US3451586A - Can body guard bead for scored can ends - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1969 L. A. MALISZEWSKI ET AL 3,451,586

CAN BODY GUARD BEAU FOR SCORED CAN ENDS Filed Sept. 15, 1967 INVENTOR LEONARD AMAUSZEIMSKI S- ROBERT T. Hsu

ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 22048 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a can of the easy opening type wherein one end of the can has a major portion of the end panel thereof in the form of a removable panel portion. The can body is divided immediately adjacent the one end of the can with an inwardly projecting guard bead which underlies the end panel of the can end and projects radially inwardly of the boundaries of the removable panel portion so as to protect one dispensing a product from the can from engaging the resultant raw edge when the removable panel portion is removed. In addition, the can is provided with a snap-on type plastic overcap. The overcap, in addition to protecting the contents of the can after the can has been opened, also protects the can end against accidental rupture prior to the initial opening thereof. The guard head is advantageously utilized in conjunction with the overcap in that it provides clearance for engaging the lower edge of the overcap to facilitate the removal of the overcap. The guard bead has a further function in that it reinforces the entire end construction of the can and thereby further eliminates the possibility of accidental rupture of the end panel.

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in can constructions, and more particularly to a novel can of the easy opening type wherein the can body thereof is provided immediately adjacent the easy Opening end thereof with a guard bead.

For many years it has been conventional to reinforce can bodies by the formation of beads in the walls thereof. However, such beads are traditionally substantially semicircular in section and project into the interior of the can body only a limited distance so as to not materially reduce the volume of the can body. In an attempt to reinforce can bodies having easy opening ends to prevent the undue stressing of the weakened end panels thereof, consideration was given to the beading of the can body immediately below the can end. However, while a certain degree of reinforcement was obtained with such a beading, it was found to be impractical to make the bead of a sufficient radially inwardly directed extent so as to also form a guard for the raw edge which results when the can is opened by the tearing away of a removable panel portion of the end panel. While at first glance it did not appear to be feasible to utilize a head for the combined function of reinforcing the can body and forming a guard, further development resulted in the can construction of this invention wherein a guard bead is provided in the can body immediately below the end panel of the can end, the guard bead being a flattened bead which projects into the can body radially inwardly of the weakening line defining the removable panel portion of the can end and at the same time occupies a minimum portion of the volume of the can body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a can body adjacent an end portion thereof particularly adapted to have secured thereto by seaming an end of the easy opening type, with a readily collapsible head which may be collapsed by applying an axial pressure on the opposite ends of the can body either before or after the can end has been secured thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel can body being formed adjacent an end portion thereof with a bead which may be readily formed by a normal bead forming operation and is readily collapsible by the application of an endwise pressure on the can body so as to be relatively fiat as compared to normally formed beads.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel can construction which includes a can body having seamed to one end thereof an easy opening can end of the type having an end panel formed with a weakening line defining a removable panel portion, and the can body having formed therein immediately adjacent the can end a fiat bead which projects radially inwardly of the can body and has a wall portion disposed immediately adjacent the end panel, the bead being a guard bead and both reinforcing the can body and the can end and forming a guard against accidental engagement with the raw edge which results when the removable panel portion is removed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel can construction which includes a can body having an easy opening can end secured thereto, the can body being provided with a combination reinforcing and guard bead immediately adjacent the can end, and there being provided an overcap which normally overlies the can end and is engaged with the double seam, the overcap having a skirt which terminates immediately adjacent the bead whereby the space provided by the bead facilitates the engagement of the skirt of the overcap and the removal of the overcap.

In accordance with the foregoing, it is to be understood that the overcap has an end panel overlying the end panel of the can end and affording protection against engagement of the end panel by another object to the extent that accidental rupture of the end panel would occur. Also, it is to be noted that the guard bead reinforces the double seam between the can body and the can end and thereby stifIens the end portion of the can and aids in the prevention of accidental rupture of the end panel of the can end.

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 several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a can body and can end formed in accordance with this invention and shows the two generally before they are assembled.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through an end portion of the can body with the can end double seamed thereto and prior to the collapsing of the bead of the can body.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken through one end of a completed can body formed in accordance with this invention and provided with an overcap.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic view illustrating the advantages of the Hat guard bead of this invention as compared to a conventional type of head of a size necessary to perform the same function.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in FIGURE 3 the can construction which is generally referred to by the numeral 5 and includes a can body 6 having secured thereto by means of a conventional double seam 7 an easy opening can end which is generally referred to by the numeral 8. The can 5 is also provided with an overcap, which is generally referred to by the numeral 9.

The can end 8 is of a conventional easy opening construction and includes an end panel 10 of which a major portion thereof is in the form of a removable panel 11 defined by a circumferential weakening line 12. It is to be understood that the removable panel 11 will be provided with suitable means, such as a pull tab (not shown), for facilitating the removal thereof without the use of any tools.

It will be readily apparent that when the panel 11 is removed from the end panel 10, that portion of the end panel 10 remaining and projecting inwardly of the can from the seam 7 will have a raw edge due to the tearing of the metal in the opening of the can. The raw edge is so positioned whereby one removing a product from the can could very easily cut ones self. In accordance with this invention, this possibility is, for all practical purposes, eliminated.

It is also pointed out that inasmuch as the end panel is weakened by the existence of the weakening line 12, there is a tendency for the end panel 10 to accidentally rupture, particularly when an impact in the area of the end 8 occurs. Therefore, it is also highly desirable to reinforce the can 5 adjacent the end 8 so as to greatly reduce the possibility of the accidental rupture of the end panel 10 along the weakening line 12.

Attempts were made to reinforce the can body 6 adjacent the seam 7 by means of a conventionally formed bead, such as the bead 13 which is diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 4. However, in order for the bead 13 to provide a proper guard for the raw edge which results in the removal of the removable panel 11, the size of the bead 13 became a prohibitive one. Furthermore, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 4, since the head 13, when conventionally formed, is generally semi-circular in cross section, it is spaced too far below the resultant raw edge to become an effective guard.

While it has been determined that a head will effectively reinforce the can body and at the same time provide a suitable guard for the resultant raw edge, it has been necessary to form the bead in an entirely different manner than that conventionally followed. In accordance with this invention, as is clearly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the can body 6 is provided with a head 14 which is disposed immediately adjacent the seam 7 and the end panel 10. The bead 14 is U-shaped in cross section and includes two walls 15 and 16 which are disposed generally normal to the axis of the can body 6 and are connected together by a bight 17. It is to be noted that the wall 15, which is the uppermost of the two walls, is disposed in direct underlying relation to the end panel 10 and will be disposed closely adjacent the same. In view of the fact that the head 14 is extremely flat as compared to the bead 13, as is evident from FIGURE 4, it will be seen that it may effectively protect or guard the raw edge which results when the panel 11 is torn along the weakening line 12 without the bead greatly projecting into the can body 6 or occupying a material volume thereof. In addition, it will be readily apparent that the bead 14 has a relatively great beam strength in a radial direction and therefore, greatly stilfens the can 5 in the area of the can end 8. It is also to be noted that the head 14 projects inwardly of the can body 6 until the bight 17 is disposed generally tangent to a line 18 which extends from the inner top portion of the seam 7 through. the weakening line 12. Thus, it is assured that the head 14 will perform the desired guarding function. g

It is to be understood that the head 14, due to its particular configuration and relative depth as compared to height, cannot be formed in a conventional manner. It is, therefore, necessary to provide the can body 6 first with a head, which is generally identified by the numeral 20, as is shown in FIGURE 2. The head 20 is generally V- shaped in cross section and is formed of two radially inwardly converging walls 21 and 22 connected together by an arcuate portion 23. The bead 20 may be formed with any conventional bead forming operation after the can body 6 has been formed.

Either before or after the can end 8 is applied to the can body 6, an endwise compressive force is applied to the can body 6 as is generally indicated by the arrows 24, 25 in FIGURE 2. This endwise compressive force results in the collapsing of the head 20 with the walls 21 and 22 swinging towards one another and the curve 23 tightening. The bead 20, when properly collapsed, takes on the appearance of the bead 14.

At this time it is pointed out that the head 14 has another advantageous function when the can 5 is provided with the overcap 9. It is to be noted that the overcap 9 has a skirt 27 which surrounds the seam 7 and which terminates in an inwardly directed retaining flange 2-8 at the lower edge thereof, the retaining flange 28 underlying the seam 7. In view of the fact that the flange 28 is disposed immediately adjacent the bead 14, it will be seen that the head 14 provides suflicient clearance for one to engage the flange 28 with ones fingers in order to outwardly spread the lower portion of the skirt and release the overcap 9 from the can.

It is well known to provide overcaps to facilitate the temporary closing of cans after they have been opened. However, it has been found that when an overcap of the type illustraed in FIGURE 3 is incorporated with a can having an end of the easy opening type, the overcap has additional and unexpected beneficial functions. In the first place, the overcap 9 has an end panel 29 which overlies the end panel 10 in spaced relation and which end panel 29, although the overcap 9 is formed of a flexible plastic material, is prevented from moving towards the end panel 10 sufiiciently to prevent any foreign object from accidentally striking the end panel 10 and efiecting the rupture thereof along the weakening line 12. In addition, the overcap 9 cooperates with the bead 14 to increase the rigidity of the end portion of the can 5, thereby resisting accidental flexure of the end panel 10 and the rupture thereof along the weakening line 12 in the case of droppage.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the construction of the can Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a can construction of the type including a can body having one end closed by an easy opening can end having a removable panel portion defined by a Weakeing line formed in the end panel thereof, said can body having an end portion particularly adapted for the seaming of the can end thereto, said can body being provided immediately adjacent said end portion with an inwardly directed bead particularly adapted for reinforcing said can body and forming a guard relative to a raw edge formed when the removable end panel is removed, said head projecting radially inwardly beyond said weakening line substantially to a line extending from the extreme end of said can through said weakening line.

2. The can construction of claim 1 wherein said head is readily collapsible by an axial pressure on said can body and is initially generally V-shaped in section.

3. The can construction of claim 1 wherein said bead is readily collapsible by an axial pressure on said can body and is initially disposed in a non-protecting position relative to said weakening line.

4. The can construction of claim 1 wherein said bead is a generally flat head of generally U-shaped section and includes axially outermost walls disposed generally normal to the axis of said can body and projecting radially inwardly beyond said weakening line.

5. The can construction of claim 1 wherein said head is a generally fiat bead of generally U-shaped section and includes an axially outermost wall disposed generally normal to the axis of said can body and closely underlying said end panel.

6. In a can construction of the type including a can body having one end closed by an easy opening can end having a removable panel portion defined by a weakening line formed in the end panel thereof, said can body having an end portion particularly adapted for the seaming of the can end thereto, said can body being provided immediately adjacent said end portion with an inwardly di rected bead particularly adapted for reinforcing said can body and forming a guard relative to a raw edge formed when the removable end panel is removed, and a protective overcap having a skirt releasably interlocked with said seam and an end panel overlying said removable panel portion in spaced relation thereto and protecting said can end against accidental rupture.

7. The can construction of claim 6 wherein said skirt terminates adjacent said bead whereby the space provided by said bead facilitates the engaging of said skirt in the removal of said overcap.

8. The can construction of claim 7 wherein said overcap is formed of a resilient plastic material.

9. In a can construction of the type incluiding a can body having one end closed by an easy opening can end including a removable panel portion defined by a weakening line formed in the end panel thereof, said can body having an end portion particularly adapted for the seaming of the can end thereto, said can body being provided immediately adjacent said end portion with an inwardly directed bead particularly adapted for reinforcing said can body and stiffening said can body end portion and said can end against undue fiexure which will result in the rupture of said end panel along said weaking line, and an overcap carried by said can body end portion, said overcap including an end panel and a depending skirt, said depending skirt surrounding the seam between said can end and said can body and terminating generally in alignment with said bead, and said overcap end panel being disposed in protective overlying spaced relation to said can end panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,269,588 8/1966 Ruekberg 220- 3,303,962 2/1967 Lake 220-27 GEORGE T. HALL, Primaly Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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