Sonoco Products Company

Sonoco Development Incorporated

United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Richard M Lowman

William C Suski

James W Lowry

Michael T Drummond

Calvin G Hill

Rodney W Roberts

Alan D Williams

Floyd H Boatwright

Thomas J Setty

Gene A Herron

Cossie J McCorkle

Eric P Lubitz

A tubular container for vacuum packaging products is provided according to the present invention that includes an overcap secured to at least one of the opposed ends of a tubular container that defines a bias member for biasing a membrane-type flexible lid inwardly towards products contained within the tubular container before a vacuum is applied. The flexible lid is maintained in a biased shape until the bias member is removed. As such, the flexible lid is sufficiently restrained during the vacuum packaging process, thus preventing the breakage of products located adjacent the flexible lid.

Container having a preshaped end closure

A release strip for tubular containers is provided and includes a tab portion. An elongate portion of the release strip is releasably adhered to an outer surface of the tubular body of the container with a first adhesive application. The tab portion extends laterally from the elongate portion and is separately releasably adhered to the tubular body with a second adhesive application to prevent the tab portion from being inadvertently snagged. In one preferred embodiment, the tab portion includes an opening therein having an advantageous shape including an arcuate section having at least a predetermined minimum radius of curvature and a substantially straight section opposite the arcuate section, thus allowing sufficient room for accommodating a consumer's finger while maintaining requisite ring strength. An apparatus for manufacturing and applying the release strips also forms a part of the invention and includes first and second adhesive applicators which are offset to apply the first adhesive application to the elongate portion of the release strip and the second adhesive application to the tab portion.

Release strip for tubular containers and methods and apparatus of applying same

A method is provided of manufacturing an easy-open container. A bodywall layer strip is positioned on a wider liner layer strip to define first and second edge portions on the side of the wider liner layer which extends transversely beyond the bodywall layer side edges. These layers are fed to a mandrel and the first liner layer edge portion is folded-over onto an outside surface of the bodywall layer and a high strength bond is formed therebetween. The resulting layers are spirally wound on the mandrel to form a continuous tube having a spiral seam with the bodywall layer side edges forming a butt joint and with each of the first and second liner layer edge portions extending through the butt joint and out of the spiral seam. The second liner layer edge portion is positioned on the first folded-over liner layer edge portion and a low strength bond is formed therebetween. A flexible label layer is spirally wound onto the tube on the mandrel with its longitudinal edges in overlapped relationship. The label layer is positioned in superimposed bridging relation to the spiral seam and the liner layer edge portions and in superimposed relation to the remainder of the bodywall layer so that the overlapped label layer edges are adjacent to but not directly superimposed thereon. A low strength bond is formed between the overlapped label layer edges and a high strength bond is formed between the superimposed label layer and the second liner layer edge portion and the superimposed label layer and bodywall layer. The thus wound continuous tube is then cut into individual container lengths.

Method for forming an easy-open container having an improved reinforcing

An easy-open container has a spirally-wound paperboard bodywall layer, interior barrier liner layer and outer label layer forming an easy-open seam extending spirally between the ends of the container. A feature is provided for directionally-orienting tearing of the label layer to remove either the entire label layer or just that portion of the label layer which is in bridging relationship to the easy-open spiral seam to allow opening of the container along the spiral seam. The directionally-orienting tear feature is preferably provided by a reinforcing and tear strip having directionally-orienting tear incorporated therein and which is positioned under the outer longitudinal edge portion of the label layer and over the easy-open spiral seam along with desired positioning of low strength and high strength bonding between the label layer, reinforcing and tear strip and bodywall layer to ensure tearing of the label layer in the proper direction and removal of a desired portion of the label layer when the container is opened. The directionally-oriented tear feature may also include a directionally-orienting tear incorporated in the label layer itself to orient tear in the desired direction.

Easy-open container having directionally-oriented label tear

An easy-open container has a spirally-wound bodywall layer, interior barrier liner layer and outer label layer forming an easy-open seam extending spirally between the ends of the container and which is provided with an improved reinforcing and tear strip extending along the easy-open spiral seam. This reinforcing and tear strip is formed by overlapped edge portions of the label layer extending through and out of the spiral seam of the container and being folded-over onto the outside of the bodywall layer and under the label layer. Low strength bonding is provided between the overlapped label layer edge portions and high strength bonding is positioned between the superimposed label layer and folded-over a liner layer edge portion and between the superimposed label layer and bodywall layer for allowing easy starting and stripping of the reinforcing and tear strip along the spiral easy-open seam without the necessity of removing the entire label layer.

Easy-open container having an improved reinforcing and tear strip

A deformable plug for use within an aircraft engine exhaust nozzle system having thrust vectoring and thrust reversing capability, as well as the capability to vary the nozzle area thereby improving propulsion efficiency. This invention utilizes an exhaust nozzle passageway having a rectangular nozzle exit area with the aerodynamically shaped plug centrally located in the path of the engine exhaust gases. The portion of the plug extending aft of the nozzle exit plane comprises of a pair of oppositely facing flaps that can be actuated to provide thrust vector and thrust reversal control as desired. The portion of the plug extending forward of the nozzle exit plane provides for variable throat area control.

Growing community of inventors

Hartsville, SC, United States of America

Richard M Lowman