US1967168A - Rolling mill table - Google Patents

Description

July 17, 1934. R. B. ZUBER ROLLING MILL TABLE Filed June 2, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 NTOR ZfZuber BY v M o m ATTORNEY July 17, 1934. R. B. ZUBER ROLLING MILL TABLE Filed June 2, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fioberzB. Z uer I ll;

ATTORNEY July 17, 1934. R. B. ZUBER ROLLING MILL TABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 2, 1932 Q & INVENTOR l aber/fifZaber BY M 4 ATTORNEY "ET O July 17, 1934. R. B. ZUBER ROLLING MILL TABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 2, 1932 INVENTOR 7E0 berz B. Z u be?" BY d ATTORNEY July 17,' 1934. R. B. ZUBER ROLLING MILL TABLE Filed June 2, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ban 5 Z 066/ BY M a fl w ATTORNEY Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES {PATENT OFFICE kobefi j z ubirT fi Application June 2, 1932, Serial No. 615,045"

12 Claims. (01. so -44) This invention relates to rolling mill tables having power driven conveyor means thereon adapted to carry the materials to and from the rolls of a mill and aims particularly to provide a device effective for properly aligning or orienting sheets prior to their entry to the mill and also to provide improved means for properly matching and positioning a plurality of sheets or bars in a pair or pack before they are fed between the rolls of the mill. 'Ihe above and other features of the invention will be more fully apparentfrom the following specification when read in connection with the accoinpanying drawings and the invention will be defined with particularity in the appended claims.

In the Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing the application of my improved sheet feedingdevice' to a three high rolling mill; i

apparatus shown in Fig. 1; f

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation of the right half of the apparatus of Fig. l; T

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of parts shown in Fig. 2Q;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the operation of certain stops and matching fingers hereinafter more fully referred to;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the action-of certain side guards for properly aligning or squaring the sheets on theconveyor; Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '1 is a detail section on line 14 of Fig. 3:

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on line 8-8 of Fig. 3

Fig. 9 is a fra mentary detail illustrating the manner in which one, of the conveyor frames is elevated; Figs. 10 and 11 show details of locking devices for stops.

'While for convenience and brevity I shall refer herein to sheets as the material to be fed to the rolls of the rolling mill, it is to be understood that the term sheet" is used generically to refer as wellto so-called sheet bar, plates, breakdowns and similar substantially flat stock which is adapted to be reduced in thickness and elongated by the rolling operation.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, there is a three high sheet mill, indicated as a whole at 10. This includes a central roll a, a lower roll b and an upper roll 0. The material to be treated is usually first heated in a fumace c5 diagrammatically indicated at d. This material Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the left half of the and also for feeding the rolled material from the catchers table to the mill. But, in order to properly position the stock prior to rolling on either table, it has been necessary to resort to laborious manual work, so as to insure that the stock will be properly fed to the rolls. This has necessitated the use of skilled operators who manipulate the material on the conveyor tables by the use of hand tongs. And when several sheets are to be matched and simultaneously rolled, it is frequently necessary to first match the sheets and then place them on the conveyor table and properly position them by hand tongs prior to rolling. This work requires skilled operators and necessitates fatiguing muscular ef-' fort. It is also slow and costly.

The present invention aims to eliminate the necessity of positioning the sheets manually by means of tongs and the like and to provide me- .85 chanical means whereby the sheets can be quickly and accurately aligned, stacked, matched and fed to the mill. As will more fully hereinafter appear, as the detailed description proceeds, the conveyor on the rollers side has stops associated therewith whereby the travel of the sheet can be arrested at any predetermined point and movably mounted side guards are provided by means of which the sheets can be aligned and properly oriented with respect to the rolls of the mill. The stops restrain the longitudinal movement of the sheets while they are supported by the moving conveyor and means are"also provided for lifting the restrained sheets, so a following sheet can be fed thereunder. This permits stacking the sheets, so that a plurality of them can be readily matched and fed to the mill.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, the rollers table 12 comprises a structural frame including side members 16 spaced apart by cross members 18, which also support a center bar 19 and chain guides 15. This frame is suitably supported at the mill end, for example, by a cross bar 20 secured to the frame having extensions 21, whichflt in pockets the frame.

formed in brackets or lugs 22 secured to or formed on the mill housings 23. The outer end of the rollers table 12 is supported on built-up structuresupport, indicated at 24.

Mounted in suitable bearings, at the outer end of the table frame, is a sprocket shaft 26. A similar shaft 27 is mounted at the inner end of These shafts each carry a pair of sprockets 28 and 29, over which the conveyor chains 3030 travel;- These sprockets and conveyor chains are driven through suitable gear- 35, one of which is best shown in Fig. 2 This permits the catchers table and the mechanism supported thereby to partake of a tilting movement about the axis of the sprocket shaft 26'.

The mill end of the supporting structure 34, to-

which the catchers table is hinged, carriess'lotted brackets 39, as shown in Fig. 2 The slot of each bracket engages a transversely extending bar 36 carried by brackets 38, each of which is adjustably secured by a bolt and slot connection to a lug on the mill housing as shown. This arrangement permits the supporting structure 34- and its related parts to be readily moved vaway from the mill as a unit so as to facilitate changing rolls in the mill.

The conveyor chains 30', idlers 33', supporting sprockets 28 and 29', shafts 26' and 27', gearing 31' and motor 32' are substantially the'same as similar parts on the rollers table.

After sheets or packs of sheets haveflbeen fed through the lower pass, that is between'the rolls a and b and onto the conveyor of the catchers table, it is desirable to returnthe, material through the upper pass, that is,-between the rolls a and c. To these ends, suitable'controllers and circuit connections are provided for reversing the direction of rotation of the motors 32 and 32' so as to reverse the direction of travelof the conveyor's.

For effecting the lifting and lowering movement of the catchers table, I provide a thruster 40, which in the embodiment illustrated is an electrically energized device of known construction capable of lifting and lowering a link 41, which is connected with a lever .arm 42, pivoted at 43 to a bracket on the structure 34. The free end of this lever 42 is connected by a link 44 with the frame of the catchers table. Through these connections, upon energization of the thruster, it will be understood that the catchers table may be elevated from the position of Fig. 2 to that shown, for example, in Fig. 9.

Both the rollers table 12 and the catchers table 14 are preferably provided with stops adapted to arrest or interrupt the travel of the material on the respective conveyors and both tables are also provided with transversely movable side guards adapted to position the materials on the respective conveyors. These constitute two of the several important features of the invention and will now be described in detail.

Referring first to the rollers table 12, there are three pairs of stops 46, 48 and 50 slidably mounted in guides 46, 48' and 50'- secured to the table frame. The stops 46 are adapted to be elevated above the plane of the conveyor chain by lever arms 46 carried on shaft 46,

which is adapted to be rocked by a manually actuated foot lever 46*. The stops 48 and 50 are arranged to be similarly actuated by levers 48 and 50*; rock shafts 48 and 50, hand lever 48 and .foot lever 50, or hand lever 50. In

"order to hold any desired one of the stops 46,

48 or 50 in either its elevated or depressed position, 1 provide the arrangement shown in Fig. 10. On the outer end of each of the rock shafts 46, 48 and 50, there will be a short lever arm, such as indicated at 52. This will be connected by means of a bent-rod 54 with a tension spring 56. When the operating lever is moved to a position to elevate the stop, as indicated in full lines in the figure, the spring will hold the stop in such elevated position because the lever 52 will be thrown over dead center. On the other hand, when the operator depresses the stop by shifting the lever in the opposite direction, the spring 56 will hold the arm 52 in the dotted position because the lever 52 will then be thrown over dead center in the opposite direction and thus hold the stop in pressed position, so as not to interfere with the travel of sheets on the con- ,veyoia- Although I have shown a spring 56 for yieldingly holding the stops in depressed position, it will be understood that the stops may be similarly held by the use of a counterweight 58 passing over a guide pulley 60, as indicated in the modification shown by Fig. 11.

On the catchers table, there are similar pairs of stops 62, 64 and 66 adapted to be either elevated or depressed by manually actuated operating lever 62 64 and 66*. These levers operate rock shafts 62, 64 and 66 carrying stop operating arms 62*, 64 and 66 For properly orienting any materials being fedv by the conveyors or for aligning sheets with one another and squaring them with the rolls of the mill, I provide transversely movable side guides on both the rollers table and the catchers table. Referring first to the rollers table, at the sides thereof and extending in the direction of travel of the conveyor, there are longitudinally extending side guides 68 and 70. These upstanding guides are secured to angle bars 68 and '10, which in turn are secured to transversely extending bars 68 and 70 which are slidably mounted in suitable apertures formed in the frame members l616. The respective bars 68 and '70 carry collars at about the centers of their length, these collars have pins 68 and 70, respectively, which pass through slots 68 'and '70 of an operating lever 72, which is pivoted at 74 to one of the cross members of the frame. By rocking the lever 72 in one direction, it will be understood that the side guides 68 and '70 will 'beseparated and by rocking the lever in the opposite direction, they will approach one another. As shown in Fig. 3, there can be moved toward and away from one another 11 For . be caused to move in and out in parallel relation in response to manual movements of the operating lever 78' on the catchers table. The function of the orienting or squaring device is graphically illustrated in Fig. 5 where I have shown in dotted lines at S a sheet skewed out of true on the conveyor. Such a sheet can be properly oriented or lined up on the conveyor by manipulation of the operating lever 78' so as to restore the sheet to its full line position, indicated at S.

During such orienting of the sheet, the stops hereinabove referred to may be also brought into play, so as to arrest the travel of the sheet- It will also be understood that manipulation of the transversely shiftable side guides 68 and 70 (or 68' and 70') will serve to properly center the sheet with the rolls of the mill. This is eflective because regardless of the position of the side guides 68 and 70 (or 68' and '70) they are substantially equi-distant from the longitudinal center line :c-y of Fig. 5, which center line intersects the center of the length of the rolls of the mill. Inasmuch as the parallel side guides 68 and 70 and 68' and 70 are perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the rolls a, b, and c, it is clear that manipulation of such guides will serve to accurately square the substantially rectangular sheets with the rolls of the mill. These side guides are also useful in properly positioning two or more superposed sheets which are to be rolled as a pair or pack, as will presently appear.

It is also apparent that the stops 46, 48, 50, 62, 64 and 66 may be arranged in pairs, as shown in plan in Figs. 3 and 3 and located so as to bealigned inparallel relationship to the axes of rotation of the rolls of the mill. Hence by causing the conveyors to feed the sheets against a selected pair of elevated stops until the forward edges of the sheets strike such stops, when the stops are lowered, the sheets will travel forward on the conveyors with their leading edges substantially parallel with the rolls.

In many cases, it'is desirable to stack two or more sheets in superposed relationship so as tofeedthemtothemilLasapairorasapack. For this purpose, I provide so-called matching fingers, best shown at in Figs. 1, 2 and 4c These matching fingers are adapted to lift one end of a sheet, the opposite edge of which is restrained from moving relatively to the conveyor by a pair of stops, which have previously been elevated by the manual operation of the appropriate operating lever.

As shown in elevation in Fig. 4 and in plah view in Fig. 3, there are two matching fingers 80, each of which is pivotally mounted at 82 on the free end of an arm 84 secured to a rock- -shaft 86. The fingers 80 carry counterweights 88,.which normally tend to position them in the substantially upright position shown in Fig. 2. Such an arrangement will permit each finger to be rocked about its pivot 82 for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to.

The rock shaft 86 is pivotally mounted in suitable bearing apertures formed in the side frame members 16 of the rollers table. For rocking the shaft 86 in order to elevate the matching fingers 80 (see 6) I provide a foot treadle 91, pivoted at 90 and connected through pin and slot connection with a link 92, which in turn connects with a lever 94 secured to the rock shaft 86.

Assuming the conveyor chain 30 in Fig. 4 to be traveling to the left, as indicated by the arrow, and that the stop 48 is elevated, as shown the sheet S on the table will have its movement restrained by the stop. Then; as theoperator actuates the treadle, the matching finger 80 will elevate one end of the sheet to the position substantially as illustrated in Fig. 4. With the conveyor still in motion, a following sheet, such as indicated at S, will be fed under the sheet S. Continued movement of the conveyor will carry the lower sheet to a point under the upper sheet, where it will strike the matching finger 80 and cause it to rock about its 'pivotal support at 82 on the "lever 84. Thus, the lower sheet will be moved rearwardly by the conveyor while the movement of the upper sheet is restrained by the stop 48. This arrangement, it will be understood, will permit the building up of a stack of two pr more superposed sheets. If, during this stacking, the sheets tend to become.misaligned, the lever '78 may be actuated, so as to bring the side guides into play, so as to effect a proper matching of the sheets. After two sheets have been matched, a further following sheet may be matched by releasing pressure on the treadle, so as to permit the lever 84 to return to its lower position of Fig. 2, whereupon the lever can be' again rocked to lift the matching fingers 80, so as to elevate the previously stacked sheets to permit still another sheet to be fed under the superposed sheets.

After two or more sheets have been matched, the operator will operate a controller so as to reverse the direction of travel of the conveyor chains 30 and thus the matched pack of sheets will be fed to the lower pass between the rolls a and b of the mill.

As the sheets or stacks of sheets leavethe conveyors to enter between the rolls of the mill, it is desirable to elevate them slightly above the plane of the conveyor chains. For this purpose, I provide disc- like members 96 and 96" on the sprocket shafts .2'1-27' adjacent each of the chain supporting sprockets 29-29. These discs are of larger radii than the clearance radii of the chains and they serve to lift the material clear of the chain as the material enters the pass of the mill, an'dalso assist in the 'proper. alignment of the-material. Strippers "98 and 100, as shown in Fig. 9, are mounted on the roll housings and they serve, respectively, as transfermeans-for sheets from the top and bottom passes of the mill tothe tables. These strippers may be of any suitable form used in the art. Associated with the stripper 98, there will usually be a roller 102 mounted on ball bearings. It will be understood that as the sheets leave the lower pass of the mill, between rolls a and b, they will pass over the stripper 100 and onto the conveyor on the catchers table. Similarly, as the sheets leavev the upper pass between the rolls a. and 0, they will pass over the stripper 98 and onto the rollers table.

The several sets of stops described may be so located or positioned on the rollers and catchers tables as to suit the size of sheets being handled. These stops and their actuating levers may be hand, foot, or power controlled and it will be.

understood that by proper manipulation of the stops the sheets, or like material can be stopped at any desired position on either table and started from that position at the will of the operator. Also the sheets can be properly squared on the table as the conveyors carry their leading edges 5 into engagement with the stops.

In practice, it is frequently desirable to roll sheet bar in packs of three. This operation can be conveniently and rapidly accomplished by the utilization of the apparatus involving rmr invention. In such an operation, three sheet bars are fed in succession from the furnace d onto the conveyor chains 30 on the rollers side of the mill. The conveyor at this time will be travelling'in the direction to feed the sheets toward the mill. The operator will first raise stop 46 to arrest the travel of the first sheet. He will then raise stop 48 to hold the second sheet on the conveyor. After this, he will elevate the stop 50 so as to hold the third sheet. The lever 78 will then be rocked so as to cause the side guides 68 and 70 to line up the three sheet bars while they are still restrained from travelling forward on the conveyor by the elevated stops. The stops 46, 48 and 50 will then be depressed successively, thus the conveyor will feed the three sheets successively between the lower pass of the mill. The sheets will then be carried away from the niill by the conveyor chains on the catchers side. The stop 66 most remote from the mill will be elevated to restrain 30 the movement of the first sheet. Then the stop 64 will be elevated to restrain the movement of the second sheet and finally the stop 62 will be elevated to arrest the travel of the third sheet. The side guides 68' and 70' will then be brought into play by rocking the operating lever '78. The thruster 40 will then be energized so as to raise the table to a position in which the sheetscan be fed through the upper pass of the mill between 5o tinue' to travel. At this time, in order to cause a proper matching of the sheets, the operator will depress the foot treadle 91. Thiswill cause the matching fingers 80 to lift the edge of the sheet nearest the mill, as indicated in Fig. 4. The stop 62 on the catchers table willthen be depressed.

Thus the second sheet will be fed forward and between the rolls a and c. This sheet will-be carried away from the mill on the rollers side by the conveyor chains 30 and because the sheet previously fed has been elevated by the matching fingers 80, the second sheet will be fed under the elevated sheet, as indicated in Fig. 4. As this second sheet S in Fig.4 moves rearward, it will rock the ,matching finger-80 about its pivotal support and '65 continued rearward movement of the conveyor will carry the second sheet 8 rearwardly until it strikes the stop 48 on the rollers side.

The operator on the catchers side will then depress the stop 84 restraining the movement of the last sheet. This sheet will then be carried into the upper pass of the mill by the conveyor and onto the conveyor chains 30 on the rollers side. treadle 9l.so as to cause the matching finger to lift the ends of the two sheets previously The operator will then again actuate thematched. Thus the third sheet can be matched with the two previously matched sheets. The conveyor will carry the third and bottom-most sheet rearwardly against the stop 48, the'slde guides will then be brought'into play so as to properly stack and align the superposed pack of sheets with the rolls of the The thruster 40 will then be deenergized and the catchers table will be lowered. The conveyor on the rollers side will then have its direction of movement reversed whereupon the matched pack of sheets will be fed to the lower pass of the mill between the rolls a and c. They can thus be run out and stopped at any 'desired position on the catchers table. Here they can be aligned by bringing side guides into play. The catchers table will then be elevated and this pack may then be repeatedly fed through the upper and lower passes of the mill as many times as required in order to reduce the sheets to the required thickness, it being understood that the active pass between the rolls is controlled by the usual screw down device commonly used in rolling mills.

The operation described is but one of many which can be carried out on the apparatus as will be readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure.

Various modificaticns may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

I 1. In combination with the rolls of a sheet mill, respective conveyors on opposite sides, of the mill, each conveyor adapted to feed sheets toward or from said rolls, respective manually controlled means adapted to arrest thetravel of sheets on the conveyor, a pivotally mounted arm below the sheet supporting plane of the conveyor,

:a substantially upright lifting finger pivotally secured to said arm, and means normally tending to hold said finger in an upright position, but adapted to yield when the finger is struck by material traveling on the conveyor.

2. Apparatus of the character described adaptedto feed material to and from the rolls of a sheet mill comprising a chain conveyor, supporting sprockets for the conveyor, side guides extending parallel to the line of travel of the conveyor, supporting means for said side guides, means under control of an operator for moving the guides to narrow or widen the space between them and rotating lifting means traveling at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the conveyor and effective to lift the material clear of the conveyor chains just prior to its entry between the rolls of the mill.

3. An apparatus of the character described including in combination the rolls of a sheet mill, a rolling mill table associated therewith comprising a chain conveyor, shafts supported by the table and carrying sprockets of said conveyor, rotary discs of a diameter greater than the diameter of the sprocket wheels carried on the sprocket shafts adjacent the rolls, said discs rotating at the same speed as said sprockets but at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the chain conveyor and eflective to lift the material clear of the conveyor just prior to its entry to the rolls of the mill.

4. Apparatus of the character described for feeding material to and from a sheet mill comprising a rolling mill table including a. frame carrying a power driven conveyor, 0. series of movable stops, means for elevating the steps above the supporting plane of the conveyor 150 to arrest the travel ofmaterial thereon, matching fingers adapted to lift sheets above the plane of the conveyor, a side guide slidably mounted on said frame, means for manually actuating said side guide, conveyor sprockets carried by shafts supported by said frame and discs on certain of said sprocket shafts adapted to lift the material clear of the sprockets just prior to the entry of the material to the mill.

5. In combination with a mill having a plurality of rolls defining upper and lower passes, feed tables located on opposite sides of the mill each carrying a reversible conveyor, means for moving at least one of said feed tables vertically, so as to position it for coaction with either the upper or lower pass of the mill, respective movable stops on each feed table arranged to arrest the travel of material at various locations along the table at the will of an operator, and manually actuated means on one feed table for lifting the restrained material to permit the conveyor to feed other material thereunder. V

6. In combination with a mill having a plurality of rolls defining upper and lower passes, feed tables located on opposite sides of the mill, each carrying a reversible conveyor, means for moving at least one of said feed tables vertically, so as to position it for coaction with either the upper or lower passes of the mill, respective movable stops on each feed table, arranged to arrest the travel of material at various locations along the table at the will of an operator, and manually actuated means on one feed table for lifting the restrained material to permit the conveyor to feed other material thereunder and manually operated means movable transversely of the line of travel of the material for side matching the stacked material.

'7. In combination with a plurality of rolls of a sheet mill defining an upper and lower pass, a normally fixed feed table having a reversible eonveyor for feeding material to one pass of the mill, a vertically movable feed table having a reversi ble conveyor adapted to feed or receive material from either the upper or lower pass of the mill, movable stops associated with each conveyor for arresting the travel of sheets thereon at desired locations, and means associated with one of said conveyors for lifting a sheet restrained by a stop associated with that conveyor so as to permit it to feed another sheet thereunder.

8. In combination with a plurality of rolls of a sheet mill defining an upper and lower pass,

- a normally fixed feed table having a conveyor,

veyors, and means on one of said feed tables movable substantially at right angles to the direction of travel of the conveyor for aligning sheets thereon.

9. In combination with a plurality of rolls of a mill defining an upper and'lower pass, a normally fixed feed table having a conveyor, a reversible motor for driving said conveyor, an ad-' justable table located on the side of the mill opposite the first-named table, means for positioning the adjustable table for a coaction with either the upper or lower pass of the mill, a reversible conveyor carried by said adjustable table, respec- 'tive manually controlled means for arresting the travel of sheets on each of said conveyors, and means on one of said feed tables movable substantially at right angles to the direction of travel of the conveyor for aligning sheets thereon and manually controlled means on the fixed feed table for displacing a sheet on the conveyor thereof so that a following sheet will be moved by the conveyor into stacked relationship with a sheet whose movement has been restrained by said arresting means.

10. In combination with the three rolls of a mill defining an upper and lower pass, a fixed feed table on one side of the mill, a tilting feed table on the opposite side of the mill, means for tilting the latter table to a position for cooperation with the upper and lower passes of the mill, respective reversible conveyors on each of said feed tables, respective stops on each of said tables, manually operable means for positioning the stops to interrupt the travel of sheets at a predetermined location on each of said tables, and means on the fixed table for elevating one end of a restrained sheet so that a following sheet may be moved by the conveyor into stacked relationship with the restrained sheet.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a conveyor adapted to feed sheets or the like to or from the rolls of a mill, manually actuated stops adapted to arrest the travel of sheets on the conveyor, means located below the conveyor for elevating material on the conveyor including movable supports carrying pivotally mounted sheet-engaging fingers, yielding means normally holding said fingers in an upright position and manually controlled means for elevating or depressing said movable supports.

12. An apparatus of the character described for feeding material to a sheet mill comprising a rolling mill table carrying a power'driven conveyor, means for driving the conveyor in opposite directions, a series of movable stops adapted to arrest the endwise movement of the sheets at different locations on a conveyor, respective means for manually elevating the steps above .the supporting plane of the conveyor, manually actuated matching fingers adapted to elevate one end of a sheet above the plane of the conveyor while the other end thereof fulcrums against one of said stops, a side guide mounted for movement transversely of the line of travel of the conveyor and means for actuating said side uide.

ROBERT B. ZUBER.

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