# US 5,701,776 A · Sloped bottom tank

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- Number: US 5,701,776 A
- Document ID: US5701776A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/490,177
- Filed: 1995-06-14
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1995-06-14
- Assignees: Custom Metalcraft, Inc.
- Inventors: Jerry W. Cowan; Jeffrey K. Felton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701776A

## CPC

- B21D 51/16: characterised by the use of the objects (making heat exchangers B21D53/02)
- B21D 51/18: vessels, e.g. tubs, vats, tanks, sinks, or the like
- B21D 51/38: Making inlet or outlet arrangements of cans, tins, baths, bottles, or other vessels; Making can ends; Making closures
- B23D 31/001: {for trimming deep drawn products (combined with deep-drawing presses B21D24/16)}
- Y10T 83/7487: Means to clamp work
- Y10T 83/7573: Including clamping face of specific structure
- B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F)
- B23D: PLANING; SLOTTING; SHEARING; BROACHING; SAWING; FILING; SCRAPING; LIKE OPERATIONS FOR WORKING METAL BY REMOVING MATERIAL, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (making toothed gears or the like B23F; cutting metal by applying heat locally B23K; arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An improved tank configuration includes a die employed to stamp a formed member. The formed member may be used as the bottom head for a portable liquid container, and is constructed so that all welding is eliminated in the corner portions of the container. A trim machine is employed to remove uneven edges from the formed part. The invention is particularly useful in constructing sloped bottom tanks of increased depth. By the present invention, a stamped configuration is provided in which a draw formed tank bottom is formed so as to allow complete and full drainage of the tank bottom. The bottom head is finish trimmed to exact dimensions so as to facilitate assembly to the shell of the tank.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming the bottom of a tank for liquids, said tank having generally upwardly extending sides and a sloped bottom for complete drainage of liquid from the tank, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a generally flat plate member;
(b) providing a head forming device having punch and die members, said punch member having at least one raised edge portion;
(c) positioning said plate member in said head forming device;
(d) forming said plate member in said head forming device by deforming said flat plate member against said punch and die members to provide a bottom wall portion having at least one downwardly sloping surface and upwardly extending side wall portions which extend continuously around the periphery of said bottom wall portion;
(e) providing a trim machine having cutting means and plate support means;
(f) providing said plate support means with at least one shim bar mounted on an outside edge thereof and a spacer bar mounted on said at least one shim bar so as to form a raised edge portion;
(g) positioning said formed plate member on said plate support means; and
(h) operating said cutting means of the trim machine to trim the side wall portions of said formed sheet member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including the further step of forming a drain opening in the bottom wall portion of the sheet member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including the further step of forming an upward crease in the bottom wall portion of the sheet member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein a drain opening is provided in the bottom wall portion and the crease extends generally in the direction of a line passing through the drain opening and the central region of the bottom wall portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said cutting means includes a pair of reciprocating shear blades operated by piston and cylinder members.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the trim machine includes a pedestal on which the plate support means is mounted, said pedestal having means to rotate the plate support means by 90 degrees in either direction about a vertical axis of said formed sheet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the corners of the sheet member are trimmed off prior to forming said sheet member in the head forming die.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein said bottom wall is smoothly contoured so as to slope generally upwardly from said drain opening toward each side wall.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the formed sheet member is clamped to keep it in a stabilized position during the operation of said cutting means.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said plate member is of a generally rectangular shape.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said plate member is of a generally rectangular shape and tapered so that one side of the plate is shorter than the opposite side thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including the step of shimming said at least one shim bar before mounting said spacer bar on said at least one shim bar.

### Claim 13

A method for forming the bottom of a tank for liquids, said tank having generally upwardly extending sides and a sloped bottom for complete drainage of liquid from the tank, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a generally flat, rectangular plate member;
(b) tapering said plate member into a trapezoidal shape with one side of the plate member being longer than the opposite side thereof;
(c) providing a head forming device having punch and die members, said punch member having at least one raised edge portion;
(d) positioning said plate member in said head forming device;
(e) forming said plate member in said head forming device by deforming said flat plate member against said punch and die members to provide a bottom wall portion having at least one downwardly sloping surface and upwardly extending side wall portions which extend continuously around the periphery of said bottom wall portion;
(f) providing a trim machine having cutting means and plate support means;
(g) providing said plate support means with a pair of spacer bars mounted on respective adjacent edges of said plate support means so as to form intersecting raised edge portions;
(h) positioning said formed plate member on said plate support means so that the side of said formed plate member which corresponds to the longer side of the plate member of step (b) is positioned over one of said intersecting raised edge portions; and
(i) operating said cutting means of the trim machine to trim the side wall portions of said formed sheet member.