Cap forming system and method

Claim 1

CAP FORMING APPARATUS THAT COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION: (A) ROLL SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A STRIP OF CAP FORMING METAL WOUND IN A ROLL AND WHICH STRIP HAS A COATING ON ONE SIDE THEREOF OF COLOR CHARACTERISTIC DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE METAL OF THE STRIP; (B) A PUNCH AND DRAW PRESS INCLUDING PUNCHING AND DRAWING MEANS ACTUATABLE ON SAID STRIP TO PUNCH CIRCULAR DISCS THEREFROM AND TO DRAW SAID DISCS TO FORM CAPS EACH OF WHICH HAS A CYLINDRICAL SKIRT AND A HEAD CLOSING ONE END ONLY THEREOF WITH SAID COATING ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID SKIRT; (C) SAID PUNCH AND DRAW PRESS INCLUDING STRIP DRAWING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH A LENGTH IN EXTENSION OF THE OUTER COIL OF A ROLL ON SAID ROLL SUPPORTING MEANS FOR DRAWING SAID STRIP FROM SUCH ROLL AND FOR POSITIONING THE PORTION SO DRAWN TO BE PUNCHED INTO SAID DISCS TO BE DRAWN INTO SAID CAPS BY SAID DRAWING MEANS; (D) A TRIMMING AND EMBOSSING MACHINE HAVING TRIMMING MEANS FOR TRIMMING THE SKIRTS ON CAPS FORMED BY SAID PUNCH AND DRAW PRESS TO UNIFORM LENGTHS, AND HAVING EMBOSSING MEANS FOR EMBOSSING SUCH SKIRTS WITH EMBOSSED SYMBOLS IN A POSITION SPACED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF EACH CAP; (E) A FIRST CONVEYOR MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PUNCH AND DRAW PRESS, AND SAID TRIMMING AND EMBOSSING MACHINE FOR CONVEYING CAPS FROM THE FORMER TO THE LATTER; (F) A COAT REMOVING MACHINE INCLUDING COAT REMOVING MEANS ACTUABLE FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PATH FOR CUTTING SAID COATING OFF THE RADIALLY OUTERMOST PORTIONS OF THE SYMBOLS EMBOSSED ON EACH CAP TO EXPOSE THE METAL OF SAID CAP, SAID COAT REMOVING MEANS INCLUDING CAP RECEIVING AND POSITIONING MEANS IN A POSITION RELATIVE TO CONVEYOR MEANS FOR RECEIVING CAPS FROM THE LATTER AND POSITIONING THEM IN THE PATH OF SAID CUTTER FOR SO REMOVING THE COATING ON SAID OUTERMOST PORTIONS BY SAID CUTTER; (G) SECOND CONVEYOR MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TRIMMING AND EMBOSSING MACHINE AND SAID COAT REMOVING MACHINE FOR CONVEYING CAPS FROM SAID TRIMMING AND EMBOSSING MACHINE TO SAID CAP RECEIVING AND POSITIONING MEANS OF SAID COAT REMOVING MACHINE, (H) A BEADING, CUTTING AND KNURLING MACHINE INCLUDING BEAD FORMING MEANS FOR FORMING COAXIAL BEADS ON SAID SKIRT OF EACH CAP AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SYMBOLS ADAPTED TO BE EMBOSSED THEREON; CUTTING MEANS FOR CUTTING SPACED, ELONGATED CUTS IN END TO END RELATION IN THE BEAD THAT IS FORMED AT THE SIDE OF SAID SYMBOLS OPPOSITE TO SAID HEAD; AND KNURLING MEANS FOR FORMING KNURLING IN SAID SKIRT AROUND SAID HEAD OF EACH CAP; (I) THIRD CONVEYOR MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID COAT REMOVING MACHINE AND SAID BEADING, CUTTING AND KNURLING MACHINE FOR CONVEYING CAPS FROM SAID COAT REMOVING MACHINE TO SAID BEADING, CUTTING AND KNURLING MACHINE; (J) A CAP LINING MACHINE INCLUDING CAP LINING MEANS FOR SEATING A CIRCULAR LINER DISC IN EACH CAP AFTER IT HAS BEEN BEADED, CUT AND KNURLED, (K) FOURTH CONVEYOR MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BEADING, CUTTING AND KNURLING MACHINE FOR CONVEYING CAPS TO THE LATTER FROM SAID BEADING, CUTTING AND KNURLING MACHINE; (L) ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID PUNCHING AND DRAWING MEANS, STRIP DRAWING MEANS, TRIMMING AND EMBOSSING MEANS, COAT REMOVING MEANS, BEAD FORMING, CUTTING AND KNURLING MEANS, AND WITH SAID CAP LINING MEANS, RESPECTIVELY, FOR ACTUATING THEREIN; AND (M) MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CAPS THEREALONG.