Thermoforming equipment for the formation of metallic packages with pre-flap formation

Abstract

It is understood as being preferably intended for the manufacture of cans through spinning, molding the can bodies in the most varied shapes, also enabling the attainment of deep necking or die-necking in the can bodies; it may be used for the several purposes, from food and beverage cans, to chemicals and others, and they may be manufactured in several materials such as tin foil, chromed sheet and black plate, using the spinning process molding the can bodies, being able to be used in several types of cans, from those which use metallic, plastic or mixed lids (compound plastic+metallic), clamped such as those using metallic, plastic or mixed (compound plastic+metallic) lid system and unclamped, provided with sealing gaskets and vacuum closure.

1 . Pre-flap forming and spinning equipment for metallic packages, such as cans, comprising:
 conveyors for vertically conveying can bodies to an equipment input point;   a worm conveyor system arranged at the input point, the worm conveyor being horizontally positioned and rotatable about a longitudival axis; and   gears including an input star that rotates about a vertical axis, the gears turning the worm conveyor in a synchronized manner.   
     
     
         2 . The equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein each can body is moved from the worm conveyor to the input star by a synchronized system so that the can bodies are admitted one by one in an aligned vertical position. 
     
     
         3 . The equipment according to  claim 2 , and further comprising gearing for synchronously transferring the can bodies in the vertical position from the input star to a pre-flap forming station, the input star and the forming station rotating in opposite directions about vertical axes so that the can bodies are transferred continuously one by one. 
     
     
         4 . The equipment according to  claim 3 , wherein each can body is pre-expanded in the forming station, whereby the pre-flap and can body locking are made. 
     
     
         5 . The equipment according to  claim 4 , and further comprising an output star driven synchronously with the forming station for accepting the can bodies from the forming station. 
     
     
         6 . The equipment according to  claim 5 , and further comprising gearing with gears that rotate about vertical axes for synchronously transferring the can bodies from the forming station to the output star which rotates opposite to the forming station. 
     
     
         7 . The equipment according to  claim 6 , wherein the synchronized system includes gears located on a lower part of corresponding axles, wherein the worm conveyor system is related to a first gear, the input star is related with a second gear, the forming station is related to a third gear, and the output star is related to a fourth gear, and further comprising an electric gear motor for driving the gears, the gears being immersed in an oil bath, wherein an oil pump lubricates the equipment in a cyclic manner. 
     
     
         8 . The equipment according to  claim 3 , wherein the forming station includes piston sets having tools for pre-flap formation and can body locking 
     
     
         9 . The equipment according to  claim 5 , wherein the forming station has an inner part with a gear that transmits movement to a bottom circular drum that is coupled by a coupling column to a top circular drum, the top circular drum, the bottom circular drum and the coupling column being turnable about a central column that is static and fixed to a machine base. 
     
     
         10 . The equipment according to  claim 9 , and further comprising a top circular cam and a bottom circular cam respectively arranged inside the bottom drum and top drum, the cams being mechanically fastened to the coupling column, the cams having perimeters with specific shapes to permit follower rollers, which are coupled to shafts by supports, to move relative to each other whereby the follower rollers move closer together or further apart according to the shapes of the cams. 
     
     
         11 . The equipment according to  claim 10 , wherein the tools are provided in ends of the shafts that perform the pre-flap formation and can body locking during can body turning. 
     
     
         12 . The equipment according to  claim 10 , wherein the follower rollers coupled to the shafts by the supports act as a piston set the goes up and down, the number of piston sets being dependent on a desired number of can bodies per hour. 
     
     
         13 . The equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein all sets of devices can be arranged in both vertical and horizontal positions thereby enabling processing of the can body from a starting conveyance to a final conveyance in a vertical or horizontal orientation.