Stolle Machinery Company, LLC

Alfons Haar, Inc.

Aaron Emmanuel Carstens

Gregory H Butcher

James A McClung

Patrick Kevin McCarty

Paul L Ripple

Kenneth E Carper

Russell Bauer

Jason Andrew Davidson

Neil Albert Zumberger

Edward E Donaldson

Ian Kenneth Scholey

Dennis Cornelius Stammen

Craig Allen McEldowney

Robert Joseph Will

Mark Richard Mitchell

Stephen B Turner

Daniel A Jansen

John A Davidson

Justin Michael Rigby

Patrick K Mccarty

James A Mcclung

Russel Bauer

A container, such as a beverage or food can is provided, which includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a bottom portion extending between the first and second sidewalls. The material of the bottom portion is stretched relative to the first sidewall and the second sidewall to form a thinned preselected profile, such as a dome. The material of the container at or about the dome has a substantially uniform thickness. The container is formed from a blank of material, which has a base gauge prior to being formed. After being formed, the blank of material of the container at or about the dome has a thickness less than the base gauge. Tooling having a clamp bead, or a progressive clamp bead, for selectively forming a blank of material into a container, as well as an associated method are also disclosed.

Container, and selectively formed cup, tooling and associated method for providing same

A hydrostatic/hydrodynamic fluid bearing assembly for a can bodymaker is provided. The hydrostatic/hydrodynamic fluid bearing assembly is separate from the ram body. The outboard guide bearing assembly includes a carriage assembly and a number of elongated journals. The carriage assembly includes a ram coupling, a crank coupling, and body defining a number of journal passages. The ram body is coupled to a ram coupling. The crank coupling is structured to be coupled to a crank arm. Each journal extends through a carriage assembly body journal passage. In this configuration, the ram body may form a can body in a traditional manner, but fluid bearing assembly fluid is not applied to the ram body. Instead, the fluid bearing assembly fluid is applied to the journals.

Outboard hydrostatic bearing assembly for can bodymaker

A dispensing system for a rotary dispensing machine includes a tank, a fill tube, and a piston that moves along the fill tube and defines an air chamber and a fluid chamber within the tank. The tank is rotatable relative to the fill tube. A fluid is dispensed from the fluid chamber of the tank through at least one outlet formed in the tank.

Rotary dispensing tank

A method of forming a can end shell is provided which includes providing a can end shell having a central panel portion, a first panel radius around the central panel portion, a chamfer extending from the first panel radius, and a second panel radius around the chamfer, coining the can end shell to form a coined section in the first panel radius around at least a portion of the circumference of the central panel portion, and reforming the can end shell to form a step in the chamfer.

End closure with coined panel radius and reform step

An alignment assembly for a press assembly is provided. The alignment assembly includes a number of alignment elements. The alignment elements include a number of moving alignment elements. The moving alignment elements are coupled to an upper tooling assembly that moves between a first and second position. As the upper tooling assembly moves, the moving alignment elements move between a first position and a second position corresponding to the upper tooling assembly first position and a second position. The moving alignment elements are structured to move the shell from the initial alignment position to an intermediate alignment position. Thus, as the upper tooling assembly moves from the first position to the second position, the moving alignment elements contact a shell and move the shell from an initial alignment position to an intermediate alignment position.

Shell system locating assembly for shells

A shell, a container employing the shell, and tooling and associated methods for forming the shell are provided. The shell includes a center panel, a circumferential chuck wall, an annular countersink between the center panel and the circumferential chuck wall, and a curl extending radially outwardly from the chuck wall. The material of at least one predetermined portion of the shell is selectively stretched relative to at least one other portion of the shell, thereby providing a corresponding thinned portion. The tooling includes a pressure concentrating forming surface.

Container, and selectively formed shell, and tooling and associated method for providing same

A can bodymaker ram assembly is provided. The ram assembly includes an elongated, generally hollow ram body and a tension assembly. The ram body includes a proximal end, a medial portion, and a distal end. The tension assembly includes an elongated support member. The tension assembly support member includes a proximal end and a distal end. The tension assembly support member is substantially disposed within the ram body with the tension assembly support member proximal end coupled to the ram body proximal end, and the tension assembly support member distal end coupled to one of the ram body medial portion or the ram body distal end.

Mechanism and design for addressing ram droop

A shell, a container employing the shell, and tooling and associated methods for forming the shell are provided. The shell includes a center panel, a circumferential chuck wall, an annular countersink between the center panel and the circumferential chuck wall, and a curl extending radially outwardly from the chuck wall. The material of at least one predetermined portion of the shell is selectively stretched relative to at least one other portion of the shell, thereby providing a corresponding thinned portion.

A can bodymaker includes a housing assembly, a drive mechanism, a ram assembly, a domer assembly, and a ram body dampening assembly. The ram assembly includes an elongated ram body. The drive mechanism is operatively coupled to the ram assembly so that the drive mechanism imparts a reciprocating motion to the ram body. The ram body dampening assembly is disposed adjacent the ram body path of travel. The ram body dampening assembly includes a housing and a dampening member. The dampening member is disposed immediately adjacent the ram body path of travel.

Dampening assembly for can bodymaker ram

A container closure includes a generally planar body having a product side and a customer side. The body includes a container opening. The container opening includes a shifted material line.

Container closure with shifted material line and tooling and associated method for making a closure

A conversion system wherein a crankshaft drives the motion of the tooling assemblies within a number of lanes is provided. The crankshaft is structured to move the tooling assemblies associated with less than the total number of lanes. That is, for example, a four lane conversion press could include two crankshafts each actuating the tooling assemblies of two lanes. In an exemplary embodiment, each lane has a single associated crankshaft. The conversion system includes a multiple press drive assembly with a clutch/brake assembly and a flywheel assembly. The clutch/brake assembly is structured to suspend operation of the press units while the flywheel assembly stores energy in a flywheel. When operation of the press units is restarted, energy from the flywheel aids the motor in bringing the press units to an operating speed.

Growing community of inventors

Centerville, OH, United States of America

Aaron Emmanuel Carstens