US2339301A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 1944. E, Q "THEN 2,339,301

CONTAINER Filed June 6, 1941 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 18, 1944 CONTAINER Edward 0. Then, Newark, N. J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 6, 1941, Serial No. 396,931

3 Claims. (01. 220-54) This invention relates to a sheet metal canor container having a tearing strip set off by score lines cut in the outer wall fold of a body extension and has particular reference to a longitudinal soldered lock seam extending between the end closure members which are secured to the body wall and to the body extension to provide a body of increased strength, the removal of the tearing strip providing a reclosure for the container.

Most tearing, strip cans require that the can be reclosed after opening and such reclosure requires that the opened can be formed to receive the removed cover. There are two general types of 'reclosure tearing strip cans. The first type relates to a separate collar member which is disposed inside of the can and which provides a seat for the removed cover. In the second type of reclosure can, such as is illustrated for-example in theW. E. Burns United States Patent 1,615,930, issued February 1, 1927, the body wall is folded on itself at the upper end of the can to provide a three-wall structure. This type of can requires that the three-wall fold of the can body he lapped at the side seam and soldered; only that portion of the body wall which extends below the folded section having a locked side seam.

The present invention relates to a construction of a can in which the can body wall proper is fully locked and soldered so that the lock seam feature extends between the ends of the can. Such a can also is provided with an integral folded body extension which, unlike the Burns can, does not affect the full locking side seam principle. The body extension in the instant can is cut away adjacent the side seam and the usual solder applying operation may be utilized in the manufacture of the can since the cut-away body extension walls do not interfere with the application of solder to the side seam.

An object of the invention is the provision of a tearing strip container having a fully locked body, the locked side seam of which extends from one end of the can to the other to provide increased strength for the body, such a can having an additional double wall body extension adjacent its upper end to constitute an integral folded area of triple thickness at the upper end of the A still further object of the invention is the provision of a can of the character described wherein the tearing strip tongue of the can is formed so that it does not extend across the locked side seam, this feature cooperating with the cut-away portions of the double wall body extension to assist in soldering of the can and also providing for easier winding of the tongue on the key which is used for opening the can, as well as securing a saving on material for forming the tongue which may be made relatively smaller.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealed container embodying the instant'invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of upper end portions of a fiat body blank from which the container body is made;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the main body wall and the folded body extension and showing a turned back tearing tongue adjacent. th longitudinal joint, as viewed along the line 33 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of opposite upper ends of the bodyblank shown in Fig. 2 after being folded and after the blank has been formed into tubular shape and illustrating lap projections extended from the inner wall at the joint just prior to having the hooked edges interlocked;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face view of'the portion of the container body shown in Fig. 4 after the upper ends of the body have been joined into a locked side seam and showing the cut-away andtlapped wall fold adjacent the longitudinal JOln r Fig. 6 is a top plan detail of the upper'end of the container body at the seam section; and

Fig. 7 is a detail in vertical section taken through the top double seam and th adjacent folded body wall of the sealed container.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing illustrates a cylindrical sheet metal container ll (Fig. 1) which includes a tubular body 12, the edges of which are joined together in a longitudinal fully locked side seam l3. The body also has as an integral part, a circumferentially folded double wall extension [4 which is disposed adjacent its upper end. Top and bottom end closures l5, [6 are secured to in double seam endjoints l1,

the body The body [2 is produced from a flat body blank l8 (Fig. 2); Such body blanks may be uncoated on one or both sides or printed or lithographed as in decorated containers. The container body blank [8 i formed with a tearing tongue l9 at one edge of the blank, and a lap projection 22 is spaced below the tongue at the same edge. A lap projection 23 is formed on the opposite edge of the body blank.

The body blank comprises a major body wall section 24, an intermediate body wall extension 25 and an outer wall extension 26.. The lap projections 22 and 23 extend upwardly from the body wall section 24 and are notched or slit in a suitable manner as at 21, 23. This provides for a distinct line of bend or fold 29 between the major body Wall section 24 and the intermediate wall extension 25. A line of bend or fold 3! which is parallel to the line of bend 29 designates the boundary between the sections 25 and A so e in 2 s ou r ss e chlap p o ction 22, 23 for a purpose hereinafter described. Th outer wall extension 26 has parallel score lines 33 which set oil a teari strip 34. This tearing strip at one edge of the blank terminates in the tearing tongue [9, A V-shaped notch 35 is wt i t eed e of. the wa extension 26 n h Side he tearin to u t e ape of each notch leading directly into the Score line. Lines of bend 3B, 31 set off opposite marginal edges 38, 39 of the body blank. section 24.

Figure 4 of the drawing illustrates the upper p ion f th wo edges or the body blank [3 after the major body section 24 has been formed into tubular sh pe and after the intermediate and outer wall extensions 25 and 26 have been folded along the lines of bend 29, 3| and have been shaped into the double wall extension Hi. This view also shows how the intermediate and outer wall extensions are cut away at the lone-.

gitudinal seam region leaving the top of the lap p ojections 22 and 23 in the same horizontal plane as the top of the outermost wall 28.

The marginal edge 33 is folded inwardly to form the outer hook section for the lock seam of the container body. The edge portion 39 is folded outwardly to form the inner hook of the seam. The tongue [3, at this time has been folds ed inwardly against the outermost wall extension 26 where it is parallel with the outer Wall. To avoid crystallizing of the stock this bent section may be formed as an openloop.

Such a tearing tongue may be shorter in length 1 than the usual form since it is turned back in th direction for Winding off the tearing strip. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 4 that a rolling or similar operation has been performed on the major body wall surface 24 so. that this body wall above a line of depression 40 has been necked in to provide a depressed pocket t]. for a purpose hereinafter described, The side seam section, however; is not depressed but remains unaltered.

The hook sections, of the marginal edges 33.,

39 upon being interlocked, when the can body is fully formed, constitute the longitudinal lock seam [3. As will be explained hereinafter such a seam extends. substantially the full body height of the container. At such completion of the can body, the hook sections of the side seam are.

bumped down in the u u manne o r vide the completely formed look; seam, It i prefer,- able, at such abumping operationtov also squeeze the double Wall extension sections 25, 25 together;

so that they fully seat in the pocket 4| as best seen in Fig. 1. When so formed the exterior surface of the outermost wall is flush with the outer surface of the body wall proper.

Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing show how the opposite ends of the outermost wall extension 26 in the fully bumped container body overlap upon the lap projections 22 and 23 adjacent the longitudinal side seam. Such a container body is now ready for soldering of the side seam and sealing of the body extension edges. Fluxing and soldering of the longitudinal side seam may be performed in the usual manner. The solder is usually applied to the exterior of the body by a solder roll and the construction of the fully bumped container which includes a continuous flush surface along the side seam permits such application. The open space between adjacent edges of the cut-out wall extensions 25, 26 together with the space afforded by the turnedback tongue it affords unrestricted access to the seam crack by the soldering roller. Such a solder line therefore extends as an unbroken bond for the full length of the lock seam on the container body wall. At the same time the solder enters between the ed es at the cut-away body wall extensions and bonds such walls together and secures these walls -to the container body wall in a hermetic seam.

The fully soldered container body is now ready to receive its bottom end 16 (Fig. 1). Such a body may be flanged in the conventional way, whereupon the bottom is double seamed or otherwise secured in place to form the end seam N. This. prepares the can for receiving its contents.

When the container is filled with its contents, the top end closure I5 is double seamed or otherwise secured to the upper end of the outermost wall extension 26 in the end seam [1. For con venience in Opening, a slotted key 43 may be secured to the cover !5 by Welding or in other desired manner.

When the container is to be opened, the tearing strip 34 may be removed by engagement of the slotted key 43 with the shortened, turned back tearing tongue l9. By reason of the tongue being turned back in the winding off direction only a partial turn of the key, after it has been applied, sumces to fully catch the tearing strip so that it is easily broken along the score lines.

Removal of the tearing strip 34 from the outermost wall extension opens the container and leaves only the lap projections 22, 23 as a connection with the opened container. Raising the cover at the opposite side and bending the lap projections 22, 23 at the score lines 32 fractures the projections and completely separates the cover'from the opened container. The sepagated cover thereafter serves as a reclosure mem- In applying the reclQsure the severed marginal portion of the outermost wall. extension 26, which remains secured to the cover I5, frictionally engages with the outer surface of the intermediate wall extension 25 as an exterior slipv closure. At the same time a depending annular wall, 44' of the cover frictionally engages inside of the smooth body wall 24 of the opened container with an interior friction fit.

It is thought that the inventionv and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made. in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A metallic container having a side seam in the body thereof, comprising a tubular body having a peripherally extending integral folded wall area of triple thickness adjacent its upper end, said folded wall area having its opposite end portions spaced peripherally from one another on opposite sides of said side seam, the radially outermost wall portion of said folded body wall area having a tearing strip set off by score lines, and end closure secured to said radially outermost wall portion in an end scam, the side seam of said body comprising a continuous longitudinal lock seam extending between said adjacent peripherally spaced end portions of said folded area to said end seam to strengthen the body, said tearing strip being removable to open the container, whereby said end closure with its attached radially outermost body wall portion provides a reclosure member having frictional engagement with the opened container body.

2. A sealed metallic container having a side scam in the body thereof, comprising a tubular body having at its upper end a peripherally extending integral folded wall area of triple thickness, said folded wall area having its opposite end portions spaced peripherally from one another on opposite sides of said side seam, the radially outermost wall portion of said folded body wall area having a tearing strip set ofi by score lines and terminating in a tongue, a bottom end closure secured to the lower end of said body, a top end closure secured to said radially outermost wall portion in an end scam, the side seam of said body comprising a continuous longitudinal secured lock seam extending between the top and bottom end closures and between said adjacent peripherally spaced end portions of said folded area to strengthen the body, a plurality of upstanding projections on said body wal1 adjacent said folded area, said projections being overlapped and included in said end seam and said tongue being bent back away from said seam, said tearing strip being removable to open the container, whereby said top end closure with its attached radially outermost body wall extension provides a reclosure member having frictional engagement with said tubular body wall and said body extension.

3. A metallic container, comprising a tubular body having a longitudinal lock side seam, a circumferentially extending integral folded wall area of triple thickness at the upper end of said body, said folded wall area having its opposite end portions spaced peripherally from one another on opposite sides of said side seam, the radially outermost wall portion of said folded body wall area having a tearing strip set off by score lines, a plurality of upstanding overlapped projections on said body wall adjacent said folded area, a bottom end closure secured to the lower end of said body and a top end closure sestrengthen the body, said tearing strip being removable to open the container, whereby said end closure with its attached radially outermost body wall extension provides a reclosure member having frictional engagement with the opened 40 container.

EDWARD 0. THEN.

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