Polygonal shaped container body forming apparatus

Claim 2

A container body forming apparatus for reshaping a tubular container body of generally circular cross-section into a polygonal cross-section comprising a shaping horn having inlet and discharge ends and a plurality of sides, adjacent sides defining corners, moving surface means on each side of the horn for engagement with the interior of the container body, means providing continuous moving faces in substantially radial alignment with respective surface means for engaging the exterior of the container and clasping the same with the surface means, and means mounting said surface means on the horn recessed into respective sides in planes progressively receding into the horn and converging toward said discharge end, and said faces disposed in planes converging from said inlet end toward said discharge end and operative to deflect said container body inwardly of the sides of said horn and to continuously hold the same in said deflected condition wrapped about said corners and to commitantly advance said body toward said discharge end, and means providing moving surfaces at said corners for carrying the container body.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 and said continuous moving faces comprising endless belts having advance runs opposing respective surface means.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 2 and said surface means comprising a seriEs of rollers.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 3 and adjustable backing rollers behind the advance runs of the belts in radial alignment with respective rollers on the horn.

Claim 6

A container body forming apparatus for reshaping a tubular container body of generally circular cross-section into a polygonal cross-section comprising a shaping horn having inlet and discharge ends and a plurality of sides defining said polygonal shape, moving surface means on each side of the horn for engagement with the interior of the container body, means providing continuous moving faces in substantially radial alignment with respective surface means for engaging the exterior of the container body and clasping the same with the surface means, said surface means progressively receding into the body toward said discharge end and recessed into respective sides, and said faces converging from said inlet end toward said discharge end and operative to deflect said container body inwardly of the sides of said horn and to continuously hold the same in said deflected condition and to commitantly advance said body toward said discharge end and said horn having a plurality of corners and rolling disks disposed adjacent to said discharge end of the horn and having axes of rotation subtending the corners, and said disks having peripheral edges disposed in alignment with the corners longitudinally of the horn.

Claim 7

A container body forming apparatus for reshaping a tubular container body of generally circular cross-section into a polygonal cross-section comprising a shaping horn having inlet and discharge ends and a plurality of sides defining said polygonal shape, moving surface means on each side of the horn for engagement with the interior of the container body, means providing continuous moving faces in substantially radial alignment with respective surface means for engaging the exterior of the container body and clasping the same with the surface means, said surface means progressively receding into the body toward said discharge end and recessed into respective sides, and said faces converging from said inlet end toward said discharge end and operative to deflect said container body inwardly of the sides of said horn and to continuously hold the same in said deflected condition and to commitantly advance said body toward said discharge end and said horn having a plurality of corners and rolling disks disposed adjacent to said discharge end of the horn and having axes of rotation subtending the corners, and said disks having peripheral edges disposed in alignment with the corners longitudinally of the horn.

Claim 8

A container body forming apparatus for reshaping a tubular container body of generally circular cross-section into a polygonal cross-section comprising a shaping horn having inlet and discharge ends and a plurality of sides defining said polygonal shape, moving surface means on each side of the horn for engagement with the interior of the container body, means providing continuous moving faces in substantially radial alignment with respective surface means for engaging the exterior of the container body and clasping the same with the surface means, said surface means progressively receding into the body toward said discharge end and recessed into respective sides, and said faces converging from said inlet end toward said discharge end and operative to deflect said container body inwardly of the sides of said horn and to continuously hold the same in said deflected condition and to commitantly advance said body toward said discharge end and said continuous means comprising endless belts opposing each side of the horn, back up rollers behind each belt biasing a portion thereof toward the opposing moving surface means, and means for biasing said rollers comprising a floating bar mounting the rollers.

Claim 9

A container body forming apparatus for reshaping a tubular container body of generally circular cross-section into a polygonal cross-section comprising a shaping horn having inlet and discharge ends and a plurality of sides defining said polygonal shape, moving surface means on each side of the horn for engagement with the interior of the container body, means providing continuous moving faces in substantially radial alignment with respective surface means for engaging the exterior of the container body and clasping the same with the surface means, said surface means progressively receding into the body toward said discharge end and recessed into respective sides, and said faces converging from said inlet end toward said discharge end and operative to deflect said container body inwardly of the sides of said horn and to continuously hold the same in said deflected condition and to commitantly advance said body toward said discharge end and said continuous means comprising endless belts opposing each side of the horn, back up rollers behind each belt biasing a portion thereof toward the opposing moving surface means, and means for biasing said rollers comprising a floating bar mounting the rollers.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 6 and said belts each having an advance run with leading and trailing ends, and each floating bar pivoted at the leading end of the related advance run and means for adjusting the trailing end of the bar toward and away with respect to the advance run of the associated belt.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 7 and said moving surface means comprising sets of rollers progressively inset into the respective side of the horn and adjacent to the inlet end having sectors projecting beyond the respective sides and at the discharge end recessed below the respective sides whereby the container body as it progresses along the length of the horn is reshaped into the form of the horn.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 8 and each of said belts being driven from said discharge ends to hold the advance runs taut.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 9 and said belts being serrated for grasping the external sides of the container body.