Container forming

Aug. 1, 1967 τ. p. mcglynn 3,333,515

CONTAINER FORMING

Filed May 8, 1964

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3,333,515

Patented Aug. 1, 1967

United States Patent Office

333 515 CONTAINER FORMING

Thomas P. McGlynn, Short Hills, NJ.', assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York

Filed May 8,1964, Ser. No. 366,035 4 Claims. (Cl. 93—36)

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in the manufacture of containers, and more particularly to the formation of container blanks which are formed from coated or laminated material.

This invention particularly relates to the manufacture of paper cups which are intended for use as hot drink cups and which are insulated by the application of a plastic foam to the paper. In the past, cups have been formed of a plastic foam-paper laminate. However, the side seams of such cups have been defective in that the plastic foam does not sufficiently securely bond to the paper. On the other hand, when the required paper-topaper· bond is obtained, it is. necessary to remove the plastic foam from one edge of the cup blank; This is a wasteful operation both as to time and material.

In view of the foregoing, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a novel method of forming container blanks from coated or laminated web material wherein an edge portion of the web material is left uncovered and the container blanks are so formed from the web material wherein the uncovered paper web forms one end of the container blank and thereby permits the formation of a lapped paper to paper seam when a container body is formed from the blank.

It will be readily apparent that the method set forth in the above object is a highly desirable one. However, it will be apparent that if would be more desirable to have the web material of a greater width and a plurality of container blanks formed at one time. Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to form container blanks in pairs from a coated paper web wherein the covering on the paper is of a lesser· width than the paper web leaving narrow edge portions along opposite sides of the paper web which are uncovered, and the container blanks are formed in pairs in end to end relation extending entirely across the covered web so that each container blank of a pair of container blanks is provided with one edge or end thereof which is free of the covering material.

It has been pointed out above that this invention particularly relates to the manufacture of cups. The average cup is of a tapered configuration so that the cups may be readily intemested for shipment, storage and dispensing. As a result, the blank for forming the cup body is of an arcuate configuration so that when it is wrapped into the desired configuration, it will have a generally conical shape. Due to the curvature of such blanks, unless the blanks are properly cut from web material, there will be undue loss of the web material. It is, therefore, another object of this invention to form arcuate blanks for cup bodies and like tapered container bodies from a continuous web with a minimum waste material, the body blanks being formed in pairs with the two body blanks of each pair being reversely arranged so as to be of a generally S-shape arrangement and with the remote ends of the blanks of each pair being parallel so that a pair of blanks will extend entirely across a web from which the blanks are formed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming arcuate blanks for tapered container bodies from a paper-plastic foam laminate in a manner wherein there is a minimum waste of material and each resultant blank is so constructed whereby a paper-topaper seam may be provided.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the sev5 eral views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a laminated web in accordance with this invention with a plurality of arcuate container blanks outlined thereon.

IQ FIGURE 2 is an end view of the laminated web of FIGURE 2 and shows the specific cross section thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of one of the blanks after it has been cut from the web.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the blank and 15 shows the specific relationship of the laminations thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a cup body formed from the blank of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line 6—6 of FIGURE . 5 20 through the seam of the cup body.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that there is illustrated a portion of an elongated web which is generally referred to by the numeral 10. The illustrated web 10 is formed of a paper web 11 and 25 a foamed plastic web 12 which has been suitably laminated to the paper web 11 in a manner which is not a part of this invention.. The foamed plastic web 12 may be formed of any suitable plastic which may be readily foamed to provide insulating qualities and which is com30 patible with food products or other products to be stored within a container to be formed from the web 10. It is to be noted from FIGURES 1 and 2 that the foamed plastic web 12 is of a lesser width than the paper web 11. It is also to be noted that the foamed plastic web 12 is 35 centered with respect to the paper web 11'so that the laminated web 10 is provided with margins 13 and 14 of paper only. In the forming of container body blanks from the laminated web 10, it will be seen that the margins 13 and 14 are advantageously utilized.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 3 wherein there is illustrated a container body blank, such as a blank ..... for forming a cup, which is generally referred to by the numeral 15 and which is particularly adapted for the formation of a tapered container body. The blank 15 is 45 arcuate in outline and includes a pair of curved, concentric side edges 16 and 17 of which the side edge 17 is of a greater radius than the side edge 16. The blank 15 includes a pair of end edges 18 and 19 which are of straight line configuration and which are disposed in gen50 erally converging relation. The blank 15 is provided with an end portion 20 which is formed solely of paper and the remainder of the blank 15 is of a laminated construction in accordance with the construction of the web from which the blank 15 is formed.

Referring once again to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that when two of the blanks 15 are disposed in end-toend relation with the edges 19 of the two blanks in abutting relation, the two blanks form a generally S-shaped pattern and the end edges 18 are in aparallel relation.

By placing the pair of blanks 15 on the web 10 in a manner wherein the end edges 18 thereof are parallel to the edges of the web 10, and by making the web 10 jof a width equal to the spacing of the end edges 18, it will be seen that the end edges 18 of the pair of blanks ⁶⁵ 15 register with the side edges of the web 10. In this manner, a pair of blanks 15 may be formed from the laminated web 10 without any waste whatsoever at the ends of the pair of blanks 15.

,_θ It will also be apparent that the pairs of blanks 15 may be disposed in closely nesting relation so as to minimize the waste web between adjacent pairs of blanks 15.

3,333,515

Therefore, a maximum number of the blanks 15 may be formed from a given length of the web 10.

It is also to be noted that due to the fact that the end edges 18 of the blanks 15 are aligned with the side edges of the web 10, the uncoated margins 13 and 14 of the paper web 11 automatically form the uncoated end portions 20 of the blanks 15. Therefore, there is no problem of obtaining the proper coverage of the paper web portion of each blank 15 with the foamed plastic.

It is to be noted that although the blanks 15 of each pair of blanks are disposed in reversely facing direction, the blanks of each pair of blanks are identical.

After the blanks 15 have been suitably cut from the web 10 by means of any suitable die cutting apparatus, adhesive is applied to the paper web portion of each blank at one end thereof and the blank is shaped into a tubular form with the end portion 20 overlapping the opposite end of the associated blank and being suitably adhesively secured thereto by means of adhesive 21, as is clearly shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. If desired, a certain amount of the adhesive will be provided for disposition between the opposite ends of the foamed plastic web portion of the blank 15 so that in the resultant container body a seal between the opposed end edges of the foamed plastic web portion will be obtained. This adhesive is referred to by the numeral 22.

It will be readily apparent that after the cup or container body illustrated in FIGURE 5 has been formed, further operations may be performed thereon, as is necessary, to form a completed container in the normal 30 manner. The illustrated cup body is generally referred to by the numeral 23.

It is to be understood that while this invention is primarily directed to the formation of container bodies from a laminated web, the principals of the invention may apply equally as well to coated webs wherein the coating material is of a type wherein the desired side seam bond cannot be obtained. Furthermore, while the principals of this invention apply primarily to the formation of blanks intended for generally conical container bodies, it will be readily apparent that the broad principals of the invention will apply equally as well to blanks for forming cylindrical container bodies. Such blanks would be formed in pairs in opposed end to end relation so that the remote ends of a pair of blanks would have un- 45 coated portions.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that other modifications may be made therein within the spirit and scope of this in5 vention, as defined by the appended claims.