Method of manufacturing and providing lithography on metal closures

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to manufacturing metallic closures from a continuous coil of a pre-coated sheet metal material. More specifically, the present invention relates to manufacturing closures adapted for interconnection to a threaded neck of a container using a continuous coil of pre-coated aluminum sheet material. In one embodiment, marketing indicia or product information may be applied to the closures after formation of the closures.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a metal closure which is adapted for interconnection to a neck of a threaded metallic container, comprising:
 providing a coil of a sheet metal material;   aligning the sheet metal material with a cupping press;   feeding the sheet metal material through the cupping press;   cutting a plurality of discs from the sheet metal material; and   forming each of the plurality of discs into a plurality of metal closures.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet metal material is comprised of an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet metal material is pre-coated with at least one of an inside coating, an outside coating, and an outside base color. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming of each of the plurality of discs includes drawing and re-drawing each of the plurality of discs one or more times to a finished depth. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising decorating one or more of an exterior top, an exterior sidewall, and an interior top portion of the plurality of metal closures with an indicia. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising curing the metal closure, the curing comprising heating or applying UV radiation to the plurality of metal closures. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming at least one of a knurl, a vent, and a perforation in the plurality of metal closures. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising forming threads on the plurality of metal closures. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the metal closure is a roll on pilfer proof closure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising installing a liner in an interior top portion of the plurality of metal closures. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for forming a metallic closure which is adapted for interconnection to a threaded neck of a container, comprising:
 a receiver operable to receive a portion of a coil of a sheet metal material and unwind the sheet metal material from the coil; and   a cupping press operable to receive the sheet metal material from said receiver, said cupping press comprising at least one guide to align the sheet metal material, at least one tool operable to cut a plurality of blanks from the sheet metal material, and at least one tool operable to form a blank of said plurality of blanks into the metallic closure.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a drawing apparatus operable to receive at least one of said plurality of blanks from said cupping press, said drawing apparatus comprising at least one tool operable to draw and re-draw said blank one or more times to form the metallic closure. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a mandrel operable to receive said metallic closure from said cupping press, wherein said mandrel further comprises additional tools operable to form at least one of a knurl, a vent, and a perforation in said metallic closure. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a decorator operable to receive said metallic closure from said cupping press, said decorator operable to decorate at least one of an exterior top, an exterior sidewall, and the interior top portion of said metallic closure with an indicia to produce a decorated metallic closure. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a curer operable to receive said decorated metallic closure from said decorator, said curer operable to cure said decorated metallic closure. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a liner applicator operable to receive said metallic closure from said cupping press, said liner applicator operable to install a liner in an interior top portion of said metallic closure. 
     
     
         17 . A continuous feed apparatus for forming a metal closure which is adapted for interconnection to a threaded neck of a container, comprising:
 a guide system, said guide system operable to uncoil a continuous sheet of a metal material from a coil, said guide system operable to align said continuous sheet with a cupping press;   said cupping press operable to take in said continuous sheet from said guide system, and further comprising at least one tool operable to cut a plurality of blanks from the sheet metal material and at least one tool operable to form said plurality of blanks into a plurality of metal closures.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a drawing apparatus operable to receive said plurality of metal closures from said cupping press, said drawing apparatus operable to draw and re-draw the plurality of metal closures one or more times to a finished depth. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a decorator operable to receive said plurality of metal closures from said cupping press, said decorator operable to decorate one or more of an exterior top, an exterior sidewall, and an interior top portion of said plurality of metal closures with an indicia to produce a plurality of decorated metal closures. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said decorator is operable to form a raised product indicia on the exterior sidewall of said plurality of decorated metal closures.