US 5,160,031 AGranted

Nestable container and method of making

AssigneeBerwick Manufacturing, Inc.

InventorsStephen P. Palisin, Jr., Raymond J. Keller

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An open-top container that is generally circular in cross-section and is formed from deformable metal by utilizing a press to force bottom portions of an upwardly opening workpiece into a die to carry out drawing operations that alter bottom and side wall portions of the workpiece to elongate the workpiece and to provide the workpiece with tapered, fluted side portions that enable the resulting container to be nested with a like container for empty shipment and storage in a minimum of space. As a part of the container configuration process, each container is provided with a pluraltiy of vertically extending "flutes" that extend along the side walls of the container, and with at least one ring-like formation that serves to enhance container strength, container stability and/or container handling characteristics. In preferred practice, each container is provided with a pair of vertically spaced, circumferentially extending ring-like formations that are located atop upper end regions of the vertically extending flutes, with these ring formations being provided by expanding upper side wall portions of the container. In preferred practice, each container also is provided with one press-formed, downwardly extending ring-like formation that provides a juncture between the container's fluted side wall and a raised bottom wall portion that is of substantially circular configuration. The depending ring formation preferably provides a planar bottom surface for supporting the container atop a flat surface with good stability.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A nestable container that is formed as a product of a process utilizing an open-top metal work piece having sheet stock arranged in an uninterrupted ring-like band defining a side wall that extends with substantially uniform diameter between spaced ends, the side wall including a rim formation adjacent one of the ends for surrounding an opening that is of substantially the same diameter as the side wall, the work piece also having a metal sheet stock bottom wall connected circumferentially to and closing the other end and cooperating with the side wall to form an open-top work piece, the process comprising configuring the work piece into a container that has:

(a) first side wall portions that are substantially unchanged in configuration near the rim formation to maintain the opening unchanged in size and shape,
(b) second side wall portions that are tapered along at least a majority of the length of the side walls to diminish the diameter of the container as the side wall approaches the bottom wall,
(c) third side wall portions that extend between and provide a contiguous and uninterrupted connection between the first and second side wall portions,
(d) a plurality of tapered flute formations extending along the second side wall portions and being defined by a plurality of smoothly curved surfaces that are introduced into the second side wall portions to give the second side wall portions a tapered, fluted configuration that narrows in diameter as it approaches the bottom wall, the flute formations extending across the connection of the second side wall portions to peripheral portions of the bottom wall,
(e) the bottom wall having a substantially circular central portion thereof that is moved axially from the vicinity of the connection in a direction extending away from the rim formation to effectively elongate the container and to define a circular container bottom having an outer diameter that is smaller than is the diameter of the first side wall portions, peripheral portions of the bottom wall extending from the vicinity of the connection toward the central portion of the bottom wall being complexly configured transition surfaces that extend the flute formations downwardly from the vicinity of the connection and curve radially inwardly toward the central portion,
(f) the bottom wall including a depending ring-like formation circumferentially surrounding the central portion providing a contiguous and uninterrupted connection between the peripheral portions of the bottom wall and the central portion;
and
(g) the side and bottom walls including their connection being imperforate such that the container has a fluid-carrying capability.

5 more elements

A nestable, open-top container comprising:

(a) a ring-like band of metal that extends about a central axis between an upper end region and a lower end region including:
(i) an upper section including a rim formation that surrounds an opening for introducing contents into and for removing contents from the container, the upper end section also including a substantially constant diameter first side wall portion that depends coaxially along the central axis from the rim formation;
(ii) a second side wall portion, the second wall portion being a fluted, tapered wall portion joined contiguously with the upper section and depending along the central axis from the section;
(iii) the fluted, tapered wall portion being spaced downwardly from the rim formation and extending to the lower end region;
(b) a bottom wall connected to the fluted, tapered wall portion and including an uninterrupted piece of metal having a central portion providing a container bottom transverse to and intersected by the central axis with the central portion being spaced beneath the fluted, tapered wall portion when the container is upright;
(c) the bottom having a peripheral portion joined contiguously with the central portion and providing a smooth transition between the container bottom and the fluted, tapered wall portion;
(d) the bottom wall means and the sidewall means having been formed during a die produced configuration of the side wall portion;
(e) the fluted, tapered wall portion having flutes and tapers extending continuously from said upper section to said bottom connection, the flutes being joined with like produced flute extensions in the peripheral portion providing an upstanding side wall that is tapered and fluted along at least a majority of its length with a diminishing diameter from the upper section to the bottom;
and
(f) at least a selected one of the side wall and the bottom being provided with ring-like formation located near a selected one of said upper and lower end regions of said sidewall, with the ring-like formation defining an inwardly facing trough that opens into the interior of the container, and with the ring-like formation being engageable to at least assist in supporting the container.

7 more elements

An apparatus for reconfiguring a generally cylindrical work piece having a generally cylindrical side wall of substantially uniform diameter extending between an open end defined by one end region of the side wall, and a closed end that is defined by a generally circular bottom wall that is connected to an opposed end region of the side wall circumferentially about the wall, to provide a container that is tapered to narrow in diameter along the length of its side wall with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, inwardly tapering ribs extending along a least a majority of the length of the side wall and extending across the connection of the side wall to the bottom wall and extending into portions of the bottom wall, such container being nestable within portions of a like container, comprising:

(a) die means having an open ended cavity of generally circular cross section for receiving the closed end region of the work piece, the cavity having a plurality of projections that taper inwardly for forming tapering ribs in the side wall and bottom wall of the container, and having bottom means configured for providing containers each with a depending ring-like support formation that surrounds a central region of the bottom wall;
(b) ram means for inserting into the work piece to engage portions of the inside surface of the bottom wall to force the container into the die cavity for reconfiguring the work piece by positioning the work piece for movement into the die cavity, and by forcing the ram into contact with interior surface portions of the bottom wall to force the work piece into the die cavity to form a container that is tapered narrowing in diameter along the length of its side wall, the container having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, inwardly tapering ribs extending along at least a majority of the length of the side wall and extending across the connection of the side wall to the bottom wall and extending to portions of the bottom wall to provide a container that is nestable within portions of a like container;
and,
(c) the ram means being configured to cooperate with the die means for providing containers each with a depending ring-like support formation that surrounds a central region of the bottom wall of the container.

1 more element

A nestable, open-top container comprising:

(a) a ring-like band of metal that extends about a central axis between an upper end region and a lower end region including:
(i) an upper section including a rim formation that surrounds an opening for introducing contents into and for removing contents from the container, the upper end section also including a substantially constant diameter first side wall portion that depends coaxially along the central axis from the rim formation;
(ii) a second side wall portion, the second wall portion being a fluted, tapered wall portion joined contiguously with the upper section and depending along the central axis from the section;
(iii) the fluted, tapered wall portion being spaced downwardly from the rim formation and extending to the lower end region;
(b) a bottom wall connected to the fluted, tapered wall portion and including an uninterrupted piece of metal having a central portion providing a container bottom transverse to and intersected by the central axis with the central portion being spaced beneath the fluted, tapered wall portion when the container is upright;
(c) the bottom having a peripheral portion joined contiguously with the central portion and providing a smooth transition between the container bottom and the fluted, tapered wall portion;
(d) the fluted, tapered wall portion having flutes and tapers extending continuously from said upper section to said bottom connection, the flutes being joined with like produced flute extensions in the peripheral portion providing an upstanding side wall that is tapered and fluted along at least a majority of its length with a diminishing diameter from the upper section to the bottom;
and
(e) at least a selected one of the side wall and the bottom being provided with ring-like formation located near a selected one of said upper and lower end regions of said sidewall, with the ring-like formation defining an inwardly facing trough that opens into the interior of the container, and with the ring-like formation being engageable to at least assist in supporting the container.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/746,480Filed 16 Aug 1991 · continuation
Priority: 14 Nov 1988
Granted: 3 Nov 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B65D 1/165
Of curved cross-section, e.g. cylindrical: cylindrical cans
B21D 1/08
Removing local distortions: of hollow bodies made from sheet metal
B21D 51/2646
Cans or tins; Closing same in a permanent manner: of particular non cylindrical shape, e.g. conical, rectangular, polygonal, bulged
B65D 1/26
Boxes or like containers with side walls of substantial depth for enclosing contents: thin-walled containers, e.g. formed by deep-drawing operations

Family

Serial271,157Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Nov 1988
Serial270,123Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Nov 1988
Serial270,122Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Nov 1988
Serial299,957Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Jan 1989
Serial372,300Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Jun 1989
Serial495,856Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Mar 1990
Serial495,853Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Mar 1990
US 4,909,393 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Mar 1990
US 5,040,682 AParent of this continuation · filed 20 Aug 1991
US 5,160,031 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.