Automatic tool pack and tooling changer for body manufacturers

Abstract

A system for manufacturing multiple can bodies includes several molding machines for forming one or more portions of a can body. Each molding machine includes several removable components. The system further includes a housing, a replacement mechanism coupled to the housing, and a maintenance device including a controller located in or within the housing. The replacement mechanism is configured to selectively remove and replace a particular removable component from among several removable components of the molding machines, under the direction and control of the controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] <Cross - reference to Related Applications> This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 462,399, filed on April 27, 2023, entitled "Automated Toolpack and Tooling Changer for A Bodymaker".

[0002] The disclosed concept generally relates to systems for use in manufacturing can bodies, and more specifically to automated mechanisms for use in such systems.

Background Art

[0003] Various types of cans are manufactured for various purposes, such as containers for food and beverages. The amount of cans produced by a single factory each year is enormous. In a can manufacturing factory, efficiency is an important concern. Downtime on the production line or sub - optimal operation reduces the amount of cans produced in the factory. Considering the amount of cans produced on a can manufacturing line, even a slight decrease in efficiency can have a significant impact on the quantity of cans produced by the can manufacturing line.

[0004] The tooling in can body makers needs to be frequently replaced or removed to clear can jams. This involves stopping the machine, opening the guard door, and pulling out a tool pack module to access the tooling. These modules are generally large and heavy, some weighing over 30 pounds. This operation is repeated many times a day and is tiring and dangerous for workers, as it requires manually lifting the tool pack module from the machine and bending over with arms extended outwards. Furthermore, it is common for workers to improperly torque punch bolts, position dies upside down, or mount dies on the wrong carriers, which can lead to reduced can quality and damage to the equipment and tooling. Therefore, there is room for improvement in can body makers and other machinery used in forming can bodies. [Overview of the project]

[0005] These and other requirements are met by the embodiments of the disclosed concept. In a first embodiment of the disclosed concept, a system is provided for manufacturing a plurality of can bodies. The system comprises several molding machines, each molding machine configured to mold a portion of each of the plurality of can bodies, and each molding machine having several removable components, and a maintenance device, the maintenance device comprising a housing, a replacement mechanism coupled to the housing, and a controller located in or within the housing, the replacement mechanism being configured to selectively remove and replace a particular removable component from several removable components of the several molding machines under the direction and control of the controller.

[0006] The maintenance device may further include a moving mechanism coupled to the housing, which is configured to move the housing to at least one of several molding machines under the direction and control of a controller.

[0007] The moving mechanism may include an aerial arrangement positioned above several molding machines, which is configured to move the housing and exchange mechanism to at least one of the several molding machines without contacting the floor adjacent to the several molding machines or the floor between the several molding machines. The aerial arrangement may include a track and several electric followers coupled between the track and the housing, which are configured to move the housing along the track.

[0008] The moving mechanism may include several ground-engaging motorized drive arrangements for moving the housing relative to several molding machines. These ground-engaging motorized drive arrangements may include several wheels and / or several tread arrangements.

[0009] The exchange mechanism may include a robotic arm.

[0010] Some molding machines may include multiple molding machines, and the moving mechanism may be configured to move the housing between the multiple molding machines.

[0011] Some molding machines may include a can body maker, and some removable components may include one or more tool packs and / or punches.

[0012] The housing may be configured to accommodate several removable components and / or one or more replacement parts for several removable components.

[0013] The replacement mechanism may be configured to select a replacement for one of the removable components from a storage area, and the maintenance device may be configured to transport the replacement for one of the removable components to one of several molding machines.

[0014] Another aspect of the disclosed concept is provided: a maintenance device as described above.

[0015] These and other purposes, features, and characteristics of the disclosed concepts, the way in which the relevant elements of the structure operate and function, the combination of parts, and the economics of manufacture will become clearer from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings and the accompanying claims. All drawings constitute part of this specification, and the same reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in various drawings. However, it should be clearly understood that the drawings are provided for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to define the scope of the concepts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] A complete understanding of the present invention can be obtained by reading the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a system for manufacturing multiple can bodies according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept.

[0018] [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a maintenance device according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept for use in a system such as the one shown in Figure 1.

[0019] [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of a portion of a maintenance device according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept, shown positioned adjacent to a portion of a can body manufacturer.

[0020] [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of a part of a maintenance device according to another exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept.

[0021] [Figure 5]Schematic diagram of a part of a maintenance device according to another exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept. **DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION**

[0022] It should be understood that the specific elements shown in the drawings and described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the concepts disclosed, intended to convey the general concepts provided herein. Thus, the specific dimensions, orientations, and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosed concepts.

[0023] As used herein, the term "can" refers to any known or suitable container configured to contain contents (e.g., but not limited to, liquids, foods, any other suitable substances), explicitly including, but not limited to, beverage cans such as beer cans and soda cans, and cans used for food.

[0024] As used herein, "coupled" means a link between two or more elements, whether direct or indirect, as long as a link exists. An object resting on another object is not said to be "coupled" to the lower object unless the upper object is substantially maintained in a given position, if it is held in the given position only by gravity. That is, for example, a book on a table is not coupled to the table, but a book glued to the table is coupled to the table.

[0025] As used herein, "directly coupled" means that two elements are coupled in direct contact with each other.

[0026] As used herein, “fixedly coupled” or “fixed” means that two components are coupled in such a way that they move as a single unit while maintaining a fixed orientation relative to each other. Fixed components may or may not be directly coupled.

[0027] For example, the terms used herein to indicate direction, such as left, right, front, back, up, down, and their derivatives, relate to the orientation of elements shown in the drawings and do not limit the claims unless expressly stated in the claims.

[0028] As used herein, the term “several” means one or an integer greater than one (i.e., multiple).

[0029] As used herein, the term “controller” means an electronically controlled device capable of storing, retrieving, and processing data and providing outputs for controlling other elements. Therefore, as used herein, “controller” may include one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, microcomputers, central processing units, or any suitable processing / control devices or apparatus.

[0030] Referring to Figure 1, a schematic diagram of a system 10 for manufacturing multiple can bodies is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept. The system 10 includes several molding machines 12, each molding machine configured to mold a portion of each of the multiple can bodies. A typical can production facility in which the system 10 is used usually includes one or more can-making lines and has machines named in a manner close to their function, such as, but not limited to, a cupper, bodymaker, washer, coat oven, base coater, decorator, internal spray machine, necker, light tester, and palletizer. The can-making line may also include other machines or intermediate machines such as conveying machines. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the molding machines 12 include a cupper 14, a bodymaker 16, and a necker 18. However, it should be understood that such exemplary molding machines are provided for illustrative purposes only, and embodiments of System 10 may include other machines and / or exclude some of the machines shown in Figure 1 without departing from the scope of the disclosed concepts. Each molding machine 12 includes one or more removable components (e.g., one or more housing components, dies, strippers, rams, bearings, etc.) which typically need to be moved, removed, and / or replaced for inspection and / or maintenance purposes.

[0031] Continuing to refer to Figure 1, the system 10 further includes a maintenance device 20. As schematically shown in Figure 2, in one embodiment, the maintenance device 20 includes a replacement mechanism 22, several sensors 24, a moving mechanism 26, a controller 28 that communicates with all the aforementioned components, and a frame / housing 30 to which the aforementioned elements of the maintenance device 20 are coupled via any suitable means. The replacement mechanism 22 may be any suitable selectively operable configuration (e.g., a robotic arm 32—see Figures 3-5, or any suitable configuration) and is configured to selectively remove and replace a particular removable component from one or more removable components of several molding machines 12 under the direction and control of the controller 28, utilizing feedback from several sensors 24. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 3 shows a replacement mechanism 22 in the form of a robotic arm 32 that engages with a tool pack 34 of a body maker 16. The robotic arm 32 is sized and configured to remove and replace the tool pack 34 and related parts of the body maker 16 (e.g., punches 35, cover panels, copper mechanisms, etc.) required for maintenance or other purposes. The robot arm 32 is also sized and configured to swap tool pack 34 with a replacement tool pack 34', which may be carried by the maintenance device 20 on or within the housing 30 (as shown in Figure 3) and / or stored separately near the body maker 16. Several sensors 24 may be any suitable device / mechanism in a certain number (i.e., one or more) and may be placed as needed to guide the maintenance device 20 between the molding machine 12 and / or other objects, to determine the position of the maintenance device 20 and / or objects around the maintenance device 20, and / or to position / guide the exchange mechanism 22 with respect to the maintenance device 20 or any object (e.g., one of the molding machines 12).

[0032] The moving mechanism 26 is configured to move the housing 30, and by extension the replacement mechanism 22, to several molding machines 12 under the direction and control of the controller 28 or other appropriately positioned processing device. Furthermore, the moving mechanism 26 may be configured to move the housing 30 and associated items to and from a storage area 36 (Figure 1) where tooling, spare parts, and / or the maintenance device 20 itself can be housed / stored when not in use. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed concept, the replacement mechanism 22 is configured to select one or more replacements for one or more removable components from the storage area 36 and transport the replacements to one or more of the several molding machines 12 (and then install the replacement parts).

[0033] The moving mechanism 26 may be any suitable configuration for moving / transporting the exchange mechanism 22 and associated items / parts between one or more molding machines 12 and / or between one or more molding machines 12 and another location (e.g., storage area 36) under the direction / control of a controller 28 (or other appropriately located processing device), without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept. For example, Figure 3 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the moving mechanism 26 is an overhead mechanism 38 located above one or more molding machines (e.g., body makers 16). The overhead mechanism 38 is configured to move the housing 30 and exchange mechanism 22 to at least one of the molding machines 12 without contacting the floor adjacent to or between the molding machines 12. In such an embodiment, the overhead mechanism 38 includes a track 40 (e.g., coupled to an overhead mounting member of a structure surrounding the system 10) and several motorized followers 42 coupled between the housing 30 and the track 40, which are configured to move the maintenance device 20 along the track 40 under the direction and control of the controller 28.

[0034] Figures 4 and 5 show several other examples of the maintenance device 20 according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed concept, in which the moving mechanism 26 includes a plurality of ground-mounted electric drive mechanisms 44 for moving the maintenance device 20 to several molding machines 12 along the floor (not indicated) around and between the molding machines 12. More specifically, Figure 4 shows an example in which the ground-mounted electric drive mechanisms 44 are in the form of wheels 46, and Figure 5 shows an example in which the ground-mounted electric drive mechanisms 44 are in the form of electric tread mechanisms 48 (similar to, for example, tanks, snowmobiles, skid steers, etc.).

[0035] From the above, it will be understood that the disclosed concept provides a solution for inspection / maintenance of the molding machine 12 that requires little to no human involvement. Instead, a machine-controlled maintenance device / replacement mechanism can identify the part that needs replacing, remove the part, replace the part, and move it to another machine.

[0036] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, in light of the overall teachings of this disclosure, various modifications and alternatives to those details can be developed. Accordingly, the specific configurations disclosed are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed concept to which the appended claims and all their equivalents should be given.

[0037] In the claims, no symbols enclosed in parentheses should be construed as limiting the claims. The terms “comprising” or “including” do not exclude the existence of elements or processes other than those described in the claims. In an apparatus claim listing several means, some of these means may be embodied by a single hardware item. The term “a or an” preceding an element does not exclude the existence of multiple such elements. In any apparatus claim listing several means, some of these means may be embodied by the same hardware item. The mere fact that certain elements are described in different dependent claims does not imply that these elements cannot be used in combination.

Claims

1. A maintenance device (20) for use in a system (10) for manufacturing multiple can bodies, The system includes several molding machines (12), each molding machine configured to mold a portion of each of the plurality of can bodies, and each molding machine comprises several removable components. The aforementioned maintenance device is Housing (30) and The replacement mechanism (22) is coupled to the housing, The housing or a controller (28) located inside the housing, Equipped with, Maintenance device wherein the replacement mechanism is configured to selectively remove and replace a certain removable component from among the several removable components of the several molding machines under the direction and control of the controller.

2. The housing is further equipped with a movable mechanism (26), The maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to move the housing relative to at least one of the several molding machines under the instruction and control of the controller.

3. The moving mechanism includes an overhead mechanism (38) positioned above the several molding machines, The maintenance device according to claim 2, wherein the overhead mechanism is configured to move the housing and exchange mechanism to at least one of the molding machines without contacting the floor adjacent to the molding machines or the floor between the molding machines.

4. The aerial mechanism comprises a track (40) and several motorized followers (42) coupled between the track and the housing. The maintenance device according to claim 3, wherein the several electric followers are configured to move the housing along the track.

5. The maintenance device according to claim 2, wherein the moving mechanism comprises several ground-type electric drive mechanisms (44) for moving the housing relative to the several molding machines.

6. The maintenance device according to claim 5, wherein the several ground-type electric drive mechanisms include several wheels (46) and / or several tread mechanisms (48).

7. The maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein the replacement mechanism comprises a robot arm (32).

8. The aforementioned molding machines include multiple molding machines, The maintenance device according to claim 2, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to move the housing between the plurality of molding machines.

9. The aforementioned molding machines include a can body maker (16), The maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein the several removable components include one or more tool packs (34) and / or punches (35).

10. The maintenance device according to claim 2, wherein the housing is configured to house the several removable components and / or one or more replacement parts for one or more of the several removable components.

11. The replacement mechanism is configured to select a replacement for one of the several removable components from the storage area (36), The maintenance device according to claim 2, wherein the maintenance device is configured to transport a replacement for one of the several removable components to one of the several molding machines.

12. A system (10) for manufacturing multiple can bodies, Several molding machines (12), each molding machine configured to mold a portion of each of the plurality of can bodies, and each molding machine comprising several removable components, A maintenance device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, A system equipped with these features.

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