Combination cup and can bodymaker

Abstract

A bodymaker includes a cup forming assembly for producing a plurality of cups from a material strip and a transfer arrangement for transferring the cups from the cup forming assembly. A body forming assembly receives the cups from the transfer arrangement and forms each cup into an elongated can body. An operating arrangement operably coupled to both of the cup forming assembly and the body forming assembly provides a reciprocating first stroke in a first direction along a drive axis and a second stroke in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the drive axis. The first stroke of the operating arrangement causes the cup forming assembly to produce a cup of the plurality of cups and the second stroke of the operating arrangement causes the body forming assembly to form a cup received from the cup forming assembly via the transfer arrangement into an elongated can body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bodymaker comprising:
 a cup forming assembly structured to form a plurality of cups from a material strip;   a transfer arrangement structured to transfer the plurality of cups from the cup forming assembly;   a body forming assembly structured to receive the plurality of cups from the transfer arrangement and to form each cup into an elongated can body; and   an operating arrangement operably coupled to both of the cup forming assembly and the body forming assembly, the operating arrangement providing a reciprocating first stroke in a first direction along a drive axis and a second stroke in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the drive axis,   wherein the first stroke of the operating arrangement causes the cup forming assembly to form a cup of the plurality of cups, and   wherein the second stroke of the operating arrangement causes the body forming assembly to form a cup received from the cup forming assembly via the transfer arrangement into an elongated can body.   
     
     
         2 . The bodymaker of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame, wherein the cup forming assembly comprises:
 a ram assembly including:
 a number of carriage guides fixedly coupled to the frame; 
 a carriage operatively coupled to the operating arrangement and slidably engaged with the number of carriage guides so as to be slidable along the drive axis; 
 an elongated ram body extending along the drive axis in the first direction from a first end coupled to the carriage to an opposite second end; and 
 a cup punch positioned on the second end of the ram body; and 
   a cup die fixedly coupled to the frame, the cup die defining a cup forming passage positioned about the drive axis,   wherein the cup punch and the cup die are structured to interact in a manner such that each cup of the plurality of cups is formed from a respective portion of the material strip when: the cup punch engages the respective portion of the material strip, presses the respective portion through the cup forming passage of the cup die, and separates the respective portion from a remainder of the material strip while moving in the first direction along the drive axis.   
     
     
         3 . The bodymaker of  claim 2 , wherein the cup forming assembly further comprises a scrap conveyor structured to convey scrap material from the bodymaker resulting from the forming of the plurality of cups. 
     
     
         4 . The bodymaker of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame, wherein the body forming assembly comprises:
 a toolpack fixedly coupled to the frame, the toolpack comprising a number of ironing dies which define a forming passage positioned about the drive axis, the forming passage extending from a first end positioned proximal the operating arrangement to an opposite second end positioned distal the operating arrangement;   a ram assembly including:
 a number of carriage guides fixedly coupled to the frame; 
 a carriage operatively coupled to the operating arrangement and slidably engaged with the number of carriage guides so as to be slidable along the drive axis; 
 an elongated ram body extending along the drive axis in the second direction from a first end coupled to the carriage to an opposite second end; and 
 a body punch positioned on the second end of the ram body, the body punch being structured to be reciprocated through the toolpack by the operating arrangement; and 
   a cup feeder structured to receive each cup of the plurality of cups from the transfer arrangement and to place each cup at the first end of the forming passage,   wherein the elongated can body is formed from each cup as the body punch moves each cup through the forming passage in the second direction along the drive axis.   
     
     
         5 . The bodymaker of  claim 4 , wherein the body forming assembly further comprises a domer tool fixedly coupled to the frame so as to be engaged by an end of the elongated can body on the body punch after passing through the toolpack in the second direction, wherein the domer tool is structured to form a dome in the end of the elongated can body. 
     
     
         6 . The bodymaker of  claim 4 , wherein the body forming assembly further comprises a discharge can elevator structured to receive the elongated can body from the body punch and convey the elongated can body away from the toolpack. 
     
     
         7 . The bodymaker of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame, wherein the operating arrangement comprises:
 a swing arm pivotably coupled to the frame; and   a drive mechanism operatively coupled to, and structured to drive, the swing arm via a first connecting rod,   wherein the swing arm is operatively coupled to the cup forming assembly via a second connecting rod, and   wherein the swing arm is operatively coupled to the body forming assembly via a third connecting rod.   
     
     
         8 . The bodymaker of  claim 7 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a rotating crank operatively coupled to a drive motor, and wherein the rotating crank is coupled to the swing arm via the first connecting rod. 
     
     
         9 . The bodymaker of  claim 1 , wherein the transfer arrangement comprises a cup conveyor structured to transfer the plurality of cups from the cup forming assembly to the body forming assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The bodymaker of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame, wherein:
 the cup forming assembly comprises:
 a first ram assembly including:
 a number of carriage guides fixedly coupled to the frame; 
 a first carriage operatively coupled to the operating arrangement and slidably engaged with the number of carriage guides so as to be slidable along the drive axis; 
 an elongated first ram body extending along the drive axis in the first direction from a first end coupled to the first carriage to an opposite second end; and 
 a cup punch positioned on the second end of the first ram body; 
 
 a cup die fixedly coupled to the frame, wherein the cup punch and the cup die are structured to interact in a manner such that a cup of the plurality of cups is formed from a portion of the material strip when the cup punch engages the portion of the material strip, presses the portion into the cup die, and separates the portion from a remainder of the material strip while moving in the first direction along the drive axis; and 
   the body forming assembly comprises:
 a toolpack fixedly coupled to the frame, the toolpack comprising a number of ironing dies which define a forming passage positioned about the drive axis, the forming passage extending from a first end positioned proximal the operating arrangement to an opposite second end positioned distal the operating arrangement; 
 a second ram assembly including:
 a second carriage operatively coupled to the operating arrangement and slidably engaged with the number of carriage guides so as to be slidable along the drive axis; 
 an elongated second ram body extending along the drive axis in the second direction from a first end coupled to the second carriage to an opposite second end; and 
 a body punch positioned on the second end of the second ram body, the body punch being structured to be reciprocated through the toolpack by the operating arrangement; and 
 
 a cup feeder structured to receive each cup of the plurality of cups from the transfer arrangement and to place each cup at a first end of the toolpack, wherein the elongated can body is formed from each cup as the body punch moves each cup through the forming passage in the second direction along the drive axis. 
   
     
     
         11 . An operating arrangement for a bodymaker, the operating arrangement comprising:
 a swing arm structured to be pivotably coupled to a frame of the bodymaker so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis in a reciprocating manner by a drive mechanism operatively coupled thereto;   a first connecting rod coupled to the swing arm and structured to be operatively coupled to a ram body of a cup forming assembly; and   a second connecting rod coupled to the swing arm and structured to be operatively coupled to a ram body of a body forming assembly,   wherein when the swing arm is driven in the reciprocating manner the ram body of the cup forming assembly and the ram body of the body forming assembly are each driven in a reciprocating manner along a common drive axis.   
     
     
         12 . The operating arrangement of  claim 11 , further comprising the drive mechanism operatively coupled to the swing arm, wherein the drive mechanism is structured to pivot the swing arm about the pivot axis in the reciprocating manner. 
     
     
         13 . The operating arrangement of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a number of carriage guides, each structured to be rigidly coupled to the frame of the bodymaker;   a first carriage slidably engaged with the number of carriage guides; and   a second carriage slidably engaged with the number of carriage guides,   wherein the first carriage is coupled to the first connecting rod and structured to be coupled to the ram body of the cup forming assembly, and   wherein the second carriage is coupled to the second connecting rod and structured to be coupled to the ram body of the body forming assembly.   
     
     
         14 . A method of forming an elongated can body from a material strip in a bodymaker comprises:
 receiving the material strip at a cup forming assembly of the can bodymaker;   forming a cup from a portion of the material strip with the cup forming assembly;   transferring the cup from the cup forming assembly to a body forming assembly with a transfer arrangement; and   forming the elongated can body with the body forming assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 forming the cup from the portion of the material strip with the cup forming assembly comprises actuating a ram assembly of the cup forming assembly in a first direction along a drive axis; and   forming the elongated can body from the cup with the body forming assembly comprises actuating a ram assembly of the body forming assembly in a second direction along the drive axis.