Spiral accumulator for a flexible metal strip

In a spiral accumulator for a flexible metal strip comprising:

• a fixed frame;
• an annular plate with a substantially vertical axis, rotatably mounted with respect to said fixed frame for supporting the spiral-wound turns of the strip;
• rotating means for rotating said annular plate;
• an outer and an inner crown of rollers each roller freely rotatably mounted with respect to its fixed and substantially vertical axis, said outer and inner crowns of rollers being disposed respectively at the external and internal peripheries of said annular plate for retaining the turns of the strip;
• and
• deflecting means disposed within said inner crown of rollers for guiding the inside turn of the strip to the outlet of the accumulator, causing it to pass above the spiral wound turns of the strip,
• the improvement wherein said deflecting means includes a series of deflecting rollers freely rotatably mounted with respect to the axes thereof, said axes of said deflecting rollers being fixed with respect to said frame and being tilted with respect to the axis of said annular plate by an angle varying from one deflecting roller to another, and wherein the intersections of the lower ends of the axes of the deflecting rollers with the plane of said annular plate are disposed substantially in an arc of a circle whose center is situated at a certain distance from the axis of said annular plate, on the side of the axis of said annular plate opposite that of the accumulator outlet.