Apparatus for constructing tanks

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TANKS FROM AN ELONGATED, INITIALLY FLAT, UNITARY PANEL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A SUPPORTING CHASIS; A PAIR OF SPACED, SUPPORTING ASSEMBLIES CARRIED BY THE CHASSIS, EACH HAVING A MOUNTING UNIT AND NORMALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SHAFT STRUCTURE FOR ATTACHING SAID UNIT THERETO FOR ROTATION ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT STRUCTURE, THE AXES OF ROTATION OF THE UNITS BEING ALIGNED, EACH ASSEMBLY HAVING MECHANISM INCLUDING A SHIFTABLE FRAME SUPPORTING SAID STRUCTURE THEREOF FOR MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AXES TO SHIFT SAID SHAFT STRUCTURE WITH RESPECT TO SAID CHASSIS TO THEREBY VARY THE DIAMETER OF THE TANK, EACH UNIT HAVING CHUCK MEANS FOR SECURING A TANK END THERETO WITH THE TANK ENDS JOINED AT THEIR PERIPHERIES TO ONE FACE OF THE PANEL ADJACENT ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE LATTER; AND MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF PINCH ROLLERS CARRIED BY SAID CHASSIS IN LATERALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO A CORRESPONDING UNIT, BELOW THE CORRESPONDING STRUCTURE AND DRIVINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PANEL FOR ADVANCING THE LATTER WITH RESPECT TO SAID CHASSIS, SAID ROLLERS BEING ROTATABLE TO ROTATE SAID UNITS IN THE SAME DIRECTION, THERE BEING BACKING MEANS ADJACENT THE CHASSIS AND BELOW THE PANEL FOR ENGAGING THE PANEL AS THE SAME IS ADVANCED TO WRAP THE PANEL AROUND THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID ENDS TO PRESENT A TUBULAR SHELL CLOSED BY THE TANK ENDS.