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US 5,720,444 AGranted
Strip accumulators
AssigneeGuild International Inc.
InventorsMichael S. Wheeler, Orst P. Kurylo
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGuild International Inc.
InventorsMichael S. Wheeler, Orst P. Kurylo
Estimating the term…
A strip accumulator for supporting a continuous length of strip material includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced stationary idler rolls for supporting an inner bundle of convolutions of the strip material on edge and an outer rotatable table surrounding the stationary idler rolls for supporting an outer bundle of such strip convolutions on edge. The upper surfaces of the stationary idler rolls are at a height above the table support surface for ease of transfer of the convolutions of the inner bundle from the stationary idler rolls to the table as the convolutions of the inner bundle expand during filling of the accumulator with strip material. Also, the height difference between the upper surfaces of the stationary idler rolls and the support surface of the table is such that a lead-in of the strip material from the outer bundle to the inner bundle is sufficiently angled to cause the convolutions of the outer bundle to slide up onto the stationary idler rolls during both mill match operation when the rate of infeed of the strip material to the accumulator matches the rate of outfeed of the strip material from the accumulator and during a joining mode when movement of the incoming strip material is interrupted to permit a supply of strip material to be replenished externally of the accumulator while the strip material is still being withdrawn from the accumulator.
A strip accumulator for supporting a continuous length spiral coil of strip material consisting of a plurality of continuous helically wound convolutions having substantially vertical axes comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced, generally radially extending stationary idler rolls for supporting an inner bundle of such convolutions on edge, a rotatable outer support surrounding said stationary idler rolls for supporting an outer bundle of such convolutions on edge, said stationary idler rolls and said outer support having an annular gap therebetween, and a drive mechanism for driving said outer support around said stationary idler rolls during filling of said accumulator with the strip material.
A strip accumulator for supporting a continuous length of strip material consisting of a plurality of convolutions having substantially vertical axes comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced, generally radially extending stationary idler rolls for supporting an inner bundle of such convolutions on edge, a rotatable outer support surrounding said stationary idler rolls for supporting an outer bundle of such convolutions on edge, said stationary idler rolls and said outer support having an annular gap therebetween, and a drive mechanism for driving said outer support around said stationary idler rolls during filling of said accumulator with the strip material, said outer support having a support surface for supporting the outer bundle of convolutions, and said stationary idler rolls have upper surfaces for supporting the inner bundle of convolutions, said upper surfaces of said stationary idler rolls being at a height above said support surface of said outer support to facilitate transfer of the convolutions of the inner bundle from said stationary idler rolls to said outer support as the convolutions of said inner bundle expand during filling of said accumulator with the strip material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.