Abstract: A cup making machine has a bottom finishing station provided with a mandrel for holding a sidewall blank and a bottom blank such that a flap portion of the sidewall blank is folded around a lip of the bottom blank. The bottom finishing station has a seam clamp engageable with overlapped edges of the sidewall blank to form a side seam, and a clamp ring selectively movable into engagement with the seam clamp. The clamp ring includes an annular wall forming a recess for receiving a rotatable tool which presses against the flap portion and the lip to form a bottom seal. Part of the seam clamp protrudes into the clamp ring, and part of the clamp ring protrudes into the seam clamp to form a bridge acting against the overlapped side seam at the top of the lip.

Abstract: A cup making machine has a bottom finishing station provided with a mandrel for holding a sidewall blank and a bottom blank such that a flap portion of the sidewall blank is folded around a lip of the bottom blank. The bottom finishing station has a seam clamp engageable with overlapped edges of the sidewall blank to form a side seam, and a clamp ring selectively movable into engagement with the seam clamp. The clamp ring includes an annular wall forming a recess for receiving a rotatable tool which presses against the flap portion and the lip to form a bottom seal. Part of the seam clamp protrudes into the clamp ring, and part of the clamp ring protrudes into the seam clamp to form a bridge acting against the overlapped side seam at the top of the lip.

Abstract: A two-piece cup is formed by a sidewall member having an upper edge, a lower edge, a pair of opposite side edges, a front surface and a back surface with the opposite side edges overlapped and sealed along an overlapped side seam, and a bottom member sealed along the lower edge of the sidewall member. The upper edge of the sidewall member is curled into a continuous rim. Upper corners of the sidewall member are formed with a plurality of parallel score lines extending inwardly from each side edge immediately beneath the upper edge, the score lines overlapping in the side seam.

Abstract: A machine for making paper cups wherein each cup includes a side wall blank and a bottom wall blank, the machine including a frame and a vertical shaft mounted on the frame with a turret rotatably mounted on the shaft, a number of work stations mounted on the frame in an equally spaced relation around the turret with a number of tapered mandrels mounted on the turret in alignment with each of the work stations for forming the cup, the turret being intermittently rotated to move the mandrels sequentially into alignment with each of the work stations and a tubular assembly mounted for axial movement in each of the mandrels for initially releasing the cup from the mandrel.

Abstract: A workstation for use with a turret type cup making machine is disclosed. The workstation is designed for sealing and finishing the bottom regions of paperboard style cups. A finishing wheel is mounted to a pair of nested housings that are configured to move the finishing wheel in a radially outward direction when one housing is rotated with respect to the other. Thus, the finishing wheel is moved longitudinally into the recessed bottom of a cup and then one housing is rotated with respect to the other forcing the finishing wheel radially outwardly until it contacts the bottom of the cup including portions of the sidewall blank and the bottom blank. This radial movement squeezes the cup bottom between the finishing wheel and an annular abutment wall. Meanwhile, the housings and finishing wheel are rotated together to drive the finishing wheel about the perimeter of the cup bottom to squeeze and seal the sidewall blank to the bottom blank.

Abstract: A workstation for a use with a turret-type cup making machine is disclosed. The workstation is designed for use in making containers, such as paperboard style cups. The workstation includes a rotatable roller assembly and a rotationally stationary guide member which cooperate to curl the sidewall blank with respect to the bottom blank. The rollers and guide member have adjacent surfaces designed to curl the bottom edge of a sidewall blank around a lip of the bottom blank and back into the recessed area at the bottom of the container.

Abstract: An energy balance apparatus includes a drive shaft which experiences torque loads. A properly formed face cam is attached to the shaft and a force is applied against the surface of the face cam via a cam follower. An actuator mechanism is attached to the cam follower to force the cam follower against the cam surface. Also, a release mechanism is connected to the actuator mechanism to selectively release the applied force.

Abstract: A machine for making cups of thermoplastic coated paper, the machine including a frame or housing having a turret rotatably mounted on the frame, a number of work stations mounted on the frame in an equally spaced relation around the turret, a number of mandrels corresponding to the number of work stations mounted on the turret and a curling die mounted on the turret in radial alignment with each of the mandrels. The turret being rotated intermittently to align the mandrels sequentially with the work stations, the work stations being movable radially inwardly into a working relation with each mandrel, the mandrels being moved radially inwardly simultaneously with the work stations to form a tucked curl on the top edge of the cup.

Abstract: A machine for making cups of thermoplastic coated paper, the machine including a frame or housing having a turret rotatably mounted on the frame, a number of work stations mounted on the frame in an equally spaced relation around the turret, a number of mandrels corresponding to the number of work stations mounted on the turret and a curling die mounted on the turret in radial alignment with each of the mandrels. The turret being rotated intermittently to align the mandrels sequentially with the work stations, the work stations being movable radially inwardly into a working relation with each mandrel, the mandrels being moved radially inwardly simultaneously with the work stations to form a tucked curl on the top edge of the cup.

Abstract: A mechanically programmed indexing turret assembly configured to independently position each of a plurality of mandrels about a central axis of the turret for periodic interaction with a plurality of work stations. A central standard rotates at a substantially constant angular velocity. Each mandrel is mounted about the axis of the standard for rotation about a common axis therewith. The standard selectively transmits torque to the various mandrels in conjunction with cam and linkage elements. The respective periods of angular acceleration, deceleration, and absolute dwell of the respective mandrels are controlled in accordance with a predetermined cam contour associated with the cam track.

Abstract: A machine for making cups of thermoplastic coated paper, the machine including a frame or housing having a turret rotatably mounted on the frame, a number of work stations mounted on the frame in an equally spaced relation around the turret, a number of mandrels corresponding to the number of work stations mounted on the turret and a curling die mounted on the turret in radial alignment with each of the mandrels. The turret being rotated intermittently to align the mandrels sequentially with the work stations, the work stations being movable radially inwardly into a working relation with each mandrel, the mandrels being moved radially inwardly simultaneously with the work stations to form a tucked curl on the top edge of the cup.

Abstract: A bottom expander for a flat bottom paper container of noncircular cross-section comprises a ring having an aperture surface for closely embracing the bottom rim of a container and plate-like tool elements, each having a radially outer edge surface which opposes and clampingly cooperates with that aperture surface. Each tool element is fastened to the front end of a leaf spring, the rear end of which is anchored in fixed relation to a support for the ring. The leaf springs support the tool elements in coplanar relation and so flex as to confine the tool elements to translatory motion that carries their outer edge surfaces toward and from the aperture surface, thus eliminating sliding guidance for the tool elements. The leaf springs also bias the tool elements to home positions in which they are spaced from the aperture surface.

Abstract: In a machine for making two-piece flat bottom paper cups, having a mandrel on which the cup is formed, the portions of the two blanks that are to form the bottom seam are heated by a device comprising a stationary air duct with which the mandrel can be coaxially aligned. Air flowing forwardly in the duct from an inlet at its rear is heated by an electric element therein. On the front of the duct a nozzle is mounted to slide between a forward operative position and a rearward inoperative one. Cooperating throttle elements on the nozzle and the duct restrict flow to radial outlets in the nozzle when it is in operative position, ensuring steady air flow through the duct. An annular heat shield around the nozzle enables it to effect combined radiant and hot air heating. All heaters are arranged for retraction if the machine stops for longer than a normal dwell period.

Abstract: A seal is disclosed between a stationary hood and an end of a rotary kiln enclosed thereby to prevent entrance of atmospheric air or the exit of process gas. The seal includes a first annular seal ring on a flange to rotate with the kiln, and a second and nonrotating annular seal ring mounted on an axially movable cylinder arranged around the kiln. The cylinder is part of a movable assembly that also cooperates with the kiln flange to define an annular chamber encompassing both seal rings and which is filled with a pressurized gas to prevent leakage between the rings. A thin annular flexible diaphragm around the kiln is circumferentially sealed on one end to the hood and on the other end to the movable cylinder. The diaphragm is sufficiently flexible to allow the cylinder and attached seal ring to move axially, as the kiln expands, to maintain an effective seal.