Side Looper

1 . A side looper for directing a longitudinally moving long product along an arcuate path, said side looper comprising:

an entry guide for directing the product into said arcuate path;

an exit guide for receiving the product exiting from said path;

inner and outer guide walls arranged between said entry and exit guides; and

operating means for adjusting said guide walls between mutually spaced closed positions fixing the curvature of said path, and open positions allowing the curvature of said path to either increase or decrease.

2 . The side looper of claim 1 wherein said inner and outer guide walls are subdivided into entry and exit sections adjustable between said closed and open positions.

3 . The side looper of claim 2 wherein said entry and exit sections are pivotally adjustable between said closed and open positions.

4 . The side looper of claim 2 wherein the entry and exit sections of said inner guide wall are connected to and pivotally adjustable by a single linear actuator.

5 . A method of directing a longitudinally moving long product along an arcuate path extending between an entry guide and an exit guide, said method comprising:

fixing the curvature of said path between inner and outer guide walls adjusted to closed positions;

directing the product via said entry guide into and along said path and out through said exit guide; and

following emergence of said product from said exit guide, adjusting said inner and outer guide walls to open positions allowing the curvature of said path to either increase or decrease while the product continues to travel along said path.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein following exit of said product from said entry guide, and while said product is traveling between said entry and exit guides, adjusting said inner and outer guide walls to said closed positions.