Patents by Inventor Otis H. Willoughby

Otis H. Willoughby 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: 6293421
    Abstract: A beverage container with increased strength includes a generally cylindrical sidewall that is disposed around a vertical axis, and a bottom. The bottom provides a supporting surface and includes a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of the supporting surface. The bottom recess portion includes a concave domed panel that is disposed a positional distance above the supporting surface by a dome positioning portion of this bottom recess portion. The domed panel includes a portion thereof with a curvature in the range wherein increases in the curvature decrease the static dome reversal pressure; and the dome positioning portion includes first and second parts thereof that are disposed at different radial distances from the vertical axis and that provide increases in both roll-out resistance and static dome reversal pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: K. Reed Jentzsch, Otis H. Willoughby, Gary A. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 6098832
    Abstract: A beverage container with increased strength includes a generally cylindrical sidewall that is disposed around a vertical axis, and a bottom. The bottom provides a supporting surface and includes a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of the supporting surface. The bottom recess portion includes a concave domed panel that is disposed a positional distance above the supporting surface by a dome positioning portion of the bottom recess portion. The domed panel includes a portion thereof with a curvature in the range wherein increases in the curvature decrease the static dome reversal pressure; and the dome positioning portion includes first and second parts thereof that are disposed at different radial distances from the vertical axis and that provide increases in both roll-out resistance and static dome reversal pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: K. Reed Jentzsch, Otis H. Willoughby, Gary A. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 5836473
    Abstract: A beverage container with increased strength includes a generally cylindrical sidewall that is disposed around a vertical axis, and a bottom. The bottom provides a supporting surface and includes a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of the supporting surface. The bottom recess portion includes a concave domed panel that is disposed a positional distance above the supporting surface by a dome positioning portion of the bottom recess portion. The domed panel includes a portion thereof with a curvature in the range wherein increases in the curvature decrease the static dome reversal pressure; and the dome positioning, portion includes first and second parts thereof that are disposed at different radial distances from the vertical axis and that provide increases in both roll-out resistance and static dome reversal pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: K. Reed Jentzsch, Otis H. Willoughby, Gary A. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 5253500
    Abstract: A method of enhancing the axial strength of a metal container includes reforming the lower sidewall portion of a container which has a stripper bulge integrally formed therein as a result of conventional stripping operations by rotating the container, moving a bearing element axially toward the closed end of the container to engage the stripper bulge and continue moving the bearing element axially for a predetermined distance along a linear path disposed at an acute angle in relation to the central axis of the container to thereby deflect the stripper bulge and the lower sidewall portion of the container radially inwardly and substantially reduce the stripper bulge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventor: Otis H. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 5105973
    Abstract: A container with improved strength includes a cylindrical sidewall that is disposed around a vertical axis, and a bottom. The bottom of the container provides a supporting surface and includes a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of the supporting surface. The bottom recess portion includes a center panel, and a dome positioning portion that positions the center panel above the supporting surface. The dome positioning portion includes a first part that is disposed at a first radial distance from the vertical axis and adjacent part that is disposed at a different radial distance from the vertical axis. In the container, a plurality of the adjacent parts are arcuately disposed are circumferentially spaced around the dome positioning portion and are interspersed with a plurality of the first parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: K. Reed Jentzsch, Otis H. Willoughby