US3688946A — Apparatus for feeding can ends

Claim 1

Independent Claim 451 words

A feeding apparatus including column-holding means for location of an upright column of can ends from the leading end of which column can ends are fed one at a time in succession to can end seaming machinery, conveyor means for carrying a supply of upright stacks of can ends for replenishing said column and including a frame, an outwardly projecting track mounted around said frame and an opening therein communicating with said columnholding means which is located under the opening below the level of the track, two endless belts mounted around said frame above the track and vertically spaced apart, each belt being arranged between two spaced grooved pulley wheels, one corresponding wheel for each belt being mounted on an upright spindle carried at each end of the frame, each belt having teeth on its inner surface to mesh with the grooves on the wheels, at least one spindle being driven, and a series of upright stack supports carried by said belts, the lower end of each support terminating above the track, positioning means for positioning each stack of can ends in turn on top of the diminished column by indexing the belts for predetermined movements around the track to bring each stack support in turn into alignment with the column-holding means to allow a stack of can ends located in a stack support to be transferred through said opening in the track to the columnholding means, the positioning means including an indexing plate mounted on the lower end of the driven spindle, the plate being a disc having a plurality of notches cut in its circumference and into each notch in turn the outer end of a piston of a first piston and cylinder arrangement is adapted to be located after each rotational movement of the spindle caused by driving means including at least one endless chain arranged around a sprocket wheel, having a free wheel reverse movement, located on the upper end of the driven spindle and a freely rotatable sprocket wheel located above the frame, the outer end of a piston of a second piston and cylinder arrangement being secured through a lug to one side of the chain whereby on extension of said second piston and cylinder arrangement, the chain is moved to rotate the sprocket wheel and spindle a predetermined rotational distance and on retraction the pulley wheel rotates with the chain but the spindle is prevented from Movement by the action of the positioning means and the free wheel on the sprocket wheel, and control means responsive to the height of said column for operating the conveyor means to feed a stack to enable the positioning means to locate the said stack on the column.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 451 words

A feeding apparatus including column-holding means for location of an upright column of can ends from the leading end of which column can ends are fed one at a time in succession to can end seaming machinery, conveyor means for carrying a supply of upright stacks of can ends for replenishing said column and including a frame, an outwardly projecting track mounted around said frame and an opening therein communicating with said columnholding means which is located under the opening below the level of the track, two endless belts mounted around said frame above the track and vertically spaced apart, each belt being arranged between two spaced grooved pulley wheels, one corresponding wheel for each belt being mounted on an upright spindle carried at each end of the frame, each belt having teeth on its inner surface to mesh with the grooves on the wheels, at least one spindle being driven, and a series of upright stack supports carried by said belts, the lower end of each support terminating above the track, positioning means for positioning each stack of can ends in turn on top of the diminished column by indexing the belts for predetermined movements around the track to bring each stack support in turn into alignment with the column-holding means to allow a stack of can ends located in a stack support to be transferred through said opening in the track to the columnholding means, the positioning means including an indexing plate mounted on the lower end of the driven spindle, the plate being a disc having a plurality of notches cut in its circumference and into each notch in turn the outer end of a piston of a first piston and cylinder arrangement is adapted to be located after each rotational movement of the spindle caused by driving means including at least one endless chain arranged around a sprocket wheel, having a free wheel reverse movement, located on the upper end of the driven spindle and a freely rotatable sprocket wheel located above the frame, the outer end of a piston of a second piston and cylinder arrangement being secured through a lug to one side of the chain whereby on extension of said second piston and cylinder arrangement, the chain is moved to rotate the sprocket wheel and spindle a predetermined rotational distance and on retraction the pulley wheel rotates with the chain but the spindle is prevented from Movement by the action of the positioning means and the free wheel on the sprocket wheel, and control means responsive to the height of said column for operating the conveyor means to feed a stack to enable the positioning means to locate the said stack on the column.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 162 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means includes two valves vertically spaced above the column-holding means and in circuit with a supply of compressed air and the first and second piston and cylinder arrangements, the valves each having a movable member the outer end of which is a roller adapted to abut the side of a stack of can ends when located above the column-holding means, the upper valve being actuated to allow air to pass from the air supply to the lower valve, when the top of the stack of can ends passes below its level, the lower valve being actuated to extend the piston of each of the first and second piston and cylinder arrangements respectively, when the top of the stack of can ends passes below its level, the valves being reset and the pistons of the arrangements being returned to their initial position on location of a stack of can ends above the column-holding means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said column-holding means includes an annular flange, four equi-spaced rods upstanding from the inner periphery of the top face of said of said flange, and a plate supported by the upper ends of said rods and having a circular aperture of same periphery as the inner periphery of the flange.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 42 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each stack support is of a substantially U-formation in cross-section, the limbs of the support being resilient for relative movement apart to allow the stack support to be front-loaded with a column of can ends.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 214 words

A feeding apparatus including a column-holding means for location of an upright column of can ends from the leading end of which column can ends are fed one at a time in succession to can end seaming machinery, conveyor means for carrying a supply of upright stacks of can ends for replenishing said column and including two vertically spaced conveyors each located around two sprocket wheels projecting out from one side of a frame, the column-holding means being located at the delivery end of the conveyors, the top conveyor having a series of outwardly projecting biased members, each for location, when located depending from the lower flight of the conveyor, at the top of a stack of can ends located between the two conveyors and serving to assist in keeping the stack of can ends together, support means being provided along one longitudinal side of the conveyors between the two conveyors to support and position the upright stacks of can ends, positioning means for positioning each stack of can ends in turn on top of the diminished column from the conveyor means, and control means responsive to the height of said column for operating the conveyor means to feed a stack to enable the positioning means to locate the said stack on the column.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 214 words

A feeding apparatus including a column-holding means for location of an upright column of can ends from the leading end of which column can ends are fed one at a time in succession to can end seaming machinery, conveyor means for carrying a supply of upright stacks of can ends for replenishing said column and including two vertically spaced conveyors each located around two sprocket wheels projecting out from one side of a frame, the column-holding means being located at the delivery end of the conveyors, the top conveyor having a series of outwardly projecting biased members, each for location, when located depending from the lower flight of the conveyor, at the top of a stack of can ends located between the two conveyors and serving to assist in keeping the stack of can ends together, support means being provided along one longitudinal side of the conveyors between the two conveyors to support and position the upright stacks of can ends, positioning means for positioning each stack of can ends in turn on top of the diminished column from the conveyor means, and control means responsive to the height of said column for operating the conveyor means to feed a stack to enable the positioning means to locate the said stack on the column.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 58 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said support means includes a series of upright members mounted on supports and adapted for lateral movement between an inboard and an outboard position in which respectively the members support the stacks, and are withdrawn from the stacks to allow movement of the stacks and conveyors towards the delivery end thereof.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 86 words

Apparatus as claimed in claimed in claim 5, wherein said column-holding means includes an annular flange, four equispaced rods upstanding from the inner periphery of the top face of said flange, a plate supported by the upper ends of said rods and having a circular aperture of same periphery as the inner periphery of the flange, and a first pair of extension rods upstanding from the plate and co-axial with two of the subjacent rods on the side of the column-holding means remote from the frame.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 112 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said positioning means includes a second pair of extension rods located above the plate, and each movable by extension and retraction of a piston of a piston and cylinder arrangement to an inboard position in which the rods are co-axial with the other two subjacent rods and to an outboard position, a stack of can ends fed from the conveyor to the column-holding means being positioned by the movement of the rods for the stack to be located above the aperture of the plate to allow can ends to be fed on to the top of the column of can ends in the column-holding means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 149 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control means includes two vertically spaced sensors, an upper sensor spaced above and a lower sensor spaced level with the plate of the column-holding means, the sensors being in circuit with a supply of air and with a piston and cylinder arrangement of the driving means, each sensor being actuated on the level of the stack of can ends passing below its level, the upper sensor being actuated to retract the piston and cylinder arrangements of the positioning means to place the extension rods in an outboard position, and the lower sensor being actuated to extend the piston and cylinder arrangement of the driving means, the sensors being reset and the movements of all the piston and cylinder arrangements reversed when a further stack of can ends is located on top of the column of can ends in the column-holding means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 111 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said driving means includes an endless chain located around four sprocket wheels, two of which have a free wheel reverse movement, one of each of these two wheels being located at the loading end of the two conveyors and mounted axially with the corresponding sprocket wheel, the other two sprocket wheels being idling wheels, the piston of the piston and cylinder arrangement being secured by a lug to the chain, extension of the piston causing movement of the conveyors towards the column-holding means, and retraction of the piston causing no movement to the conveyors due to the free-wheel reverse movement of the sprocket wheels.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-09-05	1976-03-06	1976-09-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-09-05	1980-03-06	1980-09-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-09-05	1984-03-06	1984-09-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for feeding can ends

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