Patents Assigned to American Can Company
  • Patent number: 4362245
    Abstract: A liquid tight pouring carton is provided, having a pour spout which is easily opened by removal of a tear tab, and can be fully extended thereafter. The tear tab is provided as part of a sealed fin on the top of the carton; the tear tab having a line of weakness extending through the paperboard, but not into or through the barrier and sealing layers of foil and plastic. Until the tab is removed, the carton is completely sealed to leakage or contamination. Additional features provide for reliable and easy opening of the carton.The invention also contemplates a blank suitable for erection into the carton, and a method of making the blank and erecting and sealing it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Morris W. Kuchenbecker
  • Patent number: 4361223
    Abstract: A conveyor for moving uniformly spaced-apart cylindrical articles transversely of their polar axes comprises a pair of parallel sawtooth rails, paired lifting and lowering levers on common pivots disposed along the rails in correspondence with each toothed portion of a rail, and cams for sequentially pivoting the lifting levers. The paired sawtooth elements include a stop surface and an inclined surface extending downwardly therefrom in the direction of article movement. The lowering lever is resiliently pivoted to an upper position independently of the lifting lever, and is downwardly pivotable by an article as it rolls down an inclined surface. Pivotation of the lowering lever to upper position permits the lifting lever gravitationally to pivot below an inclined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Donald O. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4361628
    Abstract: A novel coextruded plastic film has as an adhesive layer between polypropylene and nylon layers, a blend of polypropylene and a graft copolymer of maleic anhydride onto a polypropylene backbone, the graft copolymer having been produced in a reaction carried out at a temperature of from about 80.degree. C. up to about 10.degree. C. below the melting point of the polypropylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Duane A. Krueger, Thomas W. Odorzynski
  • Patent number: 4361251
    Abstract: A method of making a retained tab for a container end and a design for same are disclosed. The tab opens in such a way that multiple forms of stress are induced in the tab before the tab will break away from the end. Specifically, the tab endures first a bending stress and then a torsional stress. The mode of stress being defined by the construction of the tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Neal Langseder, Friedrich Stein
  • Patent number: 4359321
    Abstract: Dispersants, especially well suited for use with insoluble dyes, are produced by reacting hydroxyl benzyl alcohol compounds with sulfonated lignin derivatives. The dispersants have high levels of heat stability, coupled with desirable dye reduction, staining, foaming, milling and viscosity-reducing properties. Dyestuffs, dye pastes and dye baths, as well as methods utilizing them, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Stephen Y. Lin
  • Patent number: 4355721
    Abstract: This application is concerned with food packages made from sheet or film into the forms of heat sealable pouches, bags, or covered trays in which the food product is placed, the package sealed, and the packaged food processed in a pressure cooker or retort to permit the packaged food to be stored without refrigeration. Certain food products can be rendered commercially sterile by hot filling the package at temperatures below boiling to permit storage for long periods without refrigeration. While still in the sealed package of the present invention, the consumer can heat or cook the food by immersion in boiling water or by microwave oven. The sheet or film is a multilayer construction wherein each layer performs specific functions and the choice of materials for the layers is interdependent to provide a film structure having all desired properties at the least cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Jack E. Knott, II, Matthew S. Koschak, John P. Adams
  • Patent number: 4352422
    Abstract: Apparatus for rotationally transferring the set-up carton shells to carton filling and closing apparatus. Means is provided at a suitable one of the stations for applying adhesive to side flap portions of the folded blanks to retain their set-up modes as tubular carton shells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: George L. Meyers, Thomas M. Gorshe
  • Patent number: 4352901
    Abstract: The present invention relates to non-pigmented jet ink compositions and to a method of producing opaque coded messages therewith. The compositions comprise, on a weight basis, between 2 and 15% of a gellable cellulose ester having a hydroxyl content of from 2 to 8%, from 1.5 to 15% of a binding agent selected from the group consisting of alkali soluble rosin type and maleic type resins, polyvinyl acetate resins, and acrylic resins, and a solvent blend, the blend consisting essentially of an organic solvent system and a non-solvent, said non-solvent comprising from 2 to 10% by weight of the ink composition. Preferred solvents are methanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and ethyl acetate, while the preferred non-solvent is water. Upon evaporation of the solvent blend, the resultant dry films scatter light incident thereto whereby the opaque images are produced. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a hygroscopic salt is included in the composition as an opacity enhancement agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Dorothy Maxwell, David A. Fell
  • Patent number: 4348251
    Abstract: A method and system for applying a foamed binding agent to a fibrous web is disclosed. The invention is characterized by the use of an extruder having an upper lip extending 1/16 to 1/4 inch beyond the lower lip, and by the drawing of a vacuum beneath the applied foam, said characteristics being critical to the formation of a uniform foam layer atop the web. A second, more substantial vacuum is then applied beneath the web to essentially completely draw the binding agent into the web thereby providing substantial inter-fiber bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Walter L. Pauls, Raymond A. Dunleavy, III
  • Patent number: 4347337
    Abstract: The addition of a small amount of a phenol to an ethylene-vinyl alcohol oxygen-barrier layer significantly improves oxygen impermeability under high humidity conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Jack E. Knott, II
  • Patent number: 4347332
    Abstract: A blend of nylon and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer is provided which is suitable for conversion into films having desirable levels of strength and toughness, and good oxygen barrier properties. In addition, the blend exhibits enhanced adhesive qualities, as compared to films of EVOH copolymer per se, thus better adapting it for use in multilayer films. Methods for fabricating the resin blend into bare and composite films are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Thomas W. Odorzynski, Jack E. Knott, II
  • Patent number: 4346814
    Abstract: A material for protecting the inside surface of a side seamed cylindrical container is disclosed. The material is of a thixotropic nature whereby edge protection is assured for a lap seam, a can seam or a welded seam, the latter being either a lap or butt-type joint. All of the foregoing constructions exhibit certain internal surface irregularities exposing raw metal to the interior of the container which must be appropriately covered in order to maintain sanitary protection of the contents ultimately packed within the container. Thixotropic materials have been found to provide the requisite surface adherence after application and until curing; thus, affording improved coverage of the various raw surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Kenneth R. Rentmeester
  • Patent number: 4345133
    Abstract: A carton is disclosed having a paperboard receptacle and a cover fitting over the same; the cover being adapted to shield the top and sides of food material within the receptacle from microwave radiation, but allowing radiation to be admitted through the unshielded bottom of the receptacle. A surface of the cover is formed of a conducting metal which substantially inhibits the passage of microwave radiation therethrough. The depending cover wall which surrounds the side edges of the receptacle is constructed such that adjacent portions of the panels forming the cover wall are provided with a low impedance electrical connection at microwave frequencies to inhibit arcing between such panels during heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Jerome A. Cherney, Thomas D. Pawlowski
  • Patent number: 4344584
    Abstract: Apparatus for winding webs from a large-diameter roll onto cores to form smaller diameter rolls wherein the cores are supported on mandrels mounted at one end on a turret that is indexed between a core loading station, operational stations including at least a web winding station, and a wound-web unloading station. A pair of axially spaced star wheels keyed to a freely rotatable shaft having its axis parallel to the axes of the mandrels sequentially are engaged by, are rotated by, and are disengaged from a mandrel as it is moved between the core loading and winding stations to ensure alignment of the free end of the mandrel for supporting engagement with a provided latching cup operative to engage and steady the mandrel in the operational stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Roger A. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 4343174
    Abstract: A metal forming tool useful to form internal and external impressions of various configurations upon two piece can bodies of round, oval, triangular, rectangular or irregular and unsymmetrical cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Kurt L. Hahn, Howard J. Padgett, Manjeshwar S. Rao
  • Patent number: 4343851
    Abstract: Multi-ply laminae are provided which are suitable for use as tell-tale indicators for identification cards, credentials and the like. The laminae are post-laminated to a core layer bearing a photograph or similar information or indicia. Thereafter attempts to delaminate the card result in fibers being torn from a uniaxially oriented polyethylene or polypropylene layer of the laminae. Attempts to readhere the layers with adhesives result in tell-tale indicia in the form of the torn fibers which cannot be adequately realigned or adhered so as to be unnoticeable. Moreover, attempts to heat seal the card after tampering causes the oriented polymer to shrink and opacify resulting in additional tell-tale indicia of tampering. In addition, the core comprises heat seal surfaces upon which printing and other indicia is placed whereby any attempt to alter the printing or other indicia results in destruction of the card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Nicholas Sheptak
  • Patent number: D267361
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1982
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Galyn A. Schulz
  • Patent number: D267474
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1983
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventor: Raymond V. Maroszek
  • Patent number: D267475
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1983
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Raymond V. Maroszek, Clifford G. Peters, Jeffrey J. Tellock
  • Patent number: D267543
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1983
    Assignee: American Can Company
    Inventors: Dennis J. Nemura, John M. Wathen, Jr.