Coil compacting and strapping apparatus

Claim 1

IN A ROLLING MILL, COIL HANDLING APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL ROD COILS INTO COMPACTED UNITIZED BUNDLES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: A HOUSING INCLUDING A COIL RECEIVING STATION AND A COMPACTING AND STRAPPING STATION; SAID COIL RECEIVING STATION PROVIDED WITH COIL RECEIVING MEANS INCLUDING A MOVABLE GATE FOR SUPPORTING AND AXIALLY CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL ROD COILS; COIL CARRIER MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID COIL RECEIVING STATION AND SAID COMPACTING AND STRAPPING STATION, SAID COIL CARRIER MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID MOVABLE GATE WHEN MOVING TOWARDS SAID COMPACTING AND STRAPPING STATION TO COLLECT AND CARRY SAID INDIVIDUAL ROD COILS TO SAID COMPACTING AND STRAPPING STATION; COIL COMPACTING MEANS AT SAID COMPACTING AND STRAPPING STATION; INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR PLACING SAID COIL CARRIER MEANS CARRYING SAID INDIVIDUAL ROD COILS IN COOPERASTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COIL COMPACTING MEANS, SAID COMPACTING MEANS WHEN ACTUATED COOPERATING WITH SAID COIL CARRIER MEANS AND SAID MOVABLE GATE TO AXIALLY COMPACT SAID ROD COILS; STRAPPING MEANS FOR STRAPPING SAID COMPACTED COILS INTO A UNITIZED BUNDLE; AND BUNDLE REMOVAL MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID BUNDLE FROM SAID COIL HANDLING APPARATUS FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE STRAPPING OPERATION.