CONTAINER SEAMING APPARATUS AND METHODS

A container seaming machine (24) has a first drive (40) for positioning a seaming roller (32) with respect to a circumferential edge of the lid (16), and a second drive (42) for rotating the seaming roller (34) with respect to a container lid chuck (44), container body (12) and container lid. The first and second drives are independently controllable from each other, and each drive is controlled and coordinated by a programmable controller to seam the lid to the container body. Another drive (50), also controlled by the programmable controller, lifts the container body toward the chuck and allows for varying degrees of force to be exerted between the container body and the lid. A process for displacing air from the containers prior to seaming a lid to a container is also provided. In the process, a container body (12) is filled with contents (108) and is then injected with liquid nitrogen (114). A lid (16) is immediately placed on the container body, and a biasing force is immediately applied against the lid to maintain the lid on the liquid nitrogen filled container body until the container body reaches the seaming mechanism.