Strip handling apparatus

Claim 2

In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, at least one freely rotatable roller positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid and over which strip material is to be passed, and a fluid distributor extending parallel to said roller having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, each of said apertures being directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped space formed between the surface of the roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the strip material and the roller and to cause the roller to rotate.

Claim 3

A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the apertures of the distributor are spaced from the nearest point on the periphery of said roller a distance of about one-tenth the diameter of the roller.

Claim 4

A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a baffle adjacent to said apertures and to the surface of said roller and spaced from said roller to define a narrow passageway between the baffle and the roller into which said jets of liquid are directed.

Claim 5

In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding and turning of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freely rotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, the strip material being passed around the end roller in the row and passed along both sides of the row in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller, each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped spaced formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate.

Claim 6

In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding and turning of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freely rotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, the strip material being passed around the end roller in the row and passed along both sides of the row in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller, each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped spaced formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate.

Claim 7

A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the rollers are caused by the jets of liquid to rotate at a peripheral speed in excess of the speed of movement of the strip material along said roller.

Claim 8

In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freely rotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, strip material being passed along both sides of the row in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of lIquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller, each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped spaces formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate.

Claim 9

In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freely rotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, strip material being passed along both sides of the row in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of lIquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller, each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped spaces formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate.