EP0114793B1

EP0114793B1 - High speed rolling block

Info

Publication number: EP0114793B1
Application number: EP84830012A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luigi Danieli
Original assignee: Danieli and C Officine Meccaniche SpA
Current assignee: Danieli and C Officine Meccaniche SpA
Priority date: 1983-01-25
Filing date: 1984-01-17
Publication date: 1987-04-08
Also published as: ATE26415T1; IT1175041B; EP0114793A2; EP0114793A3; IT8383313A0; DE3463005D1

Abstract

This invention concerns a high speed rolling block (17) which comprises two groups of units (10-11) synchronized with each other, the units being arranged alternately, each with its axis perpendicular to the axis of the neighbouring unit, in which block (17) each group of units (10-11) is driven by its own motive shaft (20-25) substantially parallel to the axes of the units belonging to the respective group (10-11) thus driven.

Description

This invention concerns a high speed rolling block. To be more exact, the invention concerns a rolling block of a type comprising units arranged alternatively with axes perpendicular to each other, for instance with alternate horizontal axes and vertical axes.
According to the invention a drive and motion- transmission system is employed for such units which is made simple to construct, has greater reliability than known embodiments and provides noteworthy constructional and running economies.
In known embodiments one or more motors transmit motion through a suitable transmission to two shafts the axes of which are parallel.
Traditional rolling blocks consist of a group of vertical units and a group of horizontal units, or else of units perpendicular to each other but otherwise oriented as required. Each unit gets its motion from one or the other of the two shafts, according to the arrangement, through a bevel gear pair. In this way there is a bevel gear pair for each unit in a block, however such unit is oriented.
This embodiment contains many drawbacks, including:

- a great number of bevel gear pairs (one per unit);
-the bevel gear pairs are hard and burdensome to construct;
- assembly has of necessity to be extremely accurate;
- bevel gear pairs are delicate and need careful maintenance and examination;
- bevel gear pairs are a hinderance to the attainment of the high rolling speeds required nowadays.

DE-C-634.752 is known and discloses a rolling block with units arranged alternatively at a right- angle to each other, as is the case in the attached Claim 1.
CH-A-355.120 is also known and discloses rolling units getting their motion through bevelled gear pairs, the axes of the rolls being inclined in relation to the motive axes.
The rolling block disclosed in the Swiss patent comprises a joint which can be disengaged and includes the possibility of rotating the unit by 180° so as to invert the motion of the rolls.
The present invention is intended to obviate the above drawbacks and yet others and to offer a drive system which enables the bevel gear pairs and parallel shafts to be substantially eliminated.
According to the invention this is obtained by providing two independent motors, one for each group, the groups being perpendicular to each other, e.g. horizontal and vertical respectively, all the units in their turn are united in one single compact block. One of the motors does not have its axis parallel to the axis of the respective blocks. This may be made necessary, for instance, by overall bulk requirements or other specific requirements. The motor having its axis not parallel to the axes of the group of units driven by it can transmit motion to that group through a transmission which includes, for example, an oblique shaft with bevel gear pairs at its ends.
In this way two bevel gear pairs, atthe most, will be required for all the units served by that motor instead of one bevel gear pair for each unit, thus enabling the problems linked to such gears to be drastically reduced.
According to the invention the synchronization of the motors can be obtained through an electrical connection or through a mechanical connection.
The invention comprises a high speed rolling block which comprises a first group of units and a second group of units perpendicular thereto, the first and second groups being synchronized with each other, the units being arranged alternately, each with its axis, defined as being parallel to the longitudinal axes of its rolls, perpendicular to the axis of the neighbouring unit, in which block each group of units is driven by its own motive shaft actuated by an independent motor and substantially parallel to the axes of the units belonging to the respective group thus driven, and wherein the axis of at least one motor is parallel at least to the respective motive shaft that drives the respective group of units, the block being characterised in that the motors are positioned with their axes parallel.
We shall describe hereinafter, as a non-restrictive example, an embodiment of the invention and shall refer to the attached figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an overall view of a rolling block given to aid understanding, but not falling within the scope of the claims;
Fig. 2 shows details of a possible mechanical coupling between the motors according to an embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 units having vertical axes 10 and units having horizontal axes 11 are arranged alternately on a casing 12.
The units 10 and 11 could be tilted as required and would therefore not be necessarily vertical and horizontal respectively provided that their respective axes were substantially perpendicular to each other.
In the text hereafter, however, for the sake of simplicity we shall refer only to "horizontal" units and "vertical" units and shall mean by such words any other spatial position.
The rolling axis is shown with 13. Two electric motors 14 and 15 drive the units 10 having a vertical axis and units 11 having a horizontal axis respectively.
All the vertical units 10 are connected to each other kinematically by means of a train of spur gears having vertical axes, the train getting its motion from the output shaft of the motor 14.
Likewise, all the horizontal units 11 get their motion from the motor 15 through a train of spur gears having horizontal axes.
Such transmissions with spur gears are not shown in the figures as they are of a known type and can be variously embodied to suit requirements.
These mechanical transmissions ensure the synchronization of units belonging to the same group, namely belonging to the group of units 10 or to the group of units 11.
Synchronization of the two groups of units 10 and 11 is obtained, instead, by synchronizing the motors 14 and 15.
Such synchronization may take place, for instance, through an electric axis 16, which is shown diagramatically with lines of dashes in Fig. 1.
In this way it is possible to obtain a synchronized whole of units as required and to produce a compact block 17 driven by two motors 14 and 15 respectively.
Each group of units 10 or 11 is driven by means of a motion input shaft, 20 or 25 respectively, parallel to the axis of rotation of each individual unit forming the group.
As an alternative to the arrangement of Fig. 1, the motors 14 and 15 can also be synchronized by means of a mechanical connection.
According to an example of the invention in Figs. 2a and 2b there are two motors 114 and 115 respectively which have their axes 23 and 25 respectively shown as being parallel.
In the example shown the motor 114 drives the units 10 having a vertical axis in the following way: a bevel gear pair 18 drives a shaft 19 having another bevel gear pair 118 at its other end; the bevel gear pair 118 transmits the motion about a vertical axis 20 to a kinematic distribution system 21 feeding motion to the units 10 having a vertical axis.
Mechanical connection between the motors 114-115 for their synchronization is provided by a transmission of gear wheels 22 on axes 23-24 and lastly on the axis 25.
Appropriate reduction gears or gearing up means can be included in correspondence with each unit, or else the gearing up or reduction gear means can be provided upstream from the unit, for instance in correspondence with the motion inputs on the axes 20 and 25 respectively.
It is possible to embody the mechanical synchronization connection 23-24-25 in a disconnectible manner, for example by providing a disengageable joint 26, shown with lines of dashes in the figures, on the output axis 23 of the motor 114 downstream from the bevel gear pair 18.
The electrical synchronization 16 too can be disconnectible as required.
This may be determined, for instance, by special rolling requirements which necessitate the elimination of the coupling between the motors.
We have described here a preferred embodiment of the invention, but variants are possible for a person skilled in this field without departing thereby from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. High speed rolling block (17) which comprises a first group of units (10) and a second group. of units (11) perpendicular thereto, the first and second groups being synchronized with each other, the units being arranged alternately, each with its axis, defined as being parallel to the longitudinal axes of its rolls, perpendicular to the axis of the neighbouring unit, in which block (17) each group of units (10-11) is driven by its own motive shaft (20, 25) actuated by an independent motor (14, 15) and substantially parallel to the axes of the units belonging to the respective group (10-11) thus driven, and wherein the axis of at least one motor (14 or 15) is parallel at least to the respective motive shaft (20, 25) that drives the respective group of units (10-11), the block (17) being characterised in that the motors (14-15) are positioned with their axes parallel.

2. High speed rolling block (17) as claimed in Claim 1, in which the motors (14-15) are synchronized electrically (16).

3. High speed rolling block (17) as claimed in Claim 1, in which the motors (14-15) are synchronized mechanically (22).

4. High speed rolling block (17) as claimed in Claims 1 and 3, in which the mechanical synchronization transmission (22) includes at least one disengageable joint (26).

5. High speed rolling block (17) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the synchronization (16, 22) can be disconnected as required.