GB2024682A - Roll bending assembly for a rolling mill - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly is mounted to swing into and out of operative engagement with the outboard chocks of rolls on opposite sides of the passline to simplify roll changing or servicing. The assembly consists of a central double- acting piston and cylinder unit having piston rods extending in opposite directions and carrying locating blocks receivable in recesses in the outboard chocks. The unit is operated hydraulically to cause roll bending and can also be used to position the locating blocks prior to entry into the recesses of the outboard chocks. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rolling mill This invention relates to a rolling mill, particularly for rolling metal in elongate form, having means for bending rolls of the mill for camber control. The invention is particularly concerned with that type of mill that comprises a pair of housings, two roll assemblies mounted in chocks in the housings and between which the work is to be rolled, bearing chocks on the ends of the roll of each roll assembly outboard of the housing chocks, and a roll-bending assembly connected between the outboard bearing chocks at each end of the mill for applying bending forces to the rolls. Such a mill, which will be referred to as "a rolling mill of the type described" has been described for example in U.K. patent specifications Nos. 1101346 and 1155095.

In the constructions of the above-mentioned patent specifications difficulty has been experienced in easily connecting the bending assemblies to the outboard chocks and without the inclusion of lost motion between those bending assemblies and the chocks.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a rolling mill of the type described in which each roll bending assembly comprises a pair of independently movable, oppositely directed, rods which are connected together by a double-acting piston and cylinder unit and each of which terminates in a locating block, and in which each outboard bearing chock has a recess arranged to receive closely a locating block and to allow movement of the locating block in and out of the recess in a direction transverse to the length of the associated rod.

Each roll bending assembly preferably comprises a pair of back-to-back cylinders, with the rods constituted by piston rods on pistons in those cylinders.

The invention will be more readily understood by way of example from the following description of a rolling mill of the type described in accordance with the invention reference being made to the accompanying drawing which shows a vertical section through the outboard bearing chocks at one end of the mill, the left hand half and the right hand half of the drawing respectively showing the arrangement with rolls of maximum and minimum diameter.

The mill illustrated in the drawing is a two-high skin-pass mill and the roll bending equipment is generally as described in the above-mentioned patent specifications. The details of the housing, rolls and roll chocks are of usual form and the following description is limited to the roll bending equipment. While the drawing shows that equipment at one end only of the mill, it will be understood that identical equipment is provided at the other end.

In the drawing, the rolls are indicated schematically at 12, 13. Those rolls have extended roll necks 14, 15 respectively, which extend beyond the housing chocks. Each roll neck carries an outboard bearing chock 16, 17, and those chocks are connected by two roll bending assemblies 20 and 21.

Each roll bending assembly consists of a pair of back-to-back cylinders 22, 23 the pistons 24,25 of which have oppositely directed, but aligned, piston rods 26 and 27. There may be an opening in the dividing wall 20A, 21A between the cylinders 22 and 23 in order to equalise the fluid pressures in the cylinders. Each rod 26, 27 terminates in a locating block 28 which as shown has part-spherical faces 30 in contact with complementary faces of slipper blocks 31. The locating block, with its slipper blocks 31, is received in a rectilinear recess 32 extending to the edge of the outboard chock 16 and communicating with a narrower slot 33 which is sufficiently wide to receive the rod 26. The combination of locating block 28 and slipper blocks 31 is received in its recess 32 with only limited clearance.However the piston rods 26 and 27 are received in their slots 33 with sufficient clearance at 34 to accommodate angular movement of the chocks 16, 17 relative to the piston rods. There are vertical drillings through the chocks 16 and 17 to the recesses 32 to allow grease to be fed between the contiguous faces of the slipper blocks 31 and the chocks.

Each roll being assembly 20, 21 is double-acting, and when the two assemblies are operated together they are effective to urge the outboard chocks 16,17 either towards or away from each other, in order to bend the rolls 12, 13 appropriately.

As described in the above mentioned specifications, the bending assemblies 20, 21 are carried on pivoted arms from a fixed location. When those arms are pivoted, from the position shown in the drawing, the bending assemblies are withdrawn laterally from the recesses 32 and the slots 33, to enable the rolls 12, 13 to be changed or other servicing effected. It is preferred to have the two cylinders of each roll bending assembly in communication, as described above. In that case, and in order to return the bending assemblies to their operative positions in the chocks, pressure is applied to the cylinders to being the pistons 24, 25 to their outermost positions in their cylinders; the locating blocks 28 are then in known positions in relation to the passline.The chocks 16 and 17 are adjusted correspondingly so that, when the bending assemblies are swung in, the locating blocks 28 exactly fit into the recesses 32. The clearance between the slipper blocks 31 and the walls of the recesses 32 can then be small, and this in turn results in the minimising of lost motion in the bending assemblies and greater accuracy in the operation of the roll bending equipment.

Where the cylinders of each bending assembly are not in communication, each piston is independently adjusted to bring its locating block 28 into exact alignment with its recess 33 before being entered into the chock.

1. A rolling mill of the type described, in which each roll bending assembly comprises a pair of independently movable, oppositely directed, rods which are connected to a double-acting piston and cylinder unit and each of which terminates in a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Rolling mill This invention relates to a rolling mill, particularly for rolling metal in elongate form, having means for bending rolls of the mill for camber control. The invention is particularly concerned with that type of mill that comprises a pair of housings, two roll assemblies mounted in chocks in the housings and between which the work is to be rolled, bearing chocks on the ends of the roll of each roll assembly outboard of the housing chocks, and a roll-bending assembly connected between the outboard bearing chocks at each end of the mill for applying bending forces to the rolls. Such a mill, which will be referred to as "a rolling mill of the type described" has been described for example in U.K. patent specifications Nos. 1101346 and 1155095. In the constructions of the above-mentioned patent specifications difficulty has been experienced in easily connecting the bending assemblies to the outboard chocks and without the inclusion of lost motion between those bending assemblies and the chocks. In one aspect, the present invention provides a rolling mill of the type described in which each roll bending assembly comprises a pair of independently movable, oppositely directed, rods which are connected together by a double-acting piston and cylinder unit and each of which terminates in a locating block, and in which each outboard bearing chock has a recess arranged to receive closely a locating block and to allow movement of the locating block in and out of the recess in a direction transverse to the length of the associated rod. Each roll bending assembly preferably comprises a pair of back-to-back cylinders, with the rods constituted by piston rods on pistons in those cylinders. The invention will be more readily understood by way of example from the following description of a rolling mill of the type described in accordance with the invention reference being made to the accompanying drawing which shows a vertical section through the outboard bearing chocks at one end of the mill, the left hand half and the right hand half of the drawing respectively showing the arrangement with rolls of maximum and minimum diameter. The mill illustrated in the drawing is a two-high skin-pass mill and the roll bending equipment is generally as described in the above-mentioned patent specifications. The details of the housing, rolls and roll chocks are of usual form and the following description is limited to the roll bending equipment. While the drawing shows that equipment at one end only of the mill, it will be understood that identical equipment is provided at the other end. In the drawing, the rolls are indicated schematically at 12, 13. Those rolls have extended roll necks 14, 15 respectively, which extend beyond the housing chocks. Each roll neck carries an outboard bearing chock 16, 17, and those chocks are connected by two roll bending assemblies 20 and 21. Each roll bending assembly consists of a pair of back-to-back cylinders 22, 23 the pistons 24,25 of which have oppositely directed, but aligned, piston rods 26 and 27. There may be an opening in the dividing wall 20A, 21A between the cylinders 22 and 23 in order to equalise the fluid pressures in the cylinders. Each rod 26, 27 terminates in a locating block 28 which as shown has part-spherical faces 30 in contact with complementary faces of slipper blocks 31. The locating block, with its slipper blocks 31, is received in a rectilinear recess 32 extending to the edge of the outboard chock 16 and communicating with a narrower slot 33 which is sufficiently wide to receive the rod 26. The combination of locating block 28 and slipper blocks 31 is received in its recess 32 with only limited clearance.However the piston rods 26 and 27 are received in their slots 33 with sufficient clearance at 34 to accommodate angular movement of the chocks 16, 17 relative to the piston rods. There are vertical drillings through the chocks 16 and 17 to the recesses 32 to allow grease to be fed between the contiguous faces of the slipper blocks 31 and the chocks. Each roll being assembly 20, 21 is double-acting, and when the two assemblies are operated together they are effective to urge the outboard chocks 16,17 either towards or away from each other, in order to bend the rolls 12, 13 appropriately. As described in the above mentioned specifications, the bending assemblies 20, 21 are carried on pivoted arms from a fixed location. When those arms are pivoted, from the position shown in the drawing, the bending assemblies are withdrawn laterally from the recesses 32 and the slots 33, to enable the rolls 12, 13 to be changed or other servicing effected. It is preferred to have the two cylinders of each roll bending assembly in communication, as described above. In that case, and in order to return the bending assemblies to their operative positions in the chocks, pressure is applied to the cylinders to being the pistons 24, 25 to their outermost positions in their cylinders; the locating blocks 28 are then in known positions in relation to the passline.The chocks 16 and 17 are adjusted correspondingly so that, when the bending assemblies are swung in, the locating blocks 28 exactly fit into the recesses 32. The clearance between the slipper blocks 31 and the walls of the recesses 32 can then be small, and this in turn results in the minimising of lost motion in the bending assemblies and greater accuracy in the operation of the roll bending equipment. Where the cylinders of each bending assembly are not in communication, each piston is independently adjusted to bring its locating block 28 into exact alignment with its recess 33 before being entered into the chock. CLAIMS

1. A rolling mill of the type described, in which each roll bending assembly comprises a pair of independently movable, oppositely directed, rods which are connected to a double-acting piston and cylinder unit and each of which terminates in a locating block, and in which each outboard bearing chock has a recess arranged to receive closely a locating block and to allow movement of that locating block into and out of the recess in a direction transverse to the length of the associated rod.

2. A rolling mill according to claim 1, in which each piston and cylinder unit has two independent pistons secured to the respective rods.

3. A rolling mill according to claim 2, in which each piston and cylinder unit has two back-to-back coaxial cylinders in each of which one of the pistons is slidably located.

4. A rolling mill according to claim 3, in which the cylinders of each unit are hydraulically in communication with one another.

5. A rolling mill according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each locating block includes a part-spherical bearing surface accommodating variations in relative angular positioning of the associated rod and outboard bearing chock.

6. A rolling mill according to claim 5, in which each locating block has a complementary slipper block between the part-spherical surface and the recess.

7. A rolling mill according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each roll bending assembly is carried by a pivoted arm so arranged that the locating blocks of the assembly can be entered into, and withdrawn from, their recesses by pivoting of the arm.

8. A rolling mill of the type described, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.