Infeed assembly quick change features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10934104-B2
Application number	US-201916407229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 11, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A quick-change starwheel guide assembly is structured to be coupled to a starwheel guide assembly mounting base. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly includes a starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly, a starwheel guide assembly support assembly, a number of starwheel guide assembly guiderails and a starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly. The starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly is coupled to the starwheel guide assembly support assembly. The starwheel guide assembly guiderails are coupled to the starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly. The starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly is coupled to at least one the starwheel guide assembly guiderail. At least one of the starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly or the can body height adjustment assembly is a quick-change assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A quick-change starwheel guide assembly structured to be coupled to a starwheel guide assembly mounting base, said quick-change starwheel guide assembly comprising:
a starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly;
a starwheel guide assembly support assembly;
a number of starwheel guide assembly guiderails;
a starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly;
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly coupled to said starwheel guide assembly support assembly;
said number of starwheel guide assembly guiderails coupled to said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly;
said starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly coupled to at least one said starwheel guide assembly guiderail; and
wherein at least one of said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly or said can body height adjustment assembly is a quick-change assembly;
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly includes a body;
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly body defines a single active coupling passage; and
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly body single active coupling passage structured to be coupled to a single starwheel guide assembly mourning base retained coupling.

2. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly is quick-change starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly; and
said starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly is a quick-change can body height adjustment assembly.

3. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly of claim 1 wherein said starwheel guide assembly mounting base defines a positioning contour and wherein:
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly body defines a positioning contour; and
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly body positioning contour corresponding to said starwheel guide assembly mounting base assembly positioning contour.

4. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly of claim 1 wherein said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly, said star heel guide assembly support assembly, said number of starwheel guide assembly guiderails, and said starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly define a unit assembly.

5. A quick-change starwheel guide assembly structured to be coupled to a starwheel guide assembly mounting base, said quick-change starwheel guide assembly comprising:
a starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly;
a starwheel guide assembly support assembly;
a number of starwheel guide assembly guiderails;
a starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly;
a starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly coupled to said starwheel guide assembly support assembly;
said number of starwheel guide assembly guiderails coupled to said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly;
said starwheel guide assembly can body height adjustment assembly coupled to at least one said starwheel guide assembly guiderail; and
wherein at least one of said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly or said can body height adjustment assembly is a quick-change assembly;
said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly includes a body;
said starwheel guide assembly support assembly includes an elongated first support member and an elongated second support member;
said starwheel guide assembly support assembly support first and second members extending from said starwheel guide assembly mounting assembly body;
wherein said starwheel guide assembly support assembly first and second support members are spaced from each other;
said number of starwheel guide assembly guiderails including an inner guiderail and an outer guiderail;
said outer guiderail including an elongated rail body and said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly; and
said outer guiderail movably coupled to said starwheel guide assembly support assembly support members.

6. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly of claim 5 wherein:
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly includes a primary body, a secondary body, and a single retained coupling;
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body defining a single coupling passage;
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly retained coupling adjustably fixed to said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body;
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly retained coupling extending through said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body coupling passage; and
wherein said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body is movably coupled to said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body.

7. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly of claim 6 wherein:
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body defines a first support member channel and a second support member channel;
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body first support member channel and said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body second support member channel correspond to said starwheel guide assembly support assembly support first and second members;
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body defining a first engagement surface and a second engagement surface;
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body first engagement surface and said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body second engagement surface are positioned to correspond to said starwheel guide assembly support assembly support first and second members;
said starwheel guide assembly support assembly first support member is disposed between said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body first support member channel and said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body first engagement surface;
said starwheel guide assembly support assembly second support member is disposed between said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body second support member channel and said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body second engagement surface; and
wherein said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body moves between a non-engaging first position, wherein said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body first engagement surface and said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body second engagement surface do not engage said starwheel guide assembly support assembly support first and second members, and an engaging second position, wherein said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body first engagement surface and said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly secondary body second engagement surface engage said starwheel guide assembly support assembly support first and second members.

8. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly of claim 7 wherein:
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body first support member channel defines a reduced contact surface; and
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body second support member channel defines a reduced Contact surface.

9. The quick-change starwheel guide assembly of claim 8 wherein:
said starwheel guide assembly support assembly support first and second members are generally cylindrical;
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body first support member channel is an inverted generally V-shaped channel; and
said quick-change can body height adjustment assembly primary body second support member channel is an inverted

Assignees

• Stolle Machinery Co Llc

Inventors

• Mercer Richard James Edward
• Scholey Ian Kenneth
• Holdmeyer Seth Daniel

Classifications

• B65G47/846 Primary

  Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title

• B21D51/2692 Primary

  Manipulating, e.g. feeding and positioning devices; Control systems · CPC title

• B65G47/918

  with at least two picking-up heads · CPC title

• B65G29/02

  for inclined or vertical transit · CPC title

• B65G47/848 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being suction or magnetic means · CPC title