Trimming apparatus for tubular bodies

Abstract

An apparatus for trimming uneven edges from drawn and ironed metal bodies, such as cans, and breaking, knurling and discarding the scrap ring. The apparatus has oppositely rotating parallel shafts, one having an axially rigid supporting member, cutter and knurling roller at a free end on which a can is supported and the other having an axially rigid rotating wheel with a blade and knurling member peripherally mounted on adjacent sectors thereof. The blade cooperates with the edge of the cutter which is remote from the free end to trim the edge and the knurling member cooperates with the knurling roller. The members mounted on the first shaft and the teeth of the knurling member are configured to provide superior, relatively trouble-free operation.

We claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for trimming uneven edges from drawn and ironed tubular metal bodies, comprising: two substantially parallel shafts including a body-turning shaft and a tool shaft, said body-turning shaft having a free end;   a body-supporting member concentrically attached to said body-turning shaft at said free end;   an annular cutter member mounted concentrically on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of said body-supporting member, said cutter member having a circumferential surface with an edge closest to said free end of radial dimension less than said supporting member, said surface tapering outwardly from said edge to a cutter edge axially remote from said free end;   a knurling roller mounted on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of and adjacent to said cutter member, said knurling roller having circumferentially spaced teeth each extending radially to a position radially inward of said cutter edge, said supporting member, cutter member and knurling roller having a constant, rigid overall axial dimension;   means to fully load a tubular body on said supporting member with said uneven edge extending over said knurling roller and to hold said body in fixed axial position during operations thereon;   a rotating wheel mounted on said tool shaft;   a blade circumferentially mounted on a first sector of said wheel and having a peripheral edge aligned to cooperate with said cutter edge to trim from a tubular body and endless ring of metal having said uneven edge; and   a knurling member circumferentially mounted on a second sector of said wheel, adjacent said first sector, and having a peripheral portion with radially extending teeth aligned to mesh with said knurling roller to break and knurl said endless ring, said teeth of said knurling member and roller being configured such that .[.the intersections of.]. all planes .Iadd.extending through said knurling roller and knurling member, perpendicular to the axes of said knurling roller and knurling member and .Iaddend.normal to said shafts .[.with each individual tooth.]. are substantially congruent, and teeth on said knurling member closest said blade extend radially further than the remaining teeth thereon to mesh more deeply with said roller whereby to entrap and break said ring across its entire width.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said extended teeth are tapered to a smaller width toward their ends. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein there are two extended teeth. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are two extended teeth. .Iadd. 5. Apparatus for trimming uneven edges from drawn and ironed tubular metal bodies, comprising: two substantially parallel shafts including a body-turning shaft and a tool shaft, said body-turning shaft having a free end; a body-supporting member concentrically attached to said body-turning shaft at said free end; an annular cutter member mounted concentrically on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of said body-supporting member, said cutter member having a cicumferential surface with an edge closest to said free end of radial dimension less than said supporting member, said surface tapering outwardly from said edge to a cutter edge axially remote from said free end; a knurling roller mounted on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of and adjacent to said cutter member, said knurling roller having circumferentially spaced teeth each extending radially to a position radially inward of said cutter edge, said supporting member, cutter member and knurling roller having a constant, rigid overall axial dimension; means to fully load a tubular body on said supporting member with said uneven edge extending over said knurling roller and to hold said body in fixed axial position during operations thereon; a rotating wheel mounted on said tool shaft; a blade circumferentially mounted on a first sector of said wheel and having a peripheral edge aligned to cooperate with said cutter edge to trim from a tubular body an endless ring of metal having said uneven edge; a knurling member circumferentially mounted on a second sector of said wheel, said second sector having one end directly adjacent said first sector and having a peripheral portion with radially extending teeth aligned to mesh with said knurling roller to break and knurl said endless ring; and at least one of said teeth of said knurling member extending radially further than the remaining teeth of said knurling member to mesh more deeply with said roller to break said ring across its entire width. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, in which said at least one of said teeth has a terminal edge extending parallel to the axis of its supporting shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7. Apparatus for trimming uneven edges from drawn and ironed tubular metal bodies, comprising: two substantially parallel shafts including a body-turning shaft and a tool shaft, said body-turning shaft having a free end; a body-supporting member concentrically attached to said body-turning shaft at said free end; an annular cutter member mounted concentrically on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of said body-supporting member, said cutter member having a circumferential surface with an edge closest to said free end of radial dimension less than said supporting member, said surface tapering outwardly from said edge to a cutter edge axially remote from said free end; a knurling roller mounted on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of and adjacent to said cutter member, said knurling roller having circumferentially spaced teeth each extending radially to a position radially inward of said cutter edge, said supporting member, cutter member and knurling roller having a constant, rigid overall axial dimension; means to fully load a tubular body on said supporting member with said uneven edge extending over said knurling roller and to hold said body in fixed axial position during operations thereon; a rotating wheel mounted on said tool shaft; a blade circumferentially mounted on a first sector of said wheel and having a peripheral edge aligned to cooperate with said cutter edge to trim from a tubular body an endless ring of metal having said uneven edge; and a knurling member circumferentially mounted on a second sector of said wheel, said knurling member having one end abutting an adjacent end of said blade and having a peripheral portion with radially extending teeth aligned to mesh with said knurling roller to break and knurl said endless ring, and teeth on said knurling member closest said blade extend radially further than the remaining teeth thereon to mesh more deeply with said roller whereby to entrap and break said ring across its entire width. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, in which said knurling roller has an adjacent edge radially aligned with said cutter edge so that said ring is placed on said knurling roll in position for knurling during the cutting operation. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 9. Apparatus for trimming uneven edges from drawn and ironed tubular metal bodies, comprising two substantially parallel shafts including a body-turning shaft and a tool shaft, said body-turning shaft having a free end; a body-supporting member concentrically attached to said body-turning shaft at said free end; an annular cutter member mounted concentrically on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of said body-supporting member, said cutter member having a circumferential surface with a cutter edge axially remote from said free end; and knurling roller mounted on said body-turning shaft axially inwardly of said cutter member with an edge radially aligned with said cutter edge, said knurling roller having radially extending teeth terminating inwardly of said cutter edge; a rotating wheel mounted on said tool shaft; a blade circumferentially mounted on a first sector of said wheel and having a peripheral edge aligned to cooperate with said cutter edge to trim from a tubular body an endless ring of metal having said uneven edge; and a knurling member circumferentially mounted on a second sector of said wheel, said knurling member having one end abutting an adjacent end of said blade and having a peripheral portion with radially extending teeth aligned to mesh with said teeth on said knurling roller to break and knurl said endless ring.