Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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ROLLER ASSEMBLY
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of, and priority to,
U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 63/240,304 filed on September 2, 2021, which is hereby
incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD
100021 The embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus
and methods for
manufacturing containers. Specifically, the embodiments described herein
relate to a turret-
head assembly having rollers for forming a neck portion of a container ¨ more
specifically, for
forming a groove on the neck portion of a container for engaging a pilfer
band.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In the industry, beverage containers for various soft
drinks, alcoholic beverages,
and the like are typically produced in large quantities in substantially
identical shapes. There
is an increasing desire among beverage manufacturers to sell products from
economical
containers, often having unique configurations, to assist in differentiating
their products from
their competitors.
[0004] Conventional beverage containers are typically formed from a
preform article,
which is a generally cylindrical metal article/container made from an aluminum
or aluminum
alloy sheet, surface-treated steel, a combination thereof, or the like. The
preform article
typically includes a closed end and an opposing open end. The preform article
typically
undergoes multiple stages of expansion or reduction processes to achieve a
desired shape.
Because of limitations associated with the metal used to form the containers,
these processes
are conducted incrementally in "stages" so as to minimize or prevent damage to
or splitting of
the container wall. Multiple diametrical reductions and/or expansions to the
open end of the
preform article may be performed, for example, to form a narrowed neck portion
adjacent to
the open end of the container, such as in a bottle-shaped container
configuration, to form
threads thereon, or the like.
[0005] Most containers are adapted to be closed and/or sealed with
a generally cylindrical
flat cap or closure having threads in the wall thereof that are configured to
mate with
corresponding threads in the neck portion of the container. A cap blank is
applied to the
threaded neck portion of a container to seal the container. Threaded
ridges/grooves formed on
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the walls (i.e., a skirt portion) of the cap mate with corresponding
grooves/ridges in the threaded
neck portion of the container. It is desirable that multiple seals are formed
between the threaded
neck portion and the cap to reduce or eliminate the possibility of the
contents of the container
leaking therefrom, to retain freshness, and the like.
100061 It is also desirable to include a tamper-evident feature to
indicate when the container
has been previously opened/unsealed. Often, the skirt portion of the cap
includes a pilfer band
at its lower end. The pilfer band is positioned over and wraps around a groove
in the neck
portion of the container used to generally axially lock the pilfer band. In
some instances, the
groove is formed below an annular bead positioned below or at the bottom of
the threaded
portion. The pilfer band is separated from the remaining portion of the skirt
portion via bridges
or perforations. When the cap is turned counterclockwise, the cap is removed
from the neck
portion via the interaction of the cap threads with the threads of the neck
portion of the
container As such, the bridges/perforation between the skirt portion of the
cap and the pilfer
band are broken so that the pilfer band may detach from the skirt portion of
the cap. To replace
the cap, the cap may be placed over the open end of the container and turned
clockwise, re-
engaging the cap threads with the threads of the neck portion of the
container.
100071 In conventional processes, the groove in the neck portion of
the container around
which the pilfer band wraps is formed by necking the container down to a
desired diameter of
the groove. Subsequently, another portion of the neck of the container is
expanded out to a
desired diameter of the annular bead. Such processes involve numerous stages
and machines,
and the expanding process presents a higher risk of splitting the container
wall.
100081 It is an object of the embodiments disclosed herein to
efficiently produce a necked
container having a groove configured to engage a pilfer band. The embodiments
provide new
systems and methods for forming the groove.
SUMMARY
100091 According to aspects disclosed herein, a turret-head
assembly for forming an article
is disclosed. The turret-head assembly comprises a turret head-assembly
support member
defining a turret-head axis. The turret-head assembly further comprises a base
plate having an
aperture through the center thereof, the turret head-assembly support member
extending
therethrough. The base plate is rigidly coupled to the turret head-assembly
support member.
The turret-head assembly further comprises a front housing having an opening
configured to
receive an open end of the article therethrough. The turret-head assembly
further comprises a
pivot plate positioned between the base plate and the front housing. A first
side of the pivot
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plate is coupled with a first side of the front housing. A second side of the
pivot plate is coupled
with a first side of the base plate. The pivot plate is axially movable along
the turret-head axis.
The turret-head assembly further comprises a plurality of rollers coupled to
the pivot plate such
that the plurality of rollers is configured to move radially with respect to
the turret-head axis.
The radial movement corresponds with the axial movement of the pivot plate.
100101 According to further aspects disclosed herein, a method of
forming an article is
disclosed. The method comprises providing a turret-head assembly. The turret-
head assembly
includes a turret head-assembly support member defining a turret-head axis.
The turret-head
assembly further includes a base plate having an aperture through the center
thereof, the turret
head-assembly support member extending therethrough. The base plate is rigidly
coupled to
the turret head-assembly support member. The turret-head assembly further
includes a front
housing having an opening configured to receive an open end of the article
therethrough. The
turret-head assembly further includes a pivot plate positioned between the
base plate and the
front housing. A first side of the pivot plate is coupled with a first side of
the front housing. A
second side of the pivot plate is coupled with a first side of the base plate.
The pivot plate is
axially movable along the turret-head axis. The turret-head assembly further
includes a
plurality of rollers coupled to the pivot plate such that the plurality of
rollers is configured to
move radially with respect to the turret head axis. The radial movement
corresponds with the
axial movement of the pivot plate. The method further comprises moving at
least one of the
turret-head assembly and the article toward one another such that an open end
of the article
passes through the opening in the front housing. The method further comprises
axially
advancing at least one of the turret-head assembly or the article against the
other of the turret-
head assembly or the article such that the pivot plate moves in a first
direction toward the base
plate, thereby decreasing the distance between the pivot plate and the base
plate, thereby
moving the rollers radially inward toward the neck portion. The method further
comprises
rotating the turret-head assembly about the turret-head axis. The method
further comprises
engaging the plurality of rollers with a portion of a neck portion of the
necked article, thereby
forming a groove on the necked article.
100111 It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following
detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not
restrictive of the invention
as claimed.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will
become apparent from the following description, appended claims, and the
accompanying
exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described
below.
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a machine line for forming articles
according to one embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 2A illustrates containers resulting from various stages
of a process according
to one embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 2B illustrates a close-up view of a necked article of
FIG. 2A.
[0016] FIG. 3A illustrates a top perspective view of a turret-head
assembly according to
aspects of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 3B illustrates a bottom perspective view of the turret-
head assembly of FIG.
3A.
[0018] FIG 4 illustrates a top perspective view of the turret-head
assembly of FIGs 3A-
3B with a top plate removed.
[0019] FIG. 5A illustrates a top perspective view of a base plate
according to one
embodiment.
100201 FIG. 5B illustrates a bottom perspective view of the base
plate of FIG. 5A.
100211 FIG. 6 illustrates a top perspective view of the turret-head
assembly of FIGs. 3A-
3B with the base plate of FIGs. 5A-5B removed.
[0022] FIG. 7A illustrates the turret-head assembly of FIG. 6 in a
compressed position.
[0023] FIG. 7B illustrates the turret-head assembly of FIG. 7A in
an expanded position.
[0024] FIG. 8A illustrates a close-up view of pivot arms and
rollers of the turret-head
assembly of FIG. 7A.
[0025] FIG. 8B illustrates a close-up view of the pivot arms and
rollers of the turret-head
assembly of FIG. 7B.
[0026] FIG. 9 illustrates a top perspective view of the turret-head
assembly of FIGs. 3A-
3B with a pivot plate having been removed.
[0027] FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of the turret-head assembly
of FIGs. 3A-3B with
certain components not shown.
[0028] FIG. 11A illustrates a perspective top view of the turret-
head assembly of FIGs. 3A-
3B with certain components not shown.
[0029] FIG. 11B illustrates a perspective bottom view of the turret-
head assembly of FIG.
11A.
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100301 FIG. 12A illustrates a perspective bottom view of a front
housing according to one
embodiment.
100311 FIG. 12B illustrates a perspective top view of a compression
hub and bearing
according to one embodiment.
100321 FIG. 12C illustrates a perspective bottom view of the
compression hub of FIG. 12B.
100331 FIG. 13A illustrates a perspective bottom view of a roller
mounted the pivot arm,
according to one embodiment.
100341 FIG. 13B illustrates a perspective bottom view of the pivot
arm of FIG. 13A having
the roller removed.
100351 FIG. 13C illustrates a perspective bottom view of the pivot
arm of FIG. 13B having
bearings removed.
100361 FIG. 14A is a top perspective view of a turret-head assembly
according to another
embodiment
100371 FIG. 14B is a bottom perspective view of the turret-head
assembly of FIG. 14A.
100381 FIG. 14C is a top view of the turret-head assembly of FIGs.
14A-14B.
100391 FIG. 14D is an exploded view of the turret-head assembly of
FIGs. 14A-14C.
100401 FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view of the turret-head
assembly of FIGs. 14A-14D
along line 15A-15A of FIG. 14C.
100411 FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view of the turret-head
assembly of FIGs. 14A-14D
along line 15B-15B of FIG. 14C.
100421 While the invention is susceptible to various modifications
and alternative forms,
specific forms thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and
will herein be
described in detail. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended
to limit the
invention to the particular forms disclosed, but, on the contrary, the
intention is to cover all
modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and
scope of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
100431 Existing processes and apparatus for forming an annular bead
and groove (e.g., a
locking ring over which a pilfer band is positioned) for engaging a pilfer
band suffer from a
number of significant limitations. In particular, for example, the processes
and tools used to
form the annular bead and groove require necking down (reducing the diameter
of) the
container to a desired groove diameter followed by expanding the necked
container to a desired
diameter of the annular bead. This process has several disadvantages. For
example, existing
apparatus for performing such processes require numerous machines (e.g., for
reducing and for
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expanding the neck diameter). Moreover, the expansion process makes the
container
vulnerable to splitting.
100441 According to aspects of the present disclosure, apparatus
and methods are described
for improving article (e.g., container) necking processes. Although the
embodiments described
herein are discussed with respect to roll-on pilfer band processes, it is
contemplated that the
apparatus and the methods of using the same may also be applied in association
with other
processes that result in forming a groove on or otherwise processing/modifying
a neck portion
of an article adjacent to an open end of the article.
100451 In the embodiments described herein, a container is necked
down to a desired
diameter of the annular bead and rolled to form a groove on the neck portion.
Subsequently,
necking steps may be performed to reduce the diameter of the neck portion for
threading. After
that, additional necking steps may be performed to further reduce the diameter
of the neck
portion for curling Thus, in the embodiments described herein, expansion of
the neck portion
is not required to form the pilfer band groove, thereby reducing the number of
stages required
and the risk of splitting the container.
100461 The articles described herein may be a can or container, any
suitable food or
beverage container, jar, bottle, or any other suitable article. The article
has an open end
opposite a closed end and a sidewall bridging the open end and the closed end.
Alternatively,
the article may be open at both ends. A top, lid, or other closure may be
added to the article
after the necking process. The article may be held to a respective device
(e.g., a pusher device)
using, e.g., vacuum.
100471 Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary machine line 102 for
forming articles is shown.
The machine line 102 includes a plurality of modules 103. Each module 103 is
configured to
perform at least one working step to a received article 10 prior to passing
the article
downstream. The modules 103 generally include one or more forming turrets
configured to
perform a working operation on the article. The forming turret(s) generally
include at least one
forming starwheel (e.g., forming turret 21) having a plurality of pockets and
tooling configured
to perform a working operation on an article within a respective pocket.
100481 Modules 103 generally further include at least one transfer
starwheel (e.g., transfer
starwheels 20) having a plurality of pockets thereon. The pockets are
configured to receive the
articles from an upstream starwheel and transport the article to a downstream
starwheel.
Optionally, a recirculation system can be employed. An example recirculation
system is
described in PCT/US2015/018119, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference in its
entirety.
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100491 Referring now to FIG. 2A, a plurality of containers 200
resulting from various
stages of a process according to one embodiment is shown. Each of the
plurality of containers
200 includes a generally cylindrical body 201 having an open end 202. A
preform container
or article 200a is shown having a generally smooth, narrowed neck portion 204
extending from
the open end 202 and a shoulder portion 214 bridging the neck portion 204 and
the cylindrical
body 201. As the preform article 200a is passed downstream, working operations
are
performed on the neck portion 204 to form an annular bead and groove to engage
and generally
axially lock a pilfer band in place, threads, and the like. For example, the
neck portion 204 of
the preform article 200a is modified (e.g., rolled) to form a groove 206 for
engaging a pilfer
band to form a first pass article 200b. The groove 206 is configured to assist
in generally
holding the pilfer band positioned over the groove 206 in place and restrain
the movement of
the pilfer band in an axial direction. Further necking operations can be
performed to further
modify the neck portion 204 of the article (see articles 200c, 200d, 200e)
and/or to form threads
210 thereon.
100501 FIG. 2B illustrates a close-up view of an upper portion of
the second pass article
200c. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the neck portion 204c has a
groove 206 for
engaging a pilfer band. During necking procedures, the open end 202 of the
preform article
200a (see FIG. 2A) is diametrically reduced in stages to form the finished
neck portion 204
(see article 200f of FIG. 2A). The procedure is performed in multiple stages
to assist in
preventing misforming, breaching, or splitting the article.
100511 In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, axial
movement of a portion
of a turret-head assembly in turn causes radial movement of tooling (e.g.,
rollers) with respect
to the turret-head axis. For example, in one embodiment, mechanical actuation
of a turret-head
assembly into a position to form a processing operation on an article being
formed or modified
is accomplished using the article itself. This is advantageous because, unlike
existing devices,
external components or mechanisms are not required, e.g., to actuate rollers
to contact the neck
portion of the article so that a groove for engaging a pilfer band may be
formed thereon. Thus,
less equipment may be required, thereby decreasing the cost associated with
forming the
groove. In other embodiments, radial movement of the tooling may be actuated
by a secondary
mechanism (e.g., a cam actuator) external to the turret-head assembly causing
axial movement
of the turret-head assembly.
100521 FIGs. 3A-3B illustrate an example of a turret-head assembly
300 according to
aspects of the present disclosure. The turret-head assembly 300 includes a
turret-head
supporting member (e.g., mounting screw) 386, which defines a turret-head
axis. The turret
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head-supporting member 386 with a washer 388 (e.g., a Belleville washer or
other suitable type
of washer) is used to mount the whole turret-head assembly 300 to a machine
(see FIGs. 11A-
11B). The turret-head assembly 300 includes a top plate 302, a base plate 304,
and a pivot
block 306 (see FIG. 10), all of which are generally stationary during
operation with respect to
the other components of the turret-head assembly 300. The turret-head assembly
300 further
includes a generally ring-shaped front housing 308 including a generally ring-
shaped guide
plate or compression hub 310 positioned in the center thereof The front
housing 308 is rigidly
connected to a pivot plate 312. When a force is applied thereto (e.g., when an
article is inserted
into the turret-head assembly 300, as described in detail below), the front
housing 308 and pivot
plate 312 slide up along a plurality of alignment pins 314 and along the
turret-head axis in the
direction of Arrow A. The alignment pins 314 couple the base plate 304 to the
pivot plate 312
and have a plurality of resilient devices (e.g., compression springs) 340
coupled thereto. The
base plate 304 is rigidly fixed to the alignment pins 314, and the pivot plate
312 is slideably
coupled to the alignment pins 314, as discussed further below with respect to
FIGs. 7A-7B.
The pivot block 306 is rigidly coupled to the turret-head supporting member
386. Stationary
inner ends 315 of a plurality of H-links 316 are coupled to the pivot block
306, and opposing
free outer ends 317 of the plurality of H-links 316 are coupled to a
respective plurality of pivot
arms 318. Each of the pivot arms 318 includes an opening 374 positioned
through a generally
central portion of a body 375 thereof (see FIG. 10). Each pivot arm 318 is
slidably coupled to
the pivot plate 312 via a slot 319 therein. The upward movement of the pivot
block 306 in the
direction of Arrow A causes the distance between the base plate 304 and the
pivot plate 312 to
decrease, thereby moving an opposing free end of each of the H-links 316
radially outward,
which, in turn brings lower ends 320 of each of the pivot arms 318 radially
inward toward the
center of the turret-head assembly 300. A plurality of tooling devices (e.g.,
rollers 322) having
a constant radius are coupled to the lower end 320 of each of the pivot arms
318 and are, thus,
moved inwardly toward the center of the turret-head assembly 300 to press
against the neck
portion of the article and form a groove thereon. Although the tooling shown
in the illustrated
embodiments is a plurality of rollers 322, it is contemplated that the
embodiments described
herein may also be used with other types of tooling including but not limited
to, trimmers,
flanging devices, curling devices, threading devices, any combination thereof,
or the like.
100531 A lower end of the turret-head assembly 300 is configured to
be axially moved
along the turret head axis. As best seen in the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the
lower end of the
turret-head assembly 300 is configured to be pressed on by an article (e.g.,
article 200 of FIG.
2A) passing through a central opening 342 in the front housing 308 and
compression hub 310.
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Thus, the diameter of the opening 342 is configured to allow a neck portion
204 of the article
therethrough and block a shoulder portion 214 of the article from passing
therethrough.
100541 Although the exemplary embodiments discussed herein describe
the shoulder
portion 214 of the article (see FIG. 2B) as contacting and pushing against a
bottom/outer side
of the front housing 308 and/or compression hub 310, it is contemplated that
the components
of the turret-head assembly 300 may be pushed by any portion of the article or
any other
external mechanism causing axial movement of a portion of the turret-head
assembly 300. For
instance, in one non-limiting example, the open end 202 of the article may
push against a pilot
382 coupled to a bottom side of the pivot plate 312 (see FIGs. 11A-11B). In
other
embodiments, a cam actuator is used to axially move the lower end of the
turret-head assembly
300.
[0055] Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments detailed herein
describe the article
axially advancing along the turret-head axis toward a generally stationary
turret-head assembly
300 (using, for example, a cam-follower arrangement on a rotating turret) and
pushing
components coupled to the turret-head assembly upward in the direction of
Arrow A into a
compressed position (see FIG. 7A). However, in some embodiments, the article
is generally
stationary and the turret-head assembly 300 is axially advanced along the
turret-head axis in
the direction of Arrow B to engage the article. In such embodiments, contact
with the stationary
article causes the turret-head assembly 300 to compress (see FIG. 7A). In
other embodiments,
both the article and the turret-head assembly 300 are axially advanced along
the turret-head
axis in opposite directions toward one another to engage a portion of the
article with a
component of the turret-head assembly 300 to compress the turret-head assembly
300 shown
in FIG. 7A.
[0056] In still other embodiments, the turret-head assembly 300 is
compressed
independently of the article. For example, the lower end of the turret-head
assembly (e.g., the
front housing 308) may be axially moved, e.g., via a cam actuator, thereby
compressing the
turret-head assembly 300 (see FIG. 7A) and, accordingly, causing radial
movement of the
rollers 322.
[0057] Referring back to FIGs. 3A-3B, compressing the turret-head
assembly 300, e.g.,
moving the article through the central opening 243 in the front housing 308,
triggers the pivot
arms 318 to move the rollers 322 coupled thereto toward the center of the
turret-head assembly
300. The turret-head assembly 300 generally spins about the turret-head axis
such that the
rollers 322 travel on the neck portion 204 circumferentially while moving
inwardly toward the
center of the turret-head assembly 300. As such, the rollers 322 roll against
the neck portion
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204 of the article, thereby forming the groove for holding the pilfer band.
During forming, the
turret-head assembly 300 spins rapidly relative to the article, and the
article remains generally
stationary with the compression hub 310 via friction. In some embodiments, the
turret-head
assembly 300 may spin at a speed of 2000 rpm or more. It is contemplated that,
in other
embodiments, the article spins rapidly relative to the turret-head assembly
300, which remains
generally stationary.
100581 FIGs. 4-6 show the internal structure of the turret-head
assembly 300 according to
one embodiment. For example, FIG. 4 illustrates the turret-head assembly 300
with the top
plate 302 removed. By removing the top plate 302, top ends 324 of the
alignment pins 314 are
exposed. The top plate 302 is coupled to the base plate 304 by one or more
fasteners 326. The
fasteners 326 may include, e.g., button head cap screws or any other suitable
type of fastener.
100591 FIGs. 5A-5B illustrate a top side 328 and a bottom side 330
of the base plate 304,
respectively, according to one embodiment The base plate 304 includes
counterbores 332
configured to mount to the alignment pins 324. The base plate 304 further
includes threaded
holes 334 for mounting the base plate 304 to the pivot block 306. Although the
illustrated
embodiment includes three counterbores 332 and three threaded holes 334, it is
contemplated
that any suitable number of counterbores and/or threaded holes may be used.
100601 FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of fasteners 336 connecting
the pivot block 306 and the
base plate 304 after the base plate 304 has been removed so that various
components can be
more easily viewed. Although three fasteners 336 in the form of cap screws are
shown, it is
contemplated that any number and/or any suitable type of fastener may be used.
Each
alignment pin 324 has two washers 338, with the spring 340 positioned
therebetween. The
springs 340 are used to return all moving parts (e.g., the pivot plate 312,
pivot block 306, pivot
arms 318, rollers 322, and front housing 308) back to their initial expanded
positions (see FIG.
7B) after the groove has been formed on the article and the article has been
retracted away from
the turret-head assembly 300.
100611 FIGs. 7A-7B illustrates two positions of the turret-head
assembly 300 of FIGs. 3A-
6. FIG. 7A illustrates a first, compressed position resulting from an article
passing through an
opening 342 in the front housing 308 and compression hub 310. The compression
hub 310
may include a profile that generally corresponds with that of the shoulder 214
of the article
such that the contact area between the article and the compression hub 310 may
be minimized.
As the article moves through the opening 342 and presses against the
compression hub 310,
e.g., the pivot plate 312 and the front housing 308 are pushed into the
compressed position
(FIG. 7A). The pivot block 306 is generally stationary, so the inner ends 315
of the H-links
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316 coupled thereto are likewise generally stationary. As the article is
pushed further into the
turret-head assembly 300, the front housing 308 and pivot plate 312 move
upward in the
direction of Arrow A, causing outer ends 317 of the H-links 316 to likewise
move upward in
the direction of Arrow A (FIG. 7A) into an activated position. This movement
of the H-links
316 results in a bottom end 358 of the pivot arms 318 and the rollers 322
coupled thereto to
move radially inward toward the pivot block 306 and center of the turret-head
assembly 300
such that the rollers 322 contact the neck portion 204 of the article and form
the groove thereon.
Because there is a plurality of rollers 322 (e.g., three) surrounding the
article, generally no
additional support for the article is needed.
100621 As shown in FIG. 7B, after the groove has been formed on the
article and the article
is removed from the turret-head assembly 300, the springs 340 push the pivot
plate 312
downward in the direction of Arrow B into an expanded position As a result,
the outer ends
317 of the H-links 316 move downward into a deactivated position following the
pivot plate
312. Accordingly, the bottom ends 358 of the pivot arms 318 and the rollers
322 coupled
thereto flare radially outward, thereby breaking contact with the neck portion
204 of the article
and providing a clearance for removing the article.
100631 The bottom end 348 of each alignment pin 324 has a washer
350 thereon, which is
held in place by a respective fastener, e.g., a cap screw 352. The washer 350
acts as a stop so
that the pivot plate 312 cannot axially move past the washer 350. FIG. 7B
shows the pivot
plate 312 coming into contact with the washers 350 in the expanded position.
100641 FIGs. 8A-8B illustrate how the pivot arms 318 and the
rollers 322 pivot generally
radially inward and outward during operation. Referring to FIG. 8A, when an
article is inserted
through the opening 342 (see FIGs. 7A-7B) in the front housing 308 and
compression hub 310,
the pivot plate 312 rises in the direction of Arrow A. As a result, the radial
distance 354
between the two opposing ends 315, 317 of each H-link 316 increases. Moreover,
because the
inner end 315 of each H-link 316 generally does not move radially, the outer
ends 317 of each
H-link 316 push a top portion 356 of the pivot arms 318 radially outward and
upward as the
article is further inserted into the turret-head assembly 300. Thus, the
opposing bottom ends
358 of each pivot arm 318 are moved radially inward toward the center of the
turret-head
assembly 300 to press the rollers 322 onto the workpiece, i.e., the neck of
the article. As such,
movement of the components of the turret-head assembly 300 occurs via contact
with/by the
article and by movement of the article with respect to the turret-head
assembly 300.
100651 FIG. 9 shows components of the turret-head assembly 300
described above with the
pivot plate 312 being removed. With the pivot plate 312 removed, bushings 360
for sliding the
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pivot plate 312 along the alignment pins 324 and pivots 362 used to couple the
pivot arms 318
to the pivot plate 312 can be viewed. The bushings 360 may be made of plastic
or any other
suitable material. A plurality of fastening devices (e.g., screws) 364 rigidly
couple the pivot
plate 312 with the front housing 308 such that they generally move together,
as discussed
above. Nuts 366, washers 368, and spring washers 370 clamp the pivot plate 312
to the screws
364. The distance between the pivot plate 312 and the front housing 308 may be
adjusted by
changing the length of the screws 364 to accommodate varying article shapes,
lengths, and/or
geometries.
100661 FIG. 10 illustrates the turret-head assembly 300 described
above with the alignment
pins 324, bushings 360, and screws 364 being removed, such that the H-links
316 and pivot
arms 318 can be more easily viewed. To illustrate the components more clearly,
one pivot arm
318, H-link 316, and roller 322 connected to the pivot arm 318 were also
removed.
100671 Although used with all of the pivot arms 318 in operation, a
pivot pin or precision
fastener (e.g., screw) 372 is shown positioned through the opening 374 in the
body 375 of the
pivot arm 318a. In some embodiments, the opening 374 is positioned in a
generally central
location on the pivot arms 318. The precision screw 372 mounts the pivot arm
318a to the
pivot plate 312 such that the pivot arm 318 can freely rotate about the
precision screw 372. A
set of pivot pins 376 used to pivotably couple each H-link 316 to the pivot
block 306 and pivot
arm 318, respectively, is also shown.
100681 As shown with respect to the H-link 316b of FIG. 10, each H-
link also includes four
flanged bushings 378 thereon: two of the flanged bushings 378a slide against
the pivot pin 376
to the pivot block 306, and the remaining two flanged bushings 378b slide
against the pivot pin
376 to the pivot arm 318. A bushing 380 is positioned in the middle opening
374 of the pivot
arm 318 to slide against the precision screw 372. The bushings 378, 380 may be
made of
plastic or any other suitable material.
100691 Turning now to FIGa 11A-11B, the pivot arms 318, H-links
316, and rollers 322
have been removed to expose the pivot block 306 and the pilot 382. The pilot
382 supports the
open end of the article as it is moved into the turret-head assembly 300,
thereby assisting with
precisely forming the groove. In some embodiments, the pilot 382 may be
inserted about 0.50
inches to about 1.25 inches deep into the open end of the article.In other
embodiments, the pilot
382 may be inserted about 0.75 inches to about 1 inch deep into the open end
of the article. A
pilot shaft 384 is secured to (e.g., screwed into) a bottom side of the pivot
plate 312 (see, e.g.,
FIGs. 3A-3B) through a central aperture in the front housing 308. The pilot
382 is coupled to
the pilot shaft 384 and is free spinning via a rotatable mount (not shown)
such as, but not
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limited to, ball bearings, taper bearings, bushings, etc. In some embodiments,
when the article
passes through the central opening 342 in the front housing 308 and
compression hub 310, an
open end of the neck portion 204 of the article engages the pilot 382, thereby
pushing the pivot
plate 312 coupled to the pilot 382 in a first direction toward the base plate
304. As such, the
rollers 322 are moved radially inward toward the neck portion. In some
embodiments, the pilot
382 enters through the open end of the article 200, thereby being positioned
adjacent to an inner
wall of the neck portion 204 of the article 200. In such embodiments, the open
end 202 of the
container is used to actuate movement. Thus, it is not necessary that the
shoulder 214 of the
article 200 contacts (e.g., is blocked from further entrance into the turret-
head assembly 300
by) the front housing 308.
100701 FIGs. 12A-12C show a portion of the front housing 308 and
related components
that may contact the shoulder 214 of the article (see FIG. 2B) when the
article is inserted into
the turret-head assembly 300 The compression hub 310 is positioned generally
concentrically
with the generally central opening 342. A compression hub bearing retainer 390
holds a
bearing 323 in place between the compression hub 310 and the front housing
308. The bearing
323 may be viewed upon removing the retainer 390 and screws 392 coupling the
retainer 390
to the front housing 308 (see FIG. 12B). The bearing 323 allows the
compression hub 310 to
freely rotate against the front housing 308. When inserted into the turret-
head assembly 300,
the article pushes against the compression hub 310 and an 0-ring 394 during
rolling. Friction
keeps the compression hub 310 generally stationary relative to the article,
and the rollers 322
spin rapidly due to friction with the article, thereby rolling and forming a
groove on the neck
portion 204 of the article.
100711 The compression hub 310 may be formed of a non-marring
material that is generally
soft and smooth enough to generally protect against scratching the article or
decorations/designs thereon. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials
include, but are not
limited to, plastic resins (e.g., DELRIN (DuPont Polymers, Inc., Wilmington,
Delaware)) or
any other suitable material or combinations thereof.
100721 FIGs. 13A-13C show how the rollers 322 are mounted on
respective pivot arms
318. A roller support member (e.g., a low-profile shoulder screw) 396 is used
to mount the
roller 322 on the pivot arm 318 (see FIG. 13A). Removing the roller 322
exposes a first and
second roller bearing 398a, 398b having a spacer 400 positioned therebetween
(see FIGs. 13B,
13C). A shim 402 (see FIG. 13C) may also be positioned between the bottom end
358 of the
pivot arm 318 and the first bearing 398a. The bearings 398a, 398b allow the
rollers 322 to spin
freely about the roller support members 396.
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100731 FIGs. 14-15 illustrate a turret head assembly 300' according
to another
embodiment. The turret-head assembly 300' includes a front retainer plate 308'
(generally
corresponding with the front housing 308 of, e.g., FIG. 3B), a rear mounting
plate 304'
(generally corresponding with the base plate 304 of, e.g., FIG. 3B), a slide
housing 306'
(generally corresponding with the pivot plate 312 of, e.g., FIG. 3A), and a
cover 311'. The
front retainer plate 308' includes a hub bearing retainer 390' (generally
corresponding with the
compression hub 310 of, e.g., FIG. 12A) and a compression hub 310' (generally
corresponding
with the compression hub 323' of, e.g., FIG. 12B) positioned generally through
the center
thereof. The slide housing 306' includes a front housing 307' and a rear
housing 309' that are
coupled to one another via, e.g., screws 313' to form a movable case. The
turret-head assembly
300' further includes roller cages 312' configured to radially slide into and
out of the slide
housing 306' between the front housing 307' and the rear housing 309'. As
shown in FIG.
14D, a top side 312a' of each roller cage 312' is generally adjacent to an
interior surface (not
shown) of a top 309a' of the rear housing 309'. A bottom of each roller cage
312' is generally
adjacent to a top surface 307a' of the front housing 307'. A sidewall 312b' of
each roller cage
312' forms a portion of a sidewall of the slide housing 306'.
100741 A plurality of stationary angled rods 410 are positioned
between and mounted to
the front retainer plate 308' and the rear mounting plate 304' and extend
through generally
aligned apertures 311a', 311b', and 311c' of the rear housing 309', roller
cages 312', and front
housing 307', respectively. Lower ends 412a of each of the angled rods 410 are
coupled to the
front retainer plate 308', and upper ends 412b of the angled rods 410 are
coupled to the rear
mounting plate 304'. The angled rods 410 are generally fixed at an angle
relative to the turret-
head axis such that the lower ends 412a of the angled rods 410 are positioned
a further distance
from the center of the turret head assembly 300' than the upper ends 412b of
the angled rods
410.
100751 In FIG. 14, three roller cages 312' are shown, however, it
is contemplated that any
suitable number of roller cages may be used (e.g., 2, 4, or more). Although
each roller cage
312' in the embodiment of FIG. 14D includes two apertures 311b' for receiving
a respective
two angled rods 410 therethrough, because the slide housing 306' includes more
than one roller
cage 312', it is contemplated that each roller cage 312' may only include one
aperture for
receiving an angled rod 410 therethrough. Alternatively, each roller cage 312'
may include
more than two apertures for receiving respective angled rods 410 therethrough.
The
dimensions of the apertures 311b' of the roller cages 312' may generally
correspond with those
of the angled rods 410, whereas the apertures 311a' of the rear housing 309'
and the apertures
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311c' of the front housing 307' are radially elongated to allow the angled
rods to move in a
radial direction while positioned therethough (as further detailed below). As
described in more
detail below, each roller cage 312' can move radially when sliding along the
angled rods 410
in response to an article 200' being inserted through a central opening 325'
in the front retainer
plate 308'.
100761 A plurality of rollers 322' (see FIGs. 14D and 15B) is
generally stationary and/or
fixed with respect to the roller cages 312'. In the illustrated embodiment,
each roller cage 312'
has a respective roller 322' coupled to an interior surface thereof. It is
contemplated, however,
that each roller cage 312' may have more than one roller 322' coupled thereto.
Although the
embodiment described herein describes a plurality of rollers (e.g., two,
three, or more), it is
contemplated that a single roller may also be used.
100771 When an article 200' is inserted into the turret head
assembly 300' in the direction
of Arrow A' through the central opening 325' (see FIGs 15A, 15B), as described
above with
respect to other embodiments, the edges (e.g., shoulder) of the article 200'
push against a
portion of the compression hub 310', thereby imparting a force that causes the
slide housing
306' to move toward the rear mounting plate 304' along the angled rods 410 and
to compress
one or more resilient devices 340' positioned between the rear housing 309'
and the rear
mounting plate 304'. As the slide housing 306' moves toward the rear mounting
plate 304' in
the direction of Arrow A', the roller cages 312' and, accordingly, the rollers
322', move radially
inward to press against the neck portion 204' of the article, thereby forming
the grooves on the
neck portion 204' of the article 200'. The distance that the rollers 322' are
moved radially
inward relative to the upward/inward movement of the roller cages 312' can be
varied by
varying the angle of the angled rods 410 relative to the turret-head axis.
When the article 200'
is removed from the assembly in a direction opposite that of Arrow A', the one
or more resilient
devices 340' decompresses, causing the assembly 300' to return to an
uncompressed position.
As discussed with respect to the embodiments above, it is also contemplated
that axial
movement of a portion of the turret-head assembly 300' may also occur
independent of the
article 200', e.g., via a cam actuator axially moving a lower portion of the
turret-head assembly
300'.
100781 In some embodiments, the rollers have a complementary shape
to a desired shape
of the groove to be formed on the neck portion 204 of the article. For
example, the rollers 322,
322' of the illustrated embodiment are radiused such that engagement of the
rollers with the
neck portion 204, 204' of the article reduces the diameter of the engaged neck
portion 204 to
form the desired groove. The depth of the groove may be predetermined by
adjusting the
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setting of the turret-head assembly, e.g., the amount of force applied by the
rollers onto the
neck portion. In addition, the plurality of rollers assists with preventing or
minimizing
undesirable deformation by providing a balanced load on the neck portion of
the article.
100791 It is contemplated that the turret-head assemblies 300, 300'
of the illustrated
embodiments may include any suitable number of rollers, pivot arms, and
related components.
100801 As discussed above, the turret-head assembly 300, 300' is
configured to rotate
about the turret-head axis defined by the mounting screw 386. In some
embodiments, the
turret-head assembly 300, 300' rotates at a speed greater than about 200 RPM.
In some
embodiments, the turret-head assembly 300, 300' is rotatably mounted on
mounting screw 386
such that the turret-head assembly 300, 300' rotates about the turret-head
axis independent
from the rotation of the mounting screw 386. In some embodiments, the turret-
head assembly
300, 300' is non-rotatably mounted on the mounting screw 386 such that the
turret-head
assembly 300, 300' rotates about the turret-head axis with rotation of the
mounting screw 386
100811 Beneficially, the turret-head assembly 300, 300' can include
tooling to
simultaneously perform operations on the article such as trimming, flanging,
curling, threading,
etc. In some embodiments, the tooling is attached to the mounting screw 386.
100821 The turret-head assembly 300, 300' may be incorporated into
one of the machines
in the machine line 100. An article is received by a pocket of the turret
starwheel. While the
turret starwheel continuously rotates about a turret starwheel axis, an open,
necked end of an
article is received in the opening 342 in the front housing 308 (or front
retainer plate 308') and
compression hub 310, 310', and the article pushes the front housing 308 (or
front retainer plate
308') and pivot plate 312 (or roller cage 312') into a compressed position
(see FIG. 7A).
100831 During engagement, the turret-head assembly 300, 300'
rotates about the turret-
head axis. This rotational movement of the turret-head assembly 300, 300'
causes the rollers
322, 322' to freely rotate. During rotation of the turret-head assembly 300,
300', the rollers
322, 322' engage the neck portion 204, 204' to form the groove 206.
100841 In some embodiments, the turret-head assembly 300, 300' is
rotated about the
turret-head axis by an independent motor. In some embodiments, the turret-head
assembly
300, 300' is in a planetary gear configuration such that rotation of the
forming turret drives
rotation of the turret head assemblies 300, 300' mounted thereon. In some
embodiments, the
turret-head assembly 300, 300' continuously rotates during axial movement of
the turret-head
assembly 300, 300' and/or the article. In some embodiments, the turret-head
assembly 300,
300' is rotated about the turret-head axis by a servo motor.
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100851 Beneficially, the turret-head assemblies 300, 300' disclosed
herein can be added to
existing modules in an existing machine line 102. Beneficially, the free-
spinning of the rollers
contributes to increased longevity of the turret-head assembly and decreased
likelihood of
creating additional aberrations as compared to tooling or non-rotational
members.
100861 It is contemplated that the embodiments detailed herein may
also be used with
containers not having a narrowed neck portion. For example, a generally
straight-walled
container may actuate the pivot plate 312 (or roller cage 312'), front housing
308 (or front
retainer plate 308') etc. into the compressed position of FIG. 7A by pushing
against the pilot
382.
100871 Each of the above embodiments and obvious variations thereof
are contemplated as
falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set
forth in the following
claims. Moreover, the present concepts expressly include any and all
combinations and sub-
combinations of the preceding elements and aspects
100881 As utilized herein, the terms "approximately," "about,"
"substantially", and similar
terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and
accepted usage
by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this
disclosure pertains. It
should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure
that these terms are
intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed
without restricting the
scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly,
these terms
should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential
modifications or
alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be
within the scope of
the invention as recited in the appended claims.
100891 It should be noted that the terms "exemplary" and "example"
as used herein to
describe various embodiments are intended to indicate that such embodiments
are possible
examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and
such terms are
not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or
superlative
examples).
100901 Any references herein to the positions of elements (e.g.,
"top," "bottom," "above,"
"below," etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements
in the Figures. It
should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according
to other
exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed
by the
present disclosure.
100911 Although only a few embodiments have been described in
detail in this disclosure,
those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate
that many
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modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures,
shapes and
proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting
arrangements, use of
materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the
novel teachings and
advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown
as integrally
formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of
elements may be
reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or
positions may
be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may
be varied or
re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions,
modifications,
changes, and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions,
and arrangement
of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the
present
invention.
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