US2696780A - Device for forming metal articles - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 14, 1954 A.-$CHULZ DEVICE FOR FORMING. METAL ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1952 1N VENT OR AUGUST SCHULZ M+fi -8-- ATTORNEY A.-SCHULZ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR AUGUST SCHULZ Ma'w ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1954 DEVICE FOR FORMING METAL ARTICLES Filed March 25, 1952 United States Patent 2,696,780 DEVICE FOR FORMING NIETAL ARTICLES August Schulz, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 25, 1952, Serial No. 278,340 6 Claims. (Cl. 101-4) This invention relates to a device for forming metal articles, and more particularly to a device for placing a design or other decoration on the top of a metal article such as a screw-threaded metal closure.

In the manufacture of metal articles such as screw closures, it has been common practice to place a trademark or other geometric configuration such as a dome on the top of the article at the time the blank is died from the metal sheet. In feeding articles of this type to threading machines of the rotary type, as disclosed in Merolle Patent No. 2,245,042, it was difiicult to prevent marring the design of the blank while it was passing through the rotary threader. It has also been found necessary to make several alterations to the rotary threader in order to accommodate closures of this type.

Prior to the development of the present invention, the only way that metal articles of this type could be produced without encountering difficulties in the rotary threader was to stamp out a conventional blank in the punch press, and after the threading operation had been completed, performing a subsequent stamping operation on a punch press to place the desired design on the top of the closure. This was a time-consuming operation, inasmuch as the punch presses used for this type of operation do not operate as rapidly as rotary threaders.

The machine covered by this application has been developed to make possible the step of placing a design on the top of metal closures after they have been removed from the rotary threader so that the standard rotary threaders can be used for threading all types of closures without making any alterations to the threading machine; and after the threading operation, the desired design may be placed on the closure in a machine that is capable of operating at speeds comparable to those encountered in rotary threaders.

An object of this invention is to provide a high-speed machine which will perform the operation of placing a design on the top of metal articles such as screw-threaded metal closures.

Other objects and advantages of this machine will become apparent from an observation of the attached drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevational view of the machine;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View showing the machine cut away to show the various working parts;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view showing the machine in operative position upon a metal closure; and

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the means for supplying the metal articles sequentially to the studs.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a support 2 which may be mounted on the floor or other suitable working surface. This support 2 comprises two upright members 3, each of which carries a bearing 4 in the upper portion thereof. Mounted for rotation in the bearings 4 is a central shaft 5 which extends the entire length of the machine. Keyed to the central shaft 5 for rotation therewith is a stud carrier wheel 6 which carries a plurality of removable studs 7. The numeral 8 designates the key for securing the stud carrier wheel 6 to the shaft 5. These removable studs are held in position in recesses 9 in the stud carrier Wheel 6 by means of screws 10. The ends of the studs 7 are provided with relatively soft rubber tips 11.

The previously-formed screw closures having a perfectly fiat top are fed to the device through a chute 12. Positioned at the bottom of the chute so that it will engage a closure passing therethrough is a pivoted dog 13 (Figures 1 and 4) which pivots about pivot point 14. The dog 13 is urged into position to engage the closure by means of a spring 15. The closures have been previously aligned ice so that the open sides thereof are all disposed in the same direction. As the closures are fed in sequence down the chute 12, they are removed from engagement with the dog 13 by means of the rubber end 11 of a stud 7 as it is carried around by the stud carrier wheel 6. The lower extremity of the chute is curved so as to bring the open side of the closure into the circular path of travel of the studs 7. As the stud engages the interior of the closure, it pushes the same against the dog 13, pivoting about pivot point 14 and compressing spring 15. As soon as the closure has cleared the dog, the spring 15 expands, bringing dog 13 back into position to engage the next glosure to hold it in position for the next succeeding stud Also keyed to the shaft 5 by means of key 16 is a carrier wheel 17 which carries a plurality of reciprocating plungers 18. Said plungers 18 have removable dies 19 secured to the ends thereof by means of screws 20. The plungers 18 are in axial alignment with the studs 7. The entire assembly comprising the stud carrier wheel 6 and the carrier wheel 17 is mounted in proper spaced relationship on the shaft 5 by means of spacers, one of which is designated by the numeral 21 between the stud carrier wheel 6 and the carrier wheel 17. Another spacer 22 is disposed between the carrier 17 and the bearing 4 at the left-hand end of the shaft 5. With this arrangement, the entire assembly is mounted on the shaft 5 and tightened by means of the cap nut 23 at the right-hand end of the shaft. This keeps the rotating elements 6 and 17 in proper spaced relationship during constant operation, and also the keys 8 and 16 will keep the studs 7 and the plungers 18 in proper alignment.

Reciprocatory movement is imparted to the plungers 18 by means of cam followers 24 attached to the rear of plungers 18. These cam followers 24 engage a cam track 25 in a stationary cam 26 which is secured to the upright members 3 by means of screws 27. The plungers 18 are held against rotary movement by means of a key 28 which slides in a groove 29 in the plunger as the plunger reciprocates. This key 28 permits the plunger to move in a horizontal direction but prevents rotary motion of the plunger. Such rotary motion is undesirable, as it would tend to remove the cam follower 24 from its proper engagement with the cam surface on the cam 26.

The die 19 attached to the plunger 18 carries the proper design for the top of the metal cap. This might be a plain dome or any desired decorative design. In certain instances it may be found desirable to perforate the metal cap; for example, in making shaker tops. This machine can be used for this operation; however, in so doing it is necessary to provide the stud 7 with suitable holes for the removal of slugs punched by the die 19. This is possible, however, without requiring a major alteration to the machine.

The cam track 25 is so contoured that immediately after the closure is placed on the rubber tip 11 of the stud 7, the cam will move the plunger 18 toward the stud 7 and compress the metal cap between the die 19 and the rubber tip 11. At this point of compression, a second cam 30 shown in Figures 1 and 3 engages a second cam roller 31 located on the rear of the plunger 18. The purpose of this cam 30 is to place a direct axial thrust on the plunger 18 in order to relieve any shearing action on the cam roller 24. The cam 30 is contoured so as to force the plunger 18 toward the stud 7. Located on the outside of the stud carrier wheel 6 is a circular bearing ring 32 which engages a beveled roller 33 mounted for rotary movement on the bracket 3 on the right-hand side of the machine. The roller 33 is so positioned that it engages the ring 32 at the same point at which the cam 30 exerts the maximum thrust on plunger 18. This mechanism exerts the greatest pressure on the metal article shown at 39 and forms the desired design. The exact amount of movement of the plunger may be adjusted by means of suitable shims 34 between the cam 30 and the bracket 3.

Immediately after the dieing operation has been performed, the roller 31 moves off the cam 30 and the cam track 25 withdraws the plunger 18 from the exterior of the metal article and the article is free to be removed from the stud 7 and directed into a second chute 35, which directs the articles away from the studs 7 onto a suitable conveyor.- 'lhestuds7 continuein their. circulanpath-ofn' Rotary motion is imparted to the machine from a motor.

or other suitable source of power and shown at 36 through a gear 37 which engages gear teeth 38 on-theouter-periphery of the stud carrier wheel 6. Since the studcarrier-r wheel 6 and the carrier wheel 17 are both keyed to the.

shaft 5, rotarymotion imparted by the stud carrier wheel 6 also rotates the carrier 17 and the plungers .and'studs will always be in proper axial alignment.

Inthe operationof this device, the closures are supplied to the chute 12 in proper alignment with their open sides to the right, asviewed in Figure 2. Rotary motion is imparted to the machine by means of the motor '36 through gear 37 to teeth38 on the stud carrier wheel 6. The machine rotates in the directionof the arrow shown in Figure 1. the inner area of the closure held by the dog13 atthe bottom of chute 12 and carries the closure past the dog against the compression of spring 15. The closure remains on the stud 7 and immediately after leaving the end of the chute, the plunger 18 carried by the carrier wheel 1'7 is moved into engagement with the closure carried by the stud 7 compressing the closure between the die on the end of the plunger 18 and the rubber tip 11 of the stud 7. The final forming pressure is exerted by means of a second cam follower 31 which engages a cam 30 exerting a direct axial thrust on the plunger. At the same point at which the axial thrust is exerted on the plunger, the stud carrier wheel 6 is backed up by means of a roller 33 engaging a circular ring 32 mounted on the stud carrier wheel 6. Immediately after this formation step, the cam follower 31 moves off the cam 30 and cam follower 24 withdraws the plunger from its engagement with the metal article and the same is free to drop from thestud7 ontoa suitable conveyor.

I claim:

1. A device for forming metal articles, the elements? comprising a rotatable shaft mounted in a fixed support,

a stud carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a stud on said wheel to carrythe metal article to be formed, a second carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plunger mounted in saidsecond carrier wheel for reciprocatory movement therein on an axis parallel to the rotary axis of said carrier wheel, a die positioned on said plunger, said .die and said stud being in axial alignment during the entire cycle of rta'- tion of the twocarriers, a stationary cam mounted on said support and surrounding said shaft, a cam follower on said plunger to engage said stationary cam to urge said die into engagement with said metal article carried by said stud and to withdraw said die from engagement with'the. metal article, means for supplying ametal-article togbe' formed to the stud, and means for imparting-rotary motion to said shaft.

2. A device forforming metal articles, theelements comprising a rotatable shaft mounted-in a fixed support,

a stud carrier. wheel mounted on'said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of studs mounted on' said wheel tocarry the metal articles to be formed, a-second-carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a;

urge said die into engagement. .with said metal article carried by said stud and to withdraw said die from engagement with the metal article, means for. supplyingmetal articles to be formed to the studs, and means forimparting rotary motion to-said shaft.

3. A device for forming metal articles, the elements comprising a rotatable shaft mounted in a fixed support, a stud carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a stud on said wheel to carrythe metal'article to be formed, a second carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plunger mounted-'in'said' second carrier=wheelfor reciprocatory movementtherein As themachine rotates, the studs 7 engageon an axis parallel to the rotary axis of said carrier wheel, a..die.spositioned .on.saidplunger, said die and said stud being in axial alignment during the entire cycle of rotation of the two carriers, a stationary cam mounted on said support and surrounding said shaft, a second cam mounted on said support, a plurality of cam followers on said plunger to engage said stationary cams to urge said die into engagement withsaid metal article carried by said-stud and-to withdraw said die from engagement with the metal article,.means for supplying the metal article to be formed to the stud, and means for imparting rotary motion to said shaft.

4. A'device'for-forming metal articles, the elements comprising a rotatable shaft mounted in a fixed support, a stud carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewithpa stud-on said wheel to carry the metal article to beformed, a bearing ring mounted on said carrier WhGL- a pressure-exerting roller mounted on said fixed support for engagement with the bearing ring, a second carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plunger mounted in said second carrier wheel for reciprocatory movement therein on an axis parallel to the rotary axis of said carrier wheel, a die positioned on said plunger, said die and said stud being in axial alignment, a cam follower onsaid plunger, a stationary cam mounted on said support and surrounding said shaft, said cam beingof a'contour to impart reciprocatory motion to said plunger through said cam follower, a second stationary cam mounted on said support to engage a second cam follower on saidplunger at the same point in its path of rotationat which said bearing roller engages the bearing ring, means for supplying the metal article to be formed to thestud, and means for imparting rotary motion to said shaft.

5. A device for forming metal articles, the elements comprising a rotatable shaft mounted in a fixed support, astud carrier wheelwmounted on said shaft for rotation therewith,.a stud'on said wheel to carry the metal article tobe formed, a second carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith,.a plunger mounted in said carrier Wheelfor reciprocatory movement therein on an axis parallel to the rotary axis ofsaid carrier wheel, said plunger being keyed to said carrier wheel to prevent rotary movement therein and to allow reciprocatory movement therein, .a die positioned on said plunger, said die and said stud beingin axial alignment during the entire cycle of rotation of the two carriers, a stationary cam mounted on said support andsurrounding said shaft, a cam follower on saidplunger to engage said stationary cam to urge said die into engagement with said ietal article carried by said studandto withdraw said'die from engagement with the metabarticle, means for supplying the metal article to be formed to the stud, and means for imparting rotary motion to said shaft.

6.. A device forforming metal articles, the elements comprising a rotatable shaft mounted ina fixed support, a stud carrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a stud on said wheel to'carry the metal article to be formed, a second rcarrier wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plunger. mounted in said second-carrierwheel for reciprocatory movement therein on an axis parallel to the rotary axis of said carrier wheel,

a die-positioned on/said plunger, said die and said stud being in axial alignment during the entire cycle of rotatiorrof the two carriers, a stationary cam mounted on said support and-surrounding said shaft, a cam follower on said plunger to enga e said stationary cam to urge said die intoengagementwith said metal article carried bv said studand to withdraw said die from engagement with the metal article, .a chute to supply the metal article to be formed tothe stud and a second chute for receiving the formedarticle from the stud, and means for imparting rotary motion to said shaft.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,429,944 Hauser Sept. 26, 1922 1,723,785 Johnson Aug. 6, 1929 2,184,510 Adams": Dec. 26, 1939 2,201,924 Schmitt' May 21, 1940 2,369,871" Trollen Feb. 20, 1945 2,425,374 Kagley'; Aug. 12, 1947 231293196 Sutte'r Oct. 21, 1947

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