Abstract: The transfer conveyor system utilizes at least one endless conveyor belt of reinforced flexible rubber-like material with cogs or teeth on its underside and with a series of nests fitted into holes in the belt. Nests for carrying can end shells are attached at their opposite edges to the belt. The belt is supported by and routed around an idler drum, located outside the press frame posts and by a toothed drive drum located within the press frame adjacent the opposite frame posts. Progressive conversion tooling for making shells into completed easy-open can ends is located between the posts above and below upper and lower tooling sets. The drive drum is provided with circumferential teeth for a positive drive to the belt. Attachments of nests to the belt are located on transverse center lines which permit the flat nests to travel around the end turns of the belts.

Abstract: The transfer nest for an endless conveyor belt of reinforced flexible rubber-like material, optionally with cogs or teeth on its underside, a series of such nests fitted into holes in the belt. The nests are attached to the belt solely at their opposite edges on lines extending transverse to the belt. The belt with attached nests, having end shells trapped therein, is moved stepwise through progressive conversion tooling for making shells into completed can ends. Shells are positively seated into the nests by moving the shells through a discontinuous entrance rim, preferably defined by the upper parts of a circular array of independent flexible stepped (preferably L-shaped) fingers which support the shells which are each trapped in a nest as the nests are transferred through the conversion tooling. Completed ends may be carried around the end of the conveyor upper flight, and the ends can be ejected from the nests.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for making and transferring shells for cans within a ram press. The shells are formed in a two-step operation in which shell preforms are formed at a first station within the press and then transferred to second station where they are formed into completed shells. The first station includes first and second rows of tooling sets with the tooling sets of the first row being located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the second row. Similarly, the second station includes third and fourth rows of tooling sets in which the tooling set of the third row are located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the fourth row, and the tooling sets of the third and fourth rows are located for receiving the shell preforms from the tooling sets of the second and first rows, respectively.