Apparatus and method for strengthening bottom of container

Apparatus for reforming a thin-walled, drawn and ironed container body having an outer wall that is disposed around a container axis, an annular supporting surface, an outer connecting portion that interconnects said outer wall and said supporting surface, and a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of said supporting surface, said bottom recess portion comprising a generally concave center panel and an inner wall that disposes said center panel above said supporting surface, said apparatus comprising:

• a tooling device comprising a body and a tooling element that is operatively attached to said body, said tooling element comprising first and second reforming rollers which are positioned about 180.degree. apart;
• means for positioning said tooling element within an exterior space defined by said inner wall and said center panel of said bottom recess portion of said container body;
• first means for providing relative transverse movement between said tooling element and all of said container body;
• and
• means, comprising said tooling element, and comprising said first means for providing relative transverse movement between said tooling element and said container body, for reworking at least a part of said inner wall into an upwardly and outwardly orientation relative to said supporting surface and said axis, respectively, said means for reworking comprising second means for providing relative movement between said tooling element and said container body to relatively advance said first and second reforming rollers about said inner wall.

Apparatus for reforming a thin-walled, drawn and ironed container body having an outer wall that is disposed around a container axis, an annular supporting surface, an outer connecting portion that interconnects said outer wall and said supporting surface, and a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of said supporting surface, said bottom recess portion comprising a generally concave center panel and an inner wall that disposes said center panel above said supporting surface, said apparatus comprising:

• a tooling device comprising a body and a tooling element that is operatively attached to said body, said tooling element comprising at least one reforming roller:
• means for positioning said tooling element within an exterior space defined by said inner wall and said center panel of said bottom recess portion of said container body;
• first means for providing relative transverse movement between said tooling element and all of said container body, said first means for providing relative transverse movement comprising engaging means for providing relative transverse movement between said tooling element and said container body to engage said tooling element with at least a portion of said inner wall and disengaging means for providing relative transverse movement between said tooling element and said container body to disengage said tooling element from said inner wall;
• and
• means, comprising said tooling element, and comprising said first means for providing relative transverse movement between said tooling element and said container body, for reworking at least a part of said inner wall into an upwardly and outwardly orientation relative to said supporting surface and said axis, respectively, said means for reworking comprising second means for providing relative movement between said tooling element and said container body to relatively advance said tooling element about said inner wall.

A method for reforming a thin-walled, drawn and ironed container body with at least one reforming roller, said container body having an outer wall that is disposed around a container axis, an annular supporting surface, and outer connecting portion that interconnects said outer wall and said supporting surface, and a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of said supporting surface, said bottom recess portion comprising a generally concave center panel and an inner wall that disposes said center panel above said supporting surface, said inner wall being in a first orientation, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing relative transverse movement between each said reforming roller and all of said container body to engage each said reforming roller with at least part of said inner wall;
• moving each said reforming roller relative to said container body about said inner wall;
• changing said inner wall from said first orientation to a second orientation using said providing relative transverse movement to engage and said moving steps, wherein said second orientation comprises at least part of said inner wall extending upwardly and outwardly relative to said supporting surface and said container axis, respectively;
• and
• providing relative transverse movement between each said reforming roller and all of said container body to disengage each said reforming roller from said inner wall after said changing step.

A method for reforming a thin-walled, drawn and ironed container body with at least one reforming roller, said container body having an outer wall that is disposed around a container axis, an annular supporting surface, an outer connecting portion that interconnects said outer wall and said supporting surface, and a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of said supporting surface, said bottom recess portion comprising a generally concave center panel and an inner wall that disposes said center panel above said supporting surface, said inner wall being in a first orientation, said method comprising the steps of:

• engaging each said reforming roller with said inner wall;
• moving each said reforming roller relative to said container body about said inner wall;
• and
• circumferentially changing said inner wall from said first orientation to a second orientation using said engaging said moving steps, wherein said second orientation comprises at least part of said inner wall extending upwardly relative to said supporting surface and outwardly relative to said container axis.

A method for increasing at least one strength characteristic of a thin-walled, drawn and ironed container body having an outer wall that is disposed around a container axis, an annular supporting surface, an outer connecting portion that interconnects said outer wall and said supporting surface, and a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of said supporting surface, said bottom recess portion comprising a generally concave center panel and an inner wall that disposes said center panel above said supporting surface, said inner wall and said center panel being interconnected by an arcuate portion having a radius, said inner wall being in a first orientation, said method comprising the steps of:

• reforming at least part of said inner wall;
• changing said inner wall from said first orientation to a second orientation using said reforming step, said second orientation comprising at least part of said inner wall extending upwardly relative to said supporting surface and outwardly relative to said container axis;
• and
• increasing said radius of said arcuate portion using said reforming step.

A method for reforming a thin-walled, drawn and ironed container body having an outer wall that is disposed around a container axis, an annular supporting surface, an outer connecting portion that interconnects said outer wall and said supporting surface, and a bottom recess portion that is disposed radially inwardly of said supporting surface, said bottom recess portion comprising a generally concave center panel and an inner wall that disposes said center panel above said supporting surface, said inner wall being in a first orientation, said method comprising the steps of:

• engaging a first portion of said inner wall with a first reforming roller;
• engaging a second portion of said inner wall with a second reforming roller simultaneously with said engaging a first portion step, wherein said first and second portions of said inner wall are substantially diametrically opposed;
• providing relative movement between said first and second reforming rollers and all of said container body to relatively advance said first and second rollers about said inner wall;
• and
• changing said inner wall from said first orientation to a second orientation using said engaging a first portion step, said engaging a second portion step, and said advancing step, said second orientation comprising at least a portion of said inner wall extending upwardly relative to said supporting surface and outwardly relative to said axis.