Method and apparatus for handling a coil

Abstract

The handling of metal coils, such as coils of sheet steel, aluminum or other materials is facilitated through the use of a transfer bar which is inserted in the coils before they are removed from a rewind mandrel. In a typical operation the transfer bar is inserted between the inside diameter of the coil and the outside diameter of the rewind mandrel adjacent the coil tail after the mandrel has been collapsed. The transfer bar is then raised into engagement with the coils, contacting them adjacent their tails, and the coils are thereafter carried by the transfer bar as they are moved from the rewind mandrel to a turnstile horn and from the turnstile horn to a downlayer. As a result, removal of the coil tails from the mandrel gripper slot is facilitated, eliminating telescoping of the coils upon removal from the mandrel, and damage to the inside diameters of the coils is obviated because there is no sliding of the coils along the mandrel or turnstile horn after they are carried by the transfer bar. Additionally, damage that often occurs to the coil edges is eliminated because separation between the coils is maintained as long as they are carried by the transfer bar and because separation is maintained, there is no interleaving of the edges of adjacent coils, thereby avoiding the problem of prying adjacent coils apart once they have become interleaved.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.