Can Bottom Former Assembly
An apparatus and method for adjusting the dome setting force of a can bottom former. The apparatus generally includes an outer end plate, an inner end plate movably mounted near the outer end plate. The apparatus also includes a dome-setting spring positioned between the inner end plate and a movable housing, and an adjustment screw threaded into the outer end plate such that the turning the adjustment screw exerts a displacing force on the inner end plate toward the movable housing, which in turn increases the force exerted by the dome-setting spring during can forming.
1 . A device for adjusting a dome setting force of a can bottom former, comprising:
an outer end plate;
an inner end plate movably mounted proximate the outer end plate;
a dome-setting spring positioned between the inner end plate and a movable housing; and
an adjustment screw threaded into the outer end plate such that the adjustment screw exerts a displacing force on the inner end plate toward the movable housing.
2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a force sensor positioned between the outer end plate and the inner end plate, such that the adjustment screw exerts force on the inner end plate though the force sensor.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the adjustment screw comprises a ball bearing on an actuation end, the ball bearing contacting a side of the force sensor opposite the inner end plate.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment screw comprises a spherical contact surface on an actuation end proximate the inner end plate.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the displacing force compresses the dome-setting spring.
6 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a spring cover plate positioned between the movable housing and the dome-setting spring.
7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the displacing force compresses the dome-setting spring between the inner end plate and the spring cover plate.
8 . A device for adjusting a dome setting force of a can bottom former, comprising:
an outer end plate;
an inner end plate movably mounted proximate the outer end plate;
a dome-setting spring positioned between the inner end plate and a movable housing; and
an adjustment means for exerting a displacing force on the inner end plate toward the movable housing.
9 . The device of claim 8 , further comprising a force sensor positioned between the outer end plate and the inner end plate, such that the adjustment means exerts a force on the inner end plate though the force sensor.
10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the adjustment means comprises a ball bearing on an actuation end, the ball bearing contacting a side of the force sensor opposite the inner end plate.
11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the adjustment means comprises a spherical contact surface on an actuation end proximate the inner end plate.
12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the displacing force compresses the dome-setting spring.
13 . The device of claim 8 , further comprising a spring cover plate positioned between the movable housing and the dome-setting spring.
14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the displacing force compresses the dome-setting spring between the inner end plate and the spring cover plate.
15 . A method of adjusting dome-setting force of a dome-setting spring in a bottom former, comprising:
initially adjusting a spring force adjustment screw to reduce the dome-setting force on the dome-setting spring to a low level;
increasing the dome-setting force by adjusting the spring force adjustment screw;
reading the dome-setting force; and
verifying that the dome-setting force is at a desired level.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein initially adjusting the spring force adjustment screw to reduce the dome-setting force is done before the bottom former is installed into a body maker.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the steps of increasing the force and subsequently reading the force are repeated until the dome-setting force is at a desired level.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the spring force setting screw is adjusted manually.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the spring force setting screw is adjusted by a rotary actuator.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein reading the dome-setting force comprises reading a signal from a force sensor positioned between the spring force setting screw and the dome-setting spring.