Field of technology

Filling technology Technical problem

Technical problem to be solved by present invention is mechanical control of sealing head and seaming wheels of sealing machine whereby an open container rotates during circling around of sealing column axis. The consequences of such system are spilling of filling matter before sealing, increased heating and wear and tear of mechanical parts. In addition, the positions and movement of seaming wheels of the first and the second operation are set manually which causes the parameters to be inferior to programmed setting of parameters. Further, the seaming wheels are set with use of mechanical parts, so called guiding curves (cams). The setting of movement using guiding curves is possible but must be performed with help of specialist. Further, due to continuous rotation, wear and tear occurs.

An important technical problem arises from the fact that a lifting platform known in state of the art, rotates throughout the operation and is moving in vertical direction at the same time. In order to synchronize the angular velocity mechanical damage of a can lid may occur, this damage seen in form of circular marks especially well seen in black or dark can lids.

State of the art

State of the art features circular sealing machines for sealing of the cans. The control of sealing head and seaming wheels is mechanical, while at the same time the open yet filled can rotates all the time during circulation around the sealing column. The consequences of such system are spilling of filling matter before sealing, increased heating and wear and tear of mechanical parts. In addition, the positions and movement of seaming wheels of the first and the second operation are set manually which causes the parameters to be inferior to programmed setting of parameters.

Description of new invention

Method and device for closing of container, preferably can solves above referenced technical problem with rotary sealing machine where movement of sealing head and seaming wheels is controlled with two drives.

In particular embodiment, sealing of cans as one of the container types is carried on. In this case the inlet star of sealing machine for transporting of containers transports a can along a circular path, this container without a lid, onto a surface of freely rotatable lifting platform. In this part of the path a lid (cover) is being positioned right above said can by means of a device feeding and positioning lids. In such a way said can is arranged immediately below said lid. Within said lifting platform there is a

compensation means such as spring inserted for compensating of height and providing for pushing force between said can and said lid. Freely rotatable lifting platform is lifted along the lifting platform guiding curve (cam) via lifting platform guiding wheel until such time that said can with said lid is pressed against sealing head, and sealing of said can is performed. Said lifting platform is then lowered along said lifting platform guiding curve via said lifting platform guiding wheel and finished cam is delivered to exit star of filling machine.

During operation of device according to this invention the container, preferably can, is first arranged without a lid and later with lid, first unattached, and then attached, on said lifting platform. This lifting platform is capable of movement in essentially vertical direction, and provides free rotation around its own axis. This free rotation is important for new solution as this free rotation provides for angular velocity of said container, preferably can essentially matching angular velocity of sealing head, which is, said angular velocity of sealing head dependent only on angular velocity a drive said sealing head is engaged with. The sealing head which connects with lid of said container, preferably can also drives said container, preferably can via friction between said lid and said container, preferably can during the first and the second seaming operation.

The device for closing of container, preferably can, operates in such a way that a lid is positioned onto said container, preferably can without, and said lid is then mechanically attached (sealed) to said container, preferably can. This happens during rotation of container, preferably can around own axis while container, preferably can and its lid travel around sealing column. The connection between lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can is performed at a point or at a line so rotation of container, preferably can around own axis must be achieved. During this rotation around own axis the seaming of lid of container, preferably can and/or container, preferably can must be achieved by joining of edges of lid and container, and pressing of said edges one onto another in such a way that a seal is formed between said lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can. Said seaming is performed with seaming means, preferably with seaming wheels that are also freely rotatable, similar to said lifting platform.

As said, state of the art features all or most above referenced parts to be mechanical driven. In state of the art said container, preferably can, without a lid, is positioned onto lifting platform, said lifting platform driven around own axis while said container, preferably can is already filled, or is being filled, without a lid attached. As movement of lifting platform is driven, said container, preferably can rotates around own axis at all times which causes rotation of fluid around same axis ("relative movement of fluid") having a consequence of rising of said fluid surface at the walls of said container, preferably can and sloshing or spilling of fluid over edge of said container, preferably can.

In addition, due to driven lifting platform there can be circular marks occurring in state of the art, after said lid of container, preferably can had been attached to said container, preferably can due to friction of lid of said container, preferably can and sealing head as the angular velocities may be slightly off-set. This technical problem is also solved by positioning of container, preferably can onto freely rotatable lifting platform. Solution according to this invention is therefore such method and such device which carries out a method of preventing unwanted consequences of mechanical driving of sealing head, and mechanical driving of both seaming means, preferably seaming wheels.

In accordance with this invention it is provided that the sealing head starts to rotate when said lid of container, preferably can is already positioned onto said container, preferably can, so both, said lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can are pressed one to another between said lifting platform and said sealing head. As a consequence, spilling of filling medium due to rotation of said container, preferably can is therefore prevented.

The sealing head according to this invention is driven with a help of a drive, and it is driven independently from movement of said container, preferably can around seaming column.

The control of movement of seaming means, preferably seaming wheels, which are freely rotatable, is performed by means of control mechanism which is in preferred embodiment an arm with ex-centric attachment which in this case provides for stability, precision, and with this, a quality of sealing of said container, preferably can.

Lower total time of rotation of sealing head causes lower heating and lower mechanical wear and tear of machine parts.

In embodiment the parameters of sealing can be set by means of computer program, with control mechanism, which provides for more accurate settings as in case of mechanical setting.

The angular velocity of sealing head according to this invention is not dependent on angular velocity of sealing column and is changeable which is different from state of the art. Onto same sealing column different sealing heads can be attached for different sealing means, not only can lids but also crown corks or PET corks.

Method for closing of container, preferably can is composed of the following steps:

- arranging of container, preferably can, without a lid, onto a lifting platform, said lifting platform freely rotatable around own axis;

- arranging of lid of container, preferably can onto said container, preferably can, without a lid;

- lifting of said lifting platform onto which said container, preferably can covered with lid of container, preferably can is positioned until such time that lid of said container, preferably can, covering said container, preferably can touches said sealing head initiating a force caused by said lifting or by action of

compensation means, preferably compensation springs comprised inside said lifting platform or caused by both factors between said sealing head and said lid of container, preferably can, and further between said lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can;

- initiating rotation of said sealing head touching said lid of container, preferably can said rotation causing rotation of said container, preferably can due to force between said sealing head, and said lid of container, preferably can and between said lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can;

- moving of first freely rotatable seaming wheel toward center axis of said

container, preferably can to perform the first seaming operation;

start of rotation of said first freely rotatable seaming wheel around own axis by touching said lid of said container, preferably can, and continuing of moving of said first seaming wheel in same direction until such time that the first seaming operation is completed, and rotation of said first seaming wheel around its axis is concluded;

start of rotation of said second freely rotatable seaming wheel around own axis, preferably in direction different to direction of said first freely rotatable seaming wheel, by moving toward and touching said lid of container, preferably can, and continuing of moving of said second seaming wheel in same direction until such time that the second seaming operation is completed, and rotation of said second seaming wheel around its axis is concluded;

turning off of rotation of said sealing head.

It should be stressed that seaming operation which is essentially attaching of said lid of container, preferably can onto said container, preferably can is completed in two steps, so called first and second seaming operation, by means of seaming wheels, wherein during the first step by pressing of the first seaming wheel onto the edges of lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can, said edges continue to bend one over another, and further during the second step by pressing of the second seaming wheel onto the edges of lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can, said edges bent one over another is finalized and is therefore lid of container, preferably can finally attached to said container, preferably can.

The method according to this invention can be further improved in that both seaming wheels are attached to the same arm controlling their movement. Both seaming wheels can be attached to ex-centric arm which first moves said first seaming wheel toward said container, preferably can and then moves said second seaming wheel toward said container, preferably can while at the same time moving said first seaming wheel away from said container, preferably can.

In accordance with embodiment the sealing of said container, preferably can is comprised of the following steps:

- lower part of column of sealing machine (2) with said container, preferably can (15) positioned on lifting platform (5) is lifted wherein said container, preferably can (15) presses against lid of container, preferably can arranged against sealing head (13);

- drive of sealing head (6) starts to rotate said sealing head (13) with said lid of container, preferably can, said lid pressing against said container, preferably can; at the same time drive for moving of seaming wheels (7) pivots seaming wheels carriage (10) for predetermined angle in first direction relative to sealing head (13) which causes the movement of seaming wheel of the first operation (1 1) toward edge of container, preferably can (15) for the first seaming operation to be performed;

- drive for moving of seaming wheels (7) pivots said seaming wheels carriage (10) for double angle with respect to the first operation in the opposite direction to first direction relative to sealing head (13) which causes the movement of seaming wheel of the first operation (11) away from said container, preferably can and at the same time the movement of seaming wheel of the second operation (12) toward edge of container, preferably can (15) for the second seaming operation to be performed;

said drive for movement of seaming wheels (7) pivots said seaming wheels carriage (10) into initial position while drive of sealing head (6) stops rotation of said sealing head (13).

Below, the subject of this invention is further described with help of accompanying figures, these figures forming part of these specifications, and showing:

Figure 1 shows sealing column with sealing machine (1), column of sealing machine (2), transmission of drive of sealing head (3), transmission of drive for moving of seaming wheels (4), lifting platform (5), lifting platform guide wheel guiding curve (cam) (16).

Figure 2 shows drive of sealing head (6), drive for moving of seaming wheels (7), bearings part of shaft (8), shaft (9), seaming wheel carriage (10), seaming wheel of first operation (11), seaming wheel of second operation (12), sealing head (13), axis of seaming wheel carriage (14), container, preferably can (15).

Figure 3 shows view on arm with ex-centric connection from the side presenting drive for movement of seaming wheels (7), bearings part of shaft (8), shaft (9), seaming wheel carriage (10), axis of seaming wheel carriage (13).

Figure 4 shows view on arm with ex-centric connection from above presenting shaft (9), seaming wheel carriage (10). The sealing head is arranged on the upper part of the column of the sealing machine (2). Vertical movement of container, preferably can (15) toward and away from said sealing head may be performed by lifting platform guide wheel guiding curve (cam) (16) on lower part of column of the sealing machine (2).

The sealing head for sealing of cans comprises sealing head (13), seaming wheel of the first operation (11), seaming wheel of the second operation (12), drive of sealing head (6), drive for moving of seaming wheels (7), bearings part of shaft (9), seaming wheels carriage (10).

Device for sealing of container, preferably can, comprises said lifting platform (5), said lifting platform (5) being freely rotatable around its axis, said lifting platform (5) for lifting of container, preferably can, covered with lid of container, preferably can toward sealing head (13), further comprises sealing head (13) onto which said lid of container, preferably can is arranged, further comprises drive of sealing head (6) for driving of sealing head (13) which by means of lid of container, preferably can drives said container, preferably can, without a lid further comprises drive for movement of seaming wheels (7) drives seaming wheels (7) during seaming operation of first and second operation, further comprises lifting platform guide wheel guiding curve (cam) (16).

The method according to this invention comprises the steps according to which container, preferably can (15) without a lid of container, preferably can is arranged onto said lifting platform (5), and is further a lid of container, preferably can arranged onto said container, preferably can (15) without lid, wherein said lifting platform (5) is moving around column of said sealing machine (2) traveling along lifting platform guide wheel guiding curve (cam) (16) causing said lifting platform (5) to be lifted, and further, said lifting platform (5) is freely rotatable around its axis; due to lifting of said lifting platform (5) lid of container, preferably can and container, preferably can (15) yet without a lid is arranged against said sealing head, and there is a force formed between said lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can; said sealing head (13) starts to rotate being driven by drive of sealing head (6) until such time that the sealing operation is completed.

The device according to this invention comprises lifting platform (5) onto which container, preferably can (15) without lid is arranged, wherein said lifting platform (5) rotates around column of sealing machine (2) and at the same time travels along the lifting platform guiding wheel guide curve (cam) (16) resulting in lifting of said lifting platform (5), wherein said lifting platform (5) is freely rotatable around its axis; further comprises sealing head (13); due to lifting of said lifting platform (5) lid of container, preferably can and container, preferably can (15) without a lid are arranged against said sealing head, and there is a force formed between said lid of container, preferably can and said container, preferably can; said sealing head (13) starts to rotate being driven by drive of sealing head (6) until such time that the sealing operation is completed.

The method according to this invention further comprises step of seaming of container, preferably can (15) performed by means of seaming wheels, namely seaming wheel of the first operation (11) for performing said first seaming operation, and seaming wheel of the second operation (12) for performing said second seaming operation, wherein seaming stands for joining of lid of container, preferably can with container, preferably can (15) and comprises two operations: the first operation which means initial bending of edge of a lid of container, preferably can over edge of container, preferably can, and the second which means final joint bending of said edge of said lid of container, preferably can and said edge of said container, preferably can (15).

The device according to this invention further comprises freely rotatable seaming wheels for performing of step of seaming, namely seaming wheel of the first operation (11) for performing said first seaming operation, and seaming wheel of the second operation (12) for performing said second seaming operation, wherein seaming stands for joining of lid of container, preferably can with container, preferably can (15) and is comprised of two operations: the first operation which means initial bending of edge of a lid of container, preferably can over edge of container, preferably can, and the second which means final joint bending of said edge of said lid of container, preferably can and said edge of said container, preferably can (15).