Patents by Inventor Howard E. Murrah

Howard E. Murrah 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).

  • Patent number: 5018660
    Abstract: A liquid carrying, thermoplastic coated paperboard container including a top end closure, a four-sided body portion, and a bottom end closure, wherein various end closure panels are folded so as to abut against one another to become sealed thereagainst. To effectuate the sealing, a pressure sensitive, food grade adhesive is applied to at least one of each two abutting surfaces and the abutting surfaces are pressed together without the application of heat or high frequency vibration. The adhesive may be applied to the blank during the converting process, or while the blank is being formed into a container on the forming, filling and sealing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Elopak Systems, A.G.
    Inventors: Leo J. Esper, David C. Jorgensen, Howard E. Murrah, Michael G. Schneider, Raymond M. Phillips, Bruce C. Dauzy
  • Patent number: 4990128
    Abstract: A carton leading and trailing end panel folding mechanism for use with a tubular carton blank mounted on a mandrel, with the end closure panels extended beyond the face of the mandrel. The main folding mechanism is a single freely rotatable roller which serves to first fold the leading panel rearwardly as the latter rotates therepast, and then to engage and fold the trailing panel forwardly as it rotates therepast. The roller may be stationary until contacted by the leading panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Elopak Systems A.G.
    Inventor: Howard E. Murrah
  • Patent number: 4911306
    Abstract: There is disclosed herein a flat top end closure for a liquid carrying container, which includes two oppositely disposed, overlapped outer closure panels, and two oppositely disposed, fold-in panels, one of which cooperates to form the flat top configuration when closed, but serves as a substantially longer pour spout when opened by virtue of incorporating the top portion of the front wall panel as a part thereof. First and second lift tabs are formed on the edges of one of the outer closure panels and the pour spout fold-in panel, respectively. Diagonal opening-assist score lines are formed on the outer closure panels and on a portion of the side wall panels adjacent the pour spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Elopak Systems A. G.
    Inventors: Robert E. Lisiecki, Howard E. Murrah
  • Patent number: 4589862
    Abstract: A folding and tucking apparatus for a container end closure forming and sealing machine where a pair of oppositely rotating arms, each having a freely rotatable roller mounted on its distal end, are adapted to engage and move a heat-activated, plastic coated carton end closure panel around a score line from a vertical to a horizontal attitude. The result is that, while the rollers thus move the panel, the relative movement between the rollers and the panel is minimal, thereby preserving clean, unmarred surfaces on end panels of cartons which will be characteristically observed by consumers in the marketplace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignee: Ex-Cell-O Corporation
    Inventor: Howard E. Murrah
  • Patent number: 4135439
    Abstract: A carton bottom breaker for performing a prebreaking operation on the panels of a bottom closure structure of a coated paperboard carton mounted on a carton forming mandrel. A movable carrier member has a V-shaped breaker means fixed thereon which comprises a pair of outwardly sloping folder plates for operative engagement with the fold-over panels of the bottom closure of a carton. A spring biased V-shaped breaker plate member is movably mounted on the carrier member between the sloping folder plates in a plane transverse to the V-shape formed by the folder plates, and it is adapted to engage the fold-in panels of the bottom closure of a carton. A mandrel stop finger is carried by the V-shaped breaker plate member for abutment with the carton mandrel, in an off-center position, to prevent damage of the mandrel by engagement with the V-shaped breaker means and V-shaped breaker member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1979
    Assignee: Ex-Cell-O Corporation
    Inventor: Howard E. Murrah