Abstract: A two-piece foam plastic cup is made from a rectangular blank and either a bottom disc or expandible plastic foam beads. The rectangular blank is pleated in triangular transverse pleats having their apices adjacent to the top rim or mouth of the finished cup to form a frusto-conical sidewall blank with a lapped side seam portion. This sidewall blank is placed in a heated mold with either foam plastic beads or a bottom disc and the mold is heated to fuse the pleats, fuse the lapped side seam, and expand the bottom material and sidewall material into a fused unitary cup or container structure having a sidewall of uniform thickness but with visible pleats therein, despite its resulting smooth surface.

Abstract: A two-piece foam plastic cup is made from a rectangular blank and either a bottom disc or expandible plastic foam beads. The rectangular blank is pleated in triangular transverse pleats having their apices adjacent to the rim or mouth of the finished cup to form a frusto-conical sidewall blank with a lapped side seam portion. This sidewall blank is placed in a heated mold with either foam plastic beads or a bottom disc and the mold is heated to fuse the pleats, fuse the lapped side seam, and expand the bottom material and sidewall material into a fused unitary cup or container structure having a sidewall of uniform thickness but with visible pleats therein, despite its resulting smooth surface.

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: A two-piece frustoconical container is provided with a scalloped sidewall having a lowermost depressed edge portion opposite to an uppermost edge portion in a scoop configuration engageable with foods in bulk as a scoop. When filled with food product the container will stand alone. A lapped side seam extends from the base to the uppermost edge portion to lend stiffness to the scoop configuration. A parallel vertical strip decor is provided over the major portion of the interior surface of the container and is printed thereon by a method which obviates the need to provide registry of the printing on the front and back surfaces of the strip stock from which each sidewall blank is cut.

Abstract: A flat planar lid for ovenable containers is described which is uniquely shaped to permit the lid to be manually secured to a flanged ovenable container thereby effectively closing and sealing the flanged container without the need to use automatic sealing equipment. The planar lid is shaped to provide a longitudinal tab overlapping each longitudinal edge of the container, a transverse tab overlapping each transverse edge of the container, and a corner tab overlapping each corner of the container. These tabs of the lid are tucked over the container flange and adhesively bonded to the underlying surface thereof. Venting is provided to permit a mechanism for venting internal steam to the atmosphere when the container and its contents are heated. The corner tabs have a lesser outboard reach than the outboard reach of either the longitudinal or transverse tabs to provide a smooth and substantially flat adhesive bond with the underflange surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously extruding, biaxially orienting and 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 continuous molding devices, namely, multiple mold cavities in a rotating polygon configuration over the peripheral surface of which the biaxially oriented web is securely and continuously positioned by a follower roller interfacing the polygon with a biaxial orientation device. Continuous and immediate interfacing is effected to prevent loss of orientation in the web which is kept at a temperature suitable for ingestion thereof into the mold cavities by vacuum, pressure or plug assist. In one preferred embodiment the inertia at the interface between the undulating peripheral surface of the rotating mold polygon and the biaxial orientation apparatus is reduced to an optimal minimum.

Abstract: An improved apparatus is provided for forming the bead or fill line or groove in paper cups or containers by axially compressing an annulus of a resilient material thereby causing a controlled deformation of the material outwardly about its periphery. This outward deformation occurs internally of a cup pot or die which includes an internal bead, fill line or groove defining cavity into which a portion of a sidewall of a paper cup or container confined within the die will be forced by the said deformation to form the bead, fill line or groove.

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: 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 product 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: Marshmallow variegate which is readily combinable with ice cream and other frozen desserts and which maintains a sharp line of demarcation between the frozen dessert matrix and the variegate. The variegate composition comprises about 40 to 50% by weight of sugar solids, about 1 to 3% by weight of a stretch-providing component characteristic of marshmallow, such as pre-gelatinized starch, about 0.2 to 0.8% by weight of an emulsifier having an HLB number of from 3 to 9, about 0.2 to 0.5% by weight of a stabilizer such as an edible gum or gelatin, and the balance being water and flavoring.

Abstract: A container is provided with a bottom curl configuration defining a secondary chamber and cooperating with a snap-in disc to hold a prize or premium between the disc and the bottom web of the container. The bottom curl is die-formed to include flattened areas or facets which act as detents to the disc but which, aesthetically, are substantially non-apparent.

Abstract: A soup dispenser is provided which will dispense liquid, semi-liquid and/or chunky soups, stews, chiles, 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 product therein.

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 through the dial and other venting as registry with the discharge opening is respectively effected to assure full discharge of the food product therein.

Abstract: A paper or plastic cup or container is provided having a pull-tab extending from the side seam which can be torn off by the consumer to be used as a coupon, proof-of-purchase or to reveal some form of concealed marking which might entitle the consumer to a premium, gift or other consideration. The pull-tab is notched and/or perforated in such a manner as to direct the tear parallel to the glue line of the sidewall seam and prevent it from crossing said glue line, thus maintaining the integrity of the container and preventing leakage or spill of the contents.

Abstract: Preprinted rectangular blanks of longitudinally stretch-oriented foam sheet material are formed into cylinders by a continuous folder and seamer and transferred onto mandrels on which they are shrunken by heat to assume the shape of the mandrel. In forming containers, means are provided to place bottom blanks on the 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 and the bottom seam of the container is also reinforced by ironing after shrink forming. A method of continuously forcing and filling containers on a continuous in-line basis is also provided.

Abstract: A sheet plastic lid for open-mouthed containers with a tear-away section therein is provided in which the tear-away section is removable by an upward and outward motion. A raised central area of the central web of the lid merges with the top surface of the rim or bead cavity and contains score lines defining a central tear tab and a major portion of the tear-away section, the lines diverging and stopping substantially inboard of the top surface of the bead cavity. Then with the lid on a container, when the tab is freed by penetrating the raised area at the innermost score lines it is pulled upward and outward to constrain the divergent score lines to effect predictable tears through the bead or rim cavity structure to remove the tear-away segment and leave the remainder of the lid intact on the container.

Abstract: A dispensing valve is provided for dispensing metered quantities of liquid and semi-solid food products from a hopper or reservoir.The valve has a piston and piston rod reciprocating in a rotatable sleeve to which it is keyed and the latter being journaled for rotation coaxially within a cylindrical valve housing. By rotating and reciprocating a handle attached to the piston rod a transfer port in the sleeve is selectively positioned in registry with intake and discharge ports in the housing to fill the sleeve with food on the intake stroke of the piston and discharge the food from the sleeve on the discharge stroke of the piston. Bosses are selectively placed on the piston rod between the handle and the housing to vary the stroke of the piston and thus, the measured quantities of food ingested and dispensed by the valve.

Abstract: A dispensing carton for individually wrapped drinking straws in which a removable panel is formed in one side wall parallel to the straws in the carton. The removal of the panel produces a slot which is longer than the straws but shorter than the wrappers so that the wrapper tips provide flexible dispensing detents for each straw.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for producing seamless or apparently seamless plastic foam cups formed from both seamless and seamed sidewall blanks formed by stretching initially cylindrical blank into frusto-conical shapes and then molding such blanks with either expandable foamed plastic beads or foam plastic discs to form an integral cup bottom with the sidewall in an apparently seamless structure. If cylindrical containers are desired, or if frusto-conical sidewall blanks are utilized no stretching is required. Presizing of sidewall thickness prior to treatment in the mold is also provided.