The invention preferably relates to a compression roller station for rotary tableting machines with a guide profile which can be locked to the rotary tableting machine and comprises two side surfaces on which a pair of upper and lower shaft mountings for compression roller shafts are arranged externally in each case, so that two pairs of compression rollers can be attached to the same guide profile. In preferred embodiments, the shaft mountings have a laterally outwardly open shape, particularly preferably a u-shape, and are arranged for a swivelable mounting of compression roller shafts. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a rotary tableting machine comprising such a preferred compression roller station.

A press system providing excellent energy efficiency for a whole press system and capable of achieving low prices is provided. A die cushion apparatus constituting a press system supports a cushion pad, includes a hydraulic cylinder which generates a die cushion load on the cushion pad when a slide of a press machine descends, the press machine includes a hydraulic cylinder which generates part of a press load on the slide when the slide descends. The pressure generation chamber of the hydraulic cylinder for generating a die cushion load and the pressure generation chamber of the hydraulic cylinder for generating part of the press load can communicate with each other via pipes and a first logic valve for a period during which the die cushion load acts.

A bi-directional and double-punch balanced high-speed bodymaker includes a punch driving mechanism and blank pressing mechanism, wherein: the punch driving mechanism includes a crankshaft, two identical connecting rods, slide rails, sliders and punches. The crankshaft is rotationally supported by a bearing, and the crankshaft has a first crank, second crank and first and second blank pressing cams. Compared with the prior art, the swing lever and secondary connection are removed from each set of punch driving mechanism, simplifying the structure while maintaining all original functions, constituting omitting elements. It adopts two blank pressing cams and arranges the first blank pressing cam driving point of the opposite the second blank pressing cam driving point, and finally, the directions of the first and second torque are opposite and counteract each other, to maintain balance of overall torque on the plane passing the crankshaft axis during the operation of the bodymaker.

A thermoforming apparatus is provided having a pair of coacting platens, a load bearing structural member, a force applicator, and a deformation sensor. The pair of coacting platens and respective dies are configured to mate on opposed surfaces of a heated sheet of thermoformable material to form articles. The load bearing structural member is configured to carry the coacting platens and the dies in complementary closed relationship about the sheet during an article forming operation. The force applicator is carried by the structural member and configured to impart a forming load between the pair of opposed dies and platens and across the structural member during a forming operation. The deformation sensor is configured to span a first location and a second location on the structural member to detect deformation indicative of separation between the dies resulting from deformation. A method is also provided.

A pressing device for pressing meat products, in particular frozen and/or partly frozen meat products, preferably fresh meat products and/or bacon, comprises a pressing chamber. The pressing chamber comprises a counter-element and a pressing member that is movable by a drive, wherein the pressing member can be moved from a starting position towards the counter-element into an end position in order to compress the product, and wherein the drive is configured to drive at least one eccentric cam, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation, in order to move the pressing member from the starting position into the end position, wherein the pressing member can be moved from the starting position into the end position by a rotation of the eccentric cam of more than 90 degrees.

A press machine includes upper and lower crankshafts having the same amount of eccentricity and driven in opposite directions with a phase difference of 180 degrees, a slide and a bolster rotatably connected to eccentric parts of the upper and lower crankshafts, respectively, a parallel maintaining mechanism configured to maintain a parallelism between the slide and the bolster, and a clamp mechanism including an upper clamp attached to the slide and a lower clamp attached to the bolster. The slide and the bolster move toward/away from each other and advance/retreat together along a feed direction of a material in accordance with rotational driving of the upper and lower crankshafts. The clamp mechanism clamps the material when the slide and the bolster move toward each other and unclamps the material forwardly fed while being clamped when the slide and the bolster move away from each other.

A press machine includes upper and lower crankshafts having the same amount of eccentricity and driven in opposite directions with a phase difference of 180 degrees, a slide and a bolster rotatably connected to eccentric parts of the upper and lower crankshafts, respectively, a parallel maintaining mechanism configured to maintain a parallelism between the slide and the bolster, and a clamp mechanism including an upper clamp attached to the slide and a lower clamp attached to the bolster. The slide and the bolster move toward/away from each other and advance/retreat together along a feed direction of a material in accordance with rotational driving of the upper and lower crankshafts. The clamp mechanism clamps the material when the slide and the bolster move toward each other and unclamps the material forwardly fed while being clamped when the slide and the bolster move away from each other.

A press drive device (21) includes a connecting rod (49) with input (48) and output ends (50). A drive shaft (35) is mounted to be rotatable about a shaft axis W and includes a connecting rod bearing (46) that is eccentric in relation to the shaft axis W. A drive unit (77) includes a driving motor (30) and a planetary gear set (76) to drive the drive shaft (35). A gear output (79) connects to the drive shaft (35), and a gear input (78) connects to a motor shaft (73). The driving motor (30) includes a rotor (66) connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the motor shaft (73) via a rotor hub (67). The rotor (66) is concentric to the motor shaft creating mounting space between the motor shaft (73) and the rotor (66) and designed to arrange a braking device (31) therein.

A press drive device includes a connecting rod with input and output ends. A drive shaft mounts to rotate about a shaft axis and includes a connecting rod bearing in eccentric relation to the shaft axis. The input end mounts on the connecting rod bearing. At least first and second drive housings are provided on axially opposite sides of the connecting rod bearing. The drive shaft projects into both drive housings. A motor mounts in at least one of the drive housings and includes a stator rotationally fixed to a drive housing peripheral wall located coaxially around the shaft axis. A rotor supported by a rotor hub is arranged radially within the stator with mounting space between the shaft axis and the rotor for possibly mounting a braking device.

A cam follower assembly for a can bodymaker includes a slider structured to be coupled to the proximal end of a ram body of the can bodymaker; and a plurality of cam follower members rotatably coupled to the slider. The cam follower members are structured to be operatively coupled to a cam of a ram drive assembly.