US2683570A

US2683570A - Mill for the hot rolling of strip metal

Info

Publication number: US2683570A
Application number: US118277A
Authority: US
Inventors: John F Ferm
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-09-28
Filing date: 1949-09-28
Publication date: 1954-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 1971-07-13

Description

July 13, 1954 J. F. PERM MILL FOR THE HOT ROLLING 0F STRIP METAL Filed Sept. 28, 1949 6 Shees-Sheet 1 1N NTOR. CML wh J. F. FERM MILL FOR THE HOT ROLLING OF STRIP METAL July 13, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 INVENTOR.

July 13, 1954` J, F, PERM 2,683,570 MILL FOR THE HOT ROLLING 0F STRIP METAL Filed Sept. 28, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

BY (PM ,mmv

Q TTOPNE YS.

July 13, l954 .1. F. PERM 2,683,570

MILL FoR THE HOT ROLLING oF STRIP METAL Filed sept. 28, 1949 6 sheets-sheet 4' (F o`LNVERJTOR. BY Mm 5,@M

bis

ATTORNEYS.

July 13, 1954 J, F PERM 2,683,570

MILL FOR THE HOT ROLLING OF STRIP METAL Filed Sept. 28, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 q i E INVENTOR. (74A m H TTORNE YJ.

July 13, 1954 J. F. FERM 2,683,570

MILL FOR THE HOT ROLLING OF STRIP METAL Filed Sept. 28, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 g zus H TTOE/VE YS.'

Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILL FOR THE H011 ROLLING OF STRIP METAL 7 Claims. l

The invention relates to the hot rolling of metal in strip form, and particularly to the hot rolling of strip steel.

In steel mills having high tonnage requirements of strip, the prevailing practice is to do the hot nish rolling on a conventional or standard continuous mill that customarily has six four-high stands, The cost of building and operating such a mill is much too high for a plant that has materially lower tonnage requirements of strip than the capacity of such standard continuous iinishing mills. In some plants that have lower tonnage requirements there have been installed singlestand hot reversing mills having coilers at each side arranged in heating chambers, such mills being of the type disclosed in United States Patent 1,918,968, which issued to Robert W. Keeney and me.

Hot strip reversing mills of the type just stated have been found to be unsatisfactory in some respects, among other reasons because their tonnage capacity is too low, and also because the surface finish of the strip does not meet the requirements of many uses of it. In their operation all of the reducing passes are between a single pair of rolls whose direction of rotation is changed between each pass, which materially decreases the rate of rolling and consequently the tonnage capacity of the mills. As to the surface iinish of the strip, the high temperature of the blanks that are rolled in the initial passes so impairs the Working faces of the rolls that in the iinal passes of the strip the rolls cannot impart to it the surface nish required for many uses of the strip.

Due to their construction, the operation of the coilers used on hot reversing mills of the type just stated is unsatisfactory. In such coilers, strips are wound upon drums or cores which are so constructed that desired uniformity of heat in the strip cannot be maintained, and, for engaging the leading ends of the strip, the drums or cores are equipped with various instrumentalities that retard the operation of the mill and fail properly to function with uniformity. Also, the build-up of the diameter of coils upon drums or cores results in lack of uniformity of the tension applied to the strip between the mill and coiler.

An object is to provide a ve-high mill for the hot rolling of strip metal having working rolls that are continuously driven in one direction and are arranged to form two oppositely-moving roll passes in vertically spaced horizontal planes, the mill having a coiler at each side associated with guides for receiving strip from one of the mill passes and delivering it to the other.

A further object is to provide a mill of the type just stated with coiling mechanism whereby the strip is progressively bent to coil form without the use of a central core or of end-grippers, and whereby the tension of the strip between the bite of the rolls and the coiler may be maintained uniform from one to the other of the end portions of the strip.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a quite diagrammatic elevation of a vehigh strip-rolling stand with a coiler at the entry and delivery sides of it, guides between the stand and coiler, and two four-high stands beyond the coiler at the delivery side of the mill; Fig. 2 a vertical central sectional view of the coiler at the entry side of the five-high stand, and of guides between the stand and coiler; Fig. 3 a View similar to Fig. 2 of the coiler and guides at the delivery side of the five-high stand, the plane of View being indicated by the line III-III on Fig. 4; Fig. 4 a sectional plan view of the coiler and the drive for it at the delivery side of the live-high stand, the plane of view being indicated by the shown in section; Fig. 6 a rear elevation of thecoiler of Figs. 3, 4 and 5, viewed from the right as seen n Fig. 5; Fig. l a sectional View of the gear drive taken on a plane indicated by the line VII- VIL Fig. 4; Fig. 8 a horizontal sectional View of coil guard mechanism taken on the plane indicated by the lines VIII- VIII on Figs. 3 and 6; Fig. 9 a'horizontal sectional view of the coil guard mechanism taken on the plane indicated by the line IX-IX, Fig. 6; and Fig. 10 a central longitudinal sectional View of rollers in the coilers, showing details of their construction.

Having reference now to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the preferred form of the several mill units are quite diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows a rive-high mill l, a coiler 2 on the entry side of the mill and a coiler 3 on its delivery side. The rive-high mill has three working rolls, an upper roll 4, a middle roll 5 and a lower roll 6, and has a large diameter backing roll l above the top working roll and a simiar backing roll 8 below the bottom working roll, the backing rolls being mounted in roller or other anti-friction bearings. Although not illustrated, the mill is equipped with the customary appurtenances such as roll chocks, roll balances, screw-downs. etc. The mill is driven by an adjustable speed motor with a suitable gear drive extending from it to the three working rolls.

A break-down in the form of a thin slab or plate is delivered to mill I by a conveyor table I and a strip-directing guide I I to the lower pass of mill I between middle working roll and lower working roll 6, and at the delivery side of the mill it is carried by a strip-directing guide I2 to coiler 3. When the blank has been rolled in this pass, and coiled, the coiler is reversed to feed the blank through a strip-directing guide I3 to the upper pass of mill I between top working roll 4 and middle working roll 5, the delivered blank then passing through a strip-directing guide I4 into coiler 2. For a third pass through mill I, coller 2 is reversed to feed the blank through a str-ipdirecting guide I5 that crosses guide I4 to the lower pass of mill I. This back and forth rolling f the blank is done as many times .as are necessary to reduce the blank to its intended thickness in mill I. At the entrance side of mill I there are a pair of vertical edging rolls I6, which may be of conventional or of any desired form, ior edge rolling the blank prior to each entry of it in the lower roll pass, thereby maintaining its desired width.

As has been stated, coilers 2 and 'J are preferably of like construction. Coiler 3 at the delivery side of mill I is illustrated in Figs. 3-6, to which reference will now be made. The mechanism of the coiler is mounted in and supported by a housing having a base (Fig. 6) and side frames 27 and 2S. The strip-directing guide II leading from the lower pass of mill I may be of conventional or of any desired construction. At its right end as seen in Fig. 3, there is a trough 29 whose left end is pivotal'ly supported at 3) and whose outer end is connected to the piston rod 3l of a pressure fluid cylinder mechanism 32 for moving the trough upwardly to its dotted line position to deliver a blank to the coling mechanism roll, and to move it downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3 for delivering a blank to a conveyor table 3'3 which passes between the side frames of the coiler below the ceiling mechanism to carry the blank to the entry side of finishing-pass stand 2G, when coiler 3 is followed by such a stand or stands. The right end of trough 29 is provided with idle rollers 34, between which, when the trough is elevated, a blank is delivered to an upwardly inclined guide at the entrance of the coiler, such guide being provided with laterally adjustable side guards 36, and also with idle rollers Sl.

When directed into the coller, the Vforward end of a blank is engagedby a pair of driven pinch rolls 38 and the roll 39 being adjustable with relation to the upper Yroll 38 by iiuid pressure mechanism including a cylinder 4I), Fie. 3, position in the central bottom lportion of the coiler. IThe piston 4I of this mechanism is pivotally connected to the lower end vof an arm 42 borne by a rock shaft :i3 to Whichan arm 44, Fig. 5, is connected at each side of the coiler in a window in a side frame. rThese .arms are connected by links #5to housings or chocks 4B in the side frame windows, that support the ends of pinch roll 39. Pinch roll 39 is vertically adjusted by the mechanism just explained to cause the pinch rolls to grip 'blanks of different thicknesses, and, in a manner presently to be explained, the pinch rolls are driven at the proper peripheral speed to hold ablank taut as it is delivered from the lower pass of mill I.

Beyond the pinch rolls 38 and 39, the coiler is provided with a bender for continuously curving the blank delivered from the pinch rolls to facilitate the coiling of the blank. The bender preferably comprises an upper roll 56 and two laterally spaced lower rolls 5I and 52 (Figs. 3 and 5) all of which are driven in a manner presently to be explained so .that a blank delivered from pinch rolls 3B and 3E) through a guide 53 is continuously bent upwardly. Provision is made for adjusting the lower pinch rolls 5I and Ei with relation to upper pinch roll 5G properly to bend blanks Ad-iilerent thicknesses. For this purpose, the ends of the lower pinch rolls are borne by blocks 5d (Figs. 3 and 5) mounted in windows of the side frames of the coiler i'or movements in an upwardly inclined direction. A screw 55 is attached to the lower side of each block 5d, and threadably engaging the screw in the usual manner there is a Worm gear 133 driven by a worm 53 formed on `a shaft El connected at one end to a drive shaft 5B (Fig. Y(i) that may be rotated by a suitable motor. Proper adjustment Vof lthe lower bending rolls may be shown by an indicator 6G (Fig. 5) which is actuated by a shaft 6I having a worm gear 62 at its lower end adapted to be driven by a worm on shaft 5l and also having a worin 63 at its upper end for rotating the indicater hand. Minor ladjustments of lower bending roll 5i with relation to bending roll 52 are effected by mounting the ends of bending roll 5I in shocks 55 which are engaged by screws S6 that are adjustably supported by brackets BI on locks 5t.

As a blank is fed upwardly in curved form by the bender, its outer surface is engaged by a series of arms that are arranged in an arc to coll the blank, and are mounted for outward movement as the diameter of the coil increases. As the blank is being coiled the coil is supported by cradle rolls which are driven to rotate the coil. As shown in Fig. 3, there are three coil-forming arms 1B, H and l2, and there are two cradle rolls I3 and lll, and each of the -arms is provided near its outer end with a series of blank-engaging rollers i5 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Betr-:een the bender and cradle roll 74 there is a guide 'I to prevent the leading end of the blanlfL issuing from the bender from striking cradle roll T4.

Preferably the coil-forming arms are pivotally mounted, and provision is made for simultaneously swinging their blank-engaging outer ends outwardly as the diameter or" the coil increases. As shown in Fig. 3, arm 'i2 is pivotally mounted on a rock shaft 82, arm 'il on a rock shaft 6 and arm Iii on a rock shaft 89, the ends of which shafts are borne by side frames 2l' and 28. Rock shaft 82 is connected by an arm to the piston rod 84 or" a pressure iiuid cylinder that is pivotally connected at its end to a beam fit attached to the top ofthe side frames of the coiler. In Fig. 3, coil-forming arm l2 is shown in full lines in its outer position at the completion of a coiling operation, and in dotted lines at the beginning of a ceiling operation at which time the inner convolution of the coil is shown by the dotted line $1. Arm 83 is connected by links 90 (Figs. 3 and 4) to an arm il! that is attached to rock shaft SI for moving arm il, and arm 83 is also connected to a link 92 that is connected to the outer end of an arm 93 which forms a part of a bell crank lever attached to shaft I. The other arm 9d of this lever is connected by a link 95 to an arm 95 attached to rock shaft 8% for moving arm 1B. Thus by actuating pressure cylinder 35 to move its piston inwardly, each of rock shafts 30, 3| and 32 are turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 simultaneously to move the outer ends of

arms

10, 1| and 12 outwardly as a coil is built up within the arms and upon cradle rolls 13 and 14. At the outer end of arm 12, there is pivotally supported a tilting auX- iliary guide 00 to facilitate the initial forming of a coilwhen such arm is moved to its innermost position. The upper end of guide then engages a projection 53 formed on arm 12 to hold the lower end of the guide firmly against the leading end of the strip.

To aid in forming a coil, and also to uncoil a blank that has been coiled, a driven coil roll |0| of materially smaller diameter than the inside diameter of coils that are formed, is positioned within the coniines of

arms

10, 1| and 12, and above ycradle rolls 13 and 14 so that it will be in the central portion of coil. This coil roll is supported at its ends by a yoke comprising a shaft E02 whose ends are supported by side frames 21 and 20, and arms |03 and |04 that engage the coil roll. The lower end of arm |03 is pivotally supported by a sleeve |62 (presently to be explained), and the lower end of arm |04 is pivotally supported by shaft |02. Provision is made for swinging this yoke (shaft |02 and arms |03 and it, or merely the arms) upwardly at the beginning or a coiling operation to position coil roll i0! adjacent to the coil arms as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and particularly adjacent to the idle rollers 15 on coil-forming arm 12. For thus swinging the yoke, arms |03 and iiifl are connected by links |05 (Figs. 3 and 4) to the outer ends of lever arms |06 that are attached to a rock shaft |61 whose ends are supported by the side frames 21 and 28. This shaft is rocked by a pressure fluid mechanism including a cylinder i033 whose upper end is pivotally supported by a beam 09 supported by the tops of the side frames. The piston rod |10 of cylinder |08 is pivotally connected at its outer end to an arm iii borne by shaft |01. By causing piston rod liii to move outwardly of cylinder |08, rock shaft |61 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to move coil roll lill downwardly, so that it can cooperate with cradle roll 14 to form a pair of pinch rolls for rotating the coil after the rst few inner convolutions of it have been formed.

The coiler includes a pair of guards which are positioned at the opposite ends of a coil as it is being formed to maintain the coil in cylindrical form, or in other words to prevent the successive convolutions to be formed in a spiral or telescopic manner. These guards preferably comprise plates ii (Figs. 3, 8 and 9) that are slidably supported at their outer ends by rods lil whose outer ends and enlarged central portions !i5 are supported by a sliding frame or support iid, Fig. 9. The base of frame ||8 is slidahly mounted in a bracket |59, and provision is made for moving the frame and guard plates E i5 supported by it outwardly (to the right as shown in Fig. 3) as the diameter of a coil is built up, and also for removing a coil as a whole if that should become necessary due to a breakdown of the mill or coiler. For this purpose, frame ile is pivotally connected by short links to the lower ends of arms it() which are attached to a rock shaft i2! borne by the side frames (Figs. 3 and 6). An arm |22 is attached at its lower end to the central portion of shaft @2i and at its upper end is connected to the outer end of the piston rod |24 of a fluid pressure cylinder |25 mounted for rocking movement within brackets |26 supported by beam 86. Thus by moving piston |24 to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, frame ||8 and guards ||6 supported by it are moved outwardly to the right of the position there shown.

For adjusting guard plates H6 laterally with respect to each other that is to say towards and from their dotted positions indicated in Fig. 8 they threadably engage a screw |30 in the manner shown particularly in Fig. 8. This screw is supported at its ends by frame I I3, and also at the central portion where it is provided with an enlargement |3|. The outer end of the screw is connected to a motor driven drive shaft |32 which includes a clutch |33 adapted to be actuated by a uid pressure cylinder |35 whose piston |35 is connected to a pivoted lever |36 that engages a movable element of the clutch.

As shown in Figs. 4, 6 and '1, each of the several driven rolls, namely pinch rolls 38 and 39, bending rolls 50, 5| and 52, cradle rolls 13 and 14, and coil roll |0|. are preferably provided with spaced rings |40 to minimize the loss of heat from a blank being coiled. Also, if desired, each of these rolls, as for example pressure roll |01 may be of tubular form, and may be centrally cooled by water. For this purpose, a tubular roll may be provided with a water supply pipe |4|, Fig. 10, which extends through an opening formed in a liange |42 at an end of the roll. Pipe |4| is connected at its outer end to a flexible water supply hose |43, the arrangement being such that water flows through the pipe to the end of the roll opposite flange |42 and escapes from the roll between pipe |41 and the opening in flange |42, suicient clearance being provided for this purpose.

As has been explained, each of the pinch rolls, bending rolls and cradle rolls, as well as the coil roll is driven, the drives being such that the peripheral speeds of all but the coil roll is the saine, or substantially the same, as the delivery speed of a blank from the lower pass of mill i. As shown in Figs. 4, 6 and '7, all of these rolls are preferably driven by a single adjustable speed motor through a train of gears in a gear box |5I. The motor is wound to provide dropping characteristics, and is set initially to drive the coiler rolls at a higher peripheral speed than the delivery of a blank, but drops to conform with the latter. Armature shaft |52 of motor |55 is provided with a pinion |53 which meshes with a speed-reducing gear |54 in gear box |59, '.7. Cradle roll 14 is driven by a shaft |55 which is provided with a gear |56 that meshes with gear |54, shaft being connected to roll 14 by a spindle |51. The drive of the other cradle roll 13 is through an idle gear |53 that meshes with gear |54 and also with a gear |59 borne by a shaft |60 that is connected by a spindle 15| to a sleeve |62 that is carried by shaft |02. Sleeve |62 is provided with a gear |63 (Fig. i) which meshes with a gear |64 attached to the end of cradle roll 13.

|55, and which meshes with gears IT! and |18 carried by shafts |'IfI- and |12, respectively.

Coil roll IDI, which bears continuously upon the inside of a coil being formed, can not, without slipping upon and marring the inner face of the inner convolution of the coil, be driven at the same peripheral speed as the pinch rolls, bending rolls and cradle rolls, in view of which the coil roll is provided with a slip drive. This roll is borne by the outer ends of arms |6213 and |04, and, as seen in Fig. 4, is driven by a gear ISE) through a friction clutch ISI Whose movable element is urged by a spring |32 into slip engagement with the interior of gear it. An idle gear |63, driven by a gear ist connected to sleeve 552', meshes with and drives gear ISG.

When a blank has been coiled in coiler -3 in the manner explained, coiler motor |53 is reversed to drive cradle rolls '3 and lll in a counterclockwise direction as seen in 3, and to drive coil roll IIli in a clockwise direction as there seen. By duid pressure cylinder ISS (Fig. 3) and the connections from it to arms ID3 and Iii/ that support the coil roll, such roll is pressed downwardly against the interior of the coil to press the coil against cradle rolls i3 and is. In effect, the cradle rolls and coil roll then act as pinch rolls to rotate the coil in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. The outer end of the blank is stripped from the coil by a stripper |99 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft I9! and is connected by an arm |92 to the outer end of the piston rod I3 of a pressure iiuid cylinder |84 supported by a beam IS extending between the side ira-mes of the coiler. Pressure fiuid cylinder L94 being actuated to cause the stripper |98 to bear against the outside of the coil, the stripper engages the outer end of the coil and directs it into a guide or chute 96. An idle roller |91 borne by shaft |02 prevents the bottom of guide it@ from scratching the blank as it is uncoiled. At the outer end of guide |95 there is a guide section formed of upper and lower plates ISt and IES which are attached to rock shafts 259 and 2M,

respectively, geared together by segmental gears 222 and 253. Shaft 2te is rocked by a pressure huid cylinder 22A? Whose piston rod 2555 is connected at its outer end to an arm 265 attached to shaft Near the end of an uncoiling operation, cylinder 264 is actuated to cause guide plates ist and E89 to move from their solid to their dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 so that ii' the inner end of the coil blank isy lapped Vupon itself, thc lap will be straightened out by being engaged by the outer end of one of these plates. This prevents a lapped or. doubled end of a blank from passing through mill I and marring the faces or its Working rolls.

Beyond guide plates its and ISS, the uncoiled blank passes through strip directing guide I3, which may be of conventional 01' of any desired construction, to the upper roll pass between upper working roll i and middle working roll 5 of mill I, from which it passes into guide I4 leading to coiler 2, shown in detail in Fig. 2. This coiler is the saine as coiler 3 shown in and described with reference to Figs. 3-10, in View of which coiler 2 will not be described in detail. Its principal elements are indicated by the saine numerals that are used to designate the corresponding parts of coiler 3 shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, strip-directing L. coiler guide I5 for carrying a blank unwound from acoil formed in coiler 2, crosses guide I4 which directs a blank to coiler 2 for coiling it. By thus causing these guides to cross each other, both coilers may, as illustrated and described, be of like construction. At the crossing of these guides, a guide section ZID is pivotally supported at 2|| to swing to and from its full to its dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2. Guide section ZID is connected to an arm 2I2, which in turn is connected by a link 2I3 to the outer end of an arm 2|4 mounted on a rock shaft 2|5. Attached to this shaft there is an arm 2| 6 which is connected to the piston rod of a fluid pressure cylinder 2|'|, the arrangement beingsuch that when the piston rod is moved downwardly guide section 2I will be swung from its full to its dotted line position.

The continuation of guide I5 to the right of tilting section 2IG includes a guide section 22D which is pivotally mounted at its upper end on a block 22|. The lower end of guide section 22|] is suspended by a rod 222 Whose upper end is pivotally connected to an arm 223 attached to rock shaft 2 I 5. When guide section 2 i D is swung to its dotted line position, the lower end of guide section 22|] is dropped to the level of an apron 22d, over which blanks pass from conveyor I0 to the lower pass of mill I. When a blank is moved over conveyor Il to mill I, guide section 228 is moved upwardly to its full line position shown in Fig. 2 to permit the blank to pass under it, and in such position of guide section 228, swinging guide section EIS) is in its full line position for directing a blank from the upper roll pass of mill I to coiler 2.

The operation of the mill provided according to this invention has been explained in connection with the foregoing description of the mill. Summarizing the operation, a thin slab or plate heated to a hot-working temperature is delivered by conveyor ID to the lower pass of rive-high mill iV (Fig. 2), and from that pass is delivered through strip-directing guides E2, 2S and 35 to pinch rolls 38 and it (Fig. 3) at the entrance of When the blank is so delivered to the coiler, pivoted guide section 25 is moved by pressure cylinder to an 'upwardly inclined position in registration with guide 35. The pinch rolls are drive-n at a peripheral speed substantially the same as the speed of delivery of the blank from mill l, but nevertheless at such peripheral speed that the blank is held taut between the pinch rolls and the bite o Working rolls 5 and G. The pinch rolls deliver the blank to ben-:ling rolls 58, 5I and 52, which curve it upwardly to facilitate its coiling around coil roll iI and within arms i8, li and l2 which initially are moved to their inner dotted-line position shown in Fig. 3. The coil is supported and rotated by cradle rolls 73 and it, and, during the initial stage of soiling, coil roll Ili is moved adjacent to arm After a few of the inner convolutions of the coil have been formed, the coil roll is lowered to cause it and cradle rolls 'i3 and M to act as pinch rolls to rotate the coil. To maintain the coil in cylindrical form, or in other words to prevent it from ceiling in telescopic fashion, coil side guards I i5 are initially moved to the position at the sides of the coil shown in Fig. 3, and, as the coil builds up, these side guards may be gradually moved out wardiy by the action of fluid pressure cylinder |25 and the connections from it to frame I E 8 that supports the side guards. Bending rolls 5i and 52 may be adjusted as a unit for every pass, if desired.

At the completion of a coiling operation, coil motor I@ (Fig. 4) is reversed to drive cradle rolls 'I3 and 'ill and coil roll IBI in the opposite direction to rotate the coil for unwinding it. The outer end of the coil blank is stripped from it by stripper 49E! which directs the blank into and through guides 96, |98, I9@ and I3 to the upper pass of mill I between working rolls d and 5, and the blank is delivered by that pass through guide I4 to coiler 2 shown in Fig. 2, in which the the ceiling operation just explained with reference to coiler 3 is repeated. During the coiling by coiler 2, pivoted guide section 2li? is in its position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to make guide Ill continuous. At the conclusion of a coiling operation in coiler 2, the blank is uncoiled in the manner explain with reference to coiler 3 and passes through guide I5 to the lower pass of the mill between working rolls 5 and When the blank is thus uncoiled, pivoted guide section Zie is moved to its dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 by uid pressure cylinder 2 I'I and the connections extending from it to guide section 2 i in which position guide I5 is continuous from coiler 2 to mill I. When guide 2lb is thus tilted to its dotted line position, lower guide section 22? is lowered to its dotted line position to deliver the blank between edging rolls Iii to the lower pass of mill I.

This cycle of rolling by mill I and the alternate ceiling by coilers 3 and 2 may be repeated as many times as are necessary to reduce the blank to a desired thickness. When the blank has been thus reduced by mill I it is delivered to conveyorl 33 (Fig. 3) which passes below the coiler mechanism between itsside frames 21 and 28, pivoted connection 29 then being lowered to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. To impart good hot rolled surfaces to the blank thus reduced in mill I, the blank is preferably passed through finishing pass stands 2i) and 2l, at which time these stands form with mill I a three-stand continuous or tandem mill, the drives of stands 2li and 2l being coordinated in the usual manner to thus continuously roll the blank.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention, and have illustrated what I now consider to be its preferred embodiment. However, l desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than specically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A coiler for coiling hot strip metal delivered from a rolling mill and for unwinding it for delivery to such mill, comprising a frame having a centrally-disposed coil-forming compartment, means for feeding and for continuously curving a strip-like blank, a pair of cradle rolls at the bottom of said compartment for supporting coiled strip metal while a coil is being formed and while it is being unwound, means for driving said cradle rolls in one direction for forming a coil and in the opposite direction for unwinding it, a driven coil roll within said compartment extending transversely of it and movable in a vertically-extending direction therein, and means for holding said coil roll downwardly against the interior of a coil to press the exterior thereof against one of said cradle rolls.

2. A coiler for ceiling hot strip metal delivered from a rolling mill and for unwinding it for delivery to such mill, comprising a frame having a centrally-disposed coil-forming compartment,

means for feeding and for continuously curving a strip-like blank, a pair of cradle rolls at the bottom of said compartment for supporting coiled strip metal while a coil is being formed and while it is being unwound, means for driving said cradle rolls in one direction for forming a coil and in the opposite direction for unwinding it, a coil roll within said compartment extending transversely of it and movable in a verticallyextending direction therein, means for driving said coil rollin each direction at all positions thereof, and means for holding said coil roll downwardly against the interior of a coil to press the exterior thereof against one of said cradle rolls.

3. A coiler for ceiling hot strip metal delivered from a rolling mill and for unwinding it for delivery to such mill, comprising a frame having a centrally-disposed coil-forming compartment, means for feeding and for continuously curving a strip-like blank, a pair of cradle rolls at the bottom of said compartment for supporting coiled strip metal while a coil is being formed and while it is being unwound, means for driving said cradle rolls in one direction for forming a coil and in the opposite direction for unwinding it, a yoke comprising a pair of laterally spaced arms and a rotatable shaft positioned at a side of said compartment and to which one end of each arm is attached, a driven coil roll borne by the other ends of said arms within said compartment extending transversely of it, and means for holding said yoke downwardly to position said driven coil roll against the interior of a coil and to press the exterior of the coil against one of said cradle rolls.

Il. A coiler for ceiling hot strip metal delivered from a rolling mill and for unwinding it for delivery to such mill, comprising a frame having a centrally-disposed coil-forming compartment, means for feeding and for continuously curving a strip-like blank, a pair of cradle rolls at the bottom of said compartment for supporting coiled strip metal while a coil is being formed and while it is being unwound, means for driving said cradle rolls in one direction for forming a coil and in the opposite direction for unwinding it, a coil roll within said compartment extending transversely of it and movable in a verticallyextending direction therein, means for driving said coil roll in each direction at all positions thereof, and means for holding said coil roll downwardly against the interior of a coil to press the exterior thereof against one of said cradle rolls, said last-named cradle roll and said coil roll constituting a pair of driven pinch rolls for forming a coil and for unwinding it.

5. A coiler for ceiling hot strip metal delivered from a rolling mill and for unwinding it for delivery to such mill, comprising a frame having a centrally-disposed coil-forming compartment, means for feeding and for Continuously curving a strip-like blank, a pair of cradle rolls at the bottom of said compartment for supporting coiled strip metal while a coil is being formed and while it is being unwound, means for driving said cradle rolls in one direction for forming a coil and in the opposite direction for unwinding it, a driven coil roll within said compartment extending transversely of it and movable in a vertically-extending direction therein, means for holding said coil roll downwardly against the interior of a coil to press the exterior thereof against one of said cradle rolls, said last-named cradle roll and said coil roll constituting a pair of driven pinch rolls for forming a coil andfor unwinding it, a chute forV receiving strip metal as it is unwound from a coil, a stripper pivotally mounted adjacent to the entrance of said chute, and means for pressing the stripping end of said stripper against the exterior of a coil to remove strip metal therefrom and direct it into said chute.

6. A coiler for coiling hot strip metal delivered fromA a rolling mill and for unwinding it for delivery to such mill, comprising a frame having a centrally-disposed coil-forming compartment, cradle rolls in thebottom of said compartment forming the solesupport for strip metal While a coil of it is being formed, a pair of guard plates at onel side onlyv of said compartment adjacent to the opposite edges of the outer convolutions ofV a coil being formed, a laterally movable support for said plates, means formoving said sup-v port and plates outwardlyy of and beyond said compartment While a coil is being formed, and means for adjusting said plates toward and from each other to accommodate strips of different widths.

7. A coiler for coiling hot strip metal delivered from a rolling mill and for unwinding it for delivery to such mill, comprisinga frame having a centrally-disposed coil-forming compartment, cradle rolls in the bottom of' said compartment forming the sole support for strip metal while a coil of it is being formed, a pair of guard plates l2 at one side only of said compartment adjacent to the opposite edges of the outer convolutions of a coil being formed, ala-terally movable support for saidplates, means for moving said sup- 5 port and plates outwardly of and beyond said compartment while a coil is being formed, and means borne by said laterally movable support for adjusting said plates toward and from each other to accommodate strips of diilerent widths.

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