Apparatus for improving coating connectricity on metallic coated strands

Claim 2

Apparatus for improving the concentricity of a metallic coating on a strand comprising: a. a fluid nozzle having, in cross section, an inverted Y-shape, said strand passing through said nozzle in a horizontal path of travel substantially normal to the plane of said cross section and at substantially the intersection of the arms and the vertical stem of said Y; b. means for supplying fluid under pressure to the arms of said Y; and c. a vent in said stem open to the atmosphere.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fluid under pressure is supplied to said arms of said Y at a pressure on the order of 0.4 to 1.2 inches of water column.

Claim 4

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said nozzle is elongate along said path of travel of said strand.

Claim 5

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein the cross sectional area of said vertical stem is less than the cross sectional area of any one of said arms.

Claim 6

In a hot dip metallic coating operation wherein a base metal strand carries said metallic coating in a molten state in a horizontal path of travel, apparatus for improving the concentricity of said strand with respect to said base metal strand comprising: a. nozzle means for directly two elongate fluid jet streams angularly upward at said strand, said jets being elongate along said path of travel of said strand and said jets converging at an angle of at least 90* and not more than 150*; and b. said nozzle including single exhaust means extending vertically upward above said strand, and centered vertically with respect to said strand.

Claim 7

In a hot dip metallic coating operation wherein a base metal strand carries said metallic coating in a molten state in a horizontal path of travel, apparatus for improving the concentricity of said strand with respect to said base metal strand comprising: a. nozzle means for directly two elongate fluid jet streams angularly upward at said strand, said jets being elongate along said path of travel of said strand and said jets converging at an angle of at least 90* and not more than 150*; and b. said nozzle including single exhaust means extending vertically upward above said strand, and centered vertically with respect to said strand.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cross sectional area of said exhaust means is less than the cross sectional area of any one of said elongate fluid jet streams.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said jets converge at an angle of between 110* and 130*.

Claim 10

In a hot dip metallic coating operation wherein a base metal strand carries said metallic coating in a molten state in a horizontal path of travel, apparatus for improving the concentricity of said strand with respect to said base metal strand comprising: a. nozzle means for directing two elongate fluid jet streams angularly upward at said strand, said jets being elongate along said path of travel of said strand and said jets converging at an angle of at least 90* and not more than 150*; and b. said nozzle including vertical vent means for said converged jet streams, the lower end of said vertical vent means being disposed at or below the top surface of said strand, the upper end of said vertical vent means extending above said strand.

Claim 11

In a hot dip metallic coating operation wherein a base metal strand carries said metallic coating in a molten state in a horizontal path of travel, apparatus for improving the concentricity of said strand with respect to said base metal strand comprising: a. nozzle means for directing two elongate fluid jet streams angularly upward at said strand, said jets being elongate along said path of travel of said strand and said jets converging at an angle of at least 90* and not more than 150*; and b. said nozzle including vertical vent means for said converged jet streams, the lower end of said vertical vent means being disposed at or below the top surface of said strand, the upper end of said vertical vent means extending above said strand.