Abstract: An ironing die for use with a punch to reduce the wall thickness of the sidewall of the metal cup includes a body which has a circular opening therein extending from the leading surface to a trailing surface that are parallel to each other and the opening has a land spaced from both surfaces which defines a minimum diameter for the opening. The opening also has a cylindrical portion between the land and the trailing surface which has a diameter slightly larger than the minimum diameter to guide the cup after the free edge moves past the land. The opening is also flared outwardly between the land and the leading surface to produce an entry portion which guides the cup to a centered position with respect to the ironing land. In one embodiment, the wall which defines the opening also has a cut out portion between the land and the cylindrical portion.

Abstract: A new tamper-proof closure includes a cap having a plurality of circumferentially spaced slits separated by bridges with a plurality of lines of weakness extending perpendicular to the slits and aligned with the respective bridges. The lines of weakness have a residual thickness which varies between opposite ends.

Abstract: A container end formed from metal having an approximate thickness of 0.0120 inches which is capable of withstanding at least 90 psi buckle pressure and at least 60 psi rock pressure is disclosed herein. A container end panel includes a peripheral curl surrounding a substantially flat center panel with a countersink therebetween. The countersink has inner and outer substantially flat walls that are interconnected by an arcuate portion that has a radius of approximately 0.030 inches and the inner wall is connected to the periphery of the center panel through an arcuate portion that has a radius of approximately 0.025 inches. The outer flat wall has a length which is greater than the length of the inner flat wall and the outer flat wall defines an angle of less than five degrees with respect to a plane that extends perpendicular through the center flat panel. The inner flat wall has a length to locate the lower edge of the countersink about 0.

Abstract: An easy open ecology end consisting of a removable section defined in an end panel and a tab for severing the removable section is disclosed herein. The removable section or disc is defined by a weakened score line and the tab has an opening edge aligned with at least a part of the inner edge of the score line with the opening edge having primary contact means for producing initial rupture of the score line. The tab is attached to the end using a unique method which will produce internal stresses in the metal of the tab so that the tab is constantly urged toward the surface of the end. The tab also has an opening therein aligned with the removable section and is designed to be locked into the opening created by severing the weakened line.

Abstract: A cup holder sleeve and its support assembly for use in a drawing and ironing machine that has a circular bore and is supported for radial as well as tilting movement of the axis of the elongated bore with respect to the support. The support includes a pair of members that cooperate to define a recess surrounding a circular opening and an enlarged portion of the cup holder sleeve is received into the recess and cooperates with a cupper support element. The cup holder support element and cup holder sleeve are normally radially centered with respect to the opening by centering springs and the cup holder sleeve is normally maintained in engagement with the support element by hold-down springs. The cup holder sleeve and support element can be moved radially while the cup holder sleeve can be tilted with respect to the support element and all of the elements are normally maintained in a predetermined position by the centering springs and the hold-down springs.

Abstract: A new tamper-proof closure and apparatus for forming such tamper-proof closures is disclosed herein. The closure includes a cap having a plurality of circumferentially spaced slits separated by bridges with a plurality of lines of weakness extending perpendicular to the slits and aligned with the respective bridges. The lines of weakness have a residual thickness which varies between opposite ends. The apparatus includes a cutting and scoring tool having a first elongated member that defines a cutting edge which has spaced V-shaped recesses and a second member having an elongated surface extending across each of the recesses with the elongated surface having a plurality of projections that extend perpendicular to the cutting edge and are centrally spaced with respect to the V-shaped recesses.

Abstract: A domer assembly which cooperates with the punch of a drawing and ironing machine to reform an end wall of a container includes a support that has a flat supporting surface defined in the bottom of a recess and a carrier element having a cooperating surface engaging the flat bottom surface. A domer element is supported on the carrier element and both are movable as a unit radially of the path of movement of the punch and are normally centered with respect to the axis of the punch through biasing springs which will accommodate radial movement. The assembly also includes means for supplying air between the surfaces to act as a fluid bearing and reduce friction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a seamless container having a sidewall and an integral end wall with opening means in the integral end wall is disclosed herein. The method contemplates forming at least one substantially closed area of reduced thickness in the end wall to produce a fracturable web that defines an opening means during the conversion of a flat disc to a finished container. In one form, the method contemplates initially forming a shallow cup and then forming the opening means in the end wall of the shallow cup before the cup is converted into a drawn and ironed container. In another form, the opening means is formed while the container end wall is being reformed into its final configuration and in a further version, the end opening means is formed in the end wall after completion of the drawing and ironing process. The finished container includes a reformed end wall that is integral with a circular sidewall of a container and has a fracturable web surrounding a protuberance.

Abstract: A method of forming a removable section in a metal wall portion of a container is disclosed herein. A first, area of reduced cross-section is coined the wall portion outside the first coined area and most of the displaced metal is forced inside the first area so that the portion inside the first area is in compression and is substantially dish-shaped in cross section, a weakened line is then produced in the first area to define a removable section.

Abstract: An easy open ecology end consisting of a removable section defined in an end panel and a tab for severing the removable section is disclosed herein. The removable section or disc is defined by a weakened score line and the tab has an opening edge aligned with at least a part of the inner edge of the score line with the opening edge having primary contact means for producing initial rupture of the score line. The tab is attached to the end using a unique method which will produce internal stresses in the metal of the tab so that the tab is constantly urged toward the surface of the end. The tab also has an opening therein aligned with the removable section and is designed to be locked into the opening created by severing the weakened line.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for making a drawn and ironed container from a circular blank is disclosed herein. The process contemplates flowing a fluid medium through the punch of a drawing and ironing machine and maintaining the fluid medium at a predetermined temperature above the initial ambient temperature of a cup that is converted into a drawn and ironed container. The process also includes cooling the ironing dies by flowing a liquid through grooves located in the rings of the dies and the rings are made of tungsten carbide. The grooves in the ironing dies are non-radial with respect to the center of the opening in the ring so that the fluid has a tangential component of flow and flows in a generally circular pattern within the peripheral confines of the die opening.

Abstract: An internal diameter gauge for measuring thin wall containers is disclosed herein. The gauge includes a pair of mandrel halves that are supported between a shaft and a housing with cooperating camming surfaces on the mandrel halves, the housing and the shaft which move the peripheral semi-circular surfaces of the mandrel halves radially. The camming surfaces on the housing and shaft are biased toward each other through a biasing mechanism between the shaft and the housing while the mandrel halves are biased toward each other through a further biasing mechanism and a handle cooperates with the shaft to displace the shaft and allow the mandrel halves to contract.

Abstract: An easy open ecology end is disclosed herein and includes an end panel that has a removable section defined by a weakened score line. A tab is secured to the removable section and the tab and removable section are designed so that both remain captive with respect to the end panel when the weakened score line is severed. The weakened score line is produced by a unique three step process and has an area of reduced residual which is first severed when a force is applied to the tab so that the container is vented before the remainder of the residual is severed. The tab is designed to produce a localized initial pressure to initially sever the area of reduced residual and then sever the remainder of the score line.

Abstract: An end panel for a container is specifically configured to be able to substantially reduce the metal thickness without sacrificing resistance to bulging and buckling of the panel when subjected to high internal pressures. The end panel consists of a central portion that has an outwardly directed annular bead around the periphery thereof which is connected to a countersink or inwardly directed bead along a flat first wall portion. The outer end of the countersink or inwardly directed bead has a second flat wall portion, the outer end of which is connected to a peripheral curl by a third flat wall portion and the curl is adapted for seaming the end panel to a container body. The first and third flat wall portions of the panel define small acute angles with respect to a vertical plane that extends perpendicular to the central panel portion while the second flat wall portion defines an angle of less than 4.degree. with respect to the vertical plane.

Abstract: A split punch tool for cooperating with a die block to form the wall of a drawn and ironed container is disclosed herein. The split punch or cooperating die includes a female portion that has a peripheral lip that can be placed in overhanging relation to the periphery of the die block and the female portion has a peripheral ledge which extends perpendicular to the direction of movement of the die block and die with respect to each other and also an inclined surface extending from the inner edge of the ledge or inwardly directed surface. The surfaces are adapted to engage mating surfaces defined on the end of a cylindrical member that forms part of the cooperating die so that the ledge defines a perpendicular support for the cylindrical member.

Abstract: Cup feeding means for feeding cups to a drawing and ironing machine having a generally elongated horizontal opening defined by ironing rings and a ram axially aligned with said opening is disclosed herein. The cup feeding mechanism consists of guide means for continuously supplying cups to a station adjacent the opening and an arm pivoted below the guide means and the opening. The arm has an arcuate surface for receiving cups from the guide means and is driven between first and second positions for moving the cups from the guide means into alignment with the opening of the drawing and ironing machine. The cup feeding means also includes stop means located adjacent the opening with the stop means also having an arcuate surface that generally defines an extension of the arcuate surface on the arm so that the cups are positively gripped between the arcuate surfaces when the arm is moved to the second position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling an apertured insert onto a rim extending from the end of a metal container and surrounding an opening therein is disclosed herein. The method contemplates inserting an expandable support member through the aperture in the insert and moving the member into engagement with the inner surface of the end of the container surrounding the opening. The insert is then forced onto the rim of the container while the end panel is supported by the support member. The apparatus consists of a first member for gripping the insert and a second member adapted to pass through the aperture in the insert with expandable means on the second member for extending beyond the periphery of the opening in the container end wall. The apparatus also incorporates drive means for moving the members and the expansible means in synchronized relation to each other.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for supporting and conveying objects or articles, such as can ends, through an electrolytic solution is disclosed herein. The apparatus consists of an endless conveyor that has a plurality of hangers with the hangers being opened to receive objects and closed to grip the article. Each of the hangers has a fixed body with a jaw on the fixed body biased to a closed position. The hanger also has electrically conductive means for accommodating current flow from a fixed cathode track through the jaw to an object being gripped between the jaw and the body so that the articles are automatically coated when the energized articles are passed through a basin containing the solution and a fixed anode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting cracks or flaws in flanges on the ends of metal container bodies is disclosed herein. The method contemplates generating a magnetic field by passing a primary alternating current having a substantially constant rms value through an inductor means and moving the flange through the magnetic field while monitoring the rms value of the total current passing through the coil and comparing the magnitude thereof with a reference value. A signal is produced when the differential between the values of the total current and the reference exceeds a certain level. The apparatus consists of holding means for receiving and holding a container and means for rotating the holding means about an axis to expose different portions of the flange to a fixed probe positioned adjacent the flange.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a reducing neck and a peripheral flange on a free peripheral edge portion of a cylindrical container body is disclosed herein. The apparatus consists of a fixed frame having a waxing station, a necking station, and a flanging station defined thereon. The containers are fed from a source in a synchronized fashion along a path with the axis of the cylindrical bodies of the containers extending vertically and are moved past the waxing station where the cans are rotated relative to fixed brushes to apply lubricant to the outer surface of the peripheral free edge portion. The reduced neck on the container is produced by supporting the containers on a bottom member that is carried on the periphery of a turret and an upper member having an annular die with the bottom member being cammed towards and away from the die to produce the reducing neck of the container.