Abstract: A plurality of rotatable attracting units are mounted on a rotary member each for attracting the bottom of one can barrel supplied from a supply path in a first position. Each of the attracting units is inactivatable to release the can barrel onto a conveyor path in a second position after the can barrel has been rotated by the rotary member through a prescribed angle from the first position to the second position. A holder is disposed for holding in the first position the can barrels, one at a time, supplied from the supply path while centrally aligning the bottom of the can barrel with the center of rotation of the attracting unit. The holder includes, in the first position below the the supply path, a rotary body having a plurality of recessed defined in an outer periphery thereof each for supporting a side of a can barrel supplied from the supply path, and a drive device for intermittently rotating the rotary body in synchronism with the rotary member.

Abstract: A plurality of rotatable attracting units are mounted on a rotary member each for attracting the bottom of one of the can barrels supplied from a supply path in a first position. Each attracting unit is inactivatable to release the one can barrel onto a conveyor path in a second position after the one can barrel has been rotated by the rotary member through a prescribed angle from the first position to the second position. A holder is disposed in the first position for holding the can barrels, one at a time, supplied from the supply path while centrally aligning the bottom of the can barrel with the center of rotation of the attracting unit in the first position. The attracting unit is stopped by a retarder against rotation about its own axis when the attracting unit is moved into the first position and attracts the can barrel held by the holder.