US 5,176,607 AGranted

Method and apparatus for forming a fabricated thermoplastic container and a fabricated thermoplastic container fabricated thereby

AssigneeOwens-Illinois Plastic Products Inc.

InventorsJames A. Hill, Maurice W. Blackwelder, John E. Burtch

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Abstract

A device for forming a rolled rim at the unrimmed mouth of the body of a container having a body which is fabricated from a sheet of an expanded thermoplastic material, the device including a first member with a first annular rim-forming surface, and a second member which is reciprocable relative to the first member. The second member has a second annular rim-forming surface which forms a generally closed rim-forming chamber with the first annular rim-forming surface when the second member is in a first position relative to the first member, the second member being reciprocable to a second position in which the first annular surface and the second annular surface are separated to permit the withdrawal of a container with a rolled rim at the mouth from the first member. The device further includes a transfer mechanism for inserting a container with an unrimmed mouth over a frustoconical portion of the first member to position such container to have a rim rolled in the mouth thereof in such rim-forming chamber and to withdraw a container with a rolled rim at the mouth from the first member. The rim-forming chamber is heated and there need be no relative rotation between the rim-forming chamber and the container during the forming of a rolled rim in the container.

Claims29

Dependent claims

Apparatus for forming a rolled rim at the mouth of a container having a closed end, the container further having a body which defines such mouth and which is formed from a thin, rollable material, said apparatus comprising:

a first member having a first annular rim-forming surface;
transfer means for positioning a container without a rolled rim at the mouth thereof adjacent the first member and for withdrawing a container with a rolled rim from the first member;
reciprocating means for reciprocating one of said first member and said transfer means relative to one another, said reciprocating means causing the mouth of the container without the rim to engage said first annular rim-forming surface;
a second member having a second annular rim-forming surface;
and
second reciprocating means for reciprocating one of said first member and said second member relative to one another, said second reciprocating means causing said second annular rim-forming surface to assume a first position relative to said first annular rim-forming surface in which said first annular rim-forming surface and second annular rim-forming surface form a substantially closed rim-forming chamber for forming a rolled rim at the mouth of the container, said second reciprocating means further causing said second annular rim-forming surface to assume a second position relative to said first annular rim-forming surface, in which there is a space between said first annular rim-forming surface and second annular rim-forming surface to permit withdrawal of a container with a rolled rim from said apparatus;
wherein the container further has a body of generally frustoconical configuration, the body being formed from a sheetlike blank of an expanded polymeric material and having a generally longitudinally extending seam formed from overlapping ends of the blank, said apparatus further comprising:
mandrel means having a generally frustoconically shaped outer surface for supporting the body of the container along its inner surface during the forming of the rolled rim in the mouth of the container;
and
annular member means having an inner surface of generally frustoconical configuration, said annular member means being positioned relative to said mandrel means to engage the container along its outer surface during the forming of the rolled rim in the mouth thereof and to reduce the thickness of the generally longitudinally extending seam substantially along its entire length to a thickness which is not substantially greater than the thickness of the portions of the body of the container which are positioned adjacent thereto.

7 more elements

A method for forming a rolled rim at the mouth of a container having a closed end, the container further having a body which defines such mouth and which is formed from a thin, rollable material, said method comprising;

providing a first member having a first annular rim-forming surface;
positioning a container without a rolled rim at the mouth over the first member so that the mouth engages said first annular rim-forming surface;
positioning a second member having a second annular rim-forming surface;
positioning said second member and said first member relative to one another such that said first annular rim-forming surface and said second annular rim-forming surface form a substantially closed rim-forming chamber while the mouth of the container is in engagement with said first annular rim-forming surface to form a rolled rim at the mouth;
repositioning said second member and said first member relative to one another to move said first annular surface and said second annular surface away from one another and to thereby permit the withdrawal of a container with a rolled rim at the mouth from said first member;
and withdrawing a container with a rolled rim from said first member;
wherein the container further has a body of generally frustoconical configuration, the body being formed from a sheetlike blank of an expanded polymeric material and having a longitudinally extending seam formed from overlapping ends of the blank, said method further comprising;
supporting the body of the container along its inner surface during the forming of the rolled rim in the mouth of the container;
and
engaging the body of the container along its outer surface during the forming of the rolled rim in the mouth of the container to reduce the thickness of the generally longitudinally extending seam substantially along its entire length to a thickness which is not substantially greater than the thickness of the portions of the body of the container which are positioned adjacent thereto;
wherein the portion of said container at the mouth thereof is at an elevated temperature during the forming of a rolled rim therein;
wherein said portion is heated by the transfer of heat from one of said first annular surface and said second annular surface during the forming of a rolled rim at the mouth of the container;
and
wherein said portion is further heated by heat transfer of heat from the other of said first annular surface and said second annular surface during the forming of a rolled rim at the mouth of the container.

11 more elements

providing a first member having a first annular rim-forming surface;
positioning a container without a rolled rim at the mouth over the first member so that the mouth engages said first annular rim-forming surface;
providing a second member having a second annular rim-forming surface;
positioning said second member and said first member relative to one another such that said first annular rim-forming surface and said second annular rim-forming surface form a substantially closed rim-forming chamber while the mouth of the container is in engagement with said first annular rim-forming surface to form a rolled rim at the mouth;
repositioning said second member and said first member relative to one another move said first annular surface and said second annular surface away from one another and to thereby permit the withdrawal of a container with a rolled rim at the mouth from said first member;
and withdrawing a container with a rolled rim from said first member;
wherein the container further has a body of generally frustoconical configuration, the body being formed from a sheetlike blank of an expanded polymeric material and having a longitudinally extending seam formed from overlapping ends of the blank, said method further comprising:
supporting the body of the container along its inner surface during the forming of the rolled rim in the mouth of the container;
and
engaging the body of the container along its outer surface during the forming of the rolled rim in the mouth of the container to reduce the thickness of the generally longitudinally extending seam substantially along its entire length to a thickness which is not substantially greater than the thickness of the portions of the body of the container which are positioned adjacent thereto.

7 more elements

In apparatus for forming a container, the container having a body of generally frustoconical configuration, the body being formed from a sheetlike blank of an expanded polymeric material and having a generally longitudinally extending seam formed from overlapping ends of the blank, said apparatus comprising:

mandrel means having a generally frustoconically shaped outer surface for supporting the body of the container along its inner surface;
and
annular member means having an inner surface of generally frustoconical configuration, said annular member means being positioned relative to said mandrel means to engage the container along its outer surface to reduce the thickness of the generally longitudinally extending seam substantially along its entire length to a thickness which is not substantially greater than the thickness of the walls portions of the body of the container which are positioned adjacent thereto.

In a method for forming a container, the container having a body of generally frustoconical configuration, the body being formed from a sheetlike blank of an expanded polymeric material and having a generally longitudinally extending seam formed from overlapping ends of the blank, said method comprising:

supporting the body of the container along its inner surface;
and
engaging the body of the container along its outer surface while the body of the container is supported along its inner surface to reduce the thickness of the generally longitudinally extending seam substantially along its entire length to a thickness which is not substantially greater than the thickness of the wall portions of the body of the container which are positioned adjacent thereto, wherein the body of the container is supported along its inner surface in a substantially continuous circumferential pattern and wherein the body of the container is engaged along its outer surface in a substantially continuous circumferential pattern.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.