Abstract: A vacuum pack food container is closed by releasable and reclosable sheet metal closure having a center portion defining an annular recess around an upwardly projecting integral vacuum release button with an undercut wall partially surrounded by a score line smaller than the button. The sealant material is confined within the button and has an outwardly projecting flange releasably bonded to the closure under the score line. Depressing the button peels the sealant flange from the closure to define a vacuum release passage which closes and seals when the pressure on the button is released. A peripheral skirt portion on the closure has inwardly projecting bosses which cooperate with cam surfaces on the bottom of a curled rim portion of a sheet metal container to provide a twist-on twist-off closure.

Abstract: The dynamic loading on a double action high speed mechanical cupping press is substantially reduced with multiple stage tooling which forms a batch of cups from a strip of sheet metal with each stroke of the press. Each tooling stage includes a plurality of annular draw pads each opposing a corresponding annular blank and draw die. An annular cut edge surrounds each of the draw pads, and a corresponding die center punch is located within each of the draw pads. The tooling stages are positioned at predetermined stepped elevations so that they sequentially blank the sheet metal to form a series of circular disk-like blanks between the cut edges and the corresponding blank and draw dies, sequentially hold the blanks between the draw pads and corresponding blank and draw dies, and sequentially draw the blanks into cups with the die center punches extending into the corresponding blank and draw dies.

Abstract: A vacuum pack food container is closed by releasable and reclosable sheet metal closure having a center portion defining an annular recess around an upwardly projecting integral vacuum release button with an undercut wall partially surrounded by a score line smaller than the button. The sealant material is confined within the button and has an outwardly projecting flange releasably bonded to the closure under the score line. Depressing the button peels the sealant flange from the closure to define a vacuum release passage which closes and seals when the pressure on the button is released. A peripheral skirt portion on the closure has inwardly projecting bosses which cooperate with cam surfaces on the bottom of a curled rim portion of a sheet metal container to provide a twist-on twist-off closure.

Abstract: A mechanical press receives can shell tooling having multiple stages each including a plurality of shell forming stations. Each station has an annular blank die which forms a sheet metal disk, and a peripheral portion of each disk is gripped between the blank die and a lower pressure sleeve. The peripheral portion of each disk is shifted downwardly relative to a center portion of the disk to start the forming of a center panel within the disk between an annular nose portion of an air pressurized die center and an air pressurized panel punch. The peripheral portion is also gripped between an air pressurized lower die core ring and an air pressurized upper sleeve which cooperate to form a crown and a depending lip. The center panel of each disk is shifted downwardly by the die center and the panel punch for forming a chuckwall against the die core ring and to start a countersink by wrapping the metal around the nose portion of the die center.

Abstract: A food can end or shell is formed from a thin metal sheet by blanking a circular disk from the sheet, gripping a peripheral portion of the disk, pressing a center portion of the disk upwardly relative to the peripheral portion, and forming upwardly projecting concentric beads within an annular portion of the disk. Thereafter, an annular chuck wall, countersink and crown portion are formed within the disk around the concentric beads. A downwardly projecting annular bead is formed within the bottom wall of the countersink and cooperates to resist buckling of the shell.

Abstract: The dynamic loading on a double action high speed mechanical cupping press is substantially reduced with sets of tooling at multiple stages which forms a batch of cups from a strip of sheet metal with each stroke of the press. The tooling stages are positioned at predetermined stepped elevations and are arranged so that they sequentially blank the sheet metal to form a series of nested and out-of-round or contoured blanks. The tooling stages also sequentially hold the blanks and sequentially draw the blanks into cups. The tooling stages are symmetrically positioned with respect to the press center line, and each tooling set may also include a bottom panel punch surrounded by a pressure sleeve for sequentially forming a preform boss within the bottom wall of each cup.

Abstract: A reciprocating mechanical press has two laterally spaced rows of tooling components or modules for producing corresponding rows of sheet metal container shells with each stroke of the press. The shells are ejected laterally outwardly from both sides of the press into corresponding guide chutes by air jet nozzles which project at slightly different elevations from opposite sides of an air supply manifold extending between the rows of tooling modules. A plurality of curling units are connected to the guide chutes extending from both sides of the press, and each curling unit includes a driven curling wheel having a rim portion supporting multiple level inner die rings. A plurality of circumferentially arranged arcuate die sections radially oppose each inner die ring and are supported in stacked relation by a base member which also supports the rotatable shaft for the curling wheel. Shell support rings or members are positioned under the corresponding die rings and die sections.

Abstract: The dynamic loading on a double action high speed mechanical cupping press is substantially reduced with multiple stage tooling which forms a batch of cups from a strip of sheet metal with each stroke of the press. Each tooling stage includes a plurality of annular draw pads each opposing a corresponding annular blank and draw die. An annular cut edge surrounds each of the draw pads, and a corresponding die center punch is located within each of the draw pads. The tooling stages are positioned at predetermined stepped elevations so that they sequentially blank the sheet metal to form a series of circular disk-like blanks between the cut edges and the corresponding blank and draw dies, sequentially hold the blanks between the draw pads and corresponding blank and draw dies, and sequentially draw the blanks into cups with the die center punches extending into the corresponding blank and draw dies.

Abstract: A sheet of metal is blanked by an annular blank die to form a disk, and a peripheral portion of the disk is gripped between the blank die and an air pressurized lower sleeve. The peripheral portion is shifted downwardly relative to a center portion of the disk to start the forming of a center panel within the disk between an annular nose portion of an air pressurized die center and an air pressurized panel punch. The peripheral portion is also gripped between an air pressurized lower die core ring and an air pressurized upper sleeve which cooperate to form a crown and a depending lip. The center panel is shifted downwardly by the die center against the panel punch for forming a chuckwall against the die core ring and to start a countersink by wrapping the metal around the nose portion of the die center.

Abstract: The dynamic loading on a double action high speed mechanical cupping press is substantially reduced with multiple stage tooling which forms a batch of cups from a strip of sheet metal with each stroke of the press. Each tooling stage includes a plurality of annular draw pads each opposing a corresponding annular blank and draw die. An annular cut edge surrounds each of the draw pads, and a corresponding die center punch is located within each of the draw pads. The tooling stages are positioned at predetermined stepped elevations so that they sequentially blank the sheet metal to form a series of circular disk-like blanks between the cut edges and the corresponding blank and draw dies, sequentially hold the blanks between the draw pads and corresponding blank and draw dies, and sequentially draw the blanks into cups with the die center punches extending into the corresponding blank and draw dies. The tooling stages are symmetrically positioned with respect to the press center line.

Abstract: A sheet of metal is blanked by an annular blank die to form a disk, and a peripheral portion of the disk is gripped between the blank die and a lower pressure sleeve. The peripheral portion is shifted downwardly relative to a center portion of the disk to start the forming of a center panel within the disk between an annular nose portion of a die center and a high pressure panel punch having a small panel radius and a small clearance therebetween, preferably less than metal thickness. The peripheral portion is also gripped between a lower die core ring and an upper pressure sleeve which cooperate to form a crown and a depending lip. The center panel is shifted downwardly by the die center against the pressure of the panel punch for forming an inwardly bowed chuckwall against the die core ring and to start a countersink by wrapping the metal around the nose portion of the die center.

Abstract: A reciprocating mechanical press has two laterally spaced rows of tooling components or modules for producing corresponding rows of sheet metal container shells with each stroke of the press. The shells are ejected laterally outwardly from both s ides of the press into corresponding guide chutes by air jet nozzles which project at slightly different elevations from opposite sides of an air supply manifold extending between the rows of tooling modules. A plurality of curling units are connected to the guide chutes extending from both sides of the press, and each curling unit includes a driven curling wheel having a rim portion supporting multiple level inner die rings separated by corresponding shell support rings. A plurality of circumferentially arranged arcuate die sections radially oppose each inner die ring and are supported in stacked relation by a base member which also supports the rotatable shaft for the curling wheel.

Abstract: The dynamic loading on a double action high speed mechanical cupping press is substantially reduced with multiple stage tooling which forms a batch of cups from a strip of sheet metal with each stroke of the press. Each tooling stage includes a plurality of annular draw pads each opposing a corresponding annular blank and draw die. An annular cut edge surrounds each of the draw pads, and a corresponding die center punch is located within each of the draw pads. The tooling stages are positioned at predetermined stepped elevations so that they sequentially blank the sheet metal to form a series of circular disk-like blanks between the cut edges and the corresponding blank and draw dies, sequentially hold the blanks between the draw pads and corresponding blank and draw dies, and sequentially draw the blanks into cups with the die center punches extending into the corresponding blank and draw dies. The tooling stages are symmetrically positioned with respect to the press center line.

Abstract: A sheet of metal is blanked by an annular blank die to form a disk, and a peripheral portion of the disk is gripped between the blank die and a lower pressure sleeve. The peripheral portion is shifted downwardly relative to a center portion of the disk to start the forming of a center panel within the disk between an annular nose portion of a die center and a high pressure panel punch having a small panel radius and a small clearance therebetween. The peripheral portion is also gripped between a lower die core ring and an upper pressure sleeve which cooperate to form a crown and a depending lip. The center panel is shifted downwardly by the die center against the pressure of the panel punch for forming an inwardly bowed chuckwall against the die core ring and to start a countersink by wrapping the metal around the nose portion of the die center.

Abstract: A sheet of metal is blanked by an annular die to form a disk, and a peripheral portion of the disk is gripped between the blank die and a lower pressure sleeve. The peripheral portion is shifted downwardly relative to a center portion of the disk engaged by a center panel punch to form a center panel portion and a panel wall portion connected by a generally frusto-conical inverted chuck wall portion to the peripheral wall portion. The center panel portion and the panel wall portion are engaged by a die center having a projecting lip with a small countersink radius. An inner part of the peripheral wall portion is gripped between a die core ring and an upper pressure sleeve to define a crown portion, and an outer part of the peripheral portion of the disk is formed by the blank die and the die core ring into a depending lip portion.

Abstract: A sheet of metal is blanked by an annular die to form a disk, and a peripheral portion of the disk is gripped between the blank die and a lower pressure sleeve. The peripheral portion is shifted downwardly relative to a center portion of the disk engaged by a center panel punch to form a center panel portion and a panel wall portion connected by a generally frusto-conical inverted chuck wall portion to the peripheral wall portion. The center panel portion and the panel wall portion are engaged by a die center having a projecting lip with a small countersink radius. An inner part of the peripheral wall portion is gripped between a die core ring and an upper pressure sleeve to define a crown portion, and an outer part of the peripheral portion of the disk is formed by the blank die and the die core ring into a depending lip portion.

Abstract: Successively formed cans or cups are quickly and smoothly removed from beneath the lower die shoe of a high speed forming press by an elongated dual lane stainless steel air conveyor having closely spaced upper and lower parallel walls defining an air chamber therebetween. A blower supplies air to the discharge end portion of the conveyor, and the inner end portion of the conveyor top wall defines two cup receiving zones adjacent corresponding outlets formed by upwardly projecting air deflecting hoods. Each hood directs a high flow of air horizontally across the adjacent receiving zone and longitudinally along the top conveyor wall to move each cup quickly from the receiving zone. Longitudinal extending parallel ribs project upwardly from the top wall for each lane, and a set of louvered slots are formed within the top wall between the ribs to maintain the linear and uniform flow of the cups to the discharge end of the conveyor.