MXPA99007072A - Method of and apparatus for manufacturing tabs for easy-open can end - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are provided for manufacturing a tab (1) for use with an easy-open can end, which tab is free from any exposed protrusion orcut edge thereon that would otherwise contact a finger or a lip of the user, without an increase in the number of manufacturing steps. A tab (1), attached to a carrier strip by a joint, is formed in a tab forming process, and the tab is severed from the strip in a joint severing process wherein the joint is cut off close to the tab nose (10) to separate the tab from the strip. The tab with a protrusion (19) which has a cut edge, remaining on the tab nose (10), is lowered while being held against horizontal movement. The protrusion is brought into engagement with a curling surface (48) of an arm (28) which is supported to swing in a downward passage through which the tab descends. When the tab is lowered in the downward passage, the arm is swung to cause the curling surface to press against the tab and curl the protrusion onto the tab.

Description

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TABS FOR EXTREME OF EMVASE OF CAN OF EASY OPENING Technical Field The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for manufacturing a tab mounted on an upper surface of an easy opening can container end to open the can end of container when it is raised.

Cross Reference to Related Request This application is related to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08/792898 filed January 31, 1997 entitled TABS FOR EASY-OPEN CAN END.

Previous Technique The ends of the easy-open can container, which can be opened by lifting and pulling the tabs mounted thereon, used in canisters to contain beverages, food, etc. , they are well known in the art. In recent years the ends of the easy-open-retained tab can container, which hold the tab attached to the panel end after they have been opened, have been the predominant type for beverages.

The typical easy retained tab open can container end has a rivet projecting upwards from the end panel, an opening area that can be opened by a detachment panel enclosed by the partially discontinuous ring-shaped incision line. ua, yu na operative tab fixed to the end panel by a tab section with a rivet hole that receives the rivet. The tongue includes a tip or tip end positioned on a part of the release panel and a fastening part, usually a ring, placed at its rear end remote from the tip end. When the clamping portion of the tongue is raised from the end panel, the tongue knob presses a region of the area that can be opened in the incision, transferring an upward force, towards the front edge of the rivet, and causing the break Initial incision, often called a "snap". Continuous raising of the tongue then causes the tongue to pivot on the hinge of the rivet area by applying continuous force on the tip to complete the opening of the release panel. A tab for use at such an end of said easy opening can container end is typically manufactured as follows: First, an annular tab pattern, which is larger than a real finished tab, is cut from a strip of metal that is unrolled from a roll of metal strip. At this time, the tongue pattern is not completely separate from, but rather than remains partially attached to, the strip by a union; the strip works like a carrier. The tongue pattern is then perforated with holes used in the formation of a tongue, a rivet hole and a clamping ring. The holes can be punched in the strip before the tab pattern is punched into the strip, if desired. Subsequently, the tongue pattern is formed with a predetermined pattern of concave and convex shapes, and curved along its peripheral edge in a final tongue profile. The carrier strip moves the tabs still attached to a station where a tab is riveted to an end panel. The joint is then cut to separate the tab from the strip, while the tab is attached to a rivet on one end of the can container through the rivet hole in the tab. When the tab is cut from the strip, a projection is left on a cut edge of a cut-out joint projecting from an outer edge of the tab. In the end tabs of beverage can container the union is usually placed on the clamping end, and therefore the projection is formed in the clamping ring when the joint is cut. When the tongue is lifted by a finger, the sharp cutting edge of the protrusion tends to make contact with the finger, making the user feel uncomfortable. If, on the other hand, the joint is placed on the tip end of the tongue (as is most often used today on tabs for full panel ends on can containers for food), then the projection is formed at the tip of the tongue tip when the joint is cut. If this type of tab is used in the beverage can containers, when the can end of the can is opened, the spout opening and the spout of the tab can make contact with the user's lip, and it is possible that the sharpened cut edge of the spout protrusion makes contact with the lip, making the user feel uncomfortable, perhaps catching the facial hair. To eliminate the above difficulties, a method of manufacturing a tongue by attaching a tongue pattern to a strip with an S-shaped joint has been proposed, by cutting the S-shaped joint at one end thereof near the peak, and then bending the cut joint. According to that proposal, any remaining projection is curved over the tongue for protection against accidental contact with a finger or lip. However, this proposed method is disadvantageous because it is necessary to form the joint in an S-shape before the joint near the tongue peak is cut, so that the method involves an increased number of manufacturing steps and important changes in the machining of the tongue. Accordingly, the apparatus for manufacturing a tongue in accordance with such a proposed method requires a step of forming the joint in an S-shape in addition to a step for cutting the joint at the end near the strip. Also, it is very difficult to obtain a punch and an opposite die near the edge of the tongue on the tongue. existing tooling. In addition, the current stricture incision techniques, followed by the breaking of the tongue outside the structure carries the strip on the cutting blades, encounter problems of control of the depth of the incision. If an incision is too deep, this can detach the thin tabs or cause premature breaking or defects of the metallic properties in the specifications. An unsupported rivet area requires fewer training stations although it has disadvantages of producing larger opening forces (click), fewer tongue flexes (the number of successive bends in the tongue / area connection before the tongue breaks). , and requires thicker material for the same tongue strength, as compared to the tongue with the structure having a rivet area support. Therefore, for such practical reasons the current tab types for beverage can containers avoid having a peak carrier. Other problems of joining the tongue in a continuous stacking movement creates critical timing of the tongue joint and rivet head formation, which requires in some applications a pre-engagement operation and then a final assurance such as a loaded coupling to spring.

Description of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a tab for use with an easy opening can container end, particularly a can end for beverage can, which is free from the projection thereof that is otherwise would make contact with the user's finger or lip, without increasing the number of manufacturing steps, and an apparatus for manufacturing such a tab without an increase in the number of work stages, with the advantages of a tip carrier strip and a structure of rivet area support with a feature without rotation. To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a tongue for use with an easy opening can container end, which is fixed to an end panel by an integral rivet and is capable of opening the end can by the detachment of an openable area (pourer panel) along an incision in the end panel when the tab is lifted. The method comprises the steps of forming a tab having an area rivet hole which receives the rivet and which also has the end clamping ring, the tab which is attached at its peak to a strip from which the tab is modeled. The cutting of the tongue from the strip comprises placing the tongue, still attached to the strip, in a tongue-cutting position, cutting the joint near the tongue tip to thereby cut the tongue of the strip, and lower the tongue released, which has been formed with a protrusion on the tongue tip that has a cutting edge where the joint has been cut , towards the rivet in an extreme panel. The tongue is held against horizontal movement, and the protrusion at the tongue tip makes contact by a curved surface formed at a distal end of a pair of swing arms, one of said arms being held along a descending passage in which the tongue is lowered towards the end panel. The arm can rotate in the downward passage, and its distant or free end is normally urged upwardly by the spring means. The movement of rotation of the arm as the tab is lowered presses the curved surface against the projection, to bend the projection on the tab against the peak of the tab. The tongue is attached to the end panel by further lowering the tongue following the step of cutting the tongue, and then, the swing arms move past the pressing position, releasing the swing arms from the splice against the arms to rotate upwards according to the deviation of the spring means. Then the rivet hole in the tongue area is placed on a rivet on an end panel held in the position to which the tongue is lowered, and the rivet is compressed (stacked) thereby securing the tongue to the end panel.

The apparatus for carrying out the method according to the present invention comprises a tongue-forming apparatus (punches and dice) for forming a tongue having a rivet hole and also having the end or clamping ring. The tab remains connected in its peak by means of a connection to the strip from which the tongue is modeled. A single tongue cutter apparatus is provided for cutting the tab from the strip at the joint and reforming the projection that remains at the tongue tip. The tongue cutter apparatus comprises positioning means for horizontally positioning the tongue, through the movement of the carrier strip, in a tongue-cutting position, and the tongue-lowering means placed on the tongue placed and which are movable to descend in the tongue. coupling against the upper surface of the tongue while the tongue is held against horizontal movement. The apparatus includes cutting means having a cutter movable towards and away from the joint in synchrony with the tongue lowering means, for severing the joint to separate the tongue from the strip when the tongue is lowered by the tongue lowering means. . The cutting means includes a slider movable at an angle instead of vertical (which is normal) and the swing arm (described above) having a bent surface curved at its distal end, which projects into the downward passage. With the spring means that normally drive the swing arm upwards, the arrangement is such that the pivot arm descends when the tongue is lowered with the bent surface which butts against the projection on the tongue tip produced when the joint is cut by the nip. The bent surface is such that it bends the projection over the tongue peak, separating the cutting edge away from the tip of the beak and into a space in the beak where the cutting edge is protected. The apparatus further comprising a can end end holder for holding an end panel with its rivet aligned with the rivet hole of the tab, in a position to which the tab is lowered by the tongue cutter apparatus. A stacking tool compresses the rivet onto a tang of the tongue, around the hole, thereby securing the tongue to the end panel. Thus, when the pivot arm is released from the splice against the tongue and moved upwardly by the spring means after the swing arm has moved past the stacking position, and when the tongue is lowered by the tumbling means of tongue, the rivet hole in the spike is fitted over the rivet of the end panel with the flat area against the end panel of the can container. The area also includes means to prevent rotation of the tongue on the end panel, as described in greater detail in the related application identified above. With the method and apparatus according to the present invention, the joint between the strip and the tongue can be cut close to the peak of the tongue. tongue, and the resulting projection can be bent over the tongue in a sequence of steps carried out by the tongue cutter as the tongue descends from the position in which the tongue is cut off from the strip. Since the protrusion with its sharp cutting edge could make the user feel uncomfortable when it makes contact with the edge of a finger or lip, the protrusion is bent over the tongue in a way that the cutting edge is protected and will not make contact with it. the user's finger or lip Since the projection is bent over the tab immediately after the tab is cut off from the strip, the tab can be manufactured without an increase in the number of manufacturing steps. A unique feature of the docking station is that the narrowing cutter bar is cam driven and its cutting plane is 50 degrees from the horizontal which allows to transport or join the strip to be cut closer to the body. the tongue, for example the tongue peak. Also the spring-loaded transfer punch is positioned to hold the tongue and the end before stacking the rivet head. The stacking tool in the tongue lowering means compress the rivet projecting upwards through the rivet hole, thereby securing the tongue to the end panel. Therefore, with the method and apparatus according to the present invention, any projections remaining on the tongue peak can be bent over the tongue and protected, and also the tab can be attached to the end panel when the tongue is lowered from the cutting position. Consequently, the tongue can be manufactured efficiently by a simple apparatus arrangement without the need for a plurality of additional work stations. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the steps of a method of manufacturing and applying a tongue to a container end according to the present invention; Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C are successive fragmentary rear views of an individual strip with tabs attached thereto; Figs. 3 to 10 are views in vertical cross section of an apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the views showing successive phases of operation of the apparatus; Figs. 1 1 A and 1 1 B are elongated views showing the manner in which a swing arm operates; Fig. 12 is a bottom view of a tongue made in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 13 is a plan view of a can package end to which the tab according to the present invention is attached; and Fig. 14 is a timing control diagram for the steps of tongue cutting, protruding bending and joining.

Best Way to Carry Out the Invention A tongue 1 made in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for use in a can end of easy permanent opening can. As shown in Fig. 13, the can container end comprises a disc-shaped end panel 3 and a tongue 1 mounted thereon. The end panel 3 has a rivet 4 by means of which the tongue 1 is mounted on the end panel 3 and an incision 6 which is of a partially discontinuous or curl annular shape and extends along an openable area 9. of the end panel 3 that defines a pouring panel. The tongue 1 has a tang 7 having a rivet hole 5 in which the rivet 4 is inserted, a clamping ring or handle 8 placed at a rear end of the tongue 1, and a tip or pick end 10 placed on the tongue. the openable area (pourer panel) 9 which is encircled by the incision line 6. When the clamping ring 8 of the tongue 1 is lifted off the end panel 3, the spout presses the spout panel 9, separating it along the incision line 6. The pouring panel 9 is bent towards the product side of the end of the can container 2 around a discontinuous or hinge region of the incision 6, thereby opening a pouring opening at the end of can packaging. A method of manufacturing the tongue 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described below with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. First, as shown in the block diagram of Fig. 1, the tongue 1 is formed by a tongue forming process 1 1, which uses punches and tongue tool dies, not shown. As shown in Figs. 2A to 2C, the tongues 1 are formed from a strip 12 of metal unrolled from a roll of metal strip, the tabs are joined to the strip by a joint 13. More specifically, in the process of forming tab 1 1 , as shown in fig. 2A, an area peg 7 is patterned from the strip 12 and a rivet hole 5 is drilled in the strip 12, the pegs 14 are flexed to form a joint 13 and a peak tip or end 10 is modeled from the strip 12 and a hole 15 to form a clamping ring 8 is drilled in the metal strip 12. Then, as shown in Fig. 2 B, a tongue pattern 16, which is larger than the actual resulting tongue is modeled from strip 12. Subsequently, as shown in Fig. 2C, the bent spikes 14 are bent backwards on the spout leaving a space in accordance with the shape of the tongue 1. It forms now the completed tab, joined at its peak to the strip 12 by the joint 13. The strip, with the tabs attached, is brought to a stacking / joining station in the main tooling of the apparatus. Then as shown in Fig. 1, a tongue 1 attached to the strip 12 is cut from the strip 12 in a tongue cutting process 17. The cutting process of the tongue 17 comprises a succession of steps, namely a cutting step 18 of bending joint 20 of a projection 19 (see Fig. 1 1 A formed in the tongue peak 10 when the joint 13 is cut, and then a step 21 of lowering the tongue 1 on the end panel 3 (Fig. 13) with the rivet 4 extending through the rivet hole 5. A single tapping or separating cut device 22 for successively carrying out the steps 18, 20, 21 of the process The tongue 17 is shown in Figs 3-10, and comprises a feeding path 23 for guiding the strip 12 with the tongue 1 attached thereto as the strip is advanced intermittently. is part of the lifting and lowering tool (not shown) , is vertically movable on the feeding path 23, and includes positioning means 25 for positioning the tabs through the connection with the strips 12, in alignment with a position for cutting the tab 1. The narrowing or cutting separation means 26 will cut the tongue carrier 13 which has been placed by the pilot means 25. The means of tongue descent 27 will descend a tongue 1 that has been cut from the strip 12 through the cutting means 26. A first pivot or pivot arm 28 is moveable in engagement against a tongue 1 which is lowered by the means of lowering of the tongue. tab 27. One or more additional swing arms 29 or moving in position in confronting relationship with first arm 28, and a can container end support 30 is located below supporting an end panel 3 in a position to which a tongue 1 is lowered. The different components of the tongue cutter apparatus 22 are described in detail below. As shown in Figs. 3-10, the feeding path 23 is defined between upper and lower guide members 31, 32 extending parallel to each other. Strip 12 with tabs 1 attached thereto is guided along this path. The positioning means or pilot 25 comprises a pilot pin 34 positioned upstream of the cutting position of the tongue and extending downwardly from the vertically movable member 24., and a locking pin 35 positioned downstream of the cut-off position of the tab and extending downwardly from the vertically movable member 24. When the vertically movable member 24 is lowered, the pilot pin 34 is inserted through the members. guide 31, 32 for positioning a feeder support 50 (described below) for feeding and supporting the end panel 3. When the vertically movable member 24 is lowered, the pilot pin 35 is inserted also through the guide members 31, 32 and a positioning hole 33 (see Figs 2A-2C) in the strip 12. The pilot pin 35 is larger than the fixing pin 35A, and serves to confirm that the end panel 3 has been placed in place at the insertion in a positioning hole 52 defined in the feeder support 50. When the position of the end panel 3 is confirmed by the pilot pin 34, the fixing pin 35, which is shorter that the pilot pin 34, is inserted consistently into the positioning hole 33 in the strip 12 by means of the lifting and lowering device, thereby placing the strip 12 with a tongue 1 attached thereto. The tongue lowering means 27 have a descent block 36 operable by the lifting and lowering mechanism. The lowering block 36 is shorter than the locking pin 35 and extends downwardly from the vertically movable member 24. The lowering block 36 can be moved vertically through the guide members 31, 32 by the lifting and lowering mechanism. . The descent block 36 has a splice surface 37 on its lower end for splicing against an upper surface of a tongue 1 which is held in the cutting position of the tongue. A bar 39 which is slidably held vertically in the descent block 36 has an insert 38 on its lower end projecting downwardly from the connecting surface 37 for insertion into the clamping ring 8 of the tongue 1. The bar 39 is normally operated for projecting downwards by means of a spring 40 housed in the lowering block 36. The lowering block 36 also has at its lower end an impeller 41 for pressing down the rivet 4 of the end panel 3 projecting upwards from the orifice rivet 5 when the tongue 1 is placed on the end panel 3, as described below. The cutting means 26 comprises a hardened cutting blade 42 and a sliding bar or arm 43 which holds the blade 42 at its distal end. The arm 43 is slidably supported by a guide support 44 so that the blade 42 can move towards and away from a connection 1 3 of a tongue 1 which is placed in the tongue cutting position. A cam 46, having a cam groove 45 defined therein, is mounted on the movable member 24 vertically near the rear end of the arm 43, for vertical movement of the lifting and lowering device. The support arm 43 has on its rear end a cam follower 47 movable in and along the cam groove 45. When the cam 46 is lowered, the cam groove 45 causes the follower 47 and the arm 43 to move the blade 42 towards the joint 1 3. The first pivot arm 28 has a pivotally supported proximal end on one side of a downward passage in which the tongue 1 is movable downward by means of the downward block 36, the first arm of rotation 28 that can rotate in the descending passage. The first turning arm 28 has a curved bent surface 48 defined at its distal end (see also Fig. 11 (A)) to engage the peak of a tongue 1 that has descended from the tongue cutting position. The first arm 28 is normally actuated to rotate upwards by a spring (not shown) combined therewith. The other pivot arms 29 have a proximal end pivotally supported on one side of the downward passage, which confronts the first pivot arm 28, the second pivot arms 29 that can be rotated in the downward passage. These are by themselves conventional. The second arms 29 have a rear end engaging surface 49 defined at their ends for coupling the trailing end of a tongue 1 when the beak end of a tongue 1 is engaged by the bent surface 48 of the first arm 28. As with FIG. with the first arm 28, the second arms 29 are also normally driven to rotate upwards by the springs (not shown). The can container end holder 30 compresses an intermittently advancing feeder holder 50 (such as a band) to feed end panels 3 a, and to hold the end panels 3, in a position in which the tab 1 is lowered by the descent block 36; and a lower die 51 which butts against a lower surface of an end panel 3 which has been fed towards and held in the tongue position lowered by the feeder support 50. As described below, the lower die 51 will support the end panels 3. from below when a lowered tab 1 is attached to an end panel. As shown in Fig. 3, the strip 12 is fed intermittently along the feeding path 23. When a tongue 1 reaches the tongue cutting position, the vertically movable member 24 of the lifting and lowering device is descending to insert the pilot pin 34 into the positioning hole 52 in the feeder support 50 which feeds the end panel 3, thereby placing the vertically movable member 24 itself and the feeder support 50. Then as shown in FIG. 4, the vertical movable member 24 is further lowered to insert the locking pin 35 into the positioning hole 33 in the strip 12, (see FIG. 2A) thereby placing a tongue 1 in the tongue cutting position. The vertical movable member 24 is lowered until the connecting surface 37 of the lowering block 36 butts against the tongue 1. At the same time, the insert 38 of the bar 39 is inserted into the retaining ring hole 15 of the tongue 1, and a cam 46 of the cutting means 26 is lowered. The insert 38 is inserted in the clamping ring 8 prevents the tongue 1 from moving horizontally. The downward movement of the cam 46 causes the cam follower 47 to move along the cam slot 45, causing the support arm 43 to move the cutter blade 52 toward the joint 13 of the tab 1. The union 13 is cut by the cutter 42, near the tongue peak 10, cutting the tongue 1 from the strip 12. After the joint 13 is cut, a protrusion 19 (see Fig. 1 1 A) having a cutting edge of the junction 13 remains attached to the spout 10 of the tongue 1. After cutting of the joint 13, the tongue 1 is lowered together with the lowering block 36 by the connecting surface 37 of the lowering block 36. The peak end 10 and the protrusion 19 are coupled by the bent surface 48 of the arm of rotation 28, and the rear end of the clamping ring 8 is coupled by the coupling surfaces 49 of the second turning arms 29. The tongue 1 is maintained in a horizontal direction, without falling by gravity, by coupling with the first and second turning arms 28, 29. As shown in Figs. 6 and 1 1 A, when the lowering block 36 presses the tongue 1, the first and second turning arms 28, 29 move angularly along driving paths in directions to have their distal ends move toward each other. other. As shown in Figs. 6 and 1 1 B, when the first pivot arm 28 is angularly moved to a horizontal position, the bent surface 48 is placed closer to the tongue 1, bending the projection 19 on the tongue 1. Therefore, the projection 19 is formed so as not to project from the tip end 10 of the tongue 1 and the cutting edge is protected in the space 14a. Now, the formation of the tab 1 is completed. As shown in Figs. 6-9, one tab completed 1 is further descended by the descent block 36, and is joined to an end panel 3 which is supported by the feeder support 50. Specifically, the rivet 4 of the end panel 3 is inserted into the rivet hole 5 in the tang 7 from a tongue 1. The tongue 1 has been released from the splice coupling with the first and second arms 28, 29, which are then turned upward to their original position. Subsequently, the lower die 51 engages against the lower surface of the end panel 3. The lowering block 36 holds the tongue 1 against the end panel 3. Further downward displacement of the assembly 27 causes the impeller 41 (Fig. 10) to compress the rivet 4 projecting upwardly through the rivet hole 5. The tongue 1 is now fixed to the end panel 3, as illustrated in Fig. 13. With the above embodiment according to the present invention, when the member vertically movable 24 is simply lowered by the lifting and lowering device, the tongue 1 is cut from the strip 12 by cutting the joint 13 in the tongue cutting position, the protrusion 19 remaining on the tongue 1 is bent and the tab 1 joins the end panel 3, together in a downward movement stroke of the vertically movable member 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 19 is formed at the tip end 10 of the tongue 1. However, regardless of the position in which the projection 19 is formed on the tab 1, the The first pivot arm 28 can be placed in alignment with the projection 19, and the projection 19 can be bent over the tongue 1 by the first pivoting arm 28 thus positioned. Consequently, wherever the projection 19 can be placed, it is possible to easily fabricate a tongue 1 that is free of any protrusion that would otherwise contact a finger or lip of the user. While the method described herein, and the form of the apparatus for carrying out this method, constitute the preferred embodiments of this invention, it is understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and form of the apparatus, and that the changes can be made in any of them without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims (6)

RECIPE N D ICACI O NES

1 . A method of fabricating a tab for attachment by a rivet to an end of an easy-open can container, capable of opening the can end of the can by releasing an openable area cured by an incision in the can. the end panel when lifting a clamping ring, comprising the steps of: forming a tongue from a strip of material, the tongue having a beak end, an area with a rivet hole receiving the rivet, and having a fastening end on the opposite side of the rivet hole from the spout, the tongue which is attached to the spout by a joint to the strip; and cut the union; the cutting step comprising: moving the strip to place a captured tongue in a tongue cutting position; cutting the joint to thereby cut the tongue captured from the strip leaving a projection having a cutting edge from the tongue tip; the projection of the tongue engaging against a bent surface at a distal end of a pivot arm having a proximal end pivotally supported on a side of a downward passage into which the tongue, the pivot arm, is lowered; it can be rotated in the descending passage and be operated normally to rotate upwards and through the passage by means actuators, the arm that rotates downward as the tongue is lowered; and pressing the surface to bend the projection onto the tongue in a pressure position as the arm is rotated downward in the passage to move the bent surface against the tongue.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of attaching the tongue to the end panel by further lowering the tongue after the tongue cutting step, after the swing arm has moved past the tongue position. pressure, releasing the swing arm from the splice against the tongue, allowing the swing arm to rotate upward according to the deviation of the actuating means as the tongue passes the arm, subsequently adjusting the rivet hole of the end panel which is held in a position at which the tongue is lowered, and compressing the rivet against the area thereby securing the tongue to the end panel.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising forming spikes on the tip end of the tongue, forming the bend on the tips of the spikes, and bending the spikes to locate the bend on the tips in relation to the spike. area towards the tip end of the tongue, the region between the pegs that provides a space towards the top of the tongue peak into which the protruding cutting edge is bent in a protected condition.

4. A device for manufacturing a tab for use with an easy-open can container end, the tab of which is fixed to an end panel by a rivet on the end panel and is capable of opening the can end of the can by detachment of a panel that can be opened when a fastening ring is lifted, comprising: a tongue forming apparatus for forming a tongue body having a spout, an area hinged to said body, a rivet hole in said area, and the tongue also having a holding end, the tongue having a joint at the peak for a carrier strip from which the tongue is modeled; and a tongue cutter for cutting the joint, the tongue cutter apparatus comprising: positioning means for horizontally placing the tongue with the strip in a tongue cutting position; tongue descent means vertically movably positioned on a tongue placed in the tongue and movable cut position to lower that tongue by splicing against an upper surface of that tongue while the tongue is placed against horizontal movement; cutting means having a movable cutter towards and away from said joint in synchrony with the descent means of tab, for cutting the joint thereby cutting the tab from the strip when the tongue is lowered a passage extending downwardly receiving the tongue lowered; an arm placed below the tab cut position and having a pivotally supported end on one side of said downward passage into which the tongue is lowered, the arm movable in a dich or downward passage; a curved bent surface positioned at a distal end of said pivot arm and projecting into the downward passage; and means for actuating said arm normally to rotate upward, whereby the arm is rotated when a tongue is lowered by the tongue lowering means to locate the bent surface that butts against a salt that has an edge of cutting produced when the joint is cut by the cutting means, and the bent surface thereof having such a shape to bend the salt over the tongue peak as the turning arm is rotated while the tongue is descended.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a can end end holder for holding the end panel with the rivet with the tongue rivet hole in a position below said downward passage to which the tongue is lowered by the tongue cutter apparatus; and an impeller in said tongue lowering means for compressing the rivet over and around the rivet hole of the tongue to thereby secure the tongue to the end panel while the swing arm is released from the splice against the tongue and rotated towards up by the actuating means. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, the tongue cutter means further comprising an upper oscillating tooling member for attachment to a pressure ram, and a lower tooling member supporting said arm and the extending passage down; a narrowing spacing tool held to have an angle toward and away from a tongue joint towards the carrier strip, a follower mounted to the upper tooling member, and a cam cooperating with the follower and connected to the control movement of the narrowing spacing tool so that the descent of the upper tooling actuates the cutting of a joint to release a tongue from the carrier strip. SUMMARY A method and apparatus for making a tongue (1) for use with an easy opening can container end, the tongue of which is free of any exposed protrusion or cutting edge therein that would otherwise contact a finger or lip of the user, without an increase in the number of manufacturing stages. A tongue (1), attached to a conveyor belt by a joint, is formed in a tongue-forming process, and the tongue is cut from the strip in a joint cutting process where the joint is cut close to the peak of the tongue. the tongue (10) to separate the tongue from the strip. The tongue with a projection (19) having a cutting edge, which remains in the tongue peak (10), is lowered while held against horizontal movement. The protrusion is placed in engagement with a bent surface (48) of an arm (28) which is supported to rotate in a downward passage through which the tongue descends. When the tab is lowered in the descending passage, the arm is rotated to cause the bent surface to press against the tab and bend the projection onto the tab.