초록 ▼

Method and apparatus for fabricating and seaming two-piece containers such as frustoconical cups and the like are provided which include a two-piece mandrel having retractable tip or nose piece which is coaxial in its relation to the main body of the mandrel in its extended position and retracts to

Method and apparatus for fabricating and seaming two-piece containers such as frustoconical cups and the like are provided which include a two-piece mandrel having retractable tip or nose piece which is coaxial in its relation to the main body of the mandrel in its extended position and retracts to an offset position. The retraction/extension path is configured to constrain the surface of the tip or nose piece to impart a progressive sealing pressure to a portion of the container side seam against the reaction surface of a seam clamp. The tip also has vacuum porting for holding a bottom blank during the container forming process and acts to seal the bottom blank in the container bottom curl and in the case of effecting heat sealed seams in the container, to position the bottom blank so as to preclude heat damage to the bottom wet line area of the container.

대표청구항 ▼

A seaming means for sealing the side and bottom seams of a two-piece container comprising: mandrel means for supporting the bottom blank and sidewall portions of a said container, said mandrel means including forming section means having a peripheral surface shaped to conform to the ultimate sidewal

A seaming means for sealing the side and bottom seams of a two-piece container comprising: mandrel means for supporting the bottom blank and sidewall portions of a said container, said mandrel means including forming section means having a peripheral surface shaped to conform to the ultimate sidewall configuration of a said container and including a side seaming area extending longitudinally of said peripheral surface for supporting a lapped side seam of said container; seam clamp means coextensive with said side seaming area and extending to a position beyond said forming section means coincident with a desired wet bottom line for said sidewall portion of said container for compressing the said lapped side seam against said side seaming area; said mandrel means further including tip means mounted for selective movement toward and away from said forming section means and having a peripheral surface shaped to conform to the ultimate bottom blank and sidewall configuration of the bottom end of said container; said tip means in its closest position to said forming section means having a portion of its peripheral surface coincident with and acting as an extension of said side seaming area for compressing a coextensive portion of said lapped side seam against said seam clamp means and in its most extended position having its peripheral surface symmetrically disposed with respect to said forming section means and conformally disposed with respect to the ultimate shape and location of the bottom most portion of said container to be fabricated on said mandrel means; and said tip means, in translation from said closest to said most extended position progressively compressing said lapped side seam against said seam clamp means from said forming section means to a wet bottom line.