US3860086A

US3860086A - Noise reduction housing for a can bodymaker

Info

Publication number: US3860086A
Application number: US452896A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gautam K Mahajan; Robert A Suthard
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1974-03-20
Filing date: 1974-03-20
Publication date: 1975-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1992-01-14
Also published as: CA1026238A

Abstract

The housing provides a maximum of accessibility and visibility into the machine for easy maintenance and adjustment. Sound containing panels are placed onto an angle iron framework mounted close to the machine. Most of the panels are easily lifted off or are hinged for access to the machine. Some of the panels have strips of resilient sound absorptive material about their edges to isolate vibration. The infeed hopper which feeds can body blanks is acoustically isolated. A blower is used to eliminate oil spray and mist buildup in the machine by exhausting air from the machine. This negative pressure causes the panels to nest snugly against the machine framework and eliminate noise leaks.

Description

United States Patent Mahajan et al.

[ Jan. 14, 1975 [54] NOISE REDUCTION HOUSING FOR A CAN BODYMAKER [75] Inventors: Gautam K. Mahajan, Chicago;

Robert A. Suthard, Woodridge, both of Ill.

[73] Assignee: Continental Can Company, Inc.,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1974 [21] Appl. No.2 452,896

[52] US. Cl. 181/33 K, 113/1 R [51] Int. Cl E04b 1/99 [58] Field of Search 113/1 R, 7 R; 181/33 K, 181/33 A 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,173,538 2/1916 Roberts 181/33 A 2,701,618 2/1955 Montgomery. 181/33 K 2,808,122 10/1957 Meyers 181/33 K 3,018,991 [[1962 Slayter 181/33 A 3,276,539 10/1966 Dear et a1. 181/33 K Lebeau l8l/33 K Mahajan et al. l8l/33 K [5 7 ABSTRACT The housing provides a maximum of accessibility and visibility into the machine for easy maintenance and adjustment. Sound containing panels are placed onto an angle iron framework mounted close to the machine. Most of the panels are easily lifted off or are hinged for access to the machine. Some of the panels have strips of resilient sound absorptive material about their edges to isolate vibration. The infeed hopper which feeds can body blanks is acoustically isolated. A blower is used to eliminate oil spray and mist buildup in the machine by exhausting air from the machine. This negative pressure causes the panels to nest snugly against the machine framework and eliminate noise leaks.

13 Claims, S DraWing Figures PATENTED JAN 1 M975 sum 1 or 2 NOISE REDUCTION HOUSING FOR A CAN BODYMAKER This invention relates to improved apparatus reducing the transmitted sound level of a machine to an operator. More specifically, this invention is a noise reduction enclosure for a can bodymaker.

Passage of the Walsh-Healy Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act has imposed restrictions on the level of industrail noise to which a workman may be exposed. In the prior art, many devices have been used to enclose noise producing machines. By and large, such devices have been in the nature of a soundproof room or an enclosure having few if any entrances. As a general thing the shell of the enclosure has been lined with sound absorbing materials. Together, the shell plus the materials form a sound barrier. The enclosure and the sound absorbing materials totally surround the machine and form a sort of protective shell about the machine as well as absorb the sound emanating from the machine. Sound reduction may be further accomplished by engineering and redesign of the machine itself. In many cases this is difficult or impossible to achieve without considerable reduction-to the efficiency of the organic machine. Thus a sound reduction enclosure becomes necessary. Ready access to the interior of the enclosure is also required. From time to time the machine, which may be a bodymaker, for example, requires attention to insure smooth operation and the machine tender must put his hands and arms inside the working area of the machine. If the machine tender must work inside an enclosure and then he is incapacitated for any reason, he cannot be seen or heard by anyone in the vicinity. For this reason each time a machine which is located in such an enclosure needs repair two men are required so that if one man is incapacitated the other may help.

It is a principal object of our invention to provide a noise reduction kit having ready accessibility to a bodymaker machine.

It is an object of our invention to suppress noise generated by a can bodymaker.

An object of this device is to provide noise attenuation panels connected through seals to a framework built around a machine.

It is an object of our invention to collect fumes and oil mist, etc., and exhaust them through a filter and thus operate as an anti-pollution device.

The above and other objects, teachings and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following descriptions, reference being made to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the right side and rear of our enclosure showing the rear of the enclosure with the large slidable panel in open position in phantom lines.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the left side and front of the enclosure with the large hinged panel and front smaller hinged panels shown in open position in phantom lines. Flat removable panels are also shown in removed position and in phantom lines.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing details of hinged and removable panels and sound insulation taken along section Line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing details of the insulation of the enclosure from the floor taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing details of the can blank feed hopper taken along section line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

The enclosure 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a series of noise attentuating or eliminating panels fastened to a framework built around the can bodymaker. Some of the panels are removable, for example, Panel 1 (FIG. 1). Other panels 2 and 3 (FIG. 1) are hinged and may be opened, like doors. Still another panel 4 is slidable for opening. There are openings in the enclosure to allow for hand-wheel shafts, ducts for a notcher's station chips, openings for side seamer support rails, a hole for side seamer drive shaft, an opening for a formed can body to exit before it transfers to a side seamer, and an exhaust to a blower 5 for evacuating air out of the enclosure.

In this enclosure the panels are made of a material having the characteristic of low sound transmissibility such as a steel structural material of suitable thickness. Panels may be made entirely of a transparent high impact strength material such as Plexiglas" or Lexan, or may be made partially of a transparent material having a steel border for stiffness. As a practical matter the sliding panel 4 shown in FIG. I is the only one which can be made entirely of Plexiglas" or Lexan" because of the rigidity requirement. Each of the removable panels 6, for example, and hinged panels have a lip 7 (FIG. 3) along its periphery. This lip 7 extends away from the panel surface 8 inwardly at a right angle. Each lip 7 serves a triple function. Lip 7 helps to hold the seal or sealing material 9 in place. It also acts to reduce noise transmission through the air path between the panel 6 and the rest of the enclosure 10. Lip 7 blocks this path and acts to reduce noise leakage. Lastly, lip 7 around the edge of a panel stiffens the panel. This eliminates the need to add extra thickness of material for purpose of stiffness.

The exterior surface of enclosure 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2), of which panels 6 are a part, is supported by structural members such as angle iron. These structural members are tied together by cross braces.

A supporting angle iron member 11 (FIG. 4) is mounted around the periphery of the enclosure at the floor 12. Vertical supporting members 13 (FIG. 1) are attached to this supporting horizontal angle iron 11 and are attached to other structural members.

A seal 14 is located between the horizontal element 15 of the angle iron and floor 12. Each seal 14 is made of a resilient material. Since the resilient material rests upon floor 12, the enclosure panels 16 and angle iron 11 do not actually touch the floor 12. The seal 14 prevents noise from leaking through air gaps which might have existed between the angle iron horizontal element 15 and floor 12. Since the seal 14 is made of a resilient material it acts as a vibration isolator as well as an acoustic seal and serves to block passage of air. The acoustic seal operates as a vibration isolator because the machine in its normal operation causes floor 12 to vibrate. If the vibration from floor 12 were transmitted upwardly through the angle irons, framework, and panels of the housing the acoustic efficiency of these panels would drop very significantly because of the coincidence effect. Another advantage of these seals is that thee manufacturing tolerances on the components can be high since the seals will swell to fill gaps.

When blower 5 is in operation air and any matter in suspension is exhausted from the interior of the enclosure. The panels are pulled tightly against the rims by the vacuum in the interior of the enclosure and the sealing effect of the resilient material located around each panel is enhanced.

The perspective view of the left side and front of the enclosure of FIG. 2 shows in the foreground the infeed hopper 17 with body blanks 18 standing in the hopper 17 up to the highest possible level. This infeed hopper 17 is made adjustable in size so that can body blanks 1-8 of varying size may be fed through the infeed hopper 17 into the can bodymaker. The four columns 19-22 of the infeed hopper 17 are each made of a sort of angle iron. Each column of the infeed hopper is mounted at a corner of the blank and in this fashion holds the blank longitudinally in place but allows the blank to slide vertically downward in its stack. Each column is mounted adjustably so that it may be moved sideways to allow the stacking of body blanks of varying sizes.

Each of the columns 19-22 is mounted upon a bar 23 (FIG. attached to the frame of the machine (not shown). The columns 19-22 slide upon the bars 23 and may be moved along the bars relative to each other to adjust to varying sizes of can body blanks. Since ach of these columns 19-22 is a potential vibration source it is necessary to isolate each column from the exterior hood 24 of the cover 25 which is part of the enclosure 10. A felt or rubber gasket 26 (FIG. 5) is mounted between supporting

angle member

19, 22 and the hood 24 which covers a cut-out made in the lateral panel 27 shown in FIG. 2. Sound is generated in the area (FIG. 5) to the left between the hood 24 and the support angle member 19. The gasket 27 performs the function of acoustically isolating panel 25 from

columns

19, 22. Further, the parts do not have to fit together with high precision to avoid noise leakage because the gasket 26 is located between the hood 24 and angle members, 19,

22. The hood 24 is replaceable and is made in varying sizes to fit varying sizes of can body blanks.

As indicated in the description above, the

columns

19, 22 are attached to the machine and vibrateto some extent. A felt or rubber gasket member 28 is mounted in four separate sections about the stack 18 so as to cut down on the amount of noise which comes out through the stack area. This gasket is glued to the surfaces between the columns. Finally, a felt or rubber gasket 29 is mounted below the liftable door 30 which is itself made of two

sheets

31, 32 of transparent material isolated from each other by a rubber gasket 33 around their periphery and a dead air space 34 in between.

The column of blanks 18 (FIG. 2) is taken away one by one into the can body forming and seaming machine. Air to cool the drive motor enters in through the area 35. Pieces (notches") cut from the body blanks continue to be removed from the bodymaker machine by the existing system. In the lower right front ofthe view shown in FIG. 2, a cut away view of a duct 36 is shown through which the notches are pulled, by a blower, to a collection bin (not shown). Six removable panels 1, 6 and 37-40 are shown in phantom lines in a removed position. Each of these panels has a lip 7 around it as shown in FIG. 2 with gasket material 9 mounted just inside the lip. The panel 37 is held in place by toggle bolts 41 or optionally by operation of gravity as shown by

panels

6, 38 and 40. As panel 6 (FIGS. 2 and 3) for example, moves downwardly it is forced against the rim 42, because the

studs

43, 44 bear against the inclined surfaces 45, 46. Panels 38 and operate in a similar fashion. Panel 40 is mounted on the opposite side of the enclosure from panel 6. It is not seen in FIG. 1 because of the jog in the enclosure walls.

Some of the advantages of this enclosure are ease of accessibility to the bodymaker, viewability of the bodymakers essential moving parts through transparent panels, a blower to exhaust oil mist and to cool the motor, and safety shielding.

The foregoing is a description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention, and it is the applicants intention in the appended claims to'cover all forms which fall within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a bodymaker having a can body station with noise producing elements:

an enclosure for said bodymaker having two side walls and having top front and back walls which re formed in part of sound reflecting surface panels resting against said enclosure, and

a blower mounted in a wall of said enclosure for blowing fluid out of the interior of said enclosure whereby a negative pressure is generated in said enclosure and said surface panels are pulled against the enclosure to form a seal against the escape of sound and vapor from said enclosure.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said enclosure further comprises:

a framework for supporting the walls and surface panels of said enclosure, and

resilient material mounted between said framework and the floor upon which the bodymaker and enclosure rests to form a seal between said framework and said floor whereby vibration is impeded from passing from said floor to said framework.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which said enclosure furrther comprises:

resilient material mounted between said framework and said panels for cushioning said panels against said framework and hindering the transmission of sound from said framework to said panels.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said enclosure further comprises:

a series of compartments having outer and inner walls, the outer walls of the compartments forming at least some of the exterior walls of said enclosure.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which said enclosure further comprises:

a passageway through a wall of said enclosure for housing an infeed hopper.

acoustic sealing means extending about said passageway for obstructing the passage of sound from the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure.

6. The combination-set forth in claim 5 in which said acoustic sealing means comprises:

vertical columns extending through said passageway,

means for moving said columns laterally to fit various sizes of body blanks, and

acoustic absorptive gasket members to snugly tit the outside edges of a stack of body blanks between said vertical columns whereby noise from inside the enclosure is prevented from escaping.

7. An acoustic enclosure for a bodymaker including:

a strip of resilient material extending along the lower surface of a horizontal element of the angle iron member which extends around the periphery of said enclosure and said strip extends between said horizontal element and the floor upon which said enclosure rests whereby said bottom frame members are solated from the floor vibration caused by said bodymaker and gaps between said frame members and said floor are filled to prevent noise leak.

8. A sound proof enclosure for a bodymaker having noise producing elements comprising:

a plurality of flat panels mounted to surround said machine comprising:

a plurality of panels formed into an enclosure having a top, front, sides and back for the containing of sound inside said enclosure;

a framework having angle irons mounted inside said enclosure and acting to support said enclosure from the floor strips of resilient material mounted between said angle irons and the floor to form an acoustic seal and a vibration isolator between said floor and said enclosure.

9. A sound proof enclosure as set forth in claim 8 in which said panels comprise:

hinged panels mounted to swing about a plurality of horizontal members of said enclosure framework in the area where the noise producing elements and can blank feed mechanism is found to provide ease of access from the exterior.

10. A sound proof enclosure as set forth in claim 8 in which said panels comprise;

a plurality of flat panels being mounted adjacent each other to form an uninterrupted surface whereby a barrier is formed against the passage of sound from said bodymaker to the exterior of the enclosure.

11. A sound proof enclosure as set forth in claim 9,

in which said hinged panels further comprise;

a rectangular panel,

a lip about the margin of the rectangular panel where it abuts fixed panels and extending from the panel surface toward the fixed panel,

a strip of sound deadening resilient material such as felt and of a thickness greater than the lip mounted inside the panel surface and adjacent to said lip whereby when said hinged panel rests against said fixed panels said strip lies between said hinged and fixed panel and prevents actual contact between said panels thus preventing sound transmission by direct contact between said panels and the escape of sound and vapor from said enclosure.

12. An enclosure as set forth in claim 8 comprising further:

a first bar and a second bar extending laterally across said bodymaker, parallel to each other and spaced from each other,

a first column mounted upon said first bar and slidable thereon,

a second column spaced from said first column and mounted upon said first bar and slidable thereon,

a third column mounted upon said second bar and slidable thereon,

a fourth column spaced from said third column and mounted upon said second bar and slidable thereon, whereby said first, second, third and fourth columns guide a stack of body blanks into said body processing, hood means extending adjacent said first and second column means,

first resilient gasket means mounted between said hood and said first and second columns whereby said resilient gasket means isolates the hood from vibrations of the first and second columns.

13. An enclosure as set forth in claim 12 comprising further:

a cover mounted about said columns to impede noise from escaping from the enclosure,

a first flat gasket member mounted in the space between said first and second column and said cover and said stack of can body blanks,

a second flat gasket member mounted in the space between said second and third column and said cover and said stack of can body blanks,

a third flat gasket member mounted in the space between said third and fourth columns and said cover and said stack, and

a fourth flat gasket member mounted in the space be tween said fourth and first columns and said cover and said stack whereby said first, second, third and fourth flat gasket means close open spaces between said stack and said cover and inhibit the passage of sound from said bodymaker out of said enclosure.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,860,086

DATED January 14, 1975 I O Gautam K. Mahajan and Robert A. Suthard It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 1, line 10, change "industrail" to --industrial-; Col. 2, line 65, change "thee" to -.--the-; Col. 3, line 23, change "ach" to -each--;

line l7, change "re' to -are-;

line 35, change "furrther" to further--;

Signed and Scaled this thirteenth Day of January 1976 [SEAL] A ttest.

RUTH c. MASON c. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,860,086 DATED January 14, 1975 iNVEN O I Gautam K. Mahajan and Robert A. Suthard It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

O Col. 1, line 10, change "industrail" to industrial;

Col. 2, line 65, change "thee" to -.--the-; Col. 3, line 23, change "ach" to --'-each-;

line l7, change "re" to --are-;

line 35, change "furrther" to -further; O

Signed and Sealed this thirte Day Of January 1976 [SEAL] Attest.

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner ofPatenls and Trademarks

Claims

1. In combination with a bodymaker having a can body station with noise producing elements: an enclosure for said bodymaker having two side walls and having top front and back walls which re formed in part of sound reflecting surface panels resting against said enclosure, and a blower mounted in a wall of said enclosure for blowing fluid out of the interior of said enclosure whereby a negative pressure is generated in said enclosure and said surface panels are pulled against the enclosure to form a seal against the escape of sound and vapor from said enclosure.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said enclosure further comprises: a framework for supporting the walls and surface panels of said enclosure, and resilient material mounted between said framework and the floor upon which the bodymaker and enclosure rests to form a seal between said framework and said floor whereby vibration is impeded from passing from said floor to said framework.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which said enclosure furrther comprises: resilient material mounted between said framework and said panels for cushioning said panels against said framework and hindering the transmission of sound from said framework to said panels.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said enclosure further comprises: a series of compartments having outer and inner walls, the outer walls of the compartments forming at least some of the exterior walls of said enclosure.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which said enclosure further comprises: a passageway through a wall of said enclosure for housing an infeed hopper. acoustic sealing means extending about said passageway for obstructing the passage of sound from the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 in which said acoustic sealing means comprises: vertical columns extending through said passageway, means for moving said columns laterally to fit various sizes of body blanks, and acoustic absorptive gasket members to snugly fit the outside edges of a stack of body blanks between said vertical columns whereby noise from inside the enclosure is prevented from escaping.

7. An acoustic enclosure for a bodymaker including: a strip of resilient material extending along the lower surface of a horizontal element of the angle iron member which extends around the periphery of said enclosure and said strip extends between said horizontal element and the floor upon which said enclosure rests whereby said bottom frame members are solated from the floor vibration caused by said bodymaker and gaps between said frame members and said floor are filled to prevent noise leak.

8. A sound proof enclosure for a bodymaker having noise producing elements comprising: a plurality of flat panels mounted to surround said machine comprising: a plurality of panels formed into an enclosure having a top, front, sides and back for the containing of sound inside said enclosure; a framework having angle irons mounted inside said enclosure and acting to support said enclosure from the floor strips of resilient material mounted between said angle irons and the floor to form an acoustic seal and a vibration isolator between said floor and said enclosure.

9. A sound proof enclosure as set forth in claim 8 in which said panels comprise: hinged panels mounted to swing about a plurality of horizontal members of said enclosure framework in the area where the noise producing elements and can blank feed mechanism is found to provide ease of access from the exterior.

10. A sound proof enclosure as set forth in claim 8 in which said panels comprise; a plurality of flat panels being mounted adjacent each other to form an uninterrupted surface whereby a barrier is formed against the passage of sound from said bodymaker to the exterior of the enclosure.

11. A sound proof enclosure as set forth in claim 9, in which said hinged panels further comprise; a rectangular panel, a lip about the margin of the rectangular panel where it abuts fixed panels and extending from the panel surface toward the fixed panel, a strip of sound deadening resilient material such as felt and of a thickness greater than the lip mounted inside the panel surface and adjacent to said lip whereby when said hinged panel rests against said fixed panels said strip lies between said hinged and fixed panel and prevents actual contact between said panels thus preventing sound transmission by direct contact between said panels and the escape of sound and vapor from said enclosure.

12. An enclosure as set forth in claim 8 comprising further: a first bar and a second bar extending laterally across said bodymaker, parallel to each other and spaced from each other, a first column mounted upon said first bar and slidable thereon, a second column spaced from said first column and mounted upon said first bar and slidable thereon, a third column mounted upon said second bar and slidable thereon, a fourth column spaced from said third column and mounted upon said second bar and slidable thereon, whereby said first, second, third and fourth columns guide a stack of body blanks into said body processing, hood means extending adjacent said first and second column means, first resilient gasket means mounted between said hood and said first and second columns whereby said resilient gasket means isolates the hood from vibrations of the first and second columns.

13. An enclosure as set forth in claim 12 comprising further: a cover mounted about said columns to impede noise from escaping from the enclosure, a first flat gasket member mounted in the space between said first and second column and said cover and said stack of can body blanks, a second flat gasket member mounted in the space between said second and third column and said cover and said stack of can body blanks, a third flat gasket member mounted in the space between said third and fourth columns and said cover and said stack, and a fourth flat gasket member mounted in the space between said fourth and first columns and said cover and said stack whereby said first, second, third and fourth flat gasket means close open spaces between said stack and said cover and inhibit the passage of sound from said bodymaker out of said enclosure.