Magnetic strip conveyor

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND CONVEYING A FLAT METAL STRIP BETWEEN ONE MILL STAND AND THE NEXT SUCCEEDING MILL STAND IN A STRIP PROCESSING LINE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FRAME HAVING MOUNTED THEREON A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED, ENDLESS SIDE CHAINS WITH HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED UPPER RUNS FOR SUPPORTING THE STRIP ALONG ITS SIDE MARGINS AND A PAIR OF ENDLESS CENTER CHAINS WITH HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED UPPER RUNS FOR SUPPORTING THE STRIP ALONG ITS CENTER PORTION, SAID SIDE CHAINS BEING MOUNTED ON LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE FRAME MEMBERS HAVING ASSOCIATED SIDE GUIDE RAILS FOR HOLDING THE STRIP IN A PREDETERMINED PATH, THE CENTER CHAINS BEING MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A BOX-LIKE FRAME WITH THE UPPER ARMS THEREOF TRAVELING IN A PLANE OFFSET BELOW THE CORRESPONDING PLANE IN WHICH THE UPPER RUNS OF THE SIDE CHAINS ARE TRAVELING, A PLURALITY OF MAGNETS ARRANGED IN THE BOX-LIKE FRAME BETWEEN THE CENTER CHAINS WITH POLE PIECES EXTENDING VERTICALLY AND WITH THE UPPER ENDS OF THE POLE PIECES CONNECTED BY AN ELONGATE BAR FORMING MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPPER RUNS OF THE CENTER CHAINS SO AS TO EXERT A PULL ON THE STRIP AND DRAW THE CENTER PORTION THEREOF DOWN AGAINST THE UPPER RUNS OF THE CENTER CHAINS, POWER MEANS OPERATIVE TO DRIVE THE CHAINS IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHEREBY TO ADVANCE THE STRIP ACROSS THE CONVEYOR AND TO BLOW THE STRIP TRANSVERSELY SO AS TO STIFFEN THE LEADING PORTION AS IT IS ADVANCED TO THE ENTRANCE SIDE OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING MILL STAND.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND CONVEYING A FLAT METAL STRIP BETWEEN ONE MILL STAND AND THE NEXT SUCCEEDING MILL STAND IN A STRIP PROCESSING LINE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FRAME HAVING MOUNTED THEREON A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED, ENDLESS SIDE CHAINS WITH HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED UPPER RUNS FOR SUPPORTING THE STRIP ALONG ITS SIDE MARGINS AND A PAIR OF ENDLESS CENTER CHAINS WITH HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED UPPER RUNS FOR SUPPORTING THE STRIP ALONG ITS CENTER PORTION, SAID SIDE CHAINS BEING MOUNTED ON LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE FRAME MEMBERS HAVING ASSOCIATED SIDE GUIDE RAILS FOR HOLDING THE STRIP IN A PREDETERMINED PATH, THE CENTER CHAINS BEING MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A BOX-LIKE FRAME WITH THE UPPER ARMS THEREOF TRAVELING IN A PLANE OFFSET BELOW THE CORRESPONDING PLANE IN WHICH THE UPPER RUNS OF THE SIDE CHAINS ARE TRAVELING, A PLURALITY OF MAGNETS ARRANGED IN THE BOX-LIKE FRAME BETWEEN THE CENTER CHAINS WITH POLE PIECES EXTENDING VERTICALLY AND WITH THE UPPER ENDS OF THE POLE PIECES CONNECTED BY AN ELONGATE BAR FORMING MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPPER RUNS OF THE CENTER CHAINS SO AS TO EXERT A PULL ON THE STRIP AND DRAW THE CENTER PORTION THEREOF DOWN AGAINST THE UPPER RUNS OF THE CENTER CHAINS, POWER MEANS OPERATIVE TO DRIVE THE CHAINS IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHEREBY TO ADVANCE THE STRIP ACROSS THE CONVEYOR AND TO BLOW THE STRIP TRANSVERSELY SO AS TO STIFFEN THE LEADING PORTION AS IT IS ADVANCED TO THE ENTRANCE SIDE OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING MILL STAND.