US2213427A - Insertion of wire rips in can closures and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1940.

INSERTION 0F WIRE RIPS IN CAN CLfJSURES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 24; 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 go 55 I gmvkxfixw mvENTok P: rse Bonus? P. BOGNER 2,213,427

Sept. 3, 1940. P BQGNER 2,213,427

INSERTION 0F WIRE RIPS IN CAN CLOSURES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 24, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PETER Boa/v54? ATTORNEY:

Sept. 3, 1940.

P. BOGNER INSERTION OF WIRE RIPS IN CAN CLOSURES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 24, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I NVEN R PETER BOGNER WMM HTTORNEYS Sept. 3, 1940.

P. BOGNER 2,213,427

INSERTION 0F WIRE RIPS IN CAN CLOSURES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 24, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l N V E N TOR PETER BOGNER ATTORNEXS Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSERTION OF WIRE RIPS IN CAN CLO- SURES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR British company Application February 24, 1938, Serial No. 192,262

' In Great Britain March 23, 1937 8 Claims.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to the insertion of wire rips in can closures and apparatus therefor.

The conventional can closure includes a central depression to fit within the mouth of the can body and a marginal flange which is intended to be interfolded (as by a doubleor multiple-seaming operation) with an out-turned flange at the end of the can body so that the marginal flange of the closure lies outside and is pressed to embrace the outer wall of the can body.

It has been proposed to include in the conventional can closure an opening device comprising a wire which is housed within the pressed circumierential portion of the closure with an end protruding through the closure to the outside thereof. (Such opening wires are commonly termed rip wires and as such will be referred to hereinafter.) The conventional seamed closures provided with rip wire openers are intended to be opened by inserting the protruding end of the rip wire into a key and then winding up the wire upon the key by rolling the key around the can so causing the rip wire to cut through the wall of the end closure. The opening of cans in this Way is not always easy and is not always convenient since opening keys are easily misplaced. The present invention is concerned with the insertion of rip wires into an improved form of end closure which is such that opening of the closure may be efiected without the employment of a key or may be effected more readily than with the conventional closures.

More particularly the present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for inserting a rip wire into a can closure of the form having a central depression to fit within the mouth of the can to be closed and a marginal portion constituting a flange for interfolding with the can body, with the material of the closure continued outwardly from the depression in the form of a narrow shoulder reaching to a wire-supporting wall which extends to the marginal flange and upon which a rip wire is intended to be held inside the closure, and having an opening to the outside of the closure through which the rip wire may pass to provide a purchase for ripping the closure open. Can closures of the aforesaid form constitute the subject-matter of my co -pending United States application Serial No. 191,230, filed February 18, 1938.

Insertion of rip wires into the conventional closures has been efiected by hand-threading. Can closures are producible at the rate of between one to two hundred a minute by a single ridge, a presser to hold the closure in engagement machine but manual insertion of rip wires at the same rate requires several operators and, moreover, the exact tensioning and positioning of the rip wire is not precisely repeatable with manual insertion. Insertion of rip wires by hand is therefore undesirable and raises the cost of production to an extent disproportionate with the benefits obtained. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a method for inserting the rip Wires into can closures of the form dem scribed by mechanical means whereby the threaded closure can rapidly be produced to a desired standard.

The invention accordingly comprises a method of inserting a rip wire into a can closure of the form described consisting in holding the closure (before its application to the can) on a body member which fits and closes the open side of the hollow ridge and then pushing the rip wire in endwise into the space within the ridge. 20

The rip wire may be pushed in endwise from the outer side of the closure through an opening at the end of the ridge. Preferably the wire is inserted into the ridge insubstantial alignment therewith.

The present invention is applicable to can closures of the form described whether the area of the closure which is to be removed is circular, oval or substantially rectangular inshape. In the latter case, the ridge should extend in an arcuate course at the corners of the area to facilitate advancement of, the rip wire around the corners.- In the case when the ridgeextends in an arcuate path around the area to be removed, for example about a circular or oval area; insertion of the rip wire should preferably be effected by thrusting it endwise in a direction substantially tangential to the ridge at the point of entry of the wire thereto. v The invention includes apparatus for threading a rip wire into a can closure oithe form described comprising in combination a base-member to fit and close the open side of the hollow with the base-member, a guide-member to direct 5 or driving between the base-member and the walls of the ridge.

Other objects of the invention are to provide positive location of the closures with respect to the threading device and tensioning of the rip wire within the ridge after threading.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example one form of apparatus for carrying the invention into effect.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view to an exaggerated scale of the outside of a circular end closure of the form referred to hereinabove in which the front half of the closure has been broken away to show, in section, the convolutions of the closure;

Figure 2 is a plan View to an enlarged scale of a jig for supporting the closure-member during insertion of the rip-wire;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the jig of Figure 2 taken on the line 33 thereof looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation similar to Figure 3 but to a larger scale showing a closure in position upon the jig, the central portions of the closure and jig being broken away;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic layout of the complete apparatus including two jig tables and indicating the supply of end-closures to and the take-off from the said tables;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a jig table and associated wire-inserting, wire-bending and wire-threading devices;

Figure '7 is a plan view of an end-closure in position upon a jig showing the action of the wire-bending device;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the bending device looking in the direction of the arrow 8 oi Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional elevation to a greatly enlarged scale of a modified form of ig.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings the end-closure is of the form which constitutes the subject-matter of my co-pending United States Patent application Serial No. 191,230, and comprises a dished central portion surrounded by a crimped flange l2 which is bounded by an upstanding wall I3. The edge of the closure-member is'constituted by a marginal flange I l which is curled over at l5 around its periphery. A ridge I6 is upset within the area of and around the marginal flange [4 in the opposite direction to the depressed central portion II to provide a space I! in the underside of the flange. The ridge is spaced somewhat from the upper edge of the wall l3 so as to divide ofi a portion of the flange I4 as a narrow inner shoulder I8 and terminates in a gap l9 where the metal of the flange I4 is not upset. Each end of the ridge is pierced with a hole, at 25] and 2|, which establishes communication from outside the closure to the space I! within the ridge. The holes 20 and 2| are located close to the apex of the ridge it so that the lower portions of the ends of the ridge are closed by a lip of metal, as shown at 22.

The ridge I5 is intended to house a rip-wire opener within the space H as indicated at 23 in Figure 4, so that the rip-wire extends around the closure with at least one of its ends protruding to the outside of the closure through the holes 20 or 2!. The protruding end of the wire is intended to be such as to permit a purchase to be obtained for ripping the closure open and to this end may be looped or may be provided with a cross-bar handle. The other end of the wire may be also brought through the end of the ridge via the other hole and solder spotted onto the wire at its point of emergence to anchor it in position. Alternatively, this end of the wire may be anchored by deforming the metal of the end of the ridge 16.

To obviate any tendency for the rip-Wire 23 to come away from the interior of the ridge [6 it is upset with a non-divergent, substantially cylindrical inner wall 24 which is joined to a curved outer wall 25. By the provision of the straight or cylindrical inner wall 24 the rip-wire can be tightened in the space I! to bear upon the Wall 24 and held thereon under tension by frictional engagement of the Wire with the wall. The walls 24 and 25 join substantially at a right angle (as indicated at 26) and the upsetting of the ridge is is preferably eifected in such a manner that the metal of the ridge is reduced in thickness at the line of joining of the two walls to provide a line of weakness in the ridge to facilitate ripping of the metal by the rip-wire 23.

Insertion of rip-wires into closures of the form described is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by positioning the closure upon a jig which is such as to interfit with and to close the space ll and by then thrusting the wire in endwise through hole 20 or 2| around the space H until the wire emerges from the other hole.

Figure 5 shows the general scheme of the apparatus comprising a station 21 at which end closures, as shown in Figure 1, are stacked and may be fed by an operator at 28 to each of two jig tables 29 and 30. The jig tables 29 and 30 rotate about vertical axes 3| and 32 respectively in a step-by-step fashion, in opposite directions, and each table carries three jigs (indicated by the general reference 33) which are brought in turn to jig-loading stations 34, wire-threading, bending and shearing stations 35 and jig-unloading stations 36. When the end-closures arrive at the stations 36 they each contain a ripwire Within the space H, the wire having been bent at its ends and tensioned within the ridge as will be described hereinafter. The closures then pass via conveyor lines 31 to a solderingstation 38 and may thereafter have a latex compound applied to the underside of the marginal flanges at the station 39.

At the threading, bending and shearing stations 35 the apparatus is duplicated and comprises wire-supply reels 40, wire-straightening means 4i, pairs of wire- feed rollers 42, 43 and 44, shears i5, threading and guiding blocks 46 and wireanchoring, tensioning and bending devices 47.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the jig-table 30 with the associated wire-inserting apparatus. An empty jig 33 is shown at the position corresponding to station 36 of Figure 5 (it being assumed that a wired closure has just been removed), an end-closure is shown in position for threading on a jig at station 35 and an endclosure is shown in chain line in position upon the jig at station 34 ready to be brought to the threading station 35 by movement of table 30 in the direction of the arrow.

As Will be seen more clearly from Figures 2, 3 and 4, the jigs comprise a base-member 33 having an upstanding circular abutment 38 surrounding a circular depression 39 within which fits the dished portion of the end-closure. A narrow rib 59 extends around the top of the abutment 36 and terminates in ends 5|, 52 which define a gap corresponding to gap I9 in the ridge I6. The rib 56 is spaced from the inner and outer side walls of the abutment 38 thereby providing narrow inner and outer circular shoulders 53 and 54 respectively, around the top of the abutment. As will appear from Figure 4 the shoulders. 53 and 54 and the side Walls of the rib 56 are shaped to conform with the shaping of the open side of the ridge I6 of the endclosure. Thus, the narrow shoulder 53 and its upward sweep to the inner side wall of the rib 56 corresponds in shape with the narrow shoulder I 3 inside the ridge I6 and its upward sweep to the inner cylindrical wall 24 of the closure. Similarly, the narrow shoulder 54 and its upward sweep to the outer wall of the rib 56 corresponds with the curved shape of the underside of the marginal flange I4 and its sweep into the curved wall 25 of the ridge I6. For easy threading of the rip wire it is essential that the rib 66 should fit snugly and accurately within the open side of the ridge l6 so that substantially no space existsv between the side walls of the rib and the side walls 24 and 25 of the ridge. As will be seen from Figure 4, the rib 56 is so proportioned as just to penetrate into the space ll of the ridge thereby leaving a free space between its upper face and the apex of the ridge. The ends EI and 52 of the ridge are chamfered as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings and the chamfered faces fit against the lipped portions 22 of the ends of the ridge. It

will be noticed that in the construction illustrated the rip-wire 23 lies wholly above a plane containing the upper side of the marginal flange E4 of the end-closure and the holes 26 and EI, mentioned hereinabove as located towards the apex of the ridge, are positioned in the same plane as the wire 23. The jigs 33 are secured to the jig table 36 by means of screws 55 passing from the underside of the table and are each provided with an inner depressed portion 56 of a shape which corresponds to the inner depression II of the end-closures.

Turning now to consider the threading-station 35 as illustrated in Figure 6, a pressure member 5? is mounted upon a piston 58 for Vertical sliding movement within a guide 59 (the actuating means for the presser not being shown). The threading-block 46 is also carried upon a rod 36 for vertical sliding movement within a guide 6!, the means for moving the threadingblock also not being illustrated. The presser member 5? is cylindrical in shape and corresponds to the circular depressed area I I of the end-closures. It is mounted Within the guide 59 so as to be brought down exactly to fit within the depressed portion II of the end-closures to press the said portion into the inner depression 56 of the jig 33 when the jigs are brought to the threading station. At the time during which the table 36 is moving to bring a freshly loaded jig beneath the presser member 51, both the presser member and the threading-block 46 are in the raised position to permit the jig and endclosure carried thereby to move to the threading station. The threading-block 46 is so located that when the jig table ceases to move the threading-block may be brought down to lie within the gap I 9 of the ridge I6. The underside of the threading-block 46 is grooved to provide a semi-conical guiding tunnel 62 which tapers towards the opening 22 in the ridge I6 of the. underlying closure. The axis of the semi-conical tunnel is substantially tangential to the direction of the ridge l6. The threadingblock 46 carries a semi-circular lateral extension 63 which extends in alignment with the axis of the guide tunnel 62 and in line with the wire feed from the pairs of feeding rollers 42, 43 and 44.

The feeding rollers 42, 43 and 44 are geared together for rotation in pairs and are mounted for rotation in a supporting framework 64. R- tation of the feeding rollers 42, 43 and 44 is brought about from a counter-shaft 65 carrying inclined bevel gears 66 which mesh with inclined bevel gears 67 carried at the end of the upper roller of each of the pairs of feeding rollers 42, 43 and 44. A clutch device (not .11- lustrated) is provided for actuating the countershaft 65 periodically so that the feeding rollers are brought into operation to feed wire '68 to the guiding extension 63 into the guide tunnel 62 as soon as the threading-block 46 and the presser-member 51 have been brought down upon a fresh end-closure. Continued rotation of the feeding rollers causes Wire 68 to be advanced to the tapered end of theguide tunnel 62 directly at the hole 26 in the end of the ridge I6. Upon furth r feeding movement of the rollers 42, 43

and 44 the wire 68 is thrust through the hole 213 and is caused to advance within the space in the ridge I6 between the upper face of the rib 56 of the jig and the apex of the, ridge, travelling therearound until the advancing end of the wire comes to the hole H at the other end of the ridge. The threading-block is formed with a. wire receiving passage 69 which at this stage of the operations has its opening registering with the hole 2!. The passage 69 is located close to the underside of the block 46 and runs into it from the side face of the block for a short distance turning then inwardly with a right angle band to extend in a direction parallel with the side face of the block. When the advancing end of the wire reaches the end of the ridge it is thrust through the passage 2| into the hole 69 and upon continued advancement the end of the wire 66 is deflected by the hole 69 and is bent round to lie at right angles to the ridge l6.

The time during which the rollers 42, 43 and 44 are clutched-in for feeding movement is such as to ensure the advancement of a complete ripwire into the ridge I6 and to provide also for a short projection of the end of the Wire through hole 2i into the groove 69. When the rip-wire has been inserted to the extent described rotation of the feed-rollers is stopped by automatic de-clutching of the counter-shaft 65.

In order to prevent the advancing end of the Wire 68 from dropping out of the extension 63 at the commencement of the feeding operation (during which time a sheared end of the wire is being fed through the feeding rollers as Will be seen hereafter) but at the same time to permit the extension 63 to be raised without at the same time raising the wire which at the end of the insertion operation bridges the space between the rollers 44 and the guide tunnel 62 the extension 63 is left openat its under side. When the threading-block 46 is in the operative position, however, the extension 63 overlies a plate I6 which is attached to the framework 64 so. as just to clear the marginal flange I4 of the end-closure upon rotation of the table to bring a fresh jig to the threading station.

Throughout the threading operation the threading-block 56 is locked down in engagement with the closure by suitable means which acts upon the rod 66. At the end of the threading operation the lock on the rod 60 is released automatically at the same time as the wire-feed rollers cease to feed wire and the threadingblock 46 is then raised to permit the wire-bending and tensioning tool t? referred to hereinabove to be moved radially into the gap I9. When the threading block is raised the end of the wire 68 is pulled out of the hole 89 and is engaged by the lower boundary of opening thereof so as to be bent sharply at the end of the ridge to stand up at right-angles to the end closure, ready for the next operation.

The tool 41 includes a smooth, approximately half-round, parallel sided body-portion which terminates in a smooth nose member H. One side of the nose member 1| is cut away diagonalwise to provide a sloping edge 13 and the other side of the nose member extends in alignment with the side of the body-portion and constitutes a wire-bending and wire-anchoring edge l2. As will be clearly seen from Figures 7 and 8 the nose member H tapers both in width and in thickness towards its front end. A shoulder l4 separates the nose member ll from the bodyportion and extends from the back-end of the sloping edge 73 across the width of the tool 41 in a slightly rearward direction. The tool t! is, in addition, provided with a lip 75 which overlies the edge 12 whilst the side of the tool is undercut between the edge 72 and the lip 75 to provide a recess along the side of the tool beneath the lip.

The tool 47 is advanced radially into the gap it, by suitable means not shown, on a level with the upper side of the marginal flange M of the end-closure and is held during advancement against lateral movement. The advancing tapered end of the nose-member "H slips beneath the wire 88 where it extends between the rollers i and the hole 20 and the said portion of the wire starts to ride-up the inclined face of the nose-member. At this time the end of the ripwire which protrudes from the hole 2! and stands up at right angles to the closure is held only by the bend in the wire at the end of the ridge. When the other end of the wire com mences to ride up the slope H of the tool 4! the protruding end of the rip-wire tends to retract into the ridge [8 through hole 2| and the bend in end of the rip-wire is thereby slightly opened. Further slight advancement of the tool 41 brings the bending edge 12 into contact with the protruding end of the rip-wire which is thereupon bent sharply inwards against the end of the ridge l6 and thereby anchored against further retraction into the ridge Hi. In the continued advancement of the tool 41 the anchored and bent-over end of the rip-wire rides along the bending edge i2 inside the recess beneath the lip 75 and is thus tucked away so as to be clear of engagement with the portion of the wire 68 which is at the same time riding up the slope of the nose-member TI. The other end of the rip-wire is also held aganst any substantial movement between the nip of the feeding rollers and continued advancement of the tool 4'! serves to tighten the rip-wire upon the inner cylindrical wall 2 of the hollow ridge I6 by bending the wire in an are over the nose-member H. Further advancement of the tool causes the shoulder M to engage the rip-wire which upon forward movement of the tool kinks the wire abruptly at the point where it enters the ridge through hole 20. The wire is kinked to an extent suflicient to hold the rip-wire under tension in the ridge when the tool is withdrawn.

After the wire 68 has been kinked in the manner described the shears are operated to cut the wire 68 where it extends between the feed roller pairs 43 and 44. The tool 47 is then retracted. The presser member 51 is then raised, the table 3t] is rotated to bring the next jig loaded with a new closure to the threading station 35 whilst the wired cover is moved round to the take-off station 36, the feed rollers being momentarily engaged to feed the end of the rip- Wire out of the rollers 44.

The wire end-closures are passed from the take-01f stations 36 to the station E38 where a spot of solder is applied to the ends of the ridge it where the rip-wire emerges from the holes at and H. The holes 20 and 2| are thereby closed and the wire positively held against release of tension in the ridge. The end closures then pass to station I39 for the application of a latex compound on the underside of the marginal flanges 14 of the closures.

The wired end closures may thereafter be operated upon to form a loop in the end of the wire where it emerges from the hole 20 and to engage the loop with the hook on the wire end which protrudes from the hole 2|. The loop and hook can then be ironed down to lie flat in the gap 69. A1- teinatively, the end of the wire protruding from the hole 2t can be cut oil so as to provide a length of wire which lies across the gap and the cut end of the wire bent back and ironed down to lie within the gap or bent down the wall 13 and then bent a gain to lie across the depressed portion it. As a further alternative the end of the wire protruding from the hole 20 may have a crossbar handle attached to it and the wire bent down the wall It and across to the depressed portion ll so that the handle lies in the portion H.

In the next threading operation the presser member 5'! and the threading-block 4t descend again upon the top of a fresh end closure. The feeding rollers 42, 43 and M are again rotated by clutching the counter-shaft 56 to the driving means. To ensure that the sheared end of the wire 68 projecting from the feed rollers 43 is thrust forward in exactly the same line past the shears l5, during the momentary engagement of the feed rollers to clear the wire end from the rollers it, a hollow conical guide it is secured to the framework fi l between the pairs of feeding rollers 33 and 44 so as to lead the wire into the grooved nip of the rollers M.- and thence to the extension 63 and the guiding tunnel 62.

In the modified form of jig which is shown to a greatly enlarged scale in Figure 9, the end-face or wire-guiding surface of the rib 58 is formed with a shallow arcuate groove 59a whilst the up per-edges of the side-walls of the rib are chamfer'ed at 5%. Such a configuration of the endface of the rib has been found useful as both assisting easy insertion of the rip-wire and in providing for ready seating of the end-closure upon the jig.

I claim:

1. A method of inserting a rip-wire into a can closure of the form described having the wire supporting wall forming part of a hollow ridge with an open side which ridge has an end wall formed with an opening for the passage of the rip wire consisting in holding the closure before its application to the can on a body member which fits and closes the open side of the hollow ridge and then pushing the rip-wire in endwise through the said opening into the space within the ridge.

2. A method of inserting a rip-wire into a can closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hollow ridge of the closure bounds a substantially circular area to be removed, comprising eilecting insertion of the rip-wire by thrusting it endwise through the said opening in a direction substantially tangential to the ridge at the point of entry of the wire thereinto.

3. A method of inserting a rip-wire into a can closure of the form described having the wire-supporting wall forming part of a hollow ridge wherein there is a gap with an opening to the outside of the closure from the hollow interior at each end of the ridge, consisting in holding the closure before its application to a can on a body member which fits and closes the open side of the hollow ridge, thrusting the rip-wire in endwise, from the outer side of the closure, through one of the said openings into the hollow interior of the ridge and advancing the rip-wire along the interior of the ridge by continued application of the endwise thrust to cause the end of the wire to emerge through the other of the said openings to the outside of the closure.

4. A method of inserting a rip-wire into a can closure of the form described, consisting in holding the closure before its application to the can on a body member which fits against the closure so as to shut off a hollow space between the marginal flange and the wire-supporting wall and then pushing the rip-wire in endwise into the said space through an opening formed in a portion of the can closure bounding said space.

5. In apparatus for threading a rip-wire into a can closure of the form described, the combination comprising a base member shaped to it against the closure to shut ofif a hollow space between the marginal flange and the wire-supporting wall, means for holding the closure in engagement with the base member, guiding means to direct the rip-wire endwise to the said hollow space, a wire-feeder, means for mounting said wirefeeder in position to advance the rip-wire endwise to the guiding means and thence into said hollow space, and means for bringing said wirefeeder into and out of operation.

6. Apparatus for threading a rip-wire into a can closure of the form described having the wiresupporting wall forming part of a hollow ridge with an open side, comprising in combination a gagement with the base-member, means permitting relative movement between the base-member and the presser to release the closure, a guidemember to direct the rip-wire to the opening in the can closure, a wire-feeder to advance the ripwire endwise via the guide-member through the said opening into the space within the ridge, means for supporting said base-member, presser guide-member and wire-feeder, and means for operating the wire-feeder to advance the ripwire.

7. In apparatus for threading a rip-wire into a can closure of the form described having the wire-supporting wall forming part of a hollow ridge with an open side, the combination comprising a base-member having an outstanding rib which conforms to the course of the ridge in the can closure, the said rib being such as to interfit with and to close the open side of the ridge but and the apex of the ridge to receive the wire,

means for holding the closure in engagement with the base-member, a guide member for the rip-wire, means for supporting the guide-member in position to direct the rip-wire endwise into said space through an opening in the can closure, a wire-feeder to advance the rip-wire endwise via the guide-member into said space, and means for operating said wire-feeder to advance the ripwire.

8. In apparatus for threading a rip-wire into a can closure of the form described havingthe wire-supporting wall forming part of a hollow ridge with an open side and having a gap formed in the ridge, the combination comprising a jig having an outstanding rib which conforms to the course of the ridge and is cut away to form a gap over a distance corresponding to the gap in the ridge, the said rib being such as to interfit with and to close the open side of the ridge but to provide a space between the face of the rib and the apex of the ridge to receive the wire,

means for holding the closure in engagement.

Images