Cold-pressing process and apparatus

Claim 1

IN A COLD-PRESSING APPARATUS, IN COMBINATION, ANNULAR DIE MEANS HAVING AN INNER ANNULAR SURFACE COAXIALLY SURROUNDING THE AXIS OF SAID DIE MEANS AND DEFINING A CAVITY THEREIN; ELONGATED PUNCH MEANS COAXIAL WITH SAID DIE MEANS AND MOVABLE AXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID DIE MEANS INTO SAID CAVITY DURING A WORKING STROKE OF SAID PUNCH MEANS AND OUT OF SAID CAVITY DURING A RETURN STROKE OF SAID PUNCH MEANS; A GUIDE SLEEVE COAXIALLY SURROUNDING AND SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID PUNCH MEANS AND EXTENDING INTO SAID CAVITY AND SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID DIE MEANS SO THAT SAID SLEEVE MAINTAINS THE COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID PUNCH MEANS AND DIE MEANS DURING THE WORKING STROKE OF SAID PUNCH MEANS; BIASING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SLEEVE FOR URGING SAID SLEEVE ALONG THE AXIS OF SAID DIE MEANS IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID CAVITY WITH A FORCE WHICH INCREASES IN RESPONSE TO PROGRESSIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PUNCH MEANS IN SAID DIRECTION SO THAT AFTER A SLUG HAS BEEN SHAPED BY SAID PUNCH MEANS IN SAID CAVITY OF SAID DIE MEANS SAID SLEEVE BY ENGAGING THE SLUG AND AS A RESULT OF SAID YIELDABLE MEANS WILL PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THIS SLUG WITH SAID PUNCH MEANS DURING THE RETURN STROKE OF THE LATTER SO THAT THE SLUG WILL BE STRIPPED FROM SAID PUNCH MEANS; AND LIMITING MEANS CARRIED IN PART BY SAID SLEEVE AND IN PART BY SAID PUNCH MEANS FOR LIMITING THE EXTENT OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PUNCH MEANS ALONG SAID RETURN STROKE THEREOF WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLEEVE, WHEREBY WHEN SAID PUNCH MEANS HAS MOVED ALONG ITS RETURN STROKE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLEEVE TO THE LIMIT DETERMINED BY SAID LIMITING MEANS, SAID SLEEVE WILL DURING THE FURTHER MOVEMENT OF SAID PUNCH MEANS ALONG ITS RETURN STROKE MOVE WITH THE LATTER AWAY FROM SAID CAVITY.