Retainer ring for a wire package and method of making the same

Abstract

A retainer ring for use in a welding wire package wherein the package houses a coil of welding wire positioned in a coil receiving cavity in the package. The coil extends about a vertically extending coil axis and includes a coil bottom, an oppositely facing coil top, a radially extending outer cylindrical surface and a radially inner cylindrical surface. The ring haves an annular ring body extending about a ring axis with an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge. The ring body further includes a top surface extending between the outer and inner peripheral edges and an oppositely facing bottom surface extending between the outer and inner peripheral edges. The bottom surface of the body can be configured to rest on the coil top and the outer peripheral edge is sized to allow the ring to descend within the wire receiving cavity as the wire is unwound from the wire coil. The ring body further includes a thickness between the top and the bottom surfaces of the ring body such that the ring body can be rigid. The ring body further includes a plurality of upwardly opened pockets each having a pocket depth and a pocket perimeter and have a pocket density less than the density of the ring body.