EP0767014A1 - Straightening machine with parallel cylinders - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine has two uprights (11,12) with upper and lower planing units on either side of the metal strip. Two active rollers (2) turn about an axis lying perpendicular to the strip's direction of travel. A series of spaced thrust members (3)are located on a transverse frame (5). Each thrust member is mounted on a support and has a separate thrust roller (31) and a housing. the housing is attached to the frame by an adjustable length positioner (6) with an actuator and first and second (61) sliding members. The thrust rollers (31) are designed to interact with the active planing roller via an intermediate roller (21). The planing roller rotates in two bearings (22) on supporting brackets (41,41') attached to a chassis (4).

Description

The subject of the invention is a leveler with parallel cylinders for a strip product.

To improve the mechanical properties and the flatness of the rolled metal strips, it is usual in metallurgy to use planing machines of different types comprising, in general, means for passing under tension of the strip to be leveled. between at least two cylinders rotating around axes perpendicular to a median plane of travel of the strip and offset in height so as to define a wavy path. The strip thus undergoes alternating flexions of adjustable intensity allowing the leveling or improvement of certain characteristics.

The assembly is placed inside a fixed cage-shaped frame having two uprights on which at least two flexion units are supported, each carrying a leveling device comprising a mounted leveling cylinder supported with the possibility of rotation, on a resistant cross member extending transversely between the uprights of the cage, generally, by means of support members spaced apart and distributed over the length of the cylinder, for example rollers mounted to rotate around axes parallel to that of the cylinder.

Normally, the strip travels in a substantially horizontal mean direction and the machine is equipped with one or two pairs of leveling crews, respectively upper and lower, placed on either side of the strip. In addition, the installation also most often includes so-called anti-tile bending and de-bending units.

In certain configurations, a multi-roller assembly comprising two series of nested rollers with parallel axes between which the strip passes along a corrugated path is used, in particular for decinking.

Such installations have been known for a long time and can take different forms, but the principles remain, on the whole, the same.

In the leveling cages used until now, localized flatness defects in the transverse direction can be generated under certain conditions. Such defects can be due to the rolling conditions but can also come from the machine itself due, in particular to the inevitable deformations of the various members which determine differences in radii of curvature of the undulations followed by the different fibers of the strip, in the transverse direction, when scrolling.

In particular, unless the machine is considerably heavier, and, obviously, the price is increased, one cannot avoid the bending of the crosspiece on which each leveling crew rests and which extends between the two uprights of the cage, the underside of the cross member, which constitutes a reference face for the leveling crew, which cannot be kept strictly flat.

Certain provisions have been made to compensate for these deformations and in particular the bending of the cross-member. For example, document EP-A-0577170 describes an installation in which the whole of the leveling equipment constituted by the active cylinder and the associated support rollers is mounted on a chassis in the form of a beam extending between the two uprights of the cage and bearing on the crosspiece, on the one hand on stops, at the uprights and, on the other hand, between the uprights by means of flat cylinders which make it possible to adjust the distribution of the forces d support on the length of the crosspiece to compensate for the deformations thereof.

However, the defects observed can have other causes and, for example, come from a transverse heterogeneity in the strip bearing, for example, on the profile, the elastic limit or the temperature, and which can cause differences in stresses and , through Consequently, differences in the elastic return of the different longitudinal fibers when passing through the leveler.

The object of the invention is therefore to solve this kind of problem and to prevent the formation of such faults by means of a correction device which is much more effective than known devices and which makes it possible, in particular, to distribute the compensation effect with precision over the length of each leveling cylinder so as to correct, with great precision, all kinds of defects detected on the strip or else predicted by calculation, by means of a model for example.

The invention therefore applies, in general, to a leveler with parallel cylinders of the type comprising, inside a fixed frame in the form of a cage having two uprights apart, at least one pair of crews. leveling, respectively upper and lower, placed on either side of the strip and each comprising an active leveling cylinder, rotatably mounted about an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of the strip and supported, with the possibility of rotation , on a series of support members spaced apart, distributed over the length of the cylinder and bearing themselves, on the opposite side of the cylinder, on a resistant cross member extending transversely between the uprights of the cage.

According to the invention, each support member 3 comprises a rotary support part mounted in an individual chassis forming a housing, connected to the cross-member with a possibility of play transversely to the running plane and each of said cases bears individually on the cross-member by means of a variable length positioning member, for the individual adjustment of the level of the corresponding support part with respect to the cross-member.

Preferably, the positioning member associated with each support member is an actuator of the jack type, hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical, comprising a first element fixed to the cross member and a second element mounted to slide perpendicular to the mean plane of travel and having a face in contact with the housing of the support member, said actuator being associated with means for adjusting the relative position of the second element with respect to the first.

On the other hand, the housing of each support member is kept applied to the cross member by an elastic return means towards the cross member, allowing a slight displacement of the support member, on the opposite side, under the action of the positioning member.

To this end, the housing of each support member can be connected to the crossmember by at least two suspension rods with the possibility of play with respect to the crossmember, each rod being provided with an elastic stop for returning the housing to the cross member, sliding along said rods.

Each support member normally comprises two or three separate support rollers, mounted to rotate on the housing around an axis parallel to that of the leveling cylinder, and preferably associated with two intermediate rollers interposed between the leveling and said rollers.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the housings of the support members corresponding to the same leveling cylinder are fixed with clearance on a support chassis maintained applied, in service, on the cross-member, said chassis being provided with a series of orifices provided , respectively to the right of each box for the passage of the movable element of the actuator associated with said box and bearing on the crosspiece.

On the other hand, an intermediate piece can be interposed between the mobile element of each actuator and the housing of the corresponding support member, said intermediate piece being slidably mounted in the orifice. corresponding to the support frame, perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, so as to form a piston actuated by the positioning member.

According to another advantageous characteristic, each leveling cylinder is rotatably mounted on two bearings each carried by a support fixed to the chassis, the latter thus carrying the entire leveling crew comprising the leveling cylinder, possibly one or more rollers intermediates and the supporting members, and constituting a cassette removably mounted on the cross-member with a possibility of displacement parallel to the axis of the cylinder for the removal of the leveling crew and its installation.

Preferably, the support frame consists of a plate parallel to an application face of the cross member and provided with a series of orifices in which are accommodated plates having substantially the same thickness as the support plate and forming each a piston. In addition, the support plate can advantageously be suspended by at least one pair of rollers on two rails formed along the crosspiece, parallel to the axis of the leveling cylinder, so as to allow the removal of the cassette by rolling on said rails.

Thanks to these provisions, which make it possible to act directly on the position of the support rollers of each active cylinder, it is possible to adjust the profile of the latter without risk of interference from the other support members.

However, other advantageous characteristics, which are the subject of the sub-claims, will appear on reading the description which follows of a particular embodiment, given by way of example and shown in the appended drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic view, in longitudinal section, of a leveling machine equipped with the arrangements according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pair of stacked leveling crews; Figure 2A is a detail view showing the leveling crew in the withdrawn position.

Figure 3 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of an upper leveling equipment, in partial section along line III III.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the axis of the cylinders of an upper crew, in the service position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an upper assembly, in the position for withdrawing a cassette.

In Figure 1, there is shown the assembly of a leveling installation placed in a cage 1 having two uprights apart formed, conventionally, by two parallel walls 11, 12, in which are provided orifices 10 of suitable shape for the removal of the bending units, as will be seen below.

The metal strip A to be laminated travels, along a longitudinal median plane P1, from an upstream coil B, to a downstream coil B ', passing over deflection rollers C which define a substantially horizontal mean plane of travel P.

In the example shown, the installation comprises two successive leveling assemblies D, D ', each consisting of a pair of bending units Dl, D2 placed respectively above and below the strip, an anti- -tile E and a decentring device F which advantageously consists of a multi-roller machine of known type.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically represents, in cross section with the travel axis, a leveling assembly comprising an upper bending unit Dl and a unit of lower bending D2 each comprising, in a conventional manner, a leveling device consisting of an active cylinder 2 bearing, by means of two separated rollers 21, of the same length, on a series of separate support members 3 from each other and distributed over the entire length of the active cylinder 2 between the two uprights 11 and 12 of the cage.

Also conventionally, each support member 3 consists of several rollers 31 rotatably mounted each around an axis parallel to the axes of the active cylinder 2 and the intermediate rollers 21.

The entire leveling crew is carried by a chassis 4 which is supported on a beam-shaped cross member 5 the ends of which are threaded into the recesses 10 of the two uprights 11 and 12 and which is supported on two jacks 13a, 13b fixed on said uprights 11, 12 and which collect the vertical lifting forces applied by the strip A on the cylinder 2 during leveling.

The lower bending unit D2 comprises a lower leveling unit consisting of an active cylinder 2 'bearing, by means of rollers 21' and rollers 3 ', on a transverse frame 4' which, in the example shown, itself rests on a box spring 5 'via 2 mechanical jacks 13'a, 13'b for adjusting the level of the chassis 4' and the associated leveling crew. Normally, the jacks 13'a, 13'b are mechanical screw jacks, driven in synchronism by a motor 14.

In the example shown in the drawings, the upper cylinders 13a, 13b apply the whole of the upper leveling equipment D1 to stops 16 formed on the uprights 11, 12 and which therefore fix the level of the upper active cylinder 2. On the other hand, the level of the lower active cylinder 2 ′ with respect to the upper cylinder 2 can be adjusted by the lower jacks 13 ′ a, 13 ′ b supporting the lower chassis 4 ′. These cylinders are preferably mechanical type so as to determine a constant level in service and make it possible to precisely adjust the bending effect applied to the strip A.

In fact, the strip is subjected under tension to two alternating flexions on the active cylinders 2, 2 ′ offset in height, which tend to move apart while resting on the cage, each by means of the support members. 3, 3 ', the chassis 4, 4', the cross member 5, 5 'and the cylinders 13, 13'.

However, the level of each cylinder and the straightness of its axis depend on the inevitable rigidity and deformations of the various members which absorb the support forces.

The arrangements according to the invention which, in the example shown, are applied to the upper flexion unit D1, make it possible to ensure perfect compensation for the flexions and deformations of the various members and, even, to act with great precision on the profile of the axis of the active cylinder and the distribution of forces to correct, if necessary, localized faults.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, while the support members 3 ′ of the lower active cylinder 2 ′ are fixed, in a conventional manner, on a chassis 4 ′ in the form of a transverse beam which bears on the adjustment cylinders 13 ', the upper bending unit D1, shown on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 3 and 4, is produced in an entirely different manner.

In fact, the chassis 4 for supporting the whole of the leveling equipment advantageously consists of a simple relatively thin plate provided, at its two ends, with two parts 41, 41 'extending downward and over which are rotatably mounted the active cylinder 2 and the intermediate rollers 21, by means of centering bearings 22 and 23 respectively.

In service, this support plate 4 is kept centered and applied against the underside 51 of the cross 5 by a removable locking device 74, so as to form a body with the cross 5 to resist the forces applied.

The active cylinder 2 and the rollers 21, which have a small diameter, can easily deform and bear on the frame 4 and the crosspiece 5, on the side opposite to the product, by means of a certain number of support members. 3 each comprising three rollers 31 rotatably mounted on two bearings carried by a chassis 32 in the form of a housing and defining an axis of rotation of the roller 31 parallel to the axis of the active cylinder 2.

In addition, while the lower assembly D2, the rollers support units 32 are rigidly fixed on the support frame 4, in the case of the upper equipment D1, the units 32 of the support members 3 are each connected with play to the plate-shaped chassis 4 by fixing rods 42 which pass through the bottom of the housing 32, the latter resting on the heads 43 of the rods 42 by means of elastic stops 44 which thus hold the housing 32 applied against the plate 4, that is to say towards the cross-member 5, without opposing slight displacements in the opposite direction.

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, each box 32 is associated with a positioning cylinder 6 comprising two elements, respectively a fixed body 61 and one on rails 55 formed on either side of the cross 5 movable piston 62 whose position relative to the body 61 is determined by an actuator 63.

In the example shown, the jacks are of the mechanical type with backlash, the actuator 63 being a screw driven in rotation about its axis by a motor-reduction unit with encoder 64, which engages in a threaded bore of the piston 62 so as to adjust the position of the latter relative to the body 61.

In addition, the screw jacks 6 corresponding respectively to the various support members 3 are advantageously arranged inside the cross-member 5 on which the upper leveling equipment D1 is supported and which consists of a resistant beam in the form of a hollow box with rectangular section, limited by a lower face 51, an upper face 52 , two lateral faces 53 and two end faces 54 the bodies 61 of the jacks 6 being fixed on the underside 51 of the beam.

The plate 4 for supporting the active cylinder 2 and its intermediate rollers 21 extends below the lower face 51 of the cross-member 5, over the entire length of the latter. As indicated above, this plate 4 is applied, in service, against the underside 51 of the beam 5 which thus collects the vertical forces exerted by the strip A on the active cylinder 2 during leveling and is supported on the two uprights of the cage 1 by means of the jacks 13a, 13b.

In the service position shown in FIG. 4, the cross-member 5 is applied downwards with the assembly of the upper crew D1 against the stops 16 of the cage, the ends of the plate 4 interposed between the cross-member 5 and said stops.

In addition, the side walls 53 of the cross-member 5 are provided with support plates 58 which can slide, practically without play, along the lateral sides of the window 10 of the cage 1. Thus, in the service position shown in the FIG. 4, the cross-member 5 is integral with the uprights 11 and 12 of the cage 1 and can be fixed in this position by a removable locking device 18.

The plate 4 is, on the other hand, provided with a series of orifices 46 corresponding to each housing 32 of a support member 3 and each centered on the axis 60 of the corresponding cylinder 6 in the service position which is fixed by the locking member 74. Inside each orifice 46 is placed a flat piece forming a plate 65 which is interposed between the piston 62 of the jack 6 and the bottom of the case 32. Preferably, each plate 65 is provided, on the side of the case 32, with a convex bearing face 65 'which determines a substantially punctual support in the axis of the jack 6 itself centered on the vertical axis of symmetry of the housing 32. In this way, each plate 65 can slide inside an orifice 46 of the plate 4, under the action of the jack 6, to determine a slight spacing towards the bottom of the housing 32 with crushing of the elastic stops 44, these simply serving as elastic return means of the housing 32 upwards.

Since the plates 65 slide freely in the orifices 46, it is possible to individually adjust the relative position of each case 32 relative to the cross-member 5 without deformation of the support plate 4 which is simply used for centering whereas, on the contrary , the end bearings 22 of the active cylinder 2 are held by the support pieces 41, 41 'at a constant distance from the plate 4 applied against the underside 51 of the cross-member 5 by the leveling force exerted on the cylinder 2.

It is therefore possible, by means of the various support members 6, to precisely adjust the profile of the cylinder 2 and / or the distribution of the stresses in the transverse direction, without interference from the support plate 4 which, in service, remains simply applied to the underside of the crossmember 5.

Therefore, the actions exerted on the active cylinder and, therefore, on the strip can be much more precise than in the arrangements known before. In particular, the active cylinder 2 may have a rectilinear, concave or convex or even irregular profile, with a succession of concavities and convexities, making it possible to adapt symmetrically or asymmetrically, to all situations and to correct all kinds of precision. faults.

Thanks to the adjustment jacks 6 which can each be associated with an encoder, the control of the deformation of the leveling cylinder and / or of the forces applied can be ensured, either manually by the operator, from the observed or measured results, either automatically, for example with a preset system from an experimental model or else with a closed loop system associated with a flatness measurement and control device of known type.

It should also be noted that the leveling device can also be used in a conventional manner for products which do not require correction. In fact, if the jacks 6 keep the pistons 62 back, all the housings 32 of the support members are brought back to the level of the support plate 4 itself applied against the underside 51 of the beam 5 and the assembly can be used as a normal bending unit.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the details of the embodiment which has just been described, variants which can be imagined without departing from the protective framework defined by the claims.

In particular, in a simplified embodiment, the support plate 4 could be integral with the cross-member 5, the assembly constituting a cassette mounted horizontally sliding inside the cage and thus being able to be removed as a whole from the cage then replaced inside of it.

However, in the preferred arrangement shown in the figures, the support plate 4 is suspended by rollers 45 from the cross-member 5 and constitutes, with the leveling equipment comprising the active cylinder 2 and its support members, a particularly cassette light which can be lifted by the jacks 13 in the position of Figure 5 for which the rollers 45 rest on two rails 55 formed on either side of the cross 5. The plate 4 can then be removed from the cage 1, by axial sliding, for maintenance or replacement of the active cylinder 2 and / or the support members, by rolling on the rails 55, up to the withdrawal position shown in FIG. 2A. On the other hand, the cross-member 5 remains in place inside the cage, with the adjustment jacks 6.

In addition, it is particularly advantageous to use a rotating cassette arrangement which has been the subject of European Patent N ° 0.446.130.

It is indeed known that, in a leveling installation, the drive means are generally arranged on the same side of the cage, the operator being placed on the other side as well as the various maintenance members.

As shown in FIG. 3, the plate 4 for supporting the leveling unit is supported on the drive side, that is to the left of FIG. 3, by a pair of rollers 45 mounted on a suspension member 7 comprising two arms 71 respectively carrying the two rollers 45 and a central body 7 on which the corresponding end of the support plate 4 is suspended, by means of a pin 72 with a horizontal axis.

At its opposite end, that is to say on the operator side, right of FIG. 3, the support plate 4 comprises a second journal 73 placed in alignment with the opposite journal 72 and bearing on a removable support member formed on a dismantling carriage not shown, similar to that described in EP Patent No. 0.446.130.

In this way, it is possible, by sliding on the rails 55, parallel to the axis of the leveling cylinder 2, to remove the whole of the cassette carrying the leveling equipment, up to the position shown in the figure. 2A and return this cassette to facilitate the replacement or maintenance of the active cylinder and its support members which, then, are directed upwards.

For normal maintenance, the crossmember 5 remains in place, only the plate 4 being removed with the leveling crew. This lightening of the movable and rotating cassette facilitates maneuvers.

After maintenance, the entire cassette is replaced and the plate 4 can be fixed relative to the cross member 51, by means of a latch 74, in a position for which the orifices 46 and the plates 65 are perfectly centered on the piston axis 62.

However, for the maintenance of the jacks 6 placed inside the cross-member 5, it is preferable to also be able to remove the latter from the cage. This is why the cross-member 5 is advantageously suspended from a transverse plate 14 extending between the two uprights 11 and 12 of the cage and fixed on the ends of the rods of the two adjustment jacks 13a, 13b. On either side of the median plane P1 of the crossmember 5 and of the leveling unit, the plate 14 is provided with two rails 15 on which rollers 56 can rotate mounted rotatably above the level of the rails 15.

The cross member 5 can thus be suspended from the transverse plate 14 by two pairs of rollers 56 carried by arms 57 fixed, respectively, at its two ends.

However, in the case where one uses, as indicated above, a carriage for dismantling the cassette, this can also take care of the cross-member 5 which is then provided, on the drive side, with suspension rollers 56 and, on the operator side, a removable means 59 for bearing on the dismantling carriage.

Thanks to these provisions, it is possible to remove from the cage, either the cassette 4 alone, by rolling on the rails 55 of the cross-member 5, or the whole of the cassette 4 and the cross-member 5, by rolling it. ci on the rails 15 of the support 14.

In the first case, shown in Figure 5 and which corresponds to normal maintenance, the cross 5 remains fixed to the cage by the locking member 18, the support plate 4 being suspended from the lower face 51.

In the second case, which corresponds to maintenance of the jacks 6, the plate 4 is kept applied against the underside 51 of the crossmember 5 and therefore moves with the latter.

After removal for maintenance and replacement of the cassette 4 and, optionally of the cross-member 5, the assembly is applied to the stops 16 of the cage and maintained by the side plates 58 in a service position fixed by the locking devices. 74 and 18 and for which the crosspiece 5 and the plate 4 are integral with the cage 1 so as to resist the vertical forces applied by the strip on the active cylinder 2 during planing.

Generally, to correct all the defects detected, it will be sufficient to use a single leveling unit, normally the upper unit D1, associated, according to the invention, with members 6 for positioning the support means 31.

This is why, in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower bending unit D2 is produced in a conventional manner, the support members 3 'of the lower active cylinder 2' being directly fixed to a chassis 4 ' in the form of a relatively rigid beam which rests on the bed 5 'by means of mechanical jacks 13'a, 13'b.

Preferably, these are detachably connected with the support frame 4 'which, with the lower assembly 2', 3 ', forms an interchangeable cassette capable of being withdrawn from the cage by rolling on lower rails 51 '.

However, it would be possible, in an even more improved embodiment, to produce the lower bending unit in a similar manner to the upper unit, the support frame then consisting of a simple plate applied directly to the fixed cross-member 5 ', the support members 3 'being mounted in boxes whose position could be individually adjusted as indicated above.

• planage sur les unités de flexion telles que réalisées sur les cages de planage habituelles, les vérins de positionnement 6 étant alors rétractés ;
• cambrage et correction de forme sur les unités de flexion supérieures ou seulement l'une d'entre elles afin de prévenir la génération d'un défaut de planéité lié, généralement, à des problèmes de flexion et/ou d'hétérogénéité transversale de la bande ;
• correction de la tuile et du cintre ;
• atténuation des contraintes internes résiduelles par l'ensemble multi-rouleaux.

As shown in FIG. 1, a leveling installation could therefore advantageously comprise one or two leveling assembly DD ′ each comprising an improved upper bending unit according to the invention for bending and / or correcting the shape of the cylinders, a anti-tile device E and a multi-roller assembly F. Such an arrangement makes it possible to deal overall with all the leveling problems which may arise in practice, in particular ensuring the following functions:

• planing on the bending units as produced on the usual planing cages, the positioning jacks 6 then being retracted;
• arching and shape correction on the upper bending units or only one of them in order to prevent the generation of a flatness defect linked, generally, to problems of bending and / or transverse heterogeneity of the strip ;
• correction of the tile and the hanger;
• attenuation of residual internal stresses by the multi-roller assembly.

The assembly can be checked either directly by the operator himself, using a presetting system, or in a closed loop with a flatness control device.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the leveling cylinder is supported, in a conventional manner, on intermediate rollers and support rollers. The arrangements according to the invention could however apply to other support means with the possibility of rotation of the cylinder such as, for example, plain bearings.

The reference signs inserted after the technical characteristics mentioned in the claims, have the sole purpose of facilitating the understanding of the latter, and in no way limit their scope.

Claims (17)

Leveler with parallel cylinders for a strip product (A) moving in a longitudinal direction x'x, of a mean plane of travel P and comprising, inside a fixed frame in the form of a cage having two uprights apart (11, 12), at least one pair of leveling crews, respectively upper (D1) and lower (D2), placed on either side of the strip (A) and each comprising an active leveling cylinder (2 ) mounted, rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of the strip and bearing, with the possibility of rotation, on a series of separated support members (3) distributed over the length of the cylinder (2) and bearing themselves, on the side opposite the cylinder (2) on a crosspiece (5) in the form of a resistant beam extending transversely between the uprights (11, 12) of the cage (1), characterized in that each support member (3) comprises a support part (31) mounted in an individual chassis forming a box ier, connected to the crosspiece (5) with a possibility of play transverse to the plane P of the strip (A) of movement and that each of said boxes bears individually on the crosspiece (5) by means of a positioning member (6) of variable length, for individual adjustment, of the level of the corresponding support part (31) relative to the crosspiece (5). Leveler according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment member (6) associated with each support member (31) is an actuator comprising a first element (61) fixed to the crosspiece (5) and a second element (62) mounted to slide perpendicularly to the mean plane of travel P and associated with means for adjusting the relative position of the second element (62) relative to the first (61), for adjusting the level of a thrust face (65 ') in contact with the housing (32) of the support member (3). Leveler according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the housing (32) of each support member (3) is applied to the cross member (5) by means (44) of elastic return to the cross member (5) , allowing a slight separation of the support member (3), on the opposite side, under the action of the positioning member (6). Leveler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each support member (3) comprises at least one roller (31) rotatably mounted on the housing (32) around an axis parallel to that of the leveling cylinder and on which the leveling cylinder (2) is supported with the possibility of rotation about its axis. Leveler according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one intermediate roller (21) is interposed between the leveling cylinder (2) and the associated support rollers (31). Leveler according to claim 3, characterized in that the housing (32) of each support member (3) is connected to the crosspiece (5) by at least one suspension rod (42) with the possibility of play transversely to the crosspiece (5), each rod (42) being associated with a member (44) for elastic return of the housing (32) towards the crosspiece (5) with sliding along said rod (42). Leveler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housings (32) of the support members (3) corresponding to the same leveling cylinder (2) are fixed with a clearance on a support frame (4) kept applied, in service, on the cross-member (5), said chassis (4) being provided with a series of orifices (46) provided, respectively in line with each housing (32) for the passage of the movable element ( 62, 65) of the actuator (6) associated with said housing (32). Leveler according to claim 7, characterized in that an intermediate piece (65) is interposed between the movable element (62) of each actuator (6) and the housing (32) of the corresponding support member (3), said intermediate piece (65) being housed in the corresponding hole (46) of the chassis support (4) and slidably mounted therein transversely to the axis of the active cylinder (2), so as to form a piston actuated by the positioning member (6). Leveler according to claim 8, characterized in that each intermediate piece (65) is provided with a convex rounded face (65 ') bearing on the corresponding housing (32). Leveler according to one of Claims 7 and 8, characterized in that each leveling cylinder (2) is rotatably mounted on two bearings (22) each mounted on a support (41, 41 ') fixed on the chassis (4), the latter thus carrying the whole of the leveling equipment comprising the leveling cylinder (2) possibly one or more intermediate rollers (23) and the corresponding support members (3), and constituting a cassette mounted removably on the crosspiece (5) with a possibility of displacement parallel to the axis of the cylinder for the withdrawal of the leveling unit and its installation. Leveler according to claim 10, characterized in that the support frame (4) consists of a plate capable of being applied to a retaining face (51) of the cross-member (5) and that each intermediate piece (65 ) associated with a support member (3) forms a plate having substantially the same thickness as the support plate (4) and housed in an orifice (46) thereof. Leveler according to claim 10, characterized in that the support frame (4) is provided with at least one pair of rollers (45) rolling on two rails (55) formed along the crosspiece (5), parallel to the axis of the leveling cylinder (2), to allow removal of the cassette (4, 3, 2) by rolling on said rails (5). Leveler according to one of Claims 7 to 12, characterized in that the cross-member (5) consists of a beam comprising a flat lower face (51) for application of the support frame (4) and bearing, at less by its ends, on the two uprights (11, 12) of the cage (1), said beam (5) forming a hollow box inside which are arranged the members (6) for positioning the supporting members ( 3). Leveler according to claim 13, characterized in that each positioning member (6) is a mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, comprising a first element forming a hollow body (61) fixed on the underside (51) of the crossmember ( 5) and inside which is slidably mounted a second element (62) forming a piston for adjusting the corresponding support member (3). Leveler according to claim 14, characterized in that each positioning member (6) is a screw jack with backlash adjustment, associated with a geared motor assembly (64) with encoder for adjusting the position of the member support (3) corresponding according to the indications given by an operator or an automatic control system. Leveler according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each crosspiece (5) is slidably mounted on the two uprights (11, 12) of the cage (1), transverse to the mean plane P of movement of the strip, and is associated with at least one actuator (13) for moving said crosspiece between a working position and a withdrawal position. Leveler according to claim 16, characterized in that the upper crossmember (5) associated with the upper leveling unit (D1) is supported, in the retracted position, by at least one pair of rollers (56) bearing with clearance on a support piece (14) whose vertical position can be adjusted by at least one jack (13), said support piece (14) carrying two rails (15) of rolling said rollers (56) to allow the removal of the assembly formed by the upper cross member and the leveling crew, and its replacement.

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