Strip tensioner

Claim 1

A TENSIONING DEVICE FROM WHICH STRIP MATERIAL IS TO BE WITHDRAWN UNDER TENSION WHICH COMPRISES, A MAIN SUPPORT STRUCTURE, A SWIVEL FRAME STRUCTURE, PIVOTAL MEANS CONNECTING SAID SWIVEL FRAME STRUCTURE WITH SAID MAIN SUPPORT STRUCTURE, A SEQUENCE OF AT LEAST TWO PARALLEL GUIDE ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SWIVEL FRAME WITH THEIR AXES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PIVOTAL AXIS AND ARRANGED SO AS TO PROVIDE A MEANDERING COURSE FOR SAID STRIP MATERIAL WHEN IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROLLERS, AND FURTHERMORE ARRANGED RELATIVE TO SAID PIVOTAL AXIS SO AS TO ESTABLISH EQUILIBRIUM FOR SAID SWIVEL STRUCTURE WHEN SAID STRIP IS UNDER TENSION, SAID PIVOTAL AXIS BEING LOCATED IN A PLANE INTERMEDIATE AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANES INCLUDING THE RESPECTIVE LATERAL EDGES OF THE STRIP MATERIAL FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED BY SAID ROLLERS, A GEAR COAXIALLY CONNECTED TO EACH ROLLER, SAID GEARS MESHING WITH ONE ANOTHER TO ROTATE SIMULTANEOUSLY DUE TO THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE STRIP MATERIAL FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED BY SAID ROLLERS, A BRAKE DEVICE CARRIED BY SAID SWIVEL FRAME AND EFFECTIVE TO APPLY INITIAL TENSION TO THE STRIP MATERIAL AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH FRICTIONAL NON-SLIDING CONTACT BETWEEN SAID STRIP AND SAID ROLLERS WHILE THE STRIP IS BEING DRAWN THROUGH THE TENSIONING DEVICE AGAINST TORQUE LOAD RESISTANCE IMPOSED UPON SAID ROLLERS, AND DYNAMOMETRIC MEANS DRIVEN BY ONE OF SAID GUIDE ROLLERS, HAVING CONTROLLABLE TORQUE LOAD MEANS RESISTING THE ROTATION OF SAID GUIDE ROLLER, WHEREBY THE TORQUE LOAD AS WELL AS THE STRIP TENSION DIMISHES FROM EACH ROLLER TO THE NEXT PRECEDING ROLLER, WHILE PROVIDING THE REQUIRED WITHDRAWAL TENSION IN SAID STRIP.