US3602022A

US3602022A - Removable roll apparatus for rolling the edges of strip metal

Info

Publication number: US3602022A
Application number: US870753*A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lucas J Conrad; John R Everhart
Original assignee: Archer Products Inc
Current assignee: Archer Products Inc
Priority date: 1969-08-28
Filing date: 1969-08-28
Publication date: 1971-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-31

Abstract

Apparatus for rounding the edge of an elongated strip of metal, e.g., aluminum. The edge is rounded by rolling and cleaning techniques. Edge forming rolls rotate on vertical axes and have round grooves which receive an edge of the strip. Edge thickness control rolls overlap the edges of the strip and engage the marginal flat surfaces thereof. The edge thickness control rolls are mounted on caster supports so that their axes of rotation tend to assume directions at right angles to the motion of the strip. Both the edge forming rolls and the edge thickness control rolls are rotated only by their contact with the moving strip. Rolls are readily demountable. Supports allow rolls to follow lateral movements of strip without stressing it.

Description

United States [72] Inventors Lucas .1. Conrad;

John R. lEverhoi-t, lboth 011 Winston-Salem, NC. [21] Appl. No. 870,753 22 Filed Aug. 2a, 1969 Division 01 Ser. No. 632,7511, Apr. 21, 1967, Pat. No. 3,479,852. [45] Patented Aug. 31, 119711 [73] Assignee Archer Products, incorporated Winston-Salem, NC.

{54] IRLMUVABLE NULL APPARATUS FOR RULLKNG THE EDGES 01* STMIP METAL 2 Claims, 5 Drawing ll igs.

[52] 11.5. C1 72/40, 72/199, 72/238 [51] int. (:1 1821b /1111, B21b 31/118 Field 01 Search 29/18; 72/40, 199, 225, 234, 241, 242, 243, 246, 238

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 252,460 1/1882 Harris 72/225 COMPRESSED 1,614,422 1/1927 Coe 72/242 1,808,752 6/1931 Banner.... 72/225 3,400.566 9/1968 Gauer 72/199 FOREIGN PATENTS 782,796 4/1968 Canada 72/241 1,454,979 11/1965 France 72/246 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerE. M. Combs AttorneysRobert S. Dunham, R. J. Dearborn, P. E.

l-lenninger; Lester W. Clark, John A. Harvey, Thomas F. Moran and Gerald W. Griffin ABSTRACT: Apparatus for rounding the edge of an elongated strip of metal, e.g., aluminum. The edge is rounded by rolling and cleaning techniques. Edge forming rolls rotate on vertical axes and have round grooves which receive an edge of the strip. Edge thickness control rolls overlap the edges of the strip and engage the marginal flat surfaces thereof. The edge thickness control rolls are mounted on caster supports so that their axes of rotation tend to assume directions at right angles to the motion of the strip. Both the edge forming rolls and the edge thickness control rolls are rotated only by their contact with the moving strip. Rolls are readily demountable. Supports allow rolls to follow lateral movements of strip without stressing it.

J Q :7 77 5X4 26 a7 74 \lrimuw. ,1 7 aa 631 in: 1 6 v 9/ 7a 5? 1 1 45 7" {K 3 74 a L 1 1 l w [Q A; Q1 67 42 (17.. a4

i Q 72 0 4 74/- I79 73 COMiRESSED r 4a m as PATENTED Aussl I97! SHEET 1 [IF 3 I? owmmummtou PNVENTORS R 1 mm wm ,E H 5 MW A wwf Y B TLI PATENTED AUGBI IQH SHEET 2 BF 3 PATENTEDAUB31 I971 SHEET 3 [1F 3 Ser. No. 632,758, filed Apr. 21, 1967, for ROLLING AP- PARATUS FOR ROUNDING THE EDGES OF STRIP METAL, now US. Pat. No. 3,479,852, issued Nov. 25, 1969.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is particularly useful for rounding the edges of flat strips or foils of aluminum which are intended to be used as electrical windings or capacitors. Such strips or foils are commonly first manufactured by cutting or slitting a wider strip or sheet, and have sharp corners at their edges resulting from the cutting or slitting operation. They may also have occasional slivers or small particles clinging to their edges.

The strip is either interleaved with an insulating material such as paper, or the strip may be coated with an insulating material before it is wound into a coil. A clean, smoothly contoured edge is required to prevent puncture of the insulation by burrs, slivers, etc., to maintain purity of cooling and/or insulating fluid where a fluid cooled winding is used, and to attenuate corona discharge. In those cases where a liquid insulating coating is applied, a smooth curved surface facilitates a more uniform coating, since if the strip has a sharp corner, the surface tension of the liquid film will reduce the thickness of the coating at that corner.

The prior art teaches the use of edge-forming rolls having rounded groove engaging the edge of a strip of metal and effective to produce a round contour on the strip. Such rolls, if employed according to the teachings of the prior art, are effective to form the edges, but have a tendency to produce ridges in the flat surfaces of a strip at a point adjacent the edges. Furthermore, the prior art edge-forming rolls have 'a tendency to squeeze the strip laterally, thereby causing it to buckle in the middle. While this is not important in dealing with strips of substantial thickness and materials of substantial strength, e.g., steel, it presents difficulties when dealing with weaker metals such as aluminum.

Another feature of the invention is the mounting of the edge-forming rolls so that they are urged against the edges of the strip only under light pressure, and so that if the strip moves laterally a short distance the edge-forming rolls move with it without substantial change in the force applied to the strip by the edge-forming rolls. This force is determined by a parallelogram linkage including pneumatic motors in two of the links, which motors determine the forces applied to the strip by the edge-forming rolls. Each pair of opposed edge forming rolls is associated with a pair of antibuckle rolls which effectively prevents the force applied by the edge-forming rolls from buckling the strip in the middle.

The edge-forming rolls, the antibuckle rolls and their supports are so constructed that they can be readily removed and replaced. FUrthermore when a strip is fed into the apparatus, its leading edge is self-threading both through the edge-forming rolls and the edge thickness control rolls.

A wire doctor blade is provided for each edge-forming roll, for the purpose of cleaning slivers, oxide deposits and the like from the bottom of the edge-forming grooves in the roll.

FIG. I is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation showing the edge-forming rolls and antibuckle rolls;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 A complete edge-forming roll assembly is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The edge-forming roll assembly comprises four edge-forming rolls 66. One pair ofedgeforming rolls is located on each side of the strip 3. TI-I'e rolls of each pair are spaced apart along the direction of movement of the strip. Furthermore, each pair is directly opposite the pair of edge forming rolls on the other side of the strip. Each edge-forming roll is provided with a central groove 65a, which is contoured to produce a desired contour on the edge of the strip 3.

In the edge-rolling apparatus of the prior art, the successive edge-forming rolls encountered by the strip are commonly given progressively varying contours, so that the first edgeforming roll encountered by the strip has a contour only slightly different from that of the square-cornered strip which approaches it, while the contour of the last edge-forming roll is that of the final edge desired. In apparatus constructed according to the present invention, it is preferred to give all the rolls 65 the same contour, i.e., all the grooves 65a will have the contour of the final desired edge. If the grooves are so contoured, then the edge will enter the groove of the first roll less deeply and the grooves of the subsequent rolls more deeply,

and will fully engage the bottom of the last groove. The varying depth of penetration of the edge into the groove is accommodated by the yieldable mounting of the rolls, as described more fully below.

Between each set of laterally opposed edge-forming rolls, there are mounted a pair of antibuckle rolls 66, one above and one below the strip. The antibuckle rolls 66 are provided with projecting hubs 66a at their ends. The entire assembly including four edge-forming rolls 65 and four antibuckle rolls 66 is mounted onto columns 67 located on opposite sides of the strip.

The bottom of each column is provided with a foot 68 and rests upon an air bearing. Each column 67 is provided with a groove to receive a split ring 67a on which rests a horizontal beam 69 extending along the path of movement of the strip 3. A tubular spacer 70 encircles the column 67 above the beam 69 and rests on the beam. Another beam 69 rests on the top of the spacer 70. The beam 69 have recesses 69a on their inner faces, near their ends. Each roll 65 is force fitted on the outer race of a roller bearing 65b, whose inner race is fixed on the ends of the arbors 65c. The ends of the arbors 650 are received in the recesses 69a, and are retained there by spring-loaded ball detents 69b.

The columns 67 are interconnected near their lower end by a horizontal transverse link 71, best seen in FIG. ll, and including a pair of

rods

72 and 73 slidably received in apertures in the columns 67. At the inner end of the rod '72 is mounted a yoke 74 carrying a pivot pin 75 to which is attached the piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder 76. The other end of cylinder 76 is attached to another pivot pin 77 extending at right angles to the pivot pin 75 and carried by a yoke 78 fixed on the inner end of the rod 73. It may be seen that the

yokes

74 and 78 and the pivot pins 75 and 77 provide a universal joint connection between the

rods

72 and 73, accommodating any misalignment which may occur between those rods.

The upper ends of the columns 67 are connected by another transverse horizontal link 71, whose components are exactly the same as those of the lower link 71 just described, except that the upper link 71 is rotated through an angle of about a central vertical axis, so that the left end of the upper link is the same as the right end of the lower link, and vice versa. Further description of the upper link it is considered unnecessary. MOvement of the rods 73 with respect to the columns 67 is limited by a fixed pin 79. The position of the rods 72 with respect to their associated columns 67 is determined by

pins

79 and 80, any of which may be inserted in any one of a number of holes on the

rod

72 or 73 to vary the maximum spacing between the columns 67, which may be necessary to accommodate strips 3 of different widths.

The columns 67, the transverse linlrs 72, and their connections provide a parallelogram linkage supporting the edgeforming rolls 65. THe force acting on the edges of the strip through the edge-forming rolls 65 is determined by the pressure of the air supplied to the pneumatic motors 76, and may be regulated as desired. It may be observed that the parallelogram linkage allows separation of the columns 67 which may be required on account of minor variations in the width of the strip. If such variations occur, the strip can readily push the columns 67 apart to the limits determined only by the strokes of the pistons in the cylinders 76. Furthermore, because of the nature of the pneumatic cylinders 76, the force which they exert is not dependent upon their position. In other words, the same force is exerted on the edges of the strip when the cylindersare pushed apart, as when they are together, as long as the limits of travel of the pistons within the cylinders is not exceeded. The expected variation in the width of the strip is only a fraction of an inch, which is much less than the stroke of the pistons employed.

The lower antibuckle roll 66 has its hubs supported by engagement with four backup rolls 81, each of which is rotatable on an antifriction bearing carried by an arbor 82 extending between a pair of beams 83. The beams 83 extend longitudinally of the path of strip movement and provide supports for backup rolls 81 for both of the antibuckle rolls located under the strip 3. The beams 83 are pivotally mounted at their center on a transverse rod 84 which extends entirely across the rolling station from one side to the other and projects through and beyond the columns 67.

The upper antibuckle rolls 66 are supported by engagement with the strip and hence by the lower antibuckle rolls 66 located immediately below them on the opposite side of the strip. The upper antibuckle rolls are retained in position by backup rolls 85 which engage their hubs 66a. Each roll 85 turns on an antifriction bearing carried by an arbor 86 having its ends fixed in a pair of parallel beams 87. The beams 87 are pivotally mounted on a transverse rod 88 which extends transversely of the path of strip movement and through and beyond the columns 67, similar to the rod 84. r

The ends of the rods 8 and 84 are yieldably connected by a spring mechanism 89 best seen in FIG. 3. As shown in that figure, the lower rod 84 extends through a vertically elongated slot in a link 95 having an upwardly extending projection 95a of considerably smaller diameter. A sleeve 90 encircles the projection 95a and is provided at its upper end with a vertically elongated slot to receive the upper transverse rod 88. A knurled collar 91 is threaded on the outside of the sleeve 90 near its lower end. Another collar 92 encircles the sleeve 90 near its upper end, and is connected by a pin 93 to the upper end of the projection 95a. Tl-le pin 93 extends through slots in the sleeve 90, so that is is free to move vertically with respect to that sleeve. A coil spring 94 is retained in compression between

collars

91 and 92 It may be seen that the coil spring 94 forces the

collars

91 and 92 apart and thereby ensures that the lower end of the slot in the link 95 engages rod 84 and that the upper end of the slot in the sleeve 90 engages rod 88. The spring 94 thus exerts a force tending to bias the two

rods

84 and 88 toward each other, and thereby determines the amount of squeezing force applied by the rolls 66 to the moving strip. This force may be adjusted by rotating the knurled collar 91.

The lower rod 84 is mounted on a piston 96 (FIG. 4) supported by a spring 96a located in a recess at the center of the column 67. Thus, the whole assembly, including the

rods

84 and 88, backup rolls 81 and 85, and antibuckle rolls 66, if floating in that it is spring supported and hence does not exert any downward force on the strip 3.

Alternatively, instead of the springs 96a, pneumatic pressure may be applied under the piston 96 to counterbalance the weight of the antibuckle rolls 66 and their supporting structure.

Springs 94 control the squeezing or pinching force which the upper and lower rolls 66 exert against the strip 3.

On the rod 88, there are provided spacer sleeves 101 (FIG. between each of the outer beams 87 and the adjacent column 67. Another set of spacer sleeves 97 is provided on the rod 88 between the columns 67 and the spring assemblies 89.

Similar spacer sleeves

101 and 97 are provided on the rod 84.

The parts of the spring assembly 89 at the right-hand side of FIG. 1 are shown as being reversed from the parts of the corresponding assembly 89 at the left-hand side of FIG. 1. In particular, the knurled collar 91 is below the spring 94 at the lefthand side and is above the spring 94 at the right-hand side. The particular orientation of these assemblies 89 is not critical. Either end of either assembly may be the upper end. The assemblies 89 may be held in place on the

rods

84 and 88 by means of pins a and b, passing through central bores in the sleeve 90 and link 95, and having their ends received in recesses 88a in the rod 88.

The rolls in the apparatus illustrated may be readily removed and replaced without taking the entire apparatus apart. When there is no compressed air supplied to the cylinders 76, the columns tend to tilt and assume unusual angles. The other parts also tend to take up slack positions, and the whole assembly appears rather loose-jointed. However, as soon as air is supplied to the cylinders 76, the edge-forming rolls 65 are moved inwardly until they abut against the ends of the antibuckle rolls 66 and the whole assembly takes up a more erect posture, substantially as shown in the drawings.

In order to remove the rolls for replacement, it is desirable to have no strip in the apparatus. Each antibuckle roll 66 can be removed simply by pulling it lengthwise of the path of strip movement, away from its supporting column 67. The spring units 89 allow the backup rolls 81 and 85 to separate sufficiently so that the antibuckle roll may be removed.

After the antibuckle rolls are moved, then the edge-forming rolls are held in place only by the spring detents 69b. The edge-forming rolls can then be pushed inwardly toward the path of strip movement, and the spring detents will retract to allow the ends of the arbors 65c to pass. The spring detents 69b are not relied upon to hold the edge-forming rolls in place during operation, as the strip is then in position, and constitute the principal means of performing that function Thus, it may be seen that either the edge-forming rolls or the antibuckle rolls may be readily removed for repair or replacement with rolls of a different contour. Different sets of antibuckle rolls 66 may be required for substantially ditTerent strip widths.

In the case of narrow strips, there may not be room enough between the columns 67 to accommodate the pneumatic cylinders 76. In that event, the pneumatic cylinder may be linked to rods such as

rods

72 and 73, outboard of the column 67, rather than inboard. One of the cylinders should then be placed at one side of the strip and the other at the opposite side. The general effect and operation would be the same.

While the apparatus shown has two pairs of edge-forming rolls 65 in the assembly '64, it could alternatively be built with only one pair of opposed edge-forming rolls, or with any other convenient number of such pairs.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for rolling strip metal, comprising:

a. a pair of edge-forming rolls adapted to engage opposite edges of a moving metal strip;

b. means for supporting said edge-forming rolls;

c. opposed upper and lower antibuckle rolls adapted to engage the flat surfaces of the strip between the edge forming rolls, each said antibuckle roll having projecting hubs at its ends;

(1. upper and lower sets of backup rolls, each set of backup rolls engaging the hubs of one antibuckle roll, said sets of backup rolls and the opposed antibuckle rolls cooperating to retain the antibuckle rolls in place;

e. upper and lower rigid means supporting the respective sets of backup rolls, and in which the respective sets of backup rolls are journaled;

f. a stationary support;

g. means, including yieldable means, resting on said stationary support and supporting said lower rigid means; and

h. means, including spring means, connecting said upper and lower rigid means, said spring means biasing said lower rigid means upwardly and said upper rigid means downwardly;

. said spring means and said yieldable means cooperating to bias said rigid means toward one another and thereby to bias each set of backup rolls into engagement with its antibuckle rolls, and to bias the two antibuckle rolls toward engagement with one another, said spring means and said yieldable means being movable against their respective biases to permit removal of either antibuckle roll, in the absence of a strip between the antibuckle rolls.

2. Apparatus for rolling strip metal, comprising:

means for supporting said edge-forming rolls;

c. a pair of antibuckle rolls adapted to engage the flat surfaces of the strip between the edge-forming rolls;

d. two sets of backup rolls, one for retaining each of the antibuckle rolls in place;

e. spring means connecting the two sets of backup rolls, said spring means being yieldable to permit removal of either antibuckle roll;

wherein the improvement comprises:

f. said supporting means including, for each edge-forming roll:

1. an arbor on which the edge-forming roll is rotatably mounted, said arbor extending in both directions beyond the edge-forming roll;

2. support means for the arbor including:

i. a pair of beams, one at each of the arbor and extending transversely thereof, said beams having recesses on the side facing the antibuckle rolls so that the arbor can be moved into and out of said recesses only from that direction; and

ii.'spring detent means in said recesses to hold said edge-forming rolls in place therein;

3. said antibuckle rolls being effective to hold the edgeforming rolls in place, so that after the antibuckle rolls are removed, the edge-forming rolls may be removed by compressing the spring detent means.

Claims

1. Apparatus for rolling strip metal, comprising: a. a pair of edge-forming rolls adapted to engage opposite edges of a moving metal strip; b. means for supporting said edge-forming rolls; c. opposed upper and lower antibuckle rolls adapted to engage the flat surfaces of the strip between the edge forming rolls, each said antibuckle roll having projecting hubs at its ends; d. upper and lower sets of backup rolls, each set of backup rolls engaging the hubs of one antibuckle roll, said sets of backup rolls and the opposed antibuckle rolls cooperating to retain the antibuckle rolls in place; e. upper and lower rigid means supporting the respective sets of backup rolls, and in which the respective sets of backup rolls are journaled; f. a stationary support; g. means, including yieldable means, resting on said stationary support and supporting said lower rigid means; and h. means, including spring means, connecting said upper and lower rigid means, said spring means biasing said lower rigid means upwardly and said upper rigid means downwardly; i. said spring means and said yieldable means cooperating to bias said rigid means toward one another and thereby to bias each set of backup rolls into engagement with its antibuckle rolls, and to bias the two antibuckle rolls toward engagement with one another, said spring means and said yieldable means being movable against their respective biases to permit removal of either antibuckle roll, in the absence of a strip between the antibuckle rolls.

2. Apparatus for rolling strip metal, comprising: a. a pair of edge-forming rolls adapted to engage opposite edges of a moving metal strip; means for supporting said edge-forming rolls; c. a pair of antibuckle rolls adapted to engage the flat surfaces of the strip between the edge-forming rolls; d. two sets of backup rolls, one for retaining each of the antibuckle rolls in place; e. spring means connecting the two sets of backup rolls, said spring means being yieldable to permit removal of either antibuckle roll; wherein the improvement comprises: f. said supporting means including, for each edge-forming roll:

2. support means for the arbor including: i. a pair of beams, one at each of the arbor and extending transversely thereof, said beams having recesses on the side facing the antibuckle rolls so that the arbor can be moved into and out of said recesses only from that direction; and ii. spring detent means in said recesses to hold said edge-forming rolls in place therein;

3. said antibuckle rolls being effective to hold the edge-forming rolls in place, so that after the antibuckle rolls are removed, the edge-forming rolls may be removed by compressing the spring detent means.