Method and apparatus for making a tamper-evident crown
AssigneeProduct Investment, Inc.
InventorMark E. Melson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for making a tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material. The tamper-evident crown includes a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from a lower circumferential edge of the flange and preferably toward the top wall. The tamper-evident crown is formed in a die structure having upper and lower die sets mounted in a conventional die press for relative movement toward each other. One of the die sets includes a plurality of bending members being movable responsive to the relative movement of the upper and lower die sets toward each other and bending the tabs inwardly toward each other and preferably slightly toward the top wall during formation of the crown.
Claims44
In a die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said peripheral flange, said die structure comprising:
- first and second die sets moveable with respect to each other to form said crown, one of said die sets having a crown forming body disposed for movement within a die support cavity responsive to relative movement of said die sets toward each other, and a plurality of radially aligned rotary benders spaced circumferentially about one of said die support cavity, said rotary benders being movable responsive to movement of said crown forming body and bending said tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
In a die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said peripheral flange, said die structure comprising:
- first and second die sets movable with respect to each other to form said crown, one of said die sets having a crown forming body disposed for movement within a die support cavity responsive to the relative movement of and disposed within said die sets toward each other, and a plurality of radially aligned cams spaced circumfererentially about one end of said die support cavity, said cams being movable responsive to movement of said crown forming body and bending said tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
In a die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said peripheral flange, said die structure comprising:
- first and second die sets movable with respect to each other to form said crown, one of said die sets having a crown forming body disposed for movement within a die support cavity in a first direction responsive to the relative movement of the die sets toward each other, a driving member circumscribing said crown forming body and disposed for movement in said die support cavity in a second direction responsive to movement of said crown forming body in said first direction, a converter underlying said crown forming body for imparting movement to said driving member in said second direction responsive to movement of said crown forming body in said first direction, and a plurality of movable bending members disposed within said die support cavity, said bending members being movable responsive to movement of said driving member in said second direction and bending said tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
In a die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said peripheral flange, said die structure comprising:
- first and second die sets movable with respect to each other to form said crown, one of said die sets having a blanking punch, a reciprocatory head punch slidably disposed within said blanking punch for movement therein, and a first forming member circumscribing said head punch and slidably disposed within said blanking punch for partial movement in cooperation with movement of said head punch in a first direction, said other die set having a crown forming body disposed for movement within a die support cavity in said first direction responsive to movement of said head punch and said first forming member in said first direction, a driving member circumscribing said crown forming body and disposed for movement in said die support cavity in a second direction responsive to movement of said crown forming body in said first direction, a converter underlying said crown forming body for imparting movement to said driving member in said second direction responsive to movement of said crown forming body in said first direction, and a plurality of movable bending members disposed within said die support cavity, said bending members being movable responsive to movement of said driving member in said second direction and bending said tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
A die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said peripheral flange comprising:
- a first die set including,
- a blanking punch having an outer cutting surface;
- a reciprocatory head punch slidably disposed within said blanking punch for movement therein and having a forming surface at one end thereof;
- and
- a first member circumscribing said head punch and slidably disposed within said blanking punch for partial movement in cooperation with movement of said head punch in a first direction, said first member having an annular forming surface at one end thereof;
- and
- a second die set including,
- a die support cavity underlying said first die set;
- a blanking member supported above said die support cavity and having an inner cutting surface cooperating with said outer cutting surface of said blanking punch during movement of said blanking punch toward said blanking member to form a flat blank from said sheet of material supported between said first and second die sets;
- a second member disposed for movement in said die support cavity and having an annular portion circumscribing a crown cavity and a body portion underlying said crown cavity, said forming surface of said head punch and said annular forming surface of said first member cooperating with said crown cavity and said annular portion of said second member during movement of said head punch and said first member in said first direction to form said top wall and said depending peripheral flange, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said peripheral flange in a substantially horizontal plane;
- a draw ring having a forming surface disposed inwardly of said inner cutting surface of said blanking member for bending said horizontally disposed tabs in a direction away from said top wall to extend in a plurality of substantially vertical planes during movement of said head punch, said first member, and said second member within said die support cavity in said first direction;
- a driving member circumscribing said second member and disposed for movement in said die support cavity in a second direction responsive to movement of said second member within said die support cavity in said first direction;
- a converter underlying said second member for imparting said movement to said driving member in said second direction responsive to movement of said second member within said die support cavity in said first direction;
- and
- a plurality of movable bending members disposed within said die support cavity, said bending members being movable responsive to movement of said driving member in said second direction and bending said vertically disposed tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
A die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange including a plurality of ribs and a plurality of webs interconnecting said ribs, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said webs, comprising:
- a first die set including,
- a blanking punch having an outer cutting surface;
- a reciprocatory head punch slidably disposed within said blanking punch for movement therein and having a forming surface at one end thereof;
- and
- a first member circumscribing said head punch and slidably disposed within said blanking punch for partial movement in cooperation with movement of said head punch in a first direction, said first member having a plurality of rib projections and a plurality of web depressions interconnecting said rib projections at one end thereof;
- and
- a second die set including,
- a die support cavity underlying said first die set;
- a blanking member supported above said die support cavity and having an inner cutting surface cooperating with said outer cutting surface of said blanking punch during movement of said blanking punch toward said blanking member to form a flat blank from said sheet of material supported between said first and second die sets;
- a resiliently biased support pad underlying said head punch and disposed for movement in said die support cavity responsive to movement of said head punch in said first direction;
- a second member disposed for vertical movement in said die support cavity and having an annular portion circumscribing said support pad and a body portion underlying said support pad, said annular portion and said support pad forming a crown cavity when said support pad is urged toward said body portion, said annular portion having a plurality of rib projections and a plurality of web depressions interconnecting said rib projections at one end thereof, said forming surface of said head punch cooperating with said support pad and said annular portion of said second member to form said top wall and said depending peripheral flange during movement of said head punch and said support pad in said first direction, said rib projections of said first and second members cooperating with said depressions of the other during movement of said first member in said first direction to form said plurality of vertical ribs and said plurality of webs interconnecting said ribs, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said webs in a substantially horizontal plane;
- a draw ring having a forming surface disposed inwardly of said inner cutting surface of said blanking member for bending said horizontally disposed tabs in a direction away from said top wall to extend in a plurality of substantially vertical planes during movement of said head punch, said first member, said support pad, and said second member within said die support cavity in said first direction;
- a driving member circumscribing said second member and disposed for movement in said die support cavity in a second direction responsive to movement of said second member within said die support cavity in said first direction;
- a converter underlying said second member for imparting said movement to said driving member in said second direction responsive to movement of said second member within said die support cavity in said first direction;
- and
- a plurality of movable bending members disposed within said die support cavity, said bending members being movable responsive to movement of said driving member in said second direction and bending said vertically disposed tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
A die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said peripheral flange, comprising:
- means for cutting a flat blank from said sheet of material, said flat blank having a circular portion and a plurality of outwardly extending tabs;
- means for forming said circular portion to create said top wall and said peripheral flange, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said peripheral flange in a substantially horizontal plane;
- means for bending said horizontally disposed tabs in a direction away from said top wall to extend in a plurality of substantially vertical planes;
- and
- a plurality of radially aligned rotary benders for bending said vertically disposed tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
A method for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange including a substantially vertical first portion and a flared second portion, said flared second portion having a plurality of ribs and a plurality of webs interconnecting said ribs, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said webs, the steps comprising:
- cutting from said sheet of material a flat blank having a circular portion and a plurality of outwardly extending tabs;
- forming a first segment of said circular portion to create said top wall and said substantially vertical first portion, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said peripheral flange in a substantially horizontal plane;
- forming a second segment of said circular portion to create said flared second portion having said plurality of ribs and said plurality of webs interconnecting said ribs, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said webs in a substantially horizontal plane;
- bending said horizontally disposed tabs in a direction away from said top wall to extend in a plurality of substantially vertical planes;
- providing a plurality of radially aligned rotary benders;
- and
- moving said rotary benders radially inwardly to bend said vertically disposed tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
A die structure for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said formed crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said peripheral flange, comprising:
- means for cutting a flat blank from said sheet of material, said flat blank having a circular portion and a plurality of outwardly extending tabs;
- means for forming said circular portion to create said top wall and said peripheral flange, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said peripheral flange in a substantially horizontal plane;
- means for bending said horizontally disposed tabs in a direction away from said top wall to extend in a plurality of substantially vertical planes;
- and
- a plurality of radially aligned cams for bending said vertically disposed tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
A method for making a formed tamper-evident crown from a sheet of material, said crown having a top wall, a depending peripheral flange including a substantially vertical first portion and a flared second portion, said flared second portion having a plurality of ribs and a plurality of webs interconnecting said ribs, and a plurality of tabs bent inwardly from said webs, the steps comprising:
- cutting from said sheet of material a flat blank having a circular portion and a plurality of outwardly extending tabs;
- forming a first segment of said circular portion to create said top wall and said substantially vertical first portion, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said peripheral flange in a substantially horizontal plane;
- forming a second segment of said circular portion to create said flared second portion having said plurality of ribs and said plurality of webs interconnecting said ribs, said plurality of tabs extending outwardly from said webs in a substantially horizontal plane;
- bending said horizontally disposed tabs in a direction away from said top wall to extend in a plurality of substantially vertical planes;
- providing a plurality of radially aligned cams;
- and
- moving said cams radially inwardly to bend said vertically disposed tabs inwardly toward each other during formation of said crown.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.