Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation

Floyd Arnold Jones

Anton A Aschberger

Joseph M Heiberger

Gin-Fung Cheng

A system for performing sequential operations on a can body, such as necking the open end of the can body, in which two or more machines, such as die necking machines are, are coupled by a transfer module. The transfer module comprises a multi-pocket wheel that receives can bodies from a multi-pocket discharge wheel of the first necking machine and discharges them to a multi-pocket input wheel of the second die necking machine. The drive motor of one of the necking machines is eliminated, while the drive motor on the other machine is enlarged. A gear on the transfer module couples the gear trains on the first and second necking machines into a common gear train. Thus, the transfer module gear train transfers power from the necking machine having the enlarged drive motor to the necking machine for which the drive motor was eliminated. This enables a single drive motor to entire drive train for both machines.

Method and apparatus for closely coupling machines used for can making

A can bottom having an approximately frustoconical portion extending downwardly and inwardly from the can side wall, an annular nose portion extending downwardly from the approximately frustoconical portion, and a central portion extending upwardly and inwardly from the nose. The nose is formed by inner and outer circumferentially extending frustoconical walls that are joined by a downwardly convex arcuate portion. The inner surface of the arcuate portion of the nose has a radius of curvature adjacent the nose inner wall of at least 0.060 inch. The central portion of the can bottom has a substantially flat disc-shaped central section, having a diameter of at least about 1.40 inches, and an approximately dome-shaped and downwardly concave having a radius of curvature no greater than 1.475 inches. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner surface of the arcuate portion of the nose is formed by a sector of a circle and has radius of curvature is no greater than about 0.070 inch. An apparatus for making the can bottom comprises a nose punch whose distal end has a radius of curvature that is equal to the radius of curvature of the can bottom nose and a die whose radius of curvature equals that of the dome.

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Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Floyd Arnold Jones