CONTINUOUS ANNEALING LINE AND METHOD FOR CHANGING ADVANCING DIRECTION OF STEEL STRIP IN CONTINUOUS ANNEALING LINE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change the advancing direction of a steel strip without causing meandering while sufficiently absorbing tension variation on the inlet side and the outlet side of an annealing furnace by guiding the steel strip wound in spiral-state floating supported by spouted fluid pressure. SOLUTION: In a continuous annealing line for the steel strip, the spiral strip-state guide surface facing the surface of the steel strip S is arranged on the semi-circular peripheral surface 21a of the cylindrical body 21 of floater 2. Many air spouting holes for spouting the air (fluid) introduced into the cylindrical body 21 from an air supplying device toward the surface of the steel strip S are arranged on the whole surface of this guide surface 22. Further, the width of the guide surface 22 is formed wider than the that of the passed steel strip S. The steel strip S is introduced onto this floater 2 from the lower side at the same spiral angle as the guide surface 22, and at the time of winding on the guide surface 22 in spiral state, the steel strip S is guided in spiral-state along the guide surface 22 floating-supported by the spouted air pressure from the air spouting holes to change the advancing direction thereof. As a fluid, gases other than air, or liquid may be used.