Adjustable pusher arrangement for metal container forming and cutting machines

A processing station for performing a forming and/or cutting operation on a portion of a can body, the processing station comprising:

• a frame;
• a turret rotatably coupled to the frame and selectively rotatable about a rotation axis;
• a cam body rigidly coupled to the frame, the cam body having a portion defining a cam profile;
• and
• a pusher arrangement comprising:
• a linear motion guide comprising:
• a rail member disposed along a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a slider block slidingly coupled to the rail member so as to be readily translatable along the rail member, the slider block having a number of threaded recesses defined therein;
• and
• a pusher assembly comprising:
• a pusher ram positioned on the slider block and having:
• a first end;
• an opposite second end;
• and
• a plurality of apertures defined therethrough, wherein at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures is a threaded aperture;
• a number of jack bolts, each jack bolt comprising a cylindrical body having a first end structured to be engaged by an adjustment tool, a second end opposite the first end, and a threaded portion disposed between the first end and the second end, the threaded portion of each jack bolt being cooperatively engaged with a corresponding threaded aperture of the plurality of apertures and the second end of each jack bolt being engaged with a surface of the slider block facing the pusher ram;
• and
• a number of lock bolts, each lock bolt comprising an elongate cylindrical body extending from a head portion at a first end structured to be engaged by the adjustment tool or another tool to a threaded second end opposite the first end, the body of each lock bolt being disposed in a corresponding aperture of the plurality of apertures and the threaded second end of each lock bolt extending from the corresponding aperture and engaged with a corresponding threaded recess of the number of threaded recesses defined in the slider block,
• wherein each lock bolt is rotatable among a locked positioning wherein the pusher ram is fixedly coupled to the slider block and an unlocked positioning wherein the pusher ram is loosely coupled to the slider block,
• wherein a positioning of the pusher ram relative to the slider block is adjustable by rotating the number of jack bolts relative to the pusher ram when each lock bolt is in the unlocked positioning, and
• wherein the positioning is fixable by rotating each lock bolt to the locked positioning.