METHOD OF FORMING A ONE-PIECE CAN BODY HAVING AN END REINFORCING RADIUS AND/OR STACKING BEAD

Abstract: A one-piece can body having a reinforced pressure-resistant can bottom is formed by first forming a generally cup-shaped blank defined by a generally cylindrical body, a radius portion and an end, exerting first forces against the cup-shaped blank in a first direction to form the end into a concavely outwardly opening end defined by a central end panel, a frusto-conical wall and an annular inwardly opening channel merging with the cylindrical body, and exerting second forces against the annular channel in a second direction opposite the first direction while gripping the central end panel to reform either or both the frusto-conical wall and a part of the annular channel to selectively form one or both of an inwardly projecting outwardly opening annular bead and an outwardly projecting inwardly opening annular bead defining respective reinforcing and stacking beads, and the first and second directions defining a single reciprocal opposing path of force exertion by the first and second forces.

Description: The present invention is directed to a method of and apparatus for forming a one-piece can body having a bottom reinforcing bead and/or a stacking bead. This application incorporates herein by reference the subject matter of U.S. Patent No. 4,571,978 issued February 25, 1986 in the names of William L. Taube and David A. Roberts. US-A-4571978 describes a method and apparatus for forming a can end with a reinforcing bead formed between the chuck wall and the central panel. The present invention relates to a method of forming a one piece can-body having a stacking bead at the bottom thereof. In the formation of one-piece drawn can bodies it is well known to form a cup-shaped blank defined by a generally cylindrical side wall, a radius portion and a wall and to deform the blank to form the end into a concavely outwardly opening end defined by a central end panel, a frustoconical wall, and an annular inwardly opening channel merging with the cylindrical body. The end wall is typically deformed by engagement of the draw punch with a forming pad at the end of its stroke. In order to form a stacking bead the annular channel may be acted on in a subsequent rolling operation such as described in GB-A-2114031 which is the base for the pre-characterising part of claim 1. The present invention provides a method whereby the concavely outwardly opening end and the stacking bead can be formed in a single press tool. The invention provides a method of forming a one-piece can body having a reinforced bottom comprising the steps of (a) forming a generally cup-shaped blank defined by a generally cylindrical sidewall, a radius portion and an end, (b) deforming the blank to form the end into a concavely outwardly opening end defined by a central end sidewall, a frusto-conical wall and an annular inwardly opening channel merging with the cylindrical body, characterised by the further step of (c) causing relative axial motion as between the annular channel and the central end panel to deform a part of the annular channel out of the plane thereof toward the exterior of the can to form an outwardly projecting inwardly opening annular stacking bead. The invention thus described is illustrated in the drawings as follows: FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary axial sectional view of a punch and die of a press, and illustrates a metallic can body formed therein which is subsequently reformed upon the return stroke of the punch. FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of a draw punch, reform pad, indent ring and lift ring of the press of Fig. 1, and illustrates the punch and die parts in association with a cup-shaped metallic blank after the blank has been cut and drawn to form a cylindrical can body and just prior to forming of the can bottom. FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 2, and illustrates a further sequence in the operation of the press during which the draw punch and reform pad move closer toward the lift ring and indent ring with the end panel of the bottom positioned therebetween. FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 3, and illustrates a generally convex axial annular end face of the draw punch applying downwardly directed forces to a peripheral outboard portion of the formed can between the cylindrical body and the end panel thereof. FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 4, and illustrates a central portion of the end panel clamped between axial end faces of the reform pad and the indent ring. FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 5, and illustrates the simultaneously downward movement of the draw punch and the lift ring at which time the peripheral outboard portion of the can or blank is drawn radially inwardly between respective convex and concave opposing surfaces of the draw punch and lift ring to progressively form a frusto-conical wall between a central portion of the end panel and a shallow channel of the can bottom adjacent the cylindrical body. FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 6, and illustrates the draw punch at the bottom of its stroke (Fig. 1) and the frusto-conical wall formed into two frusto-conical wall portions. FIGURE 8 is fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 7, and illustrates two phantom outline positions and a single solid line position of the can bottom during upward movement of the draw punch and lift ring at which time the frusto-conical wall portions are progressively formed into an annular reinforcing bead and an annular stacking bead. FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 8, and illustrates the position of the tooling at which the reinforcing bead and the stacking bead have been fully formed. FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 9, and illustrates the release of the reformed can. FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the can, and illustrates the reinforced pressure-resistant can bottom thereof. FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of a modified form of tooling at the same position as that illustrated in Fig. 7, and illustrates a modification of the reform pad. FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 12, and illustrates the fully reformed can bottom. FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary schematic axial cross-sectional view of another modification similar to that of Fig. 2, except the press components are contoured to form a can body with a stacking bead but without a reinforcing bead. FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 14, and illustrates a further sequence in the operation of the press. FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 15, and illustrates a generally convex axial end face of the draw punch applying downwardly directed forced to a peripheral outboard portion of the body end panel. FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 16, and illustrates the position at which a central portion of the can end panel is clamped between axial end faces of the reform pad and the indent ring. FIGURE 18 is a enlarged fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 17, and illustrates the simultaneous downward movement of the draw punch and the lift ring to progressively form a frusto-conical wall. FIGURE 19 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 18, and illustrates the draw punch at the bottom of its stroke. FIGURE 20 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 19, and illustrates two phantom outline positions and a single solid position of the can bottom during upward movement of the draw punch and lift ring to form an annular stacking bead. FIGURE 21 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 20, and illustrates the position of the tooling at which the reformed stacking bead has been completed. FIGURE 22 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view of the tooling of Fig. 21, and illustrates the release of the can from the press. FIGURE 23 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the totally formed can, and illustrates the bottom including the annular stacking bead thereof. The invention will be best understood by first referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings which illustrates a portion of a conventional multi-die double action press which is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. Typical of such press is that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,908,429 issued September 30, 1975 in the name of Martin M. Gram. The press 10 includes a punch 11 and a die 12. The die 12 is a stationary portion of the frame (not shown) of the press 10 while the punch 11 is reciprocated in a conventional manner, as by eccentrics or cams between a fully closed or bottom dead center position (Fig. 1) and a fully opened position (not shown). In the position shown in Fig. 1, the punch 11 has been moved through its forming stroke during which a flat or shallow cup-shaped blank has been drawn and wall ironed into a can body B , as disclosed in the latter patent. The die 12 includes a generally cylindrical upwardly opening recess 13 housing a draw die base 14 which is secured to the assembly 12 by a plurality of hex screws 15 received in a plurality of counter-bored bores 16 and threaded in threaded bores 17 of the assembly 12. There are six such bores 16 and hex screws 15 equally spaced about the draw die base 14 and six similarly spaced threaded bores 17 formed in the assembly 12 for securely attaching the draw die base 14 to the assembly 12 within the recess 13. A bottom wall (unnumbered) of the draw die base includes an axial bore 18 in which is reciprocally moved an upper portion 20 of a knock-out lift ring rod 21. The bottom wall (unnumbered) of the draw die base 14 also includes four counterbores 22 of which only one is illustrated in Fig. 1, and a hex screw 23 is received in each counterbore 22 and is threaded in a threaded bore 24 of an indent ring 25 seated within a shallow upwardly opening circular recess 29 of the draw die base 14. The indent ring 25 and a convex face 26 thereof clamp the end panel CP in cooperation with a concave surface 36 of a reform pad 35 of the punch 11, as will be described more fully hereinafter. The indent ring 25 additionally includes a generally cylindrical outer surface 27, and the surfaces 26, 27 are bridged by means 40 for creating unrestrained tensioning of center panel CP of the can or blank B during the formation of a somewhat angulated radius R (Fig. 7) defined by a pair of shoulders or radius portions Rb and Rc spanned by an annular generally flat angled wall portion Rt (Fig. 7). The tensioning means 40 includes a pair of annular shoulders 41, 42 between which is an outwardly opening annular groove 43. The radii of the shoulders 41, 42 are respectively .030" and .065", while the radius of the annular groove 43 is .010". The distance of the axis for the radius of the shoulder 42 from the axial terminal end face 26 of the indent ring 25 is generally .015" and the distance of the axis of the radius 41 from the axis of the indent ring 25 is approximately 0.976" - 0.977". A lower portion (unnumbered) of the indent ring 25 is traversed by a diametric slot 28 (Fig. 1) which transforms a lower end portion of the indent ring 25 into a pair of legs 30, 31. The diametric slot 28 accommodates reciprocal movement of a hub 105 forming a part of a diametric spider (not shown) of a lift ring 60. Each of the legs 30, 31 of the indent ring 25 includes a vertical slot 32, 33, respectively, functioning as a vertical limit for reciprocal motion of the lift ring 60. The base 14 also includes six equally circumferentially spaced bores 34 and six equally circumferentially spaced blind bores 45. Each of the boxes 34 receives a reduced end portion 46 of a lift pin 47 while each of the blind bores 45 houses a compression spring 48. The compression springs 48 bear against the undersurface of a draw die 70 which cooperates in a conventional manner with a cutting punch 75 of the punch 11 and a cut edge or annular blanking die 76 carried by a die holder 78 secured in a conventional manner to the bolster block assembly 12 by a plurality of hex socket screws and nuts 81. Upon the descent of the cutting punch 75, upon downward motion imparted to the punch 11, the cooperative interaction of the draw die 70, the cutting punch 75 and the cut edge 76 results in the peripheral edge of earlier described flat or shallow cup-shaped blank being trimmed with waste material being eventually discarded during normal operations of the press 10. The lift ring 60 includes an outer peripheral cylindrical surface 61 and an inner peripheral cylindrical surface 62. A terminal peripheral end face 64 bridges the peripheral surfaces 61 and 62. The terminal peripheral end face 64 includes a shallow upwardly opening convex recess 65, a relatively deep axially upwardly opening annular channel 69, an inboard annular axial face or surface 66 and an outboard annular axial face or surface 67. The surface 66 is radially longer than and slightly above (0.030") the surface 67. The collective surfaces 65 through 67 provide guidance to inward metal flow of a peripheral portion or cylindrical wall PP of the can body B during the downward or forming stroke of the press and a clamping or gripping action during the upward or reforming stroke, as will be described more fully hereinafter. Downward movement is imparted to the lift ring 60 by the descent of the cutting punch 75. During such downward movement, the lift pins 47 are also moved downwardly moving a lift pin disc 91 (Fig. 1) out of contact with a bumper retainer plate 92 and further compressing a previously preloaded spring 93 to load the spring 93 to approximately 2,000 lbs. force. The same downward movement of the lift pins 47 and the lift pin disc 91 is transferred to a lift pin spacer 94 which compresses a compression spring 95. The springs 93, 95 operate in a conventional manner. The bumper retainer plate 92 is secured to the bolster block assembly 12 by a plurality of hex socket screws 96 received in counterbores 97 of the bumper retainer plate 92 and threaded in threaded bores 98 of the bolster block assembly 12. The bolster block assembly 12 also includes a threaded bore 101 into which is threaded an enlarged threaded portion 102 of a lift ring knock-out bumper 103 having an axial bore 104 within which reciprocates the knock-out lift ring rod 21. The punch 11 includes a conventional blank punch slide assembly 110 which has mounted thereto a conventional cutting punch holder 111 by means of a blank ram attachment 112 (only on illustrated) and an associated set screw 113. The cutting punch 75 is secured in a conventional manner, including a cutting punch holder clamping nut 114, to lower end portion of the cutting punch holder 111. An inner piston or draw punch rod 120 is mounted for reciprocal movement within the cutting punch holder 111 and includes a bore 121, a counterbore 122 and an internally threaded end portion 123. The internally threaded end portion 123 is threaded to a threaded portion 82 of a stem 83 of a draw punch 80. The draw punch 80 includes an axial bore 84 and a counterbore 85 defined by a peripheral skirt or annular forming member 86 of the draw punch 80. The counterbore 85 is defined in part by an inner cylindrical peripheral surface 87 which is in intimate sliding contact with a like outer peripheral cylindrical surface 37 (Fig. 2) of the reform pad 35. The cylindrical surface 37 and the axial end face 36 of the reform pad 35 are bridged by means 38 in the form of an angled annular surface setting-off an obtuse angle of approximately 120° with the terminal end face 36. A like obtuse angle is set-off between the peripheral surface 37 and the angled annular surface 38. The means 38 functions to prevent a coating upon the blank B , such as lacquer or enamel, from cracking or being wiped-off and, thus, prevents metal exposure of the eventually formed inner surface of the can body B during the forming and reforming operation. The annular surface 38 cooperatively functions with a frusto-conical surface 88 of the draw punch 80 to define therewith and therebetween means for forming an annular downwardly opening and diverging chamber 130 into which the formed radius R (Fig. 7) can be freely reformed without guidance or restraint (See Figs. 8 and 9) during the upward stroke or movement of the lift ring 60 to eventually form an annular reinforcing countersink radius Rr (Fig. 9). The frusto-conical surface 88 merges with a pair of convex radii 136, 137 bridged by a generally flat annular surface 138. The curvature of the radii/surfaces 136 through 138 corresponds to the curvature of the surface 65 of the groove 64 which together therewith provides added guidance to the inward metal flow during the downward or forming stroke when the can body B is formed to its final formed (though not reformed) configuration (Fig. 7). A hex screw 140 (Fig. 1) is threaded into a threaded bore (unnumbered) of a draw punch piston 141 having a blind bore 142, a plurality of seals 143 and a peripheral flange 144 which can bottom against an annular axial end face 145 of the draw punch stem 83. The counterbore 122 is connected through the bore 121 to a supply of fluid pressure, such as a nitrogen cylinder and an associated air amplifier with appropriate valving and controls, which is simply designated by the headed arrow P 1. The inner piston or draw punch rod 120 is likewise urged downwardly by fluidic pressure suitably regulated from the same or a different source as the pressure source P 1, and the pressure applied to the draw punch rod 120 is generally designated by the reference character P 2, although pressures P 1, P 2 can be equal. The pressure P 1 can be, for example as low as 600 psi and at 1000 psi, the pressure on the piston 141 is approximately 1060 psi. The pressure is preferably higher, particularly the pressure P 2 exerted in a downward direction upon the draw punch rod 120 because the latter pressure is transferred during the downward or forming stroke from the rod 120 through the draw punch 80, the lift ring 60 and the lift pins 47 to unseat the lift pin disc 91 and the lift pin spacer 94 and, therefore, load the springs 93, 95 which upon the reform or return stroke of the rod 120 provide the mechanical force to lift the rods 47 and the lift ring 60 upwardly to reform the can body B from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 9 under a second force greater than the first pressure force P 2. The operation of the press 10 will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 1 through 11 of the drawings. It is assumed that the blank punch slide assembly 110 (Fig. 1) of the punch 11 has already been fully retracted upwardly to its open position and thereafter moved downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. As noted earlier herein, the can body B of Fig. 2 is formed during the latter-noted downward movement from either a flat metallic blank or a shallow cup-shaped blank as the blank is drawn through the set of dies corresponding to the dies 52 of U.S. Patent No. 3,908,429. During the latter descent, the draw die 70 of the cutting punch 75 trims the blank and toward the bottom of the punch stroke the can body B is drawn generally to its desired axial length. The sequential steps depicted in Figs. 2 through 9 depict forming and reforming the can bottom approaching the end of the forming stroke. The means for providing the pressures P 1 and/or P 2 are activated and the flange 144 of the draw punch 141 is bottomed against the annular face 145 (Fig. 1) of the stem 83 of the draw punch 80. Thus, during the continuous downward movement of the draw punch 80 and the reform pad 35, the respective surfaces 138, 36 are initially spaced from the opposing surfaces 65, 26 of the respective lift ring 60 and indent ring 25, although these surfaces progressively move closer toward each other, as is readily apparent by comparing Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Upper end faces of the lift pin disc 91 and the lift pin spacer 94 are, of course, in abutment with an undersurface (unnumbered) of the bumper retainer plate 92 (Fig. 1) at this time. As the pressure P 2 acts continuously downwardly upon the rod 120, the latter continues to move the draw punch 80 in a downward direction causing initial deflection of the center panel CP (Fig. 4) without the center panel CP being at this time clamped between the faces 26, 36 of the respective indent ring 25 and the reform pad 35. However, eventually the center panel CP is clamped between the surfaces 26, 36, as shown in Fig. 5, imparting a shallow axially downward opening convex curvature thereto. As the draw punch 80 continues downwardly (Fig. 6), the cylindrical wall PP of the can body B is drawn radially inwardly between the surfaces 138, 65 and 66 resulting in the formation of a shallow upwardly opening annular channel SC defined by a radius R 1, an annular wall AW and another radius R 2. The radius R 2 merges with a frusto-conical wall FW which in turn merges with the central panel CP (Fig. 6). As the draw punch 80 continues its descent (Fig. 7), the material of the cylindrical wall PP continues to be drawn between the surfaces 136 through 138 on the one hand and 65 through 67 on the other until the frusto-conical wall FW of Fig. 6 is generally contoured into a pair of frusto-conical walls FW 1, FW 2 bridged by the radius Rb (Fig. 7). During the latter action, the surface 65 and the surfaces 136 through 138 function to guide the inward metal flow of the cylindrical wall PP as it is progressively formed toward the eventually angulated radius R of Fig. 7. From the position of the lift ring 60 shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7, the downward movement of the draw punch 80 not only forces the lift ring 60 downwardly, but this force or pressure P 2 is transferred from the lift ring 60 through the lift pins 47 (Fig. 1) to the lift pin disc 91 and from the latter to the lift pin spacer 94, thus loading both springs 93 and 95 to obtain upon the return or reform stroke of the press 10 a mechanical force of approximately 2000 lbs. The loading of the springs 93, 95 allows the draw punch 80 to reform the can body B to its final configuration, namely, the can 150 (Fig. 11). The angulated radius R (Fig. 7) is, however, first stretched or tensioned toward the bottom of the forming stroke so that a central portion Rt (Figs. 7 through 9) between the radii Rb, Rc is particularly tensioned. The tensioning in the area Rt is believed to provide the marked increase in flexibility of an inner wall portion 152 (Fig. 11) of a center panel 151 immediately adjacent a radius 153 of the completely reformed can 150. At the same time work hardening of the radius portion Rb occurs, and coupled with its eventual reforming into the reinforced countersink radius Rr (Figs. 9 and 10), a "kink" or an increased thickness portion beyond "nominal" thickness is created at a portion of a countersink radius 155, generally between the points L 1, L 2 of Figs. 9 and 11. Thus, from the position generally shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 7, the draw punch 80 which moved forcibly downwardly by the pressure P 2 is effective for exerting forces sufficient to transform the peripheral edge portion of the can body B to the configuration of the formed (though not reformed) can body B of Fig. 7 in which the frusto-conical wall portion is tensioned at Rt and work hardening occurs in the material of the radius Rc . The reform or return stroke (Fig. 8) is initiated without any change in the position of the blank punch slide assembly 110 and the cutting punch holder 111, and without in any way reducing the clamping action against the center panel CP of the can body B between the surfaces 26, 36 of the respective indent ring 25 and the reform pad 35. As the springer springs 93, 95 urge the lift pins 47 upwardly against the regulated decrease in the pressures P 1 and/or P 2 (Fig. 8), the annular wall portion AW of the can body B is also clamped or gripped between the surfaces 137, 138 of the draw punch 80 and the surface 65 of the lift ring 60. Progressive upward movement of the lift ring 60 results in two simultaneous and progressive movements of the metal of the can body B between the annular wall AW and the radius Rc (Fig. 8). The frusto-conical wall FW 2 is reformed progressively from the position shown in Fig. 7 toward and into (Fig. 8) the annular channel or chamber 130 forming the reinforcing countersink radius or annular bead Rr (Fig. 9), while at the same time the radius R 2 (Figs. 7 and 8) and the adjacent unclamped portion of the annular wall AW are progressively reformed into the annular channel 69 of the lift ring 60 forming another reinforcing countersink radius or annular bead Ra (Fig. 9) which in practice is known as a "stacking" bead. The transition that occurs between Figs. 7 and 8 is illustrated by the solid lines representing the initial reforming followed by the phantom outlines and the eventual complete reformed can 150. By comparing Figs. 7 and 8 it can be seen that the radius portion Rc of Fig. 7 is generally reversely progressively formed from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that which it eventually reaches in Fig. 9, while at the same time the radius portion Rt is deformed progressively and without restraint, guidance or confinement into the annular channel or chamber 130 until the reinforcing countersink radius Rr (Fig. 9) is fully formed. However during the movement of the lift ring 60 and the draw punch 80 as aforesaid between the positions shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the earlier tension portion Rt (Fig. 7) of the radius R tends to deform or bend more readily as opposed to the work hardened portion Rb which characteristically creates a relatively tight radius Rr and the reinforced thickened "kink" therebetween, earlier identified between the points L 1, L 2 (Fig. 9). In order to effectively receive the metal of the radius R 2 into the channel 69, the distance between the surface 36 of the draw punch 80 and the surface 65 of the lift ring 60 is such as to readily accommodate and permit the metal in the area of the radius R 2 to flow into the channel 69 as the lift ring 60 progressively rises, as is again best illustrated by the progressively lowermost phantom outline position shown in Fig. 8 followed by the solid line position in this same figure, and eventually the uppermost outlying position in Fig. 8 until the final position of Fig. 9. Obviously, if desired, the downward force or pressure on the draw punch 80 can be progressively released as the lift ring 60 moves upwardly which assures that the metal of the frusto-conical wall FW 1 moves without restraint into not only the channel 69 but also, of course, into the diverging chamber 130. Upon completion of the return or reform stroke (Fig. 9), the pressure P 1 on the draw punch 141 (Fig. 1) is released or lessened and unclamping of the can body B occurs as the lift ring 60 continues its upward spring-biased return under the mechanical force of the springs 93 and/or 95 until the position of Fig. 10 is reached by the lift ring 60. Thereafter, the cutting punch holder 111 is mechanically retracted to its final position at which point the can 150 (Fig. 11) can be conventionally ejected. Reference is now made to Fig. 11 of the drawings which best illustrates the resultant reinforced pressure-resistant can 150. The reformed can 150 includes the generally circular concavely outwardly opening central panel or panel portion 151, the flexible annular wall portion 152 immediately adjacent the panel radius 153, the panel radius 153, a frusto-conical peripheral inner wall 154, an annular exteriorly upwardly opening reinforcing countersink, channel radius or bead 155, a frusto-conical peripherally outer wall 156, an axially projecting radius or "stacking" bead 157, an annular end wall 158, an outermost radius 159 and a cylindrical body or wall 161. Variations in the present method and apparatus will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and one such modification in the form of a reversal of the various elements heretofore described is shown in Figs. 12 and 13. In Figs. 12 and 13 identical reference numerals have been provided, except primed, to identify structure identical to that illustrated respectively in Figs. 7 and 9. In this case the reform pad 35′ has been modified by altering the overall configuration of adjoining surfaces 170 through 172 bridging surfaces 36′ and 37′. The surface 170 is of an angular configuration, similar to the surface 38 of the reform pad 35. However, the surface 172 is radially outboard of the corresponding radius 41′ of the indent ring 25′, and as a result the annularly downwardly opening chamber 130′ abruptly narrows at the cylindrical surface 171. Thus, upon the upward return stroke or reform stroke of the lift ring 60′, the radius R ′r is "tighter" or closed, as is most readily apparent by comparing the radius Rr of Figs. 9 and 10 with the radius R′r of Fig. 13. This results in a more rigid reinforcement of the countersink radius R′r or 155′ than that provided by the reinforcing countersink radius 155. Otherwise, the stacking bead 157′ of the can 150′ is the same as the stacking bead 57 of Fig. 11. Reference is now made to another variation of the invention best illustrated in Figs. 14 through 22 of the drawings which structurally correspond to the positions of the parts of the punch and die of Figs. 2 through 10, respectively. Accordingly, the parts of the punch and die of Figs. 14 through 22 corresponding generally identically to Figs. 2 through 10 have been identically numbered, though the same have been double primed. These parts include an identical draw punch 80″, an identical lift ring 60″, and an identical lift ring 25″. However, a reform pad 35″ differs from the reform pad 35 only in the absence of the tapered or frusto-conical surface corresponding to the surface 38 of the reform pad 35. The reform pad 35″ includes a shallow gripping surface 236 opposing the gripping surface 26″ of the indent ring 25″, a radius 237 and an outer cylindrical surface 238, thus creating a relatively shallow chamber 130″. The draw punch 80″, the reform pad 35″, the lift ring 60″ and the indent ring 25″ operate through the position shown in Figs. 14 through 22 identically to the operation of the corresponding parts described relative to Figs. 2 through 10, which description is incorporated hereat by reference, but with one exception. In regard to the latter, reference is made to Fig. 19 in which the blank B ″ excludes the frusto-conical wall portion FW 2 of Fig. 7 and instead includes a single generally frusto-conical wall FW ″1. Accordingly, as the progressive upward movement of the lift ring 60″ begins (lower phantom outline position of Fig. 20), the metal of the frusto-conical wall portion FW ′1 is deformed progressively toward and into (Figs. 20 and 21) the annular channel 69″ of the lift ring 60″ reforming the reinforcing countersink radius or annular stacking bead R″a (Figs. 21 and 22) or 157″ (Fig. 23). While metal freely flows in an unrestrained fashion into the annular channel 69″ during the reform stroke, the narrow or shallow channel 130″ and the position of the frusto-conical wall portion FW″1 between the draw punch 80″ and the reform pad 35″ prevents the metal from entering the channel 130″ and precludes the formation of another reinforcing bead corresponding to the bead Rr (Fig. 9) or 155 (Fig. 11) of the container 150. Therefore, upon the completion of the return or reforming stroke (Figs. 20 and 21), the eventually formed can 150″ (Fig. 23) includes the stacking bead 157″ but excludes the pressure-resistant bead 155 of the container or can 150 (Fig. 11).

Claims: A method of forming a one-piece can body having a reinforced bottom comprising the steps of (a) forming a generally cup-shaped blank defined by a generally cylindrical sidewall (PP), a radius portion (R1) and an end (CP), (b) deforming the blank to form the end into a concavely outwardly opening end defined by a central end sidewall (PP), a frusto-conical wall (FW) and an annular inwardly opening channel (AW) merging with the cylindrical body, characterised by the further step of (c) causing relative axial motion as between the annular channel (AW) and the central end panel (CP) to deform a part of the annular channel (AW) out of the plane thereof toward the exterior of the can to form an outwardly projecting inwardly opening annular stacking bead (Ra). The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the relative axial motion between the annular channel (AW) and the central panel (CP) in step (c) further deforms a part of the frusto-conical wall (FW) in the absence of restraint out of the plane of the central end panel towards the interior of the can to form an inwardly projecting outwardly opening annular reinforcing bead (Rr). The method as defined in claim 1, wherein step (c) creates a wall thickness of at least a portion of the inwardly projecting and outwardly projecting annular beads (Rr,Ra) greater than the wall thicknesses of the respective frusto-conical wall (FW) and annular channel (AW) prior to deformation thereof. The method as defined in any preceding claim, in which the central end panel (P) is gripped during step (c) The method as defined in any preceding claim, including the step of gripping the annular channel (AW) during step (c). The method as defined in any preceding claim wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out in a single press tool. The method as defined in any preceding claim wherein those portions of the can which are deformed during step (c) are generally unrestrained during that deformation.

Inventors: ROBERTS, DAVID ANDREW, TAUBE, WILLIAM L.
Applicants: CMB FOODCAN PLC
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B21D51
IPC codes: B65D1, B21D51, B21D22