Silgan Containers LLC

Tempra Technology, Inc.

Sligan Containers LLC

Gerald James Baker

Jianwen Hu

Rowdy H Holstine

Alvin Widitora

Seth Moore

Matt R Brown

Thomas Murphy

George Sadler

Douglas C Miller

William Kapolas

Donald M Gust

John L Phillips

Michael Patrick Moore

Elizabeth A Metzger

Harley Jung

Bill Kapolas

Stackable, thin-metal cup

Battery cell spacer

A spring assembly is provided which decreases the fatigue and wear on the springs of the assembly. The spring assembly includes upper and lower pistons separated by a substantially incompressible fluid. The lower piston is attached to one or more springs. The surface area of the upper surface of the lower piston is greater than the surface area of the lower surface of the upper piston. As such, the springs are deflected by a distance less than the distance traveled by the upper piston. By decreasing the length the springs are compressed, the springs are subject to less fatigue and wear. As a result, the life span of the springs is increased and the maintenance required of the spring assembly is minimized relative to that of typical spring assemblies.

Spring deflection control assembly

Metal container

Container

A thinned metal can end having a non-uniform thickness profile is provided. The can end has a central panel having at least a first thickness, a middle portion having at least a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and an end portion having at least a third thickness greater than the first and second thicknesses. The can end is configured to be joined to a can wall by a double seam.

Thinned metal can end

Induction heating systems for metal food cans configured to deliver sufficient heat into the can to sterilize the food within the can are provided. The heating system includes an induction coil and a control system. The control system is configured to monitor and control heating of sealed food cans during induction heating and to control and/or confirm various aspects of can heating during induction heating.

Food container induction heating system having power based microbial lethality monitoring

A temperature detection system for detecting temperature within a metallic can during heating is provided. The system includes an induction heating coil configured to generate an alternating magnetic field, and a hermetically sealed can positioned within the magnetic field generated by the induction coil. At least a portion of the sealed can is formed from a metallic material, and the sealed can includes a food product within the can. The magnetic field causes resistive heating of the metallic material of the sealed can. The system includes a temperature sensing element located within the sealed can configured to generate a signal indicative of the temperature of the food product during heating and a memory device communicably coupled to the temperature sensing element configured to store data related to the signal received from the temperature sensing element.

Temperature detection system for food container induction heating system and method

A container configured to be stacked adjacent to a second container is provided. The container includes a sidewall having a first end, an end wall having a peripheral edge, a seam coupling the peripheral edge of the end wall to the first end of the sidewall, and an alignment feature coupled to the seam. The alignment feature includes an inner surface. The alignment feature is positioned relative to the seam such that, when the container is stacked adjacent to the second container, the inner surface of the alignment feature contacts an outer surface of a seam of the second container, the contact resisting lateral movement of the container relative to the second container.

Stackable container

A bottom expansion station is provided. The station provides a blank support, a punch having a central recess configured to punch a blank through the blank support forming a cup, and a pressure exertion medium including a material through which pressure is exerted on a portion the end wall of the cup to increase the area of the end wall. The material is configured to be deformed by the end wall when pressure is exerted through it on the portion of the end wall.

Bottom expansion station

A can end and a tab configured to couple to the can end and a related method are provided. The can end is continuous. The tab is configured to couple to the can end with a post, which couples the tab to the can end without passing through the can end.

Can end and related method

An induction heating system configured to sequentially heat a plurality of filled and sealed food containers is provided. The system includes an induction heating coil defining a lumen having a longitudinal axis. The lumen is configured to receive the containers during heating, and the induction coil is configured to generate an alternating magnetic field causing resistive heating of the container. The system includes a container moving device configured to move containers into the induction heating coil lumen prior to heating, to move containers while within the induction heating coil lumen and to move containers out of the induction heating coil lumen after heating.

Growing community of inventors

Wauwatosa, WI, United States of America

Gerald James Baker