Patents by Inventor Martin F. Ball

Martin F. Ball 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: 4978056
    Abstract: In a system of packaging of foodstuffs in containers of rectangular horizontal section, each open-topped container is sterilized, filled, and closed with a sterilized closure. The closure is of a laminate including a thermoplastics layer of sufficient thickness to fill an internal discontinuity of the container mouth during heat-sealing of the closure to the container. In making the closure, a portion of laminate is partially severed to form a flap and the laminate is clamped around the flap and drawn to form a shallow dish, to the inside of the base of which is heat-sealed a diaphragm including a pull tab. The thermoplastics layer is on a reflective metal layer and incorporates infrared-absorbing particles and infrared-reflective particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Inventors: Martin F. Ball, Ian M. Vokins
  • Patent number: 4940169
    Abstract: An apparatus for storing and dispensing a quantity of aerated liquid for maintaining the carbonation of a beverage in a container. The apparatus includes a vessel containing a source of gas, a valve closing the vessel and a pressure regulator that couples the valve to the vessel. The pressure regulator is capable of delivering the gas to the container at a substantially constant pressure substantially lower than the pressure under which the gas is kept in the vessel. A tap permits delivery of the gas to, and dispensing of the liquid from the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Metal Box Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4893725
    Abstract: A method of making a metal can end with a tear-open plastics closure, for a can intended to be resistant to leakage when subject to internal pressures, such as arise from carbonation of a beverage or thermal processing, wherein the undersurface of the can end is provided with a plastics coating, and the can end is pierced to form an aperture with a peripheral downturned flange at an angle of 70.degree. to 110.degree. to the plane of the can end and having a flat end. A one-piece ring pull closure is injection-moulded onto the can end from a plastics material resistant to softening at up to at least 65.degree. C., without additional heating of the metal, so as to fill the aperture, bond with the coating, and enclose the flange, with a residual thickness below the flange of 0.125 to 0.5 mm. The thickness of the plastics material of the closure is such that it can be sheared against the flange when the ring pull is pulled manually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: CMB Packaging (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Martin F. Ball, Andrew P. Pavely, Joseph S. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4892231
    Abstract: A pump chamber dispenser for toothpaste or other viscous or pasty product comprises a pump member (54) moulded form elastomeric material and having a domed central portion (56) and a bifurcated peripheral portion providing inner and outer skirts arranged to lie against respective surfaces of a projection (36) formed on the end wall (18) of the dispenser body (10), and to serve as inlet and exit valves controlling an inlet port (20) communicating the pump chamber (21) with the reservoir chamber (22), and an exit port communicating the pump chamber with a discharge nozzle (58). The nozzle is integral with a cover fixed to the body (10) and enclosing the pump member, the cover including a button (70) for acting on the pump member to operate the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: Metal Box p.l.c.
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4885924
    Abstract: In a method of reshaping a container (1) having side wall (2) and a bottom wall (3), the container is rotated by support means (11, 12) while a roll (13) is applied thereto and moved towards the container axis. The bottom wall (3) comprises a central panel (4), an annular wall (5) depending from the periphery of the central panel, an outwardly convex bead (6) of arcuate cross-section on which the container stands and a transition wall (7) extending radially and axially from the convex bead to the side wall (2), and the roll is applied to the transition wall (7) to reshape it and to tighten the curvature of the convex bead. The method permits the formation of bottom wall profiles which resist eversion under the influence of pressure within the container so that thinner metals, such as tinplate or aluminum alloys, may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Metal Box p.l.c.
    Inventors: Paul C. Claydon, Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4830229
    Abstract: A pump chamber dispenser for toothpaste or other viscous or pasty product comprises a pump member (54) moulded from elastomeric material and having a domed central portion (56) and a bifurcated peripheral portion providing inner and outer skirts arranged to lie against respective surfaces of a projection (36) formed on the end wall (18) of the dispenser body (10), and to serve as inlet and exit valves controlling an inlet port (20) communicating the pump chamber (21) with the reservoir chamber (22), and an exit port communicating the pump chamber with a discharge nozzle (68). The nozzle is integral with a cover fixed to the body (10) and enclosing the pump member, the cover including a button (70) for acting on the pump member to operate the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Metal Box p.l.c.
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4830227
    Abstract: A dispenser for a pasty or viscous product such as toothpaste is arranged to operate by peristaltic action of an actuator on a deformable member which is backed by an arcuate reaction face. The actuator is mounted for simple pivotal movement to and fro about spigots when a user-engagement member is operated by a user for dispensing and is subsequently released. An integral resilient tongue on the actuator returns the actuator and user-engagement member to their reset positions. For engaging the deformable member, the actuator has a finger portion attached by an integral hinge and arranged to adopt a rigid condition during each forward, dispensing movement of the actuator and a yielding condition during each backward, resetting movement thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Metal Box plc
    Inventors: Martin F. Ball, Ian M. Vokins
  • Patent number: 4813837
    Abstract: A method of making a metal can end with a tear-open plastics closure, for a can intended to be resistant to leakage when subject to internal pressures, such as arise from carbonation of a beverage or thermal processing, wherein the undersurface of the can end is provided with a plastics coating, and the can end is pierced to form an aperture with a peripheral downturned flange at an angle of 80.degree. to 120.degree. to the plane of the can end and having a flat end. A one-piece ring pull closure is injection moulded on to the can end from a plastics material resistant to softening at up to at least 67.degree. C., without additional heating of the metal, so as to fill the aperture, bond with the coating, and enclose the flange, with a residual thickness below the flange of 0.08 to 0.5 mm. The thickness of the plastics material of the closuure is such that it can be sheared against the flange when the ring pull is pulled manually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Metal Box, plc
    Inventors: Martin F. Ball, Andrew P. Pavely, Joseph S. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4804115
    Abstract: A pump chamber dispenser is arranged for producing a striped or otherwise striated product from two or more differently-colored product components held in its variable-volume reservoir (22). For each component the dispenser has at least one inlet port (20) to the pump chamber (21) and at least one exit port (44) for each inlet port. Having passed separately through the exit ports the components ae ducted by galleries (61) to the base of a dispensing spout (68), where they are recombined as desired to form the multicomponent product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Metal Box p.l.c.
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4804116
    Abstract: A valve which comprises a closure member adapted for attachment to the container. The closure member defines an aperture therein. A hollow grommet of flexible material having a flange portion to one side of the closure member and a tubular portion extends through the aperture in the closure member. A valve rod having at one end a flange engaged with the underside of the flange of the grommet and a hollow stem portion extending through the grommet to protrude therefrom such that upon tilting of the valve rod relative to the closure member the flange of the valve rod parts from the underside of the flange of the grommet to uncover a radial hole in the stem portion through which pressurized fluid can pass into the hollow stem portion for dispensing. A gallery or annular passageway is provided in between the grommet and flange of the valve rod and arranged to admit pressurizing gas through the closure member into the container when the valve rod is tilted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Metal Box Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4785977
    Abstract: An apparatus for storing and dispensing a quantity of aerated liquid for maintaining the carbonation of a beverage in a container. The apparatus includes a vessel containing a source of gas, a valve closing the vessel and a pressure regulator that couples the valve to the vessel. The pressure regulator is capable of delivering the gas to the container at a substantially constant pressure substantially lower than the pressure under which the gas is kept in the vessel. A tap permits delivery of the gas to, and dispensing of the liquid from, the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Metal Box Public Ltd. Co.
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4489018
    Abstract: A method and apparatus associated with plastics material applied by injection moulding to a metal substrate by surrounding at least a portion of the substrate with a mould and injecting flowable plastics material into the mould, characterized in that the method and/or the apparatus utilizes locally induced heat in the portion of the metal substrate surrounded by the mould to bond and sealingly adhere the plastics material to the metal substrate in total surface-to-surface contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Assignee: Metal Box Limited
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: 4393979
    Abstract: A closure for an aperture in a container wall having an annulus of gasket material around the aperture, has a plug portion and a peripheral flange extending axially and outwardly of the plug portion to terminate in a feather edge adapted to engage the gasket material when the plug portion is inserted in the aperture.In order to seal the aperture, the gasket material applied to the wall to surround the aperture and the plug portion of the closure is force fitted into the aperture to hold the feather edge of the flange in sealing engagement with the gasket material.The closure may be used to close cans of beverages and permit easy access to the contents by pushing the plug portion into the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Metal Box Limited
    Inventors: Martin F. Ball, Fred Fidler
  • Patent number: D300607
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: MB Group plc
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball
  • Patent number: D324491
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1992
    Assignee: MB Group plc
    Inventor: Martin F. Ball