Abstract: A method of coating an edible food container by applying a moisture-resistant fat coating to the interior of the container by introducing the coating into the container and forcing the coating up the inside surface by rapidly rotating the container and/or coating. The resulting container has a more uniform and continuous film coating.

Abstract: A heat-sealable, ovenable container and method of manufacture wherein one of the components of the container, for example, the tray, is provided with a thermoplastic polyester coating and the other component, for example, the lid, is provided with a thermosetting polyester coating, said coatings cooperating to produce a self-venting, easy-tear, sanitary seal.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously extruding, biaxially orienting and intermittently forming molded products from a web of thermoplastic material and further, continuously separating the products from the web selvage, stacking and handling the products and recycling the web selvage for further extrusion. The apparatus uses intermittent molding devices into which configuration the biaxially oriented web is interfaced by a continuous-to-intermittent interfacing structure which preserves the dimensional and orientational integrity of the web and maintains thermal stability therein. An undulating peripheral surface on a dynamic storage or accumulator drum and associated transfer rollers cooperate with intermittently advanced feed belts in timed relationship with a reciprocating forming press to effectuate the interface and product forming portions of the process.

Abstract: A method is provided for printing games such as poker hands on two-piece frustoconical containers with four cards up and one down on the container sidewall and a hole card or draw card on the bottom of the container. The sidewalls are formed from blanks printed in a sequence by four, five, six and seven-around printing cylinders, all of which impress one card identity indicia on each printed cup blank on a strip of stock passed through the array of cylinders. A strip of bottom blanks each bearing a single card identity are printed in sequence by an eleven-around printing cylinder and the sidewall blanks and bottom blanks are assembled in the printed sequence to provide at least 4,620 cups all bearing poker hands with no two cups bearing identical hands. None of the card identity indicia on the several rolls is repeated. A total of thrity-three different indicia is used in the present method.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method wherein preprinted rectangular blanks of longitudinally stretch-oriented foam sheet material are continuously formed into cylinders by a tubular forming mandrel on which the blanks are folded, seamed and thereafter transferred onto final forming mandrels. Subsequently, the blanks and the final mandrels are heated to shrink the blanks so that they assume the shape of the final forming mandrels. In forming containers, means are provided to place bottom blanks on the product mandrels prior to the loading of the cylinders thereon so as to shrink the cylinders to sidewall shapes overlying the bottom blanks. The top curl on containers such as drinking cups and food tubs is formed after shrink forming. Further, the bottom seam of the container may be reinforced by ironing after shrink forming.

Abstract: A soup dispenser is provided which will dispense liquid, semi-liquid and/or chunky soups, stews, chilis, etc., with equal facility. A motor-driven dial configuration of a plurality of measuring chambers or traps is provided at the bottom of a heated reservoir in which an impeller is constantly driven to preclude settling and scorching. The same motor drive is selectively interconnected to rotate the dial and successively register a measuring chamber with a discharge port beneath which a food container can be placed to receive the discharged product. The measuring chambers are vented to atmosphere as registry with the discharge opening is respectively effected to assure full discharge of the food products therein. A dial configuration further includes a plurality of selectively insertable strainer structures which are removably mounted flush with the upper surface of the dial over one or more of the measuring chambers to control the ratio of garnish to broth in each dispensed container of soup and the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for forming two-piece drinking cups and containers from conventionally shaped arcuate sidewall blank and bottom blanks of filled polypropylene sheet material or polypropylene-polyethylene copolymer sheet material with approximately 40% talc or calcium carbonate as a filler. The arcuate blanks for the sidewall and the bottom blanks are run through relatively standard two-piece container or cup making machinery utilizing patterned air jet heating means to heat areas of the filled plastic sheet material such that the sidewall and bottom curl seams can be heat sealed on the forming mandrels of the machinery and the top curl can be placed in the container by heating and substantially conventional forming dies. The seaming structures so produced are extremely water tight and of high strength characteristics.

Abstract: A low-frequency induction heater is disclosed for heating air or gas and dispelling this gas for sealing polycoated papers. The low frequency induction heater has an induction coil surrounding a steel core and a core insulator for heating the core and insulator through electromagnetic induction bypassing a low frequency AC current through the induction coil. Air or gas enters the low frequency induction heater through an air inlet and passes through the core and/or over the surface of the core insulator of the low frequency induction heater such that the heat generated in the core is transferred to the air or gas. The heated air or gas is then expelled from the low frequency induction heater through an outlet nozzle which is configured for sealing polycoated papers together in structures such as the lapped side seam of a cup sidewall.

Abstract: An ice cream cone product is provided having a sanitary paper jacket adhered thereto which is sufficiently adherent for shipping, handling and vending but which is selectively removable without leaving jacket remnants thereon at the point of consumption. A jacket is telescopically juxtaposed over the cone after the jacket interior is dosed with a mixture of water vapor and propylene glycol.

Abstract: An improved flexographic type printing unit is provided in which only an ink transfer cylinder, plate cylinder and impression cylinder are needed with the transfer cylinder immersed in an ink fountain and cooperating with an adjustable doctor blade. Bearing traction roll drives and spacing means are utilized and the impression and transfer cylinders are mounted on swinging arms positioned by hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders to obviate the need for machined slides and surfaces and multiple adjustments at opposite ends of these cylinders. An eccentric structure in a freewheeling impression cylinder provides an accurate web thickness adjustment for the unit. A second embodiment of the flexographic printing unit includes a planetary gear drive for changing the registration of the print-to-blank or print-to-print of the plate cylinder as it engages a web.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method wherein bottom blanks for containers are severed from a web feed roll and subsequently transferred at a compatible speed and spacing to final forming mandrels on which finished containers are to be formed. The bottom blanks are tangentially transferred from a first transfer turret at a final velocity and spacing most desirable for cutting and minimizing scrap to a second transfer turret at a second velocity and spacing and thereafter tangentially transferred to the final forming mandrels. Subsequently, preprinted rectangular blanks of longitudinally stretch-oriented foam sheet material formed into cylinders are transferred onto the final forming mandrels. Thereafter, the bottom blanks the cylindrical blanks and the final forming mandrels are heated to shrink the cylindrical blanks so that they assume the shape of the final forming mandrels. The top curl on containers such as drinking cups and food tubs is formed after shrink forming.

Abstract: A method for continuously extruding, biaxially orienting and intermittently forming molded products from a web of thermoplastic material and further, continuously separating the products from the web selvage, stacking and handling the products and recycling the web selvage for further extrusion. The method uses intermittent molding and biaxial orientation devices into which configuration the continuously extruded web is interfaced by continuous-to-intermittent interfacing loop arrangement which preserves the dimensional and orientational integrity of the web maintains sufficient thermal stability therein to provide molded products which are free from defects such as stretch marks and other inertial and thermal discontinuities normally anticipated in cases of intermittent web advance of thermoplastic material at thermoformable temperature levels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for forming two-piece drinking cups and containers from conventionally shaped arcuate sidewall blank and bottom blanks of filled polypropylene sheet material or polypropylene-polyethylene copolymer sheet material with approximately 40% talc or calcium carbonate as a filler. The arcuate blanks for the sidewall and the bottom blanks are run through relatively standard two-piece container or cup making machinery utilizing patterned air jet heating means to heat areas of the filled plastic sheet material such that the sidewall and bottom curl seams can be heat sealed on the forming mandrels of the machinery and the top curl can be placed in the container by heating and substantially conventional forming dies. The seaming structures so produced are extremely water tight and of high strength characteristics.

Abstract: Containers such as those used for food stuffs having a generally frusto-conical initial shape are constrained into a forming die during the handling of the containers for injecting quantities of edibles and the like therein such that the containers are constrained to enter a die having a generally square configuration and then, while still in the die, the containers are filled with food or other material and a square lid is fed into position above the filled container and placed thereon to maintain the square configuration of the upper end thereof. The resulting containers provide a much more efficient packaging for equal volumes of product when compared with the more conventional frusto-conical shape containers. The invention is particularly well-adapted to packaging ice cream and the like.

Abstract: Fruit and vegetable juice concentrates, such as orange juice, are prepared by simultaneously whipping and freezing a concentrate in the presence of whipping agents and, optionally, stabilizers. Suitable whipping agents to be employed include soya proteins and egg whites. The resulting concentrated juice is discharged from, e.g., an ice cream freezer at a temperature of 18.degree.-30.degree. F. The frozen fruit concentrate has a soft whipped texture, which makes it divisible into aliquot portions for use by a consumer.

Abstract: An ice cream cone holder and display apparatus is formed from a conventional two-piece paper cup. The bottom portion of the cup is specially made to include an arcuate flap through which the ice cream cone is extended to support the cone on a counter. The arcuate flap is formed by an interrupted circular cut substantially centrally located in the bottom portion of the cup. One interruption is of a greater size than the other interruptions and functions as a hinge for the arcuate flap.

Abstract: An ice cream cone product is provided having a sanitary paper jacket adhered thereto which is sufficiently adherent for shipping, handling and vending but which is selectively removable without leaving jacket remnants on the cone or cone remnants on the jacket. A jacket is telescopically juxtaposed over the cone after the jacket interior is applied with vaporized mixture of water and an adhesion-reducing agent. A conveyor for the cones, a timed dispenser and injector for placing the jackets alternately on the same conveyor with the cones, a device to combine each jacket with a cone and an accumulator for the jacketed cone product comprises the apparatus to practice the method.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously extruding, biaxially orienting and intermittently forming molded products from a web of thermoplastic material and further, continuously separating the products from the web selvage, stacking and handling the products and recycling the web selvage for further extrusion. The method and apparatus use intermittent molding devices into which configuration the biaxially oriented web is interfaced by a continuous-to-intermittent interfacing structure which preserves the dimensional and orientational integrity of the web and maintains thermal stability therein. An undulating peripheral surface on a dynamic storage or accumulator drum and associated transfer rollers cooperate with intermittently advanced feed belts in timed relationship with a reciprocating forming press to effectuate the interface and product forming portions of the process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for printing games such as poker hands on two-piece frustoconical containers with four cards up and one down on the container sidewall and a hole card or draw card on the bottom of the container. The sidewalls are formed from blanks printed in a sequence by four, five, six and seven-around printing cylinders, all of which impress one card identity indicia on each printed cup blank on a strip of stock passed through the array of cylinders. A strip of bottom blanks each bearing a single card identity are printed in sequence by an eleven-around printing cylinder and the sidewall blanks and bottom blanks are assembled in the printed sequence to provide at least 4,620 cups all bearing poker hands with no two cups bearing identical hands. None of the card identity indicia on the several rolls is repeated. A total of thirty-three different indicia is used in the present method and apparatus.