Adjustable seal pack

Abstract

An adjustment arrangement for selectively adjusting a seal pack positioned about a ram body in a can bodymaker. The adjustment arrangement includes a primary housing structured to have the seal pack fixedly coupled thereto and a secondary housing structured to be fixedly coupled to a bulkhead of the can bodymaker separating a forming area of the can bodymaker from a drivetrain area of the can bodymaker. The adjustment arrangement further includes a number of adjustment elements engaged with both the primary housing and the secondary housing, each adjustment element being selectively moveable to adjust the relative positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adjustment arrangement for selectively adjusting a seal pack positioned about a ram body in a can bodymaker, the adjustment arrangement comprising:
 a primary housing structured to have the seal pack fixedly coupled thereto;   a secondary housing structured to be fixedly coupled to a bulkhead of the can bodymaker separating a forming area of the can bodymaker from a drivetrain area of the can bodymaker; and   a number of adjustment elements engaged with both the primary housing and the secondary housing, each adjustment element being selectively moveable to adjust the relative positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the number of adjustment elements comprises a plurality of adjustment elements. 
     
     
         3 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of adjustment elements comprises:
 a first adjustment element structured to adjust the positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing along a first axis; and   a secondary adjustment element structured to adjust the positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.   
     
     
         4 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 1 , further comprising a number of lockdown elements, each lockdown element being structured to selectively fix the positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing. 
     
     
         5 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein each adjustment element comprises:
 a cylindrical body positioned within a cooperatively sized aperture defined through the primary housing, the cylindrical body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;   an engagement arrangement positioned at the first end of the cylindrical body and structured to be engaged for rotating the cylindrical body within the aperture with respect to the primary housing; and   an offset portion positioned at the second end of the cylindrical body and fixedly coupled therewith, the offset portion positioned within a groove defined in the secondary housing,   wherein the offset portion is structured to engage the groove in a manner such that:
 rotation of the cylindrical body in a first rotational direction via engagement with the engagement arrangement results in movement of the primary housing in a first linear direction with respect to the secondary housing, and 
 rotation of the cylindrical body in a second rotational direction via engagement with the engagement arrangement results in movement of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing in a second linear direction opposite the first linear direction. 
   
     
     
         6 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein each adjustment element of the number of adjustment elements comprises an actuator. 
     
     
         7 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein the actuator of each adjustment element is one of an electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, or magnetic actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 6 , further comprising a controller in communication with the actuator of each adjustment element of the number of adjustment elements, wherein the controller is structured to selectively operate each actuator. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 8 , further comprising a number of sensors in communication with the controller, the number of sensors being structured to detect a positioning of the ram body with respect to the bulkhead, and wherein the controller is structured to receive position data from the number of sensors regarding the positioning of the ram body and, responsive thereto, control the actuator of each adjustment element to selectively position the primary housing and thus the seal pack coupled thereto with respect to the ram body. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustment arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein each adjustment element of the plurality of adjustment elements comprises an electromagnetic arrangement structured to magnetically engage the primary housing with the secondary housing. 
     
     
         11 . A can bodymaker comprising:
 a frame;   a forming area defined by the frame, the forming area housing a number of components for forming a can body;   a drivetrain area defined by the frame, the drivetrain area housing a drivetrain;   a bulkhead coupled to the frame, the bulkhead positioned to separate the forming area from the drivetrain area;   an elongate ram body coupled to the drivetrain and extending from the drivetrain area into the forming area through a seal pack; and   an adjustment arrangement for selectively adjusting a seal pack positioned about a ram body in a can bodymaker, the adjustment arrangement comprising:
 a primary housing having the seal pack fixedly coupled thereto; 
 a secondary housing fixedly coupled to the bulkhead; and 
 a number of adjustment elements engaged with both the primary housing and the secondary housing, each adjustment element being selectively moveable to adjust the relative positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing. 
   
     
     
         12 . The can bodymaker of  claim 11 , wherein the number of adjustment elements comprises a plurality of adjustment elements. 
     
     
         13 . The can bodymaker of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of adjustment elements comprises:
 a first adjustment element structured to adjust the positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing along a first axis; and   a secondary adjustment element structured to adjust the positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.   
     
     
         14 . The can bodymaker of  claim 11 , wherein the adjustment arrangement further comprises a number of lockdown elements, each lockdown element being structured to selectively fix the positioning of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing. 
     
     
         15 . The can bodymaker of  claim 11 , wherein each adjustment element comprises:
 a cylindrical body positioned within a cooperatively sized aperture defined through the primary housing, the cylindrical body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;   an engagement arrangement positioned at the first end of the cylindrical body and structured to be engaged for rotating the cylindrical body within the aperture with respect to the primary housing; and   an offset portion positioned at the second end of the cylindrical body and fixedly coupled therewith, the offset portion positioned within a groove defined in the secondary housing,   wherein the offset portion is structured to engage the groove in a manner such that:
 rotation of the cylindrical body in a first rotational direction via engagement with the engagement arrangement results in movement of the primary housing in a first linear direction with respect to the secondary housing, and 
 rotation of the cylindrical body in a second rotational direction via engagement with the engagement arrangement results in movement of the primary housing with respect to the secondary housing in a second linear direction opposite the first linear direction. 
   
     
     
         16 . The can bodymaker of  claim 11 , wherein each adjustment element of the number of adjustment elements comprises an actuator. 
     
     
         17 . The can bodymaker of  claim 16 , wherein the actuator of each adjustment element is one of an electric, a hydraulic, a pneumatic, or a magnetic actuator. 
     
     
         18 . The can bodymaker of  claim 16 , wherein the adjustment arrangement further comprises a controller in communication with the actuator of each adjustment element of the number of adjustment elements, and wherein the controller is structured to selectively operate each actuator. 
     
     
         19 . The can bodymaker of  claim 18 , wherein the adjustment arrangement further comprises a number of sensors in communication with the controller, the number of sensors being structured to detect a positioning of the ram body with respect to the bulkhead, and wherein the controller is structured to receive position data from the number of sensors regarding the positioning of the ram body and, responsive thereto, control the actuator of each adjustment element to selectively position the primary housing and thus the seal pack coupled thereto with respect to the ram body. 
     
     
         20 . The can bodymaker of  claim 12 , wherein each adjustment element of the plurality of adjustment elements comprises an electromagnetic arrangement structured to magnetically engage the primary housing with the secondary housing.