Sonoco Development Incorporated

Sonoco Products Company

John Ellis Bacon

James W Lowry

Kenan James Clougherty

Keith R Rea

William C Suski

Teddy M Westphal

Ted M Westphal

An apparatus is provided for forming an outwardly-rolled lip on an open end of a deformable cylindrical container body. The apparatus may include a mandrel having a generally cylindrical-shaped portion for movably supporting at least a portion of an interior surface of the container body. The apparatus further includes a lip-forming die assembly forming a part of the mandrel and having an annular cavity defining an open mouth portion and a closed bottom portion which defines a surface area extending generally radially outwardly of the mandrel outer surface and which is oriented with the open mouth portion generally transverse to an outer periphery of the container body and which faces the open end of the container body around the periphery. An axial forcing member contacts the other end of the container body for axially moving the container body along the outer surface of the mandrel and the container open end into and through the die assembly. The cavity bottom portion surface area of the lip-forming die assembly has a generally C-shaped cross-sectional contour in the direction of its outward extension which includes a combination of curved and straight sections positioned at predetermined radii and angles to a longitudinal axis of the container body, so that, when the outer periphery of the open end of the container body is forced into and through the die assembly to form the outwardly-rolled lip, the end of the container body will contact only a part of the bottom portion surface area of the die cavity to reduce frictional engagement and to minimize the force necessary to move the end of the container body through the die.

Apparatus for forming an outwardly-rolled lip on a cylindrical container

Container

A non-round easy-grip composite container has a composite bottom closure and an outwardly-curled beaded top edge adapted to receive a membrane closure and a snap-on overcap. The composite container has outwardly-bowed curved front, rear and side walls and curved corners defining eight circular segments in transverse cross-section arranged symmetrically about perpendicular axes and at least some of which have different radii. Preferably, the container is of a combination rectangular and elliptical shape in transverse cross-section and the front and rear walls have a common predetermined radius in transverse cross-section which is larger than a common predetermined radius for the side walls in transverse cross-section. The corners also have a common predetermined radius in transverse cross-section.

Non-round easy-grip composite container

A hermetic, composite container including a non-metallic composite container body and a metal end which are joined by a double seam. The double seam has reduced dimensions resulting in significant savings in material. The metal end is formed of a low basis weight metal having a thickness of less than 0.007 inches wherein substantial wrinkling of the metal end nonetheless is avoided.

Reduced diameter double seam for a composite container

A device for leakage and pressure testing can bodies and can body-end closure combinations includes a can clamp assembly having an expandable resilient sealing ring over which an open end of a can body is slid. The can clamp assembly automatically draws the open end of the can body into a collar and then expands the resilient sealing ring outwardly to clamp and seal the can body in the assembly. Air is pumped into or drawn out of the can by an air passage formed through an actuating rod attached to the can clamp assembly for extending and retracting the sealing ring. For testing can bodies having no end closures, the device includes a second can clamp assembly which clamps and seals the other open end of the can body. A shaft attached to the second can clamp assembly is slidably and rotatably supported in an aperture of a support plate such that the can body is free to expand axially and to rotate about its axis during loading and testing of the can body.

Can strength and leakage test device

A container and end adapted for closing and sealing the container with a double-seaming operation is provided which permits evacuating and back-flushing of gases out of and into the container while the end is in a seated and unseamed position on the container during the closing operation. The end includes a central circular panel, a chuck wall surrounding an outer periphery of the central panel and extending radially outwardly and upwardly from the central panel and a crown seaming panel surrounding the chuck wall and extending radially outwardly from the chuck wall and having an outer curled end for being double-seamed with a flanged upper end portion of the container for closing of the container. The end preferably includes sealing compound positioned on an inside surface of the chuck wall and the crown seaming panel. Separate projections are formed in the chuck wall and in the crown seaming panel of the end and extend inwardly and radially of the chuck wall and crown seaming panel, respectively, and are spaced around the chuck wall and the crown seaming panel for engaging the flanged upper end of the container being closed for forming gas channels between the respective projections and between the flanged upper end of the container and the chuck wall and the crown seaming panel of the end when such end is in a seated and unseamed position on the container during closing and prior to completion of the double-seaming operation.

Container and end closure adapted for evacuating and back-flushing of

The invention provides a process and apparatus for forming an outwardly rolled lip on a cylindrical container body. The apparatus of the invention includes a mandrel having a cylindrical shaped portion and a lip forming annular cavity positioned coaxially with, and axially spaced from the cylindrical portion of the mandrel. The annular cavity has a generally semi-circular cross-section including an open mouth and a closed bottom extending outwardly of the mandrel. The mandrel additionally includes a radially tapered portion between the cylindrical portion and the lip forming die. The radially tapered portion tapers radially outwardly in the direction towards the lip forming die. An axial forcing means forces a cylindrical container body axially along the mandrel towards the lip forming die to thereby stretch the open end before the end is forced into the cavity and rolled outwardly.

Growing community of inventors

Hartsville, SC, United States of America

John Ellis Bacon