EP0725689A1

EP0725689A1 - A roll stand arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP0725689A1
Application number: EP94910622A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Folke Leksen; Börje GRANHOLM; Lars Tingvall; Lennart Danielsson
Original assignee: Morgardshammar AB
Current assignee: Morgardshammar AB
Priority date: 1993-03-15
Filing date: 1994-03-14
Publication date: 1996-08-14
Also published as: SE505026C2; WO1994021397A1; SE9300848L; CN1121324A; SE9300848D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a roll stand arrangement comprising a roll unit (1), two drive spindles (6, 7), a pinion stand (3) and a drive unit (4). According to the invention, the roll stand arrangement is constructed to form a single assembly unit which can be mounted with the roll shafts (9, 10) extending at any desired angle to the horizontal plane.

Description

A Roll Stand Arrangement

The present invention relates to a roll stand arrange¬ ment of the kind which comprises a roll unit, two drive spindles, a pinion stand and a drive unit.

Present day roll stand arrangements included in a rolling line of a rolling mill are comprised of sepa¬ rate parts which are connected to a supportive base structure and mutually coupled together to form a functional unit with the aid of coupling devices, which at times have the form of quick-fasteners which enable components to be separated quickly from one another to facilitate the exchange of mill components and maintenance.

The drawback with this arrangement resides in the number of working procedures that must be carried out when changing a component, for instance when changing rolls. Another drawback resides in the amount of work that is required in installing and trimming such a roll stand arrangement so that it can be integrated in the rolling line. Furthermore, when switching from one rolled product to another rolled product, it is often sufficient to replace a roll stand arrangement fitted with horizontal rolls in a rolling line with a similar roll stand arrangement that is fitted with vertical rolls, and vice versa. There is therefore a need to construct the roll stand arrangements so that the rolls can be fitted both horizontally and vertically without needing to make radical adjustments and with¬ out comprehensive reconstruction of the roll stand arrangement.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks and to satisfy said requirements.

This object is achieved in accordance with the present invention with a roll stand arrangement of the kind defined in the introduction which is characterized in that the roll stand arrangement is constructed to form an assembly unit which can be incorporated in the line with the roll shafts extending at any desired angle to the horizontal plane. Because the roll stand arrange¬ ment is constructed as an assembled unit at the time of its manufacture, the unit can be transported to the rolling mill and assembled as a single unit in the rolling line, therewith considerably shortening and simplifying incorporation of the unit in the rolling line. Furthermore, individual components of the roll stand arrangement, cr the roll stand arrangement as a whole, can be changed very quickly, because only one single assembly unit is mounted onto the supportive base structure. Furthermore, the rolls included in one such roll stand arrangement can be placed both hori¬ zontally and vertically without needing to make any changes to the unit components, such as changes to the drive transmission.

According to one preferred embodiment of the inven¬ tion, the roll stand arrangement includes a pinion stand housing which is attached to a supportive base structure and which supports the entire roll stand arrangement. The roll unit is carried by a cassette which can be connected to the pinion stand housing by means of a coupling which enables the cassette to be fully supported by the pinion stand housing when the cassette is connected thereto. This facilitates quick exchange of the roll unit of a roll stand arrangement.

The drive unit of the roll stand arrangement will preferably include an alternating current motor and a planetary gear mechanism, wherein the alternating current motor is placed adjacent the planetary gear mechanism parallel therewith and with its output shaft located in the same plane as the input shaft of the planetary gear mechanism, said shafts being mutually connected by means of a torque-transmitting device. As a result of this arrangement, the gravitational centre of the roll stand arrangement will lie in the centre region of the pinion stand housing, which facilitates handling of the roll stand arrangement during trans- portation and exchange, and means that the bending forces to which the attachments of the pinion stand housing to the supportive base structure are subjected will be smaller than would otherwise be the case.

According to one advantageous variant of this embodi¬ ment, the roll stand arrangement is carried by a pivotal frame structure so as to be movable in a direction at right angles to the rolling line.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments of the inven¬ tion and also with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a side view of a roll stand arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the roll stand arrangement in Fig. 1 from above;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the roll stand arrange¬ ment shown in Fig. 1 with the unit in a dismantled state;

Figures 4 and 5 are respective vertical and horizontal sectional views of a roll stand arrangement according to Figure 1 in which the rolls are arranged horizon¬ tally;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a roll stand arrangement according to Figure 1 with the rolls arranged vertically; and Figs 7 and 8 are sectional views of a convertibly supported roll stand arrangement according to Fig. 1 with the rolls in a horizontal position and a vertical position respectively.

The illustrated exemplifying embodiment of a roll stand arrangement includes a roll unit 1, a cassette 2, a pinion stand 3 and a drive unit 4. The roll unit 1 is carried by the cassette 2, which in turn is carried by the pinion stand housing 5, as is also the drive unit 4. Two spindles 6, 7 are journalled in the pinion stand housing and are in driving connection with the rolls 9, 10 through the medium of a coupling holder 8 fitted to the housing. The pinion stand housing also carries a roll hoist mechanism 11.

The drive unit 4 includes an alternating current motor 12 and a planetary gear mechanism 13, wherein the motor and the gear mechanism are placed adjacent one another with the output shaft of the alternating current motor in the same plane as the input shaft of the planetary gear mechanism. These shafts extend parallel with one another and are mutually connected by means of a gear transmission 14. The planetary gear mechanism and the alternating current motor are both placed on that side of the gear transmission which lies proximal to the pinion stand housing.

By using a planetary gear mechanism and by placing this mechanism and the alternating current motor adjacent one another, there is obtained a roll stand arrangement which occupies only a small amount of space laterally in relation to the rolling line, while the centre of gravity of the whole of the roll stand arrangement will lie in the central region of the pinion stand housing 5, which is advantageous from an attachment or fastening point of view. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the alternating current motor 12 is placed on one side of the planetary gear mechanism 13, although the construction which includes a gear transmission 14 which mutually connects the alternating current motor and the planetary gear mechanism enables the alternating current motor to be placed anywhere around the periphery of the planetary gearing, for instance above said planetary gearing. The alternating current motor is attached to the gear transmission housing, and the gear transmission is, in turn, attached to the planetary gear housing, which is attached to the pinion stand housing. However, because of its position on one side of the planetary gear mechanism, the alternating current motor may alterna¬ tively be carried directly by the pinion stand hous¬ ing, if found desirable.

Figures 4 and 5 show the roll stand arrangement illus¬ trated in Figures 1-3 fitted to a supportive base structure 15 with the rolls in a horizontal position. In this case, the roll stand arrangement is mounted displaceably on the supportive structure through the medium of outwardly projecting guide flanges 16 each mounted on a respective side of the pinion stand housing and extending laterally to the longitudinal axis of the roll stand arrangement, said guide flanges 16 coacting with corresponding guides 17 on the sup¬ portive base structure. Mounted on the undersurface of the pinion stand housing beneath the centre of gravity of the roll stand arrangement is an attachment flange 18 which has attached thereto one end of a rod 19 or the like which forms part of a displacement mechanism 20 mounted on the supportive base structure. The displacement mechanism 20 is preferably a rack-and- pinion or screw-nut type mechanism, although other types of displacement mechanisms are conceivable, such as hydraulic piston-cylinder type mechanisms. This arrangement enables the rolls 9, 10 to be displaced laterally in relation to the rolling line, by displac¬ ing the whole of the roll stand arrangement by means of the displacement mechanism. The roll stand arrangement also includes a component fastening mechanism 21 which is mounted on the pinion stand housing 5 and which functions to fasten the cassette 2 to said housing, said mechanism being an eccentric type mechanism for instance, with which rotation of a cylindrical member will bring a surface, which is eccentric in relation to the rotational centre, into abutment with a complementary surface on the cassette and therewith press the cassette force- fully against an abutment surface on the pinion stand housing. Naturally, component fastening mechanisms other than an eccentric mechanism can be used.

In order to enable rolls to be exchanged, the cassette 2 is connected to a withdrawal device 22 of known construction when positioned out of engagement with the pinion stand housing 5, i.e. when the cassette is not gripped by the eccentric surface on the component fastening mechanism 21. The cassette, and therewith also the roll unit carried by the cassette, can be moved to the left in the Figures 4 and 5 by means of the withdrawal device 22, until the entire cassette rests on a carriage nieans 23. The roll unit 1 can be lifted from the cassette with the aid of an overhead crane or the like and replaced with a new roll unit, or alternatively the carriage means supporting the cassette and roll unit can be moved to one side later¬ ally in relation to the longitudinal axis of the roll stand arrangement and replaced with aother carriage means carrying a replacement cassette.

Figure 6 illustrates a roll stand arrangement accord¬ ing to Figures 1-3 mounted on a supportive base struc¬ ture 15 with the rolls extending vertically. In this case, the roll stand arrangement is carried by a vertical frame structure 24 firmly mounted on the supportive base structure 15, this base structure being identical to the base structure illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. The frame structure 24 carries the rod or bar 19 which coacts with the attachment flange 18 on the pinion stand housing 5 and which can be moved by means of the displacement mechanism 20 in the manner described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The frame structure 24 is also provided with guides 17 along which the pinion stand housing can slide. Simi¬ lar to the supportive base structure illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the supportive base structure 15 of the Figure 6 embodiment includes a cassette withdrawal device 22 and carriages 23 for facilitating roll exchanges.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a variant of the invention in which the roll stand arrangement is carried by a frame structure 25 which is pivotally mounted on a supportive base structure 26 for pivotal movement between a first position in which the shafts of rolls 9, 10 of one roll stand arrangement carried by the frame structure extend horizontally, and a second position in which the shafts of the rolls 9, 10 extend vertically.

The frame structure 25 is pivotally mounted on the supportive base structure 26 by means of two axle-ends which are firmly connected to the frame structure and project out opposite one another on opposite sides of the frame structure and each of which extends through a respective bearing box. A lever arm is fitted to at least one of the axle-ends projecting out from re- spective bearing boxes and a suitable jack or ram means, for instance a hydraulic piston-cylinder de¬ vice, is pivotally mounted to the free end of said at least one shaft-end. The other end of this jack, or ram, is pivotally mounted on the supportive base structure 26.

When swinging the frame structure 25 from the position illustrated in Figure 7, in which the roll shafts extend horizontally, to the position shown in Figure 8, in which the roll shafts extend vertically, the roll stand arrangement is conveniently moved to the right in Figure 7, by means of the displacement mecha¬ nism 19, 20, at the speed at which the frame structure is swung upwards by means of the jack or ram means. In this way, when setting-up the roll stand arrangement and frame structure, the centre of gravity will lie close to the pivot axis during the whole of the pivot¬ ing se- quence, which is favourable from a loading aspect.

As indicated schematically with the lubricant contain¬ er 27 in Figures 4-8, the supportive base structures 15 and 26 each incorporate a lubricating system which functions to lubricate and cool the rotating parts of the roll stand arrangement. The lubricant container 27 has a relatively large volumetric capacity, in the order of 500 1, so as to enable degasification and cooling of the recycled lubricant, oil. Although the lubricant containers 27 are shown in the Figures to be carried by the supportive base structure, it will be understood that these containers, together with other lubricating system components, such as pumps, cou¬ plings and conduits, can be carried by the pinion stand housing.

Because remaining components of the roll stand ar¬ rangement are carried by the pinion stand housing, the roll stand arrangement can be assembled by the suppli- er and then fitted into the rolling mill line in the form of a unit. This enables the roll stand arrange¬ ments forming part of a rolling mill line to be fit¬ ted, or mounted, very quickly. Since the pinion stand housing is secured to the supportive base structure in a very simple manner, the task of fitting the pinion stand housing to the base structure can be quickly achieved without the assistance of qualified person¬ nel. Furthermore, the roll stand arrangements can be used with the rolls extending horizontally or verti- cally without change, which naturally reduces the need of replacement roll-pairs, since only one type of unit need be kept in storage. Even when not using a roll stand arrangement which is supported convertibly on a supportive base structure, the construction of a new rolling mill line for a new product can be simplified in many cases by using the same roll stand arrangement as that used in the old rolling mill line with the roll shafts extending in another direction. Since the roll stand arrangement can be lifted in its entirety in accordance with the present invention, a change in the direction in which the roll shafts extend can be easily achieved. Furthermore, the invention results in a decrease in the number of components in the roll stand arrangement drive arrangement in comparison with known roll stand arrangements, meaning that the number of movable parts which must be enclosed and maintained is fewer than in the case of the earlier known tech¬ nique.

Because the inventive drive arrangement is very short, due to the positioning of the alternating current motor and the use of planetary gearing, a rolling line comprised of roll stand arrangements which include such drive arrangements will occupy only a small space in comparison with a rolling line that is comprised of roll stand arrangements which include conventional drive arrangements, therewith enabling a reduction in the height and breadth dimensions of the rolling mill.

It will be understood that the described drive ar¬ rangement can be modified in different ways within the scope of the present invention. For instance, in addition to transmitting the motor drive torque to the planetary gearing, the gear transmission can also be given a down-stepping function, so as to form a roll stand arrangement reduction gear together with the planetary gearing. Furthermore, the means for the attachment of the pinion stand housing to the dis- placement mechanism mounted on the supportive base structure may be constructed differently to what is shown and described, and may be comprised of an at¬ tachment flange mounted on a respective side of the pinion stand housing and coacting with each rod of a correspondingly positioned displacement mechanism, wherein the two displacement mechanisms are driven synchronously with one another. As will be understood, the roll shafts can also be positioned so as to extend at angles to the horizontal different to the aforedes- cribed angles, without changing the construction of the roll stand arrangement. The invention is therefore solely restricted by the content of the following Claims.

Claims

Clfrjmg

1. A roll stand arrangement comprising a roll unit

(1) , two drive spindles (6, 7) , a pinion stand (3) and a drive unit (4), characterized in that the roll stand arrangement is constructed to form a single assembly unit which can be mounted with the roll shafts (9, 10) extending at any desired angle to the horizontal plane.

2. A roll stand arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the entire roll stand arrange¬ ment is carried by a pinion stand housing (5) which is included in said unit and which is attached to a supportive base structure (15, 24, 25).

3. A roll stand arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the roll unit (1) is carried by a cassette (2) which can be connected to the pinion stand housing (5) by means of a coupling (21) such that the cassette will be supported fully by the pinion stand housing (5) when the cassette is connect¬ ed to said housing.

4. A roll stand arrangement according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the drive unit (4) in¬ cludes an alternating current motor (12) and a plane¬ tary gear mechanism (13).

5. A unit according to Claim 3, characterized in that the alternating current motor (12) is placed adjacent the planetary gear mechanism (13), parallel therewith, with the output shaft of said motor located in the same plane as the input shaft of the planetary gear mechanism; and in that these shafts are mutually connected by means of a torque transmission device (14).

6. A unit according to Claim 5, characterized in that the torque transmission device is a gear trans¬ mission (14).

7. A unit according to Claim 6, characterized in that the alternating current motor (12), the gear transmission (14) and the planetary gear mechanism (13) are each enclosed in a respective housing; and in that the housing of the alternating current motor is attached to the housing of the gear transmission, which in turn is attached to the housing of the plane¬ tary gear mechanism.

8. A unit according to any one of Claims 1-7, char- acterized in that the pinion stand housing (5) in¬ cludes on each side thereof guide flanges (16) which project out laterally in relation to the longitudinal axis of said unit and which coact with guides (17) provided on a supportive base structure (15, 24, 25) which carries the pinion stand housing (5) and there¬ with the entire roll stand arrangement, and at least one attachment flange (18) intended for firm connec¬ tion to the supportive base structure.

9. A unit according to any one of Claims 1-8, char¬ acterized by a pivotal frame structure (25) which carries the roll stand arrangement for movement in a direction at right angles to the rolling mill line.

10. A unit according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the unit includes an integrated lubricant system (27).