Abstract: This disclosure relates to a pinch roll unit for feeding hot rolled strip to a down coiler employed in a hot strip mill. The upper roll of the pinch roll unit is mounted on a beam which is adjustable by a jack screw against the pressure of a piston cylinder assembly to set the gap between the pinch rolls. The upper roll of the pinch roll unit in addition is further loaded by a double-acting regulatable auxiliary piston cylinder assembly carried by the beam for controlling the gap pressure between the pinch rolls and hence the tension on the strip.