Self-centering reel support

Claim 2

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each with a circular periphery, said support comprising: at least one front roller, at least one rear roller having a rear roller surface, said front and rear rolLers being independently rotationally mounted with respect to each other; and said front roller having surface means at least portions of which define roller surfaces inclined with respect to each other for cooperating with said rear roller to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said front roller when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 3

A reel support as in claim 1 including: two front rollers each having an axis of rotation, said axes being in a common plane, and wherein said surface means extend along both of said front rollers.

Claim 4

A reel support as in claim 2 wherein said front rollers each define a top surface line extending from the respective outer ends of said front rollers inwardly from said ends and which, if extended, would converge at a point intermediate and above the elevation of the outer ends of said front rollers when viewed from a perspective perpendicular to the common plane containing the axes of said front rollers.

Claim 5

A reel support as in claim 3 wherein the common plane of the front rollers'' axes is vertical and wherein said rear roller''s axis is horizontal.

Claim 6

A reel support as in claim 2 including two rear rollers each having an axis of rotation, said axes being coaxial.

Claim 7

A reel support as in claim 5 including: side support means for supporting respective outer ends of said front and rear rollers; and center support means for supporting respective inner ends of said front and rear rollers.

Claim 8

A reel support as in claim 3 wherein said front rollers are cylindrical.

Claim 9

A reel support as in claim 3 wherein said front rollers are tapered.

Claim 10

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel, said reel having two spaced rims, said support comprising rear roller means, front roller means having ends and a center portion and being spaced from said rear roller means, and said front roller means presenting surfaces having elements engageable with said rims, all of said elements being inclined toward said reel from the ends of said front roller means toward its center portion.

Claim 11

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel, said reel having two spaced rims, said support comprising rear roller means, front roller means having ends and a center portion and being spaced from said rear roller means, and said front roller means presenting surfaces having elements engageable with said rims, all of said elements being inclined toward said reel from the ends of said front roller means toward its center portion.

Claim 12

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each having a circular periphery, said support comprising, side frame members, at least one rear roller rotationally mounted between said side frame members, at least one front roller mounted between said side frame members, said roller having a center portion and respective outer ends and being rotationally mounted about axes coinciding with said side frame members at respective coincidence points, said front roller comprising roller surface means having points of engagement for engaging said rims, whereby points of engagement near said ends are closer to a straight line drawn through said coincidence points than points of engagement toward said center portion such that said front roller cooperates with said rear roller to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said center portion when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 13

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each having a circular periphery, said support comprising, side frame members, at least one rear roller rotationally mounted between said side frame members, at least one front roller mounted between said side frame members, said roller having a center portion and respective outer ends and being rotationally mounted about axes coinciding with said side frame members at respective coincidence points, said front roller comprising roller surface means having points of engagement for engaging said rims, whereby points of engagement near said ends are closer to a straight line drawn through said coincidence points than points of engagement toward said center portion such that said front roller cooperates with said rear roller to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said center portion when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 14

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each having a circular periphery, said support comprising, side frame members, at least one rear roller rotationally mounted between said side frame members, at least one front roller mounted between said side frame members, said roller having a central portion and respective outer ends and being rotationally mounted about axes coinciding with said side frame members at respective coincidence points, said front roller comprising surfaces of revolution including elements inclined with respect to a straight line drawn through said coincidence points from said central portion toward said outer ends for cooperating with saId rear roller to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said central portion.

Claim 15

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each having a circular periphery, said support comprising, side frame members, at least one rear roller rotationally mounted between said side frame members, at least one front roller mounted between said side frame members, said roller having a central portion and respective outer ends and being rotationally mounted about axes coinciding with said side frame members at respective coincidence points, said front roller comprising surfaces of revolution including elements inclined with respect to a straight line drawn through said coincidence points from said central portion toward said outer ends for cooperating with saId rear roller to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said central portion.

Claim 16

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each with a circular periphery, said support comprising, at least one rear roller, at least one front roller having a central portion and respective outer ends, said front roller comprising a roller surface and said front roller having a relatively large diameter in its central portion and a relatively small diameter at each end such that said roller surface tapers from said central portion toward said outer ends respectively to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said front roller when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 17

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each with a circular periphery, said support comprising, at least one rear roller, at least one front roller having a central portion and respective outer ends, said front roller comprising a roller surface and said front roller having a relatively large diameter in its central portion and a relatively small diameter at each end such that said roller surface tapers from said central portion toward said outer ends respectively to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said front roller when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 18

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each having a circular periphery, said support comprising, side frame members, at least one rear cylindrical, horizontal roller rotationally mounted between said frame members, said roller having an axis lying in a vertical plane, and a pair of forward inclined cylindrical rollers also rotationally mounted between frame members of the support, each of said forward rollers having respective axes intersecting between said frame members, said forward rollers cooperating with said rear rollers to center said reel with respect to said front rollers when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 19

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each having a circular periphery, said support comprising, side frame members, at least one rear cylindrical, horizontal roller rotationally mounted between said frame members, said roller having an axis lying in a vertical plane, and a pair of forward inclined cylindrical rollers also rotationally mounted between frame members of the support, each of said forward rollers having respective axes intersecting between said frame members, said forward rollers cooperating with said rear rollers to center said reel with respect to said front rollers when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 20

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each with a circular periphery, said support comprising outer side frame members, at least one rear roller rotationally mounted between said side members, two front rollers rotationally mounted between said side frame members, said two front rollers being tapered rollers each having an end of larger diameter and an end of smaller diameter, said respective ends of smaller diameter being positioned outwardly adjacent said side members and said ends of larger diameter being positioned inwardly of said ends of smaller diameter, and said two front rollers defining surface means extending along said front rollers for cooperating with said rear roller to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said front roller when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 21

A reel support adapted to cradle a reel during payout of strip material therefrom, said reel including two parallel rims each with a circular periphery, said support comprising outer side frame members, at least one rear roller rotationally mounted between said side members, two front rollers rotationally mounted between said side frame members, said two front rollers being tapered rollers each having an end of larger diameter and an end of smaller diameter, said respective ends of smaller diameter being positioned outwardly adjacent said side members and said ends of larger diameter being positioned inwardly of said ends of smaller diameter, and said two front rollers defining surface means extending along said front rollers for cooperating with said rear roller to maintain said reel in a predetermined relatively centered position with respect to said front roller when said reel is cradled by said front and rear rollers as strip material is paid off from said reel.

Claim 22

A reel support as in claim 14 wherein said two front tapered rollers have a common horizontal axis, said rear roller has a horizontal axis, and said axes are parallel.

Claim 23

A reel support as in claim 15 including two rear rollers.