Die guide for a container necker

A method of reducing a diameter of an open end of a container body, comprising:

• positioning the container body in a necking apparatus comprising:
• a housing with a body, an interior cavity, and a center axis;
• a necking die retained in the interior cavity;
• a knockout retained in the interior cavity, the knockout concentrically aligned with the necking die and the center axis;
• an outer guide operably interconnected to the housing and which has a first end facing a free end of the housing, a second end, and a central bore that extends through the first and second ends;
• a die guide operably engaged to the housing and selectively moveable into the central bore from a first clamping position to a second necking position, the die guide including a first end facing the housing and a flange which extends inwardly into a cylindrical bore formed through the die guide;
• a biasing element secured to the housing to apply a force to the die guide;
• and
• a keeper interconnected to the second end of the outer guide;
• engaging a shoulder of the container body with the flange of the die guide in the first clamping position;
• moving the die guide from the first clamping position to the second necking position relative to the housing such that the open end of the container body engages the necking die to perform a necking operation to reduce the diameter of the open end;
• and
• discharging the container body from the necking apparatus.

A die guide to align an open end of a container body with a necking die of a necking apparatus, comprising:

• a body with a first end and a second end;
• a cylindrical bore extending through the first and second ends which is sized to receive the container body;
• a flange extending from the body of the die guide into the cylindrical bore, the flange configured to engage a shoulder of the container body;
• a passage extending into the first end that is adapted to receive a biasing element;
• and
• a flute extending from the second end toward the first end, the flute having a first height to limit a stroke of the die guide to a first length when a projection of a keeper interconnected to the necking apparatus is positioned in the flute.