US2988349A - Apparatus for supporting and handling coils of strip metal or the like - Google Patents

Description

June 1961 c. c. BLACKMAN ET AL 2,988,349

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND HANDLING cons OF STRIP METAL. OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 6, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS CAL V//\/ C- BLACK/VAN June 1961 c. c. BLACKMAN ETAL 2,983,349

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND HANDLING COILS 0F STRIP METAL OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 6, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS c- CA 1. V/N c- BZACA'MAN J 3 A ROBERT J3 BEE/75R.

ATTORNEYS June 13, 1961 c. c. BLACKMAN ETAL 2,983,349

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND HANDLING COILS 0F STRIP METAL OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 6, 1957 /45 "IW "Him F210 June 1961 c. c. BLACKMAN ET AL 2,988,349

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND HANDLING CQILS OF STRIP METAL OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 6, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS CA 4 V//\/ c- ElAfk/VA/V A 29035127- I BEE/1E1? ATTORNEYS 2,988 349 APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND HANDLING COILS F STRIP METAL OR THE LIKE Calvin C. lllackman and Robert J. Beemer, Bay Village, Ohio, assiguors to Lee Wilson, Cleveland, Ohio Filed Dec. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 701,092 8 Claims. (Cl. 263-3) This invention relates to apparatus for preparing coils of strip metal for annealing, and handling the coils during the preparation and annealing procedures.

In the co-pending United States patent application of Lee Wilson and Edwin A. Corns, Serial No. 639,939, filed February 13, 1957, there is disclosed and claimed a method of and apparatus for annealing coils of strip metal wherein a tight wound coil is recoiled into an open coil having the laps thereof spaced apart, and the open coil is then heated to annealing temperature by forcing heated atmosphere vertically through the spaces between the laps of the coil. In this open coil annealing procedure it is important that the coil axis be maintained sub stantially vertical so that the laps of the open coil will not shift out of their properly and evenly spaced apart condition.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide improved coil handling and supporting means for use in carrying out open coil annealing procedures such as disclosed in said co-pending application Serial No. 639,939. Other objects of our invention include: the provision of improved coil lifting and transferring apparatus whereby coils may be positioned on and lifted from pay-off or recoiling turntables and transferred to and deposited on a furnace base structure without the employment of a supporting grid or sub-base; the provision of a furnace base for annealing open coils of strip metal on which a coil may be directly deposited and the coil lifting and transferring apparatus completely removed so that no part of the coil lifting and transferring means need be heated during the annealing process; the provision of a rugged and simple coil lifting and support means whereby an open coil may be picked up with its axis vertical and transferred from one place to another during processing Without danger of or tendency for the laps of the coil to shift laterally out of their properly spaced positions; and the provision of coil lifting and transferring apparatus which may be employed to handle open coils of various outside diameters without adjustment or substitution of parts.

The above and other objects of ourinvention will appear from the following description of one embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional plan view of a pay-off turntable incorporating our improved coil support means, taken substantially on line 1-1 of FIGURE 2, but with only a segmental portion of the coil shown in order to permit clearer illustration of the turntable and coil lifter construction; I

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating a pay-01f turntable with a tight wound coil thereon and with the coil lifter in the position it assumes just after the coil has been lowered onto the turntable;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIGURE 1;

States Patent FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the coil lifter apparatus;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on line 88 of FIGURE 7, the coil lifting cylinder being cut off near its upper end;

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view taken substantially on line 99 of FIGURE 7 and illustrating one of the outer lifting members and the outer end of the lifting beam supported thereby;

FIGURE 10 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on line 101ll of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a vertical cross sectional view through a furnace base structure adapted to support an open coil for annealing, an open coil being shown in annealing position on the plenum chamber; and

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged plan view of the plenum chamber and coil support shown in FIGURE 11, taken substantially on line -1212 of FIGURE 11.

As previously noted, in the coil annealing procedure disclosed in said co-pending application Serial No. 639,939, a tight wound coil of strip metal, as it comes from the mill, is placed on a rotatable pay-off turntable with its axis vertical. The outer end of the strip is secured to the center mandrel of an adjacent recoiling turntable which has driving means incorporated therein. The strip is then recoiled while a spacer strand or cord is interposed between the laps of the coil. After the entire coil is rewound on the recoiling turntable, the spacer strand is removed leaving an open coil on the recoiling turntable which has completely free and clear passages between its spaced apart la'ps. The open coil is then lifted from the recoiling turntable and transported to and deposited on a suitable support on the base structure of a bell type annealing furnace. After the open coil has been heated to annealing temperature by forcing heated atmosphere vertically through the spaces between the laps of the coil and has been cooled to the desired degree, it is lifted from the furnace base and transported back to and deposited upon the pay-off turntable. The end of the open annealed coil is then secured to the center mandrel of the driven recoiling turntable, and the open coil is rewound back into a tight coil. The annealed tight coil is then lifted from the recoiling turn table and removed for further processing or shipment.

The present invention is directed to improved means for supporting the coil on the pay-off and recoiling turntables and on the furnace base structure whereby it may readily be lifted therefrom and deposited thereon during the various steps of the coil opening and annealing procedure. Our invention also contemplates a coil lifting apparatus which coacts with the coil support means on the turntables and furnace base to facilitate lifting and bandling an open coil with its axis vertical and which eliminates the necessity for a coil supporting web or grid such as is shown in said co-pending application Serial No. 639,939.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURES l--6 illustrate a freely rotatable pay-off turntable with a tight wound coil supported thereon. The lower end of our coil lifting apparatus is also shown in these figures, and it may be assumed that the tight wound coil has just been deposited on the turntable shown in these views but that the coil lifting apparatus has not yet been removed.

The pay-off turntable T includes a base plate or disc I which has a center bearing 2 on a hired vertical shaft 3. A plurality of supporting rollers 4 are mounted in suitable brackets 5 carried on a foundation or base structure 6. The rollers 4 are spaced both radially and circumferentially of the base plate 1 of the turntable T and provide support which permits the turntable T to rotate freely in a hori zontal plane about the shaft 3. At the center of the base. plate 1 is a vertically extending coil centering mandrel means composed of three circumferentially spaced sections 7, 8 and 9 (see FIGURES 3 and 4). These sections have inwardly inclined upper end portions, as seen at 7' and 8 in FIGURE 2, and are reinforced by radially extending vertical webs or flanges 10.

A plurality of radiallyextending vanes 11 are secured to and supported on the upper face of base plate 1 and extend from the mandrel sections 7, 8 and 9 radially outwardly to the outer periphery of base plate 1. Three top coil supporting plates 12, 13 and 14, of annular sector form, are supported on the top edges of vanes 11 and are vertically spaced from and parallel to the base plate 1. As perhaps best seen in FIGURE 5, the adjacent radial edges of these coil supporting plates are spaced apart and are supported by radially extending channel members 15 and 16 which are secured as by welding to the base plate 1 and to the coil supporting plate below which they are disposed. The upper faces of plates 12, 13 and 14 form coil supporting surfaces spaced apart circumferentially of the base plate 1 and lying in a common horizontal plane above the base plate 1.

From the above it will be observed that the turntable T has a flat annularhorizontal coil supporting surface with an apertured or vertically slotted mandrel projecting upwardly in the center thereof and further has three spaced apart slots or channels 17, 1'8 and 19 extending radially across the annular supporting surface and completely open on top throughout their entire length. These slots have vertical side walls formed by the channel members 15 and 16 as clearly seen in FIGURE 5, and they are disposed midway between the vertically extending mandrel sections 7, 8 and 9 and open into the spaces therebetween. Disposed at the inner ends of the open top apertures or channels 17, 18 and 19 are circumferentially extending slots 20, 21 and 22 which extend through the base plate 1 and provide means for locating the lower ends of the center lifting member of the coil lifter apparatus and limiting its downward movement as will later appear.

When in position for recoiling, the tight wound coil C rests upon the supporting plates 12, 13 and 14, overlies the open top slots or channels 17, 18 and 19, and is centered on the turntable T by a mandrel which, as shown, is made up of the spaced portions 7, 8 and 9. In FIG- URES 1-4 the lower portion of our improved coil lifter apparatus is illustrated in the position the parts assume just after the coil C has been lowered onto the turntable T. As the upper portions and some of the other details of the coil lifter are illustrated in FIGURES 7e10, reference is made to FIGURES l-lO for complete showing of the coil lifter structure. a

As best seen in FIGURE 7, the coil lifter includes a main support frame structure comprising, as illustrated, three equally spaced radially extending support arms 25, 26 and 27 which are secured at their inner ends to vertically spaced top and bottom center plates 28 and 29. As will be explained later, more or less than three arms can be used if desired. The lifting'eye 30 is secured to the main support frame structure and is adapted to. be engaged by the book of a crane or the like for lifting and transporting the lifter and the coil carried thereby.

Secured to the bottom center plate 29, as by bolts 31, is a center lifting member in the form of a downwardly depending cylinder 32. The upper end of this cylinder is seen in FIGURE 8, and the lower end portion is seen in FIGURE 2, it being understood that any part of the cylinder intermediate the parts shown in FIGURES 8 and 2 constitutes an imperforate tube or cylinder.

Referring particularly to FIGURES l-4, the lower end of the lifting cylinder 32 is cut out to form three circumferentially spaced downwardly extending tongues 33, 34 and 35. As seen in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, the. circumferential width of the tongues 33, 34 and 35, above the base plate 1, is slightly less than the circumferential spacing between the sections 7, 8 and 9 of the center mandrel of the turntable T. However, the width of the tongues 33, 34 and 35 at their lower end portions is reduced to slightly less than the circumferential length of the slots 20, '21 and 22 in the base plate 1 so that they may enter these slots. The lower end portion of tongue 33 is seen at 33, and the lower end of tongue 35 is seen at 35 in FIGURE v2. It will be understood that the corresponding lower ends of the tongue 34 will project through slot 21 when the lifting cylinder 32 is in the position shown in FIGURE 2. Shoulders are formed at the junction of portion 33' with the upper portion of the tongue 33 and act as stops which limit the downward movement of the lifting cylinder 32 when the same is lowered toward the turntable T.

It will be understood that before the cylinder 32 can be lowered into the position seen in FIGURE 2, the tongues 33, 34 and 35 must be aligned above the spaces between the mandrel sections 7, 8 and 9. When so aligned, the coil lifting apparatus may be lowered until the shoulders at the lower ends of the spaced tongues 33, 34 and 35 engage the top face of base plate 1, it being noted from FIGURE 2 that the tongues are longer than the mandrel sections.

Each of the tongues 33, 34 and 35 is provided with a rectangular aperture at its lower end portion. These apertures 36, when the lifting cylinder 32 is in its seated position as seen in FIGURE 2, are aligned with the open inner ends of the channels 17, 18 and 19 in the upper face of the turntable T. The opening 36 in tongue 33 is seen in FIGURE 2 and all three openings 36 are seen in FIGURE 4.

At the outer end of each of the support arms '25, 26 and 27, pivotally secured thereto, are three outer lifting mem bers in the form of downwardly depending struts 39. These struts are pivotally movable about pivot pins 40 in a radial direction and have enlarged plates 41 secured at their lower ends. Apertures 42 are formed in the plates 41 to receive the coil lifting beams as will be later described.

The three support arms 25, 26 and 27 of the coil llfter unit are angularly spaced apart in the same degree as are the three open topped slots or channels 17, 18 and 19 in the turntable T. The tongues 33, 34 and 35 at the lower ends of the center lifting cylinder 34 are aligned directly below the arms 25, 26 and 27 respectively. Thus, when the tongues 33, 34 and 35 are positioned as seen in FIGURE 2 with the apertures 36 therein in alignment with the inner ends of channels 17, 18 and 19, the arms 25, 26 and 27 .overlie the channels 17, 18 and 19, and the vertical struts 39 and the bottom plates 41 thereof are disposed in radial alignment with, and adjacent the outer ends of, the channels 17, 18 and 19 and with the rectangular apertures 42 directly aligned therewith. This arrangement is clearly seen in FIG- URE 2.

Removable coil lifting beams 43, 44 and 45, when in position to support a coil so that it may be lifted and'transported by the lifter unit, extend between the tongues 33, 34 and 35 of the center lifting cylinder 32 and the lower end plates 41 of the three outer lifting struts 39. Thus in FIGURE 2 coil lifting beam 45 is seen with its inner end extending through the rectangular aperture 36 in the tongue 35 and its outer end extending through the rectangular aperture 42 in the plate 41 which is disposed at the outer end of channel 19. In like manner lifting beam 43 extends between and is supported by the tongue 33 and its corresponding outer lifting strut 39, and lifting beam 44 extends between and is supported by tongue 34 and its corresponding strut 39. Adjacent the outer end of each of the lifting beams 43, 44 and 45, on the lower face thereof, is a stop lug 46 (see FIGURES 6 and 9) which, when the lifting beams are supported in the apertures in plates 41 of the strut members 39, prevents the struts 39 from swinging outwardly and limits the inward movement of the beams. i v

In describing the operation of the coil lifter and its cooperation with the turntable T, it will be assumed that a tight wound coil of strip metal has been deposited on the turntable T with the inner opening in the coil encompassing and centered by the mandrel sections7, 8 and 9. The coil lifter is now transported by a suitable hoist or crane until the lifting cylinder 32 is above the center opening of the coil C. The unit is now lowered so that the cylinder 32 enters the center op'e'ning in the coil, and when the tongues 33, 34 and 35 at the lower end of cylinder 32 reach the top of the mandrel segments 7, 8 and 9, the support frame structure of the lifter ( arms 25, 26 and 27) is rotated until the tongues 33, 34 and 35 are aligned with the spaces between the mandrel segments 7, 8 and 9. The lifter unit is now lowered until the narrow bottom end portions 33', 35, etc. of the tongues 33, 34 and 35, enter the arcuate slots 20, 21 and 22 in the base plate 1 and downward movement of the lifting cylinder 32 and the entire lifter unit is stopped by engagement of the shoulders on the tongues 33, 34 and 35 with the top face of base plate 1.

The three outer lifting struts 39 are now disposed outside of the outer periphery of the coil and the outer periphery of turntable T and the lifting beam receiving apertures 42 therein are aligned with the outer ends of the channels 17, 18 and 19. In like manner, the apertures 36 in the tongues 33, 34 and 35 are aligned with the inner ends of channels 17, 18 and 19 respectively. The coil lifting beam 43 may now be inserted through the aperture in plate 41, pushed along through the slot 17 below the bottom of coil C until its inner end extends through the aperture 36 in the tongue 33'. In like manner the lifting beams 44, and- 45 are pushed through the slots 18 and 19 respectively so that their ends are in position to be engaged by the corresponding tongues on the lifting cylinder 32 and the plates 41 on the outer lifting struts 39.

To lift the coil, it is now only necessary to elevate the lifter by the hoist or crane which is secured to the lifting eye 30 whereupon the top faces of the lifting beams 43, 44 and 45 will engage the bottom of the coil C and lift same from the turntable T.

It will be understood that the driven recoiling turntable (not shown) on which the open coil is formed will have channels, similar in number and disposition to channels 17, 18 and 19 described above, in its upper surface and that its central mandrel means will be such that the center cylinder 32 of the lifter may be positioned with the apertures in the three tongues 33, 3'4 and 35 correctly indexed at the inner ends of the lifting beam receiving channels. The recoilin'g turntable is not specifically illustrated herein as it differs from the pay-off turntable only by the inclusion of driving means and by such modifications of the mandrel structure as are nebessary to permit gripping the end of the strip to start the winding operation.

When a tight coil C has been recoiled into an open coil on the above referred to driven recoiling turntable, the coil lifter unit is positioned thereon and the lifting beams inserted in the manner previously described. The open coil may then be lifted with its axis maintained in vertical position; The spaced laps of the open coil will not shift laterally relative to each other because of their functional engagement with the upper faces of the lifting beams, and the open coil may then be transported toand deposited on the furnace base structure seen in FIGURES l1 and 12. This base structure, and particularly the plenum chamber on which the open coil is directly supported will now be described.

Referring to FIGURE 11, the furnace base structure B is supported on a suitable foundation 50 and is adapted to carry the usual inner cover and furnace bell (not shown but which may be of any suitable type). A centrifugal fan or blower 51 is supported on a vertical shaft 52 which projects down through the bottom portion 53 of the base. Fan 51 may be driven by any suitable means 6 such as thebelt 54, and the diffuser 55 surroundsthe blower 5'1 and directs the discharge thereof outwardly and upwardly through the annular opening 56 at the rim of the diffuser. Included in the diffuser 55 are a plurality of radially extending vanes 57, the upper edges of which lie in a common horizontal plane.

The plenum chamber and charge support P (see FIG- RES 11 and 12) is supported on the top edges of the vanes 57 of the diffuser 55 and includes an annular base plate 58 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending vertical webs 59 secured thereto. The upper edges of webs 59 all lie in a common horizontal plane and serve to engage and support the open coil C disposed thereon. An annular baffle wall 60 has its outer edge secured to the cylindrical outer wall 61 of the plenum chamber P and is inclined inwardly and downwardly so that its inner periphery is secured to the annular base plate 58 at the center opening therein. Baifle wall 60, in addition to directing the atmosphere which has been forced downwardly through the spaces between the laps of the open coil C into the inlet of blower 51, reinforces the vertical webs 59 and assists in giving the necessary rigidity to the entire plenum and coilsupport structure P.

In order to permit the coil C to be positioned directly on the top edges of the webs 5? of the plenum chamber when it is being lowered by the coil lifter unit previously described, three circumferentially and equally spaced slots or channels 62, 63 and 64 are formed adjacent the outer periphery of the plenum chamber P. As seen in FIGURE 11, channel 62 is defined by a horizontal bottom wall 65 and triangular vertical side walls 66 and 67. To provide further support for the lifting beams 43, 44 and 45 of the coil lifter unit, transverse struts 68, 69 and 7t) are secured to adjacent webs 59 and extend normal to the channels 62, 63 and 64 respectively. Each of the struts 68, 69 and 70 carries a depending beam supporting bracket 71 having a horizontal bottom member aligned with the bottom wall of the adjacent channel. Further support for the inner ends of the coil lifting beams is provided by horizontally extending bars 72 which are secured to the inner ends of adjacent webs 59 and are disposed in the same horizontal plane as the bottom of the channels 62, 63 and 64.

When the coil C is lowered into position on the top of the plenum chamber and coil support P, the coil lifter unit is so angularly disposed that the coil lifting beams 43, 44 and 45 enter the channels 62, 63 and 64 and thus permit the bottom of the coil C' to seat upon the top edges of the webs 59. After the coil supporting beams are removed the lifter unit is taken away, the inner cover and furnace hell are positioned over the charge, and the annealing cycle is carried out. With our improved coil handling and supporting structure, none of the apparatus which is used to lift and transport the coil is left in the furnace during annealing, and thus there is no loss of efliciency due to heating of structural elements used to lift and transfer the coil between the various steps of the open coil annealing procedure.

At the outer end of each of the channels 62, 63 and 64 are vertical guide members 73 which are secured to the outer face of the cylindrical wall 61. Removable sliding gates or doors 74 are adapted to be removably disposed in the guide member 73 to close the outer ends of channels 62, 63 and 64 after the coil lifting beams have been removed. These gates or doors prevent by-passing of heated atmosphere through the channels 62, 63.a'nd 64 during annealing but do not interfere with the coil lifting and lowering operations when they are removed.

Upon completion of an annealing cycle, the furnace bell and inner cover are removed, the sliding doors 74 are taken away to open the ends of the channels 62, 63 and 64, and the coil lifter is positioned with the center cylinder in the center of the coil C and with the outer lifting struts aligned with the channels 62, 63 and 64.-

The coil lifting beams-'43, 44 and 45 are now pushed vmake up our improved apparatus,

into position through the channels 62, 63 and 64 and,

when they have been engaged by the center lifting member and the outer lifting struts of the coil lifter unit, the annealed open coil is lifted off the furnace and carried to the pay-off tuntable where it is deposited thereon in the manner previously described. The outer end of the annealed open coil is secured to the mandrel of the driven rccoiling turntable, and the open coil is recoiled into a tight coil suitable for further handling or shipment.

The coil lifter of our apparatus has been illustrated and described herein as having three equally spaced radially extending support arms, three corresponding depending lifting struts, and three lifting beams. However, if de sired, a greater or lesser number of support arms, lifting struts and lifting beams may be employed. The cylindrical center lifting member 32 is just slightly smaller in outside diameter than the center opening in the coils to be handled (see FIGURE 2). Thus, if two, or even only one, sets of support arms, lifting struts, and lifting beams are employed, the rather close fit of the center cylindrical member on the inside of the coil will prevent undesired tilting thereof out of vertical axis position. Furthermore the turntables might vary substantially in structure and arrangement from that illustrated both in the means of mounting the turntable for rotation and in the structure of the coil engaging and supporting portions. Thus the turntable might take the form of a spoked spider mounted on a central thrust bearing on a vertical axis with spokes disposed so that the tops thereof form a coil engaging surface lying in a horizontal plane and the spaces therebetween would provide the open top apertures which permit the lifting beams of the coil lifter to be inserted and removed from below the coil.

Accordingly, although we have described the illustrated embodiment of our invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that modifications and variations may be made in the specific form of the structural elements which We do not therefore wish to be limited to the exact arrangements herein shown and described but claim as our invention all embodiments thereof coming within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for annealing coils of strip metal including spaced rotatable coil supporting turntables each having a coil engaging and supporting surface disposed to rotate in a horizontal plane, said coil supporting surfaces each having an open top and open ended aperture extending radially from the outer to the inner peripheries of said surfaces, coil lifter means for transferring coils to and from said turntables including a supporting frame having secured to and depending therefrom a center lifting member and an outer lifting member spaced radially outwardly of said center lifting member, and a coil lifting beam removably supported adjacent its inner and outer ends by said center lifting member and said outer lifting member respectively, said coil lifting beam being adapted to be moved horizontally into and out of lifting position in said open top and open ended aperture in said turntables below the coil supporting surfaces thereof independently of said supporting frame of said coil lifter means.

2. Apparatus for annealing coils of strip metal including two spaced rotatable coil supporting turntables each having an annular coil supporting surface disposed to rotate in a horizontal plane, said coil supporting surfaces each having at least three spaced apart open top and open ended slots extending radially from the outer to the inner peripheries of said surfaces, said slots being similarly disposed on each of said coil supporting surfaces, coil lifting means including a supporting frame having secured to and depending therefrom a center lifting'member and at least three outer lifting members spaced radially outwardly of said center lifting member and being spaced apart similarly to said slots, and a plurality of coil'lifting beams removably supported adjacent their inner and outer ends by said center lifting member and said outer lifting members respectively, said coil lifting beams being adapted to be disposed in said slots with their ends projecting from the inner and outer end thereof.

3. Apparatus for annealing coils of strip metal including, spaced rotatable coil supporting turntables each having an annular coil supporting surface disposed to rotate in a horizontal plane, said coil supporting surfaces each having a plurality of similarly arranged spaced apart open top and open ended apertures extending radially from the outer to the inner peripheries of said surfaces, a furnace base structure spaced from said coil supporting turntables and including coil supporting means disposed in a horizontal plane and having a plurality of open top and open ended apertures extending radially thereof and arranged similarly to said first named apertures, coil lifting means including a supporting frame having secured to and depending therefrom a center lifting member and a plurality of outer lifting members spaced radially outwardly of said center lifting member and being spaced apart similarly to said apertures, and a plurality of coil lifting beams removably supported adjacent their inner and outer ends by said center lifting member and said outer lifting members respectively, said coil lifting beams being adapted to be disposed in said apertures.

4. In apparatus for handling and recoiling coils of strip metal, a turntable for supporting a coil of strip metal with the coil axis vertical including a base plate member, means for supporting said base plate member for rotation in a horizontal plane, a plurality of coil engaging members supported on and having coil supporting surfaces spaced vertically upwardly from said base plate member, said coil supporting surfaces lying in a common horizontal plane and being spaced apart circumferentially of said base plate member whereby radially extending uninterrupted open top channels are provided between said coil supporting surfaces, coil centering mandrel means centered on said base plate member and extending upwardly above said common horizontal plane, said mandrel means including a plurality of sections circumferentially spaced from each other and out of alignment with said radially extending channels whereby coil lifting beams may be lowered thereinto and lifted therefrom, and coil lifting means including a supporting frame having a center lifting member secured to and depending vertically therefrom, said center lifting member having circumferentially spaced lifting beam engaging means at its bottom and disposed to be aligned with the inner ends of said channels when said center lifting member is lowered in concentric relation to said mandrel means, and outer lifting members secured to and depending from said supporting frame and disposed to be aligned with the outer ends of said channels when said lifting beam engaging means are aligned with the inner ends of said channels, said outer lifting members having lifting beam engaging means at their lower ends.

5. A plenum chamber and coil support structure for coils of strip metal including a plurality of spaced apart radially extending web members having upper coil engaging portions lying in a common horizontal plane, annular balfie wall means disposed below said coil engaging portions of said web members, said annular baffle wall means having one periphery substantially at said common plane and its other periphery spaced vertically and offset radially from said one periphery, and a radially extending channel above said baffle wall means, said channel being open on top throughout its length at said common plane whereby a coil lifting beam may be inserted below a coil supported on said coil engaging portions.

6. Coil lifting and transferring apparatus including a support frame structure, a center lifting member secured to and depending from said frame structure and having an outer dimension only silghtly smaller than the inside diameter of the coil to be handled, said center lifting member having at its lower end an inner lifting beam engaging and supporting means, an outer lifting member carried by and depending from said frame structure, said outer lifting member being spaced radially outwardly from said center lifting member, outer lifting beam engaging and supporting means disposed at the lower end of said outer lifting member, and a coil lifting beam removably supported for longitudinal sliding movement at its inner and outer ends by said inner and outer coil lifting means.

7. Coil lifting and transferring apparatus including a support frame structure, a center lifting member secured at the center of said frame structure and depending therefrom, said center lifting member having at its lower end a plurality of circumferentially spaced inner lifting beam receiving and supporting apertures, a plurality of outer lifting members carried by and depending from said frame structure, said outer lifting members being spaced radially outwardly from said center lifting member and spaced apart circumferentially similarly to said inner lifting beam receiving and supporting apertures, outer lifting beam receiving apertures disposed at the lower end of each of said outer lifting members, and coil lifting beams removably supported for longitudinal slidingmovement at their inner and outer ends by said inner and outer coil lifting means.

8. In coil handling and lifting apparatus, a coil support having a coil engaging surface disposed in a horizontal plane, said coil engaging surface having an open top and open ended aperture extending downwardly from said surface and radially from the outer to the inner periphery of said surface, and coil lifter means for transferring coils to and from said coil support including a supporting frame having secured to and depending therefrom a center lifting member having an outer radial dimension only slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the coil to be lifted and an inner lifting beam receiving and supporting aperture, an outer lifting member carried by said supporting frame and spaced radially outwardly of said center lifting member and having an outer lifting beam receiving and supporting aperture adjacent its lower end, and a coil lifting beam adapted to be removably supported for longitudinal sliding movement adjacent its inner and outer ends in said apertures in said center lifting member and outer lifting: member respec tively, said lifting beam also being adapted, when supported by said lifting members, to be moved vertically into said open top and open ended aperture in said coil supporting surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 213,522 Morgan Mar. 25, 1879 268,130 Roberts Nov. 28, 1882 1,448,311 Miller Mar. 13, 1923 2,169,314 Wilson Aug. 15, 1939 2,349,689 Aldrich May 23, 1944 2,526,725 Bronson Oct. 24, 1950 2,731,254 Campbell et a1 Jan. 17, 6

' 2,784,025 Beckenbach Mar. 5, 1957

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