Conversion press for can ends

Abstract

A quick-change cartridge assembly for a conversion press includes a downstacker assembly having at least one can shell delivery apparatus for delivering can shells during use of a conversion press incorporating the quick-change cartridge assembly; one or more forming stations; a tab stake station; and a transfer belt. The transfer belt defines at least one active forming lane for conveying the can shells from the at least one can shell delivery apparatus to the one or more forming stations and the tab stake station during use of the conversion press incorporating the quick-change cartridge assembly.

1 . A conversion press for forming can ends with tabs comprising:
 a frame;   a ram movably coupled to the frame; and   at least one cartridge assembly releasably coupled to a bolster of the frame and the ram, each cartridge assembly comprising:
 one or more forming stations; 
 a tab stake station; and 
 a transfer belt that receives can shells, the transfer belt defining at least one active forming lane for conveying the can shells to the one or more forming stations and the tab stake station, where the can shells are formed into can ends with tabs as they are conveyed along the at least one active forming lane. 
   
     
     
         2 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each cartridge assembly further comprises a downstacker assembly comprising at least one can shell delivery apparatus for delivering can shells; and   the transfer belt receives the can shells from the at least one can shell delivery apparatus.   
     
     
         3 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cartridge assembly includes an upper mounting plate releasably coupled to the ram and a lower mounting plate releasably coupled to the bolster of the frame. 
     
     
         4 . The conversion press of  claim 3 , wherein the transfer belt is coupled to the lower mounting plate. 
     
     
         5 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , further comprising a tab forming and feeder apparatus configured to progressively form tabs in a tab feed stock and deliver the tab feed stock with the formed tabs to the tab stake station where the tabs are separated from a remainder of the tab feed stock and coupled to the can shells. 
     
     
         6 . The conversion press of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one cartridge assembly further comprises a scrap chopper apparatus for chopping the remainder of the tab feed stock into scrap material and the conversion press further comprises a scrap chute apparatus for discharging the scrap material from the scrap chopper apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cartridge assembly comprises two cartridge assemblies. 
     
     
         8 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more forming stations comprise one or more of a primary bubble station, a secondary bubble station, a score and button station, a panel and button restrike station, or a tab wipe down station. 
     
     
         9 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cartridge assembly comprises:
 an upper mounting plate releasably coupled to the ram using mechanical fasteners or a first magnetic fastener assembly; and   a lower mounting plate releasably coupled to the bolster of the frame using mechanical fasteners or a second magnetic fastener assembly.   
     
     
         10 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cartridge assembly comprises a lower mounting plate, and the one or more forming stations, the tab stake station, and the transfer belt are coupled to the lower mounting plate. 
     
     
         11 . The conversion press of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cartridge assembly further comprises at least one of:
 a light tester assembly that checks the formed can ends with tabs for defects; or   a drive drum that is releasably coupled to a drive shaft of the conversion press for driving the transfer belt;   wherein the at least one of the light tester assembly, or the drive drum are coupled to a lower mounting plate of the at least one cartridge assembly.   
     
     
         12 . A method for exchanging a cartridge assembly in a conversion press that comprises a frame and a ram movably coupled to the frame, the method comprising:
 removing a first cartridge assembly from the conversion press, the first cartridge assembly comprising:
 a first upper mounting plate; 
 a first lower mounting plate; 
 one or more first forming stations; 
 a first tab stake station; and 
 a first transfer belt that receives can shells, the first transfer belt defining at least one first active forming lane for conveying the can shells to the one or more first forming stations and the first tab stake station, where the can shells are formed into can ends with tabs as they are conveyed along the at least one first active forming lane; 
   wherein removing the first cartridge assembly from the conversion press comprises:
 removing the first upper mounting plate from the ram; and 
 removing the first lower mounting plate from a bolster of the frame; and 
   installing a second cartridge assembly into the conversion press in place of the first cartridge assembly, the second cartridge assembly comprising:
 a second upper mounting plate; 
 a second lower mounting plate; 
 one or more second forming stations; 
 a second tab stake station; and 
 a second transfer belt that receives can shells, the second transfer belt defining at least one second active forming lane for conveying the can shells to the one or more second forming stations and the second tab stake station, where the can shells are formed into can ends with tabs as they are conveyed along the at least one second active forming lane; and 
   wherein installing the second cartridge assembly into the conversion press comprises:
 releasably coupling the second upper mounting plate to the ram; and 
 releasably coupling the second lower mounting plate to the bolster of the frame. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first cartridge assembly further comprises a first downstacker assembly comprising at least one first can shell delivery apparatus for delivering can shells, wherein the first transfer belt receives the can shells from the at least one first can shell delivery apparatus; and   the second cartridge assembly further comprises a second downstacker assembly comprising at least one second can shell delivery apparatus for delivering can shells, wherein the second transfer belt receives the can shells from the at least one second can shell delivery apparatus.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 removing a first tab forming and feeder apparatus from the conversion press, the first tab forming and feeder apparatus configured to progressively form first tabs in a first tab feed stock and deliver the first tab feed stock with the formed first tabs to the first tab stake station where the first tabs are separated from a remainder of the first tab feed stock and coupled to the can shells that are being conveyed on the first transfer belt of the first cartridge assembly; and   installing a second tab forming and feeder apparatus into the conversion press, the second tab forming and feeder apparatus configured to progressively form second tabs in a second tab feed stock and deliver the second tab feed stock with the formed second tabs to the second tab stake station where the second tabs are separated from a remainder of the second tab feed stock and coupled to the can shells that are being conveyed on the second transfer belt of the second cartridge assembly;   wherein the second tab forming and feeder apparatus comprises at least one of: a different output volume of formed tabs than the first tab forming and feeder apparatus; or tooling to form tabs having at least one of a different size or shape than the first tab forming and feeder apparatus.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second upper mounting plates are respectively releasably coupled to the ram using mechanical fasteners or magnetic fastener assemblies, and the first and second lower mounting plates are respectively releasably coupled to the bolster of the frame using mechanical fasteners or magnetic fastener assemblies. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein installing the second cartridge assembly into the conversion press further comprises:
 prior to releasably coupling the second upper mounting plate to the ram and releasably coupling the second lower mounting plate to the bolster, using a locational guide pin assembly that is fixed to the frame to position the second cartridge assembly in a desired location;   wherein, when the second upper mounting plate is releasably coupled to the ram with the second cartridge assembly in the desired location and the second lower mounting plate is releasably coupled to the bolster with the second cartridge assembly in the desired location, the second upper and lower mounting plates are properly positioned to allow the one or more second forming stations and the second tab stake station to form can shells delivered by the at least one second can shell delivery apparatus into can ends with tabs.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 removing a first drive drum of the first cartridge assembly from a drive shaft that is fixed to the frame, the drive shaft configured to drive the first drive drum to rotate the first transfer belt; and   releasably coupling a second drive drum of the second cartridge assembly to the drive shaft, the drive shaft configured to drive the second drive drum to rotate the second transfer belt;   wherein the first drive drum is coupled to the first lower mounting plate and the second drive drum is coupled to the second lower mounting plate.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, prior to removing the first upper mounting plate from the ram, extending the ram to a position such that one or more spacer blocks are positioned between corresponding pairs of lower and upper stop blocks, wherein the one or more lower stop blocks are coupled to the first lower mounting plate and the one or more upper stop blocks are coupled to the first upper mounting plate. 
     
     
         19 . A quick-change cartridge assembly for a conversion press comprising:
 one or more forming stations;   a tab stake station; and   a transfer belt defining at least one active forming lane for conveying can shells to the one or more forming stations and the tab stake station during use of the conversion press incorporating the quick-change cartridge assembly.   
     
     
         20 . The quick-change cartridge assembly of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a downstacker assembly comprising at least one can shell delivery apparatus for delivering can shells during use of a conversion press incorporating the quick-change cartridge assembly; and   the transfer belt receives the can shells from the at least one can shell delivery apparatus.   
     
     
         21 . A conversion press for forming can ends with tabs comprising:
 a frame;   a ram movably coupled to the frame;   a cartridge assembly releasably coupled to a bolster of the frame and the ram; and   a locational guide device coupled to the frame and the ram, wherein the cartridge assembly is located within the frame via alignment with the locational guide device.   
     
     
         22 . The conversion press of  claim 21 , wherein the cartridge assembly comprises:
 one or more forming stations;   a tab stake station; and   a transfer belt that conveys can shells to the one or more forming stations and the tab stake station.   
     
     
         23 . The conversion press of  claim 22 , wherein the cartridge assembly further comprises a downstacker assembly comprising at least one can shell delivery apparatus for delivering can shells. 
     
     
         24 . The conversion press of  claim 21 , wherein the locational guide device comprises an alignment block coupled to the frame and a locator block coupled to the alignment block. 
     
     
         25 . The conversion press of  claim 24 , wherein the locator block comprises a through-hole for receiving an alignment pin which is also received in a corresponding opening provided in the cartridge assembly. 
     
     
         26 . A method for centralizing and balancing forces in a conversion press that comprises a frame and a ram movably coupled to the frame, the conversion press being configured to releasably receive a single cartridge assembly or first and second cartridge assemblies, the method comprising:
 when the conversion press is to releasably receive a single cartridge assembly, positioning the single cartridge assembly in a central position within a cartridge assembly receiving opening of the frame; and   when the conversion press is to releasably receive first and second cartridge assemblies;
 positioning the first cartridge assembly offset from the central position toward a left side of the cartridge assembly receiving opening; and 
 positioning the second cartridge assembly offset from the central position toward a right side of the cartridge assembly receiving opening. 
   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein each cartridge assembly comprises an upper mounting plate that is releasably couplable to the ram, and a lower mounting plate that is releasably couplable to a bolster of the frame. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein each cartridge assembly further comprises:
 one or more forming stations;   a tab stake station; and   a transfer belt that receives can shells, the transfer belt defining at least one active forming lane for conveying the can shells to the one or more forming stations and the tab stake station, where the can shells are formed into can ends with tabs as they are conveyed along the at least one active forming lane;   wherein the one or more forming stations, the tab stake station, and the transfer belt are directly coupled to at least one of the upper or lower mounting plates.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising converting the conversion press from a single cartridge assembly configuration to a dual cartridge assembly configuration or from a dual cartridge assembly configuration to a single cartridge assembly configuration comprising:
 if the conversion press is in a single cartridge assembly configuration, removing the single cartridge assembly from the conversion press and releasably coupling first and second cartridge assemblies to the conversion press, wherein the first cartridge assembly is releasably coupled to the conversion press offset from the central position toward the left side of the cartridge assembly receiving opening, and the second cartridge assembly is releasably coupled to the conversion press offset from the central position toward the right side of the cartridge assembly receiving opening; or   if the conversion press is in a dual cartridge assembly configuration, removing the first and second cartridge assemblies from the conversion press and releasably coupling a single cartridge assembly to the conversion press, wherein the single cartridge assembly is releasably coupled to the conversion press in the central position within the cartridge assembly receiving opening.