Abstract: A champagne bottom plastic bottle having the bottom reinforced by internal radiating ribs which are formed by solid material. The bottle is formed in the customary manner by utilizing a preform which has molded on the inner surface thereof longitudinal ribs. The preform is formed by conventional injection molding equipment which has been modified only to form along the lower part of the customary core member longitudinally extending rib forming grooves.

Abstract: This relates to a closure for containers wherein the closure is provided with a tamper indicating member. However, in lieu of the tamper indicating member being in the form of a continuous band which remains on the container neck after the closure is removed, the closure indicating member is of a limited circumferential extent filling a notch in a band extending from the closure skirt in lieu of a conventional tamper indicating band. This band does not interlock with the container. Only the tamper indicating member interlocks with the container, which container is provided with the normal tamper bead. The tamper indicating member is attached to the lower edge of the closure skirt by axial bridges and two opposite ends of the band by circumferential bridges. The bridges may all rupture when the closure is removed from the container with the tamper indicating member dropping out and leaving a readily observable notch in the band.

Abstract: This relates to blow molded plastic containers wherein at least the body of such containers is of a laminated construction including, for example, a barrier layer which in the case of the container receiving carbonated products would be a gas barrier layer. It has been found that delamination does occur and this is now solved by selectively providing the container body with minute vent openings which do not extend entirely through the container body, but into that area where delamination occurs and there is an accumulation of a permeant, such as CO.sub.2. The minute vents may be formed in the exterior wall of the container either by way of piercing pins or by utilizing a laser. In the case of the piercing pins, there are incorporated in the blow mold for blow molding the container from a preform and are generally placed along the parting lines of the blow mold and also in central parts of the wall. The construction and operation of the piercing pins may be provided in several forms.

Abstract: A plastic preform from which a plastic container is blow molded. The preform replaces a three layer preform by providing a preform which is of a five layer construction in the base forming portion thereof and wherein a secondary material which forms the core layer of the three layer preform construction is divided into an inner intermediate layer and an outer intermediate layer by a third injection of material. The third injected material is preferably the same material as the primary material which is first injected. This results in the reduction of the cost of the preform and also provides remaining in the injection nozzle a quantity of the last injected material which is the same as the first injected material for the following preform in the same preform injection mold cavity.

Abstract: It has been found that when layered preforms are being injection molded utilizing at least two materials, it is possible to maintain the same horizontal and vertical pitch of adjacent cavities as is possible when each mold cavity is being filled with a single material. Most particularly, it has been found that when the percentage of the material to be injected into a mold cavity is relatively high, it is possible to utilize a single metering pot for four adjacent mold cavities. On the other hand, if one of the materials to be injected into a mold cavity constitutes a relatively low percentage of the volume of a mold cavity, it has been found that a small metering pot must be provided for each of the cavities of the four cavity mold.

Abstract: This relates to a container having a neck finish which is provided with threads for receiving a closure and wherein the threads are blow molded in the formation of the container from a tubular parison. It has been found that in the blow molding of the threads, there is a thinning of the wall of the neck finish at the roots of the threads and under certain circumstances, when a closure is applied at a high torque, there is an axial collapse of the neck finish rendering the container unfit for use. The problem of axial collapse of the neck finish is overcome by interrupting the threads so as to provide axial beam strength at circumferential intervals around the neck finish.

Abstract: This relates to a closure combination which includes the closure being formed with a sealant channel to which there is applied by spin lining a plastisol type compound sealant, or the like. It is preferred, from an economy standpoint, to utilize a minimal amount of the sealant while providing the necessary sealing surface between a container neck finish and the sealant. Since the sealant is applied by a spin lining process during which the closure is rapidly rotated, the sealant is thrown radially outwardly by centrifugal force. However, the viscosity of the sealant normally is such as to prevent it from being returned to a level-flat condition. It has been found that by modifying the sealant channel configuration, particularly the slope of the base wall thereof, depending upon the viscosity of the sealant, one can selectively obtain a uniform thickness sealant application or a flat top sealant application.

Abstract: This relates to the mounting of a sealing head for sealing a plastic lid in a plastic container by way of induction heating. In order that a sealing head may be readily removed and replaced by a like sealing head for cleaning and repair, there is provided a quick detachable coupling between the sealing head and a support which is carried by a movable positioner for vertically positioning the sealing head. Further, there is associated with the support a supply unit which supplies to the sealing head electrical energy for an induction heating coil and for a gas detector. In addition, there is supplied to the sealing head from the supply unit two separate vacuum supplies and an inert gas supply with one of the vacuum supplies serving to hold a lid in place on the underside of the sealing head and the other vacuum supply serving to evacuate the container prior to the lid being applied thereto. The inert gas supply is provided to supply an inert gas to an evacuated container prior to sealing.

Abstract: This relates to a container, particularly adapted for receiving a hot-fill product. Most particularly, the container is a blow molded plastic container with the principal plastic material being a polyester resin. Critical areas of the container have walls of a laminated construction with preferably at least five layers of which two layers is a moisture barrier layer. The polyester resin primarily utilized, PET, is very sensitive to moisture pickup and by utilizing the moisture barrier layers, the moisture pickup of the primary resin may be reduced with a resultant reduction in the shrinkage and distortion of such container when hot filled.

Abstract: This relates to an improved container tamper evident bead and neck finish arrangement which provides improved tamper evident band breakage upon removal of an associated closure. Most specifically, beneath the customary retaining bead, a container neck finish is of corrugated or scalloped configuration and is of a size whereby the tamper evident band or a retaining bead thereof is stretched across the space defined by a groove between two adjacent ribs so as to provide for a degree of interlock between the stretched tamper band and the container neck finish such that the tamper evident band is restrained against rotation with the remainder of the closure when the closure is rotated to effect removal thereof. This provides for a much quicker and more reliable breaking of the webs joining the tamper evident band to the closure skirt.

Abstract: This relates to special tooling for forming metal end units for use in conjunction with cans for carbonated beverages and the like wherein the formed end unit is provided with an integral reinforcement in the form of a countersink so as to increase the buckle strength of such an end unit when it is formed of thin metal. Previously there has been developed tooling for forming such an end unit which, while it is commercially satisfactory, did not produce end units having the required buckle resistance. That tooling has been modified by changing the configuration of a punch core so as to eliminate a previously formed cylindrical extension of the end unit chuck wall and a countersink starter. The punch core cooperates with a die core to clamp a center panel of a formed end unit shell so as to move the center panel reversely of its forming direction and to effect a folding of an outer peripheral portion of the center panel in a lower part of the previously formed chuck wall into the required countersink.

Abstract: A polyester preform which is injection molded preferably of PET and wherein the preform is provided with a molded neck finish or neck portion inlcuding threads which are molded to a high tolerance and wherein the neck finish may receive a closure cap of the type having a tamper indicating band which engages over a retaining bead also molded to a high tolerance as part of the neck finish. In order to maintain the container which is blow molded from the preform in axial alignment with the neck finish and thus eliminate the perpendicularity problem, a ring of the preform immediately below the flange which functions as the capping ring, is heated to a high temperature and crystallized. In a like manner, the end sealing surface is also heated to a high temperature and crystallized. The remainder of the neck finish remains in its amorphous state without disturbing the configuration of either the threads or the retaining bead.

Abstract: A blow molded container which is formed of a polyester resin which has formation and shape characteristics wherein it may be hot filled with a liquid at a temperature on the order of 180.degree.-185.degree. F. with a maximum volumetric shrinkage of no greater than 1 percent. The container is formed from a specially configurated injection molded preform which is initially stretched axially only on the order of 25 percent, after which the preform is inflated and blow molded within a blow mold to a configuration which resists vacuum collapse or paneling of the body.

Abstract: An injection molded plastic preform for forming by blow molding a container such as a bottle. The preform is of a laminated construction and in the body area includes inner and outer layers of the same plastic and an intermediate layer of a different plastic. The bottom portion of the preform is provided with a core layer of still a third plastic with the injection temperature of the third layer being sufficient to erode the contacted part of the intermediate layer which is of a lower melt temperature. The third plastic may be the same plastic as the first plastic, but injected at a higher temperature. Generally speaking, the neck finish of the preform will be of a single layer of the first material, the body of the preform will be of a three ply construction which is also true of the bottom with there being an intermediate area of five ply where the bottom core layer projects into the lower portion of the intermediate layer.

Abstract: This relates to a rotary switch and rotary valve assembly for a multiple work station machine wherein the work stations rotate and are sequentially presented to an operating position. There may be a high voltage switch and two low voltage switches with the switches being so constructed wherein electrical connections are made with each work station in timed relation to its presentation to the work position and for the required period of time. Further, the rotary valve assembly functions in sequence to present operating fluids to each work station in the order of presentation of such work station to its operating position and in timed sequence to the operation performed thereby.

Abstract: This relates to a nest for receiving a container which is to be filled and thereafter have a lid applied thereto with the lid being sealed to the container by a sealing head in conjunction with the nest. Most particularly, there will be a plurality of such nests with the nests being carried by an endless conveyor chain. The endless conveyor chain is provided with special links which are elongated and wherein an upper one of each set of elongated links is adapted to have seated thereon a nest in supporting relation. Further, the chain links are connected together by customary pins which have been elongated so as to project upwardly above the chain. In conjunction with these projecting pins, the nest is provided with bores which receive the pins. Thus the nest may be readily placed on and removed from the conveyor chain. Each nest is in the form of a housing which defines a cavity for a container. An upper part of the cavity carries a seat member over which a flange of a container is engaged.

Abstract: A blown plastic container of a type normally blown from a single resin preform, such as PET, wherein the bases of a three layer construction with at least one layer either being PET having a high IV or a resin which has a high Tg. The secondary resin may either be in the form of a core layer injected into the base of the injection molded preform or in the form of initially injected inner and outer base layers. By utilizing a small amount of the second resin, greater strength can be obtained together with a greater resistance to cracking at higher temperatures as well as the reduction in the overall weight of the resultant container.

Abstract: This relates to a tamper indicating band which is carried by a plastic closure to indicate that the plastic closure has at least in part been unscrewed with respect to an associated container. It is proposed that the tamper indicating band be directly connected to the closure skirt by way of bridges with the bridges having rupturable connections with the skirt and hinge connections with the tamper indicating band. Thus the tamper indicating band may be folded from its as molded state depending from the skirt to a position projecting upwardly into the lower part of the skirt. When the closure is applied to a conventional type of container, the tamper indicating band locks beneath a locking bead on the container neck finish and when the closure is unthreaded, the engagement of the tamper indicating band with the bead will prevent the tamper indicating band to move upwardly with the closure.

Abstract: This relates to a compact control valve assembly which is particularly intended to be mounted for controlling and operating a station of a multiple station machine such as a container closing machine. The compactness of the valve assembly is made possible by forming a required manifold of an L-shaped configuration including a base and an upstanding part. A first control valve is mounted on the rear wall of the upstanding part to control the flow of fluid through the manifold. Other control valves are mounted on the top wall of the base of the manifold and clamped against a front wall of the upstanding part of the manifold for controlling other operations. By making the manifold L-shaped and fitting the other control valves therein, the entire valve assembly is a compact unit.