Abstract: A scrap cutting assembly for use in a reciprocating press in which a cutter is carried on a ram which reciprocates with respect to a fixed base to form and cut material passing through the press includes an exit plate mounted on the press base adjacent the material exit point and a shutter spring and backing spring attached to the exit plate. The exit plate has a tapered bottom surface which tapers upwardly toward the ram and the shutter spring and backing spring are attached to and lie along the bottom tapered surface with one end of the shutter spring extending beyond the end of the exit plate and slightly above the top surface thereof so as to support the material as it is fed through the press. The shutter spring is depressed by the cutter as the ram and cutter descend to sever the material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming a cup (10) having a profiled bottom generally includes a draw die (20) disposed at a first level of a double acting press. The draw die (20) cooperates with a draw pad (22) and a cut edge (24) to form and hold a blank (28) formed from a sheet of material (M). A punch assembly (30) is configured to travel through the draw die (20), thereby drawing the blank (28) over the draw die (20) into a cup (60). The punch assembly (30) transports the cup (60) to a second level of the press where it bottoms out on a die core (50) and a ring pad (51). One element of the punch assembly (30) continues to move beyond the second level of the press, thereby drawing a portion of the cup (60) over the die core (50) and profiling the bottom of the cup (60). The profiled cup (10) is then returned to the second level of the press where it is removed from the punch assembly (30) and transferred. The bottom profile insures that the cup will retain its shape during the transfer operation.

Abstract: An endless conveyor belt for moving and transferring articles includes a series of through apertures which have a stepped configuration either created by cutting the aperture to a first size for a portion of its depth and a different size for the remainder thereof or by providing inserts for the apertures which have a stepped configuration. The belt may be driven by a rotating drum and supported by at least one leaf spring disposed in opposed relationship with the drum and adjustable toward and away from the drum to adjust tension on the belt. The belt may also be supported by a series of spring loaded plates which can be adjusted to vary the elevation of the belt.

Abstract: A method of forming a drawn and redrawn and ironed container having a contoured sidewall. A cup is blanked and formed from stock in conventional fashion. A profiled bottom may be formed in the cup during the redraw step. The cup is ironed using at least one ironing ring and an ironing punch having at least one recessed area for shaping the interior sidewall of the cup. When the cup is ironed, areas of extra material are formed on the interior of the sidewall where the recessed areas of the ironing punch were present. These areas of extra material are shaped during a spin forming step that creates the contoured sidewall of the can.

Abstract: A conveyor assembly includes a conveying surface and at least one air manifold for directing air against the sidewall of the articles to be conveyed. The conveying surface includes longitudinally extending raised ribs along which the articles are moved and the air manifolds are connected directly to the source of air. Further, the conveyor assembly is attached directly to a die member and becomes an integral part thereof.

Abstract: A method of forming a container body having a profiled bottom in a continuous operation wherein the body is formed from a blank of material into an inverted cup, the cup is reverse drawn and a preliminary profile is imparted to the bottom of the cup, and a final profile is imparted. The apparatus includes a die cut edge movable into telescoping relationship around a redraw die to form the inverted cup and a profile punch movable into telescoping relationship within the redraw die to form the preliminary profile against a profile pad. The profile pad is selectively supported by a pair of fluidly actuated pistons whereby, upon activation of the second piston, the final profile may be formed.

Abstract: A multidirectional sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet loader and a sheet feeder disposed adjacent a press. Both the feeder and loader include carriages movable toward and away from the press and carriages movable laterally with respect to the direction of feed toward and away from the press. The method of operation includes feeding a sheet from the loader to the feeder and from the feeder into the press a predetermined distance. The method further includes feeding the sheet further into the press and/or laterally thereof as required between press cycles. In a variation of the method, the sheet may be moved both further into the press and laterally thereof simultaneously. The method further includes aligning the loader with the feeder prior to the last operation of the press on a sheet.

Abstract: A method of forming container end panels from a sheet of material includes inserting the material into a press at a first level, blanking the material at that level, passing the material through a die and preliminarily forming it in a continuous stroke but at a second level and transferring it laterally at the second level for reforming and curling. The apparatus includes blanking and forming tooling at a first station and reforming and curling tooling at second and third stations. The reforming and curling tooling is disposed at the second level and the first, second and third stations are interconnected by an endless, apertured belt also disposed at the second level. An alternative embodiment involves disposing the first station tooling at an angle with respect to the press centerline, feeding the material into the press in a first direction and moving the preliminarily formed ends in opposite directions normal to the feed direction to second and third stations disposed on opposite ends of the press.

Abstract: A multidirectional sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet loader and a sheet feeder disposed adjacent a press. Both the feeder and loader include carriages movable toward and away from the press and carriages movable laterally with respect to the direction of feed toward and away from the press. The method of operation includes feeding a sheet from the loader to the feeder and from the feeder into the press a predetermined distance. The method further includes feeding the sheet further into the press and/or laterally thereof as required between press cycles. The method further includes aligning the loader with the feeder prior to the last operation of the press on a sheet.

Abstract: A multi-directional system, method and apparatus for feeding stock from a coil into a press in a principal feed direction and selectively in a direction normal to the principal feed direction includes an uncoiler, a compensator, a feeder and a press arranged in series with the feeder and the compensator being engagable with the stock to feed it in the principal feed direction into the press and being shiftable transversely of the principal feed direction to shift the stock in that direction while the leading end of the stock is received within the press.

Abstract: A method of forming a tapered container in which the container is first redrawn to a partial length having first and second straight sidewall portions interconnected by a transition portion and then redrawn to substantially its final length and tapered condition by drawing material from the transition portion. The method also optionally includes an overlength second redraw and a bottom profiling step utilizing the overdrawn portion to form the profile.

Abstract: A method of forming container end panels from a sheet of material includes inserting the material into a press at a first level, banking the material at that level, passing the material through a die and preliminarily forming it in a continuous stroke but at a second level and transferring it laterally at the second level for reforming and curling. The apparatus includes blanking and forming tooling at a first station and reforming and curling tooling at second and third stations. The reforming and curling tooling is disposed at the second level and the first, second and third stations are interconnected by an endless, apertured belt also disposed at the second level.

Abstract: A method of controlling the clamping movement of a single action drawing press having a fluid actuated pressure member wherein movement of the pressure member is interrupted by stops after a predetermined range of movement toward the base of the press. The apparatus for carrying out the method includes one or more stops, carried by the base, and dimensioned to engage the pressure member and overcome the pressure normally urging it toward the base after the predetermined range of movement.

Abstract: A method of forming a container body having a profiled bottom in a continuous operation wherein the body is formed from a blank of material into an inverted cup, the cup is reverse drawn and a preliminary profile is imparted to the bottom of the cup, and a final profile is imparted. The apparatus includes a die cut edge movable into telescoping relationship around a redraw die to form the inverted cup and a profile punch movable into telescoping relationship within the redraw die to form the preliminary profile against a profile pad. The profile pad is selectively supported by a pair of fluidly actuated pistons whereby, upon activation of the second piston, the final profile may be formed.

Abstract: A method of forming a container end piece from a sheet of material includes the steps of forming an inverted cup by wiping a peripheral edge of the material over a die core ring, inverting the cup by advancing a punch core into the material, thereby forming a flanged area, a central bottom area and a chuckwall interconnected thereto by a radiused portion. The radiused portion is initially formed by an annular nose on the punch core larger than the final radius. The punch core is then retracted and exerts force on the flanged area to shorten the chuckwall and reduce the radius by forcing the material in the chuckwall and radiused areas into the space between a die core and die core ring. A modified method includes supporting and aligning the radiused area with a contoured knockout sleeve between the die core and die core ring.

Abstract: A method of controlling the spacing between a material forming punch and a complemental die includes advancing a punch shell and a pressure sleeve into engagement with the material and holding the material with the sleeve and blanking it with the punch shell. The material is then preliminarily formed by clamping the periphery between the pressure sleeve and a die core ring and advancing a punch core past the top of the die core ring and clamping the material against a die core to establish the desired dimension. The material is then finally formed by further advancement of the punch core with the die core and die core ring moving together. The apparatus includes a die core and die core ring which are concentrically arranged and independently supported but movable into engagement with each other after a predetermined amount of travel so as to move together through any further travel caused by movement of a punch core against the die core.

Abstract: A method of controlling the clamping movement of a single action drawing press having a fluid actuated pressure member wherein movement of the pressure member is interrupted by stops after a predetermined range of movement toward the base of the press.

Abstract: A method of forming a tapered container in which the container is first redrawn to a partial length having first and second straight sidewall portions interconnected by a transition position and then redrawn to substantially its final length and tapered condition by drawing material from the transition portion. The method also optionally includes an overlength second redraw and a bottom profiling step utilizing the overdrawn portion to form the profile. The apparatus includes a plurality of stations wherein the redrawing is accomplished in the first instance with a tapered punch and straight walled die and in the second instance with a tapered punch and tapered die.

Abstract: A method of forming a deep-drawn and ironed container having a bottom profile wherein a cup is formed by drawing an inverted cup and reverse drawing the cup and simultaneously imparting a bottom profile thereto while controlling the thickness of the material in the bottom. The method also includes providing support to the profiled bottom while ironing the cup thus formed. The method is accomplished by a system which includes a draw-redraw station wherein the inverted cup is adjustably held by a fluidly actuated lift out ring and draw pad in the bottom area against a punch during reverse drawing to control metal thickness in the bottom. A separate pressure sleeve is also engaged with the profiled bottom during ironing to prevent pulling material from the bottom.

Abstract: A method of forming a container end piece includes blanking a work piece from a sheet of material and forming an inverted cup therefrom by wiping the peripheral edge of the blank over a die core ring. The inverted cup is then reversed by advancing a punch core and a punch core ring simultaneously to form a cup having a flange area, a central body area and a chuckwall area interconnecting the flange and the bottom. The punch core ring is then advanced ahead of the punch core to shorten the chuckwall area and reduce the radius between the chuckwall and the central bottom portion. The method also includes engaging the flange area of the reversed cup by a pressure sleeve which moves downwardly with the punch core ring during the final forming of the chuckwall.