Apparatus for operating on hollow workpieces

Apparatus for performing an operation on a succession of thin-walled hollow workpieces, comprising a fixed machine frame;

• a main turret rotatable about its own axis in said frame;
• a plurality of holding means carried by the main turret and spaced apart on a common pitch circle for holding a plurality of said workpieces;
• a feed station for feeding successive workpieces to the holding means;
• a discharge station, spaced circumferentially from the feed station with respect to the main turret axis for removing successive workpieces from the holding means;
• means on the main turret for carrying a male tool element for engagement within a said workpiece;
• means for carrying a further tool element for external engagement with a said workpiece in co-operation with the main tool element whereby to perform said operation on each workpiece in succession whilst the workpiece is held by the holding means between the feed station and the discharge station;
• and the apparatus further comprising placing means carried by the main turret, for effecting relative movement, longitudinally of the main turret and in synchronism with rotation thereof, as between each holding means in succession and said male tool element, so as to put each workpiece and the tool elements into, and to take them out of, their relative dispositions for said operation, characterised in that each of said holding means comprises a separate cradle having opposed end walls for acommodating a thin-walled hollow workpiece therebetween, a first of said end walls having an opening for receiving a said male tool element therethrough, and at least one of said end walls having lateral locating means for the workpiece, the cradle being open at one side for receiving the workpiece through that side.