EA044611B1 - CONNECTING DEVICE FOR CONNECTING AN ADAPTER WITH A FLANGE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION FROM THE MOTOR TO ONE OR MORE ROLLING ROLLERS - Google Patents

Description

Field of technology to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to a load damping system attached to an adapter that is used to transmit motion generated by a motor to one or more mill rolls. In particular, the present invention relates to a coupling device for dynamic connection between a motor side and an adapter head or between an adapter and one or more rolls of a rolling mill stand. The connecting device in accordance with the present invention makes it possible to reduce the axial tensile stresses transmitted along the adapter as a result of stresses generated during the rolling operation.

Prior Art

Two types of adapters are known in the prior art: fixed adapters and telescopic adapters. The forming devices shape the solid product, while the latter can change their axial elongation. In the case of a rolling mill, this second solution allows the movement of rolls or rolling cylinders. A disadvantage of both types of adapters, and in particular fixed adapters, is the transfer of the axial component of the load generated during the rolling operation to the motor. Indeed, a rolling mill stand, for example, can generate axial loads due to various phenomena associated with the rolling process, which can be transmitted through adapters from the rolling cylinders to the motor. The ends of the working rolls of the rolling stand on the side opposite to the side of the adapters are placed in the cushion. There is a pre-set gap between the pad and the corresponding fixed stop, usually initially having a nominal value of about 1 mm, while in reality it can be as high as 3-4 mm, which is the result of the sum of tolerances and can also be due to wear occurring over time time.

Motor thrust bearings typically have axial clearance limited to ±0.35 mm due to the internal operation of motors, which can therefore still be affected by axial loads generated by the rolling stand, since the axial clearance between pads and stops is larger than the thrust clearance motor bearing.

Thus, the axial forces generated during rolling close such a gap and are then transmitted to the motors through adapters. These loads are detrimental to engines, which are usually equipped with radial or axial thrust bearings of suitable size depending on the maximum load precisely to counter such loads, since any failure of the said bearings will result in engine failure.

In installations of this size and characteristics such as rolling mills, main motors are absolutely essential for production and it is therefore important to prevent failure of these elements, which could lead to a shutdown of work for months, also because for elements of this type and size it is often impossible to find spare parts in a short time (this applies to engines with power up to 10,000 kW). A shutdown of a rolling mill is obviously the most negative factor a manufacturer can face, as it entails a loss of productivity. Therefore, to prevent this, it is advisable to increase the size of the motor axial bearing, even if this entails a significant increase in overall costs; Both radial and axial engine bearings are very expensive and their size has a corresponding effect on the overall cost of engines. According to the prior art, the connections between the wedge adapters and the roll side or motor side flanges are essentially axially rigid systems and, because of this rigidity, transfer all the loads from the rolling stand to the motor. In other words, adapter connections are usually made by strictly limiting the component parts.

The first example of a system of this type is proposed in US 7582019 B2, in which two sections of the adapter are connected to each other through an axial load compensation system, which involves the use of longitudinal cylindrical shock absorbers located both inside and outside the connection itself. The internal cylinders consist of a guide casing, inside which a sliding shock-absorbing element can move, moving straight along the longitudinal axis of the adapter. This frictional, non-rotating connection is associated with external cylindrical shock absorbers that absorb axial forces and prevent twisting of the two connecting adapter segments. Due to this, however, this double connection has a rigidity that prevents it from effectively absorbing the transverse and torsional stresses that normally affect the normal operation of adapters. Because of this, the system has insufficient elasticity precisely where the greatest stresses emanating from the rolling system occur.

A second axial rigid connection system is described in US7784380. The system provides a connection between the flange and the adapter head, consisting of a placement block rigidly attached to the end of the adapter and within which a pressure rod is located longitudinally. The location and shape of the rod are chosen so that it supports and balances axial thrust and traction loads, while its angular movement is limited by the design degree of freedom of the placement block. Thus, this solution is also influenced by the lateral tensile strength and torsional rigidity, which prevent the elastic absorption of all tensile loads and stresses acting on the adapter head.

In both cases described above, as in any other solution currently known from the prior art, there is no element necessary to effectively reduce the loads transmitted to the adapter, that is, there is no elastic and multidirectional response to such loads, which makes it possible to effectively reduce any risk to the integrity of the connecting connections and, in particular, the engines.

The essence of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an elastic connection for adapters with support wedges, which effectively compensates and absorbs the forces transmitted from the rolling system to the motors.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connection for adapters with support wedges that allows only a predetermined amount of maximum force to be transmitted axially to the motors.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connection for wedge adapters that allows the use of a smaller axial bearing than those currently used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adapter connection that is reliable and easy to manufacture at a competitive cost.

Thus, the present invention relates to a connecting device for connecting an adapter to a flange in a rolling mill. In particular, the connecting device contains:

a block configured to be connected to the flange so as to rotate integrally with it about the first axis of rotation;

a pair of support wedges located on opposite sides of the block and connected to the same block using a connecting pin, wherein such a pin intersects the block in such a way that when connecting the block to the flange, the longitudinal axis of the pin is orthogonal to the first axis; the connecting pin makes the support wedges integral with the block during rotation about the first axis.

In accordance with the present invention, the support wedges have a mechanical connecting surface that is geometrically compatible with the connecting surface of the adapter, resulting in mechanical connection between said surfaces transferring the rotational motion of the flange to the adapter or vice versa. In addition, the connecting surface is made with the possibility of corresponding rotation of the adapter relative to the block and support wedges around an additional axis orthogonal to the plane formed by the first axis of rotation of the flange and the longitudinal axis of the connecting pin.

In accordance with the present invention, the connecting device further comprises at least a first shock-absorbing element and at least a second shock-absorbing element disposed in the block and mounted on opposite sides of the pin in a position opposite to the main plane in which the longitudinal axis of the pin lies and which is orthogonal to the first axis of rotation.

The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention.

List of drawing figures

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a coupling device for connecting an adapter to a flange, disclosed by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

in fig. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view of a connecting device in accordance with the present invention;

in fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along plane AA of the connecting device shown in FIG. 1A;

in fig. 1C is an exploded view of two elements of the connecting device shown in FIG. 1A;

in fig. 2 shows a view of a connection in accordance with the present invention mounted on adapters with support wedges of a rolling mill;

in fig. 3 is a perspective view of some elements of a connecting device in accordance with the present invention.

The same reference numerals in the figures designate the same elements.

Information confirming the possibility of implementing the invention

With reference to the above drawings, the present invention relates to a connecting device 1 for connecting a flange 2 to an adapter 3, which elements (flange and adapter) can be used in a system 150 for transmitting motion from a motor M to one or more rolls R of a rolling mill stand. Flange 2 can be connected to motor M or rollers R. In this way

- 2 044611 Thus, the connecting device 1 in accordance with the present invention can be used to connect the adapter 3 on the motor side (that is, to connect the adapter 3 to the flange 2 associated with the motor M) or on the rolling stand side (that is, to connect the adapter 3 to the flange 2A associated with the rollers R - see Fig. 2).

In fig. 1A shows a possible embodiment of the connecting device 1 in accordance with the present invention, which includes a block 10 connected to the flange 2 in such a way that it can rotate integrally with it about the first axis of rotation 101. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, the block 10 is placed in a specific slot 28 through one end of the flange 2 (see Fig. 1C).

The connecting device 1 includes a pair of support wedges 4A, 4B on opposite sides of the block 10. Specifically, the first support wedge 4A is located in a position adjacent to the first side 10A of the block 10, while the second support wedge 4B is located in a position adjacent to the second side 10B of the block 10 such that it is opposed to the first support wedge 4A relative to the block 10. Preferably, each of the two support wedges 4A, 4B is in contact with the corresponding side 10A, 10B to which it abuts.

The support wedges 4A, 4B are of substantially the same design and are connected to the block 10 by a connecting pin 5 intersecting the block itself and at least partially the two support wedges 4A, 4B. In particular, the pin 5 is positioned such that its longitudinal axis 104 is orthogonal to the first axis of rotation 101 when connecting the block 10 to the flange 2. Therefore, the pin 5 makes the support wedges 4A, 4B an integral part of the block 10. Thus, the rotation of the block 10 due to rotation flange 2, leads to rotation of two support wedges 4A, 4B around the first axis 101.

Each of the support wedges 4A, 4B includes a mechanical surface 41 for connection with the adapter 3. In particular, for each support wedge 4A, 4B, this connecting surface 41 is geometrically compatible with the corresponding connecting surface 42 of the adapter 3. When such surfaces 41, 42 are mechanically connected, two The supporting wedges 4A, 4B transmit torque from flange 2 to adapter 3 if flange 2 is located on the motor side, or from adapter 3 to flange 2 if flange 2 is located on the side of the rolling stand (rolls R). In any case, the adapter 3 can be freely rotated about the second rotation axis 102 (hereinafter also referred to as the longitudinal axis 102 of the adapter 3).

The connecting surfaces 41 of the support wedges 4A, 4B are further designed in such a way that, when connected to the adapter 3, they provide corresponding rotation of the latter about the third axis of rotation 103 (shown in Fig. 1B) located orthogonal to the plane formed by the first axis of rotation 101 and the longitudinal axis 104 pin 5. This additional degree of rotational freedom provides displacement between the first axis 101 and the second axis 102 of rotation, that is, it allows the axis of rotation of the flange 2 to be tilted relative to the longitudinal axis 102 of the adapter 3 (see in particular FIG. 2).

The connecting device 1 in accordance with the present invention further comprises at least a first shock-absorbing element 61 and at least a second shock-absorbing element 62 located at least partially inside the body of the block 10 on the opposite side relative to the pin 5 crossing the block itself for connecting two supporting wedges 4A, 4B. Namely, two shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 are located on opposite sides, preferably mirrored with respect to the main plane in which the longitudinal axis 104 of the pin 5 lies and which is orthogonal to the first axis 101 of the flange 2. Due to the axial loads acting on the adapter 3, the shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 act on the pin 5 from opposite sides, providing relative movements of the pin 5 (and, consequently, the block 10 and support wedges 4A, 4B) relative to the flange 2. Indeed, the shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 in the working position are located between the flange 2 and the pin 5 and either compress or elongate depending on the direction of the axial load on adapter 3.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1A, the connecting device 1 includes first shock-absorbing elements 61 and second shock-absorbing elements 62. Both groups of shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 are located within the block 10 so as to act on the pin 5 from opposite sides. Preferably, each shock-absorbing element 61 from the first group was a mirror image of the corresponding shock-absorbing element 62 from the second group with respect to the above-mentioned main plane defined by axes 104 and 101.

In general, the shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 can be of different types and selected from those previously known. Preferably, the shock absorbing elements 61, 62 are spring units, hydraulic shock absorbers, or a combination thereof. Further, for purposes of description only, the shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 are also referred to as spring blocks 61, 62, but it is understood that they may have different shapes.

With reference to FIG. 1A, axial forces (designated F1), for example, created by rolling cylinders, are transmitted to the adapter 3 and then to the block 10 through the support wedges 4A, 4B, mechanically

- 3 044611 connected to the adapter 3. The spring blocks 62 inside the block 1, located on the first side of the pin 5, are then compressed between the flange 2 and the pin 5, and the spring blocks 61 on the opposite side are correspondingly stretched. Therefore, due to the spring blocks 61, 62, the flange 2 can remain stationary despite the movement of the adapter 3, the pin 5 and the support wedges 4A, 4B caused by the axial loads F1. The favorable arrangement of the shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 on opposite sides of the pin 5 makes the device bidirectional, that is, it works both in the case of pulling forces (arrow F1) and in the case of pushing forces (arrow F2) acting on the adapter 3.

In fig. 1C shows a possible embodiment of block 10 and how it might be connected to flange 2. Block 10 includes a first housing 10A into which a second housing 10B is inserted. The two housings 10A, 10B are designed in such a way that when one housing is inserted into the other, they form several housings 11A for shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 and at least one housing 11B for inserting a pin 5 connecting the block 10 with the support wedges 4A, 4B. The overall block 10 is preferably prism-shaped and has a first pair of opposing sides 12A, 12B from which end portions 5A, 5B of the pin 5 extend. Each end portion 5A, 5B is integrally connected to a corresponding support wedge 4A, 4B .

In this embodiment, the block 10 has a second pair of opposite sides 13A, 13B, from which the ends of the shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 protrude, and a third pair of opposite sides 14A, 14B, containing a connecting piece 15 for connecting the block 10 to the flange 2.

In this regard, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, also shown in FIG. 1C, the flange 2 has a seat 28 into which the block 10 can be inserted by linear movement along a direction parallel to the first rotation axis 101 of the flange 2. More precisely, the seat 28 has two opposing guides 28A, along each of which the connecting piece 15 can slide. formed on the corresponding side related to the third pair of sides 14A, 14B of the block 10. In general, the guides 28A and the connecting parts 15 form two tongue-and-groove joints between the block 10 and the flange 12. Once the block 10 is inserted into the slot 28, the entrance into the latter is closed using the locking element 29 (shown in Fig. 1A). Thus, the block 10 remains permanently within the seat 28. Preferably, the locking element 29 is connected to the flange 2 using removable connection means, such as the screws 29B shown in FIG. 1A.

As stated above, due to the force acting on the adapter 3, the support wedges 4A, 4B attached to the pin 5, and therefore the block 10, are moved axially relative to the flange 2 along the direction determined by the guides 28A of the socket 29. However, in order to relative movement has taken place, the axial loads (F1-F2) must exceed the frictional forces arising between the elements attached to the support wedges 4A, 4B, and the flange 2 under the influence of torque transmitted from the flange 2 to the adapter 3 through the support wedges 4A, 4B . Thus, the connection 1 begins to operate only when the need arises, that is, the shock-absorbing elements 61, 62 come into effect only when the loads exceed the frictional forces between the flange 2 and the support wedges 4A, 4B. It should be noted that the shock-absorbing elements 61 are located between the closure element 29A and the pin 5, while the shock-absorbing elements 62 are located between the pin 5 and the lower part 28C of the seat 28 located on the flange 2. Therefore, when the block 10 moves towards the closure element 29, the shock-absorbing elements the elements 61 are compressed between the pin 5 and the closing element 29, while the shock-absorbing elements 62 remain either unloaded 8 or stretched. In a very similar manner, as the block 10 is moved toward the bottom portion 28C of the seat 28, the shock-absorbing elements 62 are compressed while the shock-absorbing elements 61 are either stretched or remain uncompressed.

As shown in FIG. 1A, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support wedges 4A, 4B are free to rotate relative to the block 10 about the longitudinal axis 104 of the pin 5. In other words, in this embodiment, the support wedges 4A, 4B are limited by the pin 5 and the block 10 in translational motion in the direction parallel to the first axis 101 of rotation of the flange 2, but retain a degree of freedom of rotation relative to the block 10 around the axis 104 of the pin 5. Consequently, the adapter 3 is also limited by support wedges 4A, 4B, configured to rotate around the pin 5. The device allows two possible rotational movements, which can be implemented either individually or in combination to offset the axis 102 of the adapter 3 relative to the axis 101 of the flange 2.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, the connecting surface 41 of the support wedges 4A, 4B has a spherical dome shape with respect to the viewing plane defined by the first axis 101 and the longitudinal axis of the pin 5. Referring to FIG. 3, the support wedges 4A, 4B extend along a longitudinal direction 300 parallel to the third rotation axis 103 defined above. Each of the two support wedges 4A, 4B additionally has an internal

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Claims (10)

a bottom surface 43 (opposite the corresponding connecting surface 41) adjacent to the corresponding side 14A, 14B of the block 10. The inner surface 43 is substantially flat so that it can rest on the corresponding flat surface of the flange 2, as shown in FIG. 2. Each support wedge 4A, 4B has a hole between the connecting surface 41 and the inner surface 43 for receiving a corresponding end portion 5A, 5B of the connecting pin 5. The present invention also relates to a motion transmission system 150 that can be used in a rolling mill and includes at least one resilient connection with the specifications described above. In particular, the system contains at least one motor M and at least one adapter 3 for transmitting motion from the motor M to at least one roll R of the rolling stand, wherein said system contains a first flange 2 connected to the motor M, and a second a flange 2B connected to the roll R. The system comprises at least one connecting device 1 in accordance with the present invention connecting one of the flanges 2, 2B to the adapter 3. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the transmission system contains a first elastic connection 1 for connecting the adapter 3 on the motor side and a second elastic connection 1B for connecting the adapter on the rolling stand side. In this embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the axis 102 of rotation of the adapter 3 is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the flange 2, 2B at an angle α, which can range from 0 to 15°. This tilt is possible due to the degrees of freedom that the adapter 3 has (rotation about the third axis 103 and/or rotation about the longitudinal axis 104 of the pin) due to the shape of the elastic connection. In particular, any axial, transverse or angular torsional load is effectively absorbed by the resilient connection without damaging the motor and/or the rolling stand side. In an alternative embodiment of the transmission system, the adapter 3 can be positioned so that its axis of rotation 102 coincides with the axis of rotation of the flange 2. The accompanying drawings also allow one to understand how, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting device in accordance with the present invention is installed. In particular, the block 10 without the connecting pin 5 is inserted into the socket 28 through the straight guides 28A. Once the block 10 has been inserted, the locking element 29 is installed so as to prevent the block 10 from falling out. The adapter 3 is then pushed towards the block 10, and two support wedges 4A, 4B are connected to the adapter 3 on opposite sides of the block 10. At this stage, the connecting wedge is inserted pin 5 into respective slots formed in each support wedge 4A, 4B and within block 10. Specifically, pin 5 is installed using a corresponding hole 7 essentially defining the position of the longitudinal axis 104 of pin 5. Once the pin is inserted, hole 7 can be blocked by a plug 8 inserted into it. If the hole diametrically intersects the entire adapter 3 (as in Fig. 1A), then two plugs 8 can be provided opposite the pin 5, which in any case can be detached from it. The described technical solutions make it possible to fully achieve the assigned tasks and goals. In particular, with the connecting device according to the present invention, the loads acting on the adapters are not transferred to the engine as a whole. Indeed, it has been observed that they can be reduced by more than 50% compared to previously known solutions until they are almost completely eliminated. CLAIM 1. Connecting device (1, 1B) for connecting the adapter (3) to the flange (2), designed for use in a rolling mill, which contains: a block (10) configured to be connected to the flange (2) so as to rotate integrally with it around the first axis of rotation (101); a pair of support wedges (4A, 4B) located on opposite sides of said block (10) and connected to this block (10) by means of a connecting pin (5), the pin (5) extending through the block (10) and at least partially through the support wedges (4A, 4B), such that when the block (10) is connected to the flange (2), the longitudinal axis (104) of the pin (5) runs orthogonal to the specified first axis (101) of rotation, while using the pin (5 ) the support wedges (4A, 4B) are made integral with the block (10) during rotation around the first axis (101) of rotation; at least a first shock-absorbing element (61) and at least a second shock-absorbing element (62) located in the block (10) and located on opposite sides of the pin (5) in a position opposite to the main plane in which the longitudinal axis (104) lies pin (5) and which is located orthogonal to the first axis of rotation (101); in which the support wedges (4A, 4B) are configured to rotate freely relative to the block (10) around the longitudinal axis (104) of the pin (5); wherein each of the support wedges (4A, 4B) comprises a mechanical coupling surface (41) geometrically compatible with the coupling surface (42) of the adapter (3), wherein - 5 044611 after the mechanical connection of the specified surfaces (41, 42), the rotational movement of the flange (2) is transmitted to the adapter (3) or vice versa, characterized in that the mechanical connecting surfaces (41) of the support wedges and the connecting surface (42) of the adapter (3) are made with the possibility of rotating said adapter (3) relative to the block (10) and support wedges (4A, 4B) around an additional axis (103) orthogonal to the plane defined by the first axis (101) of rotation and the longitudinal axis (104) of the pin (5); and the fact that the connecting device (1, 1B) allows the specified adapter (3) to be rotated relative to the specified block (10) and support wedges (4A, 4B) around an additional axis (103). 2. The connecting device (1, 1B) according to claim 1, which contains first shock-absorbing elements (61) and second shock-absorbing elements (62), and said shock-absorbing elements (61, 62) are located inside the block (10) and are located on opposite sides relative to the pin (5), and each shock-absorbing element (61) of said first shock-absorbing elements is a mirror image of a shock-absorbing element (62) of said second shock-absorbing elements relative to the main plane. 3. Connecting device (1, 1B) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the shock-absorbing elements (61, 62) are spring blocks, hydraulic shock absorbers or a combination thereof. 4. Connecting device (1, 1B) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the block (10) contains a first housing (10A), into which a second housing (10B) is inserted, and said housings (10A, 10B) are made with the possibility of forming, when inserting one block into another, several housings (11A) for shock-absorbing elements (61, 62) and at least one socket (11B) for inserting a pin (5) connecting the block (10) with the support wedges (4A, 4B). 5. The connecting device (1, 1B) according to claim 4, in which the block (10) is made in the form of a prism and has a first pair of opposite sides (12A, 12B), from which the corresponding end parts of the connecting device (5), a second pair of opposite sides (13A, 13B) from which the corresponding ends of the shock-absorbing elements (61, 62) protrude, along with a third pair of opposite sides (14A, 14B) containing a connecting piece (15) for connecting the block (10) to the flange (2). 6. The connecting device (1, 1B) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which each of the support wedges (4A, 4B) has a connecting surface in the shape of a spherical dome, visible in the viewing plane defined by the first axis (101) and the longitudinal axis of the pin (5), wherein each of the support wedges (4A, 4B) is located along a direction (300) parallel to the additional third direction of rotation (103), and in which each of the support wedges (4A, 4B) has a substantially flat inner surface ( 43) adjacent to a corresponding side (14A, 14B) of the block (10), wherein each of the support wedges (4A, 4B) has an opening extending between the connecting surface (41) and the inner surface (43) to accommodate a corresponding end portion (5A, 5B) pin (5). 7. A transmission system (150) that can be used in a rolling mill to transmit rotational motion generated by a motor (M) to one or more rolls (R) through an adapter (3), wherein the transmission system (150) comprises at least one flange (2, 2B) connecting the motor (M) to the adapter (3) or connecting one or more rolls (R) to the adapter (3), characterized in that the transmission system (150) contains at least one connecting device ( 1, 1B) according to any of claims 1-6 for connecting the flange (2, 2B) with the adapter (3). 8. The transmission system (150) according to claim 7, in which the first axis (101) of rotation of the flange (2) practically coincides with the axis (102) of rotation of the adapter (3). 9. The transmission system (150) according to claim 7, in which the axis (102) of rotation of the adapter (3) is inclined relative to the axis (101) of rotation of the flange (2). 10. Transmission system (150) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the flange (2) has a socket (28) into which a block (10) is inserted, the socket (28) forming two opposing guides (28A), inside each of which can slide a connecting piece (15) formed on the corresponding side of a pair of opposite sides (14A, 14B) of the block (10), and the flange (2) contains a locking element (29) holding the block (10) in the seat (28) . -