Rotating roller to shape moving webs

1. A rotating roller for imparting complex curvature onto a web of material or as a mold surface for the synthesis of webs with complex curvature, the rotating roller comprising:

a substantially cylindrical roller having a flexible outer surface;

a plurality of control rings, the inside of each ring mounted coaxial to a central shaft and disposed side by side along an axial length of the shaft, and the outside of each ring supporting a substantially circular slice of the flexible outer surface;

wherein each control ring defines a diameter, and the diameter of each control ring may have its diameter changed independent from the other control rings.

2. A rotating roller as described in claim 1 , wherein each control ring is disposed equidistantly from the next adjacent ring along the axial length of the central shaft.

3. A rotating roller as described in claim 1 , wherein the diameter of each control ring is changeable in diameter in a continuous manner.

4. A rotating roller as described in claim 1 , wherein the diameter of each control ring is changeable in diameter in a stepped manner.

5. A rotating roller as described in claim 1 , wherein each control ring is mounted concentrically on the central shaft.

6. A rotating roller as described in claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the roller comprises apertures open on one end to the outside of the roller and on an opposite end to a cavity inside the roller; and

the cavity inside the roller is in fluid communication with a vacuum pump for creating a vacuum on the surface of the roller.

7. A rotating roller as described in claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the roller is comprised of a silicone sleeve.

8. A rotating roller as described in claim 1 , wherein each control ring comprises:

a drive ring mounted rotatably around the central shaft, the drive ring operatively connected to an actuator that is adapted to rotatably move the drive ring around the central shaft;

a plurality of pie-shaped segments, each attached to one end of a link arm, and each link arm attached on its opposite end to the drive ring;

the pie-shaped segments guided by a roller mechanism that is fixed to the central shaft, wherein each pie-shaped segment can only move substantially radially;

whereby movement of each drive ring causes the diameter of each respective control ring to change.

9. A rotating roller for imparting complex curvature onto a web of material or as a mold surface for the synthesis of webs with complex curvature, the rotating roller comprising:

a substantially cylindrical roller having a flexible outer surface;

a control ring, the inside of the ring mounted coaxial to a central shaft along an axial length of the shaft, and the outside of the ring supporting a substantially circular slice of the flexible outer surface;

wherein the control ring defines a diameter, and the diameter of the control ring may have its diameter changed.

10. A rotating roller as described in claim 9 , wherein the diameter of the control ring is changeable in diameter in a continuous manner.

11. A rotating roller as described in claim 9 , wherein the diameter of the control ring is changeable in diameter in a stepped manner.

12. A rotating roller as described in claim 9 , wherein the control ring is mounted concentrically on the central shaft.

13. A rotating roller as described in claim 9 , wherein the outer surface of the roller comprises apertures open on one end to the outside of the roller and on an opposite end to a cavity inside the roller; and

the cavity inside the roller is in fluid communication with a vacuum pump for creating a vacuum on the surface of the roller.

14. A rotating roller as described in claim 9 , wherein the outer surface of the roller is comprised of a silicone sleeve.

15. A rotating roller as described in claim 9 , wherein the control ring comprises:

a drive ring mounted rotatably around the central shaft, the drive ring operatively connected to an actuator that is adapted to rotatably move the drive ring around the central shaft;

a plurality of pie-shaped segments, each attached to one end of a link arm, and each link arm attached on its opposite end to the drive ring;

the pie-shaped segments guided by a roller mechanism that is fixed to the central shaft, wherein each pie-shaped segment can only move substantially radially;

whereby movement of each drive ring causes the diameter of the respective control ring to change.