US3292406A

US3292406A - Turret mill

Info

Publication number: US3292406A
Application number: US313216A
Authority: US
Inventors: O'brien Jeremiah Wagner
Original assignee: United Engineering and Foundry Co
Current assignee: United Engineering and Foundry Co
Priority date: 1962-10-12
Filing date: 1963-10-02
Publication date: 1966-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 1983-12-20
Also published as: DE1290111B; BE638564A; GB1043239A

Description

J. W. O'BRIEN Dec; 20, 1966 TURRET MILL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1963 4y. R. J; 0N 2A; mm? m Q4 W. f 5 .MO H M;

J. W. O'BRIEN Dec. 20, 1966 TURRET MILL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 2, 1963 mm m ma.fi 4 5 f/ Dec. 20, 1966 r J. w. O'BRIEN TURRET MILL 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 2, 1963 Mill (1 77%;; Q ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 38,680/62 11 Claims. (11. 72-238) This invention relates to rolling mills and, more particularly, to mills of the type employed in the rolling of billets, bars, rounds and the like.

For example, modern high-production vertical mills are provided with a pair of cooperative metal reducing rolls, which in many cases are formed with a series of different shape or size grooves or passes along their lengths. In one such mill each of the rolls, which are 30 inches in diameter and 48 inches in body length, has two similar size passes for rolling billets and two different size passes for rolling rounds. The billet passes are also employed for edging skelp slabs, which is the third product produced by the mill.

Even in mills having a more simplified roll pass design or where the passes are all the same size, the mills are provided with a mechanism for vertically adjusting the rolls so that each pass thereof can be positioned to receive a workpiece passing along a fixed horizontal steel line. With respect to the exemplary mill, the rolls must be adjusted vertically a relatively long distance of 48 inches.

Present-day mills of the type under discussion possess several definite and serious disadvantages which are reflected in the designs, operation, maintenance of the mills and in the cost of the mills and roll inventory. One of the disadvantages in mill design is brought about by the need of providing for vertically adjusting the rolls, but in a manner wherein the rolling leads are adequately contained. In one construction an interhousing is provided which slides vertically in an outer stationary housing, which ultimately receives the rolling loads.

As to the operational disadvantages of such mills, one of the most serious has reference to the lost production time incident to roll changing. There are threeproce dures for changing the rolls in the mills: one, to remove the rolls by lifting them in pairs from the housing; two, to remove the rolls together with the interhousing where such a mill construction is being employed; and three, in certain mills to remove the entire mill and replace it by a duplicate mill. While the extent of lost time experienced in effecting the changing of the rolls ditfers in each of these procedures, even the most optimum involves an appreciable loss in production time. Moreover, they are all dependent upon the services of one or more cranes during the actual roll changing procedure.

Since the complicatedness of the mill design is a large factor in the maintenance cost of the mills, the presentday mills being very complicated also entail this drawback. The maintenance cost is increased even more in view of the influence that the mechanism for vertically adjusting the rolls has on the designs of the drive and spindles of the mills.

A still further limitation of present-day mills is in regard to the initial investment cost and the cost of maintaining a roll inventory adequate to cover the various products produced by the mills. The necessity of having to adjust the rolls a relatively great distance substantially increases the cost of manufacturing the mills. Thus it "ice will be readily appreciated that in addition to the cost of Supplying the roll adjusting mechanism, the drives, spindles and housings of the mills must be designed to allow for the vertical movement of the rolls. Moreover, the long, large diameter rolls are expensive in themselves, let alone the added cost of having to provide large housings, bearings, chocks, etc. that these rolls require. A further disadvantage is found in that both the mechanism for vertically adjusting the rolls and the drive for the rolls are arranged beneath the mill, in which the spindles that drive the rolls have to be made long enough to accommodate the full adjustment of the rolls, all of Which necessitated a deep pit being provided in the foundation Which'greatly increases the cost of the mill.

Additional monetary losses are experienced by reason of the fact that in all rolls full utilization of the life of the passes can not be realized. Moreover, the attempt to utilize the full life of the passes involves more frequent roll changes and, hence, an attendant loss in production time. The vertical adjustment of the rolls also involves the loss in time incident to the removal and replacement of the guides for the passes.

In view of the fact that a suflicient number of different passes to cover the Whole range of products produced by the mill can not be formed in the rolls, two or more rolls are often required. To keep the number of roll changes to a minimum, the rolling schedule of the mill must be prearranged. This, however, greatly complicates the entire operation of the mill and imposes serious limitations, particularly relative to being able to make quick delivery on orders.

Another disadvantage of present-day mills is where there is unequal wear of one of the passes of the rolls, in which case the rolls must be turned down to re-form the worn pass and as a result the unworn passes must be reformed before full utilization of their rolling life has been realized.

One form of the present invention relates to an improved vertical mill which will either completely or substantially reduce the detrimental effects of each and every one of the enumerated disadvantages of present-day mills.

The improved mill provides a pair of rotatable spacedapart turrets arranged on parallel vertical axis carrying two roll assemblies spaced 180 apart. These rolls, in

the preferred form, are provided with only a single pass and, consequently, theirlengths and diameters are appreciably smaller than the rolls of present-day mills. In the improved mill the rolls and/or passes are changed by simply rotating the turrets which will automatically remove the old set of rolls from their rolling position and insert the new set therein. The guides for the new rolls can be preassemble-d on the turrets so that once the rolls are brought to the rolling position extensive guide manipulation will not be necessary.

It will be appreciated in this construction that While the mill is rolling steel, a new set of rolls, including their guides, can be mounted on the turrets and held in readiness for immediate positioning into the rolling position when a roll and/or pass changes is desired.

One of the turrets, in the preferred form of the present invention, is adjustable transversely and vertically rela tive to the other so that the passes of the rolls can be brought to their proper cooperative positions.

In the preferred form each turret is provided with a downward projection for each of its rolls, in which either one or the other of these projections contact a restricting surface that prevents rotation of the turrets during the operation of the mill. Means are provided for raising the turrets so as to free the contacting projections and allow the turrets to be rotated, after which they can be lowered and the other projections will come into the restrictive positions. The raising and lowering of the turrets will also automatically disengage and engage the ends of the rolls from the driving spindles.

The present invention will be better understood when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a vertical mill incorporating the features of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on lines IIII of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on lines III-III of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on lines IVIV of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on lines VV of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on lines VIVI of FIGURE 2.

With reference to FIGURES l, 4 and 5 there is provided two pairs of horizontally spaced apart upright frames 11 and 12 to which are secured at their tops and bottoms two pairs of horizontally extending

beams

13 and 14, the beam being best shown in FIGURE 4. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the beams 13 serve to support

upper turret housings

15 and 16, these beams having recesses 17 that form supporting surfaces for the

turret housings

15 and 16 and a guiding surface for the housing 15. As also best shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the lower beams 14 are provided with projections 18 which support

lower turret housings

21 and 22 and in addition guide the lower turret housing 21. In this construction the pairs of upper and lower turret housings are vertically spaced away from each other, and each is provided with opposed bearing-lined complementary openings 23, these openings being best shown in FIGURES 2 and 5.

Into the opposed pair of bearing-lined openings 23 of each housing, there is rotatably received vertically arranged

turrets

24 and 25, this construction also :being best shown in FIGURE 2. Each of these turrets has extending from its opposite sides, spaced 180 apart, horizontal

roll supporting wings

26 and 27, FIGURE 6 showing this construction in detail as to the turret 25. As shown in the figures, the wings 27 rotatably carry cooperating

metal reducing rolls

28 and 29, whereas, with respect to the wings 26, it will be noted that the rolls which are adapted to be carried thereby have been omitted for the purpose of illustration.

As shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 4, the

wings

26 and 27 are provided with slotted studs 31 over which pass openings formed in chocks 32 of the rolls, the chocks being secured to the wings 27 by tapered keys 33 that are inserted in the slots of the studs 31. The keys can be seen in referring to FIGURES 2 and 4.

The

rolls

28 and 29 being formed with only one pass can be made quite short in length and small in diameter. As shown, particularly in FIGURE 6, roll guides 34 are secured to the

wings

26 and 27 by tapered keys 35. At the bottom of each of the wings 26 and 27 a pair of downwardly extending projections 36 are provided. As can be seen in FIGURE 4, the projections 36 of the wings 27 carrying the

rolls

28 and 29 engage upward projections 37 formed on the inner sides of the

lower turret housings

21 and 22. In this way the

turrets

24 and 25 are prevented from rotating during the engagement of the projections, but yet, the turret 24 is permitted to move freely transversely toward and away from the turret 25.

The

turrets

24 and 25 are raised through the agency of individual

piston cylinder assemblies

38 and 39, respectively, the cylinders of which are secured to the upper 4

turret housings

15 and 16, this construction being best shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. As shown in FIGURE. 2, the elongated rods 41 of the piston cylinder assemblies, 38 and 39 are secured to the lower ends of non-rotatable sleeves 40 which are spaced intermediate the extreme lower end of the rods and the lower ends of the turrets. The sleeves 40 carry the weight of the turrets and for which reason their upper ends are flanged, the upper surfaces of which carry bearings and the lower, surfaces rest upon the

lower turret housings

21 and 22. In this construction, on the operation of the

piston cylinder assemblies

38 and 39, the sleeves 40 and turrets will be raised a distance suflicient to enable the projections 36 of the

wings

26 or 27 to clear the projections 37 formed on the lower.

turret housings

21 and 22. It will also be noted that the lifting movement will automatically raise the end of the

rolls

28 and 29 out of the couplings, to be referred to later. The lowering of the turrets will cause the rolls and couplings to automatically engage each other, the rolls, if necessary, having been turned to the proper angular positions relative to V couplings to assure this result.

To rotate the turrets after they have been thus raised, individual

piston cylinder assemblies

42 and 43 are provided, the cylinders of which are also secured to the

turret housings

15 and 16, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. To the ends of each of the rods of these cylinder assemblies a ratchet pawl 44 is secured, the free end of which is guided to engage one of four equally spaced.

recesses formed in a racthet ring 45, which is rotatably received in the top of the

upper turret housings

15 and 16. From the centers of the ratchet rings 45, sleeves 46 extend downwardly, the lower portions of which are provided with flat driving surfaces against which engage complementary surfaces formed in openings 47 of flanges 48. As shown in FIGURE 2 the flanges 48 are secured to the top of the

turrets

24 and 25 and through which pass the rods 41 of the piston cylinder assembly 38. In this manner, assuming that the turrets are to be raised 'by the operation of the

piston cylinder assemblies

38 and 39 to bring the openings 47 of the flanges 48 over the sleeves 46, the operation of the

piston cylinder assemblies

42 and 43 will effect a rotation of the

turrets

24 and 25, it necessitating two successive forward operations of the cylinder assemblies to-rotate the turrets the required The

turret housings

15 and 21, with their turret and roll, are transversely moved in unison over the

beams

13 and 14 through the agency of a pair of upper and lower worm-wheel-screw sets 49 and 50 respectively. These sets are driven from a common motor 51, the equipment being all arranged on the operating side of the mill, i.e.,

the left side as one views FIGURE 2. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the screws engage projections 53 perpendicularly arranged with respect to the

wings

26 and 27. In combination with each of the screws of the upper wormwheel-screw set 49 there is provided individual piston 6 cylinder assemblies 54 which, as shown in FIGURE 1,

are connected to the projections 53 and, thus, serve to urge the turret housing 15 against the ends of the upper screws. For the lower turret housing 21, piston cylinder assemblies 55 are arranged on the drive side of the mill,

i.e., the left side as one views FIGURE 2. In this case,

and as shown only in FIGURE 5, the rods 56 of the piston cylinder assemblies 55 are extended and their ends engage one of the vertical sides of the projections 53 of the turret housing 21 whereby the turret is urged against the screws of the lower worm-wheel-screw set 50.

The turret 24, as previously noted, in addition to being moved transversely relative to the turret 25 is also 'adjustable vertically relative thereto. To accomplish this, as shown best in FIGURE 2, the extended rod 41 o f the piston cylinder assembly 38 is connected at its lower end to a cross link 57, the opposite ends of the cross link being, in turn, pivotally connected to a short link 58 and an adjustable longer link 59. The short link 58 is pivotally secured to the turret housing 21; whereas, the upper end of the longer link passes through an opening formed in the turret housing 21, which end is threaded for receiving a nut 61. The turret 24 and its roll 28 can thus be raised by operation of the piston cylinder assembly 38 to align the pass of the roll 28 relative to the pass of the roll 29. When the proper aligned position is obtained, the nut 61 can be tightened up to maintain the turret 24 in the adjusted position.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the lower ends of the

rolls

28 and 29 are provided with couplings 62, the couplings being drivenly connected to spindles 63 which, in turn, are connected to a drive 64 and thus to a motor 65.

As previously indicated, one of the important advantages of the present invention has reference to the fact that a new set of rolls can be mounted on the outer wings 26 of

turrets

24 and 25 while the mill rolls 28 and 29 are rolling steel. The guides for the new set of rolls also can be prepositioned, whereby simply by raising and rotating the

turrets

24 and 25 the new rolls and guides can be quickly brought into the operating position. This condition not only greatly reduces the roll changing time in comparison with present-day mills, but of equal importance it greatly simplifies the rolling schedule and, as a result, quick delivery of small tonnage orders can be made. It is significant to note that the actual roll changing of the mill is not dependent upon the employment of a crane, so that the services of the crane can be made available for other important mill maintenance operations during this period. As a result, the total nonproductive time of the entire plant is reduced, in addition to the substantial reduction in downtime for changing the rolls of the vertical mill itself.

It will be appreciated that, while the novel features of the present invention have been explained which refer to a vertical mill, many of the features thereof are just as applicable to other types of mills. It will further be appreciated that in certain circumstances the rolls of the mill may be provided with more than one pass, although such a modification, should it involve too many passes, Would detract from realizing the full advantages of the invention.

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. A rolling mill comprising:

a pair of rotatable spaced-apart members arranged on predetermined axes,

a pair of rolls rotatably carried by each member,

said members being so arranged with respect to each other and the rolls of one member with respect to the rolls of the other member that the roll can be brought selectively into and out of a single cooperative operating position on the rotation of the members,

said members include means for supporting workpiece guides for each roll thereof,

the construction being such that a roll and guide can be preassembled on the members preparatory to being brought into a cooperative operating position while other rolls and guides are in said position.

2. A rolling mill comprising:

a pair of rotatable spaced-apart members arranged on predetermined axes,

a frame for rotatably supporting said members in a manner to permit relative vertical and horizontal movement between said members,

a pair of rolls rotatably carried by each member,

said members being so arranged with respect to each other and the rolls of one member with respect to the rolls of the other member that the rolls can be brought selectively into and out of a single cooperative op erating position on the rotation of the members.

3. A vertical mill for rolling elongated workpieces such as billets, bars and the like comprising:

a pair of spaced apart housings arranged on a common vertical axes,

a frame for supporting the housings in a manner that at least one is slidable thereover relative to the other,

a turret rotatably carried by each housing,

a pair of roll supporting members carried by each of said turrets, and

means for rotating each turret so as to selectively position a roll carried by one of its supporting members into a single cooperative operating position with a roll of the other turret, wherein at the same time the other supporting member of each turret is positioned so that a second roll can be mounted thereon in readiness for positioning into said cooperative operating position.

4. A vertical mill according to claim 3, wherein,

said rolls have a single pass formed therein, and

said roll supporting members are spaced apart 5. A vertical mill according to claim 3 including,

elements selectively engageable with said turrets,

means for vertically moving said turrets to cause engagement and disengagement of said elements with said turrets, wherein in the engaged position the turrets are prevented from rotating, and

means for moving at least one of said housings over said frame relative to the other housing.

6. A vertical lmill according to claim 5 including,

a drive,

means for connecting the drive to said rolls positioned in said cooperative operating position,

said rolls being engaged and disengaged from said drive connecting means on operation of said means for vertically moving said turrets.

7. A vertical mill according to claim 5 including,

a rotatable ratchet carried by each housing,

driving elements connected to said ratchets,

driven elements normally spaced from said driving elements secured to said turrets,

said element being brought into driving relation-on the operation of said means for vertically moving said turrets, and

said ratchet being connected to said means for rotating said turrets.

8. A vertical mill according to claim 5 wherein,

said means for moving at least one of said housings relative to the other housing including two pair of screws engageable with said movable housing,

means for driving said screws, and

means for urging said movable housing against said screws.

'9. A vertical mill according to claim 5 wherein,

each housing has a pair of vertically spaced apart opposed openings,

bearings in said openings for rotatably supporting the opposite ends of said turrets,

a sleeve received in the lower opening of each housing for supporting the weight of the received turret, bearing carried by said sleeves to allow relative rotation between the turrets and said sleeves.

10. A vertical mill according to claim 9 including a rod for each turret connected to said means for vertically moving said turrets,

7 8 said rods engageable with said sleeves, whereby on 0p- 7 References Cited by the Examiner eration of said means for vertically moving said turrets, said sleeves are moved vertically. UNITED STATES PATENTS 11. A vertical mill according to claim 10 including a 737,277 8/1903 Rowland 72245 lever connected to one of said rods and one of said 5 995,427 6/1911 I h et 1 72 240 housings, 2,011,686 8/1935 Mikaelson et a1 72.-239 said lever engaging said sleeve of said one housing and 2,491,236 12/1949 sheperdson et a1 72 238 connected to an adjustable stop,

means for adjusting said stop to maintain the turret of CHARLES W- LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

said one housing in a predetermined vertical operat- 10 ing position. 7 R. D. GREFE, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A ROLLING MILL COMPRISING: A PAIR OF ROTATABLE SPACED-APART MEMBERS ARRANGED ON PREDETERMINED AXES, A PAIR OF ROLLS ROTATABLY CARRIED BY EACH MEMBER, SAID MEMBERS BEING SO ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND THE ROLLS OF ONE MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE ROLLS OF THE OTHER MEMBER THAT THE ROLLS CAN BE BROUGHT SELECTIVELY INTO AND OUT OF A SINGLE COOPERATIVE OPERATING POSITION ON THE ROTATION OF THE MEMBERS, SAID MEMBERS INCLUDE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING WORKPIECE GUIDES FOR EACH ROLL THEREOF, THE CONSTRUCTION BEING SUCH THAT A ROLL AND GUIDE CAN BE PREASSEMBLED ON THE MEMBERS PREPARATORY TO BEING BROUGHT INTO A COOPERATIVE OPERATING POSITION WHILE OTHER ROLLS AND GUIDES ARE IN SAID POSITION.