Patent ID: 7631685

Claim:
Pinch roll apparatus comprising: a. upper and lower pinch rolls forming a pair of pinch rolls each having a diameter between 300-1500 millimeters positioned laterally adjacent each other to form a nip between them through which metal strip can be continuously fed; b said upper and lower pinch rolls being positioned one above the other with the axes of the pinch rolls preselected to be offset in the direction of travel of strip through the pinch rolls between 10 and 130 mm, and with the upper pinch roll offset positioned downstream of the direction of travel of the strip through the pinch rolls; c. a rotational drive capable of counter-rotating the pinch rolls to cause strip to pass through the nip of the pinch rolls; and d. a tilt drive capable of tilting the upper pinch roll by a tilt between 0.5 and 5.0 mm, measured at the edge of the strip, relative to the lower pinch roll to control steering of the strip passing through the pinch rolls.