US3205050A

US3205050A - Attachment of a leader to a metallic strip

Info

Publication number: US3205050A
Application number: US222414A
Authority: US
Inventors: James F Miller
Original assignee: Titanium Metals Corp
Current assignee: Titanium Metals Corp
Priority date: 1962-09-10
Filing date: 1962-09-10
Publication date: 1965-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-07

Description

Sept. 7, 1965 J. F. MILLER- ATTACHMENT OF A LEADER TO A METALLIC STRIP Filed Sept. 10, 1962 FIG. I

INVENTOR. James E Miller Agent United States Patent 3,205,050 ATTACHMENT OF A LEADER TO A METALLIC STRH James F. Miller, Summit, NJ assignor to Titanium Metals Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. '10, I962, Ser. No. 222,414

, 2Clairns. ((31.29-180) This invention relates to the art of metal strip rolling and in particular to the attachment of a leader to a metal strip to improve handling of the strip during rolling operations.

In metal strip rolling operations it is desirable, particularly when cold rolling, to attach a so-called tail strip or leader to the heavy previously hot-rolled metal strip. The leader serves two purposes. First, the leader, most often being of lighter gauge, is easier to thread through the mill and attach to the winding reel as on a reversing cold strip mill. Second, the length of the original strip that would normally be required to reach from the bite of the mill to the winding reel would ordinarily not be rolled and would therefore be lost. Use of a leader permits rolling substantially to the end of the strip, thus saving for ultimate use the length replaced by the leader. In the case of relatively expensive materials such as, for example, titanium, zirconium or highly alloyed steels, it is desirable to use a leader of somewhat cheaper material such as ordinary stainless steel or carbon steel. It is difiicult and expensive, however, to weld at least some of the refractory and reactive metals to carbon or stainless steel, and some type of mechanical attachment or joint between the end of the metal strip and the leader would be extremely desirable.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an improved attachment for joining a leader to the end of a metal strip. Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for joining a leader to a metal strip which does not require welding of the strip metal directly to the leader. Another object of this invention is to provide a strong yet simple attachment for joining a leader to the end of a metal strip. These and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description thereof, and from the annexed drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows the end of a metal strip, the attachment piece and the end of a leader before joining.

FIG. 2 shows the attachment piece joined to both the end of the metal strip and to the leader.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the attachment of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the end of a metal strip is shown at and the end of a suitable leader is shown at 12. The attachment piece 14 is fabricated preferably of metal of similar width and thickness as the leader 12, it may advantageously be of thinner gauge metal than strip 10. One end of attachment piece 14 is sheared square as at 16 so that it may be butted evenly with a similar squared end 18 of leader 12. The other end of attachment piece 14 is cut to form a plurality of elongated truncate tongues 20 which are preferably tapered toward their free ends 21.

Near the end of strip 10 are punched, burned, machined or otherwise formed, a series of transverse spaced slots 22, spaced from the end of strip 10 a distance less than one-half the length of tongues 20, and preferably aligned longitudinally in a row as shown.

Reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 will make clear the joining of leader 12 to strip 10 by means of attachment piece 14. The edge 16 of attachment piece 14 is securely fastened to edge 18 of leader 12 as by welding at 24. Each of the free ends 21 of tongues 20 is passed through one of slots 22 and is retroflected and welded to the body of tongue 20 as at 25.

When in operation, the attachment of leader 12 to strip 10 can be rapidly and effectively accomplished. When the joining operation is integrated with continuous rolling, a welding device which will move with the leader and strip as they travel, may advantageously be used. It will be found convenient to first bend up the free end portions of tongues 20 at approximately right angles to the plane of the attachment piece 14 and to slip these upstanding ends through slots 22 in metal strip 10 and subsequently to bend down the end portions of tongues 20 by hammering or pressing to put them in the desired retroflected position before welding the free end 21 as at 26.

The attachment as described is strong and effective to join the leader 12. to the metal strip 10. When desired to separate or detach the leader 12 from strip 10, the weld at 24- may be sheared and the attachment piece 14 sheared along the welds 26. The leader 12 may then be re-used and the body section of attachment piece 14 discarded as well as the sheared portions of tongues 20 which, after destruction of the weld 26, may readily be slipped out of slots 22.

The number and individual length of slots 22 in strip 10, and the corresponding number and dimensions of tongues 26 on attachment piece 14 will be determined by the width of the attachment piece and the strength required to withstand rolling tension in the mill or in other operations.

A plurality of slots is necessary to properly distribute the pulling forces to prevent tearing of the strip; at least two, and preferably a minimum of three or four slots (and tongues) being preferred even for narrow strip. It will be appreciated that the slots will be adequately spaced end to end to provide suflicient strength in the remaining area of strip metal.

The attachment of this invention is strong, simple and effective. Tests have shown that the tongue and slot joint will hold under tension, and that, when pulled to destruction, final breaking of the attachment will most often occur at a line across the attachment piece between the tongue welds and the line where the tongues join the body of the attachment piece.

I claim:

1. An attachment for joining a leader to a metal strip comprising; an attachment strip of width and thickness similar to that of said leader, said attachment strip having one end thereof welded to an end of said leader, the other end of said attachment strip being notched to form a plurality of elongated tongues tapered toward their free ends extending longitudinally therefrom, the free end of each of said tongues being passed through a transverse slot in said metal strip which is spaced from an end of said strip a distance less than one-half the length of said tongue, and each of said tongues being retroflected with its free end welded to its body.

2. An attachment for joining a leader to a metal strip comprising; an attachment strip of width and thickness 3 4 similar to that of said leader, said attachment strip having tongues being retroflected with its free end welded to one end thereof Welded to an end of said leader, the other its body. end of said attachment strip being notched to form a plu- References Cited y the Examine! rality of elongated tongues tapered toward their free ends UNITED STATES PATENTS extending longitudinally therefrom, the free end of each 5 797,179 8/05 Couch 24 227 of said tongues being passed through one of a row of 943,264 12/09 Niadringhaus 29 180 X longitudinally aligned transverse slots in said metal strip which is spaced from an end of said strip a distance less DAVID RECK Primary Examl'lerthan one-half the length of said tongue, and each of said HYLAND BIZOT, E a i