US2959077A - Tube mill - Google Patents

Description

L. S. HEYM TUBE MILL Nov. 8, 1960 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1955 oQ N 4 x mm.

i l I 6 INVENTOR.

LOTHAR s HEYM ATTORNEYS L. S. HEYM Nov. 8, 1960 TUBE MILL 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1955 c INVENTOR. LQTHAR s. HEYM www 3w L @NN .I imm ne rd.-

ATTORNEYS L. S. HEYM TUBE MILL Nov. 8, 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 26, 1955 L. S. HEYM Nbv. s, 1960 TUBE MILL 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 26, 1955 INVENTOR. LOTHAR S. HEYM MAL ATTORNEYS L. S. HEYM Nov. 8, 1960 TUBE MILL 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 26. 1955 INVENTOR. LOTHAR S. HEYM ATTOR YS Nov. 8, 1960 L. s. HEYM 2,959,077

TUBE MILL Filed April 26, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet e FIG. 8

JNVENTOR. LOTHAR S. HEYM ATTORNEYS L. S. HEYM TUBE MILL Nov. 8, 1960 Filed April 26. 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 FIG. IO

INVENTOR. LOT HAR S. HEYM B Y UMMQM ATTORNEY .Lothar S. Heym,

niteti TUBE MILL Youngstown, Ohio, assignorto Bliss Company, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 26,.1955, Ser.-No. 503,894 1 Claim. (Cl. 80-43) 'This inventionrlates to rolling mills, and, inparticnlar, to rollingmills employed in .rolling seamless tubing in which the tubing is elongated, reducedindiameter, and increased in density.

'It is usual practice in thetube rollingart topro-"vide a mill composed of a numberof sizing roll standseach having a pair of sizing rolls journaled therein for rotation about axes which are skew with respect to each other. 'The invention is not concerned with the-purpose of so aligning sizingrolls, but sufliceit to say that .recognized 'desirousresultsare obtained with this arrangement of :rolls. Because .of their .axial nonuniformity with respect to other mechanisms of the .mills, :presently known means for providing driving power .to the rolls have not been entirely satisfactory. One method of powering sizing rolls includes the utilization of electric motors positioned adjacent each roll of a .stand vand universal joint means coupling .the rolls to the motors. The required angularity of the universal joint .means between the rolls and the motors inherently incorporates a variable :angular acceleration and deceleration .in the driven rolls which is repetitive .every revolution. Not only is'it more desirable to rotate the siz'ng rolls .at:a constant uniform velocity, but the-type of universahconnection required in :a mill stand .is very expensive. It is therefore desirable to eliminate universal connections wherever possible the undesirable pulsating type of drive which they provide. It is animpo-rtant object of the invention, therefore, to provide novel drive means for tubemill sizing rolls which eliminates the need for universal joint.connections between the rolls and the motors and which imparts a drive to the rolls which can he maintained -at constant angular velocity.

'In operation, these pairs of rolls are usually .aligned and set so that each succeeding ,pair of rolls imparts .a furthertreduction to the tube orthe like which 'is'being rolled. 'Tube mills are usually designed tohandle various sizes of tubes and this necessitates realign'ng .the rolls .to provide a proper -roll pass. After rolls have been in operation for a ,period, they normally heat up and the-roll mounting shafts tend to expand axially. If no provision is made for this axial'expansion, an .overload may be imparted to the anti-friction thrust hearings in which the .shafts .arejournaled. It is another important obejct of the invention to provide novel sizlngroll mounting means which automatically compensate for axial expansion of the sizing roll shafts.

It .is ageneral object of the invention to provide an improved rolling mill which is rapid and efficient .in the manufacturingof seamless tubing in which a tube may be'treated by being passed between a set of cross .orskew rolls.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of .atube reducing mill which is proficient in its operation and yetis less complex in its structure than present known tube-reducing mills; the provision of a novel tube reducing mill entry table; the provision of improved for cost considerations as well as for atent 'sion of novel means'for driving mounting and adjusting means forthe sizing :rolls eof ta tube reducing mill; the provision of improve'd 'means'zfor conveying seamless tubes into a tube reducing mill'stand and for discharging a tube from the saidstandythe provision of improved means for adjusting the elevation of tube reducing mill entry and exit tables; and the proviand adjusting the'conveyor rolls of the entry and exit stands of .a tub'e'reducin'g mill.

The features of this invention which are 'believediitoabe novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, 'both .as to :its organization and use together with the foregoing and further objects and advantages thereof, may :best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings :in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the entry table of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a continuation of Figure l at'1ine-:a--:a and is an elevational view of a tube reducingmillistand, sizing roll drive means, and exit table.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the entry table shown .in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a continuation of the entry table shown in Figure 3 taken at theline aa and including a plan view of the tube reducing mill stand, drive means, and exit table shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the mill:sta'nd, partially in section, to better show the sizing vroll'jou'rnal and adjusting means.

Figure 6 is a sectionalview of .a mill standitaken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is an elevational view, partially 'inasection, of the table adjusting means taken on the .line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the conveyor roll adjusting means secured to the undersides of the mill entry and exit tables.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view,,partlylin section, taken on the line 99 of Figure IO-showing one portion of a tube trough employed with a preferred embodiment of the invention, and,

Figure 10 is yet another elevational view, in section, of another portion of the tube trough usedwith the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and initially to Figure 1, a preferred embodiment of .thetube mill comprises an entry'table 10 on one'side of a'mill stand 12 which has a pair of cross sizing rolls 1-4 and 16 journaled therein (see'Figure 6), an exit table '18 onuthe opposite side of the mill stand'to that of the entry table, and motor drive means 20 and 22 connected to thezsizing rolls.

The description of the invention will beginwith the entry table and proceed to the mill stand,the sizing rolls journaled therein, the drive means for the sizingyrolls, and thereafter the exit table.

Entry table The entry table 10 comprises a frame composed of structural steel members 24, 26, and 28 (Figure 7) suitably disposed to support a series of tube supporting troughs, generally indicated at 30, spaced horizontally apart to provide room to mount a tube convey'orroll 32 between each pair of tube supporting troughs. The conveyor rolls 32 are aligned at a slight angle or skew to the longitudinal axis 34 (Figure 3) of the tube mill, and are individually carried on identical upper arms 36 of bell cranks 38. The lower arms 40 of the bell cranks 38 extend beneath the frame of the entry table 10 for pivotal interconnection by means of link members 42 to a two-way air cylinder powered reciprocating mechanism 44 secured to the underside of the end of the table adjacent the mill stand 12. The purpose of placing the cnveyor rolls 44 at an angle to the entry table is to impart both forward and rotary movement to a tube carried thereon until the tube reaches the mill stand 12, whereinafter the sizing rolls 14 and 16 take over from the entry table.

The rolls 32 are journaled in brackets or yokes 46 integrally secured to the free ends of bell crank arms 36. Once the tube is engaged by the sizing rolls 14 and 16, the bell crank arms 36 are pivoted downwardly from the pass line of the tube, carrying the rolls 32 downwardly therewith. The bell cranks are caused to pivot upwardly and downwardly in unison by means of the pneumatic cylinder mechanism 44 secured to the underside of the entry table, as aforesaid, see Figure 8. A C-shaped drag link 48 is pivotally secured at its lower end to the outer end of the pneumatic cylinder piston rod 50. The upper end of the drag link 48 is rigidly secured to an adjacent arm 40 of one of the aforesaid bell crank members 38. When the pneumatic cylinder 52 is energized to drive the piston rod 50 to the right, all bell crank arms 40 are pivoted to the right, about their axes of rotation 54 by virtue of their interconnection at their lower ends to connecting links 42 by ball and socket means 56. When bell crank arms 40 are pivoted to the right, their associated arms 36 are pivoted upwardly to carry the conveyor rolls 32 into tangential relationship with the pass line of the entry table. By reversing the air pressure in the two-way pneumatic cylinder 52, the piston rod 50 is forced to the left, thereby causing bell crank arms 40 to pivot to the left with the assistance of C-shaped drag link 48, and the in-line connecting links 42.

Pairs of sprockets 41 and 43 are secured to extensions 45 of the rolls 32, whereby each roll is interconnected to the roll on either side of it by means of chain drives 47 connecting sprocket 41 of one roll to sprocket 43 of the adjacent roll (see Figure 7). Motor means 49 (Figure 3), are provided to power one of the roll shafts, whereby the chains 47 and sprockets 41 and 43, interconnecting all of the roll shafts 45, drive all of the rolls 32 from the one power driven roll.

In order to adjust the entry table, as required by the various diameters of tube carried thereon, the frame of the table is carried on a plurality of vertically adjustable piers and, in the present instance, a pair of piers 58 and 60. Each pier comprises a base 62, (see Figure 7) a pair of table leg receiving sleeves 64 beneath the table on opposite sides of its vertical center line 66, and a screw jack 68 between the pair of sleeves. A pair of cylindrically shaped table legs 70 are bolted to the underside of the table frame member 28 and project downwardly therefrom to be slidably received within adjacent sleeves 64. The screw jack 68 comprises a sleeve or well 72 in the base 62 of the pier to slidably receive a shank end 74 of a screw 76 therein. The upper portion 78 of the screw 76 is threaded and the top end 80 of the screw is adapted to be placed in bearing or abutting contact with a saddle 82 secured to the center underside of the frame member 28. The screw 76 is encased in a housing 84 which retains therein a worm wheel 86 suitably journaled against axial displacement and for threaded engagement with the screw. A worm 88 is also journaled in the housing 84 for driving engagement with the worm wheel 86, whereby rotation of the worm and worm wheel adjusts the screw 76 vertically up or down depending on the rotation of the worm. The upper end 78 of the screw 76 is encased in an accordion pleated rubber jacket 90 to seal the screw from dirt and the like. The screws 76 of the said piers 58 and 60 are synchronized for instantaneous operation by means of a common drive shaft 92 secured to a worm 88011 each end (see Figure 1). The drive shaft 92 may be I rotated by means of a hand wheel 94 or may be motorized. Once the table is at a proper adjusted level, clamping levers 96 are provided to lock the table legs 70 rigidly in place.

In order to steady a tube T as it is passing into the mill stand 12, a clamp 100 (see Figures 9 and 10) is provided in combination with the tube trough 102 just in front of the entrance into the mill stand, whereby a tube contacting block 104 may be adjustably pivoted into bearing contact with the upper surface of a tube passing through the trough. Because of the variety of sizes of tube that can be accommodated by this tube mill, the clamping block is provided with screw adjusting means 106 and 108 to position the clamping block 104 with respect to the tube T.

Tube mill stand A pair of sizing rolls 14 and 16 are positioned in the tube mill stand 12 with their axes skew, the axis 112 of roll 14 extending rearwardly and diverging upwardly and outwardly from one side of the longitudinal axis 34 of the exit table 18. The axis of sizing roll 16 extends rearwardly and diverges downwardly and outwardly from the other side of the longitudinal axis 34 of the exit table 18 (see Figures 2 and 4). Each sizing roll is rotatably mounted on a sizing. roll shaft 114 (see Figure 5), the entry end 116 of which is journaled in a floating or axial sliding bearing block 118. The bearing block 118 is adapted to slide axially with respect to the sizing roll in a laterally adjustable saddle block 120, and the end 116 of the sizing roll shaft 114 is rotatably journaled in the bearing block 118 by means of anti-friction bearings 122. The opposite end 124 of the shaft is coupled to driving means 126, which will be described more fully hereinafter, and the portion of the shaft between the sizing roll and the end 124 is supported for rotation in anti-friction bearings 127 mounted in an axially fixed bearing block 128. The bearing block 128 is secured against axial movement by pin means 130 in a laterally adjustable saddle block 132 similar to saddle block 120. The bearing blocks 118 and 128 have a number of flats 123 (see Figure 6) spaced about their perimeter which contact corresponding flats in the saddle blocks 119 and to prevent axial rotation.

Thus it will be seen that each sizing roll is mounted in two laterally adjustable saddle blocks, and hence lateral adjustment of the sizing rolls is obtained by moving the pairs of saddle blocks for each roll inwardly and outwardly as required for the size of tube being rolled. The method of adjustment of the saddle blocks is more clearly shown in Figure 6 which shows roll 16 and its associated bearing block 118 mounted in saddle block 120, and roll 14 with its associated bearing block 117 mounted in saddle block 119. The saddle blocks 119 and 120 are slidably mounted in the mill stand 12 on ways 194 and 196, and 198 and 200, respectively. While Figure 6 shows only the saddle block adjustment for the free ends of the rolls 14 and 16, it is to be under stood that the saddle blocks supporting the driven ends of the rolls are mounted in a similar manner. The sizing rolls 14 and 16 bear against the sides of the tube T, and the bottom and side portions of the tube are sup ported by a pair of vertically aligned tube supporting members 134 and 136. Tube supporting member 136 is adjustably positioned by hand wheel operated gear means 138, mounted on the top side of the mill stand.

The saddle blocks 119 and 120 are laterally adjustable in equal and opposite directions on their respective Ways to and from the tube T positioned by tube supporting members 134 and 136 on the mill pass line. The means for laterally adjusting the saddle blocks 119 and 120 comprises a cross shaft 202 connected by couplings 204 and 206 at its opposite ends to cross shaft extensions 208 and 210. The cross shaft extensions are journaled in plain bearings 212 and 214, and 216 and 218,

which -are'made rigidly integral "with the mill stand 12. 'The cross Shaft 202 and its extensions 208 and 210 pass laterally beneath the sizing rolls, 'and eachextension carries a pinion 220thereon. 'Apair of gear shafts 222 and 224 are positioned -onopposite sides of the frame 12 to carry a pair-of gears 226 and 228 respec- -tively. The pinions 220 are'drivingly connected-to gears 226 and 228 by means of idler gears 221 mounted 'on a shaft 219 rigidly secured in frame 12. Theidler gears 221 also connect pinions 220 to corresponding gears adapted toadjust-the pair ofsaddle blocks at the driven end of the sizing rolls.

The innerendsof the shafts 222 and 224 are threadedly received in threaded blocks 230 which are rigidly secured to the frame weldments. The inner ends of the shafts 222 an'd224'are adapted to be secured in abutting contact with the outside vertical sur- :faces of the saddle blocks 119 and 120 respectively.

Squared shanks 232 and 234 are provided on the free ends of the cross shaft extensions 208 and 210 to receive a turning implement thereon. Hollow caps 229 are secured to the sides of the mill stand 12 and project outwardly therefrom to receive the ends of the shafts 222 and 224 in their outwardly extended positions.

Thus, the saddle blocks may be adjusted from either side of the mill stand by suitable leverage applied to either of the cross shaft extensions, whereby the pinion 220 will rotate idler gears 221 to rotate gears 226 and 228 which laterally adjust the shafts 222 and 224 and their adjacent saddle blocks 119 and 120. It would be apparent from an examination of Figure 6 that rotation of either shaft extension in one direction will simultaneously shift the saddle blocks 119 and 120 inwardly toward the tube mill center line 34 of the mill stand, and opposite rotation of either shaft extension will shift the saddle blocks laterally away from the tube mill center line.

It will also be evident that the angularity of the sizing rolls with respect to the tube mill pass line may be adjusted by varying the lateral position of saddle blocks on opposite ends of sizing roll shafts 114. Accordingly, as the shafts 114 expand and contract due to ambient temperature variations, the bearing blocks 117 and 118 are free to slide axially in the saddle blocks 119 and 120, respectively, thereby automatically compensating for expansion and contraction of the shafts.

Sizing roll drive means Rolls 14 and 16 are connected to drive shafts 140 and 142, respectively, which extend rearwardly from the mill stand and diverge both horizontally and vertically in opposite directions from the longitudinal axis of the exit stand 34. The drive shafts 140 and 142 are connected by coupling members 126 to their respective sizing roll shafts 114 so as to be in axial alignment therewith, and the ends of the drive shafts remote from the mill stand are connected to gear reduction gear boxes 150 and 152 respectively. Motors 22 and 20 power reduction gear boxes 150 and 152 respectively and are connected thereto by drive shafts 154 and 156 which are parallel to their respective drive shafts 140 and 142. This sizing roll drive eliminates the employment of universal joints and out-of-line drive shafts coupled to the sizing roll shafts by the universal joint means. The present means for driving the sizing rolls constitutes a much more direct and simpler connection from motor to sizing roll. It is also much less expensive to build and eliminates angular velocity variations in the rotation of the sizing rolls due to the peculiar inherent characteristics of universal coupling means. The simplest of straight couplings 126 are employed at the sizing roll ends of the drive shafts 140 and 142 and, correspondingly, couplings 160 connect the drive shafts to the gear reduction boxes so that the axis of each roll is concentrically in line with its driving means. Both the motors 20 and 22 and the reduction gear boxes 152 and 150 are adjustable to compensate for i6, any necessaryadjustment'that must ben-rade to the positions 'of the sizing .rolls .withirespect lo *the mill stand.

Exit table The exit table 18 is in many respeetssimilarrto the entry table 10 and comprises a frame of structural steel members .162 mounted on apair of vertically adjustable piers .-164.and 166; The structure of'the piers.164-and 166 is identical to piers 58 and 60, set forth hereinabove, and they are also in like manner connected for operation in unison by a common driveshaft 168 :andhand wheel (not shown) and, thereafter, .are locked.in;place by clamping levers 172.

.The exit table is also provided with.a series-ofltube troughs 174, which are horizontally spaced aparttto enable a series .of tube supporting rolls 176, oneeachdobe positioned between each pair oftubelroughs. Thelrollers are mounted on'bll cranks '178'in the same manner as described with reference to the entry table 10, with the exception that the rolls 176 are not mounted skew to the longitudinal axis 34 of the tube mill, but rather rotate on axes 180 (Figure 4) normal to the longitudinal axis 34 of the mill. The links 42 connecting the lower arms of the bell cranks 178 of a C-shaped drag link 182, and the two-Way pneumatic power cylinder means 184 for actuating the drag links, are similar in operation to the bell crank means described with reference to the entry table.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention shown herein are by way of example only and are not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. It is believed that the foregoing discussion and illustrations enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention; and that other arrangements and modifications will occur to those guided by the teaching of this invention and may be resorted to Without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

In a tube mill having a sizing rollstand, an entry table on one side of said stand, and a discharge table on the opposite side of said stand, the improvement comprising: a plurality of work supporting troughs longitudinally aligned on said entry table and spaced apart each from the others; a tube conveyor roll between each pair of work supporting troughs skew to the longitudinal alignment of said work supporting troughs; means to synchronously rotate said rolls to rotate and advance a tube into said sizing rollstand; a pair of sizing rolls journaled side by side in said stand with their axes of rotation symmetrically diverging both vertically and laterally from a common horizontal axis on the discharge side of said stand; a pair of C-shaped laterally adjustable saddles mounted in said sizing rollstand for lateral adjustment of said sizing rolls toward or away from the pass line of said sizing rollstand; each sizing roll being mounted on a shaft; an axially sliding bearing-block adapted to support one end of said shaft; a laterally adjustable saddle block adapted to support said bearing-block, said saddle block being supported in said sizing rollstand, whereby lateral adjustment of said saddle blocks adjusts the angle of divergence between the axes of said rolls; drive shafts connected to the other end of each of said shafts and in axial concentricity therewith; and motors drivingly confiiected to said drive shafts in axial alignment therewit References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 920,168 McTear May 4, 1909 965,050 Trotz July 19, 1910 980,187 Biggert Jan. 2, 1911 1,115,495 Brock Nov. 3, 1914 1,514,425 Brock Nov. 4, 1924 (Other references on following page) '7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Fuller June 10, 1930 Weckstein May 2, 1933 Resser Sept. 27, 1933 Anderson Oct. 17, 1933 Farmer Nov. 28, 1933 Larsen May 22, 1934 Diescher June 26, 1934 Hughes Sept. 11, 1934 Drexler May 14, 1935 Brown June 4, 1935 Diescher Aug. 20, 1935 Olson Oct. 15, 1935 Drexler Oct. 22, 1935 Adams Feb. 4, 1936 Diescher Mar. 17, 1936 Diescher July 28, 1936 8 Abramsen Mar. 23, 1937 Iverson Mar. 1, 1938 Abramsen Feb. 14, 1939 Abramsen July 2, 1940 Schwerin Aug. 5, 1941 Jones Mar. 2, 1943 Hight et al Aug. 20, 1946 Rozieres Oct. 14, 1952 Abramsen June 23, 1953 Stiefelmayer Sept. 29, 1953 Burkhart Jan. 25, 1955 OMalley Feb. 14, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 23, 1934 Great Britain Feb. 11, 1953

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