GB2111936A - Walking beam conveyor for differently shaped workpieces - Google Patents

Abstract

A cooling bank for metal workpieces is designed so that two different types of workpiece, such as slabs or bars be cooled upon it. The bank consists of two sets of beams, arranged in interdigitated relation, with each set being movable out of phase with the other set in an elliptical path. Each beam has a first workpiece support surface 11 and some or all of the beams have a second workpiece support surface 13. By pivoting those beams which have two surfaces between positions in which the first and second support surfaces, respectively, are uppermost, the two types of workpiece can be accommodated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cooling bank for metal workpieces This invention relates to cooling banks for metal workpieces.

During the manufacture of metal workpieces, the metal stock is hot rolled or continuously cast and then cut into lengths. The workpieces so formed are allowed to cool on a cooling bank, during which time the workpieces are displaced intermittently along the length of the bank. When the workpieces are in the form of rods or bars, it is desirable to rotate them as they move along the length of the bank, so that they cool more uniformly and thereby avoid distortion.

Cooling banks comprise two sets of beams with the beams of each set being parallel to, and in interdigitated relation with, the beams of the other set. At least one of the sets of beams is arranged to have a reciprocating vertical travel and a reciprocating horizontal travel. In a particularly well known type of cooling bank, both sets of beams are arranged to have a reciprocating motion in both the horizontal and vertical planes. The workpieces are lifted by one set of beams, moved forward and deposited on to the second set of beams.

The second set of beams then lifts the workpieces, moves them forward and deposits them on the first set of beams and so on.

Heretofore it has been usual to design cooling banks to accept workpieces of one particular type, but not to accept workpieces of different types, and it is both difficult and time consuming to modify the beams of a cooling bank to accept a type of workpiece different from that for which it was originally designed.

According to the present invention, a cooling bank for metal workpieces comprises first and second sets of beams, the beams of each set being parallel to, and in interdigitated relation with, the beams of the other set; means for providing at least one of the sets of beams with a reciprocating vertical travel and with a reciprocating horizontal travel; each beam having a first workpiece support surface and at least some of the beams having a second workpiece support surface those beams which have two support surfaces being pivotally supported at intervals along their length, and means movable into engagement with said beams to cause them to pivot between first and second positions in which the first workpiece support surface and the second workpiece support surface, respectively, are in an operating position.

Thus, with the arrangement of the present invention, the type of workpieces which are cooled on the cooling bank can readily and quickly be changed from one type or size of workpiece to another.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of part of two adjacent beams of a cooling bank, Figure 2 is a side elevation on the line Il-Il of Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a sectional end elevation of the beams of Fig. 1, with the beams in their first operating position, and Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation of the beams of Fig. 1, with the beams in their second operating position.

A cooling bank for metal workpieces comprises a first set of parallel carrier beams and a set of parallel pick-up beams, the carrier and pick-up beams being arranged in interdigitated parallel relation. In Fig. 1, a carrier beam is indicated by reference numeral 1 and an adjacent pick-up beam by reference numeral 3. The carrier beams are supported at intervals along their length on brackets which are connected together beneath the beams and are provided with means (not shown) for moving the carrier beams with a substantially elliptical movement. Similarly, each of the pick-up beams is supported along its length by brackets, one of which is shown at 5. Again, the pick-up beams are provided with means (not shown) for moving the pickup beams with a substantially elliptical movement.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each beam is provided at intervals along its length with a lug 7 which permits the beam to be pivotally mounted on the brackets 5 by means of pins 9. Each beam is of a form which in cross section has a first generally rectangular portion 11 and a second generally rectangular portion 1 3 at right angles to the portion 11.

An outer end 1 5 of the portion 1 3 is raked and a wear plate 1 7 is welded to the portion 13.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the wear plate 1 7 forms a support for a workpiece in the form of a flat product, such as a slab and the beam is pivoted about the pins 9, such that the end of the portion 11 abuts against a shoulder 1 9 on the bracket which prevents a further rotation of the beam relative to the bracket. A slab to be carried on the bank is supported on the wear plates 1 7. A thin guard plate 21 extends substantially horizontally from the portion 1 5 and this simply serves to prevent scale falling on to the pins and lugs.

When it is desirable to convert the bank to support rod or bar, each beam is pivoted about the pin 9 so that the portion 11 is now horizontal and the end 23 of the portion 13, which is opposite the end 15, abuts against a support shoulder 25 on the brackets so that further pivoting of the beam in the clockwise direction is prevented. The raked end 1 5 of the portion 1 3 is now uppermost.

The pivoting movement of the beams is caused by the beams engaging against a stop member, which is shown in more detail in Fig. 1. Each beam has a stop member 27 associated with it and this member is pivotable in a substantially horizontal plane between three operating positions A, B and C, as shown in Fig. 1. The movement of the stop members is brought about by a link mechanism, having an elongate portion 29 which is movable in the direction of its length and which, by way of levers 31, causes the stop members to take up one of the positions A, B or C.

During normal operation, the stop members are in the position B. When the flat surface of the beams is required in the operating position, the stop members are moved to the position A, as shown in Fig. 1, and, on the next cyclic movement of the beams, a downwardly depending part of each beam strikes a stop member and this had the effect of pivoting the beam about its pin 9 until the slab supporting wear strip 1 7 is uppermost. Conversely, when the stop members are moved into the position C, they are struck by the beams in their downward movement and cause the beams to pivot about the pins 9 to the second operating position in which the raked end 1 5 of the beams is uppermost.

As an alternative to the arrangement described above, both support surfaces may be raked but at different pitches so that there can be a rapid change over from rods and bars of one size to similar workpieces of a different size.

In the arrangement described above with reference to the drawing, all the beams have two workpiece support surfaces, but it has been found, in practice, that only some of the beams of each set need to have a raked surface as long as the other beams are plain and not raked, as those beams which are raked can cause a bar or rod to move along the cooling bank.

Cooling banks may have one set of beams fixed with the other set movable. The movable beams may be moved vertically and horizontally in sequence, or they may be moved vertically and horizontally simultaneously so that their movement is elliptical.

Claims (6)

1. A cooling bank for metal workpieces comprising first and second sets of beams, the beams of each set being parallel to, and in interdigitated relation with, the beams of the other set; means for providing at least one of the sets of beams with a reciprocating vertical travel and with a reciprocating horizontal travel; each beam having a first workpiece support surface and at least some of the beams having a second workpiece support surface, those beams which have two support surfaces being pivotally supported at intervals along their length, and means movable into engagement with said beams to cause them to pivot between first and second positions in which the first workpiece support surface and the second workpiece support surface, respectively, are in an operating position.

2. A cooling bank as claimed in claim 1, in which those beams which have two workpiece support surfaces are pivotally mounted on brackets located at spaced intervals along their length and the brackets of the beams of the same set are secured together.

3. A cooling bank as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which each beam having two workpiece support surfaces is caused to pivot between its first and second positions by a stop member engageable with the beam.

4. A cooling bank as claimed in claim 3, in which all the stop members are displaceable together by an operation linkage.

5. A cooling bank as claimed in any preceding claim, in which one of said workpiece support surfaces is flat and supports flat workpieces and the other of said workpiece support surfaces is raked and supports rod or bar.

6. A cooling bank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.