A can seaming apparatus including a frame, a can handling assembly, a can driving assembly and a seaming assembly. The can seaming apparatus is configured to seal a lid to a can through a double seam can seal. The can is positioned and clamped between an upper and a lower chuck. The can driving assembly spins the can and the upper and lower chucks about an axis. The seaming assembly includes two rollers which can selectively be directed to engage the can to form the necessary crimping operations.

A ram support assembly for use in a can bodymaker includes a yolk body for coupling with an end of a ram body of a ram extending from a first side of the yolk body. The yolk body is configured to be coupled to, and be driven by, an operating mechanism of the can bodymaker that is coupled to a second side of the yolk body opposite the first side via a connection arrangement. The ram support assembly also includes a slide arrangement coupled to the yolk body and configured to be coupled to a frame of the can bodymaker such that the yolk body can move linearly with respect to the frame. The slide arrangement includes: a number of rails, and a number of carriage members, wherein each rail of the number of rails has at least one carriage member of the number of carriage members slidingly engaged therewith.

A can seamer comprising a frame, a lower chuck, an upper chuck, a first and second seam forming assembly, a seam drive assembly and a motor. The upper chuck having an axle. The seam forming assemblies including a first roller. The seam drive assembly includes a cam, a first roller follower and a second roller follower. A cam transmission assembly includes a drive gear rotatably coupled to the axle, an idler assembly and a cam gear coupled to the cam. The idler assembly includes an idler axle that is spaced apart from the axle. A first idler gear engages the drive gear, and a second idler gear with the first and second idler gears being rotatably coupled to the idler axle. The cam gear engages the second idler gear. The motor has an output shaft rotatably coupled to the axle.

A feed apparatus for successive processing of hollow bodies at processing stations which are arranged in a ring-shaped manner, to a necking machine for successive processing of hollow bodies, to a method for successive feeding of hollow bodies at processing stations which are arranged in a ring-shaped manner, and to a corresponding computer program. In order to allow a relatively large number of processing stations to be provided, without there being an excessive space requirement or similarly inefficient resource utilization, a feed apparatus is proposed for successive processing of hollow bodies at processing stations which are arranged in a ring-shaped manner, having a first circulating guide for first processing stations and a second circulating guide for second processing stations, one of the guides being arranged within the other guide, and having a moving unit for moving a hollow body into the first guide and/or the second guide.

According to one embodiment a necking machine is provided for containers with an open end. The necking machine may comprise a plurality of holding stations for containers and a plurality of tool stations contiguous and opposing the holding station. The tool stations being movable with respect to each other. The machine also includes an inspection device for containers that includes a light detector for detecting light in the interior of each container. The inspection device is attached to a tool station such that the inspection device shifts together with the tool station with respect to the container during the inspection of the container. Light communication of the light detector with the interior of the container being maintained during the inspection.

A rotatable forming apparatus and a method for modifying a shape of a container. The rotatable forming apparatus includes a frame and a forming turret assembly. The forming turret assembly connects to the frame and includes a drive shaft, a fixed turret portion, a turret starwheel, an axially moveable turret portion and forming ram assemblies. The forming ram assemblies extend around and connect to the axially movable turret portion. Each of the forming ram assemblies includes cam followers, a forming die, a knockout tooling device and a drive cylinder. The cam followers are configured to follow a cam as the cam rotates. The forming die is operatively connected to the cam followers such that the forming die moves in the vertical direction while following the cam. The drive cylinder causes axial movement of the knockout tooling device and is configured to operate independently of the forming die.

A symmetric, modular base for a can processing system. The base includes a leg portion comprising a plurality of openings adapted for receiving at least one of a transfer star wheel and a turret mechanism configured to perform a working operation on an article. The base further includes a first foot portion extending from a first side of the leg portion. The base further includes a second foot portion extending from the second side of the leg portion. The base further includes a plurality of openings in the first foot portion and the second foot portion, the plurality of openings of the first and second foot portion providing access to an interior portion of the base. The base is generally symmetric about a center line drawn vertically through a midpoint of the leg portion of the base between the first foot portion and the second foot portion to allow for mounting of components on either a first side or a second side of the base.

A can bodymaker, which includes a disc feed (1) for feeding a disc (5) directly to the bodymaker itself. A locator (9) positions the disc (5) centrally to a blankholder (12) and a draw pad (10) clamps the disc (5) against a draw die (11). The blankholder (12) then forms the disc into a cup (20) and clamps the cup against a redraw die (14) ready to be picked up by a punch and carried through dies for forming a can body.

A method of reducing a thickness and increasing a height of a cylindrical wall of a metal cup to form a can body comprises positioning a wall-ironing punch (40) inside the cup, moving an annular wall-ironing die (24) axially over the closed end of the cup towards the open end of the cup, but not beyond the open end of the cup, in order to iron the cylindrical wall from the closed end up to a position axially spaced from the open end and moving the wall-ironing die (24) back in an opposite direction to remove the can body from the die (24). Methods of altering a diameter of one or more regions of a can body are also disclosed.

Methods and compositions, including nucleotide sequences, amino acid sequences, and host cells, for producing fatty alcohols are described.