Claims
- 1. In a press assembly for producing easy-open can ends having reciprocating, multiple station tooling means for performing successive forming operations on can end workpieces and for attaching tabs to the can end workpieces to form can ends, transfer means for moving can end workpieces through said press stations comprising:
- an endless flexible belt,
- a drive means for driving said belt through the tooling stations of said press in a direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocation of said tooling means, and
- a plurality of can end carriers secured to and carried by said belt, each of said carriers comprising a shoulder adapted to support an outer edge of a can end workpiece, said can end carrier comprising at least three self-resilient fingers made from a material inherently capable of elastically flexing radially outwardly for resiliently receiving a can end workpiece, each of said fingers having detent means therein for gripping the outer edge of a can end workpiece.
- 2. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein said carrier comprises a generally annular collar and a central opening, said collar having a first inner diameter, a larger second inner diameter and said shoulder located at the junction of said first and second diameters.
- 3. The press assembly of claim 2 wherein said fingers comprise radially inward surfaces that are positioned along a circumference that is slightly smaller in diameter than said second diameter.
- 4. The press assembly of claim 3 wherein said fingers are located in recesses in said collar and project upwardly from lower surfaces in said recesses, said lower surfaces being lower than said shoulder.
- 5. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein said fingers comprise radially inward surfaces that are positioned along a circumference that is slightly smaller in diameter than said second diameter.
- 6. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein said fingers are located in recesses in said shoulder and said fingers project upwardly from lower surfaces in said recesses, said recess lower surfaces being lower than said shoulder whereby said fingers can flex outwardly in a plane generally coplanar with said shoulder.
- 7. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein said carrier is of a resilient plastic material.
- 8. The press assembly of claim 1 including fastener means for connecting said carriers to said belt.
- 9. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein said carriers are secured to said belt by means for permitting limited transverse and axial movement of said carriers relative to said belt, whereby the carriers and can ends carried thereby can automatically be aligned with tooling within the press.
- 10. The press assembly of claim 9 wherein said means for permitting movement comprises fastener means connecting said carrier to said belt, wherein there is clearance between said fastening means and one of said carrier and said belt.
- 11. In a press for producing can ends having multiple station tooling means for performing successive operations on can end workpieces, a transfer system for moving said can end workpieces through said press, said transfer system comprising:
- an endless flexible belt, and
- a plurality of can end carriers secured to and carried by said belt, each of said carriers comprising a shoulder adapted to support an outer edge of a can end workpiece and at least three cantilevered, generally vertical self-resilient fingers made from a material inherently capable of elastically flexing radially outwardly to receive a can end workpiece, said fingers having detent means therein for gripping the outer edge of a can end workpiece.
- 12. The press assembly of claim 11 wherein said carrier comprises a generally annular collar and a central opening, said collar having a first inner diameter, a larger second inner diameter and said shoulder located at the junction of said first and second diameters.
- 13. The press assembly of claim 17 wherein said fingers comprise radially inward surfaces that are positioned along a circumference that is slightly smaller in diameter than said second diameter.
- 14. The press assembly of claim 11 wherein said fingers are located in recesses in said shoulder and said fingers project upwardly from lower surfaces in said recesses, said recesses lower surfaces being lower than said shoulder whereby said fingers can flex outwardly in a plane generally coplanar with said shoulder.
- 15. The press assembly of claim 11 wherein said carriers are secured to said belt by means for permitting limited transverse and axial movement of said carriers relative to said belt, whereby the carriers and can ends carried thereby can automatically be aligned with tooling within the press.
- 16. The press assembly of claim 15 wherein said means for permitting movement comprises fastener means connecting said carrier to said belt, wherein there is clearance between said fastening means and one of said carrier and said belt.
- 17. In a press assembly for producing easy-open can ends having reciprocating, multiple station tooling means for performing successive forming operations on can workpieces and for attaching tabs to the can end workpieces to form can ends, transfer means for moving can end workpieces through said press stations comprising:
- an endless flexible belt,
- a drive means for driving said belt through the tooling stations of said press in a direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocation of said tooling, and
- a plurality of can end carriers secured to and carried by said belt, each of said carriers comprising a generally annular shoulder adapted to support an outer edge of the can end workpiece,
- said can end carrier comprising at least three resilient fingers extending generally upwardly and having detent means therein for gripping the outer edge of the can end workpiece, said fingers being located in recesses in said shoulder and said fingers projecting upwardly from lower surfaces in said recesses, said recess lower surfaces being lower than said shoulder whereby said fingers can flex outwardly in a plane generally coplanar with said shoulder.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 936,466, filed Nov. 25, 1986 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,882.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0124832 |
Nov 1901 |
DE2 |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
936466 |
Nov 1986 |
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