Apparatus for necking a can body

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of an apparatus for necking a can body includes a first necking station for reducing a diameter of an end of the can body, and a second necking station for further reducing the diameter of the end of the can body. The apparatus further includes at least one transfer wheel for transferring the can body from the first necking station to the second necking station after the diameter of the end of the can body has been reduced by the first die. The second necking station is mechanically coupled to the first necking station so that the first necking station receives the can body after the diameter of the can body has been reduced by the second necking station.

1 . An apparatus for necking a can body, comprising: 
 a first necking station comprising a first and a second die for reducing a diameter of an end of the can body, the first die having a first diameter and the second die having a second diameter less than the first diameter;    a second necking station comprising a third and a fourth die for reducing the diameter of the end of the can body, the third die having a third diameter and the fourth die having a fourth diameter less than the third diameter;    a transfer wheel for transporting the can body at least part of the way between the first and the second necking stations; and    a conveying mechanism for transporting the can body at least part of the way between the second and the first necking stations after the diameter of the can body has been reduced by the third die.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the conveying mechanism comprises at least one of a transfer turret; a mass conveyor; a single-track conveyor; a tunnel track, a pocket chain; and a pin chain.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first and a second input wheel and a first and a second transfer wheel, wherein the first input wheel transports a first of the can bodies to the first transfer wheel, the first transfer wheel transports the first of the can bodies to the second transfer wheel, the second input wheel transports a second of the can bodies to the second transfer wheel, and the second transfer wheel transports the first and the second of the can bodies to the first necking station.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the second input wheel receives the second of the can bodies from the conveying mechanism.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the first and the second transfer wheels are indexed so that the second transfer wheel receives the first of the can bodies in a first pocket of the second transfer wheel, and the second transfer wheel receives the second of the can bodies in an adjacent second pocket of the second transfer wheel.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the second transfer wheel and the first necking station are indexed so that the first necking station receives the first of the can bodies in a first pocket of the first necking station, the first pocket being associated with the first die; and    the first necking station receives the second of the can bodies in an second pocket of the first necking station, the second pocket being located adjacent the first pocket and being associated with the second die.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a first input chute for transporting the first of the can bodies to the first input wheel, and a second input chute for transporting the second of the can bodies from the conveying mechanism.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a third and a fourth transfer wheel and a first and a second discharge wheel, wherein the third transfer receives the first and the second of the can bodies from the second necking station and transports the first and the second of the can bodies to the second transfer wheel, the fourth transfer wheel transports the second of the can bodies to the first discharge wheel, and the fourth transfer wheel transports the first of the can bodies to the second of the discharge wheels.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the fourth transfer wheel and the first discharge wheel are indexed so that first discharge wheel receives only the second of the can bodies from the fourth transfer wheel.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a first discharge chute for discharging the first of the can bodies from the apparatus, and a second discharge chute for transporting the second of the can bodies to the conveying mechanism.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first necking station further comprises a first turret and the second necking station further comprises a second turret, the first turret having a plurality of the first dies and a plurality of the second dies mounted thereon in an alternating arrangement and the second turret having a plurality of the third dies and a plurality of the fourth dies mounted thereon in an alternating arrangement.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first necking station reduces the diameter of the can body using the second die after the can body has been returned to the first necking station by the conveying mechanism.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the second necking station reduces the diameter of the can body using the fourth die after the diameter of the can body has been reduced using the second die.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus for necking a can body, comprising: 
 a first necking station for reducing a diameter of an end of the can body;    a second necking station for further reducing the diameter of the end of the can body; and    at least one transfer wheel for transferring the can body from the first necking station to the second necking station after the diameter of the end of the can body has been reduced by the first die, wherein the second necking station is mechanically coupled to the first necking station so that the first necking station receives the can body after the diameter of the can body has been reduced by the second necking station.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second necking station is mechanically coupled to the first necking station by a conveying mechanism.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the conveying mechanism comprises at least one of a conveyor; a transfer turret; a mass conveyor; a single-track conveyor; a tunnel track, a pocket chain; and a pin chain.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a first and a second transfer wheel, a discharge wheel, and a discharge chute, the first transfer wheel receiving the can body from the second necking station, the second transfer wheel transporting the can body from the first transfer wheel to the second transfer wheel, the discharge wheel transporting the can body from the second transfer wheel to the discharge chute, and the discharge chute directing the can body to the conveying mechanism.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising an input wheel and a third transfer wheel, the input wheel receiving the can body from the conveying mechanism and transporting the can body to the third transfer wheel, the third transfer wheel transporting the can body to the first necking station.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus for necking can bodies, comprising (i) a first necking station comprising a first plurality of dies for reducing a diameter of un-necked ones of the can bodies, and a second plurality of dies for reducing a diameter of partially-necked ones of the can bodies, the second plurality of dies having a nominal diameter less than an nominal diameter of the first plurality of dies; and (ii) an input portion comprising a first and a second input wheel and a first and a second transfer wheel, wherein: 
 the first input wheel receives the un-necked ones of the can bodies and transports the un-necked ones of the can bodies to the first transfer wheel;    the first transfer wheel transports the un-necked ones of the can bodies to the second transfer wheel;    the second input wheel receives the partially-necked ones of the can bodies from a second necking machine of the apparatus and transports the partially-necked ones of the can bodies to the second transfer wheel; and    the second transfer wheel transports the un-necked and partially-necked ones of the can bodies to the first necking station.    
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the second transfer wheel and the first necking station are indexed so that pockets of the first necking station associated with the first plurality of dies receive the un-necked ones of the can bodies, and pockets of the first necking station associated with the second plurality of dies receive the partially-necked ones of the can bodies.  
   
   
       21 . An apparatus for necking can bodies, comprising (i) a first necking station comprising a first plurality of dies for reducing a diameter of a first plurality of the can bodies, and a second plurality of dies for reducing a diameter of a second plurality of the can bodies having an end diameter less than an end diameter of the first plurality of the can bodies; and (ii) a discharge portion comprising a first and a second transfer wheel and a first and a second discharge wheel, wherein: 
 the first transfer wheel receives the first and the second pluralities of the can bodies from the first necking station and transports the first and the second pluralities of the can bodies to the second transfer wheel;    the second transfer wheel transports the first plurality of the can bodies to the first discharge wheel;    the second transfer wheel transports the second plurality of the can bodies to the second discharge wheel;    the first discharge wheel directs the second plurality of the can bodies at least part of the way to a second necking station of the apparatus; and    the second discharge wheel directs the first plurality of the can bodies at least a part of the way to a discharge point on the apparatus.    
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first discharge wheel and the second transfer wheel are indexed so that the first discharge wheel receives only the first plurality of the can bodies.  
   
   
       23 . An apparatus for necking a can body, comprising: 
 a first necking station comprising a first and a second die for reducing a diameter of an end of the can body, the first die having a first diameter and the second die having a second diameter less than the first diameter;    a second necking station comprising a third and a fourth die for reducing the diameter of the end of the can body, the third die having a third diameter and the fourth die having a fourth diameter less than the third diameter, wherein the second necking station receives the can body after the diameter of the can body has been reduced by the first die, and the first necking station receives the can body before and after the diameter of the can body has been reduced by the third die.    
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the second necking station also receives the can body after the diameter of the can body has been reduced by the first and second dies.  
   
   
       25 . A method for necking a can body, comprising: 
 reducing a diameter of an end of the can body using a first die of a first necking station of a necking machine;    transferring the can body from the first necking station to a second necking station of the necking machine;    further reducing the diameter of the end of the can body using a first die of a second necking station of the necking machine;    transferring the can body from the second necking station to the first necking station; and    further reducing the diameter of the end of the can body using a second die of the first necking station after transferring the can body from the second necking station to the first necking station.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising transferring the can body from the first necking station to the second necking station after further reducing the diameter of the end of the can body using the second die of the first necking station, and further reducing the diameter of the end of the can body using a second die of the second necking station.