Method and apparatus for scribing grain-oriented silicon steel strip

An apparatus for scribing grain-oriented silicon steel strip to improve the watt losses thereof, said apparatus comprising:

• a carriage body rotatable about an axis and having a diameter at least as great as the strip width;
• means for rotating said body;
• means for scribing mounted on said body at or about the periphery thereof and movable therewith;
• means for forming the strip into an arcuate shape about an axis parallel to the direction of strip movement, said means including a plurality of separate adjustable nondriven rollers positioned on opposite sides of the strip and having minimal line contact therewith to provide a strip pass line substantially conforming to the arc defined by the periphery of said rotatable body and for bringing the concave surface of the moving arcuate-shaped strip into scribing contact with said scribing means;
• means for regulating the relative speed of the strip movement and speed of rotation of the carriage body with said scribing means thereof;
• and
• means for adjustably orienting the carriage body such that the plane of rotation of the scribing means on the rotating body forms an angle of between 5 and 15 degrees from a plane perpendicular to the direction of strip movement in relation to the speed of strip movement;
• said strip initially contacted by said scribing means at a rearward area of the moving strip such that said scribing means moves across the strip transversely to the direction of strip movement to form a scribe line which is at a selected spaced-apart distance from an adjacent scribe line.