Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D51/00—Making hollow objects
  • B21D51/16—Making hollow objects characterised by the use of the objects
  • B21D51/38—Making inlet or outlet arrangements of cans, tins, baths, bottles, or other vessels; Making can ends; Making closures

Definitions

• This invention relates to can ends, and particularly to ends for cans filled with food or non-carbonated beverages .
• the can is provided with at least one deformable wall element, generally in the top or bottom end of the can, which is deformed after filling and seaming to reduce the internal volume of the can and thus to increase the internal pressure.
• the present invention seeks to provide a manufacturing process for deformable can ends of this type, which is both efficient and reliable.
• a method of manufacturing a can end comprising the steps of:- i) forming an end shell comprising a radially outer seaming flange, a chuck wall adjacent the seaming flange, a centre panel and an axially downward countersink joining the centre panel to the chuck wall; ii) converting the shell to an easy open can end by the steps of:- a) forming a score on a portion of the centre panel, b) raising a rivet on the centre panel, and c) forming a tab and attaching the tab to the rivet, and subsequently, iii) reforming the end by moving the centre panel and the seaming flange one with respect to the other to raise the centre panel above the level of the seaming flange.
• the invention further resides in a method of manufacturing a package comprising the steps of: i) forming an end shell comprising a radially outer seaming flange, a chuck wall adjacent the seaming flange, a centre panel and an axially downward countersink joining the centre panel to the chuck wall; ii) converting the shell to an easy open can end by the steps of:- a) forming a score on a portion of the centre panel, b) raising a rivet on the centre panel, and c) forming a tab and attaching the tab to the rivet, iii) subsequently reforming the end by moving the centre panel and the seaming flange one with respect to the other to raise the centre panel above the level of the seaming flange; iv) securing the end onto a can body which has been filled with product, and v) performing a second reforming operation on the can end to move the centre panel and the seaming flange one with respect to the other to lower the centre panel to a height below
• the invention further resides in a further method of manufacturing a can end comprising the steps of: i) forming an end shell comprising a radially outer seaming flange, a chuck wall adjacent the seaming flange, a centre panel and an axially downward countersink joining the centre panel to the chuck wall; ii) supporting the end shell in a carrier belt; iii) moving the carrier belt to transport the end shell to a conversion station, where the shell is converted to an easy open end by the steps of: a) forming a score on a portion of the centre panel, b) raising a rivet on the centre panel, and c) forming a tab and attaching the tab to the rivet, iv) moving the carrier belt to transport the converted end to a reform station, where the end is reformed by moving the centre panel and the seaming flange one with respect to the other to raise the centre panel above the level of the seaming flange.
• deformable can ends can be manufactured on equipment similar to that used for the manufacture of conventional beverage can ends, or even by modifying existing equipment.
• the additional reforming of the centre panel can be carried out directly after the can end leaves the conversion station, rather than requiring the can ends to be transported to a separate reforming machine.
• the step of reforming the can ends comprises the steps of:
• the reforming step preferably includes moving the punch upwardly with respect to the clamping ring.
• Fig.l is a schematic process diagram showing the stages in the manufacture of can ends according to the method of the present invention.
• Figs. 2A and 2B are schematic sectional views of tooling for the reshaping of can ends according to the method of Fig.l. Referring to Fig.l a process for the manufacture of can ends is shown in schematic form. A coil 1 of pre- lacquered and lubricated aluminium alloy is fed to a - -
• shell press 2 which stamps out blanks and forms them into a shell shown generally at 3.
• end shells There are a variety of techniques for forming these end shells, and examples are given in US 4571978, US 4109599 and EP 0398529B to name but three.
• the end shell 2 is then fed on a carrier belt to a curler 4 which curls over the edges of the shell to form a seaming flange shown at 5.
• the curled shells 4 are then fed into a liner 6 where they are inverted, spun and compound is injected onto the underside of the seaming flange as shown at 7.
• a lining machine is given in GB 2042373.
• the lined end shells are then fed on the carrier belt to a conversion press, shown generally at 8.
• a rivet 17 is raised on the centre panel 9 of the shell, and a score is applied to the centre panel to define a portion operable to produce an opening therein.
• More aluminium end stock 10 is used to produce a tab 18 which is staked to the end shell via the rivet on the centre panel.
• the resulting can end is shown generally at 11.
• the can ends 11 are then fed on the carrier belt to a reshaping station 12 where the centre panel 9 is pushed upwardly to form the completed can end shown at 13.
• Fig.2A shows the can end 11 (shown minus its tab 18 for the sake of clarity) at the reshaping station 12.
• the centre panel 9 of the can end is pushed upwardly by a punch 14, the seaming flange 5 of the end being supported by a seaming panel support ring 15 and curl support ring 16 respectively.
• the punch 14 is retracted, and the can end exits the reshaping station 12 on the carrier belt.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Rigid Containers With Two Or More Constituent Elements (AREA)
• Containers Opened By Tearing Frangible Portions (AREA)
• Glass Compositions (AREA)
• Spark Plugs (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Piezo-Electric Or Mechanical Vibrators, Or Delay Or Filter Circuits (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=10810864

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1997
  • 1997-04-16 GB GBGB9707678.0A patent/GB9707678D0/en active Pending
• 1998
  • 1998-04-14 EP EP98917346A patent/EP0975449B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-04-14 DE DE69803980T patent/DE69803980D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-04-14 AT AT98917346T patent/ATE213675T1/de active
  • 1998-04-14 WO PCT/GB1998/001072 patent/WO1998046383A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 1998-04-14 JP JP54361598A patent/JP4119488B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-04-14 AU AU70591/98A patent/AU7059198A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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