US2329072A - Cooling bed - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 7, 1943. E. w. MIKAELsoN COOLING BED Filed Jan. 29, 1942 Patented Sept. 7, 1943 ,UNITED-V STAT-E A "ff v 2,329,072

- COOLING BED AErik W. -Mikaelson, Easton, Pa.,y ,assignor to Treadwell Engineering Company, Easton, Pa., a' corporation of Pennsylvania v Application Januaryfzsi, 1942, Vserial No. 423,779

' zlclaims. (c1. fad-42) The present invention relates to cooling beds and more particularly to cooling beds of thetype 'commonly used in or around steel plants, for receiving freshly rolled and highly heated steel products and supporting such products during a cooling period. A cooling bed ofthe general type contemplated herein v'is Ausually positioned in the general vicinity of a rail or plate mill, or adjacent the discharge end of any mill from which products are. discharged in highly heated condition and, in

the usual case, comprises a pluralitylof support- Likewiseit is preferred to construct and Asupport the article-supporting' members in' such fmanner that they may be operated to advance the Work slowly over the surface of the cooling bed, the speed. of movement being so regulated that a highly heated article received on the bed at one point is, when it reaches the discharge end of the bed, cooled to a sufficient degree to permit its immediate processing by other means. Naturally, the parts of the cooling bed which are directly engaged by the highly heated Work pieces themselves become highly heated in the continued operation of the bed for any substantial length of time. Where the work-supporting members are of the movable type and mechanism must be provided for effecting the movement of such members itV is to be desired that such operating mechanism be protected from excessive heating and it is the principal purpose of the present invention -to provide a cooling bed in which the work-supporting members are movable, member actuating means being provided, and which bed is provided with heat shielding means continuously interposed between the work and the actuating means for the work-supporting members, thus preventing overheating of the actuating means and interference with its functioning.

The figure shows an elevation partly in section of the cooling bed.

The invention relates particularly to a cooling bed of the type in which the work-supporting elements are circular disk-like members, setsof such members being mounted upon spaced parallel shafts, respectively, and the series of parallel shafts in turn being supported in bearings mounted upon pedestals. In this instance each shaft comprises not only means foi` actuating workengaging members, but likewise constitutes means for supporting such members and hence it is highly desirable that the shaft upon which the members are mounted be shielded against excessive heaty which might result in its distortion. In the accompanying drawing portion of one such shaft,- forming part of a cooling bed which may include many shafts of this type, is illustrated in side elevation, the supporting pedestals, the worksupporting members, and the means for shielding the shaft from the heat and the worksuperposed upon such members, being shown in section.

The` shaft just referred to is indicated at I0 inthe drawings, is horizontally disposed, and may be as long as needed, means (not illustrated) be ing positioned adjacent one end' c-f the vshaft and operatively connected thereto for slowly revolving the shaft in one direction of rotation. At spaced intervals the shaft passes through bearings, indicated at II inthe drawing, which bearings are supported upon the upper ends of pedestals I2, the base of each pedestal resting upon a suitable foundation. Encircling shaft I0 are a series of work-supporting members I3, there being aplurality of such members between each pair of adjacent bearings II and each member preferably being formed as an annular disk with a cylindrical work-engaging surface I3' and a central hub I32 encircling shaft I0, the inner cylindrical surface of theV hub engaging .the shaft rather closely, but the hub being freely slidable longitudinally on the shaft at all times. The members I3 are rotatable with the shaft, however, being splined thereto. Each hub I32 is provided with two annular shoulders I33 upon opposite sides thereof and upon the ends of these shoulders are seated the ends of the cylindrical heat-shielding members I Il, the shoulders I33 being concentric with the axis of shaft II) and the heat-shielding members I 4 being, therefore, supported in concentric relation to the shaft. The outer ends of the outermost members I4, however, are supported upon annular abutment members I5 and I6, respectively, abutment I5 being pinned to the shaft by a pin I'I and abutment I6 being slidably mounted upon the shaft and splined thereto, as are the hubs of the work-supporting members I3. That Work-supporting member I3 which is positioned intermediate abutment I6 and the adjacent bearing II, is shown to have an enlarged hub which is pinned to the shaft III by means of a pin I8 so as to rotate with the shaft. The pin I8, of course, holds this member against longitudinal movement on the shaft. Intermediate the enshaft I0. A plate resting upon the Work-supportingv right-hand abutment I5 Which is pinned to the members I3, and other work-supporting members I3 which are not illustrated lbut which comprise portions of the cooling bed, is indicated at"2" in chain lines.

This plate when received on theY cooling bed may be assumed to be in a highly heated condition and, by radiation from its undersurface, a large amount of this heat escapes downwardly and would ordinarily be transmitted directly to and absorbed by the shaft I il. rBecause of the interpositioning of the heat-shielding elements Ill, however, the shaft Ill is largely protectedV and becomes only slightly heated, never being heated tosuch an extent that it iscaused to warp or become distorted. Naturally, the heatshielding elements I4 will expand when the `cooling bed is rst placed in use and these elements rstbecome heated and to permit this expansion thehorizontal column of hubs and heat-shielding elements is rigidly conflnedfonly at :one end, i. e., by the annular member i5, and is yieldably conned at theopposite end, by the resiliently supported annular member i 6. When the use of the bed is discontinued likewise a very considerable contraction of these parts will occur and the spring I9 will expand, taking up any looseness or play which would otherwise be present. -The heat-shielding members may be formed of ysuit able materials, metal if desired, or substances having less capacity to transmit heat, rif thought to be necessary. Other forms of the linvention slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, a'plurality of heat shielding and element spacing tubular members encircling the shaft, one such shield being interposed between each two elements with'its ends mounted on such elements and its inner surface spaced from the surface of `the shaft, and resilient means for exerting pressure axially of the shaft to maintain tight engagement between said elements and shields at all times. c

2. I nja cooling bed or the like; in'combination;a shaftmounted .for rotation, a plurality of. spaced annular work-supporting andA advancing :elements slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of heat shieldingand element spacing tubularmembers encircling the shaft, one'such shield beinginterposed betweengeach two 'ele'-A ments with its endsjmoul'lted on such elements and its inner surfacefspaced from Vthe surfaceot the shaft, and means for exerting pressure axially of the 'shaft Yto maintain tight engagement between4 said `elements andshields atall` times, said means including an abutment secured to the shaft airone endof the `series of elements and members, aisliding abutment adjacent thereto, one end of a heat shielding tube being supported onsald abutmema,` an expansion spring interposedfbetween said fixed and sliding abutments, and a s third abutment, at the opposite vend of :the series maybe readily devised, as will beiapparent lto i of elements and members for flimitings'liding. movement `thereof 'along` theishaft .under the. in-y iluenceof said spring; v

' ERIK` W. MIKAELSON.

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