Apparatus for guiding an advancing strip such as a strip of continuous sheet-metal

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING AN ADVANCING STRIP BETWEEN AN UNCOILING FORMER AND A COILING FORMER, BY GUIDING MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE OSCILLATING FRAME SUPPORTING AT LEAST ONE ORIENTING ROLL HAVING AN ORIENTATION WHICH IS RESPONSIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID STRIP, AN IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING CONTROLLING MEANS FOR THE ORIENTATION OF SAID ORIENTATING ROLL, AT LEAST ONE PRIMARY DETECTOR FOR SENSING THE TRANSVERSE POSITION OF AN EDGE OF SAID STRIP WITHOUT MATERIAL CONTACT WITH SAID EDGE, A SECONDARY DETECTOR ASSOCIATED WITH A RESPECTIVE FRAME FOR SENSING THE TRANSVERSE POSITION OF AN OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE STRIP WITHOUT MATERIAL CONTACT WITH SUCH EDGE, AND ELECTRICAL MEANS CONNECTING SAID PRIMARY DETECTOR, SAID SECONDARY DETECTOR AND SAID CONTROLLING MEANS, SAID ELECTRICAL MEANS COLLECTING DISPLACEMENT INFORMATION FROM SAID PRIMARY DETECTORS AND DAMPING INFORMATION FROM SAID SECONDARY DETECTOR, TO DAMP OSCILLATIONS OF SAID FRAME WHEN CORRECTION IS MADE DUE TO CHANGE IN ORIENTATION IN SAID STRIP.