Aluminum Company of America

E Scott Douds

John W Collins, Iii

Charles J Leftault, Jr

Robert A Cargnel

Ronald W Gunkel

This invention provides a method of bulging at least a portion of a sidewall of a drawn or drawn and ironed aluminum container body. The method involves an initial thermal treatment step prior to bulging. The thermal treatment is provided to that portion of the sidewall of the container that is to be bulged and is sufficient to reduce the yield strength of that portion of the sidewall about 20% without substantially adversely affecting the yield strength of the bottom wall of the container. After thermal treatment, at least a portion of the thermally treated sidewall is bulged at a circumferential strain greater than about 5% to provide container shape.

Method for partially annealing the sidewall of a container

A system is disclosed for applying plastic labels on cylindrical can bodies which includes moving the cans end-to-end in a continuous series through a forming horn over which a strip of heat-shrinkable sheet plastic is drawn to form the plastic strip into an envelope around the cans with the opposite edges of the strip adjacently disposed longitudinally of the cans, welding the opposite edges of the plastic strip to form a tube around the series of cans, heating the plastic tube to shrink it against the cans, severing the plastic tube between cans to separate them into individually wrapped cans, and further shrinking at least the ends of the plastic tube into snug engagement against the ends of the side wall of each can.

Shrink wrapping

An elongate copper coil with an open center area has a bow-tie shaped non-magnetic metal core disposed adjacent the center of the coil and insulated from the coil. The coil is adapted to be connected to a high frequency alternating current generator for producing a magnetic field in the area surrounding the coil and core for induction heating metal articles such as can ends which are moved continuously past the apparatus. The core changes the pattern of maximum flux density of the magnetic field produced by the coil to facilitate controlled transfer of heat into and out of the can ends.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

E Scott Douds