Process and apparatus for press-forming tubular container-like article from strip, including forward and backward ironing steps

An apparatus for ironing a tubular blank having a tubular portion and a bottom portion which closes one of opposite axial ends of said tubular portion, said apparatus including a columnar ironing punch, a die having a die hole having an ironing surface, and a columnar pushing punch, said ironing punch having an outer surface which cooperates with said ironing surface of said ironing die to iron said tubular portion of said tubular blank in an axial direction of said tubular portion from the other of said opposite ends toward said one of said opposite axial ends, such that said tubular blank placed on said ironing punch with at least a trailing end portion of said ironing punch being positioned within said tubular blank is forced together with said ironing punch into said die hole, with said pushing punch held in pressing contact at one end thereof with an outer surface of said bottom portion of said tubular blank remote from said trailing end portion of said ironing punch, wherein the improvement comprises:

• said pushing punch having a recess formed in an end face at said one end thereof, said recess being defined by a surface which is formed to closely contact said outer surface of said bottom portion of said tubular blank, and a portion of an outer surface of said tubular portion of said tubular blank which is adjacent to said outer surface of said bottom portion.

A method of ironing a tubular portion of a tubular blank having a bottom portion closing one of opposite axial ends of said tubular portion, by cooperation of an outer surface of an ironing punch and an ironing surface of a die hole, such that said tubular blank placed on said ironing punch is forced together with said ironing punch into said die hole, with a pushing punch held in pressing contact at one end thereof with an outer surface of said bottom portion of said tubular blank remote from said ironing punch, to iron said tubular portion of said tubular blank in an axial direction thereof from the other of said opposite axial ends of said tubular portion toward said one of said opposite axial ends, said tubular portion of said tubular blank including a constant-diameter section whose diameter is constant in said axial direction, and a varying-diameter section whose diameter varies in said axial direction and which connects said constant-diameter section and said bottom portion, said method comprising the step of:

• terminating a movement of said tubular blank and said ironing punch into said die hole before an end of said constant-diameter section on the side of said bottom portion has reached one of opposite axial ends of said ironing surface at which an ironing operation on said tubular portion in said axial direction is initiated.