It. The cans are then propelled along the successive convolutions of the rails or track IQ by the pusher bars I! of the reel until they reach ejector mechanism 3ll'which pushes the cans endwise from between the bars I! through an aperture 3| in the top of the shell I0 and on to a slide 32. The ejector mechanism shown comprises a star wheel 33 horizontally rotatably Journaled on a stub shaft 34 secured to one of the arms of the fixed spider l l adjacent the aperture As best shown in Fig. 1, the body of the apparatus comprises an outer shell 10 and an inner concentricshell ll, vertically disposed and securedat their lower ends to whose l2 supported on legs. The shells It and N form the outer 3| in such position that the teeth at one side of the star wheel project between the bars ll 01'. the reel. The bars I! rotate the wheel 33 by engagement withthe teeth thereof which in turn engage theends of cans between the bars far described, the walls of'the cooling chamber have been made solid forming, with a solid base and top, an all-enclosed chamber except for the inlet and outlet openings for the cans. The hot vapors from the cans, particularly those from the lowermost cans, having no means for escape, have heated the chamber, counteracting to a considerable extent the cooling effect of the cooling medium and consequently lowering the efficiency of the apparatus.

A feature of the present invention consists in providing the shells I and II with means to permit escape of these heated vapors and circulation of cooler outside air through the chamber I4, these means being shown in Fig. 1 as constituting annular helically directed apertures 35 in the inner and outer shells and flanges 36 directed upwardly and outwardly from the bases of the apertures. The apertures 35 and flanges 36 form upwardly directed passages through which the hot vapors from the cans may rise and thus escape from between the walls I0 and II being replaced by cooler outside air entering through the passages. The flanges 36 act to catch the cooling medium that splashes off the cans and to return it between'the walls I0 and I I, thus preventing loss of cooling medium that would occur if the passages opened laterally or.

downwardly. The apertures 35 in each of the shells l0 and H are spaced apart peripherally of the shells and are disposed alternately in the shell l0 and the shell adjacent successive convolutions of the track IS on any vertical section thereby avoiding undue weakening of the shell structure while providing a venting passage at one side or the other of the track l6 throughout substantially its whole length. Heated vapors passing into the inner shell II and also any heated vapors that by-pass the apertures 35 to, reach the top of the passage l4 are permitted to escape through openings at the top of the apparatus provided by the expanded metal grating 31 (Fig. 25 with which we have replaced the solid sealing cover heretofore employed.

The cylindrical shells 0 and II will generally be formed of sheet metal and they may readily be provided with air circulation passages of the invention by cutting through the shells on lines corresponding to the top and side edges of the apertures 35 and pressing the shell portion 'between them rearwardly sufliciently to form the inclined flange 36, as by stamping the shells with a suitably shaped die. Consequently, provision of suitable air circulation passages need not increase the construction cost of the apparatus to any significant extent. Tests have shown, however, that their presence enhances very substantially the cooling efliciency of the apparatus, ma-

fterially increasing the amount of temperature reduction attained in a given time without increase in the amount of cooling medium employed.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4;, it will be seen that the opposed rails l6 forming the can track are of generally T-shaped cross section but are provided at their inner opposed ends with downwardly projecting beads or ledges 38. In prior apparatus of the type in question the laterally projecting portion of each rail forming the can track has comprised a flat strip of metal. With such constructionthe cooling medium impinging on the-inner surface of the shell and the upper surface of this portion of the rail tends to flow around the inner end of the rail back along its under surface and so on down to the base of the shell. Thus a considerable portion of the cooling medium sprayed into the passage .has been prevented from impinging upon the cans and any cooling effect therefrom has consequently been lost. We have found that this difficulty can be substantially completely remedied by providing the ledges 38 at the inner ends of the rails. The cooling medium flowing outwardly on the upper surface of the several convolutions of each rail is unable to negotiate the inner vertical surfaces of the ledges to flow back to the shell along the under surface of the rail and consequently drips down from the lower edge of the ledges to impinge upon the cans in the next lower convolution. The ledges 38 therefore materially increase the cooling efiiclency of a given quantity of cooling spray.

As the cans are propelled along the helical track by the reel they rotate about their own axes. This rolling of the cans produces a certain amount of agitation of the contents which contributes materially to the uniformity and rapidity of the cooling. In accordance with the present invention we further enhance this beneficial agi tation by providing the track rails with slight irregularities at intervals in their track surface which subject the cans to shocks as they are propelled thereover by the feel, and also cause them to rotate more rapidly. Suitable. irregularities for this purpose may readily provided by forming the rails l6 in successive longitudinal sections, such as the sections I6 and I6 shown in Fig. l, and offsetting the abutting ends of the sections slightly as at 39 in Fig. 1, with the end of the forward section H3" in the direction of can travel slightly below the abutting end of the rearward section 3'. In dropping from the section I6 to the section I6" the cans are jarred sufflciently to agitate the contents and at the same time the rotary motion of the can is increased by engagement with the end edge 40 of the section Hi.-

In prior apparatus of the type in question, the cooling spray has been supplied to the cooling passage by a fixed series of spray jets, such as apertures in an annular pipe fixed to one of the cylindrical walls of the passage, above the uppermost convolution of the can track, the spray from these jets impinging first on the uppermost convolution of cans in the cooler and dripping down over the lower cans to the bottom of the passage. In the apparatus of the present invention we have provided means for emitting spray into the passage l4 below, as well as above,

65 the uppermost convolution of the rail, said means comprising a plurality of spray pipes 4| (see Fig. 4) vertically disposed within the cooling passage I4 and extending from above the uppermost convolution of the rails l6 downwardly past several succeeding lower convolutions, the pipes 4| being provided with vertically spacedspray ejecting nozzles or apertures 42 which are adapted to emit spray into the passage |4 above the uppermost convolution of the track and also below it and adjacent several of the succeeding lower convolutions, the lowermost apertures 42 being located about midway the depth of the passage. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 4, the spray pipes 4| are disposed centrally of the passage l4, being housed within the forward open ends of the angle irons forming the pusher bars I! of the reel and having the spray ejecting nozzles 42 directed forwardly in the direction of rotation of the reel. The upper ends of the spray pipes 4| are conprovided ment with the fingers 55 nected to the annular header I by connecting pipes 4|.

As shown in Fig. 1, the annular header I5 is secured to the spider l8 and is connected by a plurality of pipes 45 with the lower end of a hollow vertical passage or pipe 44 in the upper I with the reel about the axis of the cooling passage I4, a water-tight bearing connection is provided between the feed pipe 45 and the vertical pipe 44. As shown, this connection comprises a bearing ring 41 on the lower end of the feed pipe 45 seated at the of the enlarged upperend of the aperture 44, a sealing ring or cap 48 rotatably mounted on the pipe 45 above the ring 41 and screw-threaded on the upper end of the shaft 20, and a packing 49 surrounding the pipe 45 between the bearing ring 41 and the sealing ring 48.

We have found that the above described spray supply means of the present invention enhances the cooling efllciency of the apparatus without increase in the amount of cooling medium and we attribute this improvement to at least two factors. In the first place, with-the spray means of the present invention, the spray is ejected in the center of the passage instead of at the side as in prior apparatus, and this results in more even distribution of the. cooling medium over the cans. In the second place, this even distribution of cooling medium is accomplished at lower levels in the cooling apparatus with advan- 'tages accruing from "increased area of wetted the. path of the cooling medium as it falls throughthe' annular space between the shells of the cooling apparatus.

The hot cans may be'transferred from the cooker to. the cooler by any convenient means such as the inclined chute 55 indicatedin the drawings, along which the cans roll on their sides, the chute'having at the end adjacent the cooler suitable means 28 for automatically inserting the cans through the aperture 29 horizontally upon the rails 15 between the successive which closely approach the outer periphery of the turret.

Turret 5| and star wheel 54 are, operated in timed relation with the movement of the bars I! of the reel so that each can remains substantially centered between successive bars ll while it is being pushed endwise of the turret through the aperture 29 by the star wheel 54. The mechanism shown for this purpose comprises a gear 51 mounted on a vertical shaft 58 and meshing at its inner end with the gear teeth 26 on the lower end of the reel, the shaft 58 operating a second gear 59 meshing with a gear 50 on the lower end of the shaft 53 to operate the star wheel 54, and a worm 5| on the shaft 53 meshing with a corresponding worm 62 an the shaft 52 to operate the turret 5|.

While we have shown and described herein one specific form of cooling apparatus constructed in'accordance with the novel principles and embodying the novel features of the invention, it will be apparent that the scope and advantages of the invention are not limited thereto nor to the particular form and arrangerotating bars [1. While the reference numeral 25. Y

is intended to designate any suitable feeding mechanism, we preferably employ the improved form shown in Figs; 1' and 3- comprlsing a continucuslyrotating turret 5| mounted on a hori- 'zont'al shaft-52 locatedbetween the end of the J'c'hute' 50 and a vertically disposed rotatably mounted stub shaft the upper end of shaft 53 having fixed thereto a horizontally disposed star wheel54 having pusherfingers 55 arranged to pass successively over theiop of the turret and into the'aperture' 25, the turret 5| being with open-ended. pockets 55 which receive the cans from the chute 55 and raise vthenrinto alignment with the aperture 25in the ment of parts shown and described.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for cooling cans, spaced walls forming a cooling passage, means for spraying cooling liquid into said passage, means at opposite ends of said passage for feeding cans therein anddischarging cans therefrom, means for conveying cans through said passage from said feeding means to said discharging means,

and means to provide free circulation of air into and venting of heated vapors from said passage adjacent the path of travel of the cans therein for substantially the full length of said path.

2. In apparatus for cooling cans, a substantially cylindrical shell, means at opposite ends of said shell for feeding cans therein and discharging cans therefrom, means within said shell for conveying cans from said feeding means to said discharging means helically about the axis of said shell, means for spraying cooling liquid onto cans in said she1l,.and means to provide free circulation of air into and venting of heated vapors from. said shell adjacent the path of travel of the cans therein for substantially the full length of said path.

3. In apparatus for cooling cans, spaced walls forming a cooling passage, means forspraying cooling liquid into said passage, means at opposite ends of saidpassage for feeding cans therein and discharging cans therefrom, means for conveying cans through said passage from said feeding means to said discharging means,

and means to provide free circulation of air into and venting of heated vapors from said passage adjacent the path of travel of the cans therein for substantially the full length of said path, said means comprising a plurality of openings in at least one of said walls arranged along said path. I

discharging means, and means to provide free circulation, of air into and venting of heated vapors from said'passage adjacent the path of travel of the cans therein for substantially the full length of said path, said means comprising a plurality of openings in each of said walls arranged-along said path.

5. In apparatus for cooling cans, a substantially cylindrical vertically disposed shell, means at opposite ends of said shell for feeding cans therein and discharging cans therefrom, means within said shell for conveying cans from said feeding means to said discharging means helically about the axis of said shell, and means for spraying cooling liquid onto cans in said shell, said shell having a plurality of openings therethrough adjacent the path of travel of the cans within said shell and spaced along said path for'substantially its full length, said apertures adapted to provide free circulation of air into and venting of heated vapors from said shell.

6. In apparatus for cooling cans, spaced substantially cylindrical and concentric vertically disposed shells forming an annular cooling passage therebetween, a helical track in said passage, means for feeding cans into said passage onto said track adjacent an end thereof, means for discharging cans from said passage adjacent the opposite end of said track, means for propelling .cans along said track from said feeding means to said discharging means, and means for spraying cooling liquid into the upper end of said passage, at leastone of said shells having openingstherethrough adapted to permit free circulation of air into and venting of heated vaporsfrom said passage adjacent the path of travel of the cans therein for substantially the full length of said path.

'I. In app ratus for cooling cans, spaced substantially cylindrical and concentric vertically disposed shells forming an annular cooling passage therebetween, a helical track in said passage, means for feeding cans into said passage onto said track adiacent an end thereof, means for discharging cans from said passage adjacent the opposite end of said track, means for propelling cans along said track from said feeding means to said discharging means, and means for spraying cooling liquid into the upper end of said passage, at least one of said shells being provided with apertures therethrough arranged in closely adjacent relation about the axis of said shell and along a plurality of convolutions of said track therein, said apertures being adapted to permit free circulation of air into and venting of heated vapors from said passage adjacent the path of adjacent relation about the axis of said shells and along a plurality of convolutions of said track therebetween, said apertures being adapted to permit free circulation of air into and venting of heated vapors from said passage adjacent the path of travel of the cans therein.

9. In apparatus for cooling cans, a substantially cylindrical vertically disposed shell, means at opposite ends of said shell for feeding cans therein and discharging cans therefrom, means within said shell for conveying cans from said feeding means to said discharging means helically about the axis of said shell, means for spraying cooling liquid onto cans in the upper end of said shell, said shell, intermediate said can receiving and can discharging means, being provided with a plurality of apentures adapted to vent heated vapors therethrough and flange means cooperating with said apertures to prevent escape of cooling medium therethrough from within said shell,

l0. Inapparatus for cooling cans, spaced substantially cylindrical and concentric vertically disposed shells forming an annular cooling passage therebetween, a helical track in said passage, means for feeding cans into said passage onto said track adjacent an end thereof, means for discharging cans from said passage adjacent the opposite end of said track, means for propelling cans along said track from said feeding means to said discharging means, and means for spraying cooling liquid into the upper end of said passage, at least one of said shells having a plurality of circumferentially extending apertures therein spaced along said track and adapted to permit circulation of air therethrough and flange means arranged adjacent said apertures to prevent escape of cooling liquid through said apertures.

11. In apparatus for cooling cans,'spaced substantially cylindrical and concentric vertically disposed shells forming an annular cooling passage therebetween, a helical track in said passage, means for feeding cans into said passage onto said track adjacent an end thereof, means for discharging cans from said passage adjacent the opposite end of said track, means for propelling caps along said track from said feeding means to said discharging means, and means for spraying cooling liquid into the upper end of said passage, at least one of said shells havin a plurality of air vents therein intermediate the ends of said track, said vents having an outer wall inclined upwardly from the base thereof and adapted to prevent escape of cooling liquid from said passage through said vents.

12. In apparatus for cooling cans, a vertically disposed helical rail having a laterally projecting flange, means for propelling cans along the upper surface of said flange, means for spraying cooling liquid over the cans on said flange, and means comprising a narrow bead projecting downwardly from the under surface of said flange, longitudinally thereof, adapted to cause liquid collecting on said flange to drip therefrom onto cans on a lower convolution of said rail.

13. In apparatus for cooling cans, a substantially cylindrical vertically disposed shell, a hellcal rail ,on said shell having a flange projecting laterally therefrom, means for propelling cans along the upper surface of said flange, means for spraying cooling liquid over the cans on said flange, said flange at its inner edge extended downwardly below the adjacent under surface of said flange to form a ledge adapted to drip liquid therefrom.

14. In apparatus for cooling cans, a helical can track, means for propelling cans along said track, and'means for spraying cooling liquid onto the cans on said track, said track, longitudinally thereof, divided into a plurality of sections, the abutting ends of said sections being offset whereby the cans are jarred as they are propelled from tions of said track.

one section to the next to agitate their contents and speed the cooling thereof.

151 In apparatus for cooling cans, a substantially cylindrical vertically disposed shell, a hellcal can track having a plurality of convolutions within said shell, means for feeding cans onto said track adjacent an end thereof, means for discharging cans from said track adjacent the opposite end thereof, means for propelling cans along said track from said feeding means to said discharging means and means for spraying cooling liquid onto the cans on said track, said last named means having spray ejecting openings above and below several of the upper convolu- 16. In apparatus for cooling cans, a substantially cylindrical vertically disposed shell, a hellcal can track having a plurality of convolutions within said shell, means for feeding cans onto saidtrack adjacent an end. thereof, means for discharging cans from said track adjacent the opposite end thereof, a-rotatablereel having a plurality of spaced substantially vertical pusher 'within said shell, means for feeding cans onto said track adiacentan end thereof. means for discharging cans from said track adjacent the opposite end thereof, a rotatable reel having a plurality of spaced substantially vertical pusher bars within said shell adapted to propel the cans along said track from said feeding means to said discharging means, a plurality of substantially vertically disposed spray pipes within said shell each secured to oneof said pusher bars, a plurality of vertically spaced spray ejecting apertures in .each of said pipes and means to supply cooling liquid to said pipes while rotating with said reel.

18. In apparatus for cooling cans, a substantially cylindrical vertically disposed shell, a hellcal can track having a plurality of convolutions within said shell, means for feeding cans onto said track adjacent an end thereof, means for discharging cans from said track adjacent the opposite end thereof, a rotatable reel having a plurality of spaced substantially vertical pusher bars within said shell adapted to propel the cans along said track from said feeding means to said discharging means, a plurality of substantially vertically disposed spray pipes within said shell each secured to one of said pusher bars, a plurality of vertically spaced spray ejecting apertures in each of said pipes, a feed pipe con nected'to a source of cooling liquid and an annular header having fixed connection with said spray pipes and reel and rotatable connection with said feed pipe.

- ROBERT E. LLOYD.

JAMES '1'. YOUD.

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