Stolle Machinery Company, LLC

Mark Richard Mitchell

Craig Allen McEldowney

Dennis Cornelius Stammen

Gregory H Butcher

Christopher Lawrence Macke

Greg Scott Williams

Robert Herbert Brussell

David A Stradling

Kenneth F Fultz

Aaron Emmanuel Carstens

Andrew Thomas Hogenkamp

A can end including a central panel with an expandable bubble disposed thereon is provided. The use of an expandable bubble allows for an expandable rivet button and thereafter an expandable rivet that has an enhanced overlap of a tab body. Such an expandable rivet allows for the use of a metal sheet with a thinner base thickness.

Shell with expandable rivet button and tooling therefor

A tab stock feeder assembly for a press includes a plurality of support elements, a plurality of rotating elements, and a number of operative elements. Each rotating element is rotatably coupled to an associated support element. Each operative element coupled to at least one of the support element or one of the rotating element and wherein each the operative element is structured to be engaged by a rotating element. The tab stock feeder assembly further includes a wear reduction assembly including a plurality of wear reducing elements. A plurality of support elements have at least one wear reduction assembly wear reducing element disposed between a rotating element and the associated support element.

Conversion press and tab stock feeder assembly therefor

A shell including a central panel with an expandable bubble disposed thereon is provided. The use of an expandable bubble allows for an expandable rivet button and thereafter an expandable rivet that has an enhanced overlap of a tab body. Such an expandable rivet allows for the use of a metal sheet with a thinner base thickness.

Shell with expandable bubble and tooling therefor

A method of forming a can end shell is provided which includes providing a can end shell having a central panel portion, a first panel radius around the central panel portion, a chamfer extending from the first panel radius, and a second panel radius around the chamfer, coining the can end shell to form a coined section in the first panel radius around at least a portion of the circumference of the central panel portion, and reforming the can end shell to form a step in the chamfer.

End closure with coined panel radius and reform step

A tab is provided, which includes a body having first and second opposing ends, a nose portion disposed at or about the first end of the body, a lift portion disposed at or about the second end of the body of the tab, and a rivet receiving portion disposed proximate the nose portion. The rivet receiving portion includes a generally planar portion, a rivet hole having a perimeter, and an upturned portion extending upwardly from the generally planar portion about the perimeter of the rivet hole. The upturned portion reinforces the rivet hole and has an arcuate cross section profile. An integral rivet extends through the rivet hole and is staked to affix the tab to a can end. The upturned portion is devoid of any corners or edges both before and after the integral rivet is staked.

Tab with reinforced rivet hole, and tooling and associated method for providing same

A tooling assembly for scoring a can end is provided. First and second opposing tool members cooperate to create a depression in the can end, and to form a scoreline within the depression. A conversion press for converting a can end shell into a can end, and a method for scoring a can end are also provided. The method includes engaging a first side of the can end with a score knife, supporting at least a portion of a second side of the can end with a score anvil, depressing the can end into a cavity of the score anvil to form the depression, and forming the scoreline within the depression. The depression and scoreline are formed substantially simultaneous within the same tool station of the conversion press. A sealant, which is applied to the scoreline, forms a pool within the depression, thereby completely covering the scoreline.

Can end scoring method, and tooling assembly and conversion press therefor

The invention generally relates to a tab used to open food can ends and beer/beverage can ends. The tab has a nose portion located at a front end of the tab and a lift portion located at a back end of the tab. The tab also has a rivet receiving portion located proximate to the nose portion with a rivet hole. The rivet receiving portion is coupled to the nose portion. The rivet hole has a non-round perimeter with a first diameter portion and a second diameter portion. The first diameter portion has a plurality of first arcuate segments and the second diameter portion has a plurality of notches. The second diameter portion is greater in length than the first diameter portion. Tooling for the manufacture of the tab is also provided. A method for manufacturing the tab is additionally provided as well.

Tab, tooling for the manufacture of the tab and method of manufacturing the tab

A tab is used to open beer/beverage can ends and food can ends. The tab has one or more arcuate strips that are provided on a surface of the tab proximate to a peripheral surface of the tab where the one or more arcuate strips have been formed further into a preselected portion of curled or hemmed portions of the tab. Tooling for the manufacture of the tab is also provided. A method for manufacturing the tab is additionally provided as well.

Growing community of inventors

Sidney, OH, United States of America

Mark Richard Mitchell