Patents by Inventor Stephen W. Amberg

Stephen W. Amberg 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: 4072549
    Abstract: A cup or other nestable container is formed from two continuous web stocks of thermoplastic material, particularly an expanded thermoplastic material. A rectangular blank to form the sidewall of the container is severed from a first web stock, and formed into a cylindrical sleeve with the end portions thereof joined to one another in a liquid-tight seam extending the full height thereof. A circular bottom closure disc is cut from a second web stock and transferred to a recessed top of a forming mandrel carried on a continuously-moving turret. The cylindrical sleeve is positioned about the forming mandrel, which carries the sleeve and bottom closure disc to various subassemblies that cooperate with the forming mandrel to produce a finished cup. The cylindrical sleeve is forced downwardly into a heated rimming die positioned adjacent the lower edge of the forming mandrel to cause the lower edge of the sleeve to be rimmed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1978
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Ralph G. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4053346
    Abstract: A fabricated cup or other nestable container in which the sidewall is formed from a rectangular sheet-like blank of a thermoplastic material, particularly an expanded thermoplastic material, the blank having its ends joined to one another in a liquid-tight seam extending the full height thereof to form a sleeve, the blank having a relatively high degree of orientation or heat-shrinkability extending circumferentially of the sleeve, the fabrication of the sidewall from the sleeve being accomplished by telescoping the sleeve over a generally frusto-conically shaped mandrel, by exposing the sleeve to heat to cause it to shrink to conform to the configuration of the mandrel and by stripping the shrunken sleeve from the mandrel. A two-piece container may be formed from such a sidewall by affixing an end closure element to the bottom or smaller end of the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Thomas E. Doherty
  • Patent number: 4036675
    Abstract: A low-cost, throw-away receptacle such as a cup, picnic plate, or container, and closures for such receptacles, are made from foamed plastic material, preferably foamed polystyrene, which is lined on one or both sides with unoriented polyolefin film, preferably polypropylene. The film is secured to the foamed plastic base material using as a heat-sensitive adhesive a vinylic polymer or polyamide resin. Preferred vinylic polymers are based on vinyl acetate, and include polyvinyl acetate maleate copolymer. The film is coated with the initially wet adhesive which is dispersed in an emulsion or solvent carrier, and dried before laminating the film to the foam material. Laminating is done by heating the foam material to a temperature of from 250.degree.-275.degree. F., preheating the coated film to from 100.degree.-180.degree. F., and pressing the coated film surface against the heated foam using a cold platen or roller for from 10 to 15 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Frank S. Landers
  • Patent number: 4035222
    Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle at room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4025381
    Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a method and machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle of room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4021285
    Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a method and machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle of room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4021286
    Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a method and machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle of room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4018644
    Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a method and machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck end and over the closure of a bottle of room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4018640
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a decorative label on a closured bottle, including a pilfer-proof feature. The neck label comprises a sleeve of a shrinkable plastic material shrunken over the neck and closure skirt on a bottle. The label stock may be preprinted in a roll and is (1) scored a partial depth lengthwise along a line corresponding to a cap skirt edge position in the label, and (2) embossed by pleats angularly disposed to the direction of orientation. The pleats provide an embossed decoration which appear in each label blank cut from the roll. Label blanks are wound to a sleeve shape and the overlapped ends united at an axial seam. The sleeves with embossed decoration and pilfer-proof score therein are placed over the neck and closure skirt of a bottle such that the score line is in position adjacent the lower edge of the closure skirt. Heat is applied to shrink the label into snug surface engagement with the underlying surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4013496
    Abstract: The invention disclosed sets forth a method and machine for forming a sleeve of a shrinkable, cellular polymeric material from a predecorated web. The web is processed to provide (1) a partial-depth slit along the longitudinal dimension, and (2) cross-dimension pleats. Predecorated shrunken neck labels are formed from the web for overlying the neck and closure of the bottle and including a pilfer-proof feature. Such a label is formed from the processed web by cutting a blank having the cross pleats therein and winding the blank on a mandrel to overlap the ends and seam the overlap to make a sleeve. The sleeve is stripped onto the top neck and over the closure of a bottle at room temperature to a label position and shrunken to a snug fit, the pleats absorbing wrinkles that occur in shrinking the material onto a "cold" bottle.The disclosure includes a novel machine for making the sleeve from a plastic web and placing it on the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 4008347
    Abstract: A low-cost, throw-away receptacle such as a cup, picnic plate, or container, and closures for such receptacles, are made from foamed plastic material, preferably foamed polystyrene, which is lined on one or both sides with unoriented polyolefin film, preferably polypropylene. The film is secured to the foamed plastic base material using as a heat-sensitive adhesive a vinylic polymer or polyamide resin. Preferred vinylic polymers are based on vinyl acetate, and include polyvinyl acetate maleate copolymer. The film is coated with the initially wet adhesive which is dispersed in an emulsion or solvent carrier, and dried before laminating the film to the foam material. Laminating is done by heating the foam material to a temperature of from 250.degree.-275.degree. F., preheating the coated film to from 100.degree.-180.degree. F., and pressing the coated film surface against the heated foam using a cold platen or roller for from 10 to 15 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1977
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Frank S. Landers
  • Patent number: 3995740
    Abstract: A fabricated cup or other nestable container in which the sidewall is formed from a rectangular sheet-like blank of a thermoplastic material, particularly an expanded thermoplastic material, the blank having its ends joined to one another in a liquid-tight seam extending the full height thereof to form a sleeve, the blank having a relatively high degree of orientation or heat-shrinkability extending circumferentially of the sleeve, the fabrication of the sidewall from the sleeve being accomplished by telescoping the sleeve over a generally frusto-conically shaped mandrel, by exposing the sleeve to heat to cause it shrink to conform to the configuration of the mandrel and by stripping the shrunken sleeve from the mandrel. A two-piece container may also be formed from such a sidewall by affixing an end closure element to the bottom or smaller end of the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1974
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1976
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Thomas E. Doherty
  • Patent number: 3984005
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a decorative label on a closured bottle, including a pilfer-proof feature. The neck label comprises a sleeve of a shrinkable plastic material shrunken over the neck and closure skirt on a bottle. The label stock may be preprinted in a roll and is (1) scored a partial depth lengthwise along a line corresponding to a cap skirt edge position in the label, and (2) embossed by pleats angularly disposed to the direction of orientation. The pleats provide an embossed decoration which appear in each label blank cut from the roll. Label blanks are wound to a sleeve shape and the overlapped ends united at an axial seam. The sleeves with embossed decoration and pilfer-proof score therein are placed over the neck and closure skirt of a bottle such that the score line is in position adjacent the lower edge of the closure skirt. Heat is applied to shrink the label into snug surface engagement with the underlying surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1976
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg
  • Patent number: 3970492
    Abstract: A sleeve forming method wherein a rectangular sheet of thermoplastic material is formed into a tubular shape having overlapped end portions that are sealed together by directing heated air between the end portions to soften their facing surface and pressing the end portions together to form a seam. The seam preferably is liquid-tight, so that the sleeve may be utilized to form the sidewall of a cup or nestable container wherein the sleeve is heat-shrunk about a generally frusto-conically shaped mandrel to give the container sidewall its desired shape. A two-piece container can be formed by sealing a bottom disc member to the end of the sidewall, and a one-piece container can be formed by collapsing and fusing the end of the sidewall sleeve to close the bottom of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1974
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1976
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Thomas E. Doherty
  • Patent number: 3969173
    Abstract: A cup or other container is fabricated from two continuous web stocks. The sidewall, which is formed from a rectangular sheet-like blank of thermoplastic material cut from one web, is produced by winding the blank in a cylindrical winding mechanism to present the edges in overlapping relationship, heating the edges as the cylindrical blank is transferred axially in the winding mechanism, and compressing the edges between seaming rollers to join the edges into a liquid-tight seam. The cylindrical sleeve is placed on an upward-facing forming mandrel carried on a conveyor. A bottom disc closure is partially cut from a second web, transferred by the web into overlying relationship with the path of the forming mandrels, punched from the web, and deposited on the top of the forming mandrel preparatory to reception of the cylindrical sleeve. The cylindrical sleeves are shrunken about the forming mandrels to cause them to assume the shape thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1973
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1976
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Ralph G. Amberg
  • Patent number: 3955699
    Abstract: A close nesting, single element, easy-opening tamper-proof closure for wide-mouth containers, especially externally beaded, round, nestable cup-like containers formed from paper or plastic, the closure comprising a central panel adapted to substantially span the mouth of the associated container and formed from paper, a non-shrinkable plastic material, or the like, and further comprising a frusto-conically shaped skirt formed from a double-ended blank of a plastic material which is highly oriented in the direction extending circumferentially of the closure, the overlapped ends of the blank being heat sealed or otherwise joined to one another inwardly of the outermost of the ends thereof, the inner smaller diameter of the skirt being adhesively joined to the outer periphery of the central panel, the skirt being shrinkable, upon the application of heat thereto when the closure is in place over the mouth of a filled container, to shrink into tight engagement with the mouth of the container, the outermost free en
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, Rodney E. Ludder
  • Patent number: 3951292
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a label on a closured bottle, including a pilfer-proof feature. The neck label comprises a secondary closure in the form of a sleeve of a shrinkable oriented thermoplastic material shrunken snugly over the bottle and its closure skirt. The label stock is preprinted in a web and rolled as a supply, the roll width representing the label height. The label stock is (1) scored a partial depth of its thickness extending lengthwise along a line that is at a predetermined height in the final label and (2) pleated transversely at spaced intervals therealong. The pleats are spaced so that a predetermined number thereof appear in each label blank cut from the stock. Label blanks are cut to length, wound to an annular sleeve shape so that the trailing end of the blank overlaps the leading end and the overlapped ends united at an axial seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1976
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Amberg