US2527976A - Apparatus for handling strip - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1950 L. A. VIGNERE 2,527,

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRIP Filed Sept. 7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 INVENTOR. L EONA RD A. VIG'NERE Patented Oct. 31, 1950 2,527,976 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRIP Leonard A. Vignere, Salem, Ohio, assignor to The Aetna-Standard Engineering Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 7, 1944, Serial No. 553,053"

' This invention relates to apparatus for handling sheet or strip-steel and thelike. Strip steel isordinarily furnished to the users in the form of large coils and before being subjected to stamp ing or other forming operations, the strip material, as it is withdrawn from the coil, ordinarily is subjected to a so-called processing operation where it is cold worked severely. The strip is then passed through a roller leveler to work the metal further and to insure that it will be delivered in perfectly flat form to the subsequent operations.

Heretofore considerable difficulty has been ex-. perienced in starting the end of a coil of strip steel through the processing rolls and into the roller leveler, or where the processing rolls are omitted in starting the strip into the roller leveler. The present invention relates to an apparatus whereby no manual operations are necessary'to start the end of the coil into and through the processing rolls and into the roller leveler. A general object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicient apparatus of this sort where'- in the end of a coil may be started with a, minimum of effort on the part of the operator and with a minimum loss of time. Another object is to provide such an apparatus in which the material being withdrawn from the coil is subjected to severe cold working by the processing rolls shortly after it is withdrawn from the coil and in such manner as to prevent damage to the metal by the uncoiling operation. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred form thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, the essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

Briefly I accomplish the above and other objects of the invention by providing an apparatus embodying a cradle for receiving a coil of strip material to be unwound, the cradle being provided with driven rolls so that the end or fishtail of the coil can be fed into guides by operation of the driven rolls supporting the coil in the cradle. The end of the strip is fed through a cluster of three rolls, clamped in the roll cluster by movement of one of the cluster rolls toward the other two rolls, and is then directed through pinch rolls to the roller leveler by rocking the cluster bodily to put a reverse bend into the end of the strip and direct the end into the guide of the roller leveler. Thereafter the strip may be. un-

coiled rapidly from the coil by driving the rollsof the cradle, the pinch rolls and the roller leveler insubstantial synchronism.

7 Claims. (01. 153 54) i Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention and showing the apparatus with the rolls in the position they occupy after the strip has been fed'into the leveler and while the uncoiling, processing and leveling operation is being carried out; Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figuregl with the coil of metal omitted for convenience in illustration; Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of Figure 2; and Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary sections through the cluster, pinch and guide rolls showing the rolls in the initial position when strip is being fed therebetween, and in the intermediate position, respectively.

As noted above the coil C of strip S to be processed is supported on and uncoiled from a cradle, the coil being indicated by broken lines in Figures 1 and 3. The cradle preferably comprises a suitable frame member or base member I0, and two oppositely disposed upright frame members II and [2 in which a plurality of supporting rolls I3 and guide rolls l4 are suitably journaled. Four, of the rolls I3 are preferably arranged with their centers lying on a circular are as shown while the last two rolls l3a and I3!) are disposed along a tangent to the arc. Thus rolls l3a and 13b guide and support the strip as it leaves the coil on its way to the processing rolls. All of the rolls 13 are preferably arranged to be driven in either direction by conventional drive mechanism not shown in the drawings. The smaller guide rolls I l prevent displacement of the coil from the cradle and need not be driven. By controlling the driving mechanism for the rolls l3, a coil disposed on the cradle can be rotated in either direction. In order to stabilize the coil on the cradle, to insure uniform withdrawal of strip from the coil and to prevent the 0011 from jumping on the cradle or becoming dislodged therefrom, I preferably em.- ploy the stabilizer bar or roll it which is adapted to pass through the central opening of the coil C. The roll is shown in the drawing at the bottom of the slot which is the position it occupies when there is no coil in the machine. In use, roll 15 is disposed in the center of the coil, is guided by vertical slots l1 and 18 in the end or upright frame merbers II and I2, respectively, and slides downwardly in the guides as the coil becomes smaller.

From the cradle the strip S passes between guides 20 and 2| and between the first cluster roll 22 and the intermediate cluster roll 23. Then the strip bends around about of the cluster roll 23 and passes between the third cluster roll 24 and the pinch roll 25, being bent in a reverse direction around nearly 90 of the roll 24. Finally, the strip passes beneath the guide roll 26 to the roller leveler which may be of any conventional construction, the entering end of the leveler bein indicated generally at 21.

The several cluster, pinch and guide rolls are supported on a frame work made up of a base portion 30 and vertical frame members 31 and 32.

The pinch roll 25 and the guide roll 26 are journaled directly in the frame members 3! and 32, the pinch roll 25 being provided with drive pulleys 33 so that the roll may be driven by belts 34 which in turn are driven from any suitable source of power (not shown) such as the drive mechanism for the roller leveler 21. The roll 25 is also provided with a gear 35 adjacent one end thereof which is adapted to mesh with the gear 36 carried by the cluster roll 24. Thus when the cluster rolls are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, the

roll 24 is driven with the roll 25 and the two rolls together constitute a pair of pinch rolls.

The cluster rolls 22, 23 and 24- are not supported directly in the upright frame members 31 and 32, but are carried by a sub-frame made up of end members 40 and 4i and a transverse member 42. The end members 40 and 41 are provided with projecting supporting shafts 43 and 44, respectively, these being journaled in bosses 45 and 46 of the upright frame members 31 and 32. Thus the supporting frame is mounted so that it can be rocked bodily with respect to the main frame, and to accomplish this purpose segmental gears 41 and 48 are keyed to th projecting ends of shafts 43 and 44. The gears are en-' gaged by racks 49 and 50 supported by suitable guide rollers 5| and reciprocated by power cylinders 52 and 53. It will be evident that upon admission of actuating fluid to the ends of the cylinders 52 and 53 .awayfrom the rack, the frame will be rocked to the position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, whereas when fluid is admitted to the opposite end of the cylinders 52 and 53, the subframe will be rocked so that it occupies the position shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The first and third cluster rolls 22 and 24 are journaled directly in the end members 40 and 4! of the sub-frame. However, the intermediate cluster roll 23 is carried by bearing blocks slideably mounted in slots 55 and 56 in the end members 40 and 4|. The end members also carry power cylinders 51 and 58, to the piston rods of which the bearing blocks for the roll 23 are secured. With this arrangement when fluid under pressure is admitted to the lower ends of the cylinders 51 and 58, the roll 23 will be raised to the position shown in Figure 4, whereas when fluid pressure is admitted to the upper ends of the cylinders, the pistons will be forced downwardly and the roll 23 moved toward the rolls 22 and 24 into the position shown in Figures 3 and 5. In this lower position, the axis of the roll 23 substantially coincides with the axis of rotation of the sub-frame.

The arrangement just described enables the end of the coil of strip to be fed rapidly and easily into the guides 60 of the roller leveler 21, and also subjects the strip passing between the rolls to severe cold working by bending the strip in opposite directions around the rolls 23 and 24, thus putting the strip into proper condition for subsequent operations and preventing damage to the structure of the strip by the uncoiling operation. The feeding of the end of the strip through the various rolls and into the roller leveler is ac complished as follows:

The coil C of strip S is loaded onto the cradle with the stabilizer bar 16 inserted through the central opening of the coil and engaged in the guiding slots l1 and I8 of the upright frame members H and 12. The end or fishtail of the strip is bent outwardly therefrom into some such position as indicated at S in the drawing. Then the coil is rotated by means of the rolls I3, in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation for withdrawing strip from the coil (clockwise in the arrangement shown in the drawing) so that the end of the strip is disposed beneath the corner or angle Bl of the guide 20 as indicated at S.

The rolls 13 then are driven in the direction to withdraw the strip from the coil (counterclockwise from the arrangement shown in the drawing) thereby to feed the end of the strip between the guides 20 and 21 and beneath the cluster roll 23 and above the cluster rolls 22 and 24 as shown in Figure 4 ofjthe drawings. Atthis time, the sub-frame is arranged as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings with the end members and cylinders 51 and 58 substantially vertical while the intermediat cluster roll 23 is raised to its uppermost position to provide a relatively large gap through which the end of the strip can be fed. During the initial feeding operation, the end of the strip ordinarily is only slightly curved, and may be considered as substantially straight, for there are no abrupt bends in the material. The strip is fed through the gap between the rolls by rotation of the cradle rolls l3 until the end of the strip strikes the adjustable stop 83 as shown in Figure 4. Then the rotation of the cradle :rolls I3 is stopped and actuating fluid is supplied to the upper ends of the cylinders 51 and 58 to force the roll 23 downwardly toward the rolls 22 and 24, securely clamping the strip between the rolls and bending the strip as shown in Figure 5. The bending action results in the end of the strip swinging upwardly into engagement with the guide roll 26, the lower surface of the roll 26 being disposed substantially .at the level of the pass line of the roller leveler 21.

After the strip has reached the position shown in Figure 5, fluid under pressure is admitted to the ends of the cylinders 52 and 53 remote from the racks 49 and 50, forcing the racks to the right in the arrangement shown in the drawings, and rocking the sub-frame carrying the rolls 22, 23 and 24 in a counterclockwise direction in the embodiment shown into the position shown in Figure 3. Rocking the cluster rolls to this position results in the bending of the strip upwardly around the intermediate roll 23 so that it takes a substantially vertical direction, and then bending the strip in the reverse through approximately around the third roll 24 so that it takes a horizontal position with the end of the strip lying substantially parallel to, but ofiset from the portion of the strip leading from the coil to the bite of the rolls 22 and 23. In this position, the end is disposed beneath the roll 25 and in alignment with the entering guides 60 of the leveler 21. As the sub-frame is swung to the position in Figure 3, the roll 24 engages and pinches the strip against the roll 25 and the gear 36 comes into mesh with the gear 35. The rolls 24 and 25 thus act as pinch rolls. Then the operator has only to start th drive mechanism for the leveler, the rolls 24 and 25, and the rolls l3, thus causing the strip to be unwound from the coil, to pass between the cluster rolls which then constitute processing rolls, and finally to pass through the roller leveler. From the leveler, the strip may go to a flying shear, or other apparatus not pertinent to the present invention.

From the foregoing description of a preferred form' of my invention, it will be evident that I have provided a mechanism whereby stripimaterialma'j be rapidly and efficiently uncoiled, processed and leveled. With my apparatus theoperator merely by manipulating the controls for the driving mechanism of the several units can readilyand rapidly enter the end of a coil .of strip through the processing rolls and into the roller leveler. The apparatus subjects the metal to severe cold working shortly after it is withdrawn from thecoil and because of this working and because of the fact that the coil is steadied or stabilized on the cradle, damage to the metal as'i't is being withdrawn from the coil is substantially eliminated. My apparatus is simple and sturdy and can be manufactured at reasonable cost. While the apparatus is shown here as adapted for use with material in coil form, it will be evident that the processing rolls can be used with equal facility in the processing of sheets and in feeding sheets to a leveler or other apparatus.

Various changes and modifications in my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that my patent is not limited to the preferred embodiment of my invention described in detail herein, but

that the foregoing detailed description is given by way of example and not by way of limitation.

I claim:

1. A strip enterin and processing apparatus adapted to receive strip material, subject it to cold working and guide it to a roller leveler, said apparatus comprising a main frame, a pinch roll mounted in said main frame, a sub-frame mounted for rocking movement with respect to said main frame, a plurality of rolls carried by said sub-frame, one of said rolls being bodily movable with respect to the others, means for moving said movable roll from open position wherein a relatively large space is provided to receive the end of a strip of material to closed position wherein the strip is engaged by the rolls and bent part way around one of the rolls with the end of the strip engaging the guide roll, and means for rocking the sub-frame to bring one of the rolls carried thereby adjacent said pinch roll with the strip engaged therebetween.

2. A strip entering and processing apparatus adapted to receive strip material, subject it to cold working and guide it to a roller leveler, said apparatus comprising a main frame, a pinch roll and a guide roll mounted in said main frame, a sub-frame mounted for rocking movement with respect to said main frame, a plurality of rolls carried by said sub-frame, one of said rolls being bodily movable with respect to the others, means for moving said movable roll from open position wherein a relatively large space is provided to receive the end of a strip of material 7 to closed position wherein the strip is engaged by the rolls and bent part way around one of the rolls with the end of the strip engaging the guide roll, means for rocking the sub-frame to bring one of the rolls carried thereby adjacent said pinch roll with the strip engaged therebetween, means for driving said pinch roll, and means for driving the roll adjacent thereto from said pinch roll.

3. A strip entering and processing apparatus 6 adapted' to' receive strip material, subject it to coldworking and guide it to a roller leveler, said apparatus comprising a main frame, a pinch'roll and a guide roll mounted in said main frame, a sub-frame mountedfor rocking movement with respect to said main frame, a plurality of'rolls carried by said s-ub frame, one of said rolls being bodily movable with respect to the others,

there-being a'relatively large space between said rolls to receivethe'end of a strip'of material when said roll is'in open position, stop means errg'ageable by the end of a strip projecting through said rolls only when said roll is in'open position, means for moving said roll to closed position wherein the strip'is engaged by the 'rolls and bent part way around one of the rolls with the endjof the strip'engaging the guide roll and disengaged fromsaid' -stop means, means for rock ing the sub-frame to bring one of the rolls carried thereby adjacent said pinch roll with the strip engaged therebetween, means for driving said pinch roll, and means for driving the roll adjacent thereto from said pinch roll.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the

combination of a cradle comprising a plurality of rolls adapted to support a coil of strip material, and a group of processing rolls, said processing rolls being adapted to receive strip material from said coil, subject the material to cold working, and feed the material to a roller leveler, said processing rolls including a cluster of three rolls, a pinch roll and a guide roll, the intermediate roll of said cluster being bodily movable with respect to the first and third roll to provide, in one position a relatively large space to receive the end of the strip and in another position to urge the strip against said first and third rolls thereby causing a strip positioned therebetween to be bent part way around said intermediate roll and causing the end of the strip to engage said guide roll, and means for rocking said cluster of rolls to bring said third roll closely adjacent said pinch roll thereby engaging the strip between said third roll and said pinch roll, imparting a reverse bend to the strip and guiding the end thereof to said roller leveler.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cradle comprising a plurality of rolls adapted to support a coil of strip material, and a group of processing rolls, said processing rolls being adapted to receive strip material from said coil, subject the material to cold working, and feed the material to a roller leveler, said processing rolls including a cluster of three rolls, the intermediate roll of said cluster being bodily movable with respect to the first and third rolls to provide, in one position, a relatively large space to receive the end of the strip and in another position to urge the strip against said first and third rolls thereby causing a strip positioned therebetween to be bent part way around said intermediate roll, and means for rocking said cluster of rolls to impart a reverse bend to the strip.

6. A processing apparatus, a group of processing rolls comprising a cluster of three rolls and a pinch roll, the intermediate roll of said cluster being bodily movable with respect to the first and third rolls to provide, in one position, a relatively large space to receive the end of a sheet or strip and in another position to urge the sheet or strip against said first and third rolls thereby causing a sheet or strip material positioned therebetween to be bent part way around said intermediate roll, and means for rocking said cluster anerz we 7 rolls to bring said third roll closely adjacent said pinch .roll thereby engaging the sheet or strip between said third roll and said pinch roll and imparting a reverse bend thereto.

7. Processing apparatus for sheet or strip material comprising a plurality of rolls, means for supporting said rolls in an entering position wherein a space is provided to permit the end of a sheet or strip to pass between and project beyond said rolls without requiring engagement between the material and the rolls or bending of the material, a stop engageable by the projecting end of the sheet or strip, and means for moving the rolls to disengage said end from said stop, engage said sheet or strip to impart a, reverse bend thereto and guide said end in a direction substantially parallel to but ofiset from the direction of the strip or sheet entering said rolls.

LEONARD A. VIGNERE.

8 REFERENCES .CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 357,082 Hine Feb. 1, 1887 438,846 Hine Oct. 21,1890

1,305,069 Cross May27, 1919 1,943,748 Talbot Jan. 16, 1934 2,001,637 Talbot May 14, 1935 2,006,087 Miller June 25, 1935 2,038,305 Mikaelson Apr. 21, 1936 2,096,713 Freeze Oct. 26, 1937 2,140,928 Talbot et a1 Dec. 20, 1938 2,179,011 Hudson Nov. 7, 1939 2,188,782 Thomas Jan. 30, 1940 2,233,547 Milleret a1 Mar. 4, 1941 2,394,824 Todd A. Feb. 12, 1946

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