US3231213A - Apparatus for uncoiling strip material - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 25, 1966 c. s. SHUMAKER 3,231,213

APPARATUS FOR UNCOILING STRIP MATERIAL Filed April 25, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ill, lav/4 fir.

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INVENTOR. 094M155 5. Sl/l/MAAEQ ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1966 c. s. SHUMAKER APPARATUS FOR UNCOILING STRIP MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1963 IN VEN TOR. 0942155 6'. J/ll/MA/(FQ ATTOR/VFK Jan. 25, 1966 c. s. SHUMAKER 3,231,213

APPARATUS FOR UNCOILING STRIP MATERIAL Filed April 25, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. (5

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J1 QWMZL United States Patent Office 3,23 1,213 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 This invention relates to an apparatus for uncoiling strip material and is particularly addressed to the uncoilquirement has been to provide two separate and independent operable tandemly arranged machines. One consisted of a drag-type uncoiler, the essential parts of which comprised opposed expandable coil engaging cones. The other took the form of a coil box having for its essential elements opposed coil engaging disks. That such an arrangement was very expensive is self-evident, but an equal disadvantage was found in the fact that the arrangement of the machines necessitated a considerable distance existing between the mill and the drag-type uncoiler, the most remotely positioned machine. 7

A second form of previous strip uncoiling apparatuses consisted of a unitary coil box and drag-type uncoiler wherein the coil engaging disks of the coil box and the coil supporting cones of the uncoiler were arranged to rotate about a common axis and the cones were retractable through openings formed in'the disks of the coil box. In this machine the disks of the coil box and the "cones of the uncoiler were provided with separate traversing means. It must be pointed out that this machine has not proven to be altogether effective in handling tightly wound coils. Moreover, when the machine was being used as a coil box, the openings provided in the disks each other. This arrangement, obviously, in addition to being quite expensive, had the additional serious disadvantage of involving considerable lost time in effecting the substitution of the machines.

A further limitation of previous uncoiling apparatuses, which was present in each of the aforesaid forms, has

reference to the fact that the coil supporting rollers or I the actual coil supporting portions thereof the coil boxover which the coils rotated had who made very short in length so that the disks thereof could be brought into engagement with the sides of narrow coils. As a result, the maximum width coils were supported by a narrow surface and in handling extremely heavy coils the outer wraps thereof became marked due to the concentration of pressure in a small area.

said disadvantages, but it may be manufactured and operated at a substantial savings in cost over the previous designs.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a unitary coil box and drag-type uncoiler apparatus in which at least one of the disks of the coil box and one of the expandable mandrels of the uncoiler are traversable by the same means.

According to another aspect of the present invention,

there is provided a combination coil box and drag-type uncoiler apparatus wherein the disks of the coil box are readily movable to inoperative positions when not in use, but which, when in their operative positions, are adapted to be supported and traversed by the expandable mandrels of the uncoiler.

The present invention also provides a novel arrangement of at least two different length coil supporting members, which may be alternatively brought into an operative portion for supporting coils of different widths so that all coils may be adequately supported for a given range of widths. In addition, a coil lift is provided which cooperates with the aforesaid members for positioning a coil relative to the mandrels of the drag-type uncoiler.

These and other novel features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description of an exemplary apparatus incorporating the features of the invention provided for uncoiling strip to a rolling mill, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view partly in section of an apparatus according to the present invention employed as a coil box;

FIGURE la is a partial elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 employed as a drag type uncoiler;

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken on lines II-II of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a section View taken on lines III-Il1 of FIGURE 1.

As a preface to describing the illustrated machine, it

may be helpful to reiterate that the machine comprises a unitary coil box drag-type uncoiler, the former being employed to uncoil loosely formed coils and the latter for tightly formed coils. As will be apparent from the following remarks, the drawings illustrate the machine set up to be used as a coil box for feeding strip to a rolling mill 9.

With reference then to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be first noted that the coil uncoiling apparai 15, shown best in FIGURE 1. This head 15 includes a motor, not shown, that drives a horizontally arranged drive shaft 16 to which is connected a motor pinion that meshes with a gear, the pinion and gear, while not being specifically shown, are received in a gear case 17, nor is there shown the spline shaft construction or extended portion of the shaft 16 that enables the head 15 to be traversed relative the drive shaft 16.

To the left-hand side of the head 15, as one views FIG- URES 1 and 2, there is provided an extended horizontally disposed shaft 18, to which is secured at its one end the aforesaid gear and to its other end a radially expandable mandrel 19. Although the construction thereof is not specifically illustrated, the mandrel is of a very wellknown design and may include in one form a plurality. of circular segments which are expanded and contracted by complementary-cooperative wedges by the agency of a piston cylinder assembly 20 secured at the drive shaft side of the head 15. As mentioned previously, the tightly wound coils are uncoiled by the mandrel 19 so that the mandrels diameter is such that it will accommodate the substantially constant openings of the coils. Since the construction, arrangement and operation of the aforesaid elements are generally well known, a more detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In coming now to the coil box aspect of the present invention and in referring to FIGURE 3, it will be observed that the disk 22 thereof is shown in its operative position where it is freely rotatably supported by the expanded mandrel 19. This construction is obtained by providing a non-rotatable sleeve 23 on mandrel 19 to which there is secured and arranged between the disk and the sleeve a bearing 24 that rotatably supports the disk 22. The head including the mandrel 19, the piston cylinder assembly and the disk 22 are advanced by the operation of a piston cylinder assembly 21 which is connected to the lower portion of the head, as shown in FIGURES l and 2. In certain forms it may be necessary only to traverse one of the units 11 and 12.

With reference again to the sleeve 23, it will be observed in FIGURES 2 and 3 that there is secured to it an arm 25 that extends toward the right-hand side of the uncoiler unit 12 as one views these figures, at which .end there is provided a sleeve 26 which is carried by a transversely arranged equalizing shaft 27, the shaft being supported in the frame 13 of the uncoiling apparatus. The construction of the sleeve 26 and the shaft 27 is such that the sleeve is permitted to move axially and angularly relative to the shaft as indicated by the clearance between these members as shown in FIGURE 2. The arm 25 has a rib 28 which passes between the fingers of a bifurcated member 29, when the disk 22 is moved to its maximum outward position. The member 29 is made as an integral part of a sleeve 31, shown best in FIGURE 2, which is mounted also on the shaft 27 and moves angularly relative thereto but not axially. The bifurcated member 29 has a link 32, shown in FIGURE 3, which projects downwardly from the shaft 27 and is connected to the rod of a piston cylinder assembly 33.

By this construction the disk 22 is movable axially relative to the shaft 27 so that it is able to engage coils of the whole range of widths. To position the disk in its inoperative position, the disk is brought to its extreme outward position by a retraction of the head 15.

. In this case the rib 28 will pass between the fingers of .the bifurcated member 29 so that on operation of the piston cylinder assembly 33 the disk will be swung downwardly and toward the right as one views FIGURE 3. It will be noted that the inoperative position is shown in outline form in this figure.

With the disk in its inoperative position, the piston cylinder assembly 21 can be operated to bring the mandrel 19 into engagement with a tightly wound coil. It will be observed that the mandrel 19 does not project through the disk 22 in order to engage the coil and as a result no central opening needs to be provided in the disk. This construction has the advantage over previous designs of not requiring any change in the expanding mechanism of the drag-type uncoiler. The disk being constructed to be freely rotatable on the sleeve 23 will have a low friction and inertia effect, since it does not have to rotate with the expandable mandrel 19. Conversely, the mandrel would not be subject to the inertia of the disk since, as explained previously, the disk will move to an inoperative position when the mandrel is being used to support coils.

On the side of the uncoiling apparatus, adjacent the.

mill, centrally located, are three horizontally arranged spaced apart freely rotatable shock absorbing rollers carried by a swinging frame 30a which at its upper end shock forces. 70-

is freely rotatably secured to the shaft 27. Connected at the lower end of the frame 30a is a horizontally arranged shock absorbing piston cylinder assembly 30b. As previously noted, the present invention is addressed also to a supporting arrangement for the various width coils delivered to the uncoiling apparatus. With reference to FIGURE 3, there is illustrated immediately below the coil receiving area of the uncoiling apparatus, a roller assembly 34 consisting of two parallelly vertically arranged spaced apart frames 35 between which are mounted two pairs of freely rotatable rollers 36 and 37, the pair of rollers 36 having narrow body portions in comparison with the body portions of the rollers 37, as can be seen in comparing the rollers in FIGURE 2. The frames are trunnion mounted on a common shaft 38 with which they rotate. For this purpose an arm 39 is provided, having its lower end connected to the rod of a piston cylinder assembly 41 having a stroke sufficient to rotate the frames through an arc of approximately In this manner depending upon the particular width of the coil to be uncoiled, either pair of the rollers 36 or 37 can be brought into the coil supporting position.

FIGURE 1 shows the construction of individual locking assemblies 42 provided for each frame 35 to prevent inadvertent rotation of the roller assembly, which comprise retractable pins 43 connected to piston cylinder assemblies 44. Each frame 35 is provided with two spaced apart holes, one hole of each pair lining up with each other and the pins 43 when either the rollers 36 or 37 are in the coil supporting positions. Two pairs of feet 40 are provided for the roller assembly, which pairs engage alternatively one of two parallelly spaced apart beam-s 40a and by which means whether supported by the rollers 36 or 37 the weight of the coils is transferred to the foundation.

The invention also contemplates providing a coil lift 45 for positioning the coils coaxially with respect to the mandrel 19. The coil lift is raised and lowered by a vertically arranged piston cylinder assembly 46. The coil engaging portion of the coil lift is so constructed that it will pass between the spaces provided between the pairs of rollers 36 or 37 as best shown in FIGURE 3. It is important to note that since the disk 22 is not carried by the mandrel 19 as in previous apparatuses, the coil lift 45 can be made substantially long giving the advantage of an adequate supporting surface for the wider coils. It will be understood that in FIGURE 3, when the machine is being used as a coil box, the upper end of the lift 45 will be lowered from where it is shown in FIGURE 3 to allow movement of the disk.

A brief description of the operation of the aforesaid uncoiling apparatus will now be given:

Let it be assumed that loosely wound coils are being fed to the rolling mill 9, and further, that the coils are of a narrow width, in this event should the short body rollers 36 not be in the horizontal position as the rollers are viewed in FIGURE 3, the piston cylinder assembly 41 will be operated to rotate the frames 35 about the shaft 38 to properly position these rollers. Should the width of the coil-s be substantially wider, then the long body rollers 37 would be called upon to support the coil.

The coil is transferred to the uncoiling apparatus by a means not shown, wherein a portion of its outer periphery will come into contact with the shock absorbing rollers 30 and displace them against the pressure of the piston cylinder assembly 3012 which will dissipate the The coil will eventually come to rest upon the rollers 36.

At this point, the piston cylinder assemblies 21 of the respective units 11 and 12 will-be operated to advance vertical surfaces of the coil. It is normally the practice to separate and prepar'e'the leading end of the coilprior to it being transferred to the coil box so that once the disks are positioned, the coil is ready to be fed immediately to the mill.

Assuming now that tightly wound coils are to be processed, and let it be assumed further that they are of the same width as the previous coils so that there will be no need to substitute the rollers 37 for the rollers 36, in this event the first order of operation would be to retract the disks 22 to their inoperative positions. This is accomplished by operating the piston cylinder assemblies 21 for units 11 and 12 to bring the mandrels 19 and the disks 22 to their retracted positions where the ribs 28 will pass into the fingers of the bifurcated members 29. The piston cylinder assemblies are then operated to collapse the mandrels 19 whereby upon further operation of the piston cylinder assemblies 21, the mandrels 19 are retracted from the sleeves 23. Upon this occurring, the piston cylinder assemblies 33 will be operated to rotate the arms in a counter-clockwise direction which will bring the disks 22 to the outline position shown in FIGURE 3.

The uncoiler is now ready to receive the tightly wound coil which will be positioned on the rollers 36 as previously explained. Once so positioned, the piston cylinder assembly 41 will be operated to place the axis of the coil in line with that of the mandrels 19 following which the piston cylinder assemblies 21 will be operated to bring the mandrels 19, although not the disks, into a position where the mandrels will protrude into the open ings of the coil, Once this has been accomplished, the mandrel will be expanded to grip the coil.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus capable of functioning alternatively as a coil box or uncoiler for uncoiling coils of strip-like material having opposed openings the combination of:

a pair of opposed mandrels each having end portions adapted to be presented to protrude into one of said openings of and for rotatably supporting a coil when the apparatus is functioning as an uncoiler,

means for moving at least one of said mandrels relative to the other,

a disk cooperating with each of said mandrels having surfaces for engaging the opposite sides of a coil when the apparatus is functioning as a coil box,

said disks being constructed and arranged to be brought from an operative position, wherein the disks are rotatably supported by said mandrels and positioned so that their surfaces may be contacted by a coil, to an inoperative position, wherein said disks will be positioned away from said mandrels and coil and vice-versa, and

means for moving the disks into and out of their operative positions.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said disks have portions engageable by the cooperative mandrels for rotatably supporting the disks and with respect to said movable mandrel for causing said mandrel to move one of said disks toward and away from one of the sides of a coil.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 including means for supporting a portion of the periphery of a coil when the coil is located between said mandrels,

means for positioning said coil supporting means to align the axes of said openings with the axes of the mandrels.

4. In an apparatus capable of functioning alternatively as a coil box or uncoiler for uncoiling coils of strip-like material having opposed openings the combination of:

a pair of opposed rotatable mandrels, the diameters of which are expandable and each having portions adapted to be presented to protrude into one of said openings of and for rotatably supporting a coil when the apparatus is functioning as an uncoiler,

means for moving in an axial direction said mandrels relative to each other,

a disk cooperating with each of said mandrels having surfaces for engaging the opposite sides of a coil when the apparatus is functioning as a coil box,

said disks having portions engageable by said cooperative mandrels on the expansion of the latter for rotatably supporting the disks and for causing the mandrels to move the disks axially toward and away from the sides of a coil,

said disks being constructed and arranged to be brought from an operative position, wherein the disks are rotatably supported by said mandrels and positioned to be contacted by a coil, to an inoperative position, wherein the disks will be positioned away from said mandrels and coil and vice-versa, and

means for moving the disks into and out of their operative positions.

v5. In an apparatus according to claim 4 in which the means for moving said disks includes means for controlling the movement thereof to position said disks for engagement by said mandrels.

6. In an apparatus according to claim 4 including a support,

arms for connecting said disks to said support, and

means for rotating said arms to move the disks into and out of their operative and inoperative positions.

7. In an apparatus according to claim 6 wherein. each of said arms includes a first engageable member,

second en ageable members secured to said support, said first and second members being brought into engagement with and disengagement from each other upon movement of said mandrels.

8. In an apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said second engageable members are so arranged relative to said mandrels that when the mandrels are moved to one of their axial extreme positions said first and second members are brought into engagement with each other and when moved away from this position these members are disengaged from each other.

9. In combination with means for uncoiling a coil of strip-like material,

a means supporting a coil to be uncoiled,

said means including a first coil supporting member having a coil supporting surface of a given length and a second coil supporting member having a coil supporting surface of a length different than the length of said first coil supporting surface,

means for alternatively positioning the two members in position to support a coil, wherein said first member is employed to support coils of a first range of widths and said second member is employed, to sup port coils of a range of widths different than the first range.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each of said members comprise a pair of rollers,

a frame for rotatably carrying said rollers,

means for rotatably supporting said frame, and

means for rotating said frame to alternatively position either of said pairs of rollers in the coil supporting position.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 including means for holding said frame in one of the alternative positions of said pairs of rollers.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10 including means for carrying the weight of a coil when carried by either of said pairs of rollers.

13. An apparatus according to claim it) including means 7 for moving a coil relative to said rollers and means for retracting said coil moving means to allow said frame and rollers to be rotated.

14. In an apparatus capable of functioning alternatively as a coil box or uncoiler for uncoiling coils of strip-like material having opposed openings the combination of:

a pair of opposed mandrels each having end portions adapted to be presented to protrude into one of said openings of and for rotatably supporting a coil when the apparatus is functioning as an uncoiler,

means for moving at least one of said mandrels relative to the other,

a disk cooperating with each of said mandrels having surfaces for engaging the opposite sides of a coil when the apparatus is functioning as a coil box,

said disks having portions engageable by said cooperative mandrels for rotatably supporting the disks and with respect to said movable mandrel for causing said mandrel to move one of said disks toward and away from one of the sides of a coil,

said disks being constructed and arranged to be brought from an operative position, wherein the disks are rotatably supported by said mandrels and positioned so that their surfaces may be contacted by a coil, to an inoperative position, wherein said disks will be positioned away from said mandrels and coil and vice-versa,

means for moving the disks into and out of their operative positions,

means for supporting a coil during its uncoiling and when the apparatus is functioning as a coil box including a first coil supporting member having a coil supporting surface of a given length and a second coil supporting member having a coil supporting surface of a length different than the length of said first coil supporting surface, and

means for alternatively positioning the two members in position to support a coil wherein said first member is employed to support coils of a first range of widths and said second member is employed to support coils of a range of widths different than the first range.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,236,971 4/1941 Iversen et a]. 24278.6 2,329,832 9/1943 Fouse 24278.7 2,443,544 5/1948 Longfield 242-78] 2,920,839 1/1960 Sarka 24278.6

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN AN APPARATUS CAPABLE OF FUNCTIONING ALTERNATIVELY AS A COIL BOX OR UNCOILER FOR UNCOILING COILS OF STRIP-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING OPPOSED OPENING THE COMBINATION OF: A PAIR OF OPPOSED MANDRELS EACH HAVING END PORTIONS ADAPTED TO BE PRESENTED TO PROTRUDE INTO ONE OF SAID OPENINGS OF AND FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A COIL WHEN THE APPARATUS IS FUNCTIONING AS AN UNCOILER, MEANS FOR MOVING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MANDRELS RELATIVE TO THE OTHER, A DISK COOPERATING WITH EACH OF SAID MANDRELS HAVING SURFACES FOR ENGAGING THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF A COIL WHEN THE APPARATUS IS FUNCTIONING AS A COIL BOX, SAID DISKS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO BE BROUGHT FROM AN OPERATIVE POSITION, WHEREIN THE DISKS ARE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID MANDRELS AND POSITIONED SO THAT THEIR SURFACES MAY BE CONTACTED BY A COIL, TO AN INOPERATIVE POSITION, WHEREIN SAID DISKS WILL BE POSITIOED AWAY FROM SAID MANDRELS AND COIL AND VICE-VERSA, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE DISKS INTO AND OUT OF THEIR OPERATIVE POSITIONS.

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