Abstract: The planetary tubing cutter of the invention provides a gearing assembly having a pair of ring gears and a number of pinions with a blade affixed to each pinion. The ring gears are parallel to one another and are individually driven. The pinions are rotatably mounted to a side surface of one ring gear and engage a sun gear assembled to the other ring gear. When the ring gears rotate at the same speed, the pinions and blades do not revolve around their respective axes, and when one ring gear rotates at a speed different from the other ring gear, the pinions and blades revolve about their respective axes, intercepting and cutting a tube passing through an axial passage through the ring gears.

Abstract: The planetary tubing cutter of the invention provides a gearing assembly having a pair of ring gears and a number of pinions with a blade affixed to each pinion. The ring gears are parallel to one another and are individually driven. The pinions are rotatably mounted to a side surface of one ring gear and engage a sun gear assembled to the other ring gear. When the ring gears rotate at the same speed, the pinions and blades do not revolve around their respective axes, and when one ring gear rotates at a speed different from the other ring gear, the pinions and blades revolve about their respective axes, intercepting and cutting a tube passing through an axial passage through the ring gears.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for vertically scoring a tamper-indicating plastic closure includes a rotatably-driven carousel which includes mandrel assemblies at the periphery thereof. Each mandrel assembly includes a rotatable mandrel on which a respective closure is positioned in operative association, so that the mandrel and closure are moved relative to an associated scoring mechanism. The scoring mechanism includes at least one, and preferably a plurality, of rotatably driven scoring blades, with each blade arranged to engage and cut the pilfer band of a respective closure. Significantly, the system can be operated so as to closely approximate the preferred radial movement of the blade with respect to the closure, thus minimizing "digging" of the scoring blade into the plastic of the closure.

Abstract: The can trimmer includes first and second supports adjustably mounted on bars for adjustably spacing the supports from one another dependent upon the height of the cans to be trimmed. The supports mount a motor-driven splined shaft for rotating first and second carrier wheels and star wheels between the carrier wheels. Cam-actuated pushers are mounted on the pusher carrier wheel and mandrels are carried on the other carrier wheel in axial opposition to the pushers. Cam-actuated trim heads are pivotally carried by the second carrier wheel for movement toward and away from the mandrels, respectively. Upon disposition of cans on the star wheels between the pushers and mandrels, the pushers carry the cans onto the mandrels for cutting by the trim heads. Air pressure pushes the cans off the mandrels in following engagement with the pushers for discharge.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for trimming cylindrical articles, particularly can bodies, to a predetermined longitudinal length by sequentially feeding such cylindrical articles into carriage pockets rotating around a main shaft synchronously with an axially aligned plunger at one end of each carriage pocket and a similarily aligned mandrel at the other end of the carriage pocket. At predetermined positions, the plunger moves into the aligned carriage pocket and pushes a cylindrical article therein onto an aligned mandrel which is rotated around its own axis as well as around the main shaft. As the mandrel rotates, a fixed arcuate blade which cooperates with a cutting edge defined in the mandrel is engaged to shear an annulus portion from the end of the cylindrical article thereby trimming the cylindrical article to a predetermined and repeatable length. Upon severing of the annulus, a fixed cutter blade engages the annulus to transversely cut the annulus into an open ring.

Abstract: The trimmed edges of cylindrical metal bodies are freed of internal burrs by shifting the body axially on the support means to move the burr-bearing edge from the cutting element to a cylindrical surface portion, following which an ironing tool flattens the burr against the surface so as to effect its fracture and removal from the body.

Abstract: A multiple shaft, turret roll-slitting machine having a slitting knife mounted for movement along a path parallel to the axis of a roll to be slit and for radial movement into the roll at selected axial locations. The machine has at least two shafts upon which rolls of material are to be mounted and those shafts are movable from a cutting station to a loading and unloading station and are mounted on a turret to achieve such movement. When a first shaft is in the cutting station, it is oriented relevant to the slitting knife such that it can be slit into narrow width tape or ribbons by the slitter. At the same time, a second shaft is located in the loading and unloading station such that a previously slit roll can be removed and a new roll can be loaded into the shaft while the roll on the first shaft is being cut. The turret is then indexed reversing the positions of the first and second shafts.