Can bottom former assembly
AssigneePride Engineering, LLC
InventorRick Swedberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator assembly for dynamically or manually positioning a dome die and clamp ring of a can bottom former assembly. The actuator assembly is also usable for other purposes where accurate and repeatable adjustments in position are needed. The actuator assembly may include an anchor member and at least one torsion rod having a torque end and an actuation end, with 2 bends at or near the actuation end, such that a torque applied to the torque end creates a substantially linear actuation force at or near the actuation end of the torsion rod.
Claims28
An actuator assembly operated by torque, comprising:
- an actuation member having a first end, a second end, and an axis, the first end having a fixed position relative to a housing, the actuation member having a length and being bendable along its length;
- an anchor member spaced apart from the first end of the actuation member;
- and
- at least one torsion rod having a torque end and an actuation end, the at least one torsion rod further comprising a first bend and a second bend between the torque end and the actuation end, wherein the actuation end is pivotally connected to the anchor member and wherein the at least one torsion rod is pivotally coupled to the actuation member proximate the first bend, between the first bend and the torque end;
- wherein a torque applied to the at least one torsion rod proximate to the torque end creates an actuation force having a translational component proximate the first bend of the at least one torsion rod;
- and
- wherein the actuation force displaces the second end of the actuation member in a direction substantially normal to the axis.
An actuator assembly operated by torque, comprising:
- an anchor member;
- and
- at least four torsion rods, each torsion rod having a torque end and an actuation end and further comprising a first bend and a second bend between the torque end and the actuation end, wherein the torque ends of the at least four torsion rods are positionally anchored but allowed to rotate, and wherein the actuation ends are pivotally connected to the anchor member, wherein a torque applied to each torsion rod at the torque end creates an actuation force having a translational component proximate the first bend of each torsion rod;
- and
- wherein the at least four torsion rods comprise a first pair of torsion rods and a second pair of torsion rods, and wherein the first pair of torsion rods comprises a first torsion rod and a second torsion rod, the first and second torsion rods being configured to create substantially equal translational forces on the actuation member in substantially a first direction, and wherein the second pair of torsion rods comprises a third torsion rod and a fourth torsion rod, the third and fourth torsion rods being configured to create substantially equal translational forces on the actuation member in substantially a second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.