Note : Les revendications sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
1. A machine for forming can bodies, said machine comprising a ram
supported by a frame for reciprocal movement along a horizontal path,
said ram being provided with support surfaces comprising at least two
planar surfaces extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal
axis of said ram, said planar surfaces being circumferentially spaced
apart from each other, a pair of horizontally spaced apart supporting
means each comprising roller means mounted to said frame, said roller
means being in contact with each of said spaced apart planar surfaces,
each roller means being mounted for rotation, dampening means affixed to
the frame and in contact with the outer surface of said ram during its
reciprocal movement along the horizontal path, said dampening means
being positioned between said roller means and the end of said ram, at
least one freely rotatable roller secured to the frame and having a
generally cylindrical outer surface, a third planar surface on said ram
extending in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, and means
for urging said one freely rotatable roller into contact with said third
planar surface whereby the means for supporting in conjunction with the
means for urging provide straight horizontal line movement without
deviation or rotation during the reciprocal movement of said ram.
2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which the dampening means
includes a rope packing mounted within a holder means for contact with
the outer surface of said ram.
3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which the means for
urging said one freely rotatable roller includes spring means for applying
a force to said roller to thereby urge said roller against said third
planar surface.
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4. In a machine for forming can bodies, said machine comprising
a ram supported by a frame for reciprocal movement along a horizontal
path, said ram being provided with support surfaces comprising at least
two planar surfaces extending in a direction generally parallel to the
longitudinal axis of said ram, said planar surfaces being
circumferentially spaced apart from each other, a pair of horizontally
spaced apart supporting means each comprising roller means mounted to
said frame and in line contact across the width of each of said spaced
apart planar surfaces, each roller means straddling the planar surfaces
that lie adjacent to each roller means and extending to a width
exceeding the adjacent width of the planar surface, each roller means
mounted for rotation and openly exposed over substantially the full
extent of said roller means, dampening means affixed to the frame and
in contact with the outer surface of said ram during its reciprocal
movement along the horizontal path, said dampening means being
positioned between said roller means and the end of said ram, at least
one freely rotatable roller secured to the frame and having a generally
cylindrical outer surface, a third planar surface on said ram extending
in a direction generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, the at
least one freely rotatable roller straddling the third planar surface
to a width exceeding the width of the third planar surface, said
rotatable roller being openly exposed over substantially the full
extent thereof, and means for urging said one freely rotatable roller
into contact with said third planar surface whereby the means for
supporting in conjunction with the means for urging provide straight
horizontal line movement without deviation or rotation during the
reciprocal movement of said ram.
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5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which the dampening
means include a rope packing mounted within a holder means for contact-
with the outer surface of said ram.
6. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which the means for
urging said one freely rotatable roller includes spring means for
applying a force to said roller to thereby urge said roller against
said third planar surface.
7. In combination with a machine for forming can bodies
comprising a ram supported by a frame for reciprocal movement along a
horizontal path, said ram being provided with support surfaces
extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis
of said ram, a pair of horizontally spaced apart supporting means each
comprising roller means mounted to said frame and in contact with each
of said pair of spaced apart planar surfaces, the improvement which
comprises: each of said roller means straddling the planar surfaces
that lie adjacent to each roller means and extending to a width
exceeding the adjacent width of the planar surface, each roller means
being mounted for rotation and openly exposed over substantially the
full extent of said roller means, dampening means being affixed to the
frame and in contact with the outer surface of said ram during its
reciprocal movement along the horizontal path, said dampening means
being positioned between said roller means and the end of said ram, at
least one freely rotatable roller being secured to said frame and
having a generally cylindrical cuter surface, a third planar surface on
said ram extending in a direction generally parallel to said
longitudinal axis, the at least one freely rotatable roller straddling
the third planar surface to a width exceeding the width of the third
planar surface, said rotatable roller being openly exposed over
substantially the full extent thereof, and means for urging said one
freely rotatable roller into contact with said third planar surface
whereby the means for supporting in conjunction with the means for
urging provide straight horizontal line movement without deviation or
rotation during the reciprocal movement of said ram.
8. In a machine for forming can bodies, said machine comprising
a ram supported by a frame for reciprocal movement along a horizontal
path, said ram being provided with support surfaces comprising at least
two planar surfaces extending in a direction parallel to the
longitudinal axis of said ram, said planar surfaces being
circumferentially spaced apart from each other, a pair of horizontally
spaced apart supporting means each comprising roller means mounted to
said frame and affixed thereto for non-reciprocal movement, said roller
means being in contact with each of said spaced apart planar surfaces,
each roller means mounted for rotation and openly exposed over
substantially the full extent of said roller means, dampening means
affixed to the frame and in contact with the outer surface of said ram
during its reciprocal movement along the horizontal path, said
dampening means being positioned between said roller means and the end
of said ram, at least one freely rotatable roller secured to the frame
and having a generally cylindrical cuter surface, a third planar
surface on said ram extending in a direction parallel to said
longitudinal axis, and means for urging said one freely rotatable
roller into contact with said third planar surface whereby the means
for supporting in conjunction with the means for urging provide
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straight horizontal line movement without deviation or rotation during
the reciprocal movement of said ram.
9. In combination with a machine for forming can bodies
comprising a ram supported by a frame for reciprocal movement along a
horizontal path, said ram being provided with support surfaces
extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of
said ram, a pair of horizontally spaced apart supporting means each
comprising roller means mounted to said frame and in contact with each
of said pair of spaced apart planar surfaces, the improvement which
comprises: each of said roller means straddling the planar surfaces
that lie adjacent to each roller means and extending to a width
exceeding the adjacent width of the planar surface, each roller means
being mounted for rotation, dampening means being affixed to the frame
and in contact with the outer surface of said ram during its
reciprocal movement along the horizontal path, said dampening mean
being positioned between said roller means and the end of said ram, at
least one freely rotatable roller being secured to said frame and
having a generally cylindrical outer surface, a third planar surface on
said ram extending in a direction generally parallel to said
longitudinal axis, the at least one freely rotatable roller straddling
the third planar surface to a width exceeding the width of the third
planar surface, and means for urging said one freely rotatable roller
into contact with said third planar surface whereby the means for
supporting in conjunction with the means for urging provide straight
horizontal line movement without deviation or rotation during the
reciprocal movement of said ram.
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