US1882655A - Machine for rolling or piercing billets - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1932. w. R. CLARK 1,832,655

mourns FOR ROLLING on PIERCING BILLE'IS Filed Sept. 27. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 18,1932. w. R. CLARK MACHINE FOR ROLLING 0R PIERCING BILLETS 4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27. 1928 IIIIIIIIIII I II lllva I:

Oct. 18, 1932. wIR. CLARK MACHINE FOR ROLLING OR PIERCING BILLETS Filed Sept. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jwuentoo dmm s Oct. 18,1932. w. R. CLARK 1,882,655

I MACHINE FOR ROLLING 0R PIERCING BILLETS Filed Sept. 27. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 a I H II I! Q g [i11 ll II' II II II N I l h W/Mk/CQ, M

b ed/ Patented. Oct. 18, 1932 v WALTER n. CLARK, or BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT MACHINE FOR ROLLING OR PIERCING BILLETS Application filed September 27, 1928. Serial No. 308,737.

My invention relates to a machine for rolling or piercing billets, and'more especially to a machine for rolling round billets of relatively small diameter from billets of larger glfilelietel or for piercing round billets to form The usual mill for rolling or piercing billets is provided with two rolls in the form of i above or below the center of the billet, where it crosses the same, the rolling or piercing is off center, and a guide or third roll must be in contact with the billet to hold it in position, as reactions introduced into the working of the billet tend to force it further from the center line if not checked by a guide of some kind. This guide is usually a surface against which the billet bears as it revolves and feeds forward, oran idler roll driven by the friction of -the billet in contact therewith.

Guides are used on radially opposite sides of the pass frequently when piercing takes place on center to prevent anytendency for piercing or rolling off center due to irregular- 3-" ity in the speed of the roll surfaces or due to bent billets whipping out of center during the piercing operation.

In the -cross-rolling and piercing of some materials, such as brass, copper, aluminium, zinc, and other substances relatively soft when at piercing temperatures, therubbing of a guide is injurious to the surface of the billet and tube, due, among other causes, to

. some of the metal or oxide of the billet adhering to the guide and causing. a roughness which scores the following pierced billets.

Whipping of not quite straight billets some-1 times injures their surfaces and the billets are often scratched or grooved by contact with the guides, and by back slip occurring where the forward speed is less than the theoretical speed which would be given to the surface of the billet revolving between the two rolls if there was no resistance to the forward speed.

It is, in general, an object of this invention to provide means for rolling billets in which a relatively soft material may be handled without injury to the surface thereof from rubbing or whipping on such guides as are required to properly direct the material into the rolls.

v A further object of the invention is to give greater feed pressure on the billet against the piercing point when it is used and to bring about less back slippage of the rolls on the billet and faster feeding of the same. a

' A still further object of the invention is to bring about a machine in which the whipping tendency of the billet is reduced and a balanced condition of the billet brought about,

' whereby higher rolling speeds and piercing may be obtained.

To these and other ends, the invention consist in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 isa side elevation of a rolling mill according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary v'ew of the same showing a preferred arrangement of the -1netal-reducing rolls and guides;

Fig. 3 is a View of theguide and working rolls from the left-hand end of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view of the guide and working rolls from the right-hand end of Fig; 2;

' Fig. 5 is a view from the left-hand end of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is .aview similar to Fig. 2 but showin g a modification;

Fig. 7 is a view from the left-hand end of Fig. i 6, but with certain of the parts removed;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing still anothermodification;

Fig. 9 is a view taken from the left-hand endofFig.8;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view along line 1010 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a view of still another modifica tion; and

Fig. 12 is a view of the means used for supporting a piercing point when the latter is used in the production of tubing.

Referring then to the drawings in which I have illustrated my invention by showing a preferred embodimentthereof, and with particular reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the reference numeral 15 indicates, in general, a rolling mill having a plurality of metal reducing rolls 16, 17 and 18 mounted in suitable bearing blocks 19 in mill housing 20, and forming therebetween a pass in which a round billet may be reduced or a solid billet pierced. As shown particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, rolls 16, 17 and 18 are mounted at an angle to one another, and'spirally arranged with reference to the axis of the billet. The billet when passing between the rolls is thus subjected to a cross-rolling action, the result of which is to cause the billet to travel through the pass between the rolls. In the case of a solid billet being pierced, the billet just as it leaves the roll encounters a projectile-like steel point 21, carried on a long rod 22, over which it is forced, rotating meanwhile between the rolls 16, 17 and 18 just ahead of the point. As shown in the drawings, the rolls are preferably provided with surfaces made of the frustrums of two cones.

As a suitable means for driving the metal reducing rolls, there is provided a driving head 23, comprising a pair of frames 24 and 25, having mounted therein a shaft 26 on which are secured relatively large and rela tively small gears 27 and 28, respectively, the large gear 27 being driven from a suitable source of power and the small gear 28 driving a plurality of gears 29, 30 and 31, mounted on shafts 32, 33 and 34, connected by universal joints 35, 36 and 37 to shafts 38, 39 and 40, which in turn are connected to rolls 16, 17 and 18 by means of universal joints, of which two, 41 and 42, are shown. Gears 29, 30 and 31 are all of the same size, and thus it will be readily understood without further description that all of the rolls are driven in the same direction and at the same speed.

Rolls 16, 17 and 18 are arranged about the pass formed therebetween at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, and thus a balanced rolling condition is brought about in which each roll counteracts the effect of the other rolls in producing off-center rolling. It will be understood that the guides and idler rolls usually provided at the working pass may be omitted, and thus the scoring of the billets which usually takes place at this point is eliminated.

In order to support the billets as they pass to and from the working or reducing rolls and thereby to prevent whipping, guides are provided herein, either at the point where the billet passes into the working rolls or at the point where the reduced or pierced billet leaves the rolls, or both. Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, which show a preferred form of these guides, the reference numeral 43 indicates a guide frame in which are mounted a pair of shafts 44 and 45 supporting rolls 46 and 47, while a third roll 48 is mounted above and between rolls 46 and 47, being supported on shaft 49 mounted in yoke 50, pivotally supported on frame 43 by means of rod 51."

In order that guide rolls 46 and 47 may bring the billet into pro er alignment with the pass between the wor ring rolls, frame 43 may be adjusted vertically by means of screw wedges 52 and 53, provided with lock nuts '54 and 55, While guide rolls 48 may be adjusted relatively to rolls 46 and 47 by swinging yoke 50 about pivot 51, a convenient means to this end being provided by way of handle 56, pawl 57 being provided, engaging rack 58 to lock the yoke against movement, and rack 58 being provided with a plurality of notches 59 in which the pawl may be received. A counter weight 60 may be provided if desired to counterbalance the weight of guide roll 48.

. Adjacent the outlet end of the mill is a similar arrangement of guide rolls 61, 62 and 63, which may be supported and adjusted in the same manner as rolls 46, 47 and 48, and which will not, therefore, be described herein in detail. The ends of all the guide rolls are rounded as at 64 in order that the billet may readily pass therebetween without becoming scored.

In order to take up the thrust produced on piercing point 21 and to provide a ready means for adjusting the point to proper position opposite the pass between rolls 16, 17 and 1.8, a tail stock 65 (Fig. 12) is provided having a thrust bearing 66 which may be adjusted towards or away from the metal reducing pass by means of adjusting screw 67, having mounted thereon hand wheel 68.

From the above description of the invention it will be readily understood that, owing to the support given to the billet before it enters between the working rolls and after it emerges therefrom, whipping of the billet is effectively prevented, while owing to the fact that the guides may be rotated by the billet no scoring of the latter takes place.

In Fig.6 I have shownamodificationwhich,

while not having the adj ustability of the form shown in Fig. 2, is particularly effective in preventing whipping, especially where billets of substantially constant diameters are operated on. Herein tube 69 is provided, detachably mounted in sleeve 70, supported at its ends in anti-friction bearings 71 and 72, which are in turn mounted in frame 73. A set screw 74 is provided in sleeve which, upon being unscrewed from contact with tube 69 I through opening 75 in frame 73, permits the withdrawal of tube 69 and the insertion of in whichthe guiding rolls 77, 7 8 and79 are concaved inwardly from their ends and spirally arranged as regards the'billet. Herein the relative motion of the guide rolls is purely rolling, thus effectively preventing scoring.

In Fig. 11 there is shown a form quite similar to that. of Fig. 2, but in which provision is made fortaking care of relatively long billets. Herein a duplex frame 80 is provided, having mounted therein and in alignment,

guide rolls 81 and 82, 83 and 84, and 85 and 86' respectively.

From the foregoing description of my invention and its mode of operation, it will be readily understood that I have brought about a balanced condition in the rolling, reducing and piercing of billets in which any tendency of rolling off-center is eliminated, together with any tendency of the billets to whip or score. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that bent billets are effectively straightened by the rotatable guides before and after being acted on by the working rolls. The form shownin Fig. 8 is particularly effective in this respect in that the guide rolls produce a cross rolling effect on the billetsas the latter are drawn into the working pass and rotated by the working rolls. Thus it is possible to speed up .the reduction and piercing of the billets, together with the production of more uniform dimensions and surfaces.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it is understood that 'it is not to be. limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation which will lie within the'spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. What I claim is:

1. In a cross rolling mill for reducing or pass, said guiding means comprising three rolls arranged at the vertices of a triangle-between which the billets are received, the axes of the guiding rolls being substantially parallel to the axes of the billets, said guidingrolls being movable relatively to oneanother to accommodate billets of different diame ters.

2. In a cross rolling mill for reducing or piercing -round,rod-like billets, a plurality of working rolls arranged to form a working pass, said rolls producing rotary movement in, the billets, a frame, a pair of guide rolls mounted in said frame in horizontal alignment, said frame and rolls being vertically. adjustable, anda third guide roll mounted above and between said first named guide rolls and adjustable relatively thereto, the axes of said guide rollsbeing substantially parallel to the axes of the billets.

3. In a cross rolling .mill for reducing or piercing round, rod-like billets, a plurality of working rolls arranged to form a working pass, said rolls producing rolling movements in the billets, a frame, apair of guide rolls mounted in said frame in horizontal align- -ment, said frame and-rolls being vertically adjustable, a third guide roll mounted above and between said first named guide rolls and 1 adjustable relatively thereto, the axes of said guide rolls being substantially parallel to the axes of the billets, and means forsecuring said guide rolls in any position of adjustment.

4. In a cross rolling mill for reducing or piercing round, rod-like billets, a plurality ,of working rolls arranged to form a working pass, said rolls'rotating the billets on their axes and feeding them longitudinally, and

freely rotatable guiding means for maintaining the billets in alignment with said pass, said means being rotated by contact with the billets about an axis substantially parallel to the axes of the billets.

5. In a cross rolling mill for reducing or their axes and freely'rotatable guiding means for maintaining the billets in alignment with said pass, the rotary movement of said billets producing rotary movement of the guiding means upon contact of the billets therewith, said guiding means comprising a plurality of freely rotatable rolls between which the billets pass, the axes of said rolls being substantially parallel to the billet axes. V

6. In a cross rolling mill for reducing or piercing round, rodlike'billets, a plurality of working rolls arranged to form a pass, said rolls rotating the billets and freely rotatable guiding means for maintaining the billets in alignment with said pass, said guiding means comprising at least three rolls arranged at equal intervals about the axis of the working pass, the axes of said guiding rolls being 1substantially parallel to the axes of the biletsa , 7. In across rolling mill for reducing or piercing round, rod-like billets, a plurality of working rolls arranged to form a pass, said rolls rotating the billets and freely rotatable guiding means for maintaining the billets in alignment with said pass, said guiding means comprising at least three rolls arranged at equal intervals about the axis of the working pass, the axes of said guiding rolls being substantially parallel to the axes of the billets, and means for adjusting said guiding rolls relativelyto one another to accommodate billets of different diameters.

8. In a cross rolling mill for reducing or piercing round, rod-like billets, three or more power-driven working rolls equally spaced radially and circ'umferentially with respect to the billet and arranged to form a working pass, said rolls rotating the billets-on their axes and feeding them longitudinally, and freely rotatable guiding means for malntaining the billets in alignment with said pass, said guiding means being rotated by contact with the billets about an axis substantially parallel to the axes of the billets.

9. In a cross rolling mill for reducing or piercing round, rod-like billets, three or more power-driven working rolls equally spaced radially and circumferentially with respect to the billet and arranged to form a working pass, said rolls rotating said billets about their axes, and freely rotatable guiding means for maintaining the billets in alignment with said pass, the rotary movement of said billets producing rotary movement of the guiding means upon contact of the billets therewith, said guiding means comprising a plurality of freely rotatable rolls between which the billets pass, the axes of said rolls being substantially parallel to the billet axes.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of September, 1928.

WALTER R. CLARK.

Images