Abstract: A can body is fitted to an inner shaping tool rotatable adjacent a freely rotatable outer shaping tool outside the can body. An arm having an outer end rotatably carrying the outer shaping tool and an inner end is pivotal about its inner end. The inner tool and the can body fitted thereto are rotated to entrain and rotate the outer tool. A motor controlledly pivots the arm and thereby moves the outer shaping tool toward and away from the inner shaping tool. A position detector connected to arm senses the angular position thereof and the relative spacing of the inner and outer tools. A controller including a memory controls the motor in accordance with a sensed angular position of the arm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for reshaping and/or folding bodies of cans (11) by means of two shaping tools (12, 13) which rotate in opposite directions. One of said shaping tools is arranged on a lever (14) such that said shaping tool can be radially displaced. The lever is connected to a controllable actuator (15, 16, 17).

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for spreading and shaping can bodies, having a pin-like shaping tool that is forced from one end into the can body to be widened and a counter tool.

Abstract: A knife holder unit combined with a rotary knife pair includes a frame composed of an upper frame part and a lower frame part; and an upper and a lower knife holder assembly supported in the upper and the lower frame part, respectively. Each knife holder assembly includes a bearing shaft composed of a first bearing shaft part having a longitudinal axis and an adjoining second bearing shaft part. The first bearing shaft part is received in a recess of a respective frame part for turning motions therein about the longitudinal axis. A first securing arrangement immobilizes the first bearing shaft part relative to the respective frame part. A rotary bearing surrounds the second bearing shaft part and has a rotary axis which is offset relative to the longitudinal axis to define an eccentricity therewith. A rotary knife is mounted on the rotary bearing.

Abstract: An apparatus for flanging an edge of a can body includes a flanging tool which has an inner tool part having an outer circumferential flanging face for engaging an inner surface of a circumferential edge zone of the can body; an outer tool part surrounding the inner tool part and having an inner circumferential abutment face surrounding the flanging face for abutting a periphery of the can body edge during flanging of the can body edge by the flanging face; an axially hollow, non-rotatable spindle to which the outer tool part is affixed and which has a first axis; a rotary shaft received in the spindle and having a second axis coinciding with the first axis; and a shaft stub affixed to and extending from the shaft. The inner tool part is rotatably mounted on the shaft stub which has a central, third axis disposed at an inclination to the second axis.

Abstract: An roller-flanging device for flanging at least an end region of a cylindrical body includes a receptacle having a longitudinal axis common with the cylindrical body being flanged. Flange rollers are rotatably seated in the receptacle about the common longitudinal axis, and roll along a surface of the cylindrical body. The flange rollers each have a part with a cylindrical surface and a flange collar for forming a flange contour on the cylindrical body. At least one limiting body is disposed between contiguous ones of the flange rollers, and extends inwardly toward the common longitudinal axis beyond the circumscribed cylindrical surface of the cylindrical parts of the flange rollers at least when forming the flange. The at least one limiting body prevents burrs or material from the cylindrical body from reaching or extending beyond the cylindrical surface of the flange rollers, and assures a uniform flange diameter.

Abstract: An apparatus for serially conveying receptacle lids includes two lid-advancing wheels each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced peripheral pockets for receiving individual lids. The wheels peripherally adjoin one another in a border zone for transferring the lids from one wheel to the other. The apparatus further has a supporting surface situated underneath the wheels for supporting the lids as the lids are advanced by the wheels. An annular guide surrounds the wheels externally of the border zone for retaining the lids in the wheel pockets. A pin is mounted on at least one of the wheels at one of the pockets thereof; the pin is held displaceably relative to the wheel carrying the pin. Further, the pin has an upper position for engaging a radially inner part of a shoulder of the lid to retain the lid in the pocket adjoining pin. Further, the pin has a lower position for releasing the lid shoulder to allow a displacement of the lid relative to the pocket.

Abstract: A conveying device is provided for vertically positioning ferromagnetic cans discharged from an upstream unit in a horizontal position. The conveying device includes a first direction changing band for receiving and transporting horizontally disposed ferromagnetic cans discharged from the upstream unit and having a first discharge end for discharging cans in an essentially vertical orientation. A second direction changing band is disposed along side the first direction changing band for transporting cans and has a second discharge end for discharging cans in an essentially vertical orientation. A transfer device transfers a portion of the horizontally disposed ferromagnetic cans to the second direction changing band. An upright can carrying band is disposed beneath the first and second discharge ends of the first and second direction changing bands for receiving the essentially vertically oriented cans.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first feeding device having an endless traction member circulated at a constant speed and a carrier pawl mounted on the traction member for engaging a trailing edge of a sheet to be advanced. The apparatus further has a second feeding device being a continuation of the first feeding device and having an endless traction member; a carrier device mounted on the second traction member for engaging a trailing edge of a sheet to be advanced; and a drive for circulating the last-named traction member with a periodically changing travelling speed having a minimum value not higher than the speed of the traction member of the first feeding device and a maximum value greater than the speed of the traction member of the first feeding device and at the most equal to an initial speed with which the sheet enters a sheet handling station downstream of the second feeding device. The initial speed is at least as high as the constant speed of the traction member of the first feeding device.

Abstract: A roller knife cutter includes a first knife shaft pair for severing a ferromagnetic metal sheet into sheet metal strips forwarded in a first direction of advance; and a plurality of substantially coplanar plates arranged downstream of the first knife shaft pair in a series in the first direction of advance. The plates are separated from one another by a clearance. The cutter further has an endless belt having an upper run moving in a second direction of advance and positioned in the clearance and extending parallel therewith. The upper run has a lowered position in which a top surface of the upper run is at a level below the top surfaces of the plates and a lifted position in which the top surface of the upper run is substantially coplanar with the top surfaces of the plates; and a plurality of individually height-adjustable magnet units arranged in a series underneath the upper run parallel to the second direction of advance.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus feeds can body blanks to a welding unit with the longitudinal edges of the can body blanks even, without being offset in the longitudinal direction. The apparatus includes a centrally disposed revolving device (5; 5'; 5") which serves as a transport unit for the can body blanks (1). Rockers (18) are connected by means of swivel axes (5b) to serve as pusher dogs. Each rocker (18) has two feed pins (18c, 18d) at its front end facing the direction of transport. In the pushing position, the feed pins simultaneously contact the rear edge of a can body blank (1) on either side of the longitudinal edges. Each of the rocker arms is provided with a control arm which extends past the swiveling axis and which has a control surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing can bodies, wherein blanks are laterally centered after removal from a magazine, are engaged in the center of their rear edge and are transported into a shaping station in which initially the center section of the blank is bent into its final shape. While doing this, a central force and friction lock is produced between a transporting means and the deformed blank to realize reliable guidance of the already partially bent blank. To further transport the blank, it is contacted at its rear edge in the already completely bent region by two lateral transporting devices and is advanced to a seam forming station, while the opposite longitudinal edges of the blank are brought to an adjoining relationship.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for sequentially advancing articles in a conveying direction comprises two parallel-spaced flexible pulling elements, each trained about an upstream and a downstream end wheel. A plurality of parallel-spaced article advancing bars, each oriented perpendicularly to the conveying direction, are supported by the two pulling elements and extend continuously therebetween. A stationary article supporting surface extends from between the first end wheels parallel to the conveying direction for supporting the articles as they are pushed in the conveying direction by respective article advancing bars. The article supporting surface has a starting location adjacent the upstream end wheels for sequentially receiving the articles to be engaged by an article advancing bar.

Abstract: To make a container with a butt welded longitudinal seam, the side edges of a preformed blank are guided by straight grooves so that the side edges converge at an acute angle. At the point of convergence the side edges are heated to at least to the forging temperature, preferably by a focused laser beam. The side edges are then tangentially compressed before they cool.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for laser-beam welding of longitudinal seams in container bodies feature overlapping longitudinal ends of a metal sheet, the length of the transverse ends of which exceeds a predetermiined circumferential dimension for the container body, into such a position relative to one another that they form an acute angle and define an angular opening, and the edge of one longitudinal end is oriented toward the inner face of the other longitudinal end. At least one focused laser beam, which is capable of relative movement with respect to this angular opening and parallel to the longitudinal ends, is aimed into the angular opening and locally melts portions of the longitudinal ends. The locally-molten longitudinal end portions are pressed against one another before they drop below the welding temperature to form a welded longitudinal seam.