Nonrectangular Cross Section Container Patents (Class 493/152)
  • Patent number: 5660326
    Abstract: An elongated sheet (10) is used to form a thermally insulated cup (30). The sheet includes a pair of spaced apart smooth portions (12, 13) connected by a middle portion (11). The smooth portions are folded on opposite sides of the middle portion. The middle portion is corrugated or otherwise distorted to create air space. The folded sheet is wound around a mandrel to form a cylinder. The ends of the smooth portions are joined together, and a bottom closure (14) is attached to form the cup. The finishell cup includes a smooth outer shell (12S), a smooth inner shell (13S), and a middle layer (11L) sandwiched therebetween. The middle layer forms many air spaces between the shells to thermally insulate the contents of the cup, and also provide structural strength. The cup can be constructed of paper, which makes it biodegradable and recyclable, and its simple construction method makes it easy and inexpensive to manufacture using standard, conventional machinery. In an alternative embodiment (FIG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignees: Sherwood Tool Incorporated, Insul-Air Holding, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Varano, Claus E. Sadlier
  • Patent number: 5624368
    Abstract: An apparatus for quickly setting up an octagonal box configuration from the typical planar folded tube form in which the boxes are shipped. The apparatus includes separated frame portions representing the octagonal shape which are mounted for relative movement toward one another to cause the planar box form to open along vertical score lines provided on the box form. Another vertically movable frame includes plurality of fixed and pivotal folding plates which engage closure flaps connected to the box form to cause the flaps to fold inwardly along selected score hinge lines to close an end of the box thereby forming an opened, erected box ready to accept the desired contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Williamette Industries Inc
    Inventor: Arthur H. Cromwell
  • Patent number: 5460323
    Abstract: A disposable insulated container comprises an inner container structure and an outer wrap. The side wall portions of the inner container structure and the outer wrap have a configuration and a separation which provides an insulating chamber extending annularly about the spaced apart sidewalls of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: California Environmental Cup, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack H. Titus
  • Patent number: 5393292
    Abstract: A machine for securing a thermoplastic coated paper handle to a paper cup having a seam on one side of the cup, the machine including a die assembly for forming paper handles having a backing strip and a wing on each side of the strip, a mandrel turret having a number of mandrels spaced about the perimeter of the turret, each of said mandrels having a blade assembly projecting outwardly from the surface of the mandrel to engage the seam in the cup, and a wheel assembly for rotating the cups on the mandrel to move the seam in the cup into engagement with the blade assembly, and a transfer turret for transferring the paper handles from the die assembly to the mandrel turret for attachment to the cups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Paper Machinery Corporation
    Inventor: Dale L. Sand
  • Patent number: 5363982
    Abstract: A thermally insulated cup or container (30) includes a smooth outer shell (12S), a smooth inner shell (13S), a corrugated layer (11L) sandwiched therebetween, and a bottom closure (14). The inner shell, corrugated layer, and outer shell are formed by simply winding a continuous elongated paper sheet (10) in a three-layered spiral, then sealing them together. The corrugated layer forms many air pockets between the shells to thermally insulate the contents of the cup, and also provide structural strength. The paper construction of the cup makes it biodegradable and recyclable, and the simple construction method of the cup makes it easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1994
    Inventor: Claus E. Sadlier
  • Patent number: 5203491
    Abstract: A grease and oil resistant container useful for baking foods contained therein at elevated temperatures which includes a bottom wall and an upturned side wall extending the periphery of the bottom wall having an inner layer of parchment paper and an outer layer of ovenable paperboard. Preferably, the side wall includes a rim that extends outwardly from the side wall in an arcuate path. The rim may include a peripheral lip which extends downwardly from the rim. The container is formed by deep drawing a flat, circular blank. The blank includes an ovenable paperboard base layer and an inner, food compatible parchment layer. In addition, prior to press forming the blank, a plurality of radially extending pleats are formed circumferentially about the outer area of circular blank which will aid in the formation of a substantially rigid side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: James River Corporation of Virginia
    Inventors: Ronald P. Marx, Richard R. Hartman
  • Patent number: 5029749
    Abstract: A container formed of paper material is disclosed including a substantially cylindrical body having an upper, a lower, a bottom integrally formed with the cylindrical body and closing the lower end, and a brim integrally formed on the upper end of the cylindrical body, the paper material being oriented such that the machine direction of the paper material is aligned with the circumferential direction of the container. The container being formed by providing a paper blank having a machine direction and a cross machine direction, forming the paper blank into a substantially cylindrical body having first and second open ends with the machine direction of the paper blank being aligned substantially with the circumferential direction of the body, closing one of the open ends to form a bottom of the container and forming a brim about the other of the open ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: James River Corporation
    Inventor: Robert J. Aloisi
  • Patent number: 4925440
    Abstract: An apparatus for the making of container jackets from flat cardboard or plastic blanks. The blank is folded around a core by means of pivoted fingers which are moved toward the core while ends of the fingers are guided in guide passages to produce pivoting of the fingers. The fingers pivot such that blank-engaging ends of the fingers fold the blank around the core. The slide guides are mounted for pivotable movement simultaneously with the movement of the fingers toward the core, whereby the movement of the fingers can be adapted to cores of different diameter by changing the distance of movement of the carrier, i.e., the same fingers and slide guides can be used with an infinite number of core diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Michael Horauf Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Berthold Muller
  • Patent number: 4832676
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a container from a sheet of blank material, whereby a segmented male die member first forms the bottom and then the sidewall and rim of the container prior to the formation of the lip portion of the container while the blank is being restrained in a radial direction by the engagement of the blank by two opposing draw pad members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: James River-Norwalk, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert D. Johns, Patrick H. Wnek, Ronald P. Marx
  • Patent number: 4744510
    Abstract: Disclosed is a box assembly for packaging objects, the box including a lower portion and an upper portion, one portion slidably fitting onto the other portion. The box includes a flat lower wall section; a flat upper wall section, having a different surface area from the lower wall section; and a pair of elongated side wall sections. The side wall sections include a plurality of spaced apart tabs extending from one longitudinal edge of each section. The tabs can be folded at substantially right angles to the elongated side wall section. The tabs of one side wall section can be adhered to the perimeter surface of the lower wall section, and the tabs of the other side wall section can be adhered to the perimeter surface of the upper wall section. When the elongated side wall sections are adhered to the lower and upper wall sections, respectively, the lower and upper portions of the box are formed. A method of packaging objects with the box assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: Cartonneries de Saint-Germain
    Inventor: Jean Hochart
  • Patent number: 4721499
    Abstract: A method of forming a container from a flat, substantially homogeneous blank of fibrous substrate, comprising the steps of shaping the blank into a formed container having a bottom wall, an up-turned side wall extending from the bottom wall, a rim outwardly extending from the side wall and a lip downwardly curving from the rim and including a plurality of radially-extending, circumferentially-spaced pleats formed in the side wall, rim, and lip, each pleat including at least three layers of the blank; and applying sufficient heat and pressure to the side wall and rim to decrease the thickness thereof to less than that of the blank and to transform each pleat into a substantially integrated fibrous structure in which the constituent layers generally lack individual identity, each structure having a density greater than and a thickness substantially equal to adjacent areas of the side wall and rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: James River Corporation of Virginia
    Inventors: Ronald P. Marx, Patrick H. Wnek, Denny R. Garns
  • Patent number: 4721500
    Abstract: A pressed paperboard container (10) is formed having a bottom wall (11), an upturned side wall (12), and an overturned rim (13 ) extending from the side wall which is denser and thinner than the rest of the container. The container is formed by pressing a flat circular blank (27) between upper and lower dies (25, 26) having die surfaces (31, 32, 38, 39, 40) which shape the blank into proper form, and the surfaces of the dies (25, 26) at the rim area (13) of the container are shaped to exert extremely high compressive stresses on the rim, particularly at the folded areas (20) formed in the rim during initial shaping of the container. The high compressive stresses applied to the rim area, along with proper moisture levels maintained in the paperboard and the heating of the paperboard by the heated dies, causes the paperboard in the rim area to deform plastically, densify, and fill in voids created as the blank was pressed into the container form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: James River-Dixie Northern, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald J. Van Handel, John L. Petit, Patrick H. Wnek
  • Patent number: 4690666
    Abstract: A die set is provided for forming a multi-compartmented tray from sheet material. The die set includes a female die assembly formed to include at least two mold cavities and a drawing surface bounding said mold cavities, a first compartment-former for pressing sheet material into a selected mold cavity to form a compartment therein, a second compartment-former for pressing sheet material into the remaining mold cavities to form compartments therein, and a draw ring for holding sheet material against the drawing surface during movement of the first and second compartment-formers into their respective mold cavities. The first compartment-former includes a first die for pre-forming the comparment, a second die for finish-forming the compartment, and a projection system for moving the first die relative to the second die in a direction toward the cavity to a leading position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1987
    Assignees: Peerless Machine & Tool Corporation, Champion International Corporation
    Inventors: Garold W. Alexander, Lonnie E. Hyder, Robert V. Wright
  • Patent number: 4637811
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for simultaneously forming at least two interconnected deep-drawn containers in a single sheet of paper stock or the like. The apparatus includes a female die assembly formed to include a material-receiving cavity situated between spaced-apart first and second container-forming cavities. A blade assembly pushes a portion of the single sheet downwardly into the material-receiving cavity to provide a source of excess paperboard material from which the paper for adjacent containers can be drawn. A male die assembly moves to engage the female die assembly and draw at least the excess paperboard material deposited in the material-receiving cavity to form containers in the first and second container-forming cavities. A draw ring holds the sheet against the female die assembly during operation of the male die assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Peerless Machine & Tool Corporation
    Inventor: Joe L. Fortney
  • Patent number: 4344814
    Abstract: A multi-piece, tub shaped paperboard container having a circular opening in the top thereof is provided with a multi-piece, reinforced rim coated with a layer of meltable plastic and is assembled by appying heat to overlapping seams in order to melt the plastic coating and thereby seal the seams. Heat is applied evenly around the entire periphery of the rim by a 2-piece, annularly shaped, heated collar which may be selectively shifted into conforming engagement with the container. The even application of heat around the entire periphery of the rim equalizes the surface tension of the plastic coating during melting thereof to avoid deformation of the rim during the heat sealing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1982
    Assignee: Champion International Corporation
    Inventor: Edwin C. McLaren
  • Patent number: 4305771
    Abstract: A multi-piece, tub shaped paperboard container having a circular opening in the top thereof is provided with a multi-piece, reinforced rim coated with a layer of meltable plastic and is assembled by applying heat to overlapping seams in order to melt the plastic coating and thereby seal the seams. Heat is applied evenly around the entire periphery of the rim by a 2-piece, annularly shaped, heated collar which may be selectively shifted into conforming engagement with the container. The even application of heat around the entire periphery of the rim equalizes the surface tension of the plastic coating during melting thereof to avoid deformation of the rim during the heat sealing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1981
    Assignee: Champion International Corporation
    Inventor: Edwin C. McLaren