US3185404A

US3185404A - Band-guiding mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3185404A
Application number: US275110A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph R Ambruster
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1963-04-23
Filing date: 1963-04-23
Publication date: 1965-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-25

Description

May 25, 1965 J. R. AMBRusTER 3,185,404

BAND-GUIDING MECHANISM Filed April 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH R. AMBRUS TER Attorney May 25 l965 J. R. AMBRusTER 3,185,404

BAND-GUIDING MECHANISM Filed April 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lAttorney United States Patent 3,185,404 BAND-GUIDING MECHANISM Joseph R. Ambruster, Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 275,110 Claims. (Cl. 242--79) This invention relates to an improved mechanism for guiding bands as they are applied to coils of strip material.

In a conventional strip processing line, the strip is coiled on a tension reel at the exit end of the line. A coil car carries finished coils from the reel to a ram tractor or a C-hook crane. Before one of the latter devices picks up a coil, a band must be fastened around the coil circumference to hold the loose end. The usual practice is to apply the band before the coil is taken from the reel or while it is on the coil car. In either event the banding operation causes delays, since the reel or the car is unavailable for handling other coils. The problem is most acute in a slitting line in which a single coil is slit lengthwise to form multiples, since each multiple must be banded individually.

An object of the present invention is to provide a guide mechanism which supports finished coils received from a coil car while bands are applied, thus freeing both the coil car and reel for handling other coils.

A more specific object is to provide a guide mechanism which includes a fixed support of a configuration to receive coils from a coil car, and cooperating slide movable into the support beneath coils thereon, said support and slide having aligned grooves for receiving bands and guiding them around the coil circumference.

In accomplishinglthese and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partly diagrammatic top plan view of the exit end portion of a strip processing line equipped with my improved guide mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section on a larger scale on line lI-II of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section on line III-III of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE l shows a conventional tension reel on which coils C of strip material are wound. A conventional coil car 12 (FIGURES 2 and 3) travels on rails 13 which are located within a pit 14 and extend in a direction parallel with the reel axis. The coil car includes a vertically movable coil-supporting platen 15. The back end of pit 14 has a shallow extension 16, the side Walls of which carry opposed angle irons 17. The usual cover plate 18 is lixed to the back end of car 12 and slidably rests on the angle irons 17. A floor plate 19 is fixed over the pit extension 16. A guide mechanism 20 constructed in accordance with my invention is located over the pit spaced horizontally from reel 10. Car 12 takes finished coils from the reel, carries them horizontally and lowers them, and delivers them to my guide mechanism.

My guide mechanism includes a plate 21 of U-shape in plan fixed to the floor at opposite sides of pit 14 and forming a continuation of the oor plate 19. Plate 21 has an opening 22 in the end facing reel 10. The opposed inside edges of plate 21 are beveled and carry fillers 23, preferably welded thereto (FIGURE 2). The llers carry opposed guides 24, the upper faces of which have a series of spaced grooves 25. The inside walls of pit 14 and its extension 16 carry a second pair of opposed angle irons 26 above the first pair 17. Angle irons 26 support a cooperating slide 27 which carries a pedestal 28. The upper face of the pedestal is concave and has 3,185,404 Patented May 25, 1965 ICC a series of grooves 29, the spacing of which matches the spacing of grooves 25. A pair of transverse beams 30 span the pit extension 16 and support a double-acting fluid pressure cylinder 31 (FIGURE 3). The latter contains a reciprocable piston and piston rod 32 which is connected to the back end of slide 27 for propelling the slide back and forth.

In operation, I retract slide 27 to a position under the floor plate 19 in which it clears the opening 22. The coil car 12 delivers a coil C or multiples to plate 21, after which its platen 15 is lowered beneath the level of plate 21. While coils rest on either the platen or the plate, their own weight retains the loose ends. The coil car is retracted and hence is free to handle other coils. I operate cylinder 31 to project slide 2'7 to a position under the coil or multiples. In this position the concave upper face of pedestal 28 is located immediately under the coil surface, and grooves 29 therein are aligned with grooves 25 in guides 24. I insert bands as needed through the grooves under the coil and tie the ends of the bands using conventional equipment not shown. The grooves of course accurately guide the bands around the bottom of the coil. Thereafter the coil can be picked up and handled in the usual manner.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my invention affords a simple guide mechanism which facilitates application of bands to coils. The guide mechanism can be installed on existing equipment without otherwise altering the structure. Its use frees the tension reel and coil car for handling other coils while bands are applied, and thus permits more eicient use of equipment.

While I have shown and described only a single em.

bodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A guide mechanism comprising a plate of U-shape in plan and having an opening facing one end, the opposed inside edges of said opening being beveled, opposed guides supported on said beveled edges and having aligned transverse grooves in their upper faces, said guides being adapted to support a coil of strip material between them, a pair of spaced-apart angle irons xed beneath said plate, a cooperating slide supported on said angle irons for movement between a position clear of said opening and a position underlying said opening, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston operatively connected with said slide for propelling it between these positions, and a pedestal carried by said slide and having a concave upper face which lies immediately under the surface of a coil supported on said guides when said slide is in its second-named position, said last-named face having transverse grooves which are aligned with the grooves in said guides when said slide is in its second-named position.

2. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable on a horizontal axis, a lloor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coil car supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a direction parallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils from said reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, the combination therewith of a guide mechanism comprising a pair of spaced apart guides supported on opposite sides of said pit spaced from said reel and being adapted to receive coils from said car and support the coils between them, and a cooperating slide movable between a position clear of said guides and a position underlying said guides, said guides and slide providing aligned transverse grooves immediately under the surface of a coil supported on said guides when said slide is in its second-named position.

3. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable on a horizontal axis, a Hoor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coil car supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a direction parallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils from said reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, the combination therewith of a guide mechanism comprising a pair of horizontally spaced opposed guides supported on opposite sides of said pit spaced from said reel and having transverse grooves in their upper faces and being adapted to receive coils from said car and support the coils between them, a cooperating slide, means within said pit supporting said slide for movement between a position clear of the space between said guides and a position underlying this space, means operatively connected with said slide for propelling it between these positions, and a pedestal carried by said slide and having a concave upper face which lies immediately under the surface of a coil supported on said guides when said slide is in its second-named position, said last-named face having transverse grooves which are aligned with the grooves in said guides when said slide is in its secondnamed position.

4. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable on a horizontal axis, a floor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coil car supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a direction parallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils from said reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, the combination therewith of a guide mechanism cornprising a plate of U-shape in plan extending across said pit spaced from said reel and having an opening in the end facing said reel, the opposed inside edges of said plate being beveled, opposed guides supported on said beveled edges and having aligned transverse grooves in their upper faces, said guides being adapted to receive coils from said car and support the coils between them, a pair of opposed angle irons xed to opposite sides of said pit beneath said plate, a cooperating slide supported on said angle irons for movement between a position clear of said opening and a position underlying said opening, a Huid pressure cylinder and piston within said pit operatively connected with said slide for propelling it between these positions, and a pedestal carried by said slide and having a concave upper face which lies immediately under the surface of a coil supported on said guides when said slide is in its second-named position, said lastnamed face having transverse grooves which are aligned with the grooves in said guides when said slide is in its second-named position.

5. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable on a horizontal axis, a floor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coil car supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a direction parallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils from said reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, the combination therewith of a guide mechanism comprising a pair of spaced-apart guides supported on opposite sides of said pit spaced from said reel and extending in a direction parallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to receive coils from said car and support the coils between them, and a cooperating slide movable in a direction parallel with the axis of said reel between a position clear of said guides and out of the path of said car and a position underlying said guides, said guides and slide providing aligned grooves which extend in a direction transverse to the axis of said reel immediately under the surface of a coil supported on said guides when said slide is in its second-named position.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

2. IN A STRIP PROCESSING LINE WHICH INCLUDES A TENSION REEL ROTATABLE ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS, A FLOOR ADJACENT SAID REEL HAVING A PIT, AND A COIL CAR SUPPORTED IN SAID PIT FOR OF SAID REEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO TAKE COILS FROM SAID REEL OF SAID REEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO TAKE COILS FROM SAID REEL AND MOVE THEM BOTH HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A GUIDE MECHANISM COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED APART GUIDES SUPPORTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PIT SPACED FROM SAID REEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE COILS FROM SAID CAR AND SUPPORT THE COILS BETWEEN THEM, AND A COOPERATING SLIDE MOVEMENT BETWEEN A POSITION CLEAR OF SAID GUIDES AND A POSITION UNDERLYING SAID GUIDES, SAID GUIDES AND SLIDE PROVIDING ALIGNED TRANSVERSE GROOVES IMMEDIATELY UNDER THE SURFACE OF A COIL SUPPORTED ON SAID GUIDE WHEN SAID SLIDE IS IN ITS SECOND-NAMED POSITION.