GB2025288A

GB2025288A - Continuous Casting Strand Guide

Info

Publication number: GB2025288A
Application number: GB7923493A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Voestalpine AG
Current assignee: Voestalpine AG
Priority date: 1978-07-13
Filing date: 1979-07-05
Publication date: 1980-01-23
Also published as: IT7924093A0; AT356830B; IT1122569B; DE2925506A1; SE7905340L; JPS5514197A; ATA506278A; BR7904428A; BE877633A; FR2430809A1; ES482381A1

Abstract

The strand guide including rollers (1) for supporting and guiding a strand and whose stationary axles (2) or driven shafts are held on roller carriers (5, 8) by holding devices (3) arranged at the roller ends, comprises lugs (14) provided on the holding devices (3) and projecting outwards in axial direction, a shackle (16) for bracing the lugs (14) the holding devices of at least two adjacent rollers against the roller carriers (5, 8), and a pressure element (23) (e.g. a wedge) insertable in a recess between the roller carrier (5) and holding device (3) of each roller (1). The wedge is used after the shackle 16 has been removed to release the holding devices from the carriers. By rotating the holding devices (3) in the recesses of the carriers (5, 8) the spacing of adjacent rollers can be adjusted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements In or Relating to a Strand Guide for a Continuous Casting Plant The invention relates to a strand guide for a continuous casting plant comprising oppositely arranged rollers supporting and guiding the strand and preferably designed in several parts, whose stationary axles or driven shafts are fastened to roller carriers by means of holding devices arranged at the ends of the rollers.

In a known strand guide of this kind, the holding devices comprise extensions projecting radially towards the roller axis and connected with the roller carrier by means of a wedge connection. The wedges are provided either in the longitudinal direction of the strand guide or in the direction of the roller axis. Since the rollers in continuous casting plants have to be arranged as closely adjacent as possible in the region in which the strand still has a liquid core, the mounting space available for exchanging a roller is very smali laterally of the roller, so that there is only little room available for beating out and in a wedge connection. Due to the formation of cinders and rust, it may also happen that the wedges can be beaten out only with extreme difficulty.There are also sometimes difficulties to loosen the rollers together with the holding devices from the roller carrier, since with a longer utilization of the roller, a tight seat has formed between the holding devices and the roller carriers, which necessitates breaking off the roller from the roller carriers under an impact effect.

The invention aims at avoiding the disadvantages and difficulties described and has as its object to provide an improved fastening of the rollers in the strand guiding stand, by which, on the one hand, installing and removing of the rollers is facilitated without being impeded by rust and cinders collecting at a fastening means, and which also requires less space so that the distance between the rollers can be maintained as small as possible.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the holding devices comprise lugs projecting outwards in the axis direction, and in that the lugs of at least two rollers arranged one beside the other are braced against the roller carriers by means of a shackle, preferably a spring shackle, and in that a pressure element active contrary to the direction of the holding force is insertable into a recess between the roller carrier and the holding device of each roller, which pressure element suitably is designed as a wedge.

According to a preferred embodiment, the shackles are braceable by means of a tensioning screw, relative to studs on the roller carriers also projecting in the direction of the roller axis, the tensioning screws advantageously being inserted in recesses of the shackles and of the studs open towards outside in the axis direction of the rollers and U-shaped in the cross section. Thereby, easy loosening of the tensioning screw by a flame cut is possible.

In order to adjust different positions of the axes of the rollers, several lugs are suitably arranged at the periphery of the holding devices, the roller axes each eccentrically penetrating the holding devices.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of two embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematically illustrated section in the longitudinal direction of a roller, according to one embodiment of the invention: Fig. 2 is a front view in the direction of the arrow II of Fig. 1, the section of Fig. 1 being laid at the left roller end of Fig. 1 exactly through the roller axis according to line IA-IA of Fig. 2, at the right roller end of Fig. 1 according to line IB-IB of Fig. 2; and Fig. 3 shows a front view in an illustration analogous to Fig. 2, according to another embodiment of the invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the roller bodies of a roller, rotatably mounted on a stationary axle 2 and supporting the strand surface, are denoted by 1.

The axle 2 is arranged in axle holding devices 3, 4 arranged between the individual roller bodies, the axle holding devices 3, 4 being inserted in pocketshaped recesses 7 of the supporting brackets 5, 6. The supporting brackets 5, 6 are each slipped in between two longitudinal carriers 8 and 9 and fastened thereto by means of pins 1 0. Each supporting bracket 5, 6 possesses several pocketshaped recesses 7, the recesses being designed like trapezoids widening towards the roller. The supporting brackets 5, 6, together with the longitudinal carriers 8, 9, each form the roller carriers denoted by 11.The axle holding devices 3, 4 have a counter-shape corresponding to the pocket-shaped recesses 7 and fit into the recesses with a play 1 2. The axle holding devices 3 are secured against lateral displacement by securing plates 1 3 welded to the supporting brackets 5 at both sides of the pocket-shaped recesses.

The two axle holding devices 3 provided at the roller ends comprise lugs 14 projecting outside in axial direction and each a rranged in the centre of each side face 1 5 delimiting the axle holding device 3. The roller axis, as can be seen from Fig, 2 is arranged eccentrically to the centre of the side faces 1 5 of the axle holding devices 3, forming a regular pentagon. By turning the axle holding device 3 and letting it rest upon different side faces 1 5, the position of the axis of the roller and thus the distance to the opposite roller not illustrated can be changed.

The lugs 14 of two neighbouring rollers of the side faces 1 5 resting upon the supporting brackets are braced at the supporting brackets by a spring shackle 1 6 whose length corresponds to approximately the distance of neighbouring rollers. As a tensioning means, a tensioning screw 1 8 serves which is inserted in a U-shaped notch 17 in the middle of the length of the spring shackle and which, with its head 19, abuts against the spring shackle 16 and is supported against a stud 21 of the supporting brackets also having a U-shaped notch 22 for accommodating the tensioning screw 18, by a tensioning nut 20.

This type of fastening has the advantage that, by tightening one tensioning screw, two axle holding devices 3 can be fastened at the same time.

For loosening the rollers together with the axle holding devices 3 mounted at their axles 2-since loosening of the tensioning screw by untwisting the tensioning nut 20 in most cases is not possible any longer due to the rust and cylinders-the tensioning screw 1 8 is pierced through by a flame cut, whereupon the shackle 16 is lifted. If the axle holding devices 3 are jammed in the pocket-shaped recesses 7 of the supporting brackets 5 by rust and cinders, a wedge 23 is inserted below the axle holding device 3, into a recess 24 of the supporting brackets 5 which is free towards the axle holding device 3, and the axle holding device 3 is lifted out of the pocket-shaped recesses 7 by axially beating the wedge into this recess 24.

According to Fig. 3, three adjacently arranged strand guiding rollers are held by one spring shackle 25. The principal construction of the fastening is like that of the embodiment according to Figs. 1 and 2.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, it is only necessary to beat the wedge 23 in, in the direction of the roller axes, for loosening the axle holding devices 3, as is illustrated in Fig. 1 by the arrow 26.

Beating in of the wedge 23 is as little impeded by the neighbouring rollers as is tightenig of the tensioning nuts 20 of the tensioning screws 1 8.

Thereby, the rollers can be arranged at a very close distance, without their removability and installability being affected.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, but can be modified in various ways. For instance, it is possible to arrange the roller bodies rigidly on the axles, and to rotatably mount the axles (or driven shafts) of the rollers by means of bearings, in the axle holding devices assuming the function of a bearing housing.

Claims

1. In a strand guide arrangement to be used in a continuous casting plant for casting a strand, of the type including a plurality of oppositely arranged rollers for supporting and guiding said strand, roller carriers supporting said rollers, and holding devices arranged at the ends of said rollers for fastening the axes of said rollers to said roller carriers, the improvement which comprises lugs provided at said holding devices and projecting outwards in axial direction, a shackle for bracing the lugs of at least two rollers arranged one beside the other relative to said roller carriers, and a pressure element insertable in a recess between roller carrier and holding device of each roller, said pressure element being active contrary to the direction of the holding force.

2. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rollers are designed in several parts.

3. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein the axes of said rollers are formed by stationary axles.

4. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein the axes of said rollers are formed by driven shafts.

5. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shackle is a spring shackle.

6. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pressure element is designed as a wedge.

7. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising studs provided at said roller carriers and projecting in the direction of the axes of said rollers, and a tensioning screw for bracing said shackle relative to said studs.

8. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 7, wherein said shackles and said studs have recesses of U-shaped cross section and open outwardly in the direction of the axes of said rollers, and wherein said clamping screws are inserted in said recesses.

9. A strand guide arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein several of said lugs are arranged at the periphery of said holding devices, the axes of the rollers eccentrically penetrating said holding devices.

1 0. A strand guide arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.