System for forming and securing lift-tabs to can ends having a drive belt

• US 7,234,907 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerry Artrip
• Original Assignee: Jerry Artrip
• Inventors: Artrip, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson; Lowell A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JIMMY T
• Application Number:
  US11/406,563
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 413/8, 413/12, 413/14, 413/16, 413/25, 413/56, 413/66, 413/70, 724/050.1, 724/050.6, 294/29, 294/30, 298/01
• US Class Current: 413/66
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 51/383 scoring lines, tear strips or pulling tabs

Abstract

A system for forming and attaching lift-tabs to can ends to form easy opening lift-tab can ends comprises a frame and a tab press for forming a lift-tab. The system also includes a drive roller adapted to move the strip of metal stock material through the tab press. The system further includes a conversion press for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end, a conveyor, a power source including a tab press power source, and a crank shaft operatively connected to the tab press power source. The crank shaft is adapted to transmit power for operating either or both of the tab press and the conversion press. The tab press crank shaft and the conversion press crank shaft are connected to each other by a drive belt.

Claims

1. A system for forming and attaching lift-tabs to can ends to form easy opening lift-tab can ends, wherein each of said can ends includes a rivet to which a lift-tab may be attached, said system comprising:

a frame;

a means for forming a lift-tab, said means for forming a lift-tab being mounted on the frame and adapted to form at least one lane of lift-tabs in a strip of metal stock material;

a drive roller supported on the frame and adapted to move the strip of metal stock material through the means for forming a lift-tab;

a means for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end, said means for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end being mounted on the frame and adapted to attach a lift-tab onto a can end to form an easy opening lift-tab can end, and wherein the means for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end includes a conversion press mounted on the frame, said conversion press having a locating means for placing the strip of metal stock material into the conversion press with the lift-tab being placed into working relationship with a can end so that the conversion press may detach the lift-tab from the strip and attach the lift-tab onto the can end to form an easy opening lift-tab can end;

a conveyor means for conveying the at least one lane of formed lift-tabs from the means for forming a lift-tab to the means for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end;

a power source for providing power to operate either or both of the means for forming a lift-tab and the means for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end, and wherein the power source includes a means for forming a lift-tab power source for providing power to operate the means for forming a lift-tab and the conversion press; and

a crank shaft operatively connected to the power source, said crank shaft being adapted to transmit power for operating either or both of the means for forming a lift-tab and the means for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end, and wherein the crank shaft includes a means for forming a lift-tab crank shaft that is operatively connected to the means for forming a lift-tab power source and adapted to transmit power for operating the means for forming a lift-tab and a conversion press crank shaft that is adapted to transmit power for operating the conversion press; and

wherein, the means for forming a lift-tab crank shaft and the conversion press crank shaft are connected to each other by a drive belt.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching a lift-tab onto a can end includes said conversion press having a tab ejector mounted on the frame, said conversion press being adapted to attach a lift tab onto a can end and said tab ejector being adapted to feed one lift-tab at a time into said conversion press.