US2664019A - Rolling machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 29, 1953 L. B. HENDERSON ROLLING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1947 IN V'A/T Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED PATENT 'ROLLING MACHINE lLeonard 'Bayli'ie l-Ienderson, "Olton, England .Application ,June A25, 1947, Serial .N o. 1756,841

Claims priority,l application 'Great" Britain June 29, 1946 l rIhis .invention lrelates to #rolling machinesgparticularly of the type comprising ;aplura=lity of roll stands, such as, for successively shaping or Working a strip or length of metal. Ordinarily all the rolls are geared'together so that thezdrive is transmitted from ,or through -one ,roll set to another and many objections are thereby lpre-r sented. The present invention'has for its Vobject to vprovidefmeans'for readily assembling anddisassembling the -vitalparts of ka rolling machine in which a roll set orstand-can be -displaced'without inter-fering Awith the -driveto'other `roll sets, sof-that such opera-tions taking place on vone 4passage of the Workepiece throughrthe machine, can be considerably varied.

According to the present invention, theiolling machine isv provided with a machine bed 4frame having a substantially horizontal top surface, a drive shaft mounted in bearings above, centrally of said surface and longitudinally thereof, worm gears seated on said drive shaft and at intervals therealong, and a roll stand forming a unitary structure detachably mounted on the surface of the machine bed frame, the stand supporting by means of roll shafts the rolls adapted to be detachably coupled with a worm gear on the longitudinal shaft by means of a worm Wheel seated on one of said roll shafts, and means registering the roll stand on the aforesaid top surface so that the Worm Wheel on the roll stand will mesh with the Worm gear on the longitudinal drive shaft. Thus, all roll stands are automatically positioned in alignment With each other. The arrangement is conveniently carried out so that when the roll stand is correctly positioned and registered on the bed frame, the gearings (Worm and worm wheel) are simultaneously placed into intermeshing engagement.

A worm on the longitudinal shaft is adapted to mesh with a worm wheel on a roll shaft mounted on the roll stand, The bed frame and the roll stand frame have, respectively, interfitting formations in the form of projections and recesses or grooves to register the roll stands in correct alignment with each other and in correct position to the bed frame to ensure meshing of the aforesaid gearings. The roll stands are interchangeable With stands for effectuating Welding, punching or like operations.

Each roll stand is thus driven independently from a driving member which may comprise a single drive shaft extending longitudinally along the row of roll stands. With this arrangement the drive for one roll set has not to be passed through the drive of another roll set, thereby 17.Claim. (Cl. .18o-35) ensuring .tthat undue ystrain 'isf not rplaced on'the driving gear, The drive shaft is geared tto :the

roll-:shaftssin Ysuch amanner `that any roll-stand can be memoired 4'when required, 4Without Yinterfering with the Working of the votherro'll fsets.

Any other type of ymachine such :asvfor perforating, shearing orweldin'g the workpiece'mayfbe worm 4 on the drive shaft I.

substituted for :fa roll :stand 'sand rsuch machine driven` from the drive shaftaoriby separate means, thereby-enabling :any desired sequence "of @operations fto be :effected .on 'one' passage of A'the `iWork-- piece, --through the machine. s

.-In .order .thatpthe invention :may y*be clearly understood and .readily :carried :into veffect, ref- 1 erence may :be had fto the yaccompanying draw-- ings, in which: I

@Figure 1 .is a side-,elevation :of :a rolling .'mill constructed according ito 'this invention, and Figure 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the machine.

According to one form of the invention, a longitudinal driving shaft I is mounted in pedestal bearings 2 fixed on a bed frame 3 and worm gears 4 are mounted on this horizontally arranged shaft at predetermined intervals therealong. The bed frame 3 and driving shaft l and gear 4 thereon thus constitute a unitary structure. Roll stands A each of which is selfcontained, are detachably mounted on the bed 3, such stands comprising frames having side members 5 in which are mounted a pair of roll shafts, the lower roll shaft 6, between the side members 5 carrying a worm Wheel 'I splined to said lower roll shaft, which worm wheel I meshes with a Both roll shafts of a pair are mounted in journal blocks carried by the side members 5 and the upper roll shaft 8 is normally free to rotate in the journals so that the upper roll can be nonrotatably fixed on the shaft. The roll stands A are fixed on the bed 3 by holding down bolts, and the foot or bottom foot of each side member 5 has a slot or mortise 9 for engaging a tennon I 0 on the bed to correctly position the roll stands in alignment and in correct position for the meshing of the worm 4 and Worm wheel 1. Thus any number of roll stands can be arranged over the drive shaft I and any particular roll stand can be readily removed Without affecting the operation of the other roll stands. The roll stand A is thus a unitary construction incorporating gearing for transmitting the drive to the roll shaft from the driving shaft, and when the roll stand is positioned on the bed frame 3, the gearing on the two unitary structures are simultane- 3 ously placed in mesh. The side members 5 of each stand are inter-connected by the cross member or web 5a at a level above the lower roll shaft 6 and such web has a hole 5b therein for anchoring a lifting device thereto by means of which the roll stand may be removed in vertical movement whereby said Worm Wheel is brought out of mesh with its worm with inherent disengagement from its worm drive. In place of a roll stand any other machine can be fitted and arranged to be driven from a worm on the drive shaft, for instance a strip of metal can be perforated, rolled into a tube and the joint welded in a single pass through the machine. The upper roll of a pair is free to roll on its own pitch circle but when necessary the two shafts of a pair may be geared together so that the upper roll is driven,

which arrangement may be required at the finishing end to assist in pulling the work through the pass. Rolls may be mounted on one or both ends of the roll shafts projecting laterally from the roll stand.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A rolling machine comprising a bed having a top surface, spaced bearings seated on said top surface, a single driving shaft supported at spaced points by said bearings, mortise or tenon means on said surface at each side of said shaft and between said spaced bearings, a worm disposed between said spaced bearings and mounted for drive on said shaft, a self-contained roll stand forming a unitary structure detachably mounted on said top surface, said stand comprising a pair of upright side members one on each side of said shaft and each having a bottom foot provided with mortise or tenon means intertting corre- 4 spondingly with those of said surface for engagement upon vertical assembly movement, upper and lower roll shafts extending across and beyond said side members, journals in said side members for said roll shafts, whereby the latter have respective ends projecting beyond both said side members for mounting rolls thereon, reinforcing means extending between said side members and interconnecting the latter at a level above said lower roll shafts so that an open space is provided between said bottom feet of said side members and directly above said driving shaft and said lower roll shaft, a worm wheel splined to the lower roll shaft and positioned intermediate said side members and engaging said worm of said driving shaft, the interfitting tenori and mortise means and the position of said worm and said worm wheel, which allow for vertical movement of said worm wheel out of mesh with its worm being such that said self-contained roll stand may be vertically removed with inherent disengagement from its worm drive.

LEONARD BAYLIFFE HENDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 275,856 Reese Apr. 17, 1883 276,743 Andrew May 1, 1883 323,100 Baker July 28, 1885 351,841 Lenox Nov. 2, 1886 718,476 King et al. Jan. 13, 1903 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 373,720 Great Britain June 2, 1932 492,716 France Nov. 5, 1918

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