Owens-illinois, Inc.

Stephen W Amberg

Thomas E Doherty

Ralph G Amberg

Frank S Landers

James W Buckingham

Clyde F Hadl

Rodney E Ludder

John F Spicer

This invention relates to method and apparatus for producing a composite container having a body label or tubular sleeve mounted temporarily thereon adapted to be shrunken into final surface covering position. The tubular sleeve is preformed of thin flexible plastic material and flat-folded until ready for use when it is fully opened and arcuately conveyed in axial registry with a container therebeneath. The sleeve preform of heat-shrinkable plastic material is telescopically assembled onto the container while the latter is conveyed through a coincidental arcuate path. The container preferably consists of a one or two-component lightweight hollow plastic container with the tubular preform made slightly larger in diameter to surround a body portion of the container. The tubular sleeve preform is engaged and fully opened by a juxtaposed pair of vacuum heads which are pivotally partible and arcuately conveyed by such heads, and then transported downwardly in telescopic relation when in axial alignment with the container. The opened sleeve and upright container are continuously moved in synchronism in a coincident arcuate path for such sleeve mounting in temporary relation on the container body where it is adapted to subsequent heat-shrinking in place in permanent conforming arrangement.

Method and apparatus for assembling tubular sleeve preforms and

This invention provides a high output machine for effecting the production of organic thermoplastic articles by the compression molding technique. A plurality of molding members having open top molding cavities are movable around a horizontal closed loop path. A plurality of horizontally moving plungers are provided which are respectively co-operable with the molding members in a portion of their path to close the open top of the molding cavities. Successive gobs of heated organic thermoplastic material are deposited in the open top molding cavities at a point prior to the molding members moving into vertical alignment with the plungers. A relative vertical displacement between the plunger and the molding members is then effected to bring each plunger into engagement with the respective molding member and effect the compression molding of the inserted gob to conform to the molding cavity. After formation of the molded article and appropriate time for cooling, the molding members and plungers are relatively vertically displaced to permit the molded thermoplastic article to be removed from the molding cavity. In accordance with a specific embodiment of this invention, the molded article may comprise the end wall of a can and successive can side walls or bodies are respectively disposed in surrounding relationship to the plungers and carried into the compression molding area with the end portions of such bodies entering the molding cavity so that the compression molded end wall is formed around and united to the side wall in the compression molding operation.

Compression molding machine for organic thermoplastic materials

There is disclosed apparatus for feeding articles, such as bottles, for example, to a machine and includes a conveyor advancing articles past a gate member and into an infeed worm which times and spaces the articles properly for introduction to the machine. The articles are accumulated upstream of the worm on the conveyor and the accumulation detected by a sensor means. The gate is extendable across the conveyor to close and arrest the bottles when an insufficient supply accumulation is sensed. When a sufficient article accumulation occurs, the sensor means enables the gate to retract or open. The opening of the gate is timed by a first proximity switch in circuit with the sensor means so that articles which first pass the gate will be synchronized with the worm and enter it smoothly. If and when articles are in short supply, the sensor means signals to close the gate for again accumulating them. The timing of closing the gate is achieved by a second proximity switch which closes the gate between articles and avoids striking them.

Article infeed gate and control therefor

This invention relates to method and apparatus for making plastic tubular preforms for assemblying bottles or other containers into individual mutli-unit packages. The bottles for an integral multi-container package are arranged in a tightly-assembled group and the tubular preform is placed around the group. The tubular preform is formed from a lengthy sheet of flexible heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material which preferably is comprised of a composite foam and film laminate with the preform having a thermal fusion seal extending in an axial direction. The preform is flat-folded with a pair of axial pleated folds in diametrically opposite sides and then double-folded centrally for use in multiple unit packaging of like containers. The preforms has a primary orientation in a circumferential direction and a secondary orientation in an axial direction making it particularly useful when fully opened for heat shrinking around a group of like containers. This invention pertains to the method and apparatus for making such tubular preform which in heat-shrunken condition forms a tight package convenient for handling, shipment and use.

Method and apparatus for making plastic preforms for packaging containers

Method and apparatus are provided for assemblying bottles or other containers into a package. The bottles for a package are arranged in a group of predetermined number, a telescoping tubular sleeve is placed around the group, and the sleeve is heat-shrunken around the grouped bottles into an integral tightly-bound package.

Method and apparatus for packaging containers

A package is provided comprising an uprightly unstable thermoplastic bottle having a generally convex bottom and a peripheral sidewall extending upwardly therefrom and a base directly contacting and loosely supporting the bottle in an upright position the package further comprises predecorated heat shrunk annular label means in tight unitizing peripheral engagement with externally exposed surfaces of the base and sidewall for securely and integrally attaching said bottle and said base, the means being substantially the sole means for such attachment.

Plastic package

This invention relates to apparatus and method for producing a composite container having a neck label or tubular sleeve mounted temporarily thereon adapted to be shrunken into final surface covering relation. The tubular sleeve is preformed of relatively-stiff material and flat-folded until ready for use when it is fully opened and conveyed into vertical alignment with a container therebeneath. The sleeve preform comprised of heat-shrinkable plastic material is telescopically assembled onto the container while the latter is transported in spaced upright arrangement. The preform is moved downwardly by a pair of gripping vacuum cups moving downwardly and divergently to open the preform and place the same telescopically on the container upper portion. Alternately, the opened preform is placed on a cylindrical mandrel to more fully open the preform prior to its being mounted telescopically on the container neck portion. The preform on the upper portion of the container in finally-aligned relation is then adapted to heat-shrinking in place in permanent conforming arrangement.

Apparatus and method for assemblying tubular sleeve preforms and

A fabricated cup or nestable container having a unitary sidewall formed from a double-ended sheet of a heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material, the inner suface of which is adapted to contact a liquid product to be contained in said container. The ends of the sheet are joined to one another forming a liquid-tight seam extending from the top to the bottom of said container. An open mouth at the top is defined by the upper portion of the sidewall. The container sidewall tapers inwardly and downwardly from the open mouth for a major portion of the height of said container. The thickness of the sidewall increases continuously and progressively over this major portion from a lesser thickness at the top thereof to a greater thickness at the bottom thereof. The density of the sidewall continuously and progressively decreases over this major portion from a greater density at the top thereof to a lesser density at the bottom thereof. A separate bottom closure may be joined in a liquid-tight manner to the lower end of the container sidewall to form a two-piece container. Alternately, a bottom closure may be formed from an integral extension of the sidewall by shrinking and sealing the extension to produce a one-piece cup.

Nestable foam cup

Method of making a plastic package

This invention relates to method and apparatus for producing a composite container having a neck label or tubular sleeve mounted temporarily thereon adapted to be shrunken into final surface covering position. The tubular sleeve is preformed of relatively-stiff material and flat-folded until ready for use when it is partially opened and conveyed into axial registry with a container therebeneath. The sleeve preform of heat-shrinkable plastic material is telescopically assembled onto the container while the latter is firmly retained at an upper region. The retention device for the container serves to both fully open the sleeve preform and align the preform and container into axial arrangement. A reciprocatable head contacts the preform while so retained and telescopes the preform at least partially over the container. After the retention device releases the container, a second reciprocatable head contacts the preform to more fully telescope the preform over the container to a finally-aligned position where it is then adapted to subsequent heat-shrinking in place in permanent conforming arrangement.

Method and apparatus for assemblying tubular sleeve preforms and

The invention disclosed sets forth a machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle of room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a 'cold' bottle. There is disclosed a combination of novel devices in the machine including a slitting device, pleating device, feed and winding device, hot air heating device for sealing the seam of a sleeve and for pressing the seam, and an article handling mechanism for indexing the bottles coaxially with a sleeve and transferring the sleeve over the bottle to label position at production rates. With the sleeves of shrinkable label material thusly placed, the bottles are carried through a device for heating the label sufficiently to shrink it to final form. There is also disclosed means for treating the bottle with adhesive before transferring the label sleeve onto it, providing an adhesive bond between the neck of the bottle and the shrunken level sleeve which enhances the function of the pilfer-proof label.

Apparatus for producing shrunken pilfer-proof neck labels for containers

A container manufactured from a single piece of foamed plastic sheet material. A simplified process for producing a one-piece container from foamed sheet material. The process including the creation of a container blank from sheet stock, forming a cylinder and through controlled heat shrinking, forming a cup blank that is pressed to final configuration.

One piece foam cup

A fabricated cup or other nestable container in which the sidewall is formed from a rectangular sheet-like blank of a thermoplastic material, particularly an expanded thermoplastic material, the blank having its ends joined to one another in a liquid-tight seam extending the full height thereof to form a sleeve, the blank having a relatively high degree of orientation or heat-shrinkability extending circumferentially of the sleeve, the fabrication of the sidewall from the sleeve being accomplished by telescoping the sleeve over a generally frusto-conically shaped mandrel, by exposing the sleeve to heat to cause it to shrink to conform to the configuration of the mandrel and by stripping the shrunken sleeve from the mandrel. A two-piece container may be formed from such a sidewall by affixing an end closure element to the bottom or smaller end of the sidewall. A one-piece container may also be formed in this manner by using a blank of sufficient height so that a substantial portion of the sleeve formed therefrom extends beyond the smaller end of the forming mandrel, such substantial portion, when the sleeve is exposed to heat, being shrinkable to form an annular planar portion disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of the mandrel and a relatively small tubulation which extends longitudinally from the interior of the annular planar portion and which, by the application of pressure thereto while at elevated temperature, may be caused to collapse and fuse together to close the bottom of the container in a liquid-tight manner. A container of this type may be used to advantage to contain any liquid or other fluent product therein in face-to-face contact with the interior surface of the sidewall thereof, and when the container is fabricated from an expanded material, because of the insulating characteristics of such material, a container fabricated therefrom may be used to particular advantage as a hand-holdable cup for coffee or other hot beverage. The container fabricating apparatus includes a continuously moving conveyor having a plurality of spaced mandrels having an external configuration corresponding to the internal configuration of the containers. Subassemblies acting in timed relationship with the main conveyor (a) pre-heat the mandrels, (b) form cylindrical sleeve blanks from a continuous web of thermoplastic material and telescope the sleeve blanks onto the mandrels, (c) simultaneously cut bottom disc closures from two continuous webs of thermoplastic material and deliver the discs serially to the mandrels, (d) subject the mandrels carrying the sleeve blanks and discs to heat to shrink each sleeve blank about a mandrel in overlapped relationship with a bottom disc, (e) fuse the disc to the overlapping portion sidewalls of the container and (f) form a curved rim at the top of the cup to complete formation.

Pick-up head assembly for use in apparatus for fabricating thermoplastic

There is disclosed a device for applying a liquid adhesive onto the surface of bottles moving in upright seriatim fashion on a horizontal moving conveyor at an adhesive applying station. The device includes a container for liquid adhesive and a pivoted frame supported over the container which supports a beveled feed wheel on an inclined shaft driven by its connection to an electric motor. The beveled feed wheel rotates partly submersed in the adhesive and engages a cylindrical applicator roller freely rotatable on a vertical axis at the applying station. The outer periphery of the roller is comprised of a porous, resilient layer, e.g. a spongy urethane layer which receives adhesive from the beveled facing of the feed wheel. The beveled facing of the latter is non-porous and smooth, e.g. a steel facing. The roller is properly loaded with adhesive transferred by the feed wheel and is also driven by the wheel in a direction corresponding with movement of the bottles in the applying station; whereat the roller surface layer engages the bottle surface and applies adhesive thereto.

Adhesive applicator device

Disclosed is web handling apparatus for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilferproof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle of room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a 'cold' bottle. The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle. There is disclosed a combination of novel devices in the machine including a slitting device, pleating device, feed and winding device, hot air heating device for sealing the seam of a sleeve and for pressing the seam, and an article handling mechanism for indexing the bottles coaxially with a sleeve and transferring the sleeve over the bottle to label position at production rates. Then the bottles are carried through a device for heating the label sufficiently to shrink it to final form.

Growing community of inventors

Toledo, OH, United States of America

Stephen W Amberg