Method of manufacturing formed articles, equipment for practicing same, and formed articles manufactured by the method

A drawing machine comprising

• a punch, and a die having a cavity formed therein corresponding to said punch, said punch being movable relative the die and comprising means for drawing a thin sheet having a relatively low rigidity into said cavity in said die to manufacture a formed article,
• said die is formed with a radiused corner at a mouth of said cavity,
• said punch comprises a core section made of a rigid material and an elastic wall section made of an elastic material and surrounding said core section,
• said elastic wall section has a freely exposed portion spaced apart from said radiused corner, the cross-sectional area of said elastic wall section being larger than that of the mouth of said cavity in said die,
• means for inserting said punch with said core section partially into said cavity of said die with said thin sheet therebetween with said freely exposed portion of said elastic wall section entering said cavity so as to cooperate with said radiused corner such that said thin sheet is drawn while the surface of said thin sheet which is opposite to a face of said thin sheet which is brought into contact with the radiused corner of said die is depressed over said radiused corner of said die by an elastic force of said elastic wall section of said punch substantially throughout the drawing, thereby preventing creation of wrinkles on the formed article.