Patent ID: 7275404

Claim:
AN APPARATUS TO CONTROL THE LATERAL MOTION OF A BAR BEING FORMED BY A MECHANICAL PROCESS SUCH AS ROLLING OR DRAWING, comprising: two or more mechanisms each having rotatable retaining element attached to a mounting system, and each said retaining element has a retaining groove, and each retaining groove has a variable radius, and each said retaining element is configured so that its retaining groove combines with the other said retaining groove(s) to form a guidance path, and the diameter of said guidance path varies according to the radii of said retaining grooves forming the guidance path, and said retaining elements have one or more openings that allow a fluid medium to be introduced into the space between said bar and said retaining elements to support said bar and minimize friction between said bar and said retaining elements, and a means to engage and disengage said retaining elements from the bar path to enable said apparatus to capture an approaching leading end said bar, whereby rotating said retaining elements causes the radii of the retaining grooves to change, and thus changes the diameter of the guidance path, to match the diameter of said bar, so that the lateral motion of said bar can be controlled.