Abstract: An elongated can body blank moves axially and is supported in part on a traveling interior mandrel. Traveling with the mandrel and elongated blank is a typical knife carriage having a plurality of knives mounted thereon for cutting the body blank into a plurality of individual can bodies. The improvement is a pivoting retainer member mounted on the knife carriage that functions to engage the open end of the axially moving can body blank rotating therewith and functions to precisely position the entire length of the blank with respect to the cutoff knives.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for attaching an end closure to a cylindrical can body utilizes a tooling arrangement whereby the closure is positioned and compressed through side pressure while the seam is then formed through vertical pressure, producing a double seam. A base plate moves a can body with an end closure into position for attachment where a set of radially movable curling fingers are movable inwardly to a position against the end closure and can body in a slidable relationship therewith. After the curling fingers are in position, the required curling is accomplished when a punch member moves downward relative to the curling fingers and forces the circumferential edge of the end closure into a curled relationship with a downwardly extending flange on the can body.