[This post deserves a second look–PM] I have recently rebuilt a Uni-III Power and was perplexed when I could not satisfactorily adjust the “braking” of the carriage at either end of travel. I adjusted the clutch to book spec, checked the micro switches, contacts and rheostat, all were functioning properly. With no other known adjustment I turned my attention to the gear-motor where I removed the top cover (a 2 inch disc affixed with 3 screws) and found an adjusting nut just below the oil level. Given that the access hole was large enough for a socket and was overkill for an oiling hole I put a socket on the nut and turned 1 revolution clockwise. To my amazement the braking was now responsive and with a few more adjustments I can operate the press at about 65% speed with no hard slamming of the carriage.
My question is, has anybody else made this same adjustment and to what success? Is there any literature on this gear-motor anywhere?
This is interesting. I have not found any reference to this adjusting nut in any of the Vandercook material. The motors and gear box with clutch were not made by Vandercook and the only references we have with the original drawings are references to the OEM spec sheets, which for the most part are not in the Vandercook files. The clutch assemblies are still made, but for the rest of it, I haven’t found any currently available reference material. Trying to locate companies that have been bought out, merged, name changed, etc is daunting at best 30 and 40 years after the fact.
Fritz