Transfer turret with settable vacuum timing and necker machine including same

Abstract

A transfer turret includes a rotatable starwheel for transferring can bodies between process stations. The starwheel includes pockets, each having a vacuum port and being adapted to receive a can body. The transfer turret also includes a stationary vacuum assembly having: a frame; an infeed and an outfeed baffle fixedly coupled to the frame, each having a leading end and a trailing end; and a transfer zone extending from the trailing end of the infeed baffle to a leading end of the outfeed baffle that is structured to be under vacuum when the transfer turret is in use. When in use: the transfer zone conveys the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the pockets aligned with the transfer zone to retain the can bodies within such pockets, and the infeed and outfeed baffle are each structured to block the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the pockets aligned therewith.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transfer turret for a can necking machine, the transfer turret comprising:
 a transfer starwheel rotatable about a rotation axis and configured to transfer a plurality of can bodies between a first process station and a second process station, the transfer starwheel including a plurality of peripheral pockets, each pocket including a vacuum port and is adapted to receive a can body;   a stationary vacuum assembly comprising:
 a frame; 
 an infeed baffle fixedly coupled to the frame, the infeed baffle having a leading end and an opposite trailing end; 
 an outfeed baffle fixedly coupled to the frame, the outfeed baffle having a leading end and an opposite trailing end; and 
 a transfer zone that is structured to be under vacuum when the transfer turret is in use, the transfer zone extending a circumferential length from a trailing end of the infeed baffle to a leading end of the outfeed baffle; 
   wherein when the transfer turret is in use:
 the transfer zone is structured to convey the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with the transfer zone to thereby retain the can bodies within the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with the transfer zone, and 
 the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle are each structured to block the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with either of the infeed baffle or the outfeed baffle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The transfer turret of  claim 1 , wherein one or both of an angular positioning about the rotation axis and/or the circumferential length of the transfer zone is selectively changeable by:
 replacing the infeed baffle with a different infeed baffle having a differently positioned trailing end; and/or   replacing the outfeed baffle with a different outfeed baffle having a differently positioned leading end.   
     
     
         3 . The transfer turret of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the infeed baffle includes an infeed coupling portion for fixedly coupling the infeed baffle to the frame and which is spaced a first circumferential distance from the trailing end of the infeed baffle by a first circumferential distance;   the different infeed baffle includes an infeed coupling portion for fixedly coupling the different infeed baffle to the frame and which is spaced a second circumferential distance, different than the first circumferential distance, from the trailing end of the different infeed baffle;   the outfeed baffle includes an outfeed coupling portion for fixedly coupling the outfeed baffle to the frame and which is spaced a first circumferential distance from the leading end of the outfeed baffle by a third circumferential distance; and   the different outfeed baffle includes an outfeed coupling portion for fixedly coupling the different outfeed baffle to the frame and which is spaced a fourth circumferential distance, different than the third circumferential distance, from the trailing end of the different outfeed baffle.   
     
     
         4 . The transfer turret of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a transfer turret backer plate to which the infeed manifold and the outfeed manifold are each rigidly coupled. 
     
     
         5 . The transfer turret of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the transfer starwheel is fixedly coupled to a transfer turret hub; and   the transfer turret hub is fixedly coupled to a transfer turret driveshaft that is structured to be rotated about the rotation axis by a drive arrangement.   
     
     
         6 . The transfer turret of  claim 1 , wherein the transfer starwheel comprises a plurality of segments. 
     
     
         7 . The transfer turret of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of segments consists of four segments. 
     
     
         8 . The transfer turret of  claim 1 , wherein each of the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle comprise a curved upper surface extending between the leading end and the trailing end. 
     
     
         9 . The transfer turret of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the transfer starwheel comprises a cylindrical inner surface; and   the curved upper surface of each of the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle is cooperatively shaped to the cylindrical inner surface.   
     
     
         10 . The transfer turret of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the frame comprises a transfer turret backer plate to which the infeed manifold and the outfeed manifold are each rigidly coupled;   the transfer starwheel is fixedly coupled to a transfer turret hub;   the transfer turret hub is fixedly coupled to a transfer turret driveshaft that is structured to be rotated about the rotation axis by a drive arrangement;   each of the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle comprise a lower surface extending between the leading end and the trailing end;   the transfer zone is structured to be under vacuum from a stationary manifold volume in communication with the transfer zone; and   the stationary manifold volume is defined:
 on a first end by the transfer turret backer plate; 
 on an opposite second end by the transfer turret hub; 
 on an inner portion by the transfer turret driveshaft; and 
 on an outer circumference by a cylindrical inner surface of the transfer starwheel and by the leading end, trailing end, and lower surface of each of the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle. 
   
     
     
         11 . A necker machine for use in forming can bodies, the necker machine comprising:
 a plurality of forming stations structured to carry out forming operations on the can bodies; and   a transfer assembly structured to move the can bodies between adjacent processing stations, the transfer assembly comprising a plurality of transfer turrets, each transfer turret comprising:
 a transfer starwheel rotatable about a rotation axis and configured to transfer a plurality of can bodies between a first process station and a second process station, the transfer starwheel including a plurality of peripheral pockets, each pocket including a vacuum port and adapted to receive a can body; 
 a stationary vacuum assembly comprising:
 a frame; 
 an infeed baffle fixedly coupled to the frame, the infeed baffle having a leading end and an opposite trailing end; 
 an outfeed baffle fixedly coupled to the frame, the outfeed baffle having a leading end and an opposite trailing end; and 
 a transfer zone that is structured to be under vacuum when the transfer turret is in use, the transfer zone extending a circumferential length from a trailing end of the infeed baffle to a leading end of the outfeed baffle; 
 
 wherein when the transfer turret is in use:
 the transfer zone is structured to convey the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with the transfer zone to thereby retain the can bodies within the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with the transfer zone, and 
 the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle are each structured to block the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with either of the infeed baffle or the outfeed baffle. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . A method of adjusting vacuum timing in a transfer turret comprising: a transfer starwheel rotatable about a rotation axis and configured to transfer a plurality of can bodies between a first process station and a second process station, the transfer starwheel including a plurality of peripheral pockets, each pocket including a vacuum port and adapted to receive a can body; a stationary vacuum assembly comprising: a frame; an infeed baffle fixedly coupled to the frame, the infeed baffle having a leading end and an opposite trailing end; an outfeed baffle fixedly coupled to the frame, the outfeed baffle having a leading end and an opposite trailing end; and a transfer zone that is structured to be under vacuum when the transfer turret is in use, the transfer zone extending a circumferential length from a trailing end of the infeed baffle to a leading end of the outfeed baffle; wherein when the transfer turret is in use: the transfer zone is structured to convey the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with the transfer zone to thereby retain the can bodies within the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with the transfer zone, and the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle are each structured to block the vacuum to the vacuum ports of the transfer starwheel pockets that are aligned with either of the infeed baffle or the outfeed baffle, the method comprising:
 uncoupling at least one of the infeed baffle and/or the outfeed baffle from the frame; and   replacing the at least one of the infeed baffle or the outfeed baffle with a different infeed baffle having a differently positioned trailing end; and/or   replacing the at least one of the infeed baffle or the outfeed baffle with a different outfeed baffle having a differently positioned leading end.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 uncoupling the at least one of the infeed baffle and/or the outfeed baffle from the frame comprises uncoupling both of the infeed baffle and the outfeed baffle from the frame; and   replacing the at least one of the infeed baffle and/or the outfeed baffle comprises replacing both the infeed baffle with the different infeed baffle having the differently positioned trailing end and replacing the outfeed baffle with the different outfeed baffle having the differently positioned leading end.