Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus is described for storing and dispensing elongate flat strip material for use with rotating machinery, such as that used to produce helically wound interlocked flexible pipe. The strip material is fed from an external payoff or supply reel and guided by an inlet guide roller to feed the advancing strip tangentially onto a series of storage guide rollers which are spaced from each other about a circular path concentric with the machine axis. The strip is maintained under tension and is wound onto the storage guide rollers to provide a reservoir of strip material arranged in a single row of substantially circular overlappping convolutions concentrically arranged about the machine axis. A roller is used to monitor the amount of strip material which remains stored on the rotating support member, and the rotation of the latter is terminated when the stored strip material is depleted or is about to be depleted, to allow an operator to attach the trailing end of the depleted stored strip with the leading end of a next successive strip material to be wound onto the storage guide rollers. The arrangement of the storage guide rollers insures a balanced condition of the rotating machine irrespective of the amount of strip material which remains stored.

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First Claim