Metal Box Corporation

Metal Box Public Limited Company

Mb Group Plc

Cmb Packaging (UK) Limited

Metal Box Public Ltd. Co.

Martin F Ball

Andrew P Pavely

Joseph S Taylor

Fred Fidler

Paul C Claydon

Ian M Vokins

Dispenser

An apparatus for storing and dispensing a quantity of aerated liquid for maintaining the carbonation of a beverage in a container. The apparatus includes a vessel containing a source of gas, a valve closing the vessel and a pressure regulator that couples the valve to the vessel. The pressure regulator is capable of delivering the gas to the container at a substantially constant pressure substantially lower than the pressure under which the gas is kept in the vessel. A tap permits delivery of the gas to, and dispensing of the liquid from the container.

Aerated liquid storage/dispensing apparatus

A method of making a metal can end with a tear-open plastics closure, for a can intended to be resistant to leakage when subject to internal pressures, such as arise from carbonation of a beverage or thermal processing, wherein the undersurface of the can end is provided with a plastics coating, and the can end is pierced to form an aperture with a peripheral downturned flange at an angle of 70.degree. to 110.degree. to the plane of the can end and having a flat end. A one-piece ring pull closure is injection-moulded onto the can end from a plastics material resistant to softening at up to at least 65.degree. C., without additional heating of the metal, so as to fill the aperture, bond with the coating, and enclose the flange, with a residual thickness below the flange of 0.125 to 0.5 mm. The thickness of the plastics material of the closure is such that it can be sheared against the flange when the ring pull is pulled manually. The residual thickness of the plastics material may be varied around the aperture to increase resistance of the closure to creep, and the aperture may be pear-shaped or may be circular with a separate vent hole.

Methods of making metal can ends with plastics closures

A pump chamber dispenser for toothpaste or other viscous or pasty product comprises a pump member (54) moulded form elastomeric material and having a domed central portion (56) and a bifurcated peripheral portion providing inner and outer skirts arranged to lie against respective surfaces of a projection (36) formed on the end wall (18) of the dispenser body (10), and to serve as inlet and exit valves controlling an inlet port (20) communicating the pump chamber (21) with the reservoir chamber (22), and an exit port communicating the pump chamber with a discharge nozzle (58). The nozzle is integral with a cover fixed to the body (10) and enclosing the pump member, the cover including a button (70) for acting on the pump member to operate the dispenser.

Pump chamber dispenser

Method of forming containers

A dispenser for a pasty or viscous product such as toothpaste is arranged to operate by peristaltic action of an actuator on a deformable member which is backed by an arcuate reaction face. The actuator is mounted for simple pivotal movement to and fro about spigots when a user-engagement member is operated by a user for dispensing and is subsequently released. An integral resilient tongue on the actuator returns the actuator and user-engagement member to their reset positions. For engaging the deformable member, the actuator has a finger portion attached by an integral hinge and arranged to adopt a rigid condition during each forward, dispensing movement of the actuator and a yielding condition during each backward, resetting movement thereof.

Dispensers for pasty or viscous products

A pump chamber dispenser for toothpaste or other viscous or pasty product comprises a pump member (54) moulded from elastomeric material and having a domed central portion (56) and a bifurcated peripheral portion providing inner and outer skirts arranged to lie against respective surfaces of a projection (36) formed on the end wall (18) of the dispenser body (10), and to serve as inlet and exit valves controlling an inlet port (20) communicating the pump chamber (21) with the reservoir chamber (22), and an exit port communicating the pump chamber with a discharge nozzle (68). The nozzle is integral with a cover fixed to the body (10) and enclosing the pump member, the cover including a button (70) for acting on the pump member to operate the dispenser.

Container closure

A method of making a metal can end with a tear-open plastics closure, for a can intended to be resistant to leakage when subject to internal pressures, such as arise from carbonation of a beverage or thermal processing, wherein the undersurface of the can end is provided with a plastics coating, and the can end is pierced to form an aperture with a peripheral downturned flange at an angle of 80.degree. to 120.degree. to the plane of the can end and having a flat end. A one-piece ring pull closure is injection moulded on to the can end from a plastics material resistant to softening at up to at least 67.degree. C., without additional heating of the metal, so as to fill the aperture, bond with the coating, and enclose the flange, with a residual thickness below the flange of 0.08 to 0.5 mm. The thickness of the plastics material of the closuure is such that it can be sheared against the flange when the ring pull is pulled manually. The residual thickness of the plastics material may be varied around the aperture to increase resistance of the closure to creep, and the aperture may be pear-shaped or may be circular with a separate vent hole.

Methods of making can ends with plastics closures

A pump chamber dispenser is arranged for producing a striped or otherwise striated product from two or more differently-colored product components held in its variable-volume reservoir (22). For each component the dispenser has at least one inlet port (20) to the pump chamber (21) and at least one exit port (44) for each inlet port. Having passed separately through the exit ports the components ae ducted by galleries (61) to the base of a dispensing spout (68), where they are recombined as desired to form the multicomponent product.

A valve which comprises a closure member adapted for attachment to the container. The closure member defines an aperture therein. A hollow grommet of flexible material having a flange portion to one side of the closure member and a tubular portion extends through the aperture in the closure member. A valve rod having at one end a flange engaged with the underside of the flange of the grommet and a hollow stem portion extending through the grommet to protrude therefrom such that upon tilting of the valve rod relative to the closure member the flange of the valve rod parts from the underside of the flange of the grommet to uncover a radial hole in the stem portion through which pressurized fluid can pass into the hollow stem portion for dispensing. A gallery or annular passageway is provided in between the grommet and flange of the valve rod and arranged to admit pressurizing gas through the closure member into the container when the valve rod is tilted.

Valve for dispensing fluid from a container

An apparatus for storing and dispensing a quantity of aerated liquid for maintaining the carbonation of a beverage in a container. The apparatus includes a vessel containing a source of gas, a valve closing the vessel and a pressure regulator that couples the valve to the vessel. The pressure regulator is capable of delivering the gas to the container at a substantially constant pressure substantially lower than the pressure under which the gas is kept in the vessel. A tap permits delivery of the gas to, and dispensing of the liquid from, the container.

A method and apparatus associated with plastics material applied by injection moulding to a metal substrate by surrounding at least a portion of the substrate with a mould and injecting flowable plastics material into the mould, characterized in that the method and/or the apparatus utilizes locally induced heat in the portion of the metal substrate surrounded by the mould to bond and sealingly adhere the plastics material to the metal substrate in total surface-to-surface contact.

Method and apparatus for sealing a plastics material to a metal substrate

A closure for an aperture in a container wall having an annulus of gasket material around the aperture, has a plug portion and a peripheral flange extending axially and outwardly of the plug portion to terminate in a feather edge adapted to engage the gasket material when the plug portion is inserted in the aperture. In order to seal the aperture, the gasket material applied to the wall to surround the aperture and the plug portion of the closure is force fitted into the aperture to hold the feather edge of the flange in sealing engagement with the gasket material. The closure may be used to close cans of beverages and permit easy access to the contents by pushing the plug portion into the can.

Growing community of inventors

Wantage, United Kingdom

Martin F Ball