Expanding die and method of shaping containers
AssigneeAlcoa Inc.
InventorsGary L. Myers, Anthony Fedusa, Robert E. Dick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides an expansion die for manufacturing containers including a work surface including a progressively expanding portion and a land portion; and an undercut portion positioned following the land portion of the work surface. The present invention further provides a process for manufacturing shaped containers including providing a container stock having a first diameter; expanding at least a portion of the container stock to a second diameter with at least one expansion die; and forming an end of the container stock to accept a container lid.
Claims11
An expansion die for manufacturing metal containers comprising:
- a work surface configured to expand a diameter of a metal container having a closed bottom, the work surface comprising a progressively expanding portion and a land portion;
- and
- an undercut portion;
- wherein the land portion is between the progressively expanding portion and the undercut portion and an outer diameter of the land portion is a maximum diameter of the die;
- wherein the undercut portion comprises:
- (a) an undercut surface;
- and
- (b) an outer diameter of the undercut surface, wherein the outer diameter of the undercut surface is :
- (i) at least approximately 0.01 inches smaller than the outer diameter of the land portion;
- and
- (ii) no less than a minimum diameter so as to reduce but not eliminate frictional contact between the undercut surface and the metal container;
- and
- wherein the work surface is dimensioned so that when inserted into the metal container the entire land portion and at least a portion of the undercut portion enter the metal container causing the diameter of the at least a portion of the container to expand.
A die system comprising:
- one or more expansion dies, at least one of the one or more expansion dies comprises:
- a work surface configured to expand a diameter of a metal container having a closed bottom, the work surface comprising a progressively expanding portion and a land portion;
- and an undercut portion;
- wherein the land portion is between the progressively expanding portion and the undercut portion and an outer diameter of the land portion is a maximum diameter of the die;
- wherein the undercut portion comprises:
- (a) an undercut surface;
- and
- (b) an outer diameter of the undercut surface wherein the outer diameter of the undercut surface is:
- (i) at least approximately 0.01 inches smaller than the outer diameter of the land portion;
- and
- (ii) no less than a minimum diameter so as to reduce but not eliminate frictional contact between the undercut surface and the metal container;
- and
- wherein the work surface is dimensioned so that when inserted into the metal container the entire land portion and at least a portion of the undercut portion enter the metal container causing the diameter of the at least a portion of the container to expand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.