Apparatus and method for reforming shells

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A NECK IN A CYLINDRICAL SHELL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM; AN UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A CENTRAL SHAFT WITH A LENGTH EXTENDING VERTICALLY BETWEEN THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM AND THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM; AN UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM ROTATABLE ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM AND LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM ADJACENT TO THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM ROTATABLE ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM ADJACENT TO THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF POSITIONING SHAFTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM AT LOCATIONS IN A CIRCUMFERENCE ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT, EACH POSITIONING SHAFT HAVING A LOWER END EXTENDING BELOW THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND AN UPPER END; A PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORMS POSITIONED BETWEEN THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM, EACH SHELL PLATFORM HAVING ITS SURFACE PERPENDICULAR TO THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND EACH SHELL PLATFORM BEING ROTATABLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF POSITIONING SHAFTS; A PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORM CAM FOLLOWERS, EACH SHELL PLATFORM CAM FOLLOWER BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF POSITIONING SHAFTS; A PLURALITY OF OUTER SLEEVES EXTENDING THROUGH THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AT LOCATIONS ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT WHICH CORRESPOND IN RADIAL POSITION AND DISTANCE FROM THE CENTRAL SHAFT WITH THE LOCATIONS AT WHICH THE POSITIONING SHAFTS EXTEND THROUGH THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES, EACH INNER SLEEVE BEING ROTATABLY INSERTED WITHIN ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF OUTER SLEEVES AND EACH INNER SLEEVE HAVING A LOWER END EXTENDING BELOW ITS ASSOCIATED OUTER SLEEVE AND THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND AN UPPER END EXTENDING ABOVE ITS ASSOCIATED OUTER SLEEVE AND THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF DIE STACKS, EACH STACK BEING FIXEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES AND EACH DIE STACK HAVING AN EXPANDABLE-CONTRACTIBLE UPPER DIE SET, AN EXPANDABLE-CONTRACTIBLE LOWER DIE SET, AND A HOLLOW CENTER; A PLURALITY OF SLEEVE GEARS, EACH SLEEVE GEAR BEING FIXEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES; A PLURALITY OF OUTER DIES, EACH OUTER DIE BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT TO ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF DIE STACKS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE DIE STACK; A PLURALITY OF CAMMING PINS WITH UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, EACH CAMMING PIN BEING SLIDABLY INSERTED INTO ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES WITH THE LOWER END OF THE CAMMING PIN EXTENDING INTO THE HOLLOW CENTER OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF DIE STACKS AND EACH CAMMING PIN HAVING CAMMING SURFACES WHICH ENGAGE THE UPPER AND LOWER DIE SETS OF THE DIE STACKS INTO WHICH ITS LOWER END EXTENDS; A PLURALITY OF CAMMING SHAFTS, EACH CAMMING SHAFT BEING ROTATABLY ASSOCIATED AT ITS LOWER END WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF CAMMING PINS AND EACH CAMMING SHAFT HAVING AN UPPER END EXTENDING TOWARD THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF DIE STACK CAM FOLLOWERS, EACH DIE STACK CAM FOLLOWER BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF CAMMING SHAFTS; A SHELL POSITIONING CAM MOUNTED UPON THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM TO FORM A CIRCULAR PATH AROUND THE CENTRAL SHAFT, SAID SHELL POSITIONING CAM HAVING A SURFACE WHICH CONTACTS THE PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORM CAM FOLLOWERS AND A DIMENSION EXTENDING TOWARD THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM WHICH VARIES ALONG ITS CIRCULAR PATH; A DIE STACK POSITIONING CAM MOUNTED UPON THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM IN A CIRCULAR PATH AROUND THE CENTRAL SHAFT, SAID DIE STACK POSITIONING CAM HAVING A SURFACE WHICH CONTACTS THE PLURALITY OF DIE STACK CAM FOLLOWERS AND HAVING A DIMENSION EXTENDING TOWARD THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM WHICH VARIES ALONG ITS CIRCULAR PATH AND WHICH IS ADJUSTABLE AT A PARTICULAR PART OF THE CIRCULAR PATH; MEANS FOR ROTATING THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT SO THAT EVERY PORTION OF THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM ALWAYS CORRESPONDS IN RADIAL POSITION ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT WITH A PARTICULAR PORTION OF THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE PLURALITY OF OUTER DIES FOR MOVING EACH OUTER DIE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE DIE STACK ADJACENT TO THE OUTER DIE IN RESPONSE TO THE ROTATION OF THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM; MEANS FOR POSITIONING A SHELL ON EACH OF THE PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORMS WHEN EACH SHELL PLATFORM IS IN A PARTICULAR RADIAL POSITION ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT; AND MEANS FOR REMOVING SHELLS FROM EACH OF THE PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORMS WHEN EACH SHELL PLATFORM IS IN A PARTICULAR RADIAL POSITION ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A NECK IN A CYLINDRICAL SHELL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM; AN UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A CENTRAL SHAFT WITH A LENGTH EXTENDING VERTICALLY BETWEEN THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM AND THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM; AN UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM ROTATABLE ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM AND LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM ADJACENT TO THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM ROTATABLE ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM ADJACENT TO THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF POSITIONING SHAFTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM AT LOCATIONS IN A CIRCUMFERENCE ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT, EACH POSITIONING SHAFT HAVING A LOWER END EXTENDING BELOW THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND AN UPPER END; A PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORMS POSITIONED BETWEEN THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM, EACH SHELL PLATFORM HAVING ITS SURFACE PERPENDICULAR TO THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND EACH SHELL PLATFORM BEING ROTATABLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF POSITIONING SHAFTS; A PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORM CAM FOLLOWERS, EACH SHELL PLATFORM CAM FOLLOWER BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF POSITIONING SHAFTS; A PLURALITY OF OUTER SLEEVES EXTENDING THROUGH THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AT LOCATIONS ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT WHICH CORRESPOND IN RADIAL POSITION AND DISTANCE FROM THE CENTRAL SHAFT WITH THE LOCATIONS AT WHICH THE POSITIONING SHAFTS EXTEND THROUGH THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES, EACH INNER SLEEVE BEING ROTATABLY INSERTED WITHIN ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF OUTER SLEEVES AND EACH INNER SLEEVE HAVING A LOWER END EXTENDING BELOW ITS ASSOCIATED OUTER SLEEVE AND THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND AN UPPER END EXTENDING ABOVE ITS ASSOCIATED OUTER SLEEVE AND THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF DIE STACKS, EACH STACK BEING FIXEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES AND EACH DIE STACK HAVING AN EXPANDABLE-CONTRACTIBLE UPPER DIE SET, AN EXPANDABLE-CONTRACTIBLE LOWER DIE SET, AND A HOLLOW CENTER; A PLURALITY OF SLEEVE GEARS, EACH SLEEVE GEAR BEING FIXEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES; A PLURALITY OF OUTER DIES, EACH OUTER DIE BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT TO ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF DIE STACKS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE DIE STACK; A PLURALITY OF CAMMING PINS WITH UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, EACH CAMMING PIN BEING SLIDABLY INSERTED INTO ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF INNER SLEEVES WITH THE LOWER END OF THE CAMMING PIN EXTENDING INTO THE HOLLOW CENTER OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF DIE STACKS AND EACH CAMMING PIN HAVING CAMMING SURFACES WHICH ENGAGE THE UPPER AND LOWER DIE SETS OF THE DIE STACKS INTO WHICH ITS LOWER END EXTENDS; A PLURALITY OF CAMMING SHAFTS, EACH CAMMING SHAFT BEING ROTATABLY ASSOCIATED AT ITS LOWER END WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF CAMMING PINS AND EACH CAMMING SHAFT HAVING AN UPPER END EXTENDING TOWARD THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM; A PLURALITY OF DIE STACK CAM FOLLOWERS, EACH DIE STACK CAM FOLLOWER BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF CAMMING SHAFTS; A SHELL POSITIONING CAM MOUNTED UPON THE LOWER STATIONARY PLATFORM TO FORM A CIRCULAR PATH AROUND THE CENTRAL SHAFT, SAID SHELL POSITIONING CAM HAVING A SURFACE WHICH CONTACTS THE PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORM CAM FOLLOWERS AND A DIMENSION EXTENDING TOWARD THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM WHICH VARIES ALONG ITS CIRCULAR PATH; A DIE STACK POSITIONING CAM MOUNTED UPON THE UPPER STATIONARY PLATFORM IN A CIRCULAR PATH AROUND THE CENTRAL SHAFT, SAID DIE STACK POSITIONING CAM HAVING A SURFACE WHICH CONTACTS THE PLURALITY OF DIE STACK CAM FOLLOWERS AND HAVING A DIMENSION EXTENDING TOWARD THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM WHICH VARIES ALONG ITS CIRCULAR PATH AND WHICH IS ADJUSTABLE AT A PARTICULAR PART OF THE CIRCULAR PATH; MEANS FOR ROTATING THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM AND THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT SO THAT EVERY PORTION OF THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM ALWAYS CORRESPONDS IN RADIAL POSITION ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT WITH A PARTICULAR PORTION OF THE LOWER MOVABLE PLATFORM; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE PLURALITY OF OUTER DIES FOR MOVING EACH OUTER DIE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE DIE STACK ADJACENT TO THE OUTER DIE IN RESPONSE TO THE ROTATION OF THE UPPER MOVABLE PLATFORM; MEANS FOR POSITIONING A SHELL ON EACH OF THE PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORMS WHEN EACH SHELL PLATFORM IS IN A PARTICULAR RADIAL POSITION ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT; AND MEANS FOR REMOVING SHELLS FROM EACH OF THE PLURALITY OF SHELL PLATFORMS WHEN EACH SHELL PLATFORM IS IN A PARTICULAR RADIAL POSITION ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT.