Method of manufacturing and providing lithography on metal closures
AssigneeBall Corporation
InventorDavid J. Bonfoey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to manufacturing metallic closures from a continuous coil of a pre-coated sheet metal material. More specifically, the present invention relates to manufacturing closures adapted for interconnection to a threaded neck of a container using a continuous coil of pre-coated aluminum sheet material. In one embodiment, marketing indicia or product information may be applied to the closures after formation of the closures.
Claims20
A method of forming a metal closure which is adapted for interconnection to a neck of a threaded metallic container, comprising:
- providing a coil of a sheet metal material;
- aligning the sheet metal material with a cupping press;
- feeding the sheet metal material through the cupping press;
- cutting a plurality of discs from the sheet metal material;
- and
- forming each of the plurality of discs into a plurality of metal closures.
An apparatus for forming a metallic closure which is adapted for interconnection to a threaded neck of a container, comprising:
- a receiver operable to receive a portion of a coil of a sheet metal material and unwind the sheet metal material from the coil;
- and
- a cupping press operable to receive the sheet metal material from said receiver, said cupping press comprising at least one guide to align the sheet metal material, at least one tool operable to cut a plurality of blanks from the sheet metal material, and at least one tool operable to form a blank of said plurality of blanks into the metallic closure.
A continuous feed apparatus for forming a metal closure which is adapted for interconnection to a threaded neck of a container, comprising:
- a guide system, said guide system operable to uncoil a continuous sheet of a metal material from a coil, said guide system operable to align said continuous sheet with a cupping press;
- said cupping press operable to take in said continuous sheet from said guide system, and further comprising at least one tool operable to cut a plurality of blanks from the sheet metal material and at least one tool operable to form said plurality of blanks into a plurality of metal closures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.