Apparatus and methods for forming a finger-engaging portion in a stay-on-tab of a lid of a container

摘要

An apparatus for forming a finger-engaging portion in a stay-on-tab of a lid of a container includes a support, a fixture mounted to the support for movement between a first position and a second position in opposition to stay-on-tab of the lid of the container, and an abutment mounted to the fixture for movement between an open position and a closed position in opposition to the fixture and the stay-on tab in the second position of the fixture to bend the stay-on-tab between the fixture and the abutment to form in the stay-on-tab a finger-engaging portion that is upturned relative to the lid of the container.

主权项

1. A method of bending a tab that is connected by a connector to a top of a filled and sealed container, the tab including a first end positioned over a scored portion of the top of the container, a second end that extends in an opposing direction, and the connector positioned between the first and second ends, the method comprising:
moving a fixture towards the container, the container including contents that are sealed within an interior space; bracing a bottom edge of the fixture against an intermediate portion of the tab that is located between the connector and the second end while the container remains sealed; while the fixture is bracing the intermediate portion of the tab, moving a lever relative to the fixture from a first position with a wedge at an end of the lever spaced away from the tab to a second position with the wedge positioned underneath the second end of the tab between the tab and the top of the container and between the intermediate portion where the tab is braced by the fixture and the second end, the lever being operatively connected to the fixture; and while bracing the fixture against the intermediate portion of the tab, moving the lever relative to the fixture and applying through the wedge a bending force to the tab and forming a bend in the tab between the connector and the second end and bending the second end away from the top of the container while the fixture prevents the bending force from depressing the tab such that the container remains sealed.