Patents Assigned to The Metal Box Limited
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Patent number: 4139656Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus, for applying a first and second coating to the exterior surface of a can. The apparatus comprises a mandrel rotatably mounted on a pivotable arm, so that pivoting of the arm carries a can on the mandrel to a first position, in which it is held by a solenoid acting upon a portion of the arm, while a first coating means applies a first coating. Thereafter the arm is released for pivoting to a second position where it is held by a second holding means while a second coating means applies a second coating.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 1977Date of Patent: February 13, 1979Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: Orin S. Shutie, Leonard A. Jenkins
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Patent number: 4121447Abstract: Apparatus, for stripping an article from an axially reciprocable punch, of a kind having a plurality of segments surrounding the punch, each of said segments having a working surface resiliently urged radially inwards towards the punch and engaged with a piston, said piston being supported by fluid means for limited motion in a piston plate, parallel to the axis of the punch, to enable the working surface of the segment to contact the edge of the article before stripping wherein the improvement resides in a fixed guide means to confine a pivot portion of each segment for pivotal movement in a plane radial to the punch, individual biasing means to urge each segment substantially longitudinally towards the punch, and a cam ring having a surface which engages with a heel portion of each segment to guide the working surface thereof substantially parallel to the punch to engage with the article to be stripped.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1977Date of Patent: October 24, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: Henry Sniady
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Patent number: 4109802Abstract: The invention relates to depalletizing apparatus of the kind which comprises a transfer head which is reciprocable in a vertical path and includes a transfer table to receive layers of articles one at a time from the top of a pile of layers which are superimposed on a pallet and have separating elements disposed therebetween. The transfer head is lowered or raised, as appropriate, relative to the pallet and a layer-receiving surface first to align the transfer table with the top layer of the pile and then with the layer-receiving surface. Transfer means associated with the transfer head moves the top layer first on to the transfer table and then on to the layer-receiving surface. The invention resides in the provision of pairs of opposed clamp members which are movable with the transfer head and relative thereto and one to the other and which are operated independently to engage the sides of the layer next below the top layer before the top layer is removed by the transfer means.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 1977Date of Patent: August 29, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: Alan J. Fishwick
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Patent number: 4109500Abstract: A slitting machine for longitudinally slitting sheet tinplate to form blanks for can bodies has two parallel horizontal shafts carrying cutter rolls conventionally arranged in pairs of overlapping rolls so as by a shearing action to slit the sheet tinplate driven to pass between the shafts. The shafts also carry further rolls which may be identical to the cutter rolls but are of a smaller diameter. Like the cutter rolls, these further rolls are arranged in pairs; however, by virtue of their smaller diameter they have a small radial clearance. By partially shearing the tinplate they therefore form the tinplate with lines of weakness parallel to the lines of slitting simultaneously made by the cutter rolls. To accommodate the machine to different thicknesses of tinplate the shaft spacing may be adjustable and/or the rolls may be readily removable for replacement by similar rolls of a different diameter.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1974Date of Patent: August 29, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: Jozef T. Franek
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Patent number: 4108099Abstract: A method of forming an article from sheet metal in a press, in which method a water reducible coating is applied to the work piece in the press to serve not only as a lubricant and coolant during pressing but also as a hardenable coating on the work piece after pressing. The use of an ethyl acrylate-styrene-acrylic acid co-polymer in water is described. Further coatings may be applied to the first coating either before or after hardening of the first coating.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 1976Date of Patent: August 22, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: Fred Fidler, Joseph C. Holt
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Patent number: 4102168Abstract: Apparatus for expanding the mouth of a hollow article, said apparatus comprising a rotary expansion tool and a holding pad reciprocable towards and away from the tool. The rotary expansion tool includes a cage, a plurality of rolls held in equispaced relationship by the cage around an inner race which holds the rolls in rolling engagement with the outer race. Means within the tool cause the rolls to roll within the outer race, each of said rolls having a work portion, extending in an axial direction from the outer race. The work portions enter the mouth of an article pushed into engagement therewith by the pad, to expand the mouth an axial distance determined by the length of a mandrel which serves to guide the article to the rolls. A sleeve shrouds the working surface of the rolls for safety.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 1977Date of Patent: July 25, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: Frederick D. Brookes, Jozef T. Franek
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Patent number: 4090004Abstract: A lid and ring to receive it are made from a piece of sheet metal by drawing a preform which has a first portion surrounding a second portion, separating the first portion from the second portion and further forming it to a ring adapted to receive a lid formed from the second portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 1976Date of Patent: May 16, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: Charles N. Tebbutt, Charles D. V. Still
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Patent number: 4087018Abstract: A lever lid and ring assembly, for a container body, has a tamper indicating sealing member which bridges the joint between the lid and ring. Various shapes of sealing member are described which are cut from aluminium foil coated with a hot melt adhesive. The seals are adhered to an external surface of the ring, and if the shape requires it, they are also sealed to the lid. In an alternative embodiment the sealing member is an annulus of plastics material extruded to seal the joint between the lid and ring.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 1977Date of Patent: May 2, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: Charles Norman Tebbutt
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Patent number: 4068795Abstract: For use with frozen food products, such as dough, having a substantially larger bulk volume at an elevated temperature than when frozen, a container is erected from a container blank having a plurality of fold lines and being so arranged that, when the blank is folded along a first selection of said fold lines in a first manner, it defines a container having a bulk capacity of a first predetermined volume and, when folded along a second selection of said fold lines in a second manner, it defines an open, tray-like container having a bulk capacity of a second predetermined volume larger than the said first volume, and a base area different from the base area when the blank is folded in said first manner. The ratio of the said volumes is preferably 1:2. The blank may be glazed or lined (e.g. with aluminum foil) on at least one side thereof.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1976Date of Patent: January 17, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: William Edward Forster
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Patent number: 4066038Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus, for applying a first and second coating to the exterior surface of a can. The apparatus comprises a mandrel rotatably mounted on a pivotable arm, so that pivoting of the arm carries a can on the mandrel to a first position, in which it is held by a solenoid acting upon a portion of the arm, while a first coating means applies a first coating. Thereafter the arm is released for pivoting to a second position where it is held by a second holding means while a second coating means applies a second coating.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 1976Date of Patent: January 3, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: Orin S. Shutie, Leonard A. Jenkins
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Patent number: 4058998Abstract: In a method of forming a neck and flange at the open end of a thin cylindrical metal can body, the can body is held endwise under compression while an axial shortening force and a radial deforming force are applied to the can body sidewalls, by relative axial movement between the can body on the one hand and, on the other hand, an external forming tool and an internal tool edge which are kept at constant axial spacing from each other, so that the neck and flange are formed in free space without any need for internal or external tools shaped to the required profile; any desired shape can be obtained by varying the characteristics of the relative axial and radial motions.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1976Date of Patent: November 22, 1977Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: Jozef Tadeusz Franek, Peter Henry Doncaster
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Patent number: 4048935Abstract: This disclosure relates to a container body side seam construction wherein a metal body blank is provided with adhesive strips along opposite edges thereof, followed by the forming of hooks at such opposite edges. Thereafter, the body blank is formed in a conventional body-making machine so as to first interlock the hooks and then, while the hooks are engaged, flattening the hooks to form an interlocked side seam wherein the adhesive strips are in tightly clamped relation with respect to one another and portions of the side seam. While the adhesive strips are so held, the side seam is heated so as to effect bonding of the adhesive strips. The principal advantage of the container body side seam construction is that no external means is required to hold the side seam portions in their proper positions while the adhesive strips are being heated and then permitted to set.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 1976Date of Patent: September 20, 1977Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: John Beveridge, Thomas Roderick Harries Davies, Fred Fidler, Maurice Frank Ring
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Patent number: 4049261Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding sheets accurately in correct orientation, especially to a press for blanking pieces from the sheet, has an intermittent sheet-advancing action in which not only the movement of the sheet, but also its orientation with respect to the path of travel and its transverse position, are determined solely by pusher dogs without any need for side guides. The pusher dogs fit in recesses in the rear edge of the sheet in such a way that the transverse position of the sheet is determined accurately by an abrupt discontinuity of the recess or recesses engaging a pusher dog.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1976Date of Patent: September 20, 1977Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: Jozef Tadeusz Franek, Paul Porucznik
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Patent number: 4044916Abstract: Tear open cans having a band of plastics material adhered to the removable portion to mask the torn edge created on opening and either a guard bead formed in the body material or a fold in the remainder of the can end, to mask the torn edge remaining on the body after the removable portion is torn off.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1975Date of Patent: August 30, 1977Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: John Beveridge
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Patent number: 4008554Abstract: A packing machine is described having rollers respectively guiding first and second webs of flexible packing material along a horizontal path, and a conveyor for feeding a succession of articles onto the first web to be conveyed by the first web along the horizontal path. Two blocks are provided for forming a cavity around each article and through which the two webs pass. A pressure difference is provided to inelastically expand the two webs to conform to opposite halves of the cavity in which the article is housed and so form pockets therein. Two heat sealing blocks are located downstream of blocks to seal the perimeter of the pocket in the first web to the perimeter of the adjacent pocket in the second web.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1975Date of Patent: February 22, 1977Assignee: The Metal Box LimitedInventor: Peter D. Hardy
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Patent number: 4007621Abstract: This disclosure relates to processes for forming hollow articles by drawing; apparatus to carry out such processes; tool sets for incorporation in such apparatus; and hollow metal articles such as cans made by said methods.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 1975Date of Patent: February 15, 1977Assignee: The Metal Box LimitedInventors: Jozef Tadeusz Franek, Paul Porucznik
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Patent number: 4004678Abstract: A conveyor handling system for transporting articles from a first position to a second position is described. The system includes first and second conveyors extending in series between the two positions and arranged to convey articles at two respectively different speeds. A sensor is responsive to the approach of an article to the junction between the two conveyors at which the article is transferred from one conveyor to the other to displace the junction, without altering the speeds of the two conveyors, in a sense to accelerate the transfer of the articles between the two conveyors.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 1975Date of Patent: January 25, 1977Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: Peter D. Hardy
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Patent number: 4003492Abstract: This disclosure relates to a container body side seam construction wherein a metal body blank is provided with adhesive strips along opposite edges thereof, followed by the forming of hooks at such opposite edges. Thereafter, the body blank is formed in a conventional body-making machine so as to first interlock the hooks and then, while the hooks are engaged, flattening the hooks to form an interlocked side seam wherein the adhesive strips are in tightly clamped relation with respect to one another and portions of the side seam. While the adhesive strips are so held, the side seam is heated so as to effect bonding of the adhesive strips. The principal advantage of the container body side seam construction is that no external means is required to hold the side seam portions in their proper positions while the adhesive strips are being heated and then permitted to set.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1974Date of Patent: January 18, 1977Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventors: John Beveridge, Thomas Roderick Harries Davies, Fred Fidler, Maurice Frank Ring
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Patent number: 3997048Abstract: A conveyor handling system is described for separating into discrete batches a stream of articles arriving at regular intervals. The system includes two endless belts extending between first and second locations and arranged to be driven at the same predetermined speed in the same sense. A movable carriage between the first and second locations constrains the intermediate portions of the said endless belts so that one belt forms the upper run of an intermediate portion of the conveyor system and the other belt forms the upper run of the conveyor system both upstream and downstream of the intermediate portion. The carriage is arranged to be reciprocated at a speed greater than the predetermined speed between a first position where the intermediate portion lies adjacent a loading position and a second position where the upstream portion of the conveyor lies adjacent the loading position.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 1975Date of Patent: December 14, 1976Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: Peter D. Hardy
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Patent number: D247611Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 1976Date of Patent: March 28, 1978Assignee: Metal Box LimitedInventor: Geoffrey Alan Giles