Belt and drive for conversion press

In a press for performing operations on shells for can ends and the like, said press having a bed, a slide, a drive means for reciprocating said slide toward and away from said bed, a set of cooperating progressive tooling supported on said slide and said bed, respectively, to close and open in performing a succession of operations on shells conveyed through said press, an endless conveyor belt having an upper flight thereof positioned between said tooling, a plurality of transversely and longitudinally spaced shell receiving carrier apertures arranged in parallel lanes along said conveyor belt, said apertures being arranged in oblique alignment across said belt, and means for driving said conveyor belt in intermittent steps synchronized with said drive means whereby said conveyor belt moves the shells progressively through said tooling;

• the improvement wherein the means for driving said belt comprises:
• a drive drum having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending rounded drive pins, said drive drum being positioned for supporting said conveyor belt;
• means for intermittently rotating said drum and driving said belt in synchronism with said drive means;
• and
• means defining at least two lanes of drive holes in said conveyor belt smaller than said carrier apertures, said holes being shaped to receive said drive pins as said drive drum is rotated and wherein the center-to-center spacing between successive said holes in a longitudinal direction of said conveyor belt is at least twice as great as the center-to-center spacing along said belt between successive said carrier apertures and wherein each said hole is located on a different line extending normal to the longitudinal center line of the conveyor belt.

In a press for performing operations on shells for can ends and the like, said press having a bed, a slide, a drive means for reciprocating said slide toward and away from said bed, a set of cooperating progressive tooling supported on said slide and said bed, respectively, to close and open in performing a succession of operations on shells conveyed through said press, an endless conveyor belt having an upper level thereof positioned between said tooling, a plurality of transversely and longitudinally spaced shell receiving carrier apertures arranged in parallel lanes along said conveyor belt, said apertures being arranged in oblique alignment across said belt thereby defining belt regions generally between adjacent carrier apertures [and the edges of said belt] which regions are displaced longitudinally of the belt from each other so said regions are non-aligned [transversely] normally of said belt, and means for driving said conveyor belt in intermittent steps synchronized with said drive means whereby said conveyor belt moves the shells progressively through said tooling;

• the improvement wherein the means for driving said belt comprises:
• a drive drum having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly extending drive pins, said drive drum being positioned for supporting said conveyor belt;
• means for intermittently rotating said drum and driving said belt in synchronism with said drive means;
• and
• means defining at least two lanes of drive holes in said conveyor belt smaller than said carrier apertures and shaped to receive said drive pins as said drive drum is rotated,
• said drive holes being substantially centrally located within said belt regions to surround said drive holes with the optimum amount of belt material and being obliquely aligned transversely of said belt.

An improved conveyor belt for a container end conversion press for performing operations on can end shells,

• the conveyor belt having a plurality of transversely and longitudinally spaced carrier apertures arranged in parallel lanes along said conveyor belt, said apertures also being arranged in oblique alignment across said belt thereby defining belt regions generally between adjacent carrier apertures which regions are displaced longitudinally of the belt from each other so said regions are non-aligned normally of said belt,
• means defining drive holes in said conveyor belt smaller than said carrier apertures and shaped to receive drive pins on an intermittently rotated drive drum, and
• said drive holes being substantially centrally located within said belt regions in a manner to avoid alignment of said drive holes normally of
• said belt.