Weirton Steel Corporation

Kevin Hanley

William T Saunders

Forming a convenience-feature, sheet metal end closure structure (180, 216) for a container having a non-cylindrical side wall (250). Scoring and back-up tooling enable peripheral scoring (102, 130, 142) on either surface of such end closure to define a separable panel (160, 218) with its peripheral scoreline located contiguous to the end closure chuck wall (132, 144); which interfits within the open end of the container body. Separation of such endwall panel leaves substantially no obstruction to removal of solid-pack contents. The separable panel is provided with means to prevent tear-out of a segment of the endwall panel and retain an integral opener (148) with the panel. Preselected placement of such elongated integral opener as designated on various non-circular configuration endwall panels, along with novel shaping of tooling chuck (270), enables desired chuck wall support for chime seam assembly of the end closure a container body as well as desired placement of the opener working end contiguous to such chuck wall and peripheral scoreline.

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Cockeysville, MD, United States of America

Kevin Hanley