MXPA06004316A - Short bar separation and recovery system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for separating and recovering short bars from full length bars in a rolling mill. The bars are initially conveyed on a run-out roller table from a shear to a transfer station where they are accumulated in a layer. The layer is transferred laterally from the transfer station onto a separation roller table at a separation station. An elevator lifts the tail ends of the full length bars off of the separation roller table, and the separation roller table then conveys the short bars to a recovery station. The remaining full length bars are then returned to the transfer station, from where they are sent on to a bundling station.

Description

SEPARATION OF SHORT BARS AND SYSTEM AND METHOD OF RECOVERY CROSS REFERENCE WITH RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 672,390, filed on April 18, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates in general to rolling mills where the bars of predetermined length are assembled in batches, and in particular, relates to a system and method for separating and recovering unacceptably short bars prior to the operation of training in lots.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION During the process of laminating bars in a bar shop, a workshop or a section workshop, the short bars invariably occur in the course to produce full length bars (known as commercial lengths). The products in bar can be reinforcement bars with ribs, round flat, square, hexagonal, flat, angled, with channels and even in some cases, with special forms. Workshop operators use several methods to separate short bars from full-length bars. These include the optimization of the length of ingots, the optimization of the length of the rolled product, the cut / crushed of the short lengths that arise with the cutting station in the workshop or with the cold cutting station after passing through the bed Cooling. Each of these methods results in additional costs for the final product. The main objective of the present invention is to provide a system and a method to minimize the additional costs for the separation and recovery of short bars in a way that improves the production of the workshop without affecting the operation of the workshop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a first roller table longitudinally transports the bars from a cutting station to a transfer station located on one side of the separation station. The bars accumulate in a layer at the transfer station. A second roller table extends from a terminal stop at the separation station to the recovery station. A first conveyor chain operates in a forward direction to transfer the bar layer laterally from the transfer station on the second roller table in the separation station. The second roller table is then operated in a forward direction to longitudinally displace all bars of the layer thus transferred toward alignment with the forward ends of the bars abutting the end stop. The elevators with open windows are spaced apart along the second roller table at distances measured from the end stop corresponding to the different full length bars produced by the mill. The appropriate elevator is selected to elevate the rear ends of the full-length bars to be processed on the second roller table, which leaves the rear ends of the short bars on the second roller table and aligned with the open elevator window . The second roller table is then operated in a reverse direction to transport the short bars to the recovery station. The riser then descends to re-deposit the rear ends of the full length bars on the second roller table, after which, the first chain conveyor is operated in a reverse direction to return the full length bars from the separation station to the transfer station. The bars are then sent to a batching station. When the bars are counted in the batching station, the system described here is very appropriate. However, when the bars are counted in advance after the cut, the subsequent separation of the short bars will give a number of full-length bars less than the pre-counted number. To remedy this failure, and in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a supply of full length bars is maintained in a forming station on the opposite side of the separation station. Other chain conveyors operate to transfer the full length bars from the forming station to the separation station to replace the short bars that have been removed. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will now be described in more detail when referring to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic presentation of a system in accordance with the present invention. Figures 2A and 2B are amplified sectional views taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the operation of the selected components in the separation station.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With initial reference to Figure 1, a system according to the present invention is shown on the downstream side of the cutting station 10. The cutting station operates to subdivide long products produced by a rolling mill (not shown) in commercial order lengths. As mentioned before, short bars are invariably produced along the full length bars to be processed. A first run roller table 12 transports the bars subdivided by the cutting station longitudinally to a transfer station TS located on one side of the separation station SS. The bars accumulate in a layer at the transfer station. As illustrated in Figure 1, the layer includes four full-length bars 14 and one short bar 16. A second separation roller table 18 extends from the terminating stop 20 in the separation station to another stop 22 adjacent to the other. the RS recovery station. As can best be seen with further reference to Figures 2A and 2B, the first chain conveyors 22 extend between the transfer station TS and the separation station SS. The chain conveyors 24 include intermediate horizontal sections 24a and rotating end sections 24b, 24c. At least one and preferably, multiple elevators 26 are spaced along the length of separation roll table 18 in separation station SS. The elevators 26 have open windows 26 and can be adjusted vertically between the position lowered below the separation roller table 19 and the raised position projecting inwardly on the roller table. As shown in Figure 3, the recovery station RS includes at least one and at least multiple storage tanks 30. The rotating arms 32 serve to transfer the bars from the separation roller table 18 to the appropriate storage container. In order to separate the short bar 16 from the full length bars 14 in the layer accumulated in the transfer station TS, the system cycles through the following steps: a) As shown in Figure 2A, the sections 24b 24c of end of the chain conveyors 24 rotate upward toward the horizontal alignment with their intermediate sections 24a, which results in the accumulated layer being lifted up from the roller table 12. The chain conveyors 24 are then operated in a forward direction (from left to right, as seen in Figure 2B) to transport all the bars of the accumulated layer from the transfer station TS to the separation station SS. As soon as the bar layer has been displaced laterally on the sections 24a of the chain conveyor, the end section 24b descends immediately. This frees the separation station TS so that it can receive and accumulate bars in other layers, while the process of separation of short bars is carried out. When the layer containing short bars reaches the end section 24c of the chain conveyor, that section descends to deposit the layer on the separation roller table 18. b) The separation roller table 18 then operates in the forward direction to longitudinally move all the transferred bars towards alignment with the front ends abutting the terminal stop 20. c) As shown in Figure 4, the appropriate riser 26 is then raised to raise the rear ends of the full length bars 14 on the separation roller table, while allowing the rear end of the short bar 16 to remain on the table and aligned with the window 28 of the elevator. d) The separation roller table 18 then operates in a reverse direction to transport the short bar 16 through the window 28 and on a location adjacent to the recovery station RS, with its tail end abutting the stop 22. The rotary arms 32 can be operated to laterally transfer the short bar to the appropriate storage bin 30. e) After the short bar 16 has been sent to the recovery station RS, the elevator 26 descends to redeposit the rear ends of the full length bars 14 in the separation roller table 18 and the sections 24b, 24c of end of the chain conveyors 24 are redeposited as shown in Figure 2B. The chain conveyors 24 then operate in a reverse direction to laterally transfer the full length bars 14 back to the transfer station TS. From here, the bars can be carried laterally by another chain conveyor system 34 to a batching station (not shown).

Alternatively, the running roller table 12 can be advanced through the transfer station TS and used to bring the full length bars laterally to a batching station to another location. When the bars are counted after the separation of the short bars has been carried out, for example, in the batching station, then the system described is appropriate. However, when the bars are counted before the separation step, then some means must be provided to replace the short bars separated with full length bars. For this purpose, the system may optionally include a storage area SA traversed by the additional chain conveyors, including for example, the layer forming chain conveyors 36 and the layer integration chain conveyors 38. A supply of full length bars 14 can be stored in the chain conveyors 36, as needed, laterally displaced by the chain conveyors 36, 38 to transfer the full length replacement bars of the storage area SA onto the conveyor 18. of separation roller. A bar counter device 40 will keep track of the number of bars to be transferred in order to ensure that the appropriate number is replaced by the short bars that were previously separated and sent to the recovery station.

So far, it can be seen that the system processes full-length bars, for example, twelve meters long, and is produced periodically measures short bars that measure 10 meters, the short bars can be separated and stored in one of the deposits in the recovery station. During this operation, when the bars were pre-counted prior to the separation of the bars, the full length bars measuring 12 meters in length can be stored in the SA storage area and used to replace the separated short bars. When the system is switched to the processing of full-length bars that measure 10 meters, the previously separated short bars of that length can be retrieved from the recovery RS station and reintroduced as replacement bars.

Claims (7)

1. In a lamination shop where products are subdivided by a cutting station into bars that have front and rear ends, most segments have full lengths and some of the bars have unacceptably short lengths, a system for separating the bars that have short lengths of bars having full lengths, the system is characterized in that it comprises: a first roller table for transporting longitudinally the bars from the cutting station to a transfer station located on one side of the separation station and where the bars accumulate in a layer; a second roller table extended from a stop end stop in the separation station to a recovery station; first chain conveyors operating in a forward direction to transfer all the bars of the layer laterally from the transfer station on the second roller table in a separation station, the second roller table operates in a forward direction to move longitudinally all the bars of the layer thus transferred to the alignment where their front ends are butted against the end stop; at least one elevator having an open window, the elevator can be adjusted between a lowered position below the second roller table and a raised position elevating the rear ends of the full-length bars aligned on the second roller table, while allowing the rear ends of the short bars thus aligned to be on the second roller table and aligned with the elevator window, the second roller table operates in a reverse direction to longitudinally transport the short bars from the separation station to through the window to a recovery station, whereby after the return of the elevator to its lowered position the rear ends of the full-length bars are redeposited on the second roller table, the first chain conveyors operate in a direction in reverse to transfer the full-length bars laterally from the separating station ation to the transfer station.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second roller tables are parallel. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of elevators are arranged at spaced intervals along the length of the second roller table. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the recovery station includes at least one storage tank located on one side of the second roller table and a means for laterally transferring short bars from the second table rollers towards the storage tank. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a training station in which a supply of full length bars is stored on an opposite side of the separation station, and a second chain conveyors for transferring the full length bars laterally from the forming station on the second roller table to the separation station to replace the short bars that have been transported by the second roller table to the recovery station. 6. In a laminating shop where long products are subdivided by a bar cutting station having front and rear ends, most segments have full lengths and some of the bars have unacceptably short lengths, a method for separating bars having short lengths of the bars having full lengths, the method is characterized in that it comprises: longitudinally transporting the bars on a first roller table from the cutting station to a transfer station located on one side of the station. separation and where the bars accumulate in a layer; transferring all the bars of the layer laterally from the transfer station on the second roller table in the separation station; operating the second roller table in a forward direction to longitudinally move all the bars of the layer thus transferred to the alignment where their front ends abut against a terminal stop; vertically adjusting an elevator having a window open from a lowered position below the second roller table to an elevated position elevating the rear ends of the full length bars thus aligned, on the second roller table while allowing the rear ends of the short bars thus aligned remain on the second roller table and aligned with the elevator window; operating the second roller table in a reversed direction to longitudinally transport the short bars from the separation station through the window to a recovery station; and after returning the elevator to its lowered position to redeposit the rear ends of the full length bars on the second roller table, operating the first chain conveyors in a reverse direction to return the full length bars laterally from the separation station to the transfer station. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises storing a supply of full-length bars in the storage station adjacent to the separation station and replacing the short bars of the layers in the separation station with full length bars taken from the storage area.