Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation

Crown Packaging Technology, Inc.

Richard Mark Golding

Michael R Gogola

Anton A Aschberger

William O Irvine

Robert A Winkless

Ralph J Trnka

Richard O Wahler

James J Tang

Zeev W Shore

Mark W Hartman

David Harvey

David A Harvey

Frederick William Jowitt

Miles Waterworth

A method and apparatus for reforming the base of a container such as a can having a domed base. The apparatus comprises independent assemblies for rotating the can and for reforming the base profile. The base reforming assembly uses a torque shaft to twist an eccentric and actuate radial movement of a roll into contact with the can base. A stop prevents movement of this roll beyond a predetermined amount, thereby maintaining consistency of profile depth. By minimizing moving parts of the tooling, wear is limited to that which may arise from the stop alone.

Can base reforming

A method of manufacturing a metallic can body that is shaped distinctively in order to enhance its visual presentation to consumers includes, in one embodiment, steps of providing a can body blank that has a sidewall that is of a substantially constant diameter; providing a mold unit that has at least one mold wall that defines a mold cavity conforming a desired final shape of the can body; positioning the can body blank within the mold cavity; and supplying a pressurized fluid into the mold cavity so that the can body blank is forced by pressure against the mold wall, causing the can body blank to assume the desired final shape of the can body. Axial compression is preferably applied to the can body blank in order to reduce internal stresses during molding of the container. A second embodiment includes steps of radially deforming the can body blank in selected areas by selected amounts to achieve an intermediate can body that is radially modified, but is still symmetrical about its axis; and superimposing a preselected pattern of mechanical deformations that have an axial component onto the intermediate can body. Related apparatus and processes are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for making decorative shaped metal cans

Growing community of inventors

Hinsdale, IL, United States of America

Richard Mark Golding