US2143753A - Device for handling metal section members, and more particularly rails, in order to harden them - Google Patents

Description

' M. BLAGE Jan 2,143,753

DEVICE FOR HANDLING METAL SECTION MEMBERS.. AND MORE PARTICULARLY RAILS. IN ORDER TO HARDEN THEM Filed April 22, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 q r J 5 9 Q g H in lw m F flu N fimil i M NN & U M J Jan.

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10, 1939. M. BLAGE 2,143,753

DEVICE FOR HANDLING METAL SECTION MEMBERS AND MORE PARTICULARLY- RAILS, IN ORDER -TO HARDEN THEM N Filed April 22, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 10, 1939.

M DEVICE FOR HANDLING ME EARTICULARLY RAILS BLAG 2 TAL SECTION MEMBERS I AND MOR IN ORDER To HARDEN THEM Filed April 22, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 P 2,143,753 AL SECTION MEMBERS."AN

Jan. 10, 1939. BLAGE DEVICE FOR HANDLING MET 1: om; PARTICULARLY RAILS, IN ORDER TO mama; THEM Filed April 22, 1936 6 Sheets-Shet 4 I Jan. 10, 1939. M. BLAGE 2,143,753

METAL SECTION MEMBERS. AND MOR PARTICULARLY RAILS, IN 0 EDEN THEM DEVICE FOR HANDLING E RDER TO ,HA

6. Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 22, 1936 Jan. 10, 1939. M. BLAGE' 2,143,753

DEVICE FOR HANDLING METAL SECTION MEMBERS. AND MORE PARTICULARLY RAILS, IN ORDER TO HARDEN THEM Filed April 22, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 6 \k Inna/ hr Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES DEVICE FOR HANDLING MIETAL SECTION 'IVIEMBERS, .AND

MORE PARTICULARLY RAILS, IN ORDER TO HAR-DEN THEM Marcel Blag, Herserange, France, assignor to Socit Anonyme des Hauts Fourneaux de la Chiers, Longwy, France Application April 22, 1936, Serial No. 75,879 In France May 3, 1935 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for handling metal section members, and more particularly rails, for hardening them, which device utilizes a movable support of a known type which, after displacement of Suitable amplitude, moves the part to be hardened into contact with the hardening bath. One and the same ingot can, in gen- .eral, give a plurality of bars, and it is very advantageous to treat at the same time all the bars obtained from one and the same ingot. This .mode of procedure allows:

(1) Obtaining regularity in the hardening of all the bars of one and the. same ingot;

(2) Savingan important amount of time;

(3) Reducing the cumbersomeness of the plant.

Apparatus of this type have already been proposed, and the means for turning a rail over for hardening it is known.

The features of the mechanical device forming the subject-matter of the invention have been devised 'for ensuring rational handling of the products for the purpose of obtaining regular and homogeneous hardening.

The apparatus comprises a shaft on which are rigidly secured stepped arms adapted to receive and hold, during hardening, the section members to be treated, and, parallel to said shaft, harden ing vats to which the rails or section members are ledby a movement of rotation of said arms. The latter are provided with devices for holding a plurality of bars and, on the other hand, the

vatsare arranged in stepped relation corresponding to the number of bars which can be treated at the same time by the apparatus.

The accompanying drawings diagrammatically illustrate, by way of example only, an embodiment of the invention in which the apparatus is constructed for allowing three rails to be hard-- ened at the same time. But it is to be understood that the invention is not in any way limited to this particular case and that it also concerns an apparatus for the treatment of any other number of rails. Likewise, it is obvious that the ap paratus which will be described can serveior hardening one or two bars only.

Figs. 1,2 and .3 are sections, made at right angles to the shaft 1 of the apparatuathese figures particularly illustrate the portion of the apparatus in which the rails are placed on the arms.

Figs. 4. 5 and 6 are similar sections butillus trate the portion of the apparatus where hardening is effected and where-unloading of the rails treated takes place; these figures illustrate the successive .phases of the operation. 7

Fig. '7 is a perspective view showing one of the hook-controlling mechanisms; in this figure are shown the cylinder, as well as the combination of the links, hooks and adjustable abutments.

Fig. 8 shows, on an enlarged scale, the detail of an adjustable abutment.

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views showing the operation of the mechanism controlling the rotation of the arms, Fig. 9 showing the position of the parts at the time the rails are placed in position on the arms, whilst Fig. 10 shows the position of the same parts at the time of immersion.

Fig. 11 is a plan view, on a small scale, of the 15 plant. It will be seen that the device, forming the subject-matter of the invention, designated as a whole by T, is placed between the yard AV (which latteris situated between the rolling mill and the device) and the yard AR from which the treated rails are evacuated. The principle of the circulation of the products in a continuous line is therefore respected.

The shaft l receives a movement of rotation,

which is impart-ed thereto by means of the motor 9 (Fig. 11) through the medium of a control mechanism (see Figs. 9 and 10) transforming the continuous circular movement of the. motor into a circular reciprocating movement. This mechanism essentially comprises a link and crank de- 3 vice ill-ll: the crank ll receives a continuous movement of rotation which is imparted thereto by the motor 9 to which it is connected by any suitable transmission (worm and worm wheel, for instance) constituting a gearing down device; the link ill connects the crank toa toothedsegment i2 meshing with a pinion l3 actuating shaft I. Electromechanical devices render the control of this mechanism automatic and allow immersions of variable duration and their temporization 40 at will.

The stepped armsZ are so devised as to receive and hold, during the operation, the number of rails (three in the example described and illustrated) which are to be simultaneously treated. For that purpose, abutments 3. iand 5 (Fig. 1) are provided on the arms and they are combined with movable hooks ii, 1 and 8 (Fig. 1) controlled, as will be indicated later on, by pneumatic or hydraulic rocking cylinders.

All the rails obtained from one and the same ingot are conveyed from the rolling mill to the apparatus by a roller bed or table It. The rails can successivelybe placed in position on the apparatus by means of shifting members l5 by lats5 eral displacement owing to the arrangement of steps on the arms 2. This mode of procedure allows rapid clearing of the roller bed or table l4.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Fig. 1 shows the placing in position of the first rail I. For this operation, the arms 2 are moved to their lowest position by rotation of shaft l, which rotates in bearings Hi.

In its displacement from the bank of rollers to a point adjacent the apparatus, the rail has been moved along by the various shifting members l5 while in order to pass from this last position to the fixed locked position against the abutment 3, it is pushed by the respective pivoted beaks of the shifting members l5.

As soon as the rail I has been pushed against the abutment 3, which constitutes an aligning member, the pneumatic cylinders l'l act through the medium of the shaft l8, the levers l9 and the links 20 in such a manner as to raise the hooks 6 against the rail. This causes the locking and the holding of the rail by its base upon the apparatus while at the same time permitting it to effect freely its linear contraction during tempering. There is shown in Fig. 8 particularly, the adjustable abutment 2| while the particular locking action is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The locking of the first rail being thus effected, the shifting members l5 return towards the roller bed or table for taking the second rail.

During this time, shaft I has been caused to rotate, in order to slightly move the arms 2 upwardly and to allow them of receiving the second rail. The apparatus passes from the position shown in Fig. l to that illustrated in Fig. 2.

The latter shows the shifting members effecting the placing in position of the second rail II in the same manner as for the first rail; the locking is effected independently of the preceding one by means of a similar device, comprising a cylinder 22', a shaft 23, levers 24, links 25 and movable hooks 1.

The second rail being locked in position, the preceding operations are repeated for placing the third rail in position:

Lifting of the arms 2 tothe suitable position (shown in Fig. 3). return movement of the shifting members H: for taking the third rail (III) which will slide during its entire displacement to the bottom of the fixed hooks or abutments 5 and, finally, actuation of the movable hooks 8 by a cylinder 26 (independent of the cylinders l1 and 22' previously mentioned), shafts 21, levers 28 and links 29.

Once the third rail has been locked, the device being in the condition shown in Fig. 3, the shifting members l5 move backward and the hardening operation proper may begin (Fig. 4).

For effecting this operation, the apparatus is caused to describe a clockwise movement of rotation (direction indicated by the arrow, F, Fig. 3) this movement is of such an amplitude that the heads of the rails secured on the arms 2 of the apparatus are immersed in the hardening bath.

Owing to the arrangement of the apparatus and to the fact that the hardening is effected in independent vats 30, 3| and 32 (Fig. 4) arranged at different levels relatively to each other, all the rails carried by the apparatus are immersed at the same time and to the same extent.

'Fig. 4 shows, in dot and dash lines, the position occupied by the arms 2 with their rails I, II, III, at the time of hardening.

The inner arrangements of vats 30, 3| and 32 is the same. Each vat is supplied with cold water by a separate header 33, the water being admitted through the bottom by means of pipes 34, and it is then distributed in a first chamber 35 separated from the chamber 36 by a sheet metal plate 35' having large perforations which allow water to freely enter the chamber 36,.

The water comes in contact with the rail by passing through a second perforated sheet metal plate 3?; this sheet metal plate is provided with perforations very close to each other and it is combined with solid vertical inner sheet metal plates 38 inside the vats 30, 3| and 32. This combination guides the cold water towards the head of the rails and prevents hot water from mixing with cold water by convection movements. A very important economy in water is thus obtained. Hot water is instantaneously discharged in troughs 39 and is evacuated, through pipes 40, into a main header.

During the hardening operation, the shifting members 4| are moved backward so as to clear the hardening vat; as soon as the hardening operation has been eiTected, the arms 2 are raised for moving them to the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4, and the shifting members 4! come in position under the rail I, the noses 42 of said shifting members being capable of rocking for passing under the rail when the members 4| move towards the arms 2. The hooks 6 are opened by means of the cylinders and of the mechanisms controlled by these cylinders and which have been used for locking the rails, thus releasing the rail I which falls upon the shifting members 4|; the latter discharge the rail on the yard AR.

The arms of the apparatus are then moved to the position shown in Fig. 5, the rail II is released in the same manner, and it is discharged on the yard.

The apparatus again moves down to the necessary extent (see Fig. 6) to release the rail III in the same manner as the preceding rails.

The apparatus thus cleared of rails returns to the starting position (Fig. 1), and a new series of I operations can begin.

Owing to the device forming the subject-matter of the invention, the hardening operation does not cause any disturbance in the normal discharge of the products when they issue from the rolling mill, the rapid clearing of the roller bed or table and the discharge of the products always in the same direction constitute important advantages.

For obtaining a satisfactory hardening, it is not sufficient to dip only once in water the parts to be hardened; it is sometimes necessary to efiect several successive immersions and emersions and during definite periods of time.

The special control mechanism (Figs. 9'and 10) comprising a link and crank device, allows,

. near dead centers, which are the securing and hardening positions of the rails, of obtaining a very high accuracy in the points of stoppage of the apparatus and, consequently, in the depth of immersion.

The diagrammatic views of Figs. 9 and 10 show, in fact, that at the points under consideration the position of the arms is not practically affected by a small angular difference in the point of stoppage of the apparatus.

The control of this link and rack mechanism ensures, moreover, high security by avoiding accidents at the end of the displacement. The absence of abutment, against which the apparatus would break in case of shock, gives the operator the required confidence enabling him to effect with the indispensable mastery the multiple and successive operations of immersion and emersion during one and the same hardening operation.

The apparatus described is so devised and the various mechanical units are so arranged as to centralize the members of the controls to be actuated by an electromechanical equipment effecting the operations the sequence and durations of Which are fixed beforehand.

The stepped shape given to the arms 2 in the device forming the subject-matter of the invention constitutes an important improvement relatively to the systems already known. The advantage presented by the shape of arm is shown by the following remarks: For ensuring rapid clearing of the roller bed or table, necessary for obtaining a continuous and regular operation of the rolling mill, the bars must be shifted as soon as they have been out into sections when issuing from the rolling mill.

On the other hand, it is necessary, before hardening to straighten the bar which might have begun to curve which, particularly in the case of rails, would prevent the movable hooks from engaging with the rail flange. The straightening of the bar is automatically ensured, according to the invention, by the inclines of the fixed abutments against which the bars come upright under the thrust of the shifting members.

It results from the foregoing that fixed abute ments must be provided on the arms. But as the latter must receive a plurality of bars to be treated, it is obvious that these abutments would constitute obstacles preventing the placing in position of the various bars if they were situated in one and the same plane. The stepped arrangement of the fixed abutments remedies all inconveniences; it renders consistent the necessity of providing on the arms the fixed abutments mentioned above with the possibility of simultaneously treating several bars by means of the device forming the subject-matter of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for removing rails from a rolling mill run out table and immersing them in a bath for the purpose of hardening them comprising a rotatable shaft, arms, having stepped portions, on said shaft, means cooperating with the stepped portions on said arms for aligning and locking rails on said stepped portions and means for rotating said arms to a plurality of positions for receiving a plurality of rails in said stepped portions and for immersing said rails each in a separate bath for hardening the same.

2. An apparatus for removing rails from a rolling mill run out table and immersing them in a bath for the purpose of hardening them comprising a rotatable shaft, arms, having stepped portions, on said shaft, means cooperating with the stepped portions on said arms for aligning and locking rails on said stepped portions and means for rotating said arms to a plurality of positions for receiving a plurality of rails in said stepped portions and for immersing said rails each in a separate bath for hardening the same, and means for unlocking and removing said rails after they have been hardened from said stepped portions.

3. An apparatus for removing rails from a rolling mill run out table and immersing them in a bath for the purpose of hardening them comprising a rotatable shaft, arms, having stepped portions, fixed to said shaft, means for moving the rails to said arms, abutments on said arms against which said rails are moved and thereby align securing means for the rails on said arms cooperating with the stepped portions thereof whereby a plurality of rails may be supported on said arms, a series of hardening vats arranged at different levels in which the rails carried by said arms may be hardened and means for rotating said shaft and thereby said arms so as to carry a plurality of rails at one time and immerse each rail in a separate vat.

4. An apparatus for removing rails from a rolling mill run out table and immersing them in a bath for the purpose of hardening them comprising a shaft, a plurality of arms fixed to said shaft having stepped portions thereon for receiving a plurality of rails to be hardened, means for aligning said rails on said stepped portions means located on said arms cooperating with said stepped portions for locking said rails in aligned position to said arms and means for rotating said shaft after a plurality of rails are supported on said arms to transfer said rails from the run out table of the rolling mill to a series of hardening baths for said rails.

5. An apparatus for removing rails from a rolling mill run out table and immersing them in a bath for the purpose of hardening them comprising a shaft, a plurality of arms fixed to said shaft having stepped portions thereon for receiving a plurality of rails to be hardened abutments on said arms against which said rails are aligned, pivoted means located on said arms cooperating with said abutments for locking said rails to said arms and means for oscillating said shaft after a plurality of rails are supported on said arms from the run out table of the rolling mill to a series of stepped hardening baths for said rails.

MARCEL BLAGE.

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