Quick change transfer assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208271-B2
Application number	US-201916407235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 11, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly including at least one of a quick-change height adjustment assembly or a quick-change vacuum starwheel mounting assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly comprising:
a rotating shaft assembly including a housing assembly and a rotating shaft;
said rotating shaft assembly housing assembly disposed about said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft;
a vacuum assembly structured to generate a vacuum;
a vacuum starwheel body assembly including a radial surface defining a plurality of pockets;
said vacuum assembly in fluid communication with said vacuum starwheel body assembly pockets;
said vacuum starwheel body assembly disposed about and coupled to said rotating shaft assembly;
said vacuum starwheel body assembly including at least one of a quick-change height adjustment assembly or a quick-change vacuum starwheel mounting assembly;
said vacuum starwheel body assembly including both a quick-change vacuum starwheel height adiustment assembly and a quick-change vacuum starwheel mounting assembly;
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adiustment assembly including a very limited number of retained release couplings;
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly including a base assembly and a traveling hub assembly;
said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft includes a body with a distal end;
said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft body distal end including a traveling hub mounting;
the traveling hub assembly includes a base, an actuator, a traveler assembly, and a radial bearing;
said traveling hub assembly radial bearing coupled to said vacuum starwheel body assembly;
said traveler assembly including a traveler bracket, a generally cylindrical traveler assembly collar, and a traveler mounting;
said traveler bracket is operatively coupled to said traveling hub assembly actuator;
said traveler bracket is operatively coupled to said traveler assembly collar;
said traveler assembly collar disposed about said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft;
said vacuum starwheel body assembly coupled to said traveler assembly traveler mounting;
said vacuum assembly coupled to said vacuum starwheel body assembly; and
wherein actuation of said traveling hub assembly actuator moves said vacuum starwheel body assembly and said vacuum assembly between a first longitudinal position on said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft and a second longitudinal position on said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft.

2. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said traveler assembly collar is a split body and includes an exceedingly limited number of retained release couplings;
said split collar structured to move between a loose, first configuration, wherein said split collar is not fixed to said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft, and, a tight, second configuration, wherein said split collar is fixed to said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft;
wherein actuation of said traveler assembly collar retained release coupling moves said traveler assembly collar split body between said first and second configurations; and
wherein said traveler assembly collar retained release coupling is one of said very limited number of retained release couplings.

3. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said traveling hub assembly further includes a positioning key assembly;
wherein said positioning key assembly is disposed between said traveler assembly collar and said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft;
said positioning key assembly structured to move between a smaller, first configuration, wherein said positioning key assembly does not align said traveler assembly collar with said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft axis of rotation, and, a larger, second configuration, wherein said positioning key assembly aligns said traveler assembly collar with said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft axis of rotation; and
wherein said positioning key assembly is one of said very limited number of retained release couplings.

4. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly includes a fixed base member, a movable base member, and a number of elongated support members;
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly fixed base member fixed to said rotating shaft assembly housing assembly;
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly elongated support members movably coupled to said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly fixed base member;
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly elongated support members extending generally horizontally; and
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly movable base member fixed to said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly elongated support members and structured to move longitudinally therewith.

5. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 4 wherein:
said vacuum assembly includes a telescoping vacuum conduit, a vacuum housing assembly and a vacuum seal assembly;
said vacuum assembly telescoping vacuum conduit includes a number of telescoping bodies disposed in a telescoping configuration;
said vacuum housing assembly coupled to, and in fluid communication with, said vacuum assembly telescoping vacuum conduit; and
said vacuum housing assembly coupled to said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly base assembly movable base member and said traveling hub assembly radial bearing.

6. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly includes two retained release couplings; and
wherein said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly is structured to be actuated after only said quick-change vacuum starwheel height adjustment assembly retained release couplings are configured in a first configuration.

7. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 1 wherein said quick-change height adjustment assembly includes an exceedingly limited number of traveling hub assembly actuators structured to move the quick-change height adjustment assembly on the rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft.

8. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 1 wherein said vacuum assembly includes a lateral scratch resistant seal.

9. The quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said quick-change vacuum starwheel mounting assembly includes a number of separable vacuum starwheel components and a limited number of retained couplings;
wherein each separable vacuum starwheel component is coupled to said rotating shaft assembly housing assembly by one of a very limited number of retained couplings or an exceedingly limited number of retained couplings.

10. A necker machine comprising:
a number of stations;
at least one station including a quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly;
said quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly includes a rotating shaft assembly, a vacuum assembly and a vacuum starwheel body assembly;
said rotating shaft assembly including a housing and a rotating shaft;
said rotating shaft assembly housing disposed about said rotating shaft assembly rotating shaft;
said vacuum assembly structured to generate a vacuum;
said vacuum starwheel body assembly including a radial surface defining a plurality of pockets;
said vacuum assembly in fluid communication with said vacuum starwheel body assembly pockets;
said vacuum starwheel body assembly disposed about and coupled to said rotating shaft assembly;
said vacuum starwheel body assembly including at least one of a quick-cha

Assignees

• Stolle Machinery Co Llc

Inventors

• Mercer Richard James Edward
• Scholey Ian Kenneth
• Maxwell Michael Bryan
• Jansen Daniel A

Classifications

• B65G47/84 Primary

  Star-shaped wheels or devices having endless travelling belts or chains, the wheels or devices being equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title

• B21D51/2638 Primary

  Necking · CPC title

• B65G2201/0252

  Cans · CPC title

• B65G2207/08

  Adjustable and/or adaptable to the article size · CPC title

• B21D51/2692

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