EP0275864A1 - Apparatus for thermally treating a continuously moving metal wire - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus for heat-treating the metal wire (19) has at least two drum-like rotational body systems (5a, 5b) which are arranged in the heat treatment zone, are looped by several windings of wire and are each constructed, in order to avoid a relative movement between the wire and the surface of the rotational body due to a length change of the wire during the heat treatment, from a plurality of disc-shaped rotational bodies (5) which are arranged in a row and called "discs" in short below and which have on their periphery self-closed wire-guiding grooves (6), all discs of one disc row (5a) being located opposite respective discs of another disc row (5b) with axially offset wire-guiding grooves (6); the first disc (5A) of one of the disc rows (5a) is joined rotationally solid to a drive shaft (3), while the remaining discs of this disc row (5a) and the discs of the other disc row (5b) or disc rows are rotatably mounted on shafts or axles (4), with the possible exception of one likewise driven disc (Figure 1). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for the heat treatment of a continuously moving metal wire using rotating bodies arranged in the heat treatment area and wrapped in the wire with several turns.

Devices of this type enable a relatively long residence time of the wire in the heat treatment zone with a space-saving design. When the wire is continuously withdrawn from the end of a rotating body wrapped in the wire, the wire should lie against the circumference of the rotating body as evenly as possible in order to avoid an arbitrary shifting of the turns and to ensure a distributed static friction for the wire feed. Since the wire lengthens when heated as a result of the thermal expansion, it must slide with friction on this surface in order to achieve a satisfactory contact with the surface of a cylindrical rotating body, as a result of which the required tensile force on the wire increases accordingly.

In addition, if the wire is firmly seated on the rotating body, there is a problem in the event of business interruptions, regardless of their cause. A cause of an interruption in operation can be that the wire gets tangled when it is pulled off a reel. In the event of an interruption in the wire annealing, the wire section remaining in the heat treatment zone is heated so long that it is practically annealed and thus becomes unusable, and there is additionally the risk that the wire, which may contract again in the event of cooling, will become so strong due to the resistance of the rigid rotating body Stretching is subjected to the fact that it tears. This danger of tearing also exists in the event of an interruption in operation during a cooling treatment of a wire that is wrapped tightly around a rigid rotating body.

The invention is therefore concerned with the task of eliminating the risk of overstressing the wire held in abutment on the rotating bodies in a heat treatment device of the type specified in the introduction, and in particular the risk of tearing in the event of a deliberate or forced disruption of operation.

This object is achieved in that along at least two parallel geometrical axes are essentially disc-shaped, circumferential self-contained wire guide grooves having rotary bodies, all of the discs along one axis being opposed to each other along another axis with axially offset wire guide grooves, and that first disc of one of the rows of disks is rotatably connected to a drive shaft on which the remaining disks of the same row of disks are rotatably mounted, while the disks of the other rows of disks are either rotatably supported on a fixed axis or on a towed shaft, or rotatably on A shaft driven in the same direction as the first-mentioned drive shaft is mounted, with which a disk of the relevant other row of disks is optionally connected in a rotationally fixed manner.

In this way, as will be explained in more detail later using exemplary embodiments, it is achieved that the disk-shaped rotating bodies which are lined up along parallel axes form a system wrapped by the wire windings, in which the total length of the wire section wrapping around the system as a result of expansion or shrinkage of the wire both in the can change normal operation as well as in the event of a fault, without the wire having to slide in the wrapping areas on the surface of the disk-shaped rotating bodies with friction, because the individual disk-shaped rotating bodies can twist against one another with relatively low bearing friction.

For the sake of brevity, the disk-shaped rotating bodies are referred to below as "disks"; lining up such disks results in a composite drum-like rotating body. The device according to the invention contains at least two such composite drum-like rotating bodies. The wire feed takes place via the driven first disk of a first row of disks; the wire can be drawn off from the device with the aid of pulling means arranged outside the device or by the last disk of the last row of disks being connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a driven shaft. The required relative rotations between the individual disks of a row of disks in the event of heating or cooling of the wire wrapping around them could be reduced if the diameter of the disks along the row of disks increased in relation to the thermal expansion of the wire to be expected along the row of disks, this increase preferably disproportionately should take place so that each disc exerts a slight tensile effect on the adjacent wire.

• die Fig. 1 und 2 in rechtem Winkel zueinander geführte Schnitte durch ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel;
• Fig. 3 einen Querschnitt durch ein zweites Ausführungs­beispiel;
• Fig. 4 einen Achsschnitt durch eine Anzahl von scheiben­förmigen Rotationskörpern auf einer sie tragenden Welle;
• Fig. 5 in Draufsicht eine bevorzugte Ausbildung der scheibenförmigen Rotationskörper, und
• die Fig. 6 und 7 ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel im Achsschnitt sowie in Draufsicht bei abgehobener Haube.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. In these show:

• Figures 1 and 2 at right angles to each other cuts through a first embodiment.
• 3 shows a cross section through a second embodiment;
• 4 shows an axial section through a number of disk-shaped rotating bodies on a shaft carrying them;
• Fig. 5 in plan view a preferred embodiment of the disc-shaped rotary body, and
• 6 and 7, a third embodiment in Axle cut and top view with hood removed.

1 and 2, two parallel side walls 1 can be seen, which are connected by a foundation plate 2. Parallel shafts 3, 4 penetrate the space between the side walls 1 and each carry a row 5a or 5b of disk-shaped rotating bodies 5, hereinafter referred to as "disks" for short, each of which has several, preferably two, self-contained wire guide grooves 6 on its circumference (cf. Fig. 4). The two shafts 3 and 4 are non-rotatably connected to end edges 7, 8 at ends pointing in the same direction. The spur gears 7, 8 mesh with a third spur gear 10 carried by a motor-driven shaft 9. This arrangement makes it possible to drive both shafts 3 and 4 in the same direction at the same angular velocity.

4 and 5, each disc 5 is seated with its hub 15 on a liner 16, which is positively connected to the hub 15 by means of two projections 17. A second liner 18 is non-rotatably connected to the shaft carrying the disks 5 - to the shaft 3 in FIGS. 4 and 5. The two liners 16 and 18 are made of highly heat-resistant material, such as oxide ceramic or graphite. Spacers 20 made of the same material keep adjacent disks 5 at a desired mutual distance and prevent immediate friction between them. The arrangement described allows the disks 5 to rotate relative to one another and to the shaft carrying them, but in any case a certain frictional resistance has to be overcome.

Only the first disc 5A at the input end of the disc row 5a carried by the shaft 3 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to this shaft, which is driven by a motor. The disk 5A therefore pulls, as indicated by an arrow P1, the wire 19 approaching the device from a reel (not shown) or another suitable wire storage rack. In order to apply a corresponding pulling power, the disk 5A expediently has at least three wire guide grooves 6 on its circumference.

As can further be seen from FIG. 4, in preferred embodiments of the invention, starting with the disc 5A of the disc row 5a, all further discs 5 are graded individually or in groups, the increase in diameter between adjacent discs or between adjacent groups of discs preferably is somewhat larger than would be necessary to compensate for the elongation of the wire heating in the device. This measure ensures that the circumferential speeds of adjacent disks or adjacent groups of disks increase gradually with the same angular velocity of all disks. As a result, the wire, which gradually heats up as it passes through the device, can always be held in contact with the wire guide grooves 6 of the disks 5 which it partially encloses, in particular if these disks 5 are aimed at a disproportionately large increase in diameter in relation to the thermal expansion of the wire, to convey the wire faster than this corresponds to its feed rate, increased by the elongation of the wire which has occurred until a certain disk 5 of the row of disks 5a has been reached. As a result, the individual disks 5 are forced to remain somewhat behind in their angular velocity in relation to the shaft 3 carrying them. A wire tension is maintained by the friction forces occurring between the shaft 3 and the disks 5.

In order to keep the heat storage capacity of the individual disks 5 as low as possible, these are expediently formed, as can be seen in FIG. 5, as spoked wheels with a thin wheel rim 21 which has the wire guide grooves 6 and which is formed by inclined, optionally as Cooling wing-formed spokes 22 are connected to the hub 15. The inclination of the spokes reduces the load on the wheel rim 21 due to the thermal expansion of the spokes. Finally, with the hollow design of the shaft shown, a coolant can also flow through it to avoid overheating of the shaft and the bearing parts.

As can be seen now, coming back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wire entering the device at P1 is first in the first groove of the first disk 5A of the row of disks 5a connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the driven shaft 3 by 180 ° around the Washer 5A is guided around, then guided to the first groove of the first disk 5A, which is assigned to disk 5A and is in approximately the same plane with this disk 5 of disk row 5b which is rotatably mounted on shaft 4, from which, after wrapping this disk, it is likewise 180 ° to the second groove the disc 5A of the disc row 5a is returned, etc.

The disks 5 are lined up along the shafts 3 and 4 in such a way that each groove of a disk of the row 5b on the shaft 4 lies in the plane of the space between adjacent grooves of the associated disk of the row 5a on the shaft 3. The wire is thus continuously guided through the device from the entry point P1, alternately wrapping alternately assigned disks on shafts 3 and 4, until it finally exits the device at P2.

There are now various options for driving the device.

First of all, it would be possible to drive only the shaft 3 to which the disk 5A is connected in a rotationally fixed manner. All other disks 5 on the shaft 3 and the entirety of the disks on the shaft 4 can then already in the described manner to be relatively rotatable relative to the shafts carrying them. The wave 4 would then be a "towed wave". that is, it can be rotatably supported at both ends without being driven directly. It is then only entrained by the frictional forces exerted on it by the disks 5 of the row of disks 5b arranged on it, ie it will rotate at an average angular velocity corresponding approximately to the mean value of the angular velocity of the disks arranged on it. On the other hand, the carrier of the row of disks 5b could also be designed as an axis, ie itself not rotatable.

In both of the aforementioned cases, the disks 5 of the row 5b arranged along the shaft or axis 4 could also have the same diameter throughout and only the disks 5 of the row 5a arranged along the driven shaft 3 could have the aforementioned progressive diameter increase. In the simplest embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the disks on both shafts or axes 3, 4 have the same diameter.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, both shafts 3 and 4 are designed to be drivable via the spur gears 7, 8 and 10 in the manner already described at the beginning. In this embodiment, it is expedient to also form the disks along the shaft 4 with a progressively increasing diameter, it being possible for all the disks to be rotatably mounted relative to the shaft 4, so that they are only carried along by friction.

Finally, it would also be possible to connect a disk of the row of disks 5b, for example the last disk of the same, to the shaft 4 in a rotationally fixed manner. However, in order not to expose the wire to an impermissible tensile load in view of its high temperature, a slip clutch or a drive with limited torque should then be interposed between the spur gear 8 and the shaft 4.

In order to facilitate the initial loading of the device with wire, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ends of the shafts 3 and 4 on both sides can be mounted in turntables 30, 31, which in turn can be rotated in the side walls 1 by means of rollers 32 stored and can be locked with respect to this in a manner described later. The two turntables can be coupled, for example, via chains 33, 34 and via sprockets 36 and 37 connected to one another by a shaft 35 for common rotation. A prismatic body 38, 39 is expediently connected or integrally formed with each turntable, in which the shaft end parts not enclosed by disks 5 rest so that they are shielded as far as possible from the radiant heat of the furnace.

In addition to the device, a feed device 40 is provided for feeding wire 19. This device 40 is displaceable in the direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of the shafts 3, 4 and for example via a chain and sprockets, not shown, which cooperate with a screw spindle, depending on a rotation of the turntable system 30, 31 corresponding to the axial displacement of the wire guide grooves along the disks 5 arranged on both axes or shafts and which can be driven with one another. The displaceable feed device 40 is arranged for the initial loading of the device according to the invention in such a way that the front end of the wire 19 is inserted at the operational wire outlet point P2. There, the wire is fastened to the last disk of the shaft 3 and then by rotating the turntable system 30, 31 until the first disk 5A on the shaft 3 is reached at the wire entry point P1 on the operating side, wound around both rows of disks 5a and 5b and laid in their guide grooves. For this purpose, for example, the shaft 3 can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the turntable 30 by a band brake (not shown) or another suitable means, while at the same time the locking of the turntable system 30, 31 is released.

If the shaft 9 is then driven, the turntables 30 and 31 and all parts connected to them rotate about the geometric axis of the turntable system, the wire being fed by means of the feed device 40 in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the disk system carried around the turntables is wrapped around.

As soon as the feed device 40 arrives opposite the operational entry point P1 of the wire and the turntables and shafts assume the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mentioned band brake is released so that the shaft 3 can now rotate freely with respect to the turntable 30, and at the same time the turntables 30, 31 are locked again. If the shaft 9 is now driven, the shafts 3 and 4 rotate when the turntables are stationary and convey the wire through the device from P1 to P2 during operation.

The entire system of disk-shaped rotating bodies and shafts is enclosed in a hood 45, which is filled with protective gas to avoid oxidation of the wire when it is heated. This hood 45, or the like by means not shown, such as screws, ropes and pulleys. can be raised in the position indicated by 45ʹ in FIG. 2 and shown in broken lines, has rectangular recesses 46 for receiving the prismatic bodies 38, 39 and passage openings 47, 48 for the entry and exit of the wire 19. The recesses 46, together with the prismatic bodies 38, 39, cause the turntables 30, 31 to be locked in the working position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 when the hood 45 is lowered. On the other hand, if the hood 45 is raised to the position 45ʹ, the turntables 30, 31, since the prismatic bodies 38, 39 are no longer held in the recesses 46, as described earlier, can freely rotate about their axis.

On the two side walls that run parallel to the plane the geometric axes of the two disc systems run, radiant heaters 49, 50 of any known design are mounted. Because relatively long wire sections run in the direction parallel to the radiant heaters, this embodiment ensures favorable heat transfer from the radiators to the wire.

Occasional malfunctions cannot be ruled out if heat treatment devices are to be used in conjunction with drawing devices for successive diameter reductions and subsequent heat treatment. In advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention, constructive measures are therefore provided which enable the action of the heat radiation on the wire in the device to be interrupted as quickly as possible without the wire, which is still hot and therefore prone to rapid oxidation, being removed from the protective gas atmosphere ought to.

For this purpose, the lowerable radiation protection walls 51, 52 which can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 are provided. By means of chains or wire ropes 53, 54, which are guided, for example, over chain rollers 55, 56 and are loaded with a counterweight 57, the radiation protection walls can be lowered into the rest position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or, in the event of a malfunction, quickly into the position shown in FIG. 2 active position 51ʹ, 52ʹ shown in broken lines can be raised.

Fig. 3 shows schematically an embodiment with three disk-shaped rotating body-carrying shafts or axles 60, 61, 62, again at least one shaft must be drivable by a motor and at least one disk-shaped rotating body must be non-rotatably connected to the driven shaft. The shafts or axes can again be supported in a turntable 63. The advantage of this system lies in the fact that, according to the outer tangential planes which form almost a triangle, there are two of them Adjacent rows of panes of the system on the hood 64 three radiators can be arranged, whereby an even faster and more intense heating can be effected. Because of the special shape of the hood 64, which is only indicated, the shafts or axes are advantageously aligned perpendicularly in this case and, as is shown for the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6, overhung. Any existing installation device, corresponding to the displaceable feed device 40 in FIG. 2, would then also have to be designed to be movable in the vertical direction.

6 and 7 finally show an embodiment in which two overhung vertical shafts 65, 66 are provided which can be driven again via spur gears 7, 8 and 10. In contrast to the previously discussed embodiments, different disk-shaped rotating bodies 67 and 68 are alternately arranged along each shaft 65 and 66. As in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, the diameters of the disks 67 gradually increase from a smallest to a largest value, whereas the disks 68 have the same diameter throughout, but which is larger than the largest diameter of a disk 67.

A wire can now, starting from the bottom and progressing upwards, be wound around the disc system in such a way that it always wraps only discs 67 of the adjacent disc rows at an angle of 180 °. As soon as the wire has reached the uppermost disk 67 of one row of disks, it is guided to the uppermost disk 68 of the other row of disks, in order then to be returned in the descending direction, but now only touching disks 68, to the plane in which it has entered the device . The wires wrapping around the disks 67 and the wires wrapping around the disks 68 cross each other in the space without contact.

With this arrangement, it becomes possible to make a considerable one Route the length of wire close to the heated walls of the hood 64; In addition, the inlet and outlet openings of the wire in the hood are aligned. The other training of all individual parts corresponds entirely to those described so far.

Claims (13)

1. Device for the heat treatment of a continuously moving metal wire using rotating bodies arranged in the heat treatment area and wrapped in the wire with several turns, characterized in that along at least two parallel geometrical axes, essentially disk-shaped rotating body grooves (6) having circumferential self-contained grooves (6) 5) are lined up, all of the disks assigned along one axis lying opposite one another along another axis with axially offset wire guide grooves, and in that the first disk (5A) of one of the row of disks (5a) is rotatably connected to a drive shaft (3) on which the remaining disks of the same row of disks are rotatably mounted, while the disks of the other row of disks (5b) or rows of disks are either rotatably mounted on a fixed axle or a towed shaft (4), or rotatably on one of the same sensible as the first mentioned drive shaft (3) driven shaft (4) are mounted, with which, if necessary, a disk of the other row of disks in question is rotatably connected. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the disc-shaped rotary body (5) increase along at least one row of disks, etc. in relation to the expected thermal expansion of the wire along the row of disks, preferably disproportionately (FIG. 4). 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the last disc-shaped rotary body of the last row of disks (5b) is rotatably connected to a shaft (4), which preferably with the first row of disks (5a) assigned drive shaft (3) via a torque-dependent slip clutch is connected. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each row of disks alternately in the axial direction has disks of smaller and larger diameters (67 or 68), so that the wire wrapped around the disks (67) of one type first of one End of the rows of disks to the other and then looped around the disks (68) of the other type can be returned to the first end (Fig. 6). 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that three disc-shaped rotary bodies carrying parallel shafts or axes (60, 61, 62) are provided in a triangular arrangement and are enclosed by a hood (64), which to the wire paths between each radiator carries two adjacent rows of disks parallel walls (Fig. 3). 6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the substantially disk-shaped rotary body (5) are designed as spoke wheels with a thin, the wire guide grooves (6) having wheel rim (21), the spokes (22) preferably having the shape of cooling vanes (Fig. 5). 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the disc-shaped rotary body (5) liners (16) made of heat-resistant material, such as oxide ceramics, which are preferably positively connected to the hub parts (15) of the rotary body (5), optionally also with which the rotating body (5) carrying shaft (4) or axis liners (18) made of heat-resistant material are connected (Fig. 4). 8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that between the lined up disc-shaped rotating bodies (5) guide discs (20) made of heat-resistant material are arranged (Fig. 4). 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the shafts or axes (3, 4) of all rows of disks (5a, 5b) are mounted on one side or on both sides in a turntable (30, 31), which in turn has a center axis lying between the rows of disks is rotatably mounted, and that means for displacing a wire feed device (40) in dependence on the rotation of the turntable disk system (30, 31, 5a, 5b) are provided. 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the rows of disks (5a, 5b) are arranged in a closed housing (1, 2, 45), in which parallel to the common outer tangent planes of adjacent rows of disks (5a, 5b ) Radiant heating surfaces (49, 50) are arranged. 11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that between each radiant heating surface (49, 50) and the common outer tangential plane of the associated adjacent rows of panes (5a, 5b), a radiation shield wall (51, 52) in the housing (45) can be inserted. 12. Device according to claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the housing (1, 2, 45) is formed in two parts, the fixed part (1, 2) of the housing, the bearing for the or the turntable (30, 31 ) of the turntable-disk system (30, 31, 5a, 5b) and a hood part (45), which at the same time serves as a protective gas container, is connected to the fixed housing part (1, 2) so that it can be lifted off. 13. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the detachable hood part (45) of the housing has a locking means (46) for rotating locking of the turntable (30, 31) when the housing is closed.

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