Container manufacturing machine

An apparatus for the manufacture of containers of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material comprising sleeve winding mandrels for forming open ended cylindrical sleeves, from rectangular shaped blanks, upon said mandrels, said sleeve having a liquid impervious side seam, drum means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and carrying a plurality of container mandrels, each equally spaced circumferentially from each other and in radial alignment and perpendicular with the rotational axis of said drum means, means for thermally conditioning foam sheet stock as it advances toward said mandrels, means for grasping and advancing said sheet stock toward said mandrel, means for severing a rectangularly shaped blank of foam sheet material, means for holding the leading edge of said blank against said mandrel surface, means to conform the blank to the surface of said mandrel while said mandrel is being rotated about its longitudinal axis and is being translated about an arcuate path as said drum rotates about its longitudinal axis, means for applying a heated fluid to the leading and trailing edges of said blank, means for sealing said edges together to form an in situ side seal on said cylindrical sleeve, an array of fluid dispensing means positioned adjacent said drum means for heat softening and shrinking at least a portion of said sleeve into partial conformity with the exterior surface of the container mandrel supporting said sleeve, means positioned to and in radial alignment with the container mandrel for pressing at least a portion of the end into a closure for said container, an ejection means associated with said container mandrel for removing said container from said container mandrel.

An apparatus for the manufacture of containers of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material comprising sleeve winding mandrels for forming open ended cylindrical sleeves, from rectangular shaped blanks, on said mandrels, said sleeves having a liquid impervious side seam, drum means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and carrying a plurality of sleeve mandrels, each equally spaced circumferentially from one another and in radial alignment and perpendicular with the rotational axis of said drum means, means for thermally conditioning foam sheet stock as it advances toward said mandrels, means for grasping and advancing said sheet stock toward said mandrels, means for severing a rectangularly shaped blank of foam sheet material, means for holding the leading edge of said blank against said mandrel surface, means to conform the blank to the surface of said mandrel while said mandrel is rotated and translated, means for applying a heated fluid to the leading and trailing edges of said blank, means for sealing said edges together to form an in situ side seal on said cylindrical sleeve, an array of fluid dispensing means positioned adjacent said drum means for heat softening and shrinking at least a portion of said sleeve into partial conformity with the exterior surface of the container mandrel supporting said sleeve, means positioned adjacent to and in radial alignment with the container mandrel for pressing at least a portion of the end into an apertured end closure for said container, an ejection means associated with said container mandrel for removing said container from said container mandrel.

An apparatus for the manufacture of containers of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material comprising sleeve winding mandrels for forming open ended cylindrical sleeves from rectangular shaped blanks, having a major amount of orientation in the circumferential direction, said sleeves having a liquid impervious side seal formed from the overlapped ends of said blank, drum means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and carrying a plurality of synchronously rotatably driven mandrels each equally spaced circumferentially from each other and in radial alignment and perpendicular with the rotational axis of said drum means, fluid means for thermally conditioning foam sheet stock as it advances linearly toward said mandrels, means for grasping and advancing said sheet toward said mandrel, means for severing a rectangularly shaped blank of foam sheet material, means for holding the leading edge of said severed blank against said mandrel surface, roller means to conform the blank to the surface of said mandrel while said mandrel is rotated and translated, means for applying a heated fluid to the leading and trailing overlapped edges of said blank, means for sealing said edges together to form an in situ side seal on said cylindrical sleeve, means positioned adjacent to said container mandrel path for positioning said sleeve in proper location on said container mandrel so that a portion of the sleeve protrudes beyond the end of the container mandrel, an array of fluid dispensing means positioned adjacent said drum means for heat softening and shrinking at least a portion of said sleeve into partial conformity with the exterior surface of the container mandrel supporting said sleeve, means positioned adjacent to said drum means for forming the ends of the heat softened sleeve, means positioned adjacent to and in radial alignment with the container mandrel for pressing the heat softened formed portion of the sleeve into an apertured closure for said containers, an ejection means positioned on said container mandrel for removing the container from said container mandrel.

An apparatus for the manufacture of containers of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic foam sheet material comprising sleeve winding mandrels for forming a plurality of open ended cylindrical sleeves, from rectangular shaped blanks, having a major amount of orientation in the circumferential direction, on said mandrels, said sleeves having a liquid impervious side seam formed from the overlapped ends of said blank, drum means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and carrying a plurality of synchronously driven container mandrels, each rotatable about their individual longitudinal axis, and aligned in a plurality of rows and each equally spaced circumferentially from each other in said rows and perpendicular with the rotational axis of said drum means, means for thermally conditioning said foam sheet by heated fluid means as said foam sheet stock advances toward said mandrels, means for grasping the top edge of said foam sheet stock and advancing said sheet stock toward said mandrels, means for severing a rectangularly shaped blank of foam sheet material, means for holding the leading edge of said blank against said mandrel surface, means to conform the blank to the surface of said mandrel while said mandrel is rotated and translated by said drum means, means for applying a heated fluid to the leading and trailing edges of said blank, means for sealing said edges together to form an in situ side seal on said cylindrical sleeve, means positioned adjacent to said container mandrel paths for positioning a plurality of sleeves in proper location on said container mandrels so that a portion of the sleeve protrudes beyond the ends of the container mandrels, and an array of fluid dispensing means positioned adjacent said drum means for heat softening and shrinking at least a portion of said sleeves into partial conformity with the exterior surface of the respective container mandrels supporting said sleeves, means positioned adjacent to said drum means for forming apertured ends on the heat softened sleeves, means associated with said container mandrels for forming reinforced rims on the formed apertured end of said sleeves and ejection means positioned on said container mandrel for removing the containers from said container mandrels.

An apparatus for the manufacture of containers of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material comprising a plurality of sleeve winding mandrels for forming a plurality of open ended cylindrical sleeves, from rectangular shaped blanks, having a major amount of orientation in the circumferential direction, said sleeves having a liquid impervious side seam formed from the overlapped leading and trailing edge of said blank, drum means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and carrying a plurality of container mandrels, each capable of rotation about its longitudinal axis and aligned in a plurality of concentric rows and each equally spaced circumferentially from each other in said rows and perpendicular with the rotational axis of said drum means, means for thermally conditioning by fluid means, foam sheet stock as it advances linearly toward said mandrels, means for grasping said foam sheet stock by the top thereof and advancing said sheet stock toward said mandrel, means for severing a rectangularly shaped blank of foam sheet material from said advancing stock, means for holding the leading edge of said blank against said mandrel surface, means to conform the blank to the surface of said mandrel by roller means while said mandrel is rotated and translated synchronously by said drum means, means for applying a heated fluid to the leading and trailing edges of said blank, means for sealing said overlapped edges together to form an in situ side seal on said cylindrical sleeve, means positioned adjacent and in association with said container mandrels for positioning said sleeves in proper location on said container mandrels so that a portion of the sleeve protrudes beyond the ends of the container mandrels, an array of fluid dispensing means positioned adjacent said drum means for heat softening and shrinking at least a portion of said sleeves into partial conformity with the exterior surface of the respective container mandrels supporting said sleeves, means positioned adjacent to said drum means for forming apertured ends on the heat softened sleeves, means positioned adjacent to and in radial alignment with the container mandrels for pressing the heat softened portion of a plurality of sleeves into apertured closures for said containers, an ejection means positioned on each container mandrel for removing the containers from said mandrels.

An apparatus for the manufacture of containers of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material comprising a plurality of sleeve winding mandrels all driven in synchronization for rotation about their individual axes, for forming a plurality of open ended cylindrical sleeves, from rectangular shaped blanks, having a major amount of orientation in the circumferential direction, said sleeves having a liquid impervious side seam formed from the overlapped ends of said blank, drum means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and carrying a plurality of said container mandrels aligned in four concentric rows and each equally spaced cicumferentially from each other in said rows and perpendicular with the rotational axis of said drum means, a plurality of individual means for thermally conditioning foam sheet stock as it advances linearly toward said mandrels, means for grasping the top edge of said linearly advancing sheet stock and advancing said sheet stock toward said mandrel, means for positioning said sheet stock prior to the severance thereof, means for severing a rectangularly shaped blank of foam sheet material, means for holding the leading edge of said blank of sheet stock against said mandrel surface, roller means to conform the blank to the surface of said mandrel while said mandrel is rotated and translated by the driving force of said drum, means for applying a heated fluid to the leading and trailing edges of said blank upon the completion of its being wound into a cylindrical shape, means for sealing said edges together to form an in situ side seal on said cylindrical sleeve, means positioned on each container mandrel for positioning said sleeve in proper location on said mandrels so that a portion of the sleeves protrudes beyond the ends of the container mandrels, an array of fluid dispensing means positioned adjacent said drum means so that said container mandrels pass thereby, said fluid dispensing means heat softening and shrinking at least a portion of said sleeves into partial conformity with the exterior surface of the respective container mandrels supporting said sleeves, means positioned adjacent to said drum means for forming apertured ends on the heat softened sleeves, means positioned adjacent to and in radial alignment with the container mandrels for pressing the heat softened portion of a plurality of sleeves into apertured end closures for said containers, an ejection means positioned on said container mandrels for removing the containers from said container mandrels.

An apparatus for the manufacture of push-up cup-like containers of heat-shrinkable thermoplastic foam sheet material comprising a plurality of cylindrical sleeve winding mandrels all driven in synchronization for rotation about their individual axes, for forming a plurality of open ended cylindrical sleeves, from rectangular shaped blanks, having a major amount of orientation in the circumferential direction, said sleeves having a liquid impervious side seam formed from the overlapping leading and trailing ends of said blank, drum means mounted for indexing rotation through a plurality of steps about a horizontal axis and carrying a plurality of container mandrels aligned in four axially spaced arcuate rows and each equally spaced circumferentially from each other other in said arcuate rows and perpendicular with the rotation axis of said drum means, said container mandrels in said four arcuate rows forming linear rows parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum means, means for thermally conditioning foam sheet stock as it advances toward said mandrels, means for grasping the top edge of said sheet stock material and advancing it linearly toward said mandrel, means for biasing against said foam sheet to stabilize it, means for severing a rectangularly shaped blank of foam sheet material, means for holding the leading edge of said foam sheet stock blank against said sleeve winding mandrel surface, means to conform the blank to the surface of said cylindrical mandrel while said sleeve winding mandrel is rotated and translated by said drum means, means for applying a heated fluid to the leading and trailing edges of said blank, means for sealing said edges together to form an in situ side seal on said cylindrical sleeve, means positioned adjacent to said container mandrels for positioning said sleeves in proper location on said container mandrels so that a portion of the sleeves protrudes beyond the ends of the container mandrels, an array of heated fluid dispensing means positioned adjacent said drum means so that said container mandrels pass thereby, fluid dispensing means heat softening and shrinking said sleeve into partial conformity with a portion of the exterior of the respective container mandrels supporting said sleeves, means for positioning adjacent to said drum means for forming apertured ends on the heat softened sleeves, means positioned adjacent to and in radial alignment with the container mandrels for pressing the heat softened portion of a plurality of sleeves in a linear row into apertured end closures for said containers, an ejection means positioned on said container mandrels for removing the containers from said container mandrels, transporting means for transporting said containers away from said container mandrels.

The method of forming containers from heat-shrinkable plastic sheet material including the steps of:

• (a) feeding a ribbon of plastic material to a container forming apparatus,
• (b) conditioning said material by fluid heat means,
• (c) severing a rectangular shaped length of sheet material from said ribbon of plastic material,
• (d) winding said shaped length of sheet material about a mandrel to form a sleeve while said mandrel is being rotated about its longitudinal axis,
• (e) conveying said sleeve about an arcuate path, the axis of rotation of which is horizontal,
• (f) heating the sleeve so that it conforms in part to the exterior configuration of the container mandrel,
• (g) forming a bottom closure on said sleeve by pressing a portion of the heat conditioned sleeve that protrudes beyond the end of the mandrel against said mandrel,
• (h) ejecting said container from said container mandrel.

The method of forming containers from heat shrinkable plastic sheet material including the steps of:

• (a) feeding a ribbon of plastic sheet material to a forming apparatus,
• (b) subjecting said material to fluid heat means,
• (c) severing a rectangular shaped length of sheet material from said ribbon,
• (d) forming said rectangular shaped length of sheet material into a cylindrically shaped sleeve having a lapped liquid impervious side seam by causing said sleeve to be wound about a cylindrical sleeve forming mandrel while said mandrel is being rotated about its longitudinal axis,
• (e) positioning the sleeve on said mandrel with a portion of the sleeve extending beyond the end of said mandrel,
• (f) conveying said sleeve about an arcuate path, the axis of rotation of which is horizontal,
• (g) heating the sleeve so that it conforms in part to the exterior configuration of the mandrel,
• (h) forming an apertured bottom closure on said sleeve by compressing the heat softened portion of the sleeve against the end of said mandrel, and
• (i) ejecting said container from said mandrel.