Method and apparatus to uncoil and dekink coiled material

An apparatus for dekinking a kinked portion of material from a coil of said material, wherein said material is paid off from said coil to a machine downstream of said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• independently displaceable upper and lower rolls positioned downstream of said coil, material flowing therebetween;
• means for pivoting said independently displaceable upper and lower rolls, said pivoting means pivoting said independently displaceable upper and lower rolls about a common axis;
• and
• means for driving said independently displaceable upper and lower rolls relatively one another to straighten out said kinked portion of material therebetween.

An apparatus for handling a coil of material, said material being paid off from said coil to a machine downstream of said apparatus, said coil having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, said apparatus comprising:

• an expandable mandrel;
• means for supporting and uncoiling said coil from said expandable mandrel;
• a payoff roll pivotally mounted between said expandable mandrel and said machine, said payoff roll engaging an outside surface of said material on said coil of material in direct contact to establish a payoff line at a predetermined angle between said payoff roll and said machine;
• and
• means for displacing said coil along a single axis to substantially maintain the angle of said payoff line, between said payoff roll and said machine downstream of said coil.

An apparatus for conveying material paid off from a coil of said material to a machine downstream of said apparatus, said coil having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, said apparatus comprising:

• a feeder;
• a dekinker positioned upstream of said feeder, said dekinker comprising:
• a threader roll;
• and
• a breaker roll positioned below said threader roll, said threader and breaker rolls being independently displaceable with respect to one another to straighten out a kinked length of said material therebetween;
• and
• an uncoiler positioned upstream of said dekinker, said uncoiler comprising:
• a mandrel extending through said inside diameter of said coil;
• and
• a displacement apparatus mounted to said mandrel for vertically displacing said mandrel to control the height at which said material is paid off from said coil.

An apparatus for dekinking a portion of material from a coil, wherein said material is paid off from said coil to a machine downstream of said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a threader roll;
• a breaker roll positioned below said threader roll;
• a frame supporting said threader roll and said breaker roll positioned below said threader roll;
• a threader pivot arm pivotably mounted to said frame and terminating in said threader roll;
• a breaker pivot frame pivotably mounted to said frame and terminating in said breaker roll;
• and
• means for pivoting said threader pivot arm and said breaker pivot frame off of a common axis;
• wherein said material flows between said threader and breaker rolls and said threader and breaker rolls are displaceable with respect to one another to straighten out a kinked length of said material therebetween.

An apparatus for handling a coil of material, wherein said material is paid off from said coil to a machine downstream of said apparatus, said coil having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, said apparatus comprising:

• a expandable mandrel positioned within said inside diameter of said coil;
• a payoff roll pivotally mounted and adjoining said material of said coil of material to engage an outside surface of said material on said coil of material in direct contact to establish a payoff line at a predetermined angle between said payoff roll and said machine downstream of said coil;
• and
• an uncoiling apparatus connected to said expandable mandrel for displacing said expandable mandrel along a single axis to maintain said predetermined angle of said payoff line between said payoff roll and said machine downstream of said coil.

A method of conveying material from a coil of said material to a machine downstream, said method comprising the steps of:

• uncoiling said coil of material, said uncoiling step comprising the steps of:
• supporting said coil from an inside diameter thereof;
• and
• vertically displacing said coil as an outside diameter of said coil decreases as said material is paid off from said coil to control the height at which said material is paid off from said coil;
• dekinking a kinked portion of said material by compressing said kinked portion of said material between independently moveable upper and lower rolls;
• and
• feeding said material to said machine along a pass line.

A method of dekinking a portion of material from a coil, wherein said material is paid off from said coil to a machine downstream, said method comprising the steps of:

• feeding said material between upper and lower pivotable rolls;
• Pivoting said upper and lower rolls from a common pivot axis;
• and
• pivoting said upper and lower rolls relatively toward one another to compress a kinked length of said material between said upper and lower pivotable rolls to dekink said material.

A method of handling a coil of material wherein said material is paid off from said coil to a machine downstream of said coil, said method comprising the steps of:

• supporting said coil along an inside diameter thereof;
• engaging an outside surface of said material on said coil in line contact to establish a payoff line at a predetermined angle between said payoff roll and said machine downstream of said coil;
• and
• traversing said coil along a single axis to substantially maintain the position of said predetermined angle of said payoff line of said material as said material is unwound from said coil.