Drive assembly

A drive assembly for a necker machine having a frame assembly and a plurality of processing stations, each processing station having a number of drive shafts, said drive assembly comprising:

• a plurality of primary drive sub-modules, each primary drive sub-module comprising:
• a primary input shaft;
• a first primary output shaft operatively coupled to the primary input shaft;
• and
• a second primary output shaft operatively coupled to the primary input shaft;
• and
• a plurality of secondary drive sub-modules, each secondary drive sub-module comprising:
• a secondary input shaft;
• a first secondary output shaft operatively coupled to the secondary input shaft;
• and
• a second secondary output shaft operatively coupled to the secondary input shaft,
• wherein for a first primary drive sub-module of the plurality of primary drive sub-modules:
• the primary input shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and driven by, a main drive assembly motor, and
• the first primary output shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and drive, an associated first drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of a first processing station of the number of processing stations,
• wherein for a second primary drive sub-module of the plurality of primary drive sub-modules:
• the primary input shaft is operatively coupled to, and driven by, the second primary output shaft of the first primary drive sub-module, and
• the first primary output shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and drive, an associated first drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of a second processing station of the number of processing stations,
• wherein for a first secondary drive sub-module of the plurality of secondary drive sub-modules:
• the secondary input shaft is structured to be coupled to, and driven by, the main drive assembly motor, and
• the first secondary output shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and drive, a second drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of the first processing station, and
• wherein for a second secondary drive sub-module of the plurality of secondary drive sub-modules:
• the secondary input shaft is operatively coupled to, and driven by, the second secondary output shaft of the first secondary drive sub-module, and
• the first secondary output shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and drive, a second drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of the second processing station.

A necker machine comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• a plurality of processing stations, each processing station having a number of drive shafts, and
• a drive assembly comprising:
• a plurality of primary drive sub-modules, each primary drive sub-module comprising:
• a primary input shaft;
• a first primary output shaft operatively coupled to the primary input shaft;
• and
• a second primary output shaft operatively coupled to the primary input shaft;
• and
• a plurality of secondary drive sub-modules, each secondary drive sub-module comprising:
• a secondary input shaft;
• a first secondary output shaft operatively coupled to, and driven by, the secondary input shaft;
• and
• a second secondary output shaft operatively coupled to, and driven by, the secondary input shaft,
• wherein for a first primary drive sub-module of the plurality of primary drive sub-modules:
• the primary input shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and driven by, a main drive assembly motor, and
• the first primary output shaft is operatively coupled to, and drives, a first drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of a first processing station of the number of processing stations, and
• wherein for a second primary drive sub-module of the plurality of primary drive sub-modules:
• the primary input shaft is operatively coupled to, and driven by, the second primary output shaft of the first primary drive sub-module, and
• the first primary output shaft is operatively coupled to, and drives, a first drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of a second processing station of the number of processing stations,
• wherein for a first secondary drive sub-module of the plurality of secondary drive sub-modules:
• the secondary input shaft is structured to be coupled to, and driven by, the main drive assembly motor, and
• the first secondary output shaft is operatively coupled to, and drives, a second drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of the first processing station, and
• wherein for a second secondary drive sub-module of the plurality of secondary drive sub-modules:
• the secondary input shaft is operatively coupled to, and driven by, the second secondary output shaft of the first secondary drive sub-module, and
• the first secondary output shaft is operatively coupled to, and drives, a second drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of the second processing station.