Abstract: A one-piece can body member having a bottom section, a generally cylindrical side wall section, and an upwardly outwardly inclined connecting wall section connecting the bottom section to the cylindrical side wall section. The bottom wall section has an uppermost concave spherical central panel and a lowermost convexly curved annular support rib which provide an annular lowermost curved support surface for supporting the can body on a flat surface. An upwardly inwardly inclined frusto-conical connecting wall extends between the central panel and the support rib and is connected thereto by curved ends. The connecting wall comprises three frusto-conical straight side walls which are connected to one another by curved annular reinforcement ribs. The construction and arrangement enables stacking of cans having different diameter end members.

Abstract: Stripping a workpiece from a punch using a plurality of pivotally mounted segments that in an open position have a diameter greater than the outside diameters of the workpiece and the punch but in a closed position have a diameter greater than the outside diameter of the punch but less than the outside diameter of the workpiece.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuous heat transfer of ink images onto the outer surfaces of continuously moving articles, for example, generally cylindrical articles, from a length of continuously moving heat transfer sheet material having thereon a series of uniformly spaced heat transferable ink images. In the case of cylindrical articles, an elongated wrapping and heating tube is used for continuously wrapping a portion of the sheet material into intimate contact with the outer surface of each cylindrical article as the sheet material and the cylindrical members move through the tube and for heating the wrapped portion of the sheet material and the cylindrical articles during movement through the tube to cause transfer of the ink image to the articles within the tube. The sheet material is thereafter unwrapped and disassociated from the decorated cylindrical members after passing through the tube during continuous movement of the sheet material and the printed cylindrical members.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous heat transfer of ink images onto the outer surfaces of continuously moving generally cylindrical articles from a length of continuously moving heat transfer sheet material having thereon a series of uniformly spaced heat transferable ink images by use of an elongated wrapping and heating tube for continuously wrapping a portion of the sheet material into intimate contact with the outer surface of each cylindrical article as the sheet material and the cylindrical members move through the tube and for heating the wrapped portion of the sheet material and the cylindrical articles during movement through the tube to cause transfer of the ink image to the articles within the tube. The sheet material is thereafter unwrapped and disassociated from the decorated cylindrical members after passing through the tube during continuous movement of the sheet material and the printed cylindrical members.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuous heat transfer of ink images onto outer surfaces of continuously moving generally cylindrical members from a length of continuously moving heat transfer sheet material having thereon a series of uniformly spaced heat transferable ink images.

Abstract: A container conveying and transfer system for conveying and transferring decorated containers from a continuously rotatable mandrel wheel of container decorating apparatus to a continuously moving continuous loop container conveying belt member having container holding vacuum cups fixedly mounted thereon in association with an elongated vacuum plenum extending along a container carrying portion of the path of movement of the belt member whereby the containers are transferred from the belt member to pins carried by a continuously moving continuous loop chain member, the belt member being driven in synchronized, timed relationship to the rotatable mandrel wheel and the chain member by vacuum cup attachment nut members received in driving slots in a drive wheel member and in guide slots associated with the vacuum plenum and belt guide wheel members.

Abstract: The continuous can printer and transfer apparatus is provided with infeed means devoid of moving parts, whereby cans move in a guided path by gravity through an inclined chute to stationary pockets on a rotatable pocket mandrel wheel where they are drawn from the pockets and seated by vacuum on mandrels which carry the cans to a printing blanket cylinder. Before contacting the rotating printing blanket, the surface speeds of the mandrel and printing cylinder are precisely matched by a pre-spin belt on the printing cylinder and rollers. Decorated cans are transferred to suction cups on a transfer wheel and discharged to a pin chain conveyor by a transfer assembly wherein all motions of the transfer cups are controlled in a radial and axial direction by a single cam motion.