Drum body elevating platform unit

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE WHICH INCLUDES A LONGITUDINAL CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AND ADVANCE A VERTICALLY DISPOSED CYLINDRICAL METALLIC DRUM BODY, THE CONVEYOR HAVING A DRIVEN ENDLESS CHAIN WITH A DRUM BODY-ADVANCING UPPER RUN, AN OVERHEAD DIE MECHANISM ABOVE THE CONVEYOR, AND AN ELEVATING PLATFORM UNIT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVEYOR AND IN TIMED RELATION TO THE ENDLESS CHAIN BEING VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN A LOWERED POSITION AND A RAISED POSITION, THE ELEVATING PLATFORM UNIT UPON MOVEMENT TO RAISED POSITION LIFTING THE DRUM BODY FROM THE CONVEYOR AND PROJECTING THE UPPER END OF SAID DRUM BODY INTO FORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OVERHEAD DIE MECHANISM AND UPON MOVEMENT TO LOWERED POSITION RETURNING THE DRUM BODY TO THE CONVEYOR; SAID ELEVATING PLATFORM UNIT EMBODYING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED PLATFORM SECTIONS, THE UPPER RUN OF THE CHAIN BEING DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PLATFORM SECTIONS WHEN THE ELEVATING PLATFORM UNIT IS IN LOWERED POSITION, AND MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY BRIDGE SUCH SPACE UPON MOVEMENT OF THE ELEVATING PLATFORM UNIT TO RAISED POSITION, THE PLATFORM SECTIONS AND BRIDGING MEANS THEN PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS SURFACE HAVING THEREIN AN UPWARDLY OPENING FULL-CIRCLE DIE CHANNEL IN WHICH THE LOWER END OF THE LIFTED DRUM BODY IS RECEIVED, AND SAID DIE CHANNEL FORMING A FLANGE ON THE LOWER END OF THE DRUM BODY WHEN LIFTED AND UPON ITS UPPER END BEING PROJECTED INTO FORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OVERHEAD DIE MECHANISM.