Superimposed axial-circumferential beading of cans

Aug. 15, 1967

L. J. JAVORIK

SUPERIMPOSED AXIAL-CIRCUMFERENTIAL BEADING

3,335,902

OF CANS

Filed Dec. 28, 1964

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United States Patent Office 3,335,902 ______ Patented Aug. 15, 1967

3,335,902

SUPERIMPOSED AXIAL-CIRCUMFERENTIAL BEADING OF CANS

Leslie J. Javorik, Chicago, III,, assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of ⁵New York

Filed Dec. 28,1964, Ser. No. 421,525

Claims. (Cl. 220—72)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The body walls of a can body are strengthened to resist external distorting stresses by a beading configuration wherein a series of parallel axial beads is superimposed . _rperpendicular to a series of continuous, uninterrupted ¹⁵parallel circumferential beads. The beads in either or both directions may follow a sinusoidal path along the body wall. The depth of beading at each intersection of the axial and circumferential beads is equal to the algebraic sum of the depths of the individual beads. ²⁰

This invention relates to a beaded cylindrical container, and, more particularly, to a can having its body wall strengthened and reinforced by means of a novel beading ²⁸configuration comprising superimposed axial and circumferential beads.

In the manufacture of cans for use in the packing of foodstuffs, beverages and the like, it is desirable, from ₃₀the standpoint of both economy and convenience, to employ metal plate as thin and as light weight as possible. The major drawback to the extensive use of thinner, lighter weight plate is that conventional smooth-surfaced cylindrical cans made therefrom do not ordinarily have or sufficient strength to withstand the high internal vacuum and/or mechanical abuse to which they are normally subjected. These forces and pressures cause paneling or circumferential collapse of the round can body into a polygon shape. In order to reinforce and strengthen the 40 can body against paneling and to maintain its roundness, and yet avoid the use of heavier bodystock, it is common practice to provide the can body with one or more circumferential beads. The use of such beading, while necessary in cans made from thin light weight metal plate for satisfactory paneling resistance, does, how- ⁴⁵ever, have a detrimental effect upon the axial strength or the resistance of the can to crushing under high can stacking conditions in storage. For example, an extent of circumferential beading sufficient to provide a 200 percent increase in paneling resistance over that of an unbeaded ⁵⁰can, may result in as much as a 50 percent or more decrease in axial load resistance. Hence, in those instances where the can, in its unbeaded form would have inadequate or even barely sufficient axial strength for the particular purpose involved, use of thinner, lighter weight ⁵⁵metal plate has not heretofore been possible.

Various attempts have been made to modify the conventional circumferentially beaded can so as to obtain adequate axial strength so that the can will not crush in storage and yet retain as much paneling resistance as ⁸⁰possible. The most successful of these proposals thus far has been an interrupted beading configuration comprising a series of parallel circumferential beads, each one of such beads containing one or more interruptions therein and thus having a total length somewhat less than the cir- ⁸⁵cumference of the can. These interruption or no-beading spots are usually staggered axially along the can body wall so that adjacent beads do not have their interruptions at points along the same axial line on the can body. By means of this type of arrangement, it is possible,' for ⁷⁰example, by employing interrupted beads each having a total length of approximately 70 percent of the circumference of the can, to increase the axial strength of a conventional circumferentially beaded can by 70 percent at the expense of a 45 percent decrease in paneling resistance, or, by employing interrupted beads each having a total length of approximately 50 percent of the can’s circumference, to obtain an 80 percent increase in axial strength at the expense of a 60 percent decrease in paneling resistance. When considered in comparison with an unbeaded can, the above two examples represent a 65 percent increase in paneling resistance with a corresponding 15 percent decrease in axial strength for the 70 percent beading, and a 30 percent increase in paneling resistance with a corresponding 10 percent decrease in axial strength for the 50 percent beading. However, with an interrupted beading configuration, it is not possible, on the basis of an unbeaded can, to effect a simultaneous increase in both paneling resistance and axial strength, nor to effect an increase in paneling resistance greater than about 5 percent without also obtaining some decrease in axial strength.

It is an object of this invention to provide a can with a novel beading configuration which, for any given total amplitude of beading, will result in an optimum combination of resistance to paneling and resistance to axial loads.

A further object of this invention is to provide a can beaded in a novel configuration so as to exhibit increased axial strength as compared to a conventional circumferentially beaded can, with a minimum accompanying loss of paneling resistance.

Another object of this invention is to provide a can beaded in a novel configuration so as to exhibit a maximum increase in paneling resistance as compared to an unbeaded can, for any given accompanying loss of axial strength.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a can beaded in a novel configuration so as to exhibit a substantial increase in paneling resistance as compared to an unbeaded can, without any accompanying loss of axial strength.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a can beaded in a novel configuration so as to exhibit a simultaneous increase in both paneling resistance and axial strength, as compared to an unbeaded can.

The aforegoing objects are achieved by the beading configuration of the present invention, which comprises a series of superimposed axial and circumferential beads. This configuration makes use of the same total amplitude of beading as is used in the conventional circumferential beading configuration, but, instead of employing it all as circumferential beads, it apportions this amplitude between circumferential beads and axial beads in such relative proportions as to provide the desired combination of resistance to paneling and resistance to axial loads. In other words, a specified percentage of total beading, depending upon the desired properties of the can, is removed from a conventional circumferentially beaded can and superimposed, in a perpendicular or axial direction, over the remaining amplitude of circumferential beading, as a number of beads in parallel circumferential relation around the can body. The portion of circumferential beading to be transposed into axial beading is preferably made available by reducing the depth of the circumferential beads. Similar effects can, however, be obtained by reducing either the number or width of the circumferential beads, or any combination of these three beading factors.

The beads in either direction may be either all outwardly extending, or all inwardly extending, or alternatingly outwardly and inwardly extending. Also they may be spaced apart or immediately adjacent to one another. The

3,335,902 most preferred form of the beading configuration of the present invention is where the beads, in both the circumferential direction and in the axial direction, are immediately adjacent to one another and are alternatingly outwardly and inwardly extending so that each individual bead in the configuration, whether circumferential or axial, follows a sinusoidal path along the can body.

The invention, in its preferred forms, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cylindrical can body having its body wall strengthened and reinforced by the superimposed axial-circumferential beading configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 2—2 of FIG. 1, showing one form of circumferential beading that can be used in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, showing a modified form of circumferential beading that can be used in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 4—4 of FIG. 1, showing one form of axial beading that can be used in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, showing a modified form of axial beading that can be used in accordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawings, the can illustrated therein has a generally cylindrical body 11 having its opposite ends closed in a conventional manner. The can body 11 is provided with a series of parallel, continuous, uninterrupted circumferential beads 12, and also with a series of vertically disposed axial beads 13 which are arranged in parallel circumferential relation around the can. The axial beads 13 are perpendicular to the circumferential beads 12, and extend uninterruptedly from above the uppermost circumferential bead to below the lowermost circumferential bead, crossing and being superimposed upon each of the circumferential beads at superimposed beading areas 14 in such a manner that the depth of superimposed beading area 14 is . \ sum of the depths of circumferential bead 12 and axial bead 13.

In one form of circumferential beading, shown in FIG. 2, the circumferential beads 12 are spaced apart and are outwardly extending. A modified form of circumferential 45 beading is shown in FIG. 3 where the circumferential beads 12 are immediately adjacent to one another and are alternatingly outwardly and inwardly extending. In both FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the axial bead 13 is shown as ⁴ sistance to paneling is the primary consideration, or it may have the greater percentage of its total amplitude of beading in the form of axial beads where resistance to axial loads is the primary consideration. Furthermore, for any given total amplitude of beading in either direction, the individual factors that contribute to such total amplitude, i.e., the number, width and depth of the beads, may be varied considerably from those shown in the drawings.

The beading configuration of the present invention may be impressed in the can body by any of the commonly employed bead-forming techniques. For example, the beads may be formed in the can body blank by stamping or rolling before the can body is formed. Alternatively, the beads may be formed in the already formed can body by such methods as explosion forming, pneumatic forming, or magnetic impulse or electrodynamic forming.

The superimposed axial-circumferential beading configuration of the present invention represents a substantial improvement over previously known modifications of the conventional circumferential beading configuration in regard to minimizing the loss in paneling resistance caused by an increase in axial strength. By means of superimposed axial-circumferential beading, it has been found, for example, that a circumferential to axial beading 25 ratio of 70:30 will provide an 80 percent increase in the axial strength of a conventional circumferentially beaded cam with an accompanying loss in paneling resistance of as little as 40 percent (as compared with the 60 percent paneling resistance loss required by interrupted beading 30 in order to obtain the same 80 percent increase in axial strength); and that, similarly, a 75:25 circumferential to axial beading ratio will provide a 70 percent increase in the axial strength of a conventional circumferentially beaded can with an accompanying loss in paneling resistance of as little as 35 percent (as compared with 45 percent paneling resistance loss required by interrupted beading in order to obtain the same 70 percent increase in axial strength). To state this improvement in another way, i.e., on ^tbe basis ^{of an} uⁿb^{eaded can}, at the expense of a 10 is'equal to the algebra'ic ⁴⁰ percent loss in axial strength, superimposed axial-circumferential beading with a 70:30 circumferential to axial beading ratio will provide an increase in paneling resistance of as much as 80 percent, as compared with the corresponding increase of only 30 percent obtained with interrupted beading; and, similarly, at the expense of a 15 percent loss in axial strength, superimposed axial-circumferential beading with a 75:25 circumferential to axial beading ratio will provide an increase in paneling resist.... ^ance °ϊ ^{as m}uch as 95 percent, as compared with the corbeing outwardly extending, with the depth of each super- 50 responding increase of only 65 percent obtained with interimposed beading area 14 being equal to the algebraic sum ^J— - ^T- - ·«· - of the depths of axial bead 13 and the respective circumferential bead 12. With the form of circumferential beading illustrated in FIG. 3, each individual axial bead 13 follows a sinusoidal path down the can body from the uppermost circumferential bead to the lowermost circumferential bead.

In FIG. 4, one form of axial beading is shown where the axial beads 13 are spaced apart and are outwardly extending. A modified form of axial beading is shown in FIG. 5 where the axial beads 13 are immediately adjacent to one another and are alternatingly outwardly and inwardly extending. In both FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the circumferential bead 12 is shown as being outwardly extending, with the depth of each superimposed beading area 14 being equal to the algebraic sum of the depths of circumferential bead 12 and the respective axial bead 13. With the form of axial beading illustrated in FIG. 5, each individual circumferential bead 12 follows a sinusoidal path around the can body.

The relative proportions of the total amplitude of beading in each direction may be varied considerably, depending upon the desired properties of the can. Thus, the can may have the greater percentage of its total amplitude of beading in the form of circumferential beads where rerupted beading. In addition, superimposed axial-circumferential beading with a 65:35 circumferential to axial beading ratio will provide an increase in paneling resistance of as much as 60 percent, on the basis of an unbead55 ed can, without any accompanying loss of axial strength at all, whereas with interrupted beading it is not possible to effect an increase in paneling resistance greater than about 5 percent without also obtaining some decrease in axial strength. Moreover, while it is not at all possible 00 with interrupted beading to effect, on the basis of an unbeaded can, a simultaneous increase in both paneling resistance and axial strength, superimposed axial-circumferential beading with a 50:50 beading ratio will provide a simultaneous increase of as much as 30 percent each of 65 both paneling resistance and axial strength. When this last comparison is further considered in connection with the fact pointed out above that a 30 percent increase in paneling resistance can be obtained with interrupted beading only at the expense of a 10 percent loss in axial strength, it 70 is readily apparent that the superimposed axial-circumferential beading configuration of the present invention, which requires no greater total amplitude of beading than that employed in a conventional circumferential beading configuration, provides an optimum combination of resistance to paneling and resistance to axial loads.

3,335,902 5

It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various modifications may be made without departing from its spirit and scope.