Patent ID: 7159431

Claim:
A method of operating a straightening machine for structural sections, the method comprising the steps of: passing said sections longitudinally through an array of straightening tools on respective mutually parallel straightening shafts disposed above and below a path of the sections and extending transversely to a transport direction of the a sections, at least some of said shafts being adjustable to set a straightening gap, said machine and said shafts having a drive side at which said shafts are driven and a service side opposite said drive side; supporting each of the adjustable shafts on a respective drive-side adjuster and a respective service-side adjuster offset transversely toward the service side from the respective drive-side adjuster; individually controlling the drive-side adjusters and service-side adjusters to apply section-straightening forces to said adjustable shafts during a straightening operation; and simultaneously operating the service-side adjusters in tension to apply to the respective shafts forces acting counter to the respective sectioning-straightening forces.