Patent ID: 7146835

Claim:
An apparatus for reducing the width of a plurality of slots or other openings spaced circumferentially around a slotted tubular member comprising: (a) a seaming roller positioned to contact the outer surface of the slotted tubular member for transverse movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the slotted tubular member, and adapted to apply a force onto the slotted tubular member so as to reduce the slot width to a final slot width; (b) a first detector adjacent the seaming roller for detecting an initial width of the plurality of slots and generating a detection signal proportional to the detected initial width; (c) a comparator connected to the first detector for comparing the detected initial width to a set value indicative of a desired end slot width and to generating a correction signal proportional to the difference; (d) an adjustor connected to the seaming roller and the comparator, for adjusting the force applied by the seaming roller to the plurality of slots in response to the correction signal.