US 6,543,268 B2Granted

Deep drawn candle can with formed safety bottom

AssigneeJ. L. Clark, Inc.

InventorsChet Wright, Walter P. Pietruch, Richard L. Peterson

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Abstract

A seamless candle can is formed in a blank and draw operation, and includes a complex bottom structure formed at the end of the drawing process. The bottom structure includes an annular base which occupies less than 30% of the area of the bottom surface, and a raised central platform for supporting a wick structure. The platform is raised at least 0.25 inch above the container bottom. A gently sloping surface joins the annular support ring to the central platform. The distance by which the platform is raised and the angle of the connecting surface are adapted to prevent overstretching of the material during the formation of the bottom, so as to prevent the formation of holes in the seamless can which would cause leaks. The central platform serves to support a wick sustainer at a location above the bottom of the can in order to reduce the possibility of flash-over.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of forming a candle can including the steps of:

deep drawing a cylindrical blank to produce a can having an upstanding cylindrical wall having a height which is at least 50% of the diameter of the cylinder;
near the end of the deep drawing operation stamping a complex shape in the center of the blank to form a can bottom, the complex shape including;
a peripheral annular ring forming the base of the bottom and occupying no more than about 30% of the cylinder diameter, and
a central dome having a bottom wall surface and a mounting surface, the mounting surface raised from the bottom by at least {fraction (3/16)} inches to form a seat for locating and supporting a wick sustainer, the bottom wall surface joining the mounting surface to the peripheral annular ring;
and
forming the angle of the dome bottom wall surface with respect to a plane through the annular ring sufficiently shallow to allow formation of the peripheral annular ring and the central dome without puncture of the bottom during the metal stretching occasioned during stamping of the bottom configuration.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.