Can end conversion system

A can end conversion system comprising at least one flexible belt supported in a loop path including upper and lower flights,

• means for moving said belt lengthwise in a predetermined direction with an intermittent motion of predetermined increments,
• a plurality of nests attached to said belt along centerlines which are parallel to the loop path of said belt and extending in at least one lane longitudinally of said belt whereby each nest can traverse the extent of the loop path along said upper and lower flights,
• each said nest having at least one nest ring for receiving and securely holding a can end shell, the nest rings in the respective nests being aligned along said at least one lane longitudinally of said belt, successive ones of said nests being spaced apart a common distance which is equal to the increment of motion of said at least one belt,
• means for raising and lowering a section of said belt and attached nests along said upper flight of said belt during each incremental motion thereof,
• first and second sets of progressive tooling for working on end shells, said tooling having cooperating upper and lower parts and being arranged in successive stations along a predetermined processing path to form a predetermined pour opening in the shells and then to attach a foil type tab over such pour openings;
• means for moving a web of foil tab material in increments over and across said belt at a location along said belt past the first set of tooling to present foil material over a pour opening formed in each shell,
• the second set of tooling including means for blanking a tab from the foil material and pressing the resultant tab onto the shell as a closure to pour opening and further means for reforming the region of the shell around the pour opening with the tab in place, and
• means for unloading completed can end shells from the nests.

A process for converting can end shells into easy open can ends having a foil type tab covering a pour opening, comprising

• providing first and second sets of progressive tooling for working on end shells, said tooling having cooperating upper and lower parts and being arranged in successive stations along a predetermined processing path to form a predetermined pour opening in the shells with the first tooling set and then to attach a foil type tab over such pour openings with the second tooling set,
• providing a continuous conveyor belt having regularly spaced openings therein spaced apart corresponding to the spacing of the tooling stations, said openings extending along at least one lane longitudinally of the belt,
• supporting the belt on first and second drums respectively at opposite ends of the predetermined path to define upper and lower flights of said conveyor belt, the upper flight extending though the first and second sets of tooling,
• driving the belt around the first and second drums in incremental steps corresponding to the spacing of the tooling and thereby moving the upper flight through the first and second sets of tooling when the tooling parts are opened,
• providing carrier nests fitted into the openings in the belt, the nests including an array of flexible fingers adapted to engage a major extent of the periphery of a shell to hold the shell therein during conversion work on the shell as the shell is passed through the tooling,
• providing a loading station along the upper belt flight located between the first drum and the first set of tooling stations,
• presenting an end shell to each nest located at the loading station and placing a presented end shell onto the fingers.
• providing an unloading station beyond the second set of tooling whereby each completed end processed through the tooling sets is removed from the belt,
• moving a web of foil tab material in increments over and across the belt at the location of the first stations of the second set of tooling to present foil material over a pour opening in each shell,
• blanking tabs from the foil material and pressing the resultant tab onto the shells as a closure to the pour openings.