Closed-bottom cylindrical body processing device

Abstract

Provided is a closed-bottom cylindrical body processing device that can perform numerous iterations of neck processing on closed-bottom cylindrical bodies without a great enlargement of installation space and that can be used in common for closed-bottom cylindrical bodies of different heights without complex setting actions.　This closed-bottom cylindrical body processing device (100) is characterized by comprising: a multi-stage neck processing section (110) that performs a plurality of iterations of neck processing on open ends of closed-bottom cylindrical bodies and in which a plurality of neck processing units are disposed in sequence; a circulation conveyor (131) that supplies the closed-bottom cylindrical bodies discharged from a downstream-side neck processing unit back to an upstream-side neck processing unit; a transfer turret (140) that retains the closed-bottom cylindrical bodies and moves same to a delivery position that faces the circulation conveyor; and an axial-direction movement mechanism that moves the closed-bottom cylindrical bodies at the delivery position toward the circulation conveyor in a cylinder-axis direction.

Description

Bottomed cylindrical body processing equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device for a bottomed tubular body that performs necking on the open end of a bottomed tubular body multiple times while conveying the bottomed tubular body along a conveying path.

[0002] Conventionally, cans used for beverage cans and the like are manufactured by drawing and ironing a metal plate punched into a circular shape to form a cylindrical can body with a bottom, and then performing predetermined necking and trimming processes on the open end of the can body, and, as needed, performing neck forming processes such as thread forming and curl forming. The drawing process, known as necking, is typically performed in multiple stages to prevent excessive stress from being applied to the metal material constituting the can body. Examples of devices that perform multiple necking processes in stages include devices that connect multiple processing turrets in series, sequentially transport can bodies, and perform one stage of necking per processing turret, thereby performing multiple necking processes in one cycle. However, such devices require the same number of processing turrets as the desired number of necking processes. Therefore, when manufacturing can bodies that require multiple necking processes, the devices and facilities become long and cumbersome, resulting in a problem of requiring a large installation space.

[0003] To solve this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus in which multiple processing turrets are arranged in series, with a supply position at one end where can bodies are supplied and a discharge position at the other end where can bodies are discharged, in which can bodies are transported from the supply position and sequentially subjected to a first round of multiple processing steps in each processing turret, and the partially processed can bodies discharged from the discharge position are returned to the supply position by a circulating conveyor and transported again to the multiple processing turrets where they are subjected to a second round of multiple processing steps. In an apparatus using such a circulating conveyor, the number of processing turrets arranged side by side in the horizontal direction can be reduced, and the number of processing steps that can be performed per installation space can be increased.

[0004] European Patent No. 2001617

[0005] On the other hand, the above-mentioned circulating conveyor-based machine suffers from the problem of difficulty transferring cans from the processing turret to the circulating conveyor when converting to the production of beverage cans of different heights (i.e., when changing the shape). Each processing turret processes the open ends of can bodies, so the can bodies are aligned and transported in sequence to ensure that the open ends are properly processed. The circulating conveyor is designed to suction and transport the bottoms of can bodies for ease of support and transport. Therefore, if the machine is designed to accommodate only can bodies of a certain height, the initial design position of the circulating conveyor can be such that its conveying surface faces closely to the bottoms of the can bodies. However, if the same machine is converted to necking can bodies of different heights, the can bodies cannot be transferred to the circulating conveyor after the first round of processing. In such cases, the circulating conveyor itself can be moved to shift the position of its conveying surface, but this is not practical due to the large size of the circulating conveyor, and the setup process itself becomes complicated.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a bottomed cylindrical body processing device that can perform neck processing on bottomed cylindrical bodies multiple times without maximizing installation space, and that has a simple configuration and can be used commonly for bottomed cylindrical bodies of different heights without complicated setting up procedures.

[0007] The bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of the present invention is a bottomed tubular body processing apparatus that performs multiple neck processing operations on the open end of a bottomed tubular body while transporting the bottomed tubular body along a transport path, and comprises: a multi-stage neck processing section in which multiple neck processing units are arranged in sequence along the transport path; a circulating conveyor that supplies bottomed tubular bodies discharged from a downstream neck processing unit located downstream of the multi-stage neck processing section back to an upstream neck processing unit located upstream of the multi-stage neck processing section; and a transfer turret in which multiple pockets are arranged circumferentially and which moves the bottomed tubular bodies discharged from the downstream neck processing unit to a transfer position opposite the circulating conveyor while holding the bottomed tubular body, and the transfer turret is equipped with an axial movement mechanism that moves the bottomed tubular body in the tubular axial direction toward the circulating conveyor when the pocket holding the bottomed tubular body is at the transfer position to the circulating conveyor, thereby solving the above problem.

[0008] In the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of the present invention, the circulating conveyor has a conveying surface that is arranged to face the bottom of the bottomed tubular body, and the bottom of the bottomed tubular body can be adsorbed onto the conveying surface and conveyed.

[0009] In the apparatus for processing a bottomed cylindrical body of the present invention, the axial movement mechanism can be configured by an air blow mechanism that moves the bottomed cylindrical body in the cylindrical axial direction by ejecting gas.

[0010] In addition, in the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of the present invention, the neck processing units of the multi-stage neck processing section are arranged in series in one horizontal direction, the circulating conveyor extends along the one direction above the multi-stage neck processing section, and a chute is provided for moving the bottomed tubular body downward from the rear end of the conveying path of the circulating conveyor to the upstream neck processing unit, and the chute can be configured to include a guide for moving the bottomed tubular body in the axial direction of the tube.

[0011] According to the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of the present invention, by providing a circulating conveyor that resupplies bottomed tubular bodies discharged from the downstream necking unit to the upstream necking unit, the number of processing turrets required for a desired series of multiple necking processes can be reduced, thereby essentially enabling multiple necking processes to be performed on bottomed tubular bodies without maximizing installation space. Moreover, by providing a configuration in which the axial movement mechanism moves the bottomed tubular body in the axial direction toward the circulating conveyor when the bottomed tubular body is transported by the transfer turret to a transfer position opposite the circulating conveyor, if the axial positional relationship of the bottomed tubular body between the circulating conveyor and the transfer turret is initially set to match the case in which a relatively tall bottomed tubular body is used as the processed object, the bottomed tubular body can be automatically transferred to the circulating conveyor by the axial movement mechanism without any additional complicated setup steps, even if the device is converted (changed) to necking a relatively short bottomed tubular body. Therefore, the apparatus for processing a bottomed cylindrical body of the present invention can be commonly used for bottomed cylindrical bodies of different heights without any complicated setting procedures, and is highly convenient.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the bottomed tubular body processing device of the present invention, the bottom of the bottomed tubular body is adsorbed onto the conveying surface of the circulating conveyor and transported, so that even if the bottomed tubular body is in a semi-processed state after undergoing the first round of neck processing in sequence and being discharged from the discharge position, the shape of the bottom is not deformed, and therefore support by adsorption can be reliably achieved.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the bottomed cylindrical body processing apparatus of the present invention, the axial movement mechanism is composed of an air blow mechanism that moves the bottomed cylindrical body in the axial direction of the tube by spraying gas, so that when changing the shape to neck a bottomed cylindrical body of a different height, optimal transfer of the bottomed cylindrical body can be achieved simply by changing the amount of gas sprayed based on the weight of the bottomed cylindrical body after changing the shape, and since the bottomed cylindrical body can be moved in the axial direction without contact, scratches on the bottomed cylindrical body can be prevented.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of the present invention, a chute is provided for moving the bottomed tubular body downward from the rear end of the conveying path of the circulating conveyor to the upstream neck processing unit, and the chute is provided with a guide for moving the bottomed tubular body in the axial direction of the tube.Therefore, even when changing the shape to neck a bottomed tubular body of a different height, the bottomed tubular body being transported downward is aligned toward the opening end in the axial direction of the tube by the guide without any additional complicated setting up work, and the bottomed tubular body is returned to an axial position where it can be necked and re-supplied to the upstream neck processing unit.Therefore, it can be used commonly for bottomed tubular bodies of different heights without complicated setting up work, resulting in high convenience.

[0015] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a bottomed tubular body processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention from the front side. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of Fig. 1 from the back side. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transfer turret and a circulating conveyor in the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 3, showing a state when a high-height can is being transferred. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 3, showing a state when a low-height can is being transferred.

[0016] The present invention will be described in detail below. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a bottomed tubular body processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front side (the bottom side of a can body C), and Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus of Fig. 1 as viewed from the back side (the open end side of the can body C). The bottomed tubular body processing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention performs neck processing multiple times on the open end of a bottomed tubular body C while circulating the can body C, which is a bottomed tubular body, along a conveying path. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus 100 comprises a multi-stage neck processing section 110 in which multiple (six in Figure 1) neck processing units are arranged in sequence along a conveying path, a re-supply mechanism 130 having a circulating conveyor 131 that re-supplies can bodies C discharged from a downstream neck processing unit located downstream in the conveying direction of the multi-stage neck processing section 110 to an upstream neck processing unit located upstream in the conveying direction of the multi-stage neck processing section 110, and a transfer turret 140 for transferring can bodies C discharged from the downstream neck processing unit to the circulating conveyor 131.

[0017] Each neck processing unit has a rotatable processing turret 120 having a plurality of pockets P, which are arranged at approximately equal intervals around the periphery and which individually accommodate and transport can bodies C, and a processing device (not shown) which performs neck processing on the can bodies C accommodated in the pockets P. In the multi-stage neck processing section 110, the processing turrets 120 of the neck processing units and transport turrets 121 which transport can bodies C between two adjacent processing turrets 120 are arranged alternately. The can bodies C accommodated in each pocket P of the processing turret 120 undergo one stage of neck processing before being transferred to the transport turret 121 downstream in the transport direction. The pockets P of the processing turret 120 are alternately designated as a first pocket held in the first round and a second pocket held in the second round, with the can bodies C held in the first pocket undergoing the nth stage of necking in the first round, and the can bodies C held in the second pocket undergoing the nth stage of necking in the second round (i.e., the nth + xth stage in total). n is the arrangement order of the necking units counted from the upstream side, and x is the total number of necking units. Each transport turret 121 also has multiple pockets for holding can bodies C on their outer peripheries, and is a rotatable turret that receives can bodies C processed by an adjacent necking unit located upstream and supplies them to the pocket P of the processing turret 120 located downstream and in the same phase.

[0018] A processing device (not shown) for performing necking is disposed in the pocket P of the processing turret 120 and moves in synchronization with the rotation of the processing turret 120. The processing device includes, for example, a bottom tool that supports the bottom of the can body C, an annular outer tool that fits around the outer periphery of the open end of the can body C to reduce the diameter, and an inner tool that is inserted into the open end of the can body C and has a diameter approximately 1 to 2 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the open end of the can body C. A drive mechanism (not shown) allows the bottom tool and inner tool to reciprocate in the axial direction of the can body C. The bottom tool and inner tool are driven in the approaching direction and further driven toward the outer tool, thereby inserting the open end of the can body C between the inner tool and the outer tool, thereby performing one-stage necking on the open end of the can body C. The specific configuration of the necking device is not limited to the above configuration, and various known necking device configurations can be adopted.

[0019] In the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the processing turrets 120 of each neck processing unit of the multi-stage neck processing section 110 are arranged in series so that their central axes extend horizontally (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1 ) and are aligned horizontally in one direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1 ), and the transport turrets 121 are also arranged in series so that their central axes extend coaxially with the processing turrets 120 and are aligned horizontally in one direction. This arrangement prevents the processing turrets 120 from being overlapped in the vertical direction (up-down direction in FIG. 1 ), resulting in excellent maintainability. The circulating conveyor 131 has a parallel path 131b extending in the space above the multi-stage necking section 110 in the same direction (left-right in FIG. 1 ) as the installation direction of the multi-stage necking section 110. The circulating conveyor 131 is disposed so that the carried can bodies C move in the opposite direction (left-right in FIG. 1 ) to the direction in which the can bodies C are conveyed in the multi-stage necking section 110 (right-right in FIG. 1 ). Specifically, the circulating conveyor 131 extends at a bend to have an ascending path 131a along which can bodies C transferred from the transfer turret 140 move upward and a parallel path 131b along which can bodies C move in the circulating direction. The parallel path 131b and the ascending path 131a are not limited to the linear configurations extending horizontally and vertically, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1 , but may be disposed at a predetermined angle or extend in a curved manner. Alternatively, the parallel path 131b and the ascending path 131a may extend in a curved manner without any distinction between them. The circulation conveyor 131 has a vertical configuration that moves the can bodies C for resupply in the space above the multi-stage necking section 110, thereby making it possible to save planar space.

[0020] The circulating conveyor 131 is a so-called vacuum conveyor that adsorbs the bottoms B of the can bodies C onto a conveying surface 132 for conveyance. If the can bodies C are made of steel, a magnetic conveyor that adsorbs the can bodies C by magnetic force may be used. The circulating conveyor 131 is disposed so that the conveying surface 132 coincides with a plane perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the can bodies C and faces, in the cylindrical axis direction, the bottoms B of the can bodies C that have been transported to the transfer position by the transfer turret 140. Note that the conveying surface 132 is not limited to being disposed so as to coincide with a plane perfectly perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the can bodies C; it may be disposed so as to form a slight angle with the plane perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the can bodies C, as long as the conveying surface 132 faces the bottoms B of the can bodies C at the transfer position for predetermined transfer. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 133 denotes a support member that supports the circulating conveyor 131 to maintain the conveying path, and reference numeral 134 denotes a pier that supports the support member 133 in the space above the multi-stage neck processing section 110.

[0021] 3, the transfer turret 140 has a plurality of pockets P arranged in the circumferential direction, and the pockets P are configured to rotate between a receiving position where the can bodies C discharged from the downstream neck processing unit are received via the transport turret 121 and transfer turret 150 arranged at the most downstream position, and a delivery position opposite the circulating conveyor 131. On the transport path of the can bodies C, from when they are supplied to the multi-stage neck processing section 110 until they are transferred to the circulating conveyor 131, specifically, in the transport turret 121, processing turret 120, transfer turret 150, and transfer turret 140, the can bodies C are transported with the opening ends of the can bodies C all positioned in the same axial direction. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 4, the conveying surface 132 of the circulating conveyor 131 is located in the axial direction of the tubular body so as to fit the bottom B of, for example, a tall can body C (high-height can), i.e., so as to face the bottom B of the high-height can with a small gap therebetween. If the can body C is a low-height can, as shown in Fig. 5, a gap G of a certain size is formed between the bottom B of the low-height can and the conveying surface 132 of the circulating conveyor 131. The allowable range of the gap G between the conveying surface 132 of the circulating conveyor 131 and the bottom B of the can body C varies depending on the configuration of the axial movement mechanism, but is, for example, 80 mm or less. Since the gap G also corresponds to the range of freedom in the height of the can body C that can be used as the treated object, by keeping the allowable range of the gap G within the above range, necking can be performed on a sufficiently wide range of low-height cans compared to the standard high-height can, thereby providing a high degree of freedom in the application of the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus 100.

[0022] The transfer turret 140 is equipped with an axial movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the can bodies C in the cylindrical axial direction toward the circulating conveyor 131 (toward the user in FIG. 1 ) when the pocket P holding the can bodies C is in the transfer position to the circulating conveyor 131. The axial movement mechanism can be configured, for example, as an air blow mechanism that moves the can bodies C in the cylindrical axial direction by ejecting gas (air). The air blow mechanism has, for example, a blow nozzle, an air compressor, and piping. The blow nozzle is disposed to the side of the transfer turret 140 (the open end side of the can bodies C) and is capable of ejecting air in the transfer direction (toward the bottom of the can bodies C). It is preferable that the air be ejected continuously. By continuously ejecting air, it is not necessary to eject air in synchronization with each can body C transported to the transfer position, and the can bodies C can be easily and reliably transferred to the circulating conveyor 131. The axial movement mechanism is not limited to being constituted by an air blow mechanism, as long as it is capable of moving the can body C toward the bottom side in the axial direction of the cylinder, and may be configured to move by physical contact such as a leaf spring, or by magnetic force.

[0023] The resupply mechanism 130, which includes the circulating conveyor 131, is equipped with a chute 135 that moves can bodies C downward from the rear end of the conveying path of the circulating conveyor 131 to the upstream necking unit. The chute 135 has an internal space suitable for tall can bodies C (high-height cans), and is equipped with a guide (not shown) that moves the can body C in the internal space toward the open end in the axial direction (the rear side in FIG. 1 ) when a shorter can body C is fed into the chute 135. By providing such a guide in the chute 135 when the can body C is a low-height can, the axial position of the open end of the can body C, which has been shifted toward the bottom at the transfer position of the transfer turret 140, can be returned to its original axial position suitable for necking, regardless of the axial height of the can body C sliding down the chute 135. In this state, the can body C is supplied to the upstream neck processing unit via the resupply turret group 136 and the most upstream conveying turret 121, allowing a second round of neck processing to be performed without the need for a separate means for adjusting the position in the tube axial direction.

[0024] In the above-described bottomed tubular body processing apparatus 100, when necking a can body C, for example, a low-height can, multiple neck processing steps are performed as follows. First, the unprocessed can body C supplied from the supply mechanism 160 to the multi-stage neck processing section 110 is transferred to the first pocket P of the upstream neck processing unit via the most upstream conveying turret 121, and one stage of neck processing is performed while the can body C is being transferred to the adjacent conveying turret 121 downstream in the conveying direction. Similarly, the first round of neck processing is performed multiple times (six times in this embodiment) in stages in the first pocket P of each of the adjacent neck processing units sequentially downstream via the conveying turret 121, and when the can body C reaches the discharge position of the most downstream downstream neck processing unit, it is transferred to the pocket P of the transfer turret 140 via the conveying turret 121 and the transfer turret 150. As the transfer turret 140 rotates, the pocket P holding the can bodies C moves to the transfer position. The air blow mechanism continuously ejects air, blowing the can bodies C from the open end toward the bottom, causing the bottoms B to be adsorbed onto the conveying surface 132 of the circulating conveyor 131. This transfers the can bodies C from the transfer turret 140 to the circulating conveyor 131. The can bodies C adsorbed to the circulating conveyor 131 travel along the conveying path through the ascending path 131a and the parallel path 131b, and are dropped into the chute 135 at the rear end of the parallel path 131b. The can bodies C dropped into the chute 135 are moved by a guide in its internal space toward the open end in the axial direction, and the amount of displacement of the open end of the can body C toward the bottom in the axial direction is restored at the transfer position of the transfer turret 140. In this state, the can body C is supplied to the second pocket P of the processing turret 120 of the upstream neck processing unit via the resupply turret group 136 and the most upstream transport turret 121. The can body C supplied to the second pocket P of the processing turret 120 of the upstream neck processing unit undergoes the first stage of neck processing of the second round (seventh stage overall) before being transferred to the adjacent transport turret 121 downstream in the transport direction.Similarly, a second round of necking is carried out in stages via the conveying turret 121 in each second pocket P of the adjacent necking units downstream, six times in this embodiment, and when the can body C reaches the discharge position of the most downstream necking unit, it is transferred to the discharge mechanism 170 via the most downstream conveying turret 121 and transfer turret 150, where it is subjected to other processing as necessary, and then transported outside the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus 100 for the next process. Each of the turrets constituting the supply mechanism 160, multi-stage necking section 110, transfer turret 150, transfer turret 140 and discharge mechanism 170 is rotated by an appropriate drive source directly or mechanically via a transmission mechanism, and their rotational speeds, i.e., the pocket movement speeds, and the interlocking timing of each pocket are designed to be adjustable so that the can body C can be smoothly transferred between the turrets.

[0025] The above describes an embodiment of the bottomed tubular body processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the multi-stage neck processing section has six neck processing units, and the first and second passes through all of the neck processing units to perform 12 neck processing operations. However, as long as the start and end points of the circulating conveyor are set downstream and upstream of the multi-stage neck processing section, respectively, the configuration is not limited to the above. For example, the first pass may pass through up to the fifth processing unit and be resupplied to the first processing unit by the circulating conveyor, and the second pass may pass through all six processing units. Alternatively, the first pass may start from the first processing unit, pass through up to the sixth processing unit, be resupplied to the second processing unit by the circulating conveyor, and pass through five processing units in the second pass. Furthermore, for example, the above embodiment describes the neck processing being performed in all of the neck processing units, but other processes may be performed instead of neck processing. Other processes include, for example, a flanging process for forming a flange for tightening the can lid, a trimming process for cutting off unnecessary parts such as ears at the opening edge, a threading process for forming a threaded portion for tightening the cap, and a curling process for rounding the opening edge. Also, the can may be conveyed without being processed by simply passing through the processing turret 120. Furthermore, for example, although the number of rounds is configured as two, the device may be configured with three or more rounds.

[0026] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100: Bottomed cylindrical body processing device 110: Multi-stage neck processing section 120: Processing turret 121: Transfer turret 130: Re-supply mechanism 131: Circulating conveyor 131a: Ascending path 131b: Parallel path 132: Conveying surface 133: Support member 134: Pier 135: Chute 136: Re-supply turret group 140: Transfer turret 150: Transfer turret 160: Supply mechanism 170: Discharge mechanism B: Bottom C: Can body G: Gap P: Pocket

Claims

1. A bottomed tubular body processing apparatus which performs multiple neck processing on the open end of a bottomed tubular body while transporting the bottomed tubular body along a transport path, comprising: a multi-stage neck processing section in which multiple neck processing units are arranged in sequence along the transport path; a circulating conveyor which supplies bottomed tubular bodies discharged from a downstream neck processing unit provided downstream of the multi-stage neck processing section back to an upstream neck processing unit provided upstream of the multi-stage neck processing section; and a transfer turret which has multiple pockets arranged in the circumferential direction and which moves the bottomed tubular bodies discharged from the downstream neck processing unit to a transfer position opposite the circulating conveyor while holding the bottomed tubular bodies, wherein the transfer turret is equipped with an axial movement mechanism which moves the bottomed tubular body in the tubular axial direction toward the circulating conveyor when the pocket holding the bottomed tubular body is in the transfer position to the circulating conveyor.

2. The apparatus for processing bottomed tubular bodies as described in claim 1, characterized in that the circulating conveyor has a transport surface which is arranged to face the bottom of the bottomed tubular body, and which transports the bottom of the bottomed tubular body by adsorbing it to the transport surface.

3. The apparatus for processing a bottomed cylindrical body as described in claim 1, characterized in that the axial movement mechanism is constituted by an air blow mechanism that moves the bottomed cylindrical body in the axial direction by ejecting gas.

4. The bottomed tubular body processing apparatus described in claim 1, characterized in that each neck processing unit of the multi-stage neck processing section is arranged in series in a horizontal direction, the circulating conveyor extends along the one direction above the multi-stage neck processing section, and a chute is provided for moving the bottomed tubular body downward from the rear end of the transport path of the circulating conveyor to the upstream neck processing unit, and the chute is provided with a guide for moving the bottomed tubular body in the axial direction.

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