CA1053274A - Coil handling apparatus and system - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An apparatus and system is disclosed for receiving upstanding cylindrical product coils from a coil forming station at the delivery end of a rolling mill, and for transporting the coils along a path along which additional processing operations are performed on the coils at different locations. The apparatus includes a plurality of separately driven and independently operable roller table modules which are aligned to form longitu-dinally extending roller conveyor avenues. Transfer carriages are provided to laterally shift certain of these roller table modules from one to another of the longitudinally extending roller conveyor avenues. The drives for the roller table modules and the transfer carriages are all located beneath the transport level defined by the table rollers, the latter being located approximately at the floor level of the coil handling area.
smaller coils may be carried directly on the rollers of the roller table modules, while larger coils are preferably carried on specially designed pallets.

Description

)S~

~! BACKGROUND OF T~l~ INV~TION
I This invention relates generally to rollin~ mills where ¦ the rolled products are formed into cylindrical coils. The ~ invention is co~cerned in particular with a coil handling 1l apparatus and system for receivin~ such coils at the mill coil ,I forming station and for thereafter transporting the coils in an upstanding condition along a path which subsequent processing operations are performed.
,, Historically, in earlier rod mllls, rod was rolled from j ¦ two-inch square billets of approximately 30 feet in length, and ¦¦ the resulting product was formed into coils weighing about 400 , pounds. These coils, which were about the size and shape of a truck tire, were thereafter transported and cooled on standard l ,¦ overhead hook carriers. However, through the years, there has '! 15 ¦¦ been a constant demand for larger and larger coils. Thus for example, today's modern rod mill can produce a coil weighing up to 4,250 pounds, whose dimensions are about 33-1/3 inches I~D., 49 inches O.D., and whose height, before compacting is approximately 112 inch~s. After compacting, the coil height is 20 . ¦I reduced by approximately 3S~ to 73 inches.
~1 In the past, it has been the practice to form these - ~ large coils vertically in a reforming tub over a core or sail.
After forming, the coils are down-ended 90 from a vertical attitude to a horizontal attitude after which the coils are ¦¦ transferred to hook-carrier systems. Because of the size of the coils now being produced, these systems require very long and sturdy hooks, often with stabilizing rolls and counterweights to control their horizontal attitude. Due to the great height i~ (or length)of the coils, common practice has been to arrange the hooks with their axes normal to the travel direction of the coils.
1 Power-free motion of the hooks has proven to be necessary to ., l .., 'I

1053Z~4 i permit operations such as trimming, compacting, banding and segregation of the coils while they are being transported. These complicated power-free conveyor systems,which ~ust allow coils to l gather in dense accumulations or to run indep~ndently of other - 5 1¦ coils upon demand, require massive overhead supporting structures and tracks.
The weight and size of coils produced by modern mills, when combined with the weight and size of the long carrier hooks employed to transport these coils, now threatens to overtax the load carrying capacity of the standard mass-produced overhead conveyor systems which are universally employed in industry, ¦ particularly in foundries and automobile assembly plants. As ll coil weights continue to increase, these conveyor systems will have to be specially designed, and this will greatly increase their costs to the mlll owner. In addition, the supporting structures and rails will also undergo increases in size and costc ;.
These massive steel structures so clutter the coil handling areas that access to coils by overhead cranes is virtually impossible.
Moreover, with all of the equipment mounted on an overhead structure, maintenance becomes exceedingly dificult and often ~ quite dangerous. Finally, as coil weights and sizes continue II to increase, the danger of coil shape distortion and damage or marking of the product surface becomes an increasingly serious problem which conventional coil handling systems are incapable , 25 of coping with. All of these problems point to the need for aï ~ ~ better coil handling system with an improved capacity to meet -~ current and future reguirements.
~,~ 1~ is, accordingly, an object of the present invention .

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to provide a novel and improved coll handling apparatus and system which has the capability Or handling the ever increasing coil sizes of modern mills with no appreciable increase in costs for future coils of greater weight.
Another object of the present invention is to entirely eliminate the overhead structures which ~e common to conventional hook carrier systems, thereby allowing a clear, unobstructed area where cranes, fork lift trucks and the like can readily and safely service the product and the equipment.
S~ill another obJect of the present invention is the provision of an improved coil handling apparatus which is ea~ier and safer to maintain.
Another object of the present invention is the pro-vision of a system and apparatus for handling large product coils in a manner which minimizes coil shape distortion and damage or marking of the surface of the product.
Further ob~ects of the present invention include the provision of a system and apparatus characterized by economy in equlpment, building and foundation requirements as well as ~ ., ~ 20 lmproved operation and maintenance considerations.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, there ~' is provided an apparatus for tPansporting upstanding cylindrical product coils between stations employing coil transfer mandPels, said apparatus comprising; a plurality of separately driven roller table modules aligned to form longitudinally extending roller conveyor avenues, the roller table modules adjacent to said -~ stations having laterally arranged rollers definln~ flrst open , ended spaces therebetween; pallets having base sections with later-ally spaced leg members defin~ng second open ended spaces there-: between, said second open ended spaces being arranged for vertical alignment with said first open ended spaces to accept the coil :' '' .,,; ' .. , : . ~

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transfer mandrels ~hen said pallets are located adjacent to said stations, support members extending upwardly from said leg mem-bers to provide lateral support for colls deposited thereon, said base sections being adapted for movemen~ on said roller table modules along said roller conveyor avenues~ and, transfer means for laterally shifting certain of said roller table modules from one to another Or said roller ¢onveyor avenues.
Broadside movement of pallets is provided by transfer cars or carriages upon whlch selected roller table modules are mounted. These transfer cars operate laterally between longitud-- inally extending conveyor avenues to shift coils from one avenue to another. Turntables are also employed to turn a pallet and ~ coil 180 for certain requirements.
- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein, Flgs. lA-lC are plan views on a greatly reduced scale which when aligned from left to right, show a typical coil hand-` 20 ling system embodying the concepts of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a coil forming station;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a coil forming sta~on;
Fig. 4 ls a perspective view showing a product coil support-ed on a pallet which is in t~nn supported on one of the roller ~le , modules;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one t~pical roller table module mounted in place with portions of the module and the sup-porting foundation structure broken away;
Fig. 6 is a side view of the roller table module shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 Or Fig. 6;

Fig. 7A ls a partial elevational view showing one means . J ~,~ for retaining the modules on foundation pedestals;

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`-` 1053Z74 Figure 8 is a plan view of a roller table module , specially d~signed to accept a transf~r mandrel;
Figure 9 is a side ~levational view of the roller table ~I module shown in Figure 8;
il Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along lines 10-10 I of Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a plan view of a typical transfer car mechanism with portions broken away;
!I Figure 12 is a side view of the transfer car mechanism ll shown in Figure 11;
Figures 13A-13G are schematic illustrations showing the operation of the apparatus at the coil forming station;
Figure 14 is a side elevational view of the coil inverte r;
I Figure 15 is an end elevation of the coil inverter;
l Figure 16 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale ta~ken along lines 16-16 of Figure 15;
Figure 17A-17K are schematic views showing the operation , of the coil inverter;
Figure 18 is a plan view of a turntable mechanism;
Figure 19 is a side elevational view of a turntable meohanism;
~ Figure 20 is a side view of a compacting mechanism;
I ~ Figure 21 is a sectional view of the compacting 1¦ ~ mechanism taken along lines 21-21 of Fig. 20; and, ,l~J 25 Figures 22A-22H are schematic views showing the ,~; operation of the compacting mechanism.
DE~CRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
a) The A~aratu ~d Svstem Referring initially to ~igure5 lA-lC, one embodiment of a coil handling apparatus and system in accordance with the present invention will now be described. The system begins at !1 105~274 the rolling mill coil formincJ stations, two of wllich are indicatcd ¦I generally CFSl an~ CFS2, an~ ext~n~s to a coil transfcr s~ation i shown at CI~S. The layout of the system provides for a plurality of parallel roller conveyor avenues which for descriptive purposes 11 are identified in the drawing by the reference characters Al-A20.
As will hereinafter be described in more detail~ the aforesaid avenues are made up of aligned individually powered roller table Ii ! modules. There are two basic types of roller table modules employed in the system, namely, those identified by the reference l character Ml (illustrated in more detail in Figures 5-7) and ~ I those identified as M2 (Figures 8-lO). The roller conveyor avenue ; i are interconnected by laterally shiftable transfer car mechanisms ¦1 which are generally indicated by the reference character TCl-TCg.
¦¦ Roller conveyor avenues A5 and A20 include roller table modules ¦ Ml mounted on turntable mechanisms Tl and T~ respectively. A
coil inverter CI is located at one end of roller conveyor avenue A6. A plurality of compacting mechanisms Cl-C3 receive coils from avenues Al3-Al5 and after subjecting the coils to a compactin g and banding operation, discharge of coils to avenues Al6-Al8.
O Before providing a description of how the overall system operates, certain of the principal components referred to above will now be described in more detail.

b) Roller Table Modules With reference to Figures 4-7, it will be seen that the roller table modules Ml have frame structures which are comprised basically of side channcls 2 interconnccted at appropriate locations by bridging members 3 (Fig. 3). The side channels 2 support the ends of a plurality of laterally extending parallel table rollers 4. The table rollers have either sheaves :
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105;~Z74 ¦¦or sprockets 5 at one end thcrcof which are interconnected by chains or bclts 6. One or more of the rolls are ~dditionally l connected by means of appropriate sprockets or sheaves and a chain ! or belt to the output shaft of a gear reducer 7 which is in turn ¦ driven by a motor 8. The gear reducer and motor are located beneath the table rollers 4 and are bolted to a connecting plate ¦ extending between the side channels 2.
It will thus be seen that each module Ml is a self-contained unit which is adapted to be mounted at any desired location, for example on pedestals 9 which are located in a channe 1 extending longitudinally across the floor 10 of the coil handling area. The modules Ml may be conveniently located and held down lon the pedestals 9 by means of pins 11 which extend upwardly from ¦plates 12 anchored in the pedestals by embedded U-shaped anchors ~13. The modules have feet 14 through which the pins 11 protrude.
¦ Preferably, resilient pads lS are interposed between the plate ¦ 12 and the feet 14 to dampen vibration and minimize noise. The ~` I feet 14 are held down by a keeper plate 16 which is held by a bolt _ ;~ ¦ nut assembly 17 threaded into à taped hole in the plate 12.
; 20 With reference to Figures 8-10, it will be seen that ~1 the roller table modules M2 are similar to the modules Ml in that the former are also provided with side channels 2 suitably interconnected by bridging members 3 and 3'. Certain of the tabl~
~- rollers 4 extend laterally between the side members 2, while others indicated at 4' are shorter in length and extend between the adjacent side members 2 and parallel interior members 2', the ~- ~ latter being connected to the side members 2 by ~hc bridgin~
member 3' and end members 3". It will thus be seen that when viewed in plan as shown in Figure ~, the modules M2 have a generally U-shaped confi~uration, with an open-ended, mandrel receiving space, the purpose of which will hereinaf~er be described, being provided ~etween members 2', All of the table '! lC)S3;~ 74 . !l ' i l . l 'il rollers 4 and 4' are interconnected by a system of sheaves or ¦

sprockets 5 and belts or chains 6, with driving power again being , provided from a common underlying drive including a gear reducer 7 and motor 8.
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- - - For purposes of the present discussion, however, it will be understood that the roller table modules Ml and M2 are ¦
adapted for mounting at appropriate positions along the path of coil travel through the coil handling area. The modules are each separately powered by means located beneath the conveying plane defined by the table xollers. The modules are adapted to facilitate their rapid interchangeability, which of course is advantageous from a maintenance standpoint. Whe aligned longitudinally and arranged as shown for example in Figures lA-lC, the roller.table modules Ml and M2 provide ro].ler conveyor avenues Al-A20 which have fu11 lateral and overhead accessibility c. Transfer Car Mechanisms As previously indicated, transfer car mechanisms . ~:
TCl-TCg are employed to provide a means of shifting coils -laterally from one roller conveyor avenue to another. One such transfer:car mechanism, specifically that indlcated at TCl in Figure lA, is shown in more detail in Figures 11 and 12.
Transfer car mechanism TCl has an upper frame assembly which includes parallel members.lB interconnected at .
appropriate iocations by transverse members 19. The frame assembly further includes wheels 20 arranged to be supported on and to run along tracks 21. A chain guide having an upper open-topped section 22a and a lower section 22b is located between the rails 21. An idler sprocket 23 is located~at one ~end of the chain guide, and a drive sprocket 24 is located at , ~
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the opposite end. A chain 25 ls connected at one end to a chain connector 26 which depends from the upper frame assembly. The ¦¦chain runs along upper chain guide 22a, over drive sprocket 24, ¦,along lower chain guide 22b, over idler sprocket 23, and back ialong upper chain guide 22a where its opposite end is again connected to the chain connector 26. The drive sprocket is powered by a gear reducer 27 and motor 28. The upper frame assembly is adapted to have mounted thereon a pair of roller table modules Ml (shown by dot-dash lines in Fig. 12). By ! suitable operation of the motor 28, the transfer car can be ¦ shifted along the rails 21 to align the roller table modules M
carried thereon either with avenues A2- A4 and A~-A5 (as shown , ¦ in the drawings), or with avenue Al and avenues A3-A5.
The other transfer car mechanisms TC2-TCg operate in a similar manner in that each runs along underlying rails under ,, the influence of a driving arrangement which is located beneath the level of the transport plane of the roller table modules.
Certain of the transfer mechanisms do, however, differ in the , number and arrangement of roller table modules carried thereon.
I . This is illustrated by the following chart: ' TC NO. OF MODULE
, l NO. MODULES ARRANGEMENT _ F 1 2 Double Tandem

2 _ _ 1 _ Singl,e ~ 3 _ _ ~ I Double,, QuadruP-l e _ ,~ ¦ = S i Single , ,,, ,_ = __4. Quadruplë
9 2 Double BFadside , ;~ , , .

lOS:~74 d. Turnt~ble Mcchanlsms For reasons which will hereinafter be described in ¦¦ more detail, it will be necessary at times to rotate coils ¦ ~¦ through 180 while they are being carried on pallets along a 1 particular avenue. In the system being employed herein for purposes -~ ¦ of illustration, this will be required along avenues A5 and A20, and to thiS end two turntable mechanisms Tl and T2 are provided, one in each avenue. Both turntable mechanisms are constructed ~ substantially identically, and hence only one(T2) will be .~ 10 1 described in detail with further reference to Figures 18 and 19.
The turntable mechanism includes a frame assembly having wheels ~ 1 34 arranged to run along an underlying circular support track 35.

3;~ ¦ ~The~upper portion of the frame assembly includes side members 36 J ~ I ~and ~transverse connecting members 37 whlch cooperate to support a ~ 5~ ~a pair of roller table modules~Ml. The frame assembly further inoludes~a oircular chainlguide 38 which;~is arranged at the same level~as~a drive sprocket 39, the latter being~mounted on the ~vertlcal~output~shaft~of a gear~reducer~40 which is powered by -a~drive~mot~r~41.~ ~A ohain 42 has one-~end attached to the frame assem~ly~as~at~42'~ The~ohaln~runs;partially around the chain ~ide~ 38, ~then around dr1ve sprocket 39, then back around the ......... .... ..., chain~guid- 38~where it~otherlend~ lso attached to the frame It wil~l;thus be understood that with this arrange-~ment,`the turnta~bl~e~oan~be rotated in either a clookwise or ~¢lc~ kwise~directlon through~ 180 to re-orient a coil and/
pallet loo~ted thcreon. ~

. , ~ be~e tl~e colls h Lng folmea at.tho coil forming 30 ~ ` ~stations~CFSl~and~CFS2~are~relatively ~small and thus dimensionally ,- ~

)53Z~4 ~stable, thcy may be carrie~ fro~ one location to anothcr dircctly ~on the roller table modules. Ilowev~r, where the coils are larger, ,as is frequently the c~se in modern mills, it may be necessary to ~
~provide a support means to insure that the coils are not distorted¦
or toppled while in transit. To this end, pallets 48 of the type ¦
shown in Figure 4 may be employed. - ~ " L
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,I The pallets 48 are each provided with a ge~erally i!U-shaped base made up of laterally spaced leg members 49 inter-'l ,connected at their rearward ends by a bridging member 50. The 'upper surfaces 51 of the leg members are inclined-downwardly-from I

,~front to rear. Support posts 52 extend vertically from the upper ;
~surfaces 51. The support posts are braced by rearward brackets !~53 which rest on and are removably attached to the bridging member ~SO. When loaded on the pallet 48, a coil C will have its bottom resting on the upper surfaces 51 of the leg members 49. The coil will be incline~ slightly and will thus lean against the support posts 52. In this way, the coil will remain in a stable upstandinc condition throughout its travel through the coil handling area;
The near vertical attitude in which the coils are supported and carried imparts a considerable measure of vertical-compaction developed by the weight of the coil itself. This desirable feature is in marked contrast to the prevalent distortions which coils undergo while being transported on the hooks of conventional hook I carrier systems. The distance between the exterior sides of the ~leg members 49 is such that the pallets can readily move along ~¦the roller table modules Ml and M2, with the side channels 2 of the modules ct~ng as gu d-5.

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, ,~ iO53;~74 ¦ f. Coil Forming Stations . ~
The coil orming stations CFSl ~nd CFS2 are substantially identical, and hence only st~tion crsl will be l~ described with reference to Figures 2 and 3.
S ¦ The coil forming station is positioned to receive product rings "R'l being carried in an overlapping Spencerian pattern on a delivery conveyor 60. The rings drop from the - l delivery end of the conveyor into a reforming chamber generally ll indicated at 61. The upper end of the chamber is formed as a ¦ housing 61' and the lower portion of the chamber is deCined by vertical posts 61". The chamber has an open side facing roller conveyor avenue Al, the latter being made up of a roller table modules M2, Ml. In Figures 2 and 3, another module Ml on the , transfer mechanism T~l is aligned with avenue Al.
lS ~ As the rings R drop into the chamber 61, they are : I collected around a mandrel 62 which is mounted for axial movement into and out of an underlying trunk 63. The trunk 63 forms part of a carriage assembly 63' which has wheels 64 arrange~
to run along tracks 65, the ends 65' of which are inclined downwardly at a location underlying the end roller table module i M2 of avenue A1. The carriage assembly 63' is moved back and forth along the tracks 65 by any conventional mechanism, a portior . of which is indicated generally at 66. A coil support plate 67 . is carried by a separate elevator mechanism (shown only schematically at 68 in Figs. 13A-13G) for vertical movement within the chamber 61 on mandrel 62. This type of apparatus is known to those skilled in the art, as evidenced by the disclosure in U. S. Patent No. 3,648,736.
. . The operation of the coil forming station will be better understood by reference to Figures 13A-13G. More particularly, as shown in Fig. 13A, rings R are being delivered by conveyor 60 into the upper portion 61' of the reformillg 1053;~74 chambcr where thcy are being accumulated temL~orarily on any con- ¦
venient means, for example rctractablc supl~ort pins "p". The mand~el 62 is in its fully el~vated position alignc~ a~ially with thc cent~r llof the reformincJ cha~ cr, and the coil support plate 67 is also ! fully raised on elevator 68. ~s shown in Figure 13B, the support , pins p at the upper portion of the reforming chamber 61' are then retracted allowing the rings temporarily accumulated thereon to fall over the mandrel onto the coil support plate 67. As indicated lin Fig. 13C, the coil support plate 67 is thereafter gradually lowered by the elevator 68 as the coil forming operation proceeds to completion. In Figure 13D, a completed coil has been formed around the mandrel 62 on the coil support plate 67, and the support pins p of the upper coil forming chamber portion 61' have again been inserted into the patn of ring descent to temporarily accumu-late further rings above the mandrel. At this point, the elevator j68 has been dropped free of the coil support plate 67 and the ¦latter is now at rest on a stop "s" on the mandrel 62. A pallet 48 has been positioned on the adjacent roller table module r.l2 to receive the thus-formed coil. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 13e,¦
the carriage assembly 63' is moved along the tracks 65 to the position indicated (also shown in dotted in Fig. 3). At this point :, the coil is in position over the base of the pallet and at rest against the upstanding pallet support members 52. However, the I bottom of the coil remains supported on the coil support plate 67.
The inclination of the irack ends 65' is such that the coil is in-¦clined at the proper angle in relation to the upper inclined sur-¦ faces Sl of the pallet base. Referring ncxt to Pig. 13F, it will ~e ¦ seen that the mandrel 62 is next fully retracted into the trunk 63 I ¦ with the result that the stop 5 drops away from the coil support ~ 30 plate, resulting in the coil support plate being dropped beneath . .

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~os3z74 ., . I

the pallet base where it comes Lo rcst on the ~Ippor en~ ~f the trunk 63, and the mandrcl is fully withdrawn from the coil. The result is that the coil is now deposited on and fully supported by the pallet 48. Thereafter, and with reference to Figure 13G, ¦¦the carriage assembly 63' is pulled back along the trac~s 65 into ¦ line with the axis of the coil forming chamber preparatory to ¦ returning all of the components to the condition shot.n in Figure jj13A. The cycle is then repeated while the coil on pallet 48 . I is removed laterally by energizing the motors powering the roller ; table modules M2 and Ml of conveyor avenue Al. :~
' . ' , g. Coil Inverter ;
~ The coil inverter CI shown ln Figure lA will now Al - be described further with reference to Figures.14-16 and 17A-17K. I
71 '. With referènce initially to.Flgures 14-16, it will be seen that the inverter includes a base 76 having opposed ~~ pedestals 77 on which are mounted rollers 78. The rollers.

.~ support opposed circular tracks 79 to which are attached side .., frames:having vertical members 80 interconnected at their ~ ¦
opposlte ends by transverse braces 81. The braces are in turn connected by cross-membérs 82 which have mounted thereon roller table modules Ml. Certain of the cross members 82 also carry pallet clamping mechanisms 83. ~ i .
Inwardly faclng guide assemblies 84 (see Fig. 16) ~: are mounted oh the endmost vertical members.80. These guide assemblies contain slide members 85 which are interconnected by tubular cross-pieces 86.~ The tubular cross-pieces 86 support .
opposed tongues 87. The slides 85 on each side of the inverter :~ are connected by links 8G~to a lever 89 which ls~rotatably ~

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lOS3Z7~ -supportcd as at 90. One o~ thc links 88 is connccted as at 91 to the piston rod 92 o a cylindcr 93 pivotally supporte~ ~s at 94.
The inverter is rotated by means of a chain 95 which extends around a circular chain guide 96 mounted adjacent to one of the tracks 79. The chain is engaged by the drive sprocket of a gear reducer 97 which is powered by a motor 98.
A feed car 99 has a roller table module Ml mounted l thereon. The feed car has rollers 100 which run along short ¦¦tracks 101. The feed car is moved in opposite directions along 1 the tracks 101 by means of a chain drive generally indicated at 102.
The operation of the coil inverter will now be ¦¦described with reference to Figures 17A-17K. As shown in Fig. 17A
a pallet 48 with a coil C supported thereon has been delivered l by the transfer car mechanism TC2 to a position in alignment with ¦
¦ conveyor avenue A6. At this location, the loaded pallet is direct ly adjacent to the feed car 99. An empty pallet 48' is clamped in an inverted position in the coil inverter by one of the pallet clamping mechanisms 83. As shown in Fig. 17B, the roller ta~le ; 20 modules o~ the transfer car mechanism TC2 and the feed car 99 are I
, then ~energized to shift the loaded pallet onto the feed car 99.
Thereafter, as shown in Figure 17C, the feed car is moved along the ~1 tracks 21 to a position directly adjacent to the coil inverter.
Then, as shown in Figure 17D, the roller table module ot the feed car 99 and the lower module of the inverter are energized to shift the loaded pallet into the coil inverter where it is clamped in ~; position on the inverter's lowcr table rollcr modulc by the lower-most pallet clamping mechanism 83. This having been accomplished, and as shown in Figure 17E, the cylinders ~3 are actuated to move the tongues 87 together to clamp the coil therebetween. This has the effect of raising the coil off of the lower pallet 48. The , ll I lOS3Z74 coil is t~lus axially confineù betwccn the two tongues a7 and Iradially confined by the support posts of the two pallets 48, 48'.
IlThe center of gravity of the coil is thus centered appro~imately at ¦Ithe axis of rotatlon of the inverter. At this stage, the feed llcar 99 is also returned to.its original position ad~acent to the transfer car mechanism TC2.. Once this has been accomplished, and las-shown in Fig. 17F, the motor 98 is energized to rotate the ; ~linverter and the coil contained therein through 180. This result~
.~ I in an inversion of the coil to a position shown in Fig. 17G. .
Thereafter, as shown in Figs. 17F, the tongues 87 are retracted . and the feed car 99 is returned to a position adjacent~to the .~ inverter... Retraction of the tongues 87 causes:the coil to.be re- .
i deposited on the pallet 48.' which is in turn mounted on the inverter's lowermost roller table module Ml. The pallet clamping ¦-mechanism 83 is then dlsengaged from pallet 48' and the under-ilying roller table module.is energized to move the coil out of the : inverter and.back.onto~the_f.eed car_99.__Therea~ter,_as.shown in Fig. 17H, the feed car is moved back along tracks-21 to a position . adjacent to the transfer car mechanism TC2. ~lnally, as sho~n lnFig. 17K, the roller table modules of the feed car 99 and the :.
transfer car TC2 are energized to move the loaded pailet 48' onto ~ : the transfer car TC2, thus completing the coil inversion process.
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I - h. Compacting Mechanism : . .~.
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~25~ ~ ~ ~ .With reference to Pigure lB, it wlll be seen ~that the system hereln being employed or illustrative purposes include three compactin9 mechanisms Cl-C3. The design, construction and , , ~ ~ ~ . . .
operation of each is identical, and hence only one~(Cl) will be described with further.reference to Figures 20, 21 and 22A-H. ..:

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1053~7 ll i~ With referencc now to ~igs. 20 and 21, thc ,jcompacting mech~nism Cl is locatcd betwecn the two roller conveyor ¦avenues A13 and A18, which terminate adjacent to the compacting l¦mechanism at oppositely disposed roller table modules M2. The 1l compacting mechanism includes a base 110 on which is mounted a jlbase platen 111 which is divided into two laterally spaced secti~ns llla and lllb (See Fig. 21). Posts 112 extend vertically from the¦
;base 110. The posts 112 support a head 113 beneath which is located a vertically movable top platen 114. The top platen 114 ` 10 ,¦reciprocates vertically on guides or tracks 115 under the influence ¦¦of piston-cylinder units 116.
; ¦¦ The carriage assembly 117 is located beneath the 'level of base platen 111. The carriage assembly has wheels 118 I arranged to run along tracks 119 which have inclined portions 119'¦
1 located beneath the end roller table module M~ of avenue A13. The¦
carriage assembly 117 has a depending trunk 120 slidably containing . I an axially movable mandrel 121. The mandrel is operated by a piston-cylinder unit 122 supported at the base of the trunk. The ¦ mandrel 121 extends axially through a coil supporting head assembl~ , 1 123 which is also mounted for limited vertical movement by means of guide rods 106 and 107 on the carriage assembly 117. The carriage¦
assembly is moved back and forth along tracks 119 by means of a ¦ piston-cylinder assembly 124. ~ ¦
With reference now to Figures 22A-22H, it will be seen that the compacting mechanism operates in the following ¦manner; at the operational stage shown in Figure 22A, a coil C supported on a pallet 48 has been deliv~red along conveyor avenue A13 to a roller table module Ml which is directly adjacènt 11: to the end roller table module M2 The carriage assembly 117 has ¦ 30 been moved along tracks 119 to a location ~eneath the end module M2 of conveyor avenue A13, and the dependi~ trunk 120 is .

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iO532~4 inclined due to the fact that the carriage wheels are partially supported by th~ inclincd portion 119' of th~ track 119 . Fi~ . ¦
!22B depicts the next operational stage which involves energizing ¦both the roller table module Ml supporting the loaded pallet 48 and module M2 to transfer the loaded pallet onto the roller table module M2 of avenue A13. This places the loaded pallet 48 over ¦
the carriage assembly 117 with the eye of the coil C aligned axially with the underlying inclined mandrel 121.
Referring now to Figure 22C, it will be seen that the mandrel 121 is next elevated axially and is thus inserted through the coil C. The last portion of the upward mandrel travel . causes the coil supporting head assembly 123 to be raised by stops 125 on the mandrel (see Figure 20) with the result that the coil C is elevated by the head assembly 123 off of the base of the pallet 48. Accordingly, at the end of this stage, the coil C is completely supported on the mandrel 121 and head assembly 123.
Referring next to Figure 22D, which corresponds in operational sequence to Figure 21, it will be seen that the carri~ge assembly 117 is moved along tracks 119 to a position underlying the top platen 114. The space between the two sections llla, lllb of base pIaten 111 accommodates movement therebetween of the raised mandrel 121 and head assembly 123. At this stage, the coil C
remains supported from beneath on the head assembly 123, the ~: latter being elevated slightly above the base platen 111.
As is next shown in Figure 22E, axial compaction of the coil C is accomplished by lowering the top platen 114.
As the:top platen 114 is lowered, the mandrcl 121 is axially withdrawn with the result that the coil supporting head assembly . 123 is dropped slightly into horizontal alignment with the bottom platen 111. The net result is an axial compaction of the coil C between platens 114 and 111 while the coil is supported axially by the mandrel 121. Whi~e this operation is taking place, the end m~dules Ml and M2 of avenue ~13 are ener()i7.ed to ].~terally¦
¦remove the unload~d pallct 48. With the coil thus fully compactedl la plurality of retaining bands are applied. This can be accomplish-ed automatically by suitable banding apparatus (not shown), or it I
¦can be accomplished manually. Referring next to Figure 22F, afteri ¦the banding operation has been completed, the upper platen 114 is returned to its raised position and this is accompanied by an elevation of the mandrel 121 and the coil supporting head assembly ¦l123 to the positions shown in Figure 22F. It will thus be under-10stood that at this polnt, the compacted banded coil C is again totally supported on the coil supporting head assembly 123 and the mandrel 121.
Thereafter, as shown in Figure 22G, the carriageassembly 117 is moved along tracks 119 to a position underlying 15l the end module M2 of avenue A18. This having been accomplished, the mandrel 121 is fully retracted with the result that the compacted banded coil is deposited on the underlying module M2.
Finally, with refernce to Figure 22H, it will be seen that the modules M2 and Ml of avenue A18 are energized to move the coil away from the coil compacting mechanism while the carriage assembly 117 and its associated components are returned along ~ :
~tracks ll9 to pick up another coil on the opposite side of the compacting~mechani~sm.

i) System Operation ; Having thus descrlbed the principal components of the overall system as shown in Figures l~-lC, the system operation ~will now be reviewed. It wlll be understood that if the coils being formed are relatively small and thus stable during transit, there~wiIl be no need for pallets. However, where pallets are required due to the large size of the coils, then it will be -further understood that for any given system of the type herein ~ '.

~ -20-5 ~ 7 4 being consider~d, there will he a number o~ ~lle~ clisl~erscd ~t ¦ various locations. Some pallets will he loaded with coils, while other ~mpty pallets will be ~nroute back to thc coil forming , stations. A single coil of the larger type requiring pallets will ' now be followed as it passes through the system.
The coil begins at one of the coil forminy statio~s, either CFl or CF2. Assuming for purposes of this discussion that the coil is formed at station CFl, after formation the coil ~l will be shifted in the manner previously described in connection ll with Fi~ures 13A-13G onto the endmost module M2 of conveyor avenue l l The transfer car mechanism TCl will have been ~¦ shifted to a position placing one of its roller table modules M
il in alignment with conveyor avenue Al. The loaded pallet will 15 ll then be shifted onto the transfer car mechanism TCl, after which l¦ the transfer car mechanism will be shifted back to the position i shown in Figure lA. The roller table module supporting the ¦l loaded pallet will then be energized to move the pallet along ¦1 avenue A5 to an appropriate location, for examplP Ll, at which 20 il the loaded pallet will be momentarily held while operating personnel inspect and trim the uppermost rings of the coil. These rings comprise the rolled front end o~ the billet. It will be ~¦¦ understood that because the individual roller table modules Ml are each separately powered, the motion of the loaded pallet alon any particular avenue can be remotely controlled, thus making it possible to stop and start a particular pallet at any given time.
After the top of the coil has been inspected and -trimmcd, the ~¦ loaded pallet will be moved onto the roller table module Ml ~1~ carried by transfer car mechanism TC2. Transfer car mechanism TC2 will then be shifted into alignment with conveyor avenue A6.
I
I

Thcreaftcr, as ~rc~io~sly described in contlection with Figures 17~ _ ~17K, the coil will be fed into the coil inverter CI, inverted, and ¦retracted back onto transfer car mechanism TC2. This having !I been accomplished, the transfer car mechanism TC2 will be brought 1I back into alignment with roller conveyor avenue A5 and the ilappropriate roller table modules will be energized to move the !I coil to a second location, for example L2, where the uppermost rings of the inverted coil, which comprise the tail end of the ,¦billet, are also trimmed. At this point in time, the results of I the sampling previously taken at location Ll will become available and if these results show that additional rings should be removed from the bottom of the now inverted coil, then the coil will be !I moved to transfer car mechanism TC3 and the latter will ~e shifted ¦Iinto alignment with conveyor avenue A6 for the purpose of return-~ ing the coil to the coil converter CI. Re-inversion of the coil would then be accomplished in order to expose the appropriate coil end for additional trimming. This can be repeated any number of tlmes unti1 the~sampling procedures indicate that the coii has bee n properly trimmed. If need be, a number of coils requiring re- ¦ -;~inverslon may be stored along avenue A6.
Should the results of the sampling previously taken ~show~that sufflcient material has been trimmed from the coil, then ~the :eoil~will be moved onto the turntable mechanism Tl and the la~tter~will be operated to rotate the coil and its supporting ~ ~ , . .
$`~ ~: pallet~through 180. The purpose of this rotation is to orient ~ ~the~pallet with the~open end: of its base facing towards the ; ~
~compaatin~Mechanlsms. This having ~een accomplisllod, the coil will~be~moved furthex along conveyor avenue A~ onto the transfer ~aar mechanism TC4. ~The four-module width oL transfer car 30 ~ Inechanism TC4 will accommodate the receipt thereon of four loaded pal}ets. This having been accomplished, the loaded modules : ~ ~ : ' ~ -22-~l 105~Z74 of the transfer car mechanism TC4 will be shifted into alignment with one of the avenues A7, ~9 or ~11 which are arran~ed to feed the three compacting mechanisms. For purposes of this discussion, it will be assumed that the compacting mechanism Cl will be ,employed, and hence no shifting of transfer car mechanism TC4 will be required. Rather, the roller table modules of TC4 will be energized to shift the loaded pallets onto roller conveyor ~~avenue A7. Individual coils and their respective supporting ; llpallets will then be shifted across transfer car mechanism TC5 - 10 ¦lonto avenue A13. From this point, the coils will be transferred ¦¦in the manner previously described in connection with Figures 22A-22H through the compacting mechanism Cl for the purpose of '¦compacting and banding the coils. The compacted banded coils ¦¦will continue along avenue A18 onto transfer car mechanism TC8.
15 ll Transfer car mechanism TC8 will then be shifted into alignment with conveyor avenue Alg which is arranged to transport the coils to their final destination at coil transfer station CTS. At this location, the banded coils are down-ended and off-loaded onto appropriate vehicles such as for example railway cars.
20~ ¦ ~ ~ The empty pallets are removed laterally from oompacting mechanism Cl onto transfer car mechanism TC5, the latter being thereafter shifted into alignment with conveyor avenue A8. ;The roller table modules of conveyor avenue A8 are ~then energized to return the empty pallets to the transfer car : ~
2sl ~ ~meahanism TC4. when four such empty pallets are received cn the transfer~car mechanism TC4,~the latter is shifted into alignment with~conveyGr avenue A20 and the appropriate roller tablc modules are~energized to move the empty pallets towards turntable ~mechanism~T2. This turntable mechanism re-orients empty pallets 1` ¦through ~180 in order to place the open ends of their bases facing } ~ ~towards the coil forming stations. The pallets are then shifted .

i`: ~ !
,- ` I -23-'-- ! ' I!
,' 105~Z7~
llonto transfcr car mcchaJlisln TCg which is then shifted la~erally llinto aliynment with conveyor av~nu~ A4. From h~rc, the cmpty pallets are shifted onto transfer car mechanism TCl which can l¦then be employed to deposit the empty pallets either on conveyor li avenues Al or A2 for immediate use at the coil forming station I¦CFSl or CFS2, or alternatively, the empty pallets can be shunted ¦lonto conveyor avenue A3 where they are stored temporarily.
! In light of the foregoing descripticn the advantages ! made possible by the present invention will now be appreciated by those skilled in the art. One such advantage lies in the fact ¦
that the entire coil handling area is uncluttered by overhead ~ ~ tracks, supporting structures, etc. which characterize conventionai1~ ~ hook carrier systems. The coil handling area is open and ¦ accessible to overhead cranes, fork lift trucks, etc. This ~ greatly facilitates access to and maintenance of the various coll~handling devlces such as the coil inverters and compacting ,mechanisms. Also, because the roller table modules are individually powered~,~ they are readily adaptable to remote control from a central contro~l station.~ The separate powering of the modules ;20`~ ~enables the~coils and/or their supportlng pàllets to be moved, j ~stopped,~started,~etc~ to suit various operating conditions.
~Pallets, either empty or~loaded, can~ be moved individually or in ¦~groups,~momentarily~stored~,~re-routed,~etc. The inherent ¦~fle~ibility of the;~system ls thus seen to be highly advantageous. ~ i 25 ~ j ~ Another~advantage of the present system is that the coils ~are~maintained~in an~upstanding vertical or near vertical ~conditlcn~(dependlng cn~whether or not pallets are employed) whi~le ~eing~mov~d thrcugh the coil handling area. This eliminates ~the~coil dl~stortlon which characterize conventional hook carrier~
~systems. ~

~053~'74 Main~cnance is also simpliEicd and ecollomics oE oquip-jment are made possible by the removability and interchan(3eability lof the roller table modules. l~hen a particular module requires ¦Iservicing, it can be quickly replaccd by a spare, and only a Irelatively few spares are required to service the entire system.
¦IThe system is adaptable to the handling of all si~es of coils.
!!Smaller coils can be handled without employing support pallets.
¦!However, where pallets are required, they are easily accom~odated.l i It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications ; 10 1 of the embodiment herein chosen for purposes of disclosure which l dc not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

' , ' . .

_

Claims (10)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An apparatus for transporting upstanding cylinder-cal product coils between stations employing coil transfer man-drels, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of separately driven roller table modules aligned to form longitudinally extending roller conveyor avenues, the roller table modules adjacent to said stations having laterally arranged rollers defining first open ended spaces therebetween; pallets having base sections with laterally spaced leg members defining second open ended spaces therebetween, said second open ended spaces being arranged for vertical alignment with said first open ended spaces to accept the coil transfer mandrels when said pallets are located adjacent to said stations, support members extending upwardly from said leg members to provide lateral support for coils deposited thereon, said base sections being adapted for movement on said roller table modules along said roller conveyor avenues; and, transfer means for laterally shifting certain of said roller table modules from one to another of said roller conveyor avenues.

2. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 further charac-terized by the top surfaces of said leg members being inclined, said support members being normal to said top surfaces, thereby adapting said pallets to receive and carry the cylindrical product coils in an inclined attitude resting on said top surfaces and against said support members.

3. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each of said roller table modules includes laterally spaced parallel side members, a plurality of rotatable table rollers extending trans-versally between said side members, and drive means for driving said table rollers in unison.

4. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said transfer means is comprised of track members extending transvers-ally between said avenues; carriage means mounted on said track members for movement along the length thereof, said carriage means being adapted to carry at least one of said roller table modules; and means for moving said carriage means in opposite directions along said track members.

5. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 further charac-terized by turntable means adapted to support certain of said roller table modules, and means for rotating said turntable means when orienting pallets located on said certain roller table modules.

6. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said roller table modules are arranged in a horizontal plane which is approximately at the floor level of the coil handling area, and wherein said drive means and said transfer means are located beneath said plane.

7. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said roller table modules are readily removable and inter changeable to thereby facilitate maintenance thereof.

8. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 further charac-terized by means along said path for inverting said coils.

9. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 further charac-terized by means along said path for axially compacting said coils to facilitate the handing thereof.

10. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said roller table modules and said transfer means are supported and driven by means located beneath the level of said path.