Patents by Inventor Alan D. Williams

Alan D. Williams has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20020014523
    Abstract: A sealed composite container for products is provided having a paperboard body ply with a liner ply adhered on the inner surface thereof. One end of the container is rolled outwardly to form a rim and exposing the inner surface of the liner ply, which comprises a heat sealable composition. A lid for the container, also having a layer of heat sealable composition, is placed adjacent to the exposed heat sealable composition of the container liner and heat sealed thereto. The heat seal has both an inner and an outer bead formed on either side of the heat sealed area, wherein the inner bead comprises a larger amount of the heat seal compositions than the outer bead. A method and apparatus for forming the heat seal is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Applicant: Sonoco Development Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Drummond, Alan D. Williams, Floyd H. Boatwright, Jeffrey M. Schuetz
  • Patent number: 6302321
    Abstract: A sealed composite container for products is provided having a paperboard body ply with a liner ply adhered on the inner surface thereof. One end of the container is rolled outwardly to form a rim and exposing the inner surface of the liner ply. A lid is heat sealed to the rim of the container. The dual-layer sealant composition layer of the lid comprises a base layer, such as high density polyethylene, and an adjacent frangible layer, such as ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, the frangible layer being operatively positioned for heat sealing to the rim of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry R. Reese, Jeffrey M. Schuetz, Alan D. Williams
  • Patent number: 6296600
    Abstract: A multi-ply tubular container for products is provided having a first ply wrapped into a tubular shape and having an inner surface and a second ply wrapped into a tubular shape and having an outer surface positioned in face-to-face contact with the inner surface of the first ply. At least one of the first and second plies is a body ply formed of fibrous paperboard. A foamed adhesive is placed between the inner surface of the first ply and the outer surface of the second ply. The foamed adhesive reduces moisture contact with the paperboard body ply and results in increased container strength and lower manufacturing costs. The foamed adhesive is preferably a foamed aqueous adhesive. The foamed adhesive may be a substantially pure resin adhesive or a mixture of a resin and at least one filler. The two plies may comprise a paperboard body ply and a liner ply adhered together using a foamed adhesive placed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Drummond, Alan D. Williams
  • Patent number: 6290119
    Abstract: A multi-ply composite container for consumer products is provided having a tubular body ply, a liner ply and a film label ply. The tubular body ply is formed of paperboard material, and the liner ply is adhered to the inner surface of the tubular body ply. The film label ply is adhered to the outer surface of the tubular body ply and is comprised of a polymeric film having inner and outer surfaces and an adhesive on at least a portion of the inner surface of the polymeric film. Graphical matter can be included on at least a portion of the inner surface of the polymeric film under the adhesive. The adhesive is for adhering the label ply to the outer surface of the tubular body ply and can be either a heat seal coating or a cold seal coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc.
    Inventors: Barry R. Reese, Jeffrey M. Schuetz, Alan D. Williams
  • Patent number: 6264098
    Abstract: A sealed composite container for products is provided having a paperboard body ply with a liner ply adhered on the inner surface thereof. One end of the container is rolled outwardly to form a rim and exposing the inner surface of the liner ply, which comprises a heat sealable composition. A lid for the container, also having a layer of heat sealable composition, is placed adjacent to the exposed heat sealable composition of the container liner and heat sealed thereto. The heat seal has both an inner and an outer bead formed on either side of the heat sealed area, wherein the inner bead comprises a larger amount of the heat seal compositions than the outer bead. A method and apparatus for forming the heat seal is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Drummond, Alan D. Williams, Floyd H. Boatwright, Jeffrey M. Schuetz
  • Patent number: 6234386
    Abstract: A sealed composite container is provided, the container including a tubular body member comprising at least one paperboard body ply. The container further comprises a liner ply adhered to the inner surface of the tubular body member, the liner ply comprising a barrier layer. At least one end of the body member and liner ply are rolled outwardly to form a rim and expose the liner ply. The rim defines a heat seal surface having a substantially planar portion. A lid is operatively positioned adjacent to the rim and heat sealed thereto, the lid also comprising a barrier layer. At least one of the lid and liner ply further comprise a seal layer comprising a heat sealable composition, the seal layer forming a heat seal between the lid and the liner ply having a substantially planar portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Drummond, Alan D. Williams, Rick A. Osman, Michael Gentile, Varadarajan Krishnaraj
  • Patent number: 6196450
    Abstract: An easy-open composite container has a membrane-type closure and includes a laminated tubular body member of composite materials having a predetermined laminated strength. The body member includes a bodywall portion and a liner portion positioned inside the bodywall portion and forming an inside surface of the body member. An outwardly-rolled rim portion is formed at the upper area of an open upper end of the tubular body member and the liner portion forms a top surface of the body member open upper end and an outside surface of the outwardly rolled rim portion. A cut extends circumferentially around a segment of the outside surface of the rim portion and extends radially-inwardly through at least a part of the liner portion. A membrane closure covers the open upper end of the body member and has an outwardly extending tab portion positioned over the cut in the rim portion of the body member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnaraju Varadarajan, Michael T. Drummond, Alan D. Williams
  • Patent number: 6135346
    Abstract: A multi-ply tubular container for products is provided having a first ply wrapped into a tubular shape and having an inner surface and a second ply wrapped into a tubular shape and having an outer surface positioned in face-to-face contact with the inner surface of the first ply. At least one of the first and second plies is a body ply formed of fibrous paperboard. A foamed adhesive is placed between the inner surface of the first ply and the outer surface of the second ply. The foamed adhesive reduces moisture contact with the paperboard body ply and results in increased container strength and lower manufacturing costs. The foamed adhesive is preferably a foamed aqueous adhesive. The foamed adhesive may be a substantially pure resin adhesive or a mixture of a resin and at least one filler. The two plies may comprise a paperboard body ply and a liner ply adhered together using a foamed adhesive placed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Drummond, Alan D. Williams
  • Patent number: 5979748
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing multi-ply tubular containers for food products is provided including the steps of applying an aqueous adhesive to a surface of a paperboard body ply and then heating the aqueous adhesive to evaporate part of the water content and render the adhesive substantially tacky. The body ply and a polymeric liner ply having a moisture barrier layer are then either fed to a shaping mandrel from opposite sides and bonded together as the container is formed on the mandrel or are first passed through a nip to adhere the liner ply to the body ply and then wrapped around the mandrel as a laminate to create the tubular container. Accordingly, an advantageous tubular container can be manufactured having a body ply formed of paperboard which is wrapped into a tubular shape to define an inner surface. The body ply defines a predetermined circumferential length before being wrapped which corresponds to one revolution of the body ply when wrapped in a tubular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Drummond, Alan D. Williams
  • Patent number: 5829669
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing multi-ply tubular containers for food products is provided including the steps of applying an aqueous adhesive to a surface of a paperboard body ply and then heating the aqueous adhesive to evaporate part of the water content and render the adhesive substantially tacky. The body ply and a polymeric liner ply having a moisture barrier layer are then passed through a nip to adhere the liner ply to the body ply and are wrapped around a shaping mandrel to create the tubular container. Accordingly, an advantageous tubular container can be manufactured having a body ply formed of paperboard which is wrapped into a tubular shape to define an inner surface. The body ply defines a predetermined circumferential length before being wrapped which corresponds to one revolution of the body ply when wrapped in a tubular shape. A polymeric liner ply is adhered to the inner surface of the body ply and defines a circumferential length equal to that of the body ply prior to being wrapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Sonoco Products Company
    Inventors: Michael T. Drummond, Glenda J. Cahill, W. Gerald Gainey, Alan D. Williams
  • Patent number: 3976723
    Abstract: An alkyl acrylate polymer is cured by condensing carboxyl groups of the polymer with a polyvalent metal oxide to produce polymeric metallo-carboxylates characterized by a three dimensional cross-linked structure. Metallocarboxylates of improved characteristics are produced by neutralizing at least some of the carboxyl groups by reaction with a basic reagent prior to condensation with the polyvalent metal oxide. Preferably the basic reagent is a monovalent metal compound such as potassium hydroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1976
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Company
    Inventors: Alan D. Williams, John A. Powell, Daniel T. Carty, James A. Oline