Punch stripper ring knock-out for pressware die sets

A method of making a pressed disposable food service article having a substantially planar bottom portion, a sidewall portion and a rim portion comprising:

• positioning a container blank in a reciprocating pressware die set including a male punch and a female die mounted to reciprocate cyclically between an open position and a forming position, said punch being a segmented punch comprising:
• (i) outer punch means for forming said sidewall and rim portions of said pressed disposable food service article;
• (ii) central punch means suitably mounted inwardly with respect to said outer punch means, wherein said central punch means and optionally said outer punch means define a substantially planar punch surface configured to engage said substantially planar bottom portion of said article during a forming cycle;
• and
• (iii) a knock-out stripper member disposed inwardly with respect to the outer punch means juxtaposed with said substantially planar punch surface defining an annular knock-out surface and being reciprocally mounted with respect to said substantially planar punch surface such that said knock-out surface is contiguous with said substantially planar punch surface when said punch is in said forming position and wherein further said knock-out surface of said knock-out stripper member projects axially from said substantially planar punch surface towards said female die when said die set reciprocates towards said open position and wherein the area of said knock-out surface is from about 6 to about 30% of the surface area of said substantially planar punch surface of said punch;
• and
• pressing said container blank in said pressware die set.