Patent ID: 8685166

Claim:
An apparatus for continuously fabricating superconducting tapes, comprising: a chamber configured to contain a first of the superconducting tapes as superconducting material is deposited on the first superconducting tape; a hollow cylindrical drum disposed in the chamber for winding the first superconducting tape around the cylindrical drum and heating the first superconducting tape; a release reel disposed at an end of the cylindrical drum for feeding the first superconducting tape; a winding reel disposed at another end of the cylindrical drum for collecting the first superconducting tape after the superconducting material is deposited on the first superconducting tape; and a transfer unit configured to transfer the first superconducting tape from the release reel to the winding reel, the transfer unit including an endless track belt disposed around a sidewall of the cylindrical drum in a loop shape parallel to a centerline of the cylindrical drum, the endless track belt comprising grooves arranged at predetermined intervals in a length direction of the endless track belt for receiving the superconducting tapes, the grooves being substantially perpendicular to the length direction of the endless belt, and belt reels configured to rotate the endless track belt so as to move a portion of the endless track belt along an outer surface of the cylindrical drum in a direction from the release reel to the winding reel.