Computer controlled cup forming machine
View Patent ↗A computer controlled cup forming machine is provided. The computer controlled cup forming machine has a main motor, a main controller, and a plurality of workstations having individual motors electrically connected to the main motor and the main controller. The main controller develops electrical signals of a drive or motion profile that are sent to the individual motors, and the main motor sends additional electrical signals to the individual motors to initiate the drive profiles at the individual motors. The main controller also has an input station to quantitatively control each of the individual motors.
1. A computer controlled cup forming machine comprising:
a main turret assembly rotatably mounted on a shaft and a plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly; and,
a main motor driving the main turret assembly, the main motor electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly, the main motor developing electrical signals of the position of the main motor and sending the electrical signals to the workstations electronically connected thereto to initiate action of the workstations.
2. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 1 , wherein the main motor is electronically connected to another motor of at least one of the plurality of workstations, and wherein the main motor sends electrical signals to initiate action of at least one of the workstations.
3. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of drive motors for the plurality of the workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly.
4. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 3 , wherein the main motor is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of drive motors.
5. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 1 , further comprising separate drive motors for the plurality of the workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly.
6. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 1 , further comprising separate drive motors for each of the plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly, the main motor being electrically connected to at least one of the drive motors for the plurality of workstations.
7. A computer controlled cup forming machine comprising:
a main turret assembly and a plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly;
individual motors for the plurality of the workstations; and,
a main controller storing drive profiles for the individual motors, the main controller being electrically connected to the individual motors to send signals of the drive profiles to the individual motors.
8. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 7 , further comprising an input station electrically connected to the main controller, wherein a dwell period in the drive profiles can be adjusted at the input station and set independent of a machine speed of the cup forming machine.
9. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 7 , further comprising a main motor, the main motor electrically connected to at least one of the individual motors for the workstations, the main motor developing electrical signals of the position of the main motor and sending the electrical signals to the at least one of the individual motors electronically connected thereto to initiate action of the workstation.
10. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 7 , wherein the individual motors can be independently operated.
11. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 7 , wherein the workstations can be independently operated.
12. A computer controlled cup forming machine comprising:
a main turret assembly and a plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly;
a plurality of the workstations having individual motors; and,
a main controller electrically connected to a plurality of the individual motors, the main controller having an input station to quantitatively adjust control parameters for the motors, and the main controller sending signals to the motors of the adjusted control parameters to assist in quantitatively controlling motion of the motors.
13. A computer controlled cup forming machine comprising:
a main turret assembly and a plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly:
a main turret assembly having a main motor;
a plurality of workstations adjacent the main turret assembly, the plurality of workstations having individual motors therefor; and,
a main controller electrically connected to the main motor and the individual motors to send control signals to a plurality of the motors to independently operate the motors.
14. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 13 , wherein the main controller has a memory for storing drive profiles for the individual motors.
15. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 13 , further comprising an input station electrically connected to the main controller, wherein a dwell period for drive profiles for at least one of the individual motors can be adjusted at the input station and set independent of a machine speed of the cup forming machine.
16. The computer controlled cup forming machine of claim 13 , wherein the main motor is electrically connected to at least one of the individual motors for the workstations, the main motor developing electrical signals of the position of the main motor and sending the electrical signals to the at least one of the individual motors electronically connected thereto to initiate action of the workstation.
17. A cup forming machine supported on a frame, the machine comprising:
a main turret rotatably mounted in association with the frame and a plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret;
a master motor having an encoder and a programmable limit switch, the master motor being mechanically coupled to the main turret to drive the main turret, the encoder further developing an electronic signal of the position of the master motor;
a plurality of workstations radially spaced about the main turret, wherein a plurality of the plurality of workstations have a motor coupled thereto;
a controller electrically connected to the master motor and to a plurality of the motors coupled to the workstations, the controller sending output signals to the plurality of motors coupled to the workstations.
18. The cup forming machine of claim 17 , wherein a plurality of the motors for the plurality of workstations are electronically coupled to the master motor.
19. The cup forming machine of claim 18 , wherein the programmable limit switch has outputs, wherein the programmable limit switch outputs are electronically connected to a plurality of motors of the workstations, and wherein an electronic signal is sent from the programmable limit switch output to motors of the workstations electrically connected thereto.
20. The cup forming machine of claim 17 , wherein the controller has a memory and stores drive profiles for a plurality of the motors coupled to the plurality of workstations.
21. The cup forming machine of claim 17 , further comprising a virtual motor electrically coupled to the master motor to mirror an output signal of the master motor.
22. The cup forming machine of claim 21 , wherein the virtual motor is coupled at an electronic one to one ratio with the main motor.
23. The cup forming machine of claim 22 , wherein the virtual motor is electrically connected to another plurality of the motors for the plurality of workstations.
24. The cup forming machine of claim 23 , wherein the virtual motor has a plurality of programmable limit switch outputs, and wherein an electronic signal is sent from the programmable limit switch output of the virtual motor to the motors electrically connected thereto.
25. The cup forming machine of claim 17 , wherein an output of the programmable limit switch is electrically connected to an input of at least one of the motors receiving signals from the master motor.
26. The cup forming machine of claim 19 , wherein the electrical connection between the programmable limit switch outputs of the master motor and the motors of the workstations comprises an electrical wire.
27. A method for forming a cup on a computer controlled cup forming machine, comprising the steps of:
providing a machine having a main turret assembly rotatably mounted on a shaft and a plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly;
generating an electronic signal of the position of the main motor;
sending the electronic signal to motors at the plurality of workstations spaced about the main turret assembly to initiate action of the other motors.
28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising the step of: storing drive profiles in a controller;
generating an electronic signal of the drive profiles for the motors at the plurality of workstations;
sending the electronic signal to the motors.
29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising the step of:
adjusting control parameters at an input module and sending an electronic signal of the adjusted control parameters to the motors of the plurality of workstations.
30. A method for forming a cup on a computer controlled cup forming machine, comprising the steps of:
providing a machine having a main turret assembly rotatably mounted on a shaft and a plurality of workstations spaced about the periphery of the main turret assembly;
storing drive profiles for a plurality of motors for the cup forming machine in a controller;
generating electronic signals of the drive profiles for the plurality of motors;
sending the electronic signals to the motors.
31. The method of claim 30 , further comprising the step of:
electronically adjusting at least one drive profile and sending an electronic signal of the adjusted drive profile to at least one of the plurality of motors.