BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most beverage consumers derive satisfaction in the convenience from being able to drink direct from flip-top cans, without the obligatory and sometimes cumbersome accessories and ceremonies that are usually exercised before the actual drinking act. Straws and secondary containers like a glass or a cup becomes dispensable when one drinks directly from a flip-top can. However, whatever is gained from convenience is lost to sanitation and hygiene. Flip-top cans attract, accumulate and store dust, dirt and other unhealthy and hazardous particles on its surface, collected in its journey from the factory to the consumers'hands. These same unhealthy particles that settled on the flip-top can's surface comes in direct contact with the lips and mouth of the consumers when they drink direct from the flip-top can, thus, possible causing health problems.

In Philippines Patent Application No. 1-2000-01022 filed April 4,2000, a flip-top can sanitary cover is disclosed to cover said flip-top beverage cans. This can cover is in the form of crown that if applied to a flip- top beverage can would cover the top surface, rim and down to the portion that comes in direct contact with the lips of the consumers.

Several methods were used to apply and adopt the aluminum crown cover on top of the beverage cans. Such involves huge and complicated machines that cost too much money.

The primary object of this invention therefore is to provide a method and apparatus for crown covering of beverage cans with aluminum film and the like which require a simple stamping and crimping procedure is needed to secure the film on top of the beverage can.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for crown covering of beverage cans having a pick-up and crimping assembly with a pair of spaced pick-up and crimping cylinder that alternatively picks-up and crimps the aluminum cover to the top surface of the beverage cans.

Still an object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for crown covering of beverage cans having a very simple construction with least number of parts thereby making the manufacturing cost minimum.

These and other objects and advantages will come to view and be understood upon a reading of the detailed description of this specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus for the crown covering of beverages cans and the like according the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the picker assembly; Figure 3 is a top view of a second embodiment of the picker assembly; Figure 4 to 7 are fragmentary sectional view of the pick-up and crimper assembly during crown covering of the beverage cans.

Referring now to the several views of the drawing, shown is an apparatus for crown covering of beverage cans generally designated as reference numeral 10. This apparatus 10 is placed at the end of the line in the process for filing up beverages cans and the like.

Said apparatus 10 comprises a working platform 11 mounted thereon with a pair of opposing conveyor 12 and 13 respectively driven by electric motors 14 and 15. The first conveyor 12 is used for the transfer of filled beverage cans 16 to the crown covering station 17 on top of said working table 11 coming from the drying stage of the process in filling said beverage cans. The second

conveyor, on the other hand, conveys the beverage cans from the crown covering station to the end of the working table 11 ready for packaging. The two conveyors 12 and 13 runs in parallel but are offset with each other. Co- extensive with the length of the conveyors 12 and 13 are respective pairs of railings 18a disposed at the opposing side of the said conveyors 12 and 13. This is to ensure that the beverage cans 16 being conveyed thereon are in single file. Said crown covering station 17 is located approximately at the end of the first conveyor 12 and at the start of the second conveyor 13. On said covering station 17, is an input cylinder 18 that is perpendicularly disposed with respect to said conveyors 12 and 13. Said input cylinder 18 is provided with a reciprocating pushing member 19, which is actuated pneumatically. The pushing member 19 moves the beverage cans 16 one by one to the crimping area 20, positioned abut the pick-up point of the second conveyor 13. An output cylinder 21 is provided on said crimping area 20 and is perpendicular to the direction of the pushing member 19. Another pushing member 22 is provided to said output cylinder 21 to transfer the covered beverage cans 23 to the second conveyor 13 and then to the packaging area (not shown) at the end thereof.

Above the crown covering area 17 is a crown covering assembly 24 traversing to and fro thereof. Said crown-

covering assembly 24 consists of an elongated frame 25 supportably disposed above said crown covering area 17, at least one guide runner 26 longitudinally secured thereof on to where a carriage 27 is slidably mounted..

Carriage 27 moves on a reciprocating manner. through said guide runner 26 by means of screw shaft 28. The screw shaft 28 is rotatably driven by an electric motor 29 disposed on one end of the screw shaft 28. Once the screw shaft 28 rotates in either a clockwise or counter- clock wise manner, an adapter 30 which is screwably connected to said shaft 28 moves correspondingly. Said adapter 30 is attached to said carriage 27 and causes the movement of said carriage 27 in a to and fro manner. At the opposing ends of said carriage 27 are respective pick-up and crimper assembly 31. Each of said assembly 31 has a pneumatically actuated cylinder 32 having a suction member 33 that picks up the corrugated aluminum foil cover 34 by means of vacuum created therefor. Co- axially provided to said suction member 33 is a first push-rod member 35. Said push rod 35 presses the central portion 36 of the corrugated aluminum foil cover 34 against the top portion of the tin cans 16. A second push-rod member 37 is co-axially provided thereof that pushes the outer corrugated portion 38 of the aluminum cover 34 downwardly and presses it thereof against upper portion 39 and below the rim 40 of the beverage cans 16.

And finally, a crimping means 41 is provided at the inner portion of the second push-rod 37 and inwardly contracts to crimp the aluminum crown cover 34 against the lower portion 42 of the rim 40 of said tin can 16.

In operation, the first conveyor 12 travels intermittently and in time sequence with the contraction of the pushing member 19 of the input cylinder 18, such that every time the pushing member 19 returns to its original contracted position, the conveyor moves and transfers one beverage can 16 in front of the input cylinder 18. The pushing member 19 then pushes the beverage can 16 to the crimping area 20 which is now ready for crown covering.

At this instance, one of the pick-up and crimper assembly 31 is exactly above said tin can 16. The pneumatically actuated cylinder 32 of said pick-up and crimper assembly 31 suddenly drives the suction member 33 downwardly and releases the corrugated aluminum crown cover 34 on top of the tin can 16. The first push-rod member 35 which moves downwardly with the suction member 33 presses the central portion 36 of the crown cover 34 against the top portion of the beverage can 16. While said push rod is pressing the central portion of the crown cover 34, the second push-rod 37 immediately pushes down the outer section of the corrugated aluminum crown cover 34 against to the upper portion 39 of the beverage

can 16. While the first and second push-rods are in their designated positions, the crimping means 41 moves laterally and inwardly, crimping the corrugated aluminum crown cover 34 against the lower portion of the rim 40 of said beverage can 16. Once the pneumatically actuated cylinder 32 contracts upwardly, the output cylinder 21 through the pushing member 22 pushes the covered beverage can to the second conveyor 13. Conveyor 13, then picks the beverage can with crown cover and transfer to the end of the line for packaging.

Simultaneously with the releasing of the corrugated aluminum crown cover 34 to the top portion of the beverage can 16, the opposing pick-up and crimping assembly 31a extends the suction member 33a picking another corrugated aluminum crown cover 34a from the crown cover pile 43 provided the opposing ends of the elongated frame 25 of said crown covering assembly 24.

This crown cover 34a is meant for top loading the next beverage can to be crown covered while the opposing pick-up and crimping assembly 31 is picking up another crown cover at the opposing pile 43a. The pile 43 and 43a are also provided with motor driven elevator that pushes the crown covers upwardly to the pick-up level.

To ensure the continuous supply of crown covers 43 to the process, the opposing crown cover pile 43 and 43a can be more than one as shown in the drawing. The

shifting of one crown cover pile to another once the one pile runs out of crown cover is done by a sliding platform 44 on to where the plurality of crown cover pile are mounted. Said platform is slidably connected to runners 45 and moved by plungers 46 that are controlled by motor 49 which in turn is activated by sensors (not shown).

In the second embodiment, the adapter 30 is mounted on an endless belt 46 traveling around a pair of spaced apart pulleys 47, one of which is coupled to a driver motor 48.