Patent ID: 6898956

Claim:
A metal ring loading and unloading apparatus for loading and unloading a metal ring in the form of a resilient endless strip, for use in an apparatus having a pair of support rollers for supporting the metal ring in a substantially elliptical shape and support roller moving means for moving at least one of the support rollers away from the other support roller to impart a given tension to said metal ring, said metal ring loading and unloading apparatus comprising: a ring loading device for loading the metal ring onto said support rollers; and a ring unloading device for unloading the metal ring from said support rollers; said ring loading device having a loaded ring placement unit for positioning and placing said metal ring and loaded ring delivering means for delivering the metal ring from said loaded ring placement unit to a position surrounding said support rollers, said loaded ring placement unit having pressing means for pressing the positioned metal ring radially releasably to resiliently deform the metal ring into a substantially elliptical shape including a pair of arcs having a radius of curvature greater than said support roller and a pair of chords extending substantially parallel to each other in confronting relation to each other with said arcs interposed therebetween, said loaded ring delivering means having loaded ring gripping means for engaging outer side surfaces of said chords of the metal ring deformed by said pressing means, thereafter pressing and holding said metal ring under recovering resiliency of the metal ring released from said pressing means, and releasing said metal ring to transfer the metal ring onto said support ring when said metal ring is delivered to said position surrounding said support rollers by said loaded ring delivering means, and also when said support rollers are moved away from each other by said support roller moving means to reduce the radius of curvature of said arcs along said support rollers.