JP7601645B2 - Cylindrical body processing device and cylindrical body processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cylindrical body processing device and a cylindrical body processing method that performs multiple processing steps on a cylindrical body while transporting the cylindrical body along a transport path.

Conventionally, in cans used for beverage cans, etc., a can lid having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the can body is used so that the can lid and the seaming portion do not protrude from the can body when the can lid is seamed around the can body. For this reason, a drawing process is performed on the opening end of the can body (cylindrical body) to match the outer diameter of the opening end.
The drawing process, known as necking, is usually carried out stepwise in a plurality of steps so as to prevent the metal material constituting the can body from being subjected to excessive stress. As an example of a cylindrical body processing apparatus that performs the drawing process stepwise in a plurality of steps, there is an apparatus in which a plurality of processing turrets are connected together and one drawing process is performed per processing turret.
However, such an apparatus must be provided with processing turrets in the same number as the number of neckings of the cylindrical body. This poses the problem that, when manufacturing can bodies with a large number of neckings, the apparatus and facilities must become longer and larger, requiring more installation space and increased maintenance work.

To solve this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus in which multiple processing turrets are arranged in series, with a supply position at one end where can bodies are supplied and a discharge position at the other end where can bodies are discharged, in which the can bodies are subjected to multiple drawing processes in sequence in the multiple processing turrets, transported in a linear manner, and discharged from the discharge position in a semi-processed state, returned to the supply position, where they are transported again in a linear manner to the multiple processing turrets for a second round of multiple drawing processes.

However, in the above-mentioned device, a separate transport means must be provided to return the semi-processed can bodies, which have been transported to each processing turret, subjected to multiple drawing processes, and discharged from the discharge position, to the supply position. This results in an increase in the amount of equipment and facilities, which ultimately requires more installation space and increases the maintenance work.

JP 2002-102968 A

The present invention aims to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a cylindrical body processing device and a cylindrical body processing method that can perform multiple processing steps on cylindrical bodies that require many processing steps without maximizing the installation space, and that are easy to maintain.

The present invention relates to a cylindrical body processing apparatus that performs a plurality of processes on a cylindrical body while circulating the cylindrical body along a conveying path,
a rotatable processing turret having a plurality of pockets, a plurality of processing units corresponding to a plurality of processing steps for the cylindrical body being arranged in a circumferential direction, and performing a plurality of different processing steps with one turret;
a re-phase unit that receives the cylindrical body processed by the processing unit from the processing turret and supplies it again to a different pocket of the same processing turret,
The problem is solved by arranging the processing turret and the re-phase unit in a row along a non-looped arrangement line, and by allowing the cylindrical body to be transported around the processing path formed by the processing turret one or more times.

According to the cylindrical body processing apparatus and cylindrical body processing method of the present invention, the processing turret and the re-phasing unit are arranged in a row along a non-looped arrangement line, and the cylindrical body can be transported around the processing path formed by the processing turret one or more times. Therefore, multiple processing steps can be performed within the same processing turret by shifting the phase using the re-phasing unit. This makes it possible to reduce the number of processing turrets required for a desired series of processing, thereby preventing the equipment from becoming too long, and there is no need to provide a separate transport means for shifting the phase. Therefore, multiple processing steps can be performed on cylindrical bodies that require many processing operations without maximizing the installation space.
In addition, according to the cylindrical body processing apparatus and cylindrical body processing method of the present invention, the number of processing turrets required for the number of multiple processes can be reduced, and further, since the processing turret and the re-phase unit are arranged in a row along a non-looped arrangement line, the spatial overlapping areas of the processing turret and the re-phase unit can be kept to a minimum, resulting in excellent maintainability.

According to the cylindrical body processing device of the present invention, in which two re-phase units are arranged on either side of all processing turrets on the arrangement line, the spatial overlap of the processing turrets and the re-phase units can be reliably reduced, and excellent maintainability can be obtained. Furthermore, since multiple processing steps can be performed within the same processing turret for all processing turrets, the number of processing turrets required for the desired series of processing can be reduced, and the length of the equipment can be prevented from increasing.

According to the cylindrical body processing device of the present invention, in which the supply unit and/or discharge unit are not arranged directly adjacent to the processing turret on the arrangement line, there is no need to secure space for the supply unit or discharge unit in the processing turret, so the processing angle of each processing unit in the processing turret can be secured widely, and as a result, high precision can be imparted to the processing performed in the processing unit. In addition, productivity can be improved and production speed can be increased.

According to the cylindrical body processing device of the present invention, in which the supply unit is arranged at one end of the arrangement line and the discharge unit is arranged at the other end, it is possible to reliably reduce the spatial overlap between the supply unit and the discharge unit and the processing turret, thereby ensuring excellent maintainability. In addition, it is possible to obtain a high degree of freedom in the layout of the production line.

According to the cylindrical body processing device of the present invention, the angle between the position for receiving the cylindrical body in the processing turret and the position for transferring the cylindrical body is 180° around the rotation axis of the processing turret, so that the processing angle of each processing unit in the processing turret can be ensured to be the same and maximum, and therefore high precision can be ensured for the processing performed in the processing unit. In addition, productivity can be improved and production speed can be increased.

According to the present invention, a cylindrical body processing device in which at least one of the multiple processes is an inspection process for inspecting the condition of a cylindrical body does not require a separate inspection turret, which allows space saving on the production line.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a cylindrical body processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cylindrical body processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cylindrical body processing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will be described in detail below.
First Embodiment
The cylindrical body processing device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention performs a plurality of processing steps on a cylindrical body C while transporting the cylindrical body C along a transport path. As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical body processing device 100 includes three rotatable processing turrets 141 to 143 in which processing units corresponding to processing of the cylindrical body C are arranged and processing of each step is performed, two transport turrets 181 and 182 as transport units that transfer the cylindrical body C between the processing turrets 141 to 143, and re-phase turrets 151 and 152 as re-phase units that receive the cylindrical body C processed by the processing units from the processing turrets 141 and 143 at both ends and supply it again to pockets P of different phases of the same processing turrets 141 and 143. Furthermore, it is equipped with a supply turret (not shown) as a supply unit that supplies the unprocessed cylindrical body C to the conveying path, and a discharge turret (not shown) as a discharge unit that discharges the cylindrical body C processed by the processing unit from the conveying path to the outside.
The supply turret, re-phase turrets 151, 152, transport turrets 181, 182, processing turrets 141 to 143 and discharge turret each have a plurality of pockets P on their outer periphery that individually accommodate and transport cylindrical bodies C, and are provided at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

In the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, all turrets (supply turret, re-phase turrets 151, 152, transport turrets 181, 182, processing turrets 141 to 143 and discharge turret) are arranged in a row along a non-looped arrangement line and in one direction with the turrets interconnected so that the cylindrical body C can be transported around the processing path formed by the processing turrets 141 to 143 at least once, preferably more than once.
Specifically, a supply turret, a first re-phasing turret 151, a first processing turret 141, a first conveying turret 181, a second processing turret 142, a second conveying turret 182, a third processing turret 143, a second re-phasing turret 152, and a discharge turret are arranged in a line along the arrangement line from one end side (left side in FIG. 1) to the other end side (right side in FIG. 1). That is, in the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the two re-phasing turrets 151, 152 are arranged on the arrangement line so as to sandwich all the processing turrets 141 to 143, and the supply turret is arranged on one end side of the arrangement line and the discharge turret is arranged on the other end side. That is, the supply turret and the discharge turret are not arranged directly adjacent to the processing turrets 141 to 143 on the arrangement line, and the re-phase turrets 151, 152 are arranged between the supply turret and the processing turret 141, and between the processing turret 143 and the discharge turret, respectively. In the present invention, "not arranged directly adjacent to the processing turret" refers to an arrangement relationship in which a cylindrical body is not directly transferred between the supply turret or the discharge turret and the processing turret.
In the present invention, the arrangement of the turrets along a non-looped arrangement line does not necessarily mean that the rotation axes of the turrets are arranged on a straight line as in Fig. 1, but may mean that the rotation axes of the turrets are arranged on a broken line extending in one direction, for example. However, when the processing angle of each process in the processing turrets 141 to 143 (the rotation angle of the processing turret that can be used for processing) is taken into consideration, it is preferable that the rotation axes of the turrets are arranged on a straight line.
In this embodiment, the transport turrets (181, 182) arranged between each of the processing turrets (141, 142, 143) are each considered to be a single turret, but this is not limited to this, and multiple transport turrets may be used to transfer between each of the processing turrets.

In the cylindrical body processing device 100 according to this embodiment, all turrets (supply turret, re-phase turrets 151, 152, transport turrets 181, 182, processing turrets 141-143, and discharge turret) are rotatably arranged so that they are aligned horizontally (y direction) with their central axes extending horizontally (x direction). By arranging them in this manner, it is possible to avoid the turrets being arranged so that they overlap each other in the vertical direction (z direction), ensuring excellent maintainability.

The processing turrets 141 (142, 143) each have a plurality of pockets P, and a plurality of processing units (not shown) corresponding to each of the multiple processing steps for the cylindrical body C are arranged in the circumferential direction, and one processing turret 141 (142, 143) is rotatable to perform multiple different processing steps.
The processing turret 141 (142, 143) is moved between a position where it receives the tubular body C held in the pocket P (hereinafter also referred to as the "receiving position") and a position where it transfers the tubular body C (hereinafter also referred to as the "transfer position"). In the tubular body processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the angle between the receiving position and the transfer position of the processing turret 141 (142, 143) on the arrangement line is 180° centered on the rotation axis of the processing turret 141 (142, 143).
The number of pockets P of each of the processing turrets 141 to 143 according to the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is 20. The number of pockets P of each of the processing turrets 141 to 143 varies depending on the number of steps, the number of processing turrets, the number of re-phase turrets, the production speed, and the like required for performing a desired series of processing, and the multiple processing turrets 141 to 143 may be configured to have different numbers of pockets P from each other.
Each pocket P of the processing turrets 141 to 143 is divided so as to be classified into one of a plurality of phases. In the cylindrical body processing device 100 of this embodiment, it is classified into one of the phase (0.5) corresponding to the first outward pass (0.5th round) of the processing path, the phase (1.0) corresponding to the first return pass of the processing path, the phase (1.5) corresponding to the second outward pass (1.5th round) of the processing path, the phase (2.0) corresponding to the second return pass of the processing path, and the phase (2.5) corresponding to the third outward pass (2.5th round) of the processing path. In FIG. 1, the phase number is shown in the circle indicating the cylindrical body C held in each pocket P of the processing turrets 141 to 143. Also, in FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, the circular lines indicating the cylindrical bodies C held in each pocket P of the re-phase turrets 151, 152 and the conveying turrets 181, 182 also include the phase numbers classified as being in each phase with the receiving position G of the cylindrical body C of the first re-phase turret 151 and the delivery position H of the cylindrical body C of the second re-phase turret 152 as the boundary.

In the present invention, the conveying path refers to a continuous path from a supply position of the cylindrical body C from the supply turret (in this embodiment, the receiving position G of the cylindrical body C of the first re-phasing turret 151) to a discharge position to the discharge turret (in this embodiment, the handover position H of the second re-phasing turret 152), and the processing path refers to an intermittent path in the conveying path formed by the rotation of the processing turrets 141 to 143, which passes once around the periphery of all the processing turrets 141 to 143 and returns to the start position again from a start position (in this embodiment, the receiving position of the first processing turret 141).
1, one revolution of the processing path is a path that starts from the receiving position S1 of the first processing turret 141, passes through the upper periphery of the first processing turret 141, the upper periphery of the second processing turret 142, and the upper periphery of the third processing turret 143, in this order, and then passes through the lower periphery of the third processing turret 143, the lower periphery of the second processing turret 142, and the lower periphery of the first processing turret 141, in this order, to return to the start position (the receiving position S1 of the first processing turret 141). In addition, the cylindrical body C being transported circulating through the processing path more than one revolution means that after the above-mentioned one revolution, it is transported so as to pass through the upper periphery of the first processing turret 141 for at least the second revolution.
In the cylindrical body processing device 100 according to the present embodiment, the supply turret is arranged on one end side of the arrangement line and the discharge turret is arranged on the other end side, so that the cylindrical body C is configured to rotate around the processing path (n+0.5). n is a natural number. Therefore, the maximum number of steps is the number obtained by multiplying the number of revolutions of the processing path (n+0.5) by twice the number of processing turrets m. That is, in the cylindrical body processing device 100 according to the present embodiment, which uses three processing turrets 141 to 143 to rotate around the processing path 2.5 times, the maximum number of steps is 15 steps. The number of steps actually performed in processing does not have to be the same as the maximum number of steps, and the maximum number of steps may include a surplus (empty steps).
The number of revolutions of the machining path differs depending on the number of steps and machining turrets required to perform a desired series of machining operations, the number of pockets P on each machining turret, the number of re-phase turrets, and the like.

The processing units are provided for each of a plurality of different processing stages to hold and process the cylindrical body C, and in the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 of the present invention, a single processing turret 141 (142, 143) is provided with a plurality of processing units corresponding to the different processing stages, and a single processing turret 141 (142, 143) and the plurality of processing units provided in the processing turret 141 (142, 143) are connected to a single common rotatable axis.
The number of processing units is determined based on the number of steps required for a desired series of processing. In the cylindrical body processing device 100 of this embodiment, the processing path is rotated 2.5 times to perform processing of 14 steps (+1 free step), so that the first processing turret 141 and the second processing turret 142 are provided with 20 processing units each, and the third processing turret 143 is provided with 16 processing units, for a total of 56 processing units in the cylindrical body processing device 100, corresponding to each phase. Specifically, the first processing turret 141 is provided with four processing units each corresponding to the first (corresponding to phase (0.5)), sixth (corresponding to phase (1.0)), seventh (corresponding to phase (1.5)), twelfth (corresponding to phase (2.0)), and thirteenth (corresponding to phase (2.5)) processing stages, and the second processing turret 142 is provided with four processing units each corresponding to the second (corresponding to phase (0.5)), fifth (corresponding to phase (1.0)), eighth (corresponding to phase (1.5)), eleventh (corresponding to phase (2.0)), fourteenth (corresponding to phase (2.5)) processing stages. The third processing turret 143 is provided with four processing units each corresponding to the third (corresponding to phase (0.5)), fourth (corresponding to phase (1.0)), ninth (corresponding to phase (1.5)), and tenth (corresponding to phase (2.0)) processing stages, and this third processing turret 143 is further provided with a 15th vacant process (corresponding to phase (2.5)), i.e., a holding unit for only transporting.

In the present invention, the "multiple processing steps" are not limited to deformation steps involving physical deformation of the cylindrical body C, such as a drawing process (necking process), but include non-deformation steps such as an inspection process. In this embodiment, the first to twelfth steps in the processing sequence along the processing path are the drawing process steps at each stage, the thirteenth step is a flanging process for forming a flange for tightening a can lid at the opening end, and the fourteenth step is an inspection process for inspecting the state of the cylindrical body C, such as the quality of the drawing process, using, for example, a light tester. In addition, the multiple steps may include a trimming process for cutting off unnecessary parts such as ears at the opening end, a thread processing process for forming a threaded portion for tightening a cap, a curling process for rounding the opening end, and the like. All of the multiple steps may be deformation processes.
When the processing unit performs drawing, the processing unit may have, for example, a die for processing the open end of the cylindrical body C, and a holding part disposed opposite the die in the axial direction of the processing turret 141 (142, 143) to support and hold the other end of the cylindrical body C together with the die. The shape of the die corresponds to the corresponding processing stage (drawing stage).

The re-phase turrets 151 and 152 each comprise a turret having a plurality of pockets P on the outer periphery thereof for holding the cylindrical bodies C. The pockets P may be configured to hold the cylindrical bodies C on the periphery of the turret by, for example, suction. The holding mechanism for the cylindrical bodies C in the pockets P is not limited to suction, and may be a magnetic pad or a mechanical clamping system.
The re-phasing turrets 151 and 152 are rotatable and have a re-phasing function of receiving the cylindrical body C machined by the machining unit from the adjacently arranged first machining turret 141 or third machining turret 143 and selectively supplying it to a pocket P of a different phase of the same first machining turret 141 or third machining turret 143 again. The number of pockets P of the re-phasing turrets 151 and 152 is (rQ+1) when the number of multiple processes to be performed in the adjacently arranged first machining turret 141 or third machining turret 143 to be re-phased (5 processes including vacant processes in the first machining turret 141 and the third machining turret 143 according to this embodiment) is Q and a natural number is r. With the re-phasing turrets 151 and 152 having such a number of pockets P, the cylindrical body C can be easily supplied to a pocket P of a different phase by shifting the phase by rotating at the same peripheral speed. The number of pockets P of each of the re-phase turrets 151 and 152 in the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is 16.
In the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the re-phasing turrets 151 and 152 have a transport function in addition to the re-phasing function. Specifically, the first re-phasing turret 151 has a function of receiving the cylindrical body C supplied from the supply turret and transporting it to the first processing turret 141, and the second re-phasing turret 152 has a function of receiving the cylindrical body C to be discharged from the third processing turret 143 and transferring it to the discharge turret.
In the present invention, the re-phase unit is not limited to one using a turret, and may be one using, for example, an air flow conveyor, etc., as long as it has a function of being able to re-phase the cylindrical body relative to the processing turret.

The supply turret and the discharge turret each comprise a turret having a plurality of pockets P on the outer periphery thereof for holding the cylindrical bodies C. The pockets P may be configured to hold the cylindrical bodies C on the periphery of the turret by, for example, suction. The holding mechanism for the cylindrical bodies C in the pockets P is not limited to suction, and may be a magnetic pad or a mechanical clamping system.
In the present invention, the supply unit is not limited to one using a turret, and may be, for example, one using an airflow conveyor, a spiral, a chute, or the like, as long as it can supply the cylindrical bodies C intermittently at predetermined intervals to the re-phasing turret 151. In addition, the discharge unit is also not limited to one using a turret, as long as it can discharge the cylindrical bodies C discharged from the re-phasing turret 152 at predetermined intervals to the outside.

Each of the transport turrets 181, 182 is a rotatable turret having a plurality of pockets P for holding cylindrical bodies C on its outer periphery, receiving cylindrical bodies C machined by machining units from adjacently arranged machining turrets 141-143 and supplying them to the pockets P of the same phase of the adjacently arranged machining turrets 141-143 on the opposite side. The pockets P can be configured to hold the cylindrical bodies C on the periphery of the turret by suction, for example. The mechanism for holding the cylindrical bodies C in the pockets P is not limited to suction, and may be a structure of a magnetic pad or a mechanical clamping system.
The transport unit may be, for example, an airflow conveyor, etc., as long as it is capable of transporting the cylindrical body C in the same phase between the processing turrets.

The supply turret, re-phase turrets 151, 152, processing turrets 141-143, transport turrets 181, 182 and discharge turret are each rotated directly by an appropriate drive source or mechanically via a transmission mechanism, and their rotational speeds, i.e., the movement speeds of the pockets P, and the interlocking timing of each pocket P are designed to be adjustable so that the cylindrical body C can be smoothly transferred between each turret.
Each of the processing turrets 141 to 143 is rotated synchronously at approximately the same peripheral speed in the same direction (clockwise in FIG. 1), and each of the re-phase turrets 151, 152 and the transport turrets 181, 182 is rotated at approximately the same peripheral speed in the opposite direction to the processing turrets 141 to 143 (counterclockwise in FIG. 1), so that the cylindrical body C is continuously transferred between these processing turrets 141 to 143 and the re-phase turrets 151, 152 or the transport turrets 181, 182.

The tubular body processing method of the present invention is carried out using the tubular body processing apparatus 100 as described above, in which a tubular body C, for example a bottomed cylindrical body with one end open, is transported around one or more revolutions along the processing path formed by 141 to 143, and multiple processing steps are performed on the open end of the tubular body C.
Specifically, first, the unmachined cylindrical body C is intermittently transferred by a supply turret to a pocket P of the first re-phase turret 151 rotated by an appropriate drive mechanism, which can be transferred to the pocket P of the phase (0.5) of the first processing turret 141. Then, the unmachined cylindrical body C held in the pocket P of the first re-phase turret 151 is transported to the pocket P of the phase (0.5) corresponding to the first outward pass of the first revolution of the processing path at the receiving position S1 of the first processing turret 141 with the rotation of the first re-phase turret 151, and is transferred to a processing unit corresponding to the first processing stage of the first processing turret 141 at the receiving position S1. The cylindrical body C transferred to this processing unit is transported to the transfer position T1 of the first processing turret 141 through the periphery on the upper side with the rotation of the first processing turret 141. At this time, as the first processing turret 141 rotates, the processing unit is driven by a driving means (not shown), and the cylindrical body C is subjected to the first processing stage. Then, the cylindrical body C that has completed the first processing stage is transferred to the first transport turret 181 at the delivery position T1 of the first processing turret 141, and as the first transport turret 181 rotates, it is transported to a pocket P related to a phase (0.5) corresponding to the first outward movement of the processing path at the receiving position S2 of the second processing turret 142, and is transferred to a processing unit corresponding to the second processing stage of the second processing turret 142 at the receiving position S2. The cylindrical body C transferred to this processing unit is subjected to the second processing stage by the processing unit while being transported to the delivery position T2 through the periphery on the upper side in the same manner as the processing and transport in the first processing turret 141. Then, the cylindrical body C that has completed the second processing stage is transferred to the second transport turret 182 at the transfer position T2, and is transported to the pocket P corresponding to the phase (0.5) corresponding to the first rotation of the processing path at the receiving position S3 of the third processing turret 143 with the rotation of the second transport turret 182, and is transferred to the processing unit corresponding to the third processing stage of the third processing turret 143 at the receiving position S3. The cylindrical body C transferred to this processing unit is subjected to the processing of the third processing stage by the processing unit while being transported to the transfer position T3 through the periphery on the upper side in the same manner as the processing and transportation in the first processing turret 141. Then, the cylindrical body C that has completed the processing of the third processing stage is transferred to the second re-phase turret 152 at the transfer position T3, and the first rotation of the forward path is completed. The cylindrical body C handed over to the second re-phase turret 152 is transported to the pocket P relating to the next phase (phase (1.0) corresponding to the return path of the first revolution of the processing path) at the receiving position S4, which is the same position as the transfer position T3 in the third processing turret 143, as the second re-phase turret 152 rotates, and is handed over to the processing unit corresponding to the fourth processing stage of the third processing turret 143 at the receiving position S4.

The cylindrical body C transferred to the processing unit is transported to a transfer position T4 on the third processing turret 143 through the periphery on the lower side as the third processing turret 143 rotates. At this time, the processing unit is driven by a driving means (not shown) as the third processing turret 143 rotates, and the cylindrical body C is subjected to processing in the fourth processing stage. Then, the cylindrical body C that has completed the processing in the fourth processing stage is transferred to the second transport turret 182 at the transfer position T4 on the third processing turret 143, and is transported to a pocket P related to a phase (1.0) corresponding to the return path of the first revolution of the processing path at a receiving position S5 on the second processing turret 142 as the second transport turret 182 rotates, and is transferred to a processing unit corresponding to the fifth processing stage of the second processing turret 142 at the receiving position S5. The cylindrical body C transferred to this processing unit is subjected to the fifth processing stage by the processing unit while being transported to the transfer position T5 through the periphery on the lower side. Then, the cylindrical body C that has completed the processing of the fifth processing stage is transferred to the first transport turret 181 at the transfer position T5, and is transported to the pocket P corresponding to the phase (1.0) corresponding to the return path of the first revolution at the receiving position S6 on the first processing turret 141 with the rotation of the first transport turret 181, and is transferred to the processing unit corresponding to the sixth processing stage of the first processing turret 141 at the receiving position S6. The cylindrical body C transferred to this processing unit is subjected to the sixth processing stage by the processing unit while being transported to the transfer position T6 through the periphery on the lower side. Then, the cylindrical body C that has completed the processing of the sixth processing stage is transferred to the first re-phase turret 151 at the transfer position T6, and the return path of the first revolution is completed. The cylindrical body C handed over to the first re-phase turret 151 is transported to a pocket P relating to the next phase (phase (1.5) corresponding to the outward pass of the second revolution of the processing path) at a receiving position S1, which is the same position as the transfer position T6 in the first processing turret 141, as the first re-phase turret 151 rotates.
In the second revolution, in pocket P corresponding to the phase (1.5) corresponding to the forward pass of the second revolution of the machining path and the phase (2.0) corresponding to the return pass, the workpiece is transported in the order of the first machining turret 141, the second machining turret 142, the third machining turret 143, the third machining turret 143, the second machining turret 142 and the first machining turret 141 as the machining turrets 141 to 143 rotate, and the seventh to twelfth machining stages are performed.
In the third revolution, in the pocket P associated with the phase (2.5) corresponding to the outward path of the third revolution of the processing path, the material is transported in the order of the first processing turret 141 and the second processing turret 142 as the processing turrets 141 to 143 rotate, and is subjected to the 13th and 14th processing stages. Then, in the third processing turret 143, the material simply passes through without being processed, and is handed over to the discharge turret via the second re-phase turret 152, and transported outside the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 to the next process, such as seaming the lid or packaging.

Second Embodiment
In the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, three processing turrets, two re-phase turrets, and two transport turrets are provided, but the number of turrets in the cylindrical body processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above number, and can be appropriately determined according to the number of multiple steps required for a desired series of processing. As shown in Fig. 2, the cylindrical body processing apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment described below has two processing turrets, two re-phase turrets, and one transport turret, and has the same configuration as the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, except that the second processing turret 142 and the second transport turret 182 are omitted.
The cylindrical body processing device 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes two rotatable processing turrets 241, 242 in which a plurality of processing units corresponding to processing of the cylindrical body C are arranged and perform processing of each step, a transport turret 281 that transfers the cylindrical body C between the processing turrets 241, 242, and rephase turrets 251, 252 that receive the cylindrical body C processed by the processing units from the processing turrets 241, 242 and supply it again to a pocket P of a different phase of the same processing turrets 241, 242. Furthermore, the device includes a supply turret (not shown) as a supply unit that supplies the unprocessed cylindrical body C to the transport path, and a discharge turret (not shown) as a discharge unit that discharges the cylindrical body C processed by the processing units from the transport path to the outside.
The supply turret, re-phase turrets 251, 252, transport turret 281, processing turrets 241, 242 and discharge turret have the same configuration as the supply turret, re-phase turrets 151, 152, transport turret 181, processing turrets 141, 143 and discharge turret of the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, respectively.

In the cylindrical body processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment, all turrets (supply turret, re-phase turrets 251, 252, transport turret 281, processing turrets 241, 242 and discharge turret) are arranged in a row along a non-looped arrangement line and in one direction with the turrets interconnected so that the cylindrical body C can be transported around the processing path formed by the processing turrets 241, 242 one or more times.
Specifically, a supply turret, a first re-phasing turret 251, a first processing turret 241, a transport turret 281, a second processing turret 242, a second re-phasing turret 252 and a discharge turret are arranged in a row along the placement line from one end side (left side in Figure 2) to the other end side (right side in Figure 2).

Each pocket P of the processing turrets 241 and 242 is divided so as to be classified into one of a plurality of phases. In the cylindrical body processing device 200 of this embodiment, it is classified into one of the phases (0.5) corresponding to the first outward pass of the processing path, the phase (1.0) corresponding to the first return pass of the processing path, the phase (1.5) corresponding to the second outward pass of the processing path, the phase (2.0) corresponding to the second return pass of the processing path, and the phase (2.5) corresponding to the third outward pass of the processing path (2.5th return pass). In FIG. 2, the phase number is shown in each pocket P of the processing turrets 241 and 242. Also, in FIG. 2, for convenience, the number of phases classified as being in each phase is included in each pocket P of the re-phase turrets 251, 252 and the transport turret 281, with the boundary being the receiving position of the cylindrical body C of the first re-phase turret 251 and the handover position of the cylindrical body C of the second re-phase turret 252.

In the cylindrical body processing device 200 of this embodiment, the processing path is rotated 2.5 times to perform processing of 10 steps, so that 20 processing units are provided in each of the first processing turret 241 and the second processing turret 242 corresponding to each phase, and 40 processing units are provided in the cylindrical body processing device 200 in total. Specifically, the first processing turret 241 is provided with four processing units corresponding to the first (corresponding to phase (0.5)), fourth (corresponding to phase (1.0)), fifth (corresponding to phase (1.5)), eighth (corresponding to phase (2.0)), and ninth (corresponding to phase (2.5)) processing stages, and the second processing turret 242 is provided with four processing units corresponding to the second (corresponding to phase (0.5)), third (corresponding to phase (1.0)), sixth (corresponding to phase (1.5)), seventh (corresponding to phase (2.0)), and tenth (corresponding to phase (2.5)) processing stages. In this cylindrical body processing apparatus 200, there are no idle processes, that is, processes where the work is only transported.
In this embodiment, the first to eighth steps in the processing sequence along the processing path are drawing steps at each stage, the ninth step is a flanging step, and the tenth step is an inspection step.

In the cylindrical body processing device 200 as described above, the unprocessed cylindrical body C is intermittently transferred by the supply turret to a pocket P of the first re-phase turret 251, which is rotated by an appropriate drive mechanism, that can be transferred to a pocket P of the phase (0.5) of the first processing turret 241. As in the first embodiment of the cylindrical body processing device 100, the cylindrical body C is subjected to the first to tenth processing stages while rotating 2.5 times around the processing path formed by the processing turrets 241 and 242, and is then transferred to the discharge turret and transported outside the cylindrical body processing device 200 to the next process such as sealing the lid or packaging.

Third Embodiment
As shown in Figure 3, the cylindrical body processing apparatus 300 of the third embodiment has one processing turret and two re-phase turrets, and has the same configuration as the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment except that the second processing turret 142, the third processing turret 143 and the transport turrets 181, 182 are omitted.
A cylindrical body processing device 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention includes a rotatable processing turret 341 in which a plurality of processing units corresponding to processing of a cylindrical body C are arranged to perform processing of each step, and rephase turrets 351, 352 that receive the cylindrical body C processed by the processing units from the processing turret 341 and supply it again to a pocket P of a different phase of the same processing turret 341. Furthermore, the device includes a supply turret (not shown) as a supply unit that supplies the unprocessed cylindrical body C to the conveying path, and a discharge turret (not shown) as a discharge unit that discharges the cylindrical body C processed by the processing units from the conveying path to the outside.
The supply turret, re-phase turrets 351, 352, processing turret 341 and discharge turret have the same configurations as the supply turret, re-phase turrets 151, 152, processing turret 141 and discharge turret of the cylindrical body processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, respectively.

In the cylindrical body processing apparatus 300 of this embodiment, all turrets (supply turret, re-phase turrets 351, 352, processing turret 341 and discharge turret) are arranged in a row along a non-looped arrangement line and in one direction with the turrets interconnected so that the cylindrical body C can be transported around the processing path formed by the processing turret 341 one or more times.
Specifically, a supply turret, a first re-phase turret 351, a processing turret 341, a second re-phase turret 352 and a discharge turret are arranged in a row along the arrangement line from one end side (left side in FIG. 3) to the other end side (right side in FIG. 3).

Each pocket P of the processing turret 341 is divided so as to be classified into one of a plurality of phases. In the cylindrical body processing device 300 of this embodiment, it is classified into one of the phase (0.5) corresponding to the first outward pass of the processing path, the phase (1.0) corresponding to the first return pass of the processing path, the phase (1.5) corresponding to the second outward pass of the processing path, the phase (2.0) corresponding to the second return pass of the processing path, and the phase (2.5) corresponding to the third outward pass of the processing path. In FIG. 3, the phase number is shown in each pocket P of the processing turret 341. Also, in FIG. 3, for convenience, the phase number classified as being in each phase is also included in each pocket P of the re-phase turrets 351 and 352 with the boundary being the receiving position of the cylindrical body C of the first re-phase turret 351 and the transfer position of the cylindrical body C of the second re-phase turret 352.

In the cylindrical body processing device 300 of this embodiment, since the processing path is rotated 2.5 times to perform five processing steps, 20 processing units are provided in the processing turret 341 corresponding to each phase. Specifically, four processing units each corresponding to the first (corresponding to phase (0.5)), second (corresponding to phase (1.0)), third (corresponding to phase (1.5)), fourth (corresponding to phase (2.0)), and fifth (corresponding to phase (2.5)) processing stages are provided in the processing turret 341. In this cylindrical body processing device 300, there are no idle processes, i.e., no processes where only transport is performed.
In this embodiment, the first to third steps in the processing sequence along the processing path are drawing steps at each stage, the fourth step is a flanging step, and the fifth step is an inspection step.

In the cylindrical body processing device 300 as described above, the unprocessed cylindrical body C is intermittently transferred by the supply turret to a pocket P of the first re-phase turret 351, which is rotated by an appropriate drive mechanism, that can be transferred to a pocket P of phase (0.5) of the processing turret 341. As in the first embodiment of the cylindrical body processing device 100, the unprocessed cylindrical body C is subjected to the first to fifth processing stages while rotating 2.5 times around the processing path formed by the processing turret 341, and is then transferred to the discharge turret and transported outside the cylindrical body processing device 300 to the next process such as sealing the lid or packaging.

The above describes the tubular body processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment to the tubular body processing apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention and the tubular body processing method using the same, but the tubular body processing apparatus and the tubular body processing method of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments.
For example, the number of processing turrets, the number of revolutions of the processing path, and the number and arrangement positions of the transport units and phase realignment units may be appropriately set according to the number of processes required.
Specifically, the arrangement of the turrets may be such that the transport turret is disposed between the processing turret and the re-phasing turret on the arrangement line. Also, if all the processing turrets and all the re-phasing turrets are disposed in one direction on the arrangement line, the supply turret and the discharge turret may be disposed adjacent to the transport turret to supply/discharge the cylindrical body between them.
The arrangement of the turrets may be such that the supply turret is arranged at one end of the arrangement line and the discharge turret is arranged at the other end, but the supply turret and the discharge turret may both be arranged at one end (or both at the other end). In a cylindrical body processing device in which the supply turret and the discharge turret are both arranged at one end of the arrangement line, the cylindrical body is configured to make n revolutions (n is a natural number) around the processing path.

Reference Signs List 100 Cylindrical body processing device 141, 142, 143 Processing turret 151, 152 Re-phase turret 181, 182 Transport turret 200 Cylindrical body processing device 241, 242 Processing turret 251, 252 Re-phase turret 281 Transport turret 300 Cylindrical body processing device 341 Processing turret 351, 352 Re-phase turret C Cylindrical body P Pocket

Claims (7)

A cylindrical body processing device that performs multiple processing steps on a cylindrical body while circulating the cylindrical body along a conveying path,
a rotatable processing turret having a plurality of pockets, a plurality of processing units corresponding to a plurality of processing steps for the cylindrical body being arranged in a circumferential direction, and performing a plurality of different processing steps with one turret;
a re-phase unit that receives the cylindrical body processed by the processing unit from the processing turret and supplies it again to a different pocket of the same processing turret,
A cylindrical body processing apparatus characterized in that the processing turret and the re-phase unit are arranged in a row along a non-looped arrangement line, and the cylindrical body can be transported around the processing path formed by the processing turret one or more times. The cylindrical body processing apparatus further includes a supply unit for supplying an unprocessed cylindrical body,
The cylindrical body processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the re-phase unit is disposed between the supply unit and the processing turret. The apparatus includes one or more processing turrets and two re-phase units;
3. The cylindrical body processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two rephase units are arranged on the arrangement line so as to sandwich all of the processing turrets therebetween. The cylindrical body processing apparatus further includes a discharge unit that discharges the cylindrical body processed by the processing unit,
4. The cylindrical body processing apparatus according to claim 2, or claim 3 which relies on claim 2, wherein the supply unit and/or the discharge unit is not arranged directly adjacent to the processing turret on the arrangement line. The cylindrical body processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the supply unit is disposed at one end of the arrangement line, and the discharge unit is disposed at the other end of the arrangement line. The cylindrical body processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in the placement line, the angle between the position in the processing turret where the cylindrical body is received and the position where the cylindrical body is transferred is 180° centered on the rotation axis of the processing turret. A cylindrical body processing method in a cylindrical body processing device, in which a rotatable processing turret having a plurality of pockets and a plurality of processing units corresponding to a plurality of processing steps for a cylindrical body are arranged in a circumferential direction, performing a plurality of different processing steps with one turret, and a rephase unit receiving a cylindrical body processed by the processing units from the processing turret and supplying it again to a different pocket of the same processing turret, are arranged in a row along a non-loop arrangement line,
A method for machining a cylindrical body, comprising the steps of: transporting the cylindrical body around one or more revolutions along a machining path formed by the machining turret; and subjecting the cylindrical body to a plurality of machining steps.

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