AU687613B2

AU687613B2 - De-scaling of steel rod or wire

Info

Publication number: AU687613B2
Application number: AU33090/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Nicholas David Agnew; Charles Kalman
Original assignee: Neumann Steel Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Neumann Steel Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1994-10-06
Filing date: 1995-10-05
Publication date: 1998-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-10-05
Also published as: AU3309095A

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 r o I r

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "DE-SCALING OF STEEL ROD OR WIRE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- THIS INVENTION relates to de-scaling of steel rod or wire.

Steel rod or wire delivered by steel mills usually has a dark scaly coating, which may constitute 0.5 to 1.0% of the weight of the steel. The scale is electrically resistive and prevents the efficient welding of the two pieces of rod or wire with a high bonding strength.

Prior to the welding of the steel rod or wire, it is necessary to remove the scale to expose the clean rod or wire surface underneath. Many different techniques are used to de-scale the rod or wire and a typical technique is passing the rod or wire around a series of rollers in a tortuous path, where the rapid changes of direction cause the scale to be dislodged.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, effective method for the treatment of the de-scaled steel wire or rod.

It is a preferred object to provide for the washing of the wire or rod and/or the coating of the wire or rod with a preservative oil coating.

Other preferred objects will become apparent from the o 20 following description.

In a first aspect, the present invention resides in a method for treatment for de-scaled rod or wire including the steps of: passing the rod or wire through a water wash and 3 directing high pressure water or aqueous liquid at the rod or wire to dislodge any remaining scale on the rod or wire; drying the rod or wire in a hot air drying means; and applying a fine mist of oil to the rod or wire in an oil applicator to provide an anti-corrosive coating therefor.

Preferably, the hot drying means is provided immediately downstream of the water wash; and the oil applied by the oil applicator is electrically conductive to promote the welding of the rod or wire.

0 In a second aspect, the present invention resides in an apparatus for the treatment of de-scaled steel rod or wire including: a water wash arranged to direct high pressure water or aqueous liquid at the rod or wire to dislodge any remaining scale on the rod or wire; o sc a hot air drying means, downstream of the water wash, to dry the rod or wire; and an oil applicator to apply a fine mist of oil to the rod or wire to provide anti-corrosive coating therefor.

Preferably, the water wash includes: a hollow or tubular housing having an inlet and an outlet; a plurality of water jets in the housing to direct the water or aqueous liquid at the rod or wire; a drain outlet connected to a sump for the discharge of 7- 1' A/T oYc~L 4 the water or aqueous liquid, and any scale disclosed from the wire, from the housing.

Preferably, the inlet and outlet have annular ceramic inserts to guide the rod or wire through the housing; 13the water jets are arranged around the rod or wire and are longitudinally offset; and a filter and pump unit recycles the water or aqueous liquid from the sump to the water jets.

Preferably, an air block is provided in the housing i0 upstream of the inlet; and an air knife, incorporating a plurality of air ports, directs air onto the rod or wire to loosen any remaining scale thereon.

Preferably, the hot air drying means includes: a body having a passage therethrough; and a manifold surrounds the passage and directs hot air onto the rod or wire via a series of ports.

Preferably, the oil applicator includes: a hollow or tubular body; and i at least one oil atomizing nozzle in the body to direct a fine mist of protective oil onto the rod or wire.

Preferably, the oil applicator further includes: seal means in an inlet and an outlet to the body; drain means in the body connected to an oil sump; and C) 'j ~'r3 !i oil filter and pump means to recycle the oil from the sump to the oil atomizing nozzle(s).

Preferably, the seal means in the outlet of the body is operable to wipe any excess oil from the rod or wire.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic layout of the de-scaling apparatus; FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the water wash and air dryer; and FIG. 3 is a sectional side vie of the oil applicator.

•Referring to FIG. 1, the steel rod 10 (indicated by the dashed line) is drawn from coils (as supplied by the steel mill) in a payoff tower 11 and passes through the straightening rollers 12, which generate a back tension in the steel rod 10. The steel rod passes around a first drum 13, which has a ceramic insert to provide a bearing surface, at least three times, and then passes around a second :drum 14, of similar construction, but of a diameter, eg., 8-12% greater than the diameter of the drum 13.

The drums 13, 14 have their axles interconnected (eg., by sprockets and a chain) to rotate at the same rotational speed so as to cause an elongation of the steel rod 10 in the run 15 between the two drums 13, 14. The steel rod then passes through the water wash

-V

16 and the air dryer 17 (to be described with reference to FIG. and then through an oil applicator 18 (to be hereinafter described with reference to FIG. The de-scaled rod 10 then passes through an optional rolling of ribbing die blocks 19 and around a bull block which provides the tension to draw the steel rod from the supply coils and through the apparatus hereinbefore described. The steel rod is then wound onto a spool 21 removably mounted on a spool winder 22.

As hereinbefore described, as the steel rod 10 passes 0io between the drums 13, 14 on run 15, the greater diameter of the second drum 14 relative to the diameter of the first drum 13 causes e the steel rod to be elongated, eg., by 8-12%. As the scale is brittle, it cannot undergo a similar elongation and is dislodged from the steel rod 10, with any remaining scale not dislodged during the elongation being removed by high pressure water in the water wash 16. The de-scaled rod is immediately dried and then a protective oil coating applied to V prevent corrosion forming of the surface of the steel rod, which would reduce the efficiency of the welding of the rod.

°•eeJ• Referring now to FIG. 2, the water wash 16 and air dryer 17 have respective housings 22 and 23 mounted on a nozzle block 24. An air block 25 is mounted at the upstream end of the washer housing 22 and has ceramic inserts 26 and 27 to guide the steel rod An air knife, incorporating a series of air ports 28, directs air into a passage 29 through which the steel rod 10 passes. Cool air is supplied to a manifold 30, connected to the ports 28, by an inlet 31.

In the washer housing 22, offset water jets 32, mounted in the nozzle block 24 and connected to respective water ports 33, direct water at, eg., 4000 psi at the steel rod to dislodge any scale remaining on the steel rod and the waste water passes through a drain outlet 34 to a sump, from which it may be drawn to be filtered and recycled to the jets 32. The steel rod 10 then passes through a ceramic insert 35 in the nozzle block 24 and remaining moisture on the rod may pass out through a second drain outlet 36 connected to the sump.

The steel rod passes through ceramic insert 37 to a passage 38 in a heated air knife assembly 39 and through a further ceramic insert 40. Heated air is supplied via an inlet port 41 to a manifold 42 around the passage 38 and the heated air is directed through a series of ports 43 to rapidly dry the steel rod.

oo Referring now to FIG. 3, the oil applicator 18 has a housing 44 where a felt seal 45 is located at the inlet end by a removable retaining plug 46.

A pair of atomising nozzles 47 are mounted in nozzle adaptors 48 screwed into the housing 44 and each adaptor is connected toa high pressure source of protective oil (not shown).

A drain port 49 in the bottom of the housing 44 allows NOVyz ,r t \c.o 41/ F~ 8 the excess oil to be drained to a collection sump (not shown), where the oil may be filtered and recycled to the oil applicator 18. The steel rod passes through a retaining disc 50 and then a plurality of felt seals 51, which wipe any excess oil from the steel rod, before the steel rod passes through the optional ribbing dies 19 around the bull drum The felt seals are retained by an end plate 52 which is screw-threadably mounted on the housing 44.

The atomising nozzles 47 apply a fine mist of oil o the steel rod 10 to prevent the rod from corroding.

In an alternative embodiment, the oil applicator may be replaced by a known dry lubricant applicator to prevent corrosion of the steel rod.

In the embodiments shown in FIG. 1, the water wash 16 and air dryer 17 is shown downstream of the second drum 14.

However, in an alt6rnative embodiment, the water wash 16 and the air dryer 17 may be provided intermediate the first and second drums 13 and 14 (but preferably closely adjacent the second drum 14) so that the high pressure water assists in dislodging the scale while the steel rod is still elongated.

In a further alternative embodiment, the bull drum 20 may be omitted and drive may be applied to the drums 13, 14 to draw the steel rod from the supply coil in the payoff tower 11 and to push the steel rod towards the spool 21, the spool winder 22 ensuring that the 44 t T 0 9 steel rod remains under tension downstream of the second drum 14.

Various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

7) 2 44J

Claims

1. A method of treatment for de-scaled steel rod or wire including the steps of: passing the rod or wire through a water wash and directing high pressure water or aqueous liquid at the rod or wire to dislodge any remaining scale on the rod or wire; drying the rod or wire in a hot air drying means; and applying a fine mist of oil to the rod or wire in an oil applicator to provide an anti-corrosive coating therefor.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: the hot drying means is provided immediately downstream of the water wash; and the oil applied by the oil applicator is electrically conductive to promote the welding of the rod or wire.

3. An apparatus for the treatment of de-scaled steel rod or wire including: a water wash arranged to direct high pressure water or aqueous liquid at the rod or wire to dislodge any remaining scale on S. the rod or wire; 2o a hot air dr,,ing means, downstream of the water wash, to dry the rod or wire; and an oil applicator to apply a fine mist of oil to the rod or wire to provide anti-corrosive coating therefor. I 11

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the water wash includes: a hollow or tubular housing having an inlet and an outlet; a plurality of water jets in the housing to direct the water or aqueous liquid at the rod or wire; and a drain outlet connected to a sump for the discharge of the water or aqueous liquid, and any scale disclosed from the wire, from the housing. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein: the inlet and outlet have annular ceramic inserts to guide the rod or wire through the housing; the water jets are arranged around the rod or wire and are longitudinally offset; and a filter and pump unit recycles the water or aqueous S 15 liquid from the sunip to the water jets. S6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein: an air block is provided in the housing upstream of the 00inlet; and 000 an air knife, incorporating a plurality of air ports, directs air onto the rod or wire to loosen any remaining scale thereon.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 6 wherein: the hot air drying means includes: ~II Ge 12 a body having a passage thei through; and a manifold surrounds the passage and directs hot air onto the rod or wire via a series of ports.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7 wherein: the oil applicator includes: a hollow or tubular body; and at least one oil atomizing nozzle in the body to direct a fine mist of protective oil onto the rod or wire.

9. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the oil applicator further includes: seal means in an inlet and an outlet to the body; drain means in the body connected to an oil sump; and oil filter and pump means to recycle the oil from the sump oi e 15 to the oil atomizing nozzle(s).

10. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 9 wherein: the seal means in the outlet of the body is operable to wipe any excess oil from the rod or wire, S 20 DATED Twentieth day of October 1997. NEUMANN STEEL PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys FISHER ADAMS KELLY 13 ABSTRACT Steel rod or wire (101) is de-scaled by passing it around two drums (13, 14) rotating at the same speed, but where the second drum (14) has a greater diameter than the first drum (13) to cause 15% elongation of the rod or wire. Any scale not dislodged is removed by high pressure water in a water wash The rod or wire is dried in an air dryer (17) and electrically conductive protective oil is applied to an oil applicator (18). .:ii 4 *C, sP Z *4 ,911