Dispensing container manufacturing apparatus and methods

Claim 2

In a method of making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body and two associated relatively stiff inner and outer head structure elements each having a tapered annular shoulder from the outer periphery of which extends an annular skirt, the steps of mounting the tubular body on a mandrel member and the outer head element on a die member in axial alignment, then forming an end of said body with a reduced diameter annular region and an adjacent tapered inturned terminal region conforming respectively to the internal contour of the skirt and shoulder of said outer head element and then relatively axially moving said members for forcibly introducing said formed end of the body through the skirt end of said outer head element until said body regions are frictionally disposed within the skirt and shoulder of the outer head element, and axially moving said inner head element into substantially nested tight relation within said outer head element to longitudinally clamp said inturned body end region between said shoulders and radially frictionally confine the adjacent annular region of said body between said skirts.

Claim 3

In the method defined in claim 1, said body end regions being formed by mounting said tubular body on a mandrel member having an annular end section shaped to correspond to said regions and applying an external die member to conform said end regions to said sections, said formed tube body remaining on said mandrel member during movement of said body into said outer head element.

Claim 4

In a method of making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body and two associated relatively stiff inner and outer head structure elements each having a tapered annular shoulder from the outer periphery of which extends an annular skirt, the steps of mounting the outer head element on a die member, mounting said inner head element upon an end of a correspondingly shaped mandrel in axial alignment with said outer head element, mounting said tubular body on the mandrel with one end extending over the skirt of the inner head element, inturning the end region of said body end to overlie the shoulder of said inner head element, and relatively axially moving said head elements into substantially nested relation to longitudinally clamp said inturned body end region between said shoulders and frictionally confine the adjacent annular region of said body between said skirts.

Claim 5

In a method of making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body and two associated relatively stiff inner and outer head structure elements each having a tapered annular shoulder from the outer periphery of which extends an annular skirt, the steps of mounting the outer head element on a die member, mounting said inner head element upon an end of a correspondingly shaped mandrel in axial alignment with said outer head element, mounting said tubular body on the mandrel with one end extending over the skirt of the inner head element, inturning the end region of said body end to overlie the shoulder of said inner head element, and relatively axially moving said head elements into substantially nested relation to longitudinally clamp said inturned body end region between said shoulders and frictionally confine the adjacent annular region of said body between said skirts.

Claim 6

In the method defined in claim 3, the preliminary steps of wrapping sheet material around a substantially continuous peripheral surface of said mandrel to form said tubular body and then sliding the formed tubular body along the mandrel until said end region extends over said inner element skirt.

Claim 7

In a method of making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body and two associated relatively stiff interfitting inner and outer annular head structure elements, each of said head elements comprising a tapered annular shoulder having a smaller diameter inner periphery from which projects a discharge end boss and a larger diameter outer periphery from which projects an annular skirt, the step of non-rotatably mounting the outer head element, axially aligning said tubular body and said outer head element, forming said tubular body at the end adjacent said outer head element with a reduced diameter annular end region and a converging tapered end region corresponding to said skirt and shoulder of the outer head element by forcibly reducing and inturning end regions of said tubular body and then axially advancing said tubular body and said outer head element to force said inturned body end regions into internal engagement with the skirt and shoulder of said outer head element and forcing an axially aligned inner head element into nested relation within said outer head element so that said discharge end bosses are force fitted in coaxial assembly, said tapered body end region is longitudinally clamped tightly between the shoulders of said elements and said annular body end region is frictionally confined between the skirts of said head elements.

Claim 8

In a method of making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body and two associated relatively stiff interfitting inner and outer annular head structure elements, each of said head elements comprising a tapered annular shoulder having a smaller diameter inner periphery from which projects a discharge end boss and a larger diameter outer periphery from which projects an annular skirt, the step of non-rotatably mounting the outer head element, axially aligning said tubular body and said outer head element, forming said tubular body at the end adjacent said outer head element with a reduced diameter annular end region and a converging tapered end region corresponding to said skirt and shoulder of the outer head element by forcibly reducing and inturning end regions of said tubular body and then axially advancing said tubular body and said outer head element to force said inturned body end regions into internal engagement with the skirt and shoulder of said outer head element and forcing an axially aligned inner head element into nested relation within said outer head element so that said discharge end bosses are force fitted in coaxial assembly, said tapered body end region is longitudinally clamped tightly between the shoulders of said elements and said annular body end region is frictionally confined between the skirts of said head elements.

Claim 9

In the method defined in claim 5, said inturned body end regions being formed and positioned within said outer head element before said inner head element is forced into said outer head element.

Claim 10

In the method defined in claim 5, said inturned body end regions being formed over said inner head element before said inner head element is advanced into said outer head element.

Claim 11

Apparatus for making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body and two associated relatively stiff interfitting inner and outer annular head structure elements, each of said head elements comprising a tapered annular shoulder having a smaller diameter inner periphery from which projects a discharge end boss and a larger diameter outer periphery from said projects an annular skirt, said apparatus comprising a die member for mounting the outer head element in axially fixed relation thereon, a mandrel member axially aligned with said die member for mounting the tubular body in axial alignment with said outer head element, said mandrel member at the end adjacent said outer head element having in succession a reduced diameter annular section and a converging tapered end section corresponding to said skirt and shoulder of the outer head element, means for inturning end regions of said tubular body to conform in shape to said mandrel member end sections, means whereby said mandrel member is axially advanced to force said inturned end regions of the body into internal engagement with the skirt and shoulder of said outer head element, and means for axially forcing the inner head element into nested relation with said outer head element so that said discharge end bosses are force fitted in coaxial assembly, said tapered body end region is clamped tightly axially between the shoulders of said elements and said annular body end region is frictionally confined between the skirts of said head elements.

Claim 12

Apparatus for making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body and two associated relatively stiff interfitting inner and outer annular head structure elements, each of said head elements comprising a tapered annular shoulder having a smaller diameter inner periphery from which projects a discharge end boss and a larger diameter outer periphery from said projects an annular skirt, said apparatus comprising a die member for mounting the outer head element in axially fixed relation thereon, a mandrel member axially aligned with said die member for mounting the tubular body in axial alignment with said outer head element, said mandrel member at the end adjacent said outer head element having in succession a reduced diameter annular section and a converging tapered end section corresponding to said skirt and shoulder of the outer head element, means for inturning end regions of said tubular body to conform in shape to said mandrel member end sections, means whereby said mandrel member is axially advanced to force said inturned end regions of the body into internal engagement with the skirt and shoulder of said outer head element, and means for axially forcing the inner head element into nested relation with said outer head element so that said discharge end bosses are force fitted in coaxial assembly, said tapered body end region is clamped tightly axially between the shoulders of said elements and said annular body end region is frictionally confined between the skirts of said head elements.

Claim 13

The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said mandrel member is hollow and a guide rod on which said mandrel member is slidably disposed extends within the discharge end boss of the outer head element.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said die member has an open end recess formed with a tapered annular surface for axially backing the shoulder of said outer head element and an enlarged annular surface for slidably receiving and peripherally confining the skirt of said outer head element.

Claim 15

The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said mandrel member is an axially separable part of a split mandrel unit.

Claim 16

The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said mandrel member has a major portion of its length shaped in conformity with said tubular body with said end sections upon one end.

Claim 17

The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said mandrel member has one end shaped in conformity with said tubular body end regions and its other end axially slidably mounted within a mandrel member shaped to support the tubular body.

Claim 18

The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein said mandrel member end sections are shaped and sized to fit snugly within said inner head element.

Claim 19

In a method of making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body having a longitudinal seam containing overlapped layers of sheet material of the body wall and two associated relatively stiff inner and outer head structure elements each having an annular shoulder from the outer periphery of which extends a cylindrical skirt, the steps of providing a shallow external longitudinal reCess on the inner head element, said recess extending along the skirt and shoulder, inturning an end region of said body, and axially moving said head elements into substantially nested relation with said inturned body end region disposed coaxially between them to longitudinally clamp said inturned body end region between said shoulders with said body seam substantially confined in said recess.

Claim 20

In a method of making a collapsible tube assembly consisting essentially of a flexible tubular body having a longitudinal seam containing overlapped layers of sheet material of the body wall and two associated relatively stiff inner and outer head structure elements each having an annular shoulder from the outer periphery of which extends a cylindrical skirt, the steps of providing a shallow external longitudinal reCess on the inner head element, said recess extending along the skirt and shoulder, inturning an end region of said body, and axially moving said head elements into substantially nested relation with said inturned body end region disposed coaxially between them to longitudinally clamp said inturned body end region between said shoulders with said body seam substantially confined in said recess.