US3314263A

US3314263A - Third chock clamp

Info

Publication number: US3314263A
Application number: US357140A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Hill
Original assignee: Morgan Construction Co
Current assignee: Siemens Industry Inc
Priority date: 1964-04-03
Filing date: 1964-04-03
Publication date: 1967-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1984-04-18
Also published as: DE1292614B; GB1093201A; BE661922A

Description

April 18, 1967 w. J. HILL 3,314,263

THIRD CHOCK CLAMP Filed April :5, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l a- OR BY Wc/ZMQW Hm April 18, 1967 w. J, HlLL 3,314,263

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Filed April 15, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

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THIRD CHOCK CLAMP Filed April 5, 1964 v 5 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 0 3,314,263 THIRD CHUCK CLAMP William J. Hill, Holden, Mass., assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 357,140 11 Claims. (Cl. 72-237) This invention relates to roll stands in a rolling mill wherein the bearing chocks having work rolls journalled therebetween are slidably mounted on guide rails extending through the roll housings, and more particularly to an improved means for operatively connecting the rolls to the drive spindles.

In modern continuous mills which reduce blooms or billets of generally square cross-sections, vertical and horizontal roll stands are usually alternately positioned along the pass line. With this arrangement, the need to twist the stock as it passes from one stand to the next is obviated, resulting in a more homogeneous structure and superior surface quality of the product. Both horizontal and vertical roll stands of this type are sometimes constructed wit-h spaced parallel guide rails extending therethrough. Bearing chocks having the work rolls journalled therebetween are then inserted through suitably disposed housing windows and slidably mounted on the guide rails. With this construction, roll separating adjustments can be made by moving the rolls and their respective chocksby screw adjustments, with the guide rails following due to the interlocking engagement between the chocks and the rail flanges. Roll replacement is also greatly facilitated with this arrangement due to the advantage of being able to slide roll and their respective bearing checks in and out of the housings along the guide rails.

Although the present invention may be utilized in connection with either horizontal or vertical roll stands of this general design, its description will hereinafter be presented with primary reference to vertical roll stands. It should be noted however that the description is in tended as an illustration of an inventive concept capable of being utilized with both vertical and horizontal roll stands.

An example of an earlier vertical roll stand having guide rails extending therethrough is shown in US. Patent No. 2,583,844. In roll stands of this design, rolls were journalled between upper and lower bearing chocks slidably mounted on guide rail extending vertically through the housing. from the housing and terminated at their lower extremities in integrally fabricated inwardly disposed ledges having vertical bores extending therethrough. Each bore in turn contained a bearing which carried and located the upper portion of a conventional slipper-type universal joint connecting the lower roll end to an underlying vertical disposed drive spindle. Although this arrangement proved satisfactory in many respects, maintenance difficulties were encountered when removal of the drive spindles was necessary. This was particularly true of installatiofis where overhead clearance between the stands and the mill roof was limited.

More particularly, when removing drive spindles from housing of thi type, each roll journalled between its upper and lower bearing checks was first removed as a subassembly of relatively short length by sliding it upwardly along the guide rails. However, due to the fact that the ledges containing the upper spindle universal joints were integral with the rails, in order to avoid disturbing the guide rails, it was then necessary to dismantle bearing sealing and retaining components before removing the universal joints and their depending spindles. In addi- The guide rails were separable tion to being a costly and time consuming operation, these components were located in an extremely unfavorable environment, a factor making it even more difficult for operating personnel to Work efficiently when replacing or exchanging vulnerable and expendable driving components.

As an alternative to the above, it was possible to remove each guide rail and universal joint with a spindle hanging therefrom as a sub-assembly. Removal of the rails however first necessitated disconnecting the hydraulic pull-back mechanisms which were operatively engaged thereto. Moreover, excessive overhead clearance was required for removal of rails with drive spindles hanging therefrom.

In order to avoid these difliculties, improved vertical mill stands were subsequently developed wherein the overhead clearance needed for removal of drive spindles was reduced to a minimum and the need to disconnect roll pull-back mechanisms completely obviated. In addition, this Was accomplished without the need to dismantle bearing sealing components.

An example of such an improved vertical roll stand is shown in my co-pending application Ser. No. 61,574, now issued as US. latent No. 3,194,045. It this improved design, vertically extending guide rails are again positioned in spaced oppositely disposed pairs within the housing. The rolls, journalled between upper and lower bearing chocks are slidably mounted in axial alignment on the guide rails. However, a dilferent means of connecting the underlying drive spindles to the roll wobblers is provided through the use of conventional spindle couplings connected within third chocks separable from the guide rails.

With thi construction, each roll and its respective bearing chocks can again be removed as a sub-assembly of relatively short length. The separable third chocks with assembled spindles can then be removed as a second su'bassembly of comparable length without disturbing the guide rails and hydraulic pull-back mechanisms con- 1 nected thereto. The length of these units, can be made to approximate the height of the roll housing with the result that the overhead clearance needed for disassembly is greatly reduced.

It should also be noted that with this construction as well as that of the earlier design, special precautions need not be taken to support the upper extremities of the drive spindles during roll replacements. Moreover, when sliding another work roll into position along the guide rails, the roll Wobbler will be automatically aligned with the universal joint serving as a connecting means between the roll and the drive spindle. This is of particular importance in horizontal roll stands since it avoids the necessity of positioning spindle jacks beneath the drive spindles prior to removal of the rolls.

When assembling the various components in roll stands of the type described in my US. Patent No. 3,194,045, third chocks with spindles depending downwardly therefrom are slidably mounted on the guide rails and downwardly displaced to a position at rest on a fixed lower portion of the guide rails. Upper and lower bearing chocks having rolls journalled therebetween are then slidably mounted on the guide rails and held tightly thereagainst by operation of the horizontal roll adjusting means. In contrast, however, the third checks simply remain slidably engaged on the rails with some slight clearances existing therebetween during subsequent operation of the mill. It has been found that although very slight, these clearances result in axial misalignment of the third chock with respect to the upper and lower bearing chocks. As a result, rotation of the spindles produces a certain amount of relative movement or play between the third chocks and the guide rails, a factor resulting in harmful mill vibrations.

In order to avoid creation of the aforementioned mill vibrations, the present improvement has been developed wherein each separable third chock is locked tightly against the guide rails in accurate axial alignment with the bearing chocks.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means of avoiding undesirable mill vibrations caused by relative movement between the third chocks and the guide rails.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means of removably mounting third chocks on the guide rails in accurate axial alignment with the bearing chocks.

- A further object of the present invention is to provide a means of tightly retaining separable third chocks against guide surfaces common to those against which the bear ing chocks are held by the roll separating means.

Another object of the present invention is to avoid the necessity of disconnecting hydraulic pull-back mechanisms from the guide rails when removal of drive spindles is necessitated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means of securing third chocks to the guide rails, said means capable of being quickly dismantled when removal of the third chocks and their respective drive spindles as single sub-assemblies is required.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a vertical roll stand embodying the present invention with a portion of the housing broken away to show the upper and lower bearing chocks and a separable third chock mounted on the guide rails;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the rail pull-back devices connected to the guide rails;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along 33 of FIG. 1 showing the roll parting adjustment screws;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a separable third choci; mounted on the guide rails of a vertical mill;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken through the locking wedge along line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a partial side elevation similar to FIG. 4 wherein the certain forces exerted by the locking wedge are illustrated diagrammatically;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of a horizontal roll stand embodying the present invention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 wherein are best shown the general features of the invention, a vertical mill stand indicated generally by the reference numeral 1% is shown :omprised basically of a housing structure 11 mounted i'or vertical movement on a base 12. Vertical movement 5 imparted to the housing structure 11 by means of :levational screwjacks 13 extending upwardly from elevatng drive mechanisms 14 to contact the undersurface of ase 12. The drive mechanisms are interconnected by neans of shaft 15 and driven through drive shaft 16 )y motor 17.

Two rolls 18 and 20 are rotatably mounted within the lousing structure 11 and are driven by underlying drive .pindles 24 and 26. Drive

spindles

24 and 26 extend ipwardly from a gear housing (not shown) containing the isual beveled gears and mill pinions for speed reduction, tngular change of direction and division of input power ietween the roll driving spindles. Such gearing is well :nown in the art and does not form a part of the present nvention.

As is made evident in FIG. 1 by the cut away portion of housing 11, roll 20 is journaled between upper and lower bearing chocks 28 and 30 slidably mounted on a vertically disposed pair of guide rails 32. As will be hereinafter described in more detail, the bearing chocks are held against flanges on the guide rails 32 by the roll parting adjustment mechanisms. The lower extension of roll 20 having an irregular cross-sectional shape commonly referred to as a Wobbler is connected to drive spindle 26 by means of a conventional universal coupling rotatably contained within a third chock 34 separable from and also slidably mounted on guide rails 32 beneath upper and lower bearing chocks 28 and 30. Although not completely shown in FIG. 1, it should be understood that roll 18 is similarly journaled within upper and lower bearing chocks 29 and 31 slidably mounted on a second pair of guide rails 36 extending vertically through the housing in opposed spaced relationship to rails 32.

As shown in FIG. 9, in horizontal mill stands of similar design, guide rails 32a and 36a extend horizontally through the housing. The separable third chocks 34a and 90:: are slidably mounted on the guide rails and displaced thereon to the drive side of the mill where they support one end of horizontally disposed drive spindles 24a and 26a. Horizontally disposed work rolls 18a and 20a are then inserted into the housing by slidably engaging the bearing chocks on the guide rails in much the same manner as is illustrated in connection with a vertical mill.

As is evident from an examination of FIGS. 1-3, the vertical mill stand 10 is substantially symmetrical in construction about the pass line. In view of this fact, the following more detailed description of the present invention will proceed with emphasis being placed primarily on the right side of the mill stand (drive side) as viewed in FIG. 1. It should be understood however that this description will apply equally as well to the left side (work side) of the mill.

As previously mentioned, when assembled within housing 11, upper and lower bearing chocks for either roll 18 or 2% are slidably engaged and tightly held against either

guide rail

32 or 36 by the roll parting adjustment mechanisms. This can be best seen by a combined reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. As can be seen in FIG. 2, guide rails 32 are held in interconnected laterally aligned spaced relationship by means of a flat rail separating member 38 attached therebetween. Guide rails 36 are similarly interconnected in spaced relationship by rail separator 39. Both rails 32 and 36 are additionally provided with inwardly disposed rail flanges 40 designed to be seated within similarly shaped flange receiving grooves 42 extending vertically along the sides of upper bearing chocks 28 and 29. Lower bearing chocks 30 and 31 are provided with flange receiving grooves (not shown) identical to grooves 42. These grooves cooperate with the inwardly disposed rail flanges 40 in permitting the chocks to be slidably engaged on the guide rails as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Guide rails

32 and 36 are further connected by means of clevises 44 and pins 43 to the retractable piston rods 45 of hydraulic pull-back devices 46. With this construetion, the space between

guide rails

32 and 36 may be varied by retracting or extending pistons 45. This in turn will result in a corresponding change in the distance separating the work rolls due to the mechanical engagement of rail flanges 40 within the flange receiv in'g grooves 42 of the bearing chocks.

Referring now to FIG. 3 which is a sectional view through the mill at a slightly lower level than FIG. 2, it can be seen that the upper bearing chocks 28 and 29 are further engaged by roll positioning screws 48 extending horizontally through openings in the

guide rail separators

38 and 39 with their inwardly disposed ends engaging the chocks as at 49. Screws 48 are threaded through nuts 50 fixed within housing 11 with their other ends connected by gear sets contained within gear boxes 51 to vertically disposed spindles 52. It shouldbe understood that spindles 52 extend downwardly from gear boxes 51 to lower gear boxes (not shown) in order to transmit power to similar screws engaging lower bearing chocks and 31. Power for the upper and lower roll positioning screws 48 is provided by motors 54 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) operatively connected to the vertical spindles 52.

With this construction, it can be seen that the work rolls 18 and 20 can be separated or drawn closer together by the combined operation of the upper and lower roll positioning screws 48 and rail pull-back devices 46. When the screws 48 are withdrawn,

guide rails

32 and 36 are pulled back by operation of the rail pull-back devices 46, thereby maintaining a firm abutting relationship between the chocks and the ends of the screws as at 49. The opposed forces exerted by the roll positioning screws 48 and rail pull-back devices 46 on the bearing chocks,

and guide rails respectively will result in the inner faces 41 of rail flanges being seated tightly against the opposed inner faces of flanges receiving grooves 42 with no chance of relative motion or play developing therebetween.

This arrangement permits the space between rolls to be varied without changing the relative position of the pass line. When removal of the rolls is necessitated, the roll positioning screws are retracted with the roll chocks also being pulled back under the influence of the rail pull-back devices. This continues until the outer edges of the railsengage inwardly disposed rail stops 55 on the housing. Although this prevents further retraction of the guide rails, the roll positioning screws continue to back off for a limited distance, thus removing the chock clamping action between the ends of the screws as at 49 and the inner faces 41 of flange receiving grooves 42. The chocks thus become free to slide upwardly along the rails for roll removal and replacement while the rails remain rigidly held in position against stops 55 by the force of the hydraulic rail pull-back devices 46.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein is shown an enlarged view of the third chock 34 slidably mounted on the lower extremity of guide rails 32, it can be seen that the guide rails terminate at their lower ends in integrally fabricated horizontally disposed fixed stop means, hereinafter referred to as chock supporting ledges 56. As can be best seen in FIG. 5, ledges 56 extend inwardly beyond the inner edges of rail flanges 40 towards the center of the housing to support the third chock positioned therebetween. Third chock 34 is provided with rail flange receiving grooves 58 identical to the grooves 42 in the upper and lower bearing chocks which are designed to interlock with the inwardly disposed rail flanges 40. This interlocking arrangement permits slidable displacement of the third chocks along guide rails 32 in the same manner as already discussed in connection with the upper and lower bearing chocks 28 and 30.

The third chock 34 is further provided along either side with ledge-receiving recesses generally indicated by the reference numeral 60. These recesses are designed to accept the horizontally disposed chock supporting ledges 56 when the third chock is operatively positioned as shown in the drawings. Liner plates 62 having generally L-shaped cross-sections (see FIG. 7) are attached to the sides of the third chock by means of screws indicated typically at 64 to provide replaceable wearing surfaces between the chock supporting ledges 56 and the third chocks. With this construction, it can readily be seen that the third chock may be slidably engaged on the guide rails 32 and thereafter downwardly displaced to a lowered position supported by the horizontally dis posed chock supporting ledges 56 with the liner plates 62 interposed therebetween. At this point in the assembly of third chocks to the rails 32, some clearance still exists between the inner faces 41 of the rail flanges 40 and the opposed faces of rail flange receiving grooves 58. Were the third chock to remain so positioned during operation of the mill, its accurate axial alignment with 6 the upper and lower bearing chocks would not be possible.

The means for locking the third chock to the guide rails in axial alignment with the bearing chocks will now be described with initial reference to FIG. 4.

A tapered wedge receiving slot 66 is shown formed between the opposed faces 68 and 70 of the third chock 34 and the chock supporting ledge 56 respectively when the third chock is supported thereon. Although not shown in FIG. 4, it should be understood that an identical wedge receiving slot is formed on the other side of the chock. Slots 66 extend upwardly at an angle to circular recesses 72 in communication with open-sided passageways 74 which continue upwardly therefrom through the third chock housing to terminate in counter-sunk holes 76.

Locking wedges 7 8 provided with threaded passageways extending therethrough are positioned between the third chock 34 and the chock supporting ledges 56 within wedge receiving slots 66. Wedge screws 30 having integral enlarged shoulders 82 are then located in passageways 74 and threaed through the locking wedges 78. By tightening screws 80, it can readily be seen that enlarged shoulders 82 Will be seated in counter-sunk holes 76 as the locking wedges 78 are drawn upwardly into wedge receiving slots 66. The resulting screw force exerted on each wedge has been diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 8 by the force vector F As analyzed, F is the resultant of horizontal and vertical components P and F Horizontal component F is transferred directly to the third chock 34 and results in the third chock being pushed away from the vertically disposed guide rails on which it is mounted by a horizontal force H. As shown in FIG. 5, this causes the inner faces 41 of rail flange 40 to seat tightly against the opposed faces of the flange receiving grooves 58 which extend vertically along each side of the third chock housing. It can therefore be seen that tightening of wedge screws 80 will result in the third chock 34 being pushed against the inner faces 41 of rail flanges 40 in accurate axial alignment with the bearing chocks 28 and 30 also held against inner faces 41 by the combined action of the roll separating mechanisms. In this manner, any play that might otherwise have developed between the third chock and its guide rails during high speed rotation of the drive spindles is positively eliminated.

As indicated in FIG. 6, the angularly disposed inner faces 68 of third chock 34 have been machined at an inwardly sloping angle 0 matching that of the outwardly sloping opposed face of wedge 78. Because of this relationship, the horizontal component F of screw force F can be further broken down into two force vectors P and F F will be applied perpendicularly to face 68 and P; will be applied inwardly to draw each wedge against the sides of the third chock. In this manner, any possibility of the wedges becoming accidentally disengaged from wedge receiving slots 66 during operation of the mill will be avoided.

As can be further seen in FIG. 8, the vertical component FF of screw force F will produce downward force V on the third chock which will react through liner plates 62 to hold the third chock down on the chock sup porting ledges 56. This is an important factor in the event that the roll Wobbler 88 becomes tightly fitted within the universal-type coupling 86 rotatably contained within third chock 34. With this arrangement, the roll Wobbler can be pulled out of the coupling without pulling the third chock off its supporting ledges.

As shown in FIG. 7, the undersurface 84 of each liner plate 62 is undercut at an angle A matching that of the sloping upper face of the chock supporting ledges 56. As previously mentioned, when the wedge screws 80 are tightened in order to draw wedges 78 into wedge receiving slots 66, a downward force V is exerted on the third chock housing tending to force the third chock down onto the chock supporting ledges. In actuality, due to the undercut surfaces 84 of liner plates 62, the downward force V will be resolved into two components indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 7 by the force vectors P and F F will be applied perpendicular to surface 84 and will force the third chock against the upper sloping edges of chock supporting ledges 56. F will be applied horizontally and will tend to pull the chock supporting ledges 56 against the sides of the chock 34.

It can therefore be seen that by tightening wedge screws 80, the entire third chock assembly will be brought into a tightly interlocked relationship rigid in all planes. More particularly, the horizontal component P of screw force F will cause the inner faces 41 of rail flanges 46 to seat themselves tightly against the opposed faces of flange receiving grooves 58 as the third chock is pushed away from the guide rails. In addition, the third chock will be forced downwardly onto the chock supporting ledges 56 by force V. Still further, the wedges will be held within the wedge receiving slots 66 and the chock supporting ledges 56 pushed against the third chock housing by the force components F and P These factors when taken together, provide a means of securely mounting the third chock in accurate axial alignment with the upper bearing chocks.

It should of course be understood that third chock 90 is removably attached to guide rails 36 in an identical manner in order to provide an operative connection between drive spindle 24 and roll 18. With this construction, each drive spindle, spindle coupling and third chock can be assembled into a single sub-assembly on the mill floor. This having been done, each third chock and its depending drive spindle can be slidably engaged on either

guide rails

32 and 36 and thereafter lowered to a supported position on the third chock supporting ledges 56. The locking wedges 78 are then inserted within the wedge receiving slots 66, engaged by screws 80 and thereafter manually tightened to lock the third chocks into position. Following this procedure, the rolls and their respective upper and lower bearing chocks may be slidably lowered as second sub-assemblies along the guide rails into opera tive positions as indicated in FIG. 1.

Having thus described the invention in connection with a vertical mill stand, it should now be apparent to one skilled in the art that the same concepts may be utilized in horizontal roll stands where the bearing chocks are slidably engaged on horizontally disposed guide rails.

More particularly, as shown in FIG. 9, a horizontal roll stand generally indicated by the reference numeral 94 is shown provided with upper and lower opposed guide rails 32a and 36a extending horizontally therethrough. l'he rails terminate at the drive side of the housing in nwardly disposed chock abutments 98 corresponding to he chock supporting ledges 56 illustrated in FIGS. 18.

With this arrangement, upper and lower separable third :

hocks

34a and 90a are slidably mounted on the guide ads and displaced to a position abutting chock abutments l8 where they are locked in place by tapered locking vedges 78a as previously described in connection with ertical mill stand 10. Each third chock contains a uniersal coupling 86a which provides a means of connecting iorizontally extending drive spindles 24a and 26a to work olls 18a and 20a. The work rolls are journalled between tearing chocks also slidably mounted on the horizontally :xtending guide rails.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modificaions of the invention herein chosen for purposes of dislosure which do not depart from the spirit and scope of he invention.

I claim:

1. In a roll stand for a rolling mill having rolls jouraled for rotation between bearing chocks, said rolls conected to drive spindles by universal spindle couplings otatably mounted within independent third chocks, means or maintaining constant axial alignment between said caring chocks and said third chocks comprising the comination of: opposed elongated guide rails extending through said roll stand to terminate at one end in fixed stop means, said rails further provided with inwardly disposed rail flanges; said third chocks being separable from said guide rails and slidably mounted thereon to positions abutting said fixed stop means; said bearing chocks being slidably mounted on said guide rails and held in mutual axial alignment against said rail flanges by roll separation adjustment means; and third chock securing means associated with said fixed stop means for positively locking said third chocks against said rail flanges in axial alignment with said bearing chocks.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fixed stop means are comprised of integrally fabricated ledges extending inwardly from said guide rails towards the center of said mill.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said third chock securing means is comprised of: recesses in the sides of said third chocks, said recesses cooperating with said fixed stop means to provide tapered wedge receiving slots extending between said third chocks and said fixed stop means, locking wedges positioned within said wedge receiving slots, and means for drawing said locking wedges into said slots in order to force said third chocks into positions resting against said rail flanges in axial alignment with said bearing chocks.

4. In a roll stand for a rolling mill, means for positioning third chocks containing spindle couplings in axial alignment with bearing chocks having rolls journaled therebetween, said means comprising the combination of: elongated guide rails extending through said roll stand to terminate in fixed stop means, each said guide rails further provided with at least one chock aligning rail flange extending along its entire length; said third chocks slidably mounted on said guide rails to positions abutting said fixed stop means; said bearing chocks slidably mounted on said guide rails and held in axial alignment against said rail flange by roll separation adjustment means; and third chock securing means associated with said fixed stop means for positively locking said third chocks against said rail flange in axial alignment with said bearing chocks, said third chocks securing means comprised of recesses in the sides of said third chocks, said recesses cooperating with said fixed stop means to provide tapered wedge receiving slots extending between said third chocks and said fixed stop means, tapered locking wedges removably positioned within said wedge receiving slots, and means for drawing locking wedges into said slots in order to force said third chocks against said chock aligning rail flange and said fixed stop means, thereby resulting in axial alignment of said third chocks with said bearing chocks.

5. In a rolling mill, for use with a roll stand having rolls journaied between bearing chocks to form subassemblies separable from said roll stand, said rolls operativcly connected to drive spindles by coupling means journalled within independent third chocks, said drive spindles, third chocks and coupling means also forming sub-assemblies separable from said roll stand, means for mounting said third chocks within said roll stand in accurate axial alignment with said bearing chocks comprising the combination of guide rails extending through said roll stand to terminate in fixed stop means, each said guide rails provided with at least one continuous aligning surface extending along its entire length, said bearing chocks and said third chocks slidably mounted on said guide rails; said bearing chocks held in mutual alignment against said aligning surface by roll separation adjustment means associated with said bearing chocks and said guide rails; and means for forcing said third chocks against said aligning surface and said fixed stop means in accurate axial alignment with said bearing chocks.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said fixed stop means extend laterally from said guide rails out towards the center of said mill, said third chocks being locked against said fixed stop means when in an operative position within said housing.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means for forcing said third chocks against the aligning surface of said guide rails is comprised of recesses in the sides of said third chocks, said recesses cooperating with said fixed stop means to provide wedge receiving slots extending between said third chocks and said fixed stop means, and locking wedges drawn into said slots in order to force said third chocks against said fixed stop means and the aligning surface of said rails.

8. For use in a roll stand having rolls journaled between bearing chocks to form sub-assemblies separable from said roll stand, said rolls connected to drive spindles by coupling means contained within third chocks, said drive spindles, third chocks and coupling means forming sub-assemblies also separable from said roll stand, means for providing accurate axial alignment between said bearing chocks and said third chocks comprising the combination of: spaced parallel guide rails extending through said roll stand to terminate at one end in fixed stop means, each said guide rails provided with at least one continuous chock aligning surface extending over substantially its entire length; said bearing chocks and said third chocks slidably mounted on said guide rails, said third chocks resting against said fixed stop means; said bearing chocks held against the chock aligning surfaces of said guide rails by roll separation adjustment means associated with said roll stand; and means for forcing said third chocks against said aligning surfaces in accurate axial alignment with said bearing chocks, said means comprising recesses in the sides of said third chocks, said recesses cooperating with said fixed stop means to provide tapered Wedge receiving slots extending between said third chocks and said fixed stop means, tapered locking Wedges positioned within said wedge receiving slots, and means for drawing said wedges into said slots in order to increase the width of said wedge receiving slots and thereby force said third chocks against said fixed stop means and the aligning surfaces of said guide rails.

9. In a roll stand having rolls journalled for rotation between bearing chocks, said rolls connected to drive spindles by universal spindle couplings journalled for rotation within independent third chocks, means for maintaining constant axial alignment between said bearing chocks and said third chocks comprising the combination of: spaced elongated guide rail assemblies extending through said roll stand in opposed parallel relationship, each said guide rail assemblies terminating at one end in fixed stop means extending laterally therefrom towards the center of said roll stand, each said guide rail assemblies further provided with at least one continuous chock aligning surface extending over the entire length thereof; said third chocks separable from said guide rail assemblies and slidably mounted thereon to positions abutting said fixed stop means; said bearing chocks having said rolls journalled therebetween slidably mounted on said guide rail assemblies and held against said continuous chock aligning surface by roll separating adjustment means; and third chock securing means associated with said fixed stop means for positively locking said third chocks against said chock aligning surface in axial alignment with said bearing chocks, said third chock securing means comprising recesses in the sides of said third chocks, said recesses cooperating with said fixed stop means to provide tapered wedge receiving slots extending between said third chocks and said fixed stop means, tapered locking wedges positioned within said wedge receiving slots, each said wedges provided with threaded passageways extending therethrough in axial alignment with apertures in said third chocks, and wedge screws extending through said apertures into threaded engagement within said passageways whereby when said wedge screws are tightened, said tapered wedges are drawn into said wedge receiving slots by a force exerted axially through said screws, said force resulting in said third chocks being pulled against said fixed stop means and said chock aligning surface.

19. The combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein the contacting surfaces of said locking wedges and said third chocks are bevelled, said bevelled surfaces cooperating to force said wedges against said third chocks as said wedge screws are tightened.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein the contacting surfaces between said fixed stop means and said third chocks are bevelled, said bevelled surfaces cooperating to pull said fixed stop means against said third chocks as said wedge screws are tightened.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,696,131 12/ 1954 Peterson 72-249 3,190,098 6/ 1965 Wilson 72244 3,194,045 7/1965 Hill 72-238 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

A. RUDERMAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A ROLL STAND FOR A ROLLING MILL HAVING ROLLS JOURNALED FOR ROTATION BETWEEN BEARING CHOCKS, SAID ROLLS CONNECTED TO DRIVE SPINDLES BY UNIVERSAL SPINDLE COUPLINGS ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN INDEPENDENT THIRD CHOCKS, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING CONSTANT AXIAL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN SAID BEARING CHOCKS AND SAID THIRD CHOCKS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: OPPOSED ELONGATED GUIDE RAILS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ROLL STAND TO TERMINATE AT ONE END IN FIXED STOP MEANS, SAID RAILS FURTHER PROVIDED WITH INWARDLY DISPOSED RAIL FLANGES; SAID THIRD CHOCKS BEING SEPARABLE FROM SAID GUIDE RAILS AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED THEREON TO POSITIONS ABUTTING SAID FIXED STOP MEANS; SAID BEARING CHOCKS BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID GUIDE RAILS AND HELD IN MUTUAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT AGAINST SAID RAIL FLANGES BY ROLL SEPARATION ADJUSTMENT MEANS; AND THIRD CHOCK SECURING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIXED STOP MEANS FOR POSITIVELY LOCKING SAID THIRD CHOCKS AGAINST SAID RAIL FLANGES IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID BEARING CHOCKS.