초록 ▼

A system for reconfiguring generally cylindrical, open-top containers that are formed from deformable metal utilizes a press to force bottom portions of a container into a die to carry out a drawing operation that alters bottom and side wall portions of the containers to elongate the containers and

A system for reconfiguring generally cylindrical, open-top containers that are formed from deformable metal utilizes a press to force bottom portions of a container into a die to carry out a drawing operation that alters bottom and side wall portions of the containers to elongate the containers and to provide the containers with tapered, fluted side portions that enable the reconfigured containers to be nested for empty shipment and storage in a minimum of space. As containers are reconfigured, the decrease that results in fluid-carrying capacity as side wall portions are fluted and folded inwardly is compensated for, at least in large part, by elongating the containers as by folding peripheral portions of their bottom walls upwardly to serve as extensions of their side walls. Containers such as industrial drums formed from steel and having rolled seams or the like which extend circumferentially about their bottom walls to join the bottom walls with the side walls are reconfigurable utilizing the system of this invention, and the reconfiguration preferably is effected without distorting the rims of the drums, and without causing a loss in fluid-carrying integrity or capacity. The system of the invention is advantageously utilized to effect reconfiguration of reusable industrial drums to at least double the empty drum containing capacity of valuable transportation and storage space.

대표청구항 ▼

A nestable container that is formed as a product of a process that includes the steps of: (a) providing an open-top container that is formed from metal and that has upstanding, generally cylindrical side wall means including an uninterrupted band of metal sheet stock arranged in a ring-like band for

A nestable container that is formed as a product of a process that includes the steps of: (a) providing an open-top container that is formed from metal and that has upstanding, generally cylindrical side wall means including an uninterrupted band of metal sheet stock arranged in a ring-like band for defining a side wall that extends with substantially uniform diameter between spaced, opposed ends thereof, with the side wall including rim formation means defined adjacent one of the ends thereof for surrounding an upwardly facing opening that is of substantially the same diameter as is the uniform diameter of the side wall, and that has a circular bottom wall formed from metal sheet stock that is connected by a circumferentially extending seam to the other of the opposed ends for closing said other end and to cooperate with the side wall to form a generally cylindrical, open-top container having a length that extends along an imaginary axis that extends centrally through the container coaxially with the side wall means, and having a capability to receive and contain a quantity of fluid as by filling the open-top container to its rim formation; and, (b) reconfiguring the generally cylindrical, open-top container to provide a container that has (1) side portions that are substantially unchanged in configuration in the vicinity of the rim formation so as to render the upwardly facing opening unchanged in size and dimension, (2) side portions that are tapered along at least a majority of the said length so as to effectively diminish the diameter of the reconfigured container as the side wall approaches the seam that connects the side wall to the bottom wall, (3) a plurality of tapered flute formations extending along the side portions from a position spaced from the rim formation and being defined by a plurality of smoothly curved surface features that are introduced into the side wall to give the side wall a tapered, fluted configuration that narrows in diameter as it approaches the bottom wall, (4) with the flute formations extending across the seam that connects the side wall to the bottom wall, (5) with the bottom wall having central portions thereof moved axially from the vicinity of the seam in a direction away from the rim formation so as to effectively elongate the container and to define a circular container bottom having an outer diameter that is smaller than is the diameter of the side wall in the vicinity of the rim, (6) with such peripheral portions of the bottom wall as extend between the seam and the container bottom serving to provide complexly configured transition surfaces that connect the bottom with the fluted side wall, are located in the vicinity of the seam being reconfigured to provide smooth transitions therebetween, and (7) with the integrity of the seam being preserved such that the resulting reconfigured container retains its fluid-carrying capability. A nestable, open-top container, comprising: (a) side wall means including an uninterrupted generally cylindrical, ring-like band of metal that extends about a central axis between an upper end region and a lower end region to define; (i) upper end formation means including a portion of the side wall means that defines a rim formation that surrounds an upwardly facing, circular opening for introducing contents into and for removing contents from the container, with the upper end formation means also defining a side wall portion that depends coaxially along the central axis from the rim formation and is of substantially constant diameter; (ii) fluted, tapered wall means including a portion of the side wall means that joins contiguously with the upper end formation means and depends along the central axis, with the fluted, tapered wall means having been formed as by reconfiguring the side wall means starting with the ring-like band having a substantially uniform diameter that extends between the upper end region and the lower end region; (b) bottom wall means including an uninterrupted piece of metal that has a central portion that defines a container bottom that extends transverse to and is intersected by the central axis at a location along the axis spaced beneath the fluted, tapered wall means, and that has peripheral portions that that join contiguously with the central portion for providing a smooth transition between the container bottom and the fluted, tapered wall means, with the bottom wall means having been formed during said reconfiguring of the side wall means as by starting with said piece of metal being generally circular and being circumferentially connected as by a seam to the bottom end region of the side wall means; and, (c) the fluted, tapered wall means being configured to cooperate with the peripheral portions to provide the container with an upstanding side wall that is tapered along at least a majority of its length so as to effectively diminish the diameter of the container as the side wall approaches the container bottom, with the fluted, tapered wall means including a plurality of tapered flute formations extending substantially the full length therealong, with the flute formations being of substantially identical configuration as compared one with another, with the flute formations being provided at substantially equally spaced locations about the circumference of the container bottom, with there being an even number of the flute formations whereby the flute formations are arranged in opposed pairs so as to extend along opposite site sides of the side wall, across the seam that is formed between the bottom end region of the side wall and the circumference of the peripheral portions, and with the integrity of the seam being preserved such that the resulting nestable container maintains a fluid-carrying capability.