Spool and coil handling device for a rolling mill

Claim 1

In combination with a cantileverly mounted reel for supporting a spool around which strip material is to be wound, a spool feeder comprising: a frame, means for cantileverly mounting said frame from the inboard end of said reel so that said frame extends axially of said reel, said frame including a pair of spaced-apart guide rods, a gripper member including a pair of jaw elements having portions that engage the opposite sides of a spool and carried by said guide rods in a manner to permit movement axially of said reel, means for causing said gripper member to engage a spool to be placed on said reel, piston cylinder assemblies connected to said gripper member for causing said gripper member after the spool has been engaged thereby to carry a spool onto said reel, means for supporting a spool in front of said reel and in axial allignment therewith, said frame having a portion that overhangs a spool so supported whereby the gripper member can be positioned to grip the inboard end of a spool and carry the spool on the reel, a stripper member carried by said frame in a manner that it is movable with said gripper member, said stripper member preceding said gripper member with respect to the inboard end of said reel, and means for causing said stripper member to move from a position above a spool, in which position a spool may be placed on said reel, to a position behind said spoOl when a spool and coil are to be stripped.