Container end and forming systems therefor

In a method of forming a container end, the steps of

• a) feeding a thin strip of metal along a predetermined path;
• b) forming disc shaped blanks from the thin strip of metal;
• c) creating integral flexible connections between the blanks and the thin strip of metal, the flexible connections extending from the outer edge of each blank to the edge of the surrounding material from which the blank is formed;
• d) forming the blanks into inverted cup forms including a closed end and an open edge attached to the strip of material
• e) forming a dome region on the closed end of each cup form;
• f) forming a neck including a cylindrical wall extending upwardly of the dome region and an opening at the top of the neck defined by a lip;
• g) forming an outwardly extending curt on the lip around the opening;
• h) forming multiple thread lugs around and protruding outward from the neck by reforming portions of the wall of the neck into a plurality of circumferentially aligned spaced apart lugs projecting outwardly from the neck in predetermined alignment about the neck and at a predetermined spacing from said curl, and
• continuing with steps a) to g):
• whereby steps a) to g) are performed sequentially at successive stations and the thin metal strip is advanced from one station to the next between the forming steps.