Apparatus for and method of trimming containers

Claim 1

An apparatus for cutting circumferentially around a cylindrical member having opposed ends in a continuous nonindexing manner, said apparatus comprising, a supporting structure, a substantially circular head assembly carried by said supporting structure and havinG a central longitudinal axis, a device carried by said head assembly adjacent the outer periphery thereof for holding and rotating said cylindrical member by grasping one of said opposed ends and holding said member in a cantilevered manner, means rotating said head assembly and said device relative to said head assembly to provide simultaneous orbiting and rotating movement of said device and hence said member through an arcuate path upon holding said member using said device, and a sickle blade fixed to said supporting structure and having an arcuate cutting edge which is concave toward said longitudinal axis and is arranged to extend over a portion of said arcuate path, said blade being adapted to cut circumferentially around the other of said opposed ends of said member upon engagement of said member thereagainst during said orbiting and rotating movement.

Claim 2

An apparatus for cutting circumferentially around a cylindrical member having opposed ends in a continuous nonindexing manner, said apparatus comprising, a supporting structure, a substantially circular head assembly carried by said supporting structure and havinG a central longitudinal axis, a device carried by said head assembly adjacent the outer periphery thereof for holding and rotating said cylindrical member by grasping one of said opposed ends and holding said member in a cantilevered manner, means rotating said head assembly and said device relative to said head assembly to provide simultaneous orbiting and rotating movement of said device and hence said member through an arcuate path upon holding said member using said device, and a sickle blade fixed to said supporting structure and having an arcuate cutting edge which is concave toward said longitudinal axis and is arranged to extend over a portion of said arcuate path, said blade being adapted to cut circumferentially around the other of said opposed ends of said member upon engagement of said member thereagainst during said orbiting and rotating movement.

Claim 11

An apparatus for trimming cylindrical containers comprising, a supporting structure, a central shaft rotatably supported on said supporting structure, a substantially circular head assembly fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said head assembly having a star wheel comprising a plurality of cradles arranged in equally spaced apart relation about the periphery thereof for supporting associated containers for orbiting movement, a plurality of holding devices carried by said head assembly adjacent the outer periphery thereof and corresponding in number to said plurality of cradles, means rotating said head assembly and said devices relative to said head assembly to provide simultaneous orbiting and rotating movements of said devices with said orbiting movement being in a circular path, each of said holding devices being axially aligned with an associated cradle and being adapted to hold an associated container at a predetermined axial position for orbiting movement therewith as well as rotate the associated container therewith within its cradle, and a fixed sickle blade having an arcuate cutting edge which is concave toward said central shaft and is arranged to extend over a portion of said circular path, said blade being adapted to cut circumferentially around each container upon engagement of each container thereagainst during orbiting and rotating movement thereof.

Claim 12

An apparatus for trimming cylindrical containers comprising, a supporting structure, a central shaft rotatably supported on said supporting structure, a substantially circular head assembly fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said head assembly having a star wheel comprising a plurality of cradles arranged in equally spaced apart relation about the periphery thereof for supporting associated containers for orbiting movement, a plurality of holding devices carried by said head assembly adjacent the outer periphery thereof and corresponding in number to said plurality of cradles, means rotating said head assembly and said devices relative to said head assembly to provide simultaneous orbiting and rotating movements of said devices with said orbiting movement being in a circular path, each of said holding devices being axially aligned with an associated cradle and being adapted to hold an associated container at a predetermined axial position for orbiting movement therewith as well as rotate the associated container therewith within its cradle, and a fixed sickle blade having an arcuate cutting edge which is concave toward said central shaft and is arranged to extend over a portion of said circular path, said blade being adapted to cut circumferentially around each container upon engagement of each container thereagainst during orbiting and rotating movement thereof.

Claim 22

An apparatus for trimming cylindrical containers comprising, a supporting structure, a central shaft rotatably supported on said supporting structure, a head assembly fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said head assembly having a star wheel comprising a plurality of cradles arranged in equally spaced apart relation about the periphery thereof and each supporting an associated container for orbiting movement and having a plurality of holding devices corresponding in number to said plurality of cradles, each of said devices being axially aligned with an associated cradle for orbiting movement therewith and serving the dual purpose of holding an associated container at a predetermined axial position as well as rotating said associated container therewith within its cradle during orbiting movement thereof in a substantially circular path, a fixed sickle blade having an arcuate cutting edge arranged to extend over a portion of said circular path and being positioned to cut circumferentially around each container upon engagement of each container thereagainst during said orbiting and rotating movement, a plurality of telescoping assemblies corresponding in number to said plurality of holding devices and each telescoping assembly carrying a pair of cam rollers, each telescoping assembly being supported by said shaft at a fixed radial position and in axially aligned relation with an associated holding device and cradle, each telescoping assembly having a radially extendible male knife carried adjacent its terminal end with each male knife being adapted to be moved radially outwardly toward said arcuate cutting edge during engagement of said associated container against said arcuate cutting edge, each male knife cooperating with said arcuate cutting edge to trim an annulus from the open end of its associated container, each telescoping assembly being removed from within its associated container after trimming said annulus therefrom, and a cam plate supported by said supporting structure adjacent said telescoping assemblies, each pair of cam rollers engaging opposite surfaces of said cam plaTe and controlling the axial position of each assembly during orbiting thereof by said shaft, said cam plate having a precisely controlled cam section arranged in a plane which is parallel to the plane of said arcuate cutting edge, said precisely controlled cam section having an arcuate length corresponding to the arcuate length of said arcuate cutting edge and said precisely controlled cam section controlling the extension of said radially extendible male knife.

Claim 23

An apparatus for trimming cylindrical containers comprising, a supporting structure, a central shaft rotatably supported on said supporting structure, a head assembly fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said head assembly having a star wheel comprising a plurality of cradles arranged in equally spaced apart relation about the periphery thereof and each supporting an associated container for orbiting movement and having a plurality of holding devices corresponding in number to said plurality of cradles, each of said devices being axially aligned with an associated cradle for orbiting movement therewith and serving the dual purpose of holding an associated container at a predetermined axial position as well as rotating said associated container therewith within its cradle during orbiting movement thereof in a substantially circular path, a fixed sickle blade having an arcuate cutting edge arranged to extend over a portion of said circular path and being positioned to cut circumferentially around each container upon engagement of each container thereagainst during said orbiting and rotating movement, a plurality of telescoping assemblies corresponding in number to said plurality of holding devices and each telescoping assembly carrying a pair of cam rollers, each telescoping assembly being supported by said shaft at a fixed radial position and in axially aligned relation with an associated holding device and cradle, each telescoping assembly having a radially extendible male knife carried adjacent its terminal end with each male knife being adapted to be moved radially outwardly toward said arcuate cutting edge during engagement of said associated container against said arcuate cutting edge, each male knife cooperating with said arcuate cutting edge to trim an annulus from the open end of its associated container, each telescoping assembly being removed from within its associated container after trimming said annulus therefrom, and a cam plate supported by said supporting structure adjacent said telescoping assemblies, each pair of cam rollers engaging opposite surfaces of said cam plaTe and controlling the axial position of each assembly during orbiting thereof by said shaft, said cam plate having a precisely controlled cam section arranged in a plane which is parallel to the plane of said arcuate cutting edge, said precisely controlled cam section having an arcuate length corresponding to the arcuate length of said arcuate cutting edge and said precisely controlled cam section controlling the extension of said radially extendible male knife.

Claim 24

An apparatus as set forth in calim 19 and further comprising a stripper ring supported at a fixed position concentrically around each telescoping assembly while allowing unobstructed telescoping movement of each assembly therethrough, each stripper ring being adapted to engage and strip a trimmed annulus carried around each telescoping assembly as said cam plate telescopes each telescoping assembly away from said sickle blade causing the annulus to strike an associated stripper ring and be stripped therefrom.

Claim 25

An apparatus as set forth in calim 19 and further comprising a stripper ring supported at a fixed position concentrically around each telescoping assembly while allowing unobstructed telescoping movement of each assembly therethrough, each stripper ring being adapted to engage and strip a trimmed annulus carried around each telescoping assembly as said cam plate telescopes each telescoping assembly away from said sickle blade causing the annulus to strike an associated stripper ring and be stripped therefrom.

Claim 27

An apparatus for cutting circumferentially around a cylindrical member having opposed ends in a continuous nonindexing manner, said apparatus comprising, a supporting structure, a substantially circular head assembly carried by said supporting structure and having a central longitudinal axis, a device carried by said head assembly adjacent the outer periphery thereof for holding and rotating said cylindrical member, said device engaging and grasping only the exterior surface of said member adjacent one of said opposed ends and holding said member in a cantelevered manner with the major portion of said member extending outwardly beyond said device, means rotating said head assembly and said device relative to said head assembly to provide simultaneous orbiting and rotating movement of said device and hence said member through an arcuate path upon holding said member using said device, and a sickle blade fixed to said supporting structure and having an arcuate cutting edge which is concave toward said longitudinal axis and is arranged to extend over a portion of said arcuate path, said blade being adapted to cut circumferentially around the other of said opposed ends of said member upon engagement of said member thereagainst during said orbiting and rotating movement.

Claim 28

An apparatus for cutting circumferentially around a cylindrical member having opposed ends in a continuous nonindexing manner, said apparatus comprising, a supporting structure, a substantially circular head assembly carried by said supporting structure and having a central longitudinal axis, a device carried by said head assembly adjacent the outer periphery thereof for holding and rotating said cylindrical member, said device engaging and grasping only the exterior surface of said member adjacent one of said opposed ends and holding said member in a cantelevered manner with the major portion of said member extending outwardly beyond said device, means rotating said head assembly and said device relative to said head assembly to provide simultaneous orbiting and rotating movement of said device and hence said member through an arcuate path upon holding said member using said device, and a sickle blade fixed to said supporting structure and having an arcuate cutting edge which is concave toward said longitudinal axis and is arranged to extend over a portion of said arcuate path, said blade being adapted to cut circumferentially around the other of said opposed ends of said member upon engagement of said member thereagainst during said orbiting and rotating movement.