Apparatus for rolling strip metal

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TEMPER STRETCH LEVELLING OR TEMPER STRETCH ROLLING STRIP METAL, COMPRISING ROTATABLE ENTRANCE AND EXIT BRIDLE ROLLERS SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION AT POSITIONS SPACED APART ALONG THE PATH OF A STRIP AND AROUND WHICH THE STRIP IS PASSED, ROTATABLE PINCH ROLLERS OPERABLE TO PRESS THE STRIP AGAINST THE BRIDLE ENTRANCE BRIDLE ROLLER TO THE EXIT BRIDLE ROLLER AND BETWEEN WHICH THE STRIP IS GRIPPED, SAID SECOND TENSIONING ROLLER BEING ROTATABLE WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL VELOCITY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE FIRST TENSIONING ROLLER THEREBY LOCALLY TO INCREASE THE LINEAR SPEED OF THE STRIP TO IMPART A PERMANENT TENSILE STRAIN THERETO, ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE-APPLYING MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE FIRST TENSIONING ROLLER TO APPLY TO THE STRIP A PREDETERMINED LOCAL COMPRESSIVE STRESS LOWER THAN THE YIELD STRESS OF THE STRIP WHILE THE STRIP IS SUBJECTED TO LOCAL TENSIONING BY THE FIRST AND SECOND TENSIONING ROLLERS, AND A TRAIN OF GEARS OPERABLE TO EFFECT SIMULTANEOUS ROTATION OF ALL OF SAID ROLLER.