Abstract: A lane divider for the conveying of can body cylinders maintains the cylinders in line-ahead formation and in a predetermined orientation, e.g. with their welded side seams uppermost, by maintaining a positive hold on each cylinder at all times during its travel along a feed path and during transfer from the feed path to, and subsequent travel along, a plurality of downstream paths selected by a sequential control unit responsive to the arrival of a cylinder in the feed path. Control of cylinder orientation is obtained by an array of magnets along each path; these include electromagnets in the region of the junction of the paths. Path selection is obtained by selective energisation of the electromagnets.