# US 5,349,843 A · Overhead belt discharge apparatus for container end closures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,349,843 A - Document ID: US5349843A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/083,622 - Filed: 1993-06-25 - Granted: 1994-09-27 - Earliest claimed: 1992-08-06 - Assignees: Buhrke Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Martin M. Hubball - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5349843A ## CPC - B21D 51/44: Making closures, e.g. caps (folded of thin metal foils in the way of making paper caps B31D5/00; making closures in conjunction with applying same B67B) - B21D 43/12: by chains or belts {(B21D43/145 takes precedence)} - B21D 51/38: Making inlet or outlet arrangements of cans, tins, baths, bottles, or other vessels; Making can ends; Making closures - B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F) ## Abstract An end discharge system is disclosed for quickly removing blanked and formed end closures from a forming press, the end discharge system including rotating overhead belts mounted closely adjacent the press tooling, and operable to receive air-blasted or otherwise-ejected pre-curled end closures from the forming tooling and then rapidly draw the discharged end underneath the belt along a guide track in a discharge plate away from the tooling area, for subsequent delivery to associated cross conveyors or other end collection equipment. The belt discharge apparatus allows the container ends to be quickly deposited in a uniform, consistently spaced line or pattern upon the associated cross conveyors, all without any substantial damage to the ends and any coated surfaces thereon. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An improved formed end discharge apparatus for discharging blanked and formed container ends from a forming press having end forming tooling, the improvement comprising: a discharge plate mounted in close proximity to said end forming tooling and extending away from said end forming tooling; and at least one rotating discharge belt mounted in close spatial relationship along said discharge plate for rotation therealong, said rotating discharge belt having a nose end mounted closely adjacent to said forming tooling so as to engage formed ends ejected from said forming tooling, said discharge belt being further adapted to convey said formed ends along said discharge plate to a discharge position after said nose end engages said formed ends. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The invention of claim 1, wherein an ejection means is mounted adjacent to said end forming tooling and is operable to eject said formed ends therefrom towards said nose end of said rotating discharge belt so that said nose end can engage said formed ends. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The invention of claim 2, wherein said ejection means comprises a first air supply member which provides a blast of air to said formed ends so as to force said formed ends towards said nose end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The invention of claim 1, wherein a guide track is formed along said discharge plate, in alignment with said discharge belt, to receive and guide each said formed ends engaged by said nose end and conveyed by said discharge belt. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The invention of claim 4, wherein said guide track is formed with undercut portions for retainably guiding said ends drawn therealong by said rotating discharge belt. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The invention of claim 4, wherein said guide track is formed within said discharge plate at an incline thereto. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The invention of claim 1, wherein a discharge aperture means is formed in said discharge plate which is in alignment with said discharge belt, said discharge aperture means being operable to receive said formed ends conveyed along said discharge plate by said discharge belt and permit removal of said ends from said discharge plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The invention of claim 7, wherein an end ejector means is mounted in close proximity to said discharge aperture means such that said end ejector means is operable to assist the removal of said formed end through said discharge aperture means from said discharge plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The invention of claim 8, wherein said end ejector means comprises a second air supply member which provides a blast of air directed on said formed end to force said formed end through said discharge aperture means. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The invention of claim 7, wherein an end collection means is mounted proximate said discharge aperture means and is operable to receive said formed ends removed from said discharge plate through said discharge aperture means. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The invention of claim 10, wherein said end collection means comprises a rotating conveyor belt. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The invention of claim 7, wherein said rotating conveyor belt is mounted substantially perpendicular to said rotating discharge belt. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The invention of claim 1, wherein said ends include ferrous material and said rotating conveyor belt is magnetized so as to readily attract said ends discharge thereon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The invention of claim 1, wherein said end forming tooling is mounted substantially vertically and said discharge belt and said discharge plate extend longitudinally away from said end forming tooling. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The invention of claim 1, wherein said end forming tooling is mounted at an angle to the horizontal and said discharge plate is curved such that such nose end is closely adjacent said forming tooling. ### Claim 16 An improved end discharge apparatus for removing blanked and formed container ends from a forming press having a plurality of end forming tooling, the improvement comprising: a discharge plate having a plurality of guide track means, said guide track means being respectively mounted in close proximity to each of said end forming toolings and extending away from said end forming toolings; and a plurality of rotating discharge belts, each of said discharge belts mounted in close spatial relationship along each one of said guide track means for rotation therealong, said rotating discharge belts having a nose end mounted closely adjacent to said forming tooling so as to engage formed ends ejected from said forming tooling, said plurality of discharge belts being further adapted to convey said formed ends along said guide track means after said nose ends engage said formed ends. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The invention of claim 16, wherein a plurality of ejection means are mounted adjacent to said forming toolings and are operable to eject said formed ends therefrom towards said nose ends of said discharge belts so that said nose ends can engage said formed ends. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The invention of claim 17, wherein said plurality of ejection means comprises a first plurality of air supply members which provide blasts of air to said formed ends so as to force said formed ends toward said nose ends. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The invention of claim 16, wherein each of said plurality of guide track means is formed along said discharge plate, each said guide track means being in alignment with one of said plurality of discharge belts, to receive and guide each said formed end engaged by each said nose end and conveyed by each said discharge belt. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The invention of claim 19, wherein a portion of said plurality of guide track means is comprised of configured guide tracks shaped to confine said formed ends to sliding movement within said configured guide tracks. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The invention of claim 20, wherein another portion of said plurality of guide track means is comprised of inclined guide tracks. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The invention of claim 21, wherein a plurality of discharge aperture means are formed in said discharge plate, each of said plurality of discharge aperture means being disposed in one of said plurality of guide track means and being operable to receive and allow removal of said formed ends conveyed along each said guide track means by each said discharge belt. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The invention of claim 22, wherein a plurality of end ejector means are mounted in close proximity to each of said plurality of discharge aperture means such that each said end ejector means is operable to assist the removal of each said formed end through each said discharge aperture means. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The invention of claim 23, wherein each of said plurality of end ejector means comprises a second air supply member which provides a blast of air to said formed ends so as to force said formed ends through each said discharge aperture means. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The invention of claim 24, wherein at least one end collection means is mounted proximate to said plurality of discharge aperture means and is operable to receive said formed ends removed by said plurality of discharge aperture means. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The invention of claim 25, wherein said end collection means comprises a rotating conveyor belt. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The invention of claim 25, and having a first and second set of staggered forming tooling and said nose ends of each said discharge belt are in close proximity to each said forming tooling to engage said formed ends and convey said formed ends along each respective said guide track means. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The invention of claim 27, wherein said inclined guide tracks are aligned with the first set of staggered forming tooling and configured guide tracks are aligned with said second set of staggered forming tooling, said plurality of discharge belts operating at different speeds over the configured guide tracks and inclined guide tracks so that the formed ends are conveyed to respective said discharge aperture means substantially simultaneously. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The invention of claim 28, wherein said plurality of ejection means substantially simultaneously eject said formed ends from said plurality of staggered forming toolings and said end ejector means substantially simultaneously ejects said formed ends from said discharge aperture means. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The invention of claim 29, wherein the operational speed of the said plurality of discharge belts is coordinated with the location of said discharge aperture means so that said formed ends may be substantially simultaneously ejected onto said end collection means. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The invention of claim 30, wherein said formed ends are ejected onto said end collection means in substantially the same position as the location of said plurality of discharge aperture means. ### Claim 32 (depends on 16) The invention of claim 16, wherein said end forming tooling is mounted substantially vertically and said discharge belt and said discharge plate extend longitudinally away from said end forming tooling. ### Claim 33 (depends on 16) The invention of claim 16, wherein said end forming tooling is mounted at an angle to the horizontal and said discharge plate is curved such that such nose end is closely adjacent said forming tooling.