American Can Company

Harold C Lemke

Edward F Kubacki

Vance B Gold

Stanley E Rohowetz

Harold J Jessogne

Frederick G Kudert

Frank J Herdzina, Jr

Bengt S Backe

Hans Kossmann

William D Timmins

George Alan Schmidt

A method and apparatus are disclosed and can be used to fabricate a complete container end closure including an inwardly tipped cover hook located along the peripheral extremity. The apparatus and its use in performing the method are unique in that one tool does all the forming to produce the complete end closure. More particularly, the cover hook is preformed by a first tool operation and then finally formed by a subsequent step wherein the preformed end is reformed to a final configuration in a step which is completely independent of the first tool.

Forming of end closures

The present invention pertains to a machine and method of adhering a can opening key to a container and the article formed by such method and machine. More specifically, this invention pertains to the taping of a can opening key to a can body wall by means of a continuous motion high speed machine for applying a polymeric film carrying an adhesive on a surface thereof.

Apparatus for adhering a can opening key to a container

Method of securing opener key to a container using oriented

One assembly part is bonded to another by a patch separated from an adhesive strip by a piercing punch after which the separated patch is applied to the assembly parts in a controlled, conformed manner by a bonding punch which may be coaxial with the piercing punch.

Adhesive bonding of assembly parts

Work pieces, particularly thin-walled shells of can dimension, are transferred from a magazine at a supply station to another station by a reciprocal shuttle having a pocket for receiving the shells in ready position at the supply station; at the other station, a reciprocal loader transfers the shell laterally from the shuttle to a work station where the work product is produced. The shuttle incorporates a second pocket to receive the work product and includes a surface for gating the supply magazine as an incident to shuttle travel. By locating the path of the shuttle above the path of the loader, it is possible to coordinate shuttle and loader movement for maximum utilization of time. Shells fed to the magazine are constantly aligned inside the magazine to assure effective bottom feed from the magazine to the shuttle.

Shuttle transfer mechanism

Elongated closed bottom shells (cans) are produced in the preferred manner by a double-acting punch body arranged on a horizontal axis and reciprocated between opposed die stations at a substantially constant velocity by a hydraulic force alternately applied to opposite sides of a ram on the punch body; blanks (of cup form) are fed to the die stations at times when the punch body dwells at the end of a stroke. Preferably the applied force is such that punch body attains peak (maximum) velocity before the punch encounters a cup centered at the die station; cup feed, cup positioning, punch body travel and formation of a shell of correct length are monitored (sensed) and in the event a programmed condition of machine function or production criterion is sensed as not satisfied, the machine is stopped. During the return stroke of the punch body, after a shell is formed at one station, fluid under pressure is applied by a unique porting arrangement to a separable part of the punch, which thereby serves as a stripper to hold the completed shell stationary at the die station while the remainder of the punch body is retracted from the shell; concurrently, air under pressure is ported in a unique fashion to break any vacuum inside of the shell. After the shell is stripped, the stripper is retracted at an accelerated rate to re-couple with the punch body as it moves toward the other die station. The main cylinder is so supported that thermal effects will not disturb the alignment of the punch body relative to the dies.

Growing community of inventors

Grayslake, IL, United States of America

Harold C Lemke