Device for closing food cans at a high rate

A device enabling the lid of a food can to be crimped in place, the device comprising a crimping head and a compression stand for supporting the body of a food can on which a lid has been placed, and for pressing said lid onto the body of the can by urging the can against a fixed mandrel with a determined force throughout the crimping operation, a telescopic rod comprising first and second elements capable of sliding relative to each other and extending along an axis perpendicular to a support surface provided by the compression stand, the compression stand being fixed to an end of said first element, a spring urging said first and second elements apart from each other, said second element being coupled to drive means suitable for imparting longitudinal reciprocating translation motion to said second element between two defined extreme positions, namely a rest position at a distance from the above-specified mandrel and a working position causing the mandrel to hold the lid down on the body of the can against thrust imparted via said spring, the first element of the rod, and the compression stand, so that said rod has a stroke towards the mandrel, wherein the telescopic rod is provided with means for mutual temporary locking together of said first and second elements of said rod, which means keep said first and second elements stationary relative to each other in a relative position where the spring is in a state of determined prestress, with this taking place during a major portion of said stroke of said rod towards the mandrel, and then, shortly before the end of said stroke, releasing said second element relative to said first element, causing said first element to press the lid against the body of the can solely under the effect of the force developed by the spring under said prestress.