Space saving strip stock uncoiler with feed loop

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRIP STOCK COMPRISING A STRIP STOCK UNCOILER; MEANS ON SAID UNCOILER FOR ROTATABLY MOUNTING A COIL OF STRIP STOCK WITH ITS AXIS HORIZONTAL; A STRIP STOCK STRAIGHTENER ABOVE SAID COIL MOUNTING MEANS AND LOCATED TO RECEIVE STRIP STOCK FROM A COIL MOUNTED ON SAID COIL MOUNTING MEANS; A SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE STRIP STOCK AND DEFINING AN ARCUATE PATH FOR STRAIGHTENED STRIP STOCK EXTENDING FROM SAID STRAIGHTENER WITH A RADIUS OF CURVATURE SUFFICIENT TO AVOID DEVELOPING A SET IN THE STRAIGHTENED STOCK, SAID PATH TURNING DOWNWARDLY, SAID SUPPORT MEANS HAVING AN EXTREME STRIP STOCK SUPPORT STATION ALONG SAID PATH AND DEFINING THE POINT OF SUPPORT BY SAID SUPPORT MEANS MOST REMOTE LATERALLY FROM SAID COIL MOUNTING MEANS ON THE SIDE OF SAID COIL MOUNTING MEANS OPPOSITE THAT FROM WHICH SAID STOCK IS WITHDRAWN; MEANS MAINTAINING SAID EXTREME STOCK SUPPORT STATION ABOVE A FIRST OPN ZONE AT A HEIGHT SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE A LOOP OF STRIP STOCK PENDANT FROM SAID EXTREME STOCK SUPPORT STATION; A STOCK RECEIVING MEANS ON THE SIDE OF SAID COIL MOUNTING MEANS FROM WHICH THE STOCK IS WITHDRAWN; AND MEANS MAINTAINING SAID COIL MOUNTING MEANS ABOVE A SECOND OPEN ZONE CONTINUOUS WITH SAID FIRST OPEN ZONE TO FORM A FEED LOOP ZONE WHICH IS UNOBSTRUCTED TO ACCOMMODATE A RANGE OF LENGTHS OF FEED LOOP OF PENDANT STRIP STOCK BETWEEN SAID EXTREME STOCK SUPPORT STATION AND SAID STOCK RECEIVING MEANS WHEREBY THE STRIP STOCK IS MAINTAINED PENDANT IN AN UNCONSTRAINED FEED LOOP OF VARIABLE LENGTH A PORTION OF WHICH IS BENEATH SAID COIL MOUNTING MEANS.