US2805808A - Paper cups - Google Patents

Description

C. T. BREWER Sept 10, 1957 v PAPER CUPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 195

ATTORNEY Sept 10, 1957 c T. BREWER PAPER CUPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent PAPER CUPS Clarence T. Brewer, Oak Park, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 3, 1954, Serial No. 413,783 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) This invention relates to paper cups and more particularly to conical cups.

Such cups, as commonly manufactured and used, have sharp pointed ends. Attempts have been made to blunt or round the ends but such blunted or rounded ends have not been entirely satisfactory since the compressed ends or folds or creases therein tend to sag and open up and leak due to the weight of the liquid. To overcome this tendency, cup holders have been provided with bottom supports. v

This invention has for its object to provide a truncated conical cup with a bottom so constructed that the weight of the liquid in the cup will not cause the bottom to sag or cause creases therein to open up.

Another object of the invention is to provide a truncated conical cup with a folded or pleated bottom so constructed and shaped that it will have greater internal pressuch resistance than a flat or rounded bottom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conical cup with a compressed bottom that is substantially uniform in thickness throughout the compressed portion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conical cup with a compressed bottom so shaped as to facilitate turbulence and mixing of the liquid therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a truncated conical cup with a compressed bottom so shaped that the cup can rest upright on the bottom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a truncated conical cup, so formed that when the blank is folded to form the conical cup the bottom portion of the cup to be compressed will be multiple and uniform in thickness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conical cup in which the area to be compressed .and truncated will be of substantially uniform strength before and after it is truncated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conical cup with an apex or blunting area that can be evenly compressed and blunted by forming folds or pleats from the apex successively toward the cup mouth. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a conical cup with an apex or blunting area that can be evenly compressed and blunted by forming folds or pleats from the apex successively toward the cup mouth by an anvil, clamping sleeve, and punch or plunger shaped to produce the desired shape of bottom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conical cup, so formed that the area of the cup wall to be truncated will have uniform foldability.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application, and in which- Fig. l is a plan view of the blank used in making the cup;

Fig. 2 is a view showing how the blank is wound on a mandrel;

V Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the conical cup;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views taken sub- Patented Sept. 10, 1957 stantially on lines 4-4 and 55 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is an elevational View of the truncated cup;

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the cup shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view, partly in vertical section, of the cup shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the truncated lower end of the cup shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the truncated cup bottom; and

Fig. 11 shows a portion of a cup with a modified bottom.

The blank for forming the cup will vary in shape and dimensions, depending on the cone angle of the cup to be formed, but whatever the size and cone angle the portion of the blank which forms the apex and the portion of the apex to be truncated must be so shaped as to form a substantially uniform double or multiple thickness of material at the truncated portion. If the thickness is not uniform, the bottom of the truncated cup will not be evenly or uniformly compressed, unless special precautions are taken, and, moreover, cannot be so folded during the compression of the apex as to form uniform and even folds.

One form of blank suitable for this purpose is illustrated and will be described, but the blank per se is not claimed herein and will be covered by a separate application.

The blank 10 shown has an arcuate edge 11 which forms the mouth of the cup. At one end of portion 11 is a substantially flat portion 12 which merges into a recessed or arcuate portion 13. As shown in Fig. 2, the apex of the mandrel 20 is disposed substantially at the point X of the blank at the lower end of the arcuate or recessed portion 13. This recess prevents the blank from being folded back on the mandrel, forming an extra thickness of material.

Below the point X there is formed a tab 16 having edges 17 and 18. This tab forms the double thickness at the apex of the cup when the blank is folded. The edge 18 is arcuate and is formed on substantially the same radius as the edge portion 13, so that when the blank is folded these edges substantially meet, although a slight variation or overlap may be provided if desired.

The bottom of the blank, viewing Fig. 1, extends between the edge 18 and the lower end of edge 11 and forms the overlap which is cemented to the cup wall.

The blank is Wound around a mandrel 20 in the manner shown and the overlapping edge portions are secured together to form a pointed conical cup. Attention is called to the fact that the end portion of the cup to be compressed to form a truncated cup is of substantially uniform double thickness. This is important since the compression dies will act uniformly over the wall area to be compressed and form a uniform double thickness bottom.

After the pointed conical cup has been formed, the pointed end is compressed between an anvil or die inside the cup and an outer die or punch, the dies being so constructed and shaped as to engage the pointed portion of the cup wall and force this portion inwardly and upwardly into the cup so that the double thickness of the cup wall will be uniformly compressed into substantially circumferential, concentric corrugations or folds 25 substantially vertical with reference to the cup axis. The bottom of the cup wall is preferably rounded, as shown at 26. The corrugations in the bottom are folded and compacted, forming compressed, corrugated folds. Figs. 9 and 10 show the compacted corrugations or folds substantially as 7 closer together, whereas, with a downwardly extending rounded bottom, the weightgof the liquid tends to cause the bottorrrto sag and the pleats to open up;

In'addition to providing a compression resistant the particular shape of bottom facilitates and promotes turbulence and 'proper mixing of the contents. i Fof instance, the syrup will run to the outer periphery of the cup bottom and When the carbonated or other ingredient is introduced itwill more readily promote the circulation of the syrup and'the mixing thereof, due to the maximum radius of gyration, This radius is obviously much greater than in a pointed cup or downwardly blunted or lrouiided amwhc h i y t e tat e wes Pa t:

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described-it will be understood that theinvention'is capable of modification iand that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressedin the following claims.

h t I sla v s t 1. A truncated, conical, single piece, paper cup having a conical Wall and a compressed, compacted, corrugated bottom having substantially upright concentric folds extending'inwardly from its peripheral edge, th e upper surface of the bottom beingsubstantiallyjconvex and the bottom extending upwardly from the lower marginal edge of the cup wall and beingencompassed by the Wall of the cup, whereby liquid in the cup will moisten and swell the upright folds and the weight of the liquid will have a tendencyto fiatten the 'upper convex surface of the bottom and further compress the upright folds, said bottom having a pluralit y of layers or apeiand'bixig substantially uniform in thickness "throughout the compressed area. 7

2. A truncated, conical, single piece, paper cup having a conical wall and a tightly compressed corrugated bottom having substantially upright concentric folds extending inwardly from its peripheral edge, the upper surface of the bottom being substantially convex and the bottom extending upwardly from thelow'er marginal edge of the cup Wall and being encompassed'by the wall'of'the cup, whereby liquid in the cup will moisten and -'swell'the upright folds and the weightof the. liquid will have a tendency to flatten the upper convex surface of the bottom and further compress the uprightfolds, said bottom being substantially uniform in thickness throughout the compressed area.

Referrits' Citdin'the'filebf thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Amberg et a1. Mar. 30, 1954

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