Patent ID: 8590358

Claim:
An apparatus ( 10 ) of modular construction for forming metal containers wherein a closed-loop route for said containers is formed along which operations of local and/or extensive deformation are performed over said containers, said apparatus comprising: a) a plurality of working devices ( 14 ) each in the form of a modular unit adapted to be operatively connected in sequence, each working device ( 14 ) including an upper portion and a lower portion wherein each portion includes a turret ( 24 ) having forming devices adapted to work said containers and a transfer drum ( 26 ) adapted for transferring worked containers to a successive working device ( 14 ); b) an interface device ( 12 ) in the form of a modular unit including a container loading station adapted to be operatively connected to a turret of an upper portion of a first working device ( 14 ) of said sequentially connected plurality of working devices and a container unloading station adapted to be operatively connected to a turret of a lower portion of said first working device ( 14 ) of said sequentially connected plurality of working devices; and c) a change drum ( 30 ) associated with each working device of the plurality of working devices ( 14 ), each change drum being disposed between the transfer drum ( 26 ) of the associated working device transferring the worked containers from the associated working device upper portion and the transfer drum ( 26 ) transferring containers to the associated working device lower portion, wherein each of said change drums is adapted to be selectively operatively connected to the transfer drums of the upper and lower portions of the working device associated with the selected change drum whereby the closed-loop route of said containers can be interrupted at said working device so that the working devices sequentially arranged downstream are bypassed.