Outboard hydrostatic bearing assembly for can bodymaker

A guide bearing assembly for a can bodymaker, said bodymaker including an elongated ram body, a crank arm, carriage assembly, and a die pack defining a passage, said carriage assembly including a body with a ram coupling and a crank coupling, said crank arm coupled to said carriage assembly body crank coupling, said ram body coupled to said carriage assembly body ram coupling, said guide bearing assembly comprising:

• a first guide bearing assembly including a saddle and a journal channel;
• and
• a second guide bearing assembly including a saddle and a journal channel,
• wherein said journal channel of said first guide bearing assembly is disposed apart from said journal channel of said second guide bearing assembly such that said body of said carriage assembly is disposed therebetween,
• wherein said saddle of said first guide bearing assembly and said saddle of said second guide bearing assembly are structured to orient said ram body with said die pack passage,
• wherein each saddle includes a number of thrust pad assemblies,
• wherein each saddle is structured to produce a sufficient amount of fluid to establish an aligning fluid bearing stiffness,
• wherein each of said thrust pad assemblies includes a forward thrust pad assembly, a rear thrust pad assembly spaced from said forward thrust pad assembly, and at least one medial thrust pad assembly disposed therebetween,
• wherein said front thrust pad assembly, said at least one medial thrust pad assembly, and said rear thrust pad assembly of said first guide bearing assembly are disposed on the body of said carriage assembly to move through said journal channel of said first guide bearing assembly;
• and wherein said front thrust pad assembly, said at least one medial thrust pad assembly, and said rear thrust pad assembly of said second guide bearing assembly are disposed on the body of said carriage assembly to move through said journal channel of said second guide bearing assembly, and
• wherein each of said forward thrust pad assembly, said at least one medial thrust pad assembly, and said rear thrust pad assembly of said first guide bearing assembly includes an upper pad portion located on an upper side of said body of said carriage assembly, a lateral pad portion located on a lateral side of said body of said carriage assembly, and a lower pad portion located on a lower side of said body of said carriage assembly;
• and wherein each of said forward thrust pad assembly, said at least one medial thrust pad assembly, and said rear thrust pad assembly of said second guide bearing assembly includes an upper pad portion located on an upper side of said body of said carriage assembly, a lateral pad portion located on a lateral side of said body of said carriage assembly, and a lower pad portion located on a lower side of said body of said carriage assembly.