Outboard hydrostatic bearing assembly for can bodymaker

摘要

A hydrostatic/hydrodynamic fluid bearing assembly for a can bodymaker is provided. The hydrostatic/hydrodynamic fluid bearing assembly is separate from the ram body. The outboard bearing assembly includes a carriage assembly and a number of elongated journals. The carriage assembly includes a ram coupling, a crank coupling, and body defining a number of journal passages. The ram body is coupled to a ram coupling. The crank coupling is structured to be coupled to a crank arm. Each journal extends through a carriage assembly body journal passage. In this configuration, the ram body may form a can body in a traditional manner, but fluid bearing assembly fluid is not applied to the ram body. Instead the fluid bearing assembly fluid is applied to the journals.

主权项

1. An outboard guide bearing assembly for a can bodymaker, said bodymaker including an elongated ram body with a length sufficient for passage through a die pack and/or a redraw assembly of the bodymaker, a crank assembly, and a housing assembly, said crank assembly including a reciprocating crank arm, said outboard guide bearing assembly comprising:
a carriage assembly including a body with a ram coupling, a crank coupling, and a number of bearing assemblies; said carriage assembly bearing assemblies are separated from said ram body; said ram coupling structured to be coupled to said ram body; said crank coupling structured to be coupled to said crank arm; wherein said carriage assembly body is structured to travel generally in a plane and to reciprocate between a retracted, first position and a forward, second position; and wherein no bearing assembly directly contacts said ram body such that a cantilever length of said ram body, defined as a length between a free end of said ram body and the carriage assembly body ram coupling, remains constant when said carriage assembly is reciprocated between the retracted, first position and the forward, second position.