US3837553A - Guide roller in roller guides - Google Patents

Abstract

An improved guide roller assembly is utilized to guide highspeed rolled stock. The guide roller assembly includes a rim formed of cemented carbide and having a concave annular outer surface which engages the rolled stock and a circular inner surface. The inner surface of the rim includes a pair of axially opposite end portions having a truncated conical configuration. Two truncated conical bearing members are disposed in engagement with the axially opposite end portions of the inner surface of the rim. Due to the truncated conical configuration of these bearing sections, a relatively uniform load is transmitted between the outer surface of the guide roller and the bearing sections in such a manner as to retard cracking of the cemented carbide rim. guide.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 Bock [ lSept 24,1974

[54] GUIDE ROLLER IN ROLLER GUIDES 3.505.716 4/1970 Moser 29/116 R [75] Inventor: $23 Bock Smedjebacken Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Gene A. Church [73] Assignee: Morgardshammar Aktiebolag,

Smedjebacken, Sweden 57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: June 6, 1973 An improved guide roller assembly is utilized to guide high-speed rolled stock. The guide roller assembly in- [211 Appl' 367524 cludes a rim formed of cemented carbide and having a concave annular outer surface which engages the [30] Foreign Application Priority Data rolled stock and a circular inner surface. The inner June 7. 1972' sweaeri..';;;ij;t....;' .'..;....7274'6'2 Surface of the rim includes a P Of axially pp end portions having a truncated conical configuration. 52 U.S. c1. 226/194, 29/116 R TWO truncated Conical bearing members are disposed 51] Im. c1 B65h 17/20 in engagement with the axially pp end portions 5 Field f Search 22 9 188 190, of the inner surface of the rim. Due to the truncated 226/194; 29/110, 115, 116, 132, 116 A conical configuration of these bearing sections, a relatively uniform load is transmitted between the outer 5 References Cited surface of the guide roller and the bearing sections in UNITED STATES PATENTS such a manner as to retard cracking of the cemented 1,849,337 3/1932 Spracher et al 226/194 carblde gmde' 3,031,119 4/1962 Allen et al. 226/118 x 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Z) t Z 4/0, F //d 3w 1 I 5 l \9 I 1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a guide roller for roller guides intended to guide high-speed rolled stock and comprising a runner wheel, the inside surface of which has conicity from two directions.

In some modern bar and wire rod mills a roller guide having two guide rollers is utilized to guide the movement of the rolled stock. The rolled stock may have a finishing speed of about 25 to 30 m/sec. It is, therefore, very important that the rolled stock enters a groove in a finishing apparatus at a direction which is absolutely correct both vertically and laterally. If the direction of high-speed movement of the rolled stock is incorrect, there is a risk that the rolled stock will be turned into scrap. For this reason, guides for the rolled stock are usually mounted in front of the groove. These guides may be roller guides. The roller guides include precision made guide rollers with surfaces for positioning the rolled stock as it enters the finishing apparatus at very high speeds.

The guide rollers are subjected to high stresses and heavy wear. In order to reduce the wear, the rim or runner wheel of a guide roller is made of cemented carbide. As cemented carbide is an expensive material, economic reasons make it desirable that the rim or runner wheel be designed so that it requires as little material as possible and at the same time is sufficiently strong to withstand the stresses which result from guiding the rolled stock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one feature of the invention, the guide roller is provided with two rotary bearing members of a truncated conical configuration. The top or minor end surfaces of the bearing members face each other. The inner surface of the rim or runner wheel is fixedly connected to the bearing members. This inner surface of the runner wheel has the same configuration as the outer surface of the guide members. Due to the conical shape of the opposite end portions of the inner surface of the rim, the load is so balanced that the bearing pressure is distributed more favorably, thereby reducing the risk of crack formation in the cemented carbide rim.

In addition to the advantage of a decrease in the amount of material required, a further advantage is gained in that the rim or runner wheel is less expensive, because the cost of manufacture of precision conical surfaces is lower than for a cylindrical inner surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon a review of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the guide roller assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention, the guide roller assembly being illustrated in FIG. 1 in a roller guide for guiding movement of rolled stock;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration depicting the loading of the rim or runner wheel of the guide roller assembly of FIG. 1 under the influence of the rolled stock; and

FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of the guide roller of FIG. 1, taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and illustrating a plurality of reaction surfaces on a turbine ring.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration depicting the loading of the rim or runner wheel of a known guide roller assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE PREFFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION A guide roller assembly 1 constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in association with a roller guide arrangement. The guide roller assembly 1 is rotatably supported on a fixed axle 2 by a pair of unitary truncated conical bearing parts 3. The axle 2 is fixedly connected with a roller holder 4. A drive or turbine ring 5 is fixedly clamped between minor end surfaces 3a of the bearing parts 3 and is rotatable with the bearing parts relative to the fixed axle 2. The ring 5 is provided with reaction surfaces 14 (see FIG. 2a) which are formed in the manner disclosed in US. application Ser. No. 367,525 filed June 6, 1973 by Nils Erik Bock and entitled Guide Roller in Roller Guides (File No. MH-5786, by corresponding to Swedish application Ser. No. 7463/72).

The roller assembly 1 is provided with a supply of a fluid driving medium and lubricant, such as air or liquid under pressure, through a passage way 6 in the roller holder 4 and passage ways 7 and 8 in the fixed axle. The air or liquid under pressure flows from the passage way 6 through the passage ways 7 and 8 to engage reaction surfaces on the drive ring 5. As the fluid under pressure exits from the passage way 8, it impinges against the reaction surfaces to rotate the ring 5 and bearing parts 3 relative to the fixed axle in much the same manner as in which a turbine wheel is driven. The turbine ring 5 is similar to that disclosed in the aforesaid application Ser. No. 367,525, and isshown in FIG. 2a. Reaction surfaces 14 are arranged so that fluid flowing through passage 7 and then through transversely extending passage 8 is directed against them.

The fluid under pressure exits through passages9 formed in the truncated conical bearing parts 3. Each of the reaction surfaces 14 on the drive ring 5 is connected in fluid communication with one of a plurality of passages 9 formed in the truncated bearing parts 3 so that the fluid impinging against the reaction surfaces 14 can be exhausted from the guide roller assembly 1.

A pair of annular bearing discs 10 are slidably engaged by major end surfaces 3b of the bearing parts 3 to support the bearing parts for rotation with the drive ring 5. Thus, the bearing parts 3 and drive ring 5 are rotated relative to the roller holder 4 and fixed axle 2 under the influence of fluid supplied under pressure through the passage 6.

In accordance with the present invention, a cemented carbide rim or runner wheel 11 of the roller guide assembly 1 is constructed so that it has an axially extending inner surface 11a with truncated conical outer end portions 11b and 11c which are interconnected by a cylinderical center or mid portion 11d. The truncated conical outer portions 11b and have the same configuration as the truncated conical outer surfaces of the bearing parts 3. Thus, the truncated conical surface portions 11b and 11c form portions of a right circular cone and have the same cone angle as the bearing parts 3. The truncated conical surface portions 11b and 11c have their minor ends adjacent to the circular inner surface 11d and their major ends adjacent to the outer sides of the rim 11. The cylinderical center surface portion lld has the same diameter as the drive ring 5. The rim 11 is fixedly connected with the bearing parts 3 and the drive ring 5 so that it is rotated with the drive ring and bearing parts about the fixed axle 2.

When rolled stock is to be moved through the roller guide of FIG. 1, the rim 11 is accelerated to a surface speed which approximates the speed of the roller stock. This is accomplished by directing fluid under pressure into the passage 6. As was previously explained, the fluid causes the drive ring 5 to rotate. As the drive ring 5 rotates, the bearing parts 3 and wheel rim 11 are also rotated relative to the stationary axle 2. Once the rim 11 has been accelerated, the rolled stock moves into I the engagement with the rim. As this occurs, a concave annular outer surface lle is uniformly loaded under the influence of forces applied against the rim 11 by the rolled stock in the manner illustrated schematically in FIG. 2. Since the rim 11 is formed of cemented carbide, the rim is relatively hard and will not be unduly worn by the rolled stock.

The load applied against the annular outer surface lle of the rim 11 may be approximated as a uniform load radiating from the center curvature of the arcuate outer surface lle and the center of the rolled stock. This uniform load is depicted schematically by arrows 11f in FIG. 2.

The inwardly directed load on the outer surface lle is opposed by the bearing parts 3. The reaction load applied to the rim 11 by the bearing parts 3 is an approximately uniform load which is applied over the truncated conical inner surface portions 11b and 110 in the manner depicted by the arrows 11g in FIG. 2. Due to the fact that the inner surfaces 11b and 110 of the rim 11 are disposed at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the rim, the line of action of the arrows 11g are approximately parallel to the line of action of the arrows 11f. This results in an offsetting of the load applied by the rolled stock to the rim 11 without the formation of substantial axial components which could tend to crack the cemented carbide rim.

A prior art rim or runner wheel 12 is illustrated in FIG. 3. The prior art rim 12 has a cylinderical inner surface 12a and a concave annular outer surface 1217. Since the inner surface 12a extends parallel to the axis of the rim 12, the reaction load forces applied against the inner surface 12a by a cylinderical bearing part (not shown) are directed radially outwardly in the manner approximated by the arrows 120 in FIG. 3. It should be noted that the components of the reaction load 120 do not extend parallel to the components of the load 12d applied by the rolled stock. This results in the formation of axially directed force components which must be withstood by the cemented carbide rim 12.

Therefore, there is a tendency for cracks 13 to form in the cemented carbide rim 12 so that it will have a relative short service life compared to the cemented carbide rim 11.

In addition, it should be noted that if the cemented carbide rim 12 has the same external diameter as the cemented carbide rim 11, a substantially larger volume of cemented carbide will be required to form the rim 12. This is because the rim 12 has a cylinderical inner surface 12a which cooperates with a cylinderical bearing part. On the other hand, the rim 11 has truncated conical surfaces 11b and 11c which reduce the cross sectional area of the rim and the volume of cemented carbide utilized to form the rim. Since cemented carbide is relatively expensive, the rim 11 can be formed at a lower cost than the rim 12.

In view of the foregoing description, it can be seen that the guide wheel rim 11 has an axial inner surface having truncated conical outer end portions 11b and 110. The truncated conical surfaces 11b and 11c result in the components of the reaction load, depicted by the arrows 11g in FIG. 2, being generally parallel to the major portion of the loading applied by the roller stock against the arcuate outer surface lle of the rim 11. This tends to minimize axial or sidewise stresses in the wheel rim 11 so that it does not tend to crack during service.

Having described a specific preferred embodiment of the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A guide roller assembly comprising an axle, rim means having an arcuate annular outer surface for engaging a load and an axially extending inner surface, and bearing means for supporting said rim means for rotation relative to said axle, said bearing means including a pair of bearing members having truncated conical outer surfaces, said inner surface of said rim means including a pair of truncated conical surface portions disposed in abutting engagement with said truncated conical outer surfaces of said bearing members to promote uniform loading of said rim means.

2. A guide roller assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rim means includes an annular member formed of cemented carbide.

3. A guide roller assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a drive ring connected with said rim means, said drive ring including a plurality of reaction surfaces, means for directing a flow of fluid under pressure against said reaction surfaces to effect rotation of said rim means. I

4. A roller assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bearing members are oriented with their minor end surfaces facing each other, said truncated conical surface portions of said rim means tapering inwardly from relatively large diameter openings in side surfaces of said rim means to a relatively small inner diameter.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION {Patent Ne. 3,831,553 Dated September 24, 1974 Inventor(s) 5 Erlk4Bock' It is eertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Iforeigna'pplication priority data, change "June 7, 1972 Sweden 727462" to read '-June 7, 197,2

OII QIIVO IOCU.IO v i Signed andgsealed th is- 19th day of November 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

IicCOY GIBSON" JR. v c. mRg .DANN

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 608764 69 1 f U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE i959 0-366-334.

Claims (4)

1. A guide roller assembly comprising an axle, rim means having an arcuate annular outer surface for engaging a load and an axially extending inner surface, and bearing means for supporting said rim means for rotation relative to said axle, said bearing means including a pair of bearing members having truncated conical outer surfaces, said inner surface of said rim means including a pair of truncated conical surface portions disposed in abutting engagement with said truncated conical outer surfaces of said bearing members to promote uniform loading of said rim means.

2. A guide roller assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rim means includes an annular member formed of cemented carbide.

3. A guide roller assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a drive ring connected with said rim means, said drive ring including a plurality of reaction surfaces, means for directing a flow of fluid under pressure against said reaction surfaces to effect rotation of said rim means.

4. A roller assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bearing members are oriented with their minor end surfaces facing each other, said truncated conical surface portions of said rim means tapering inwardly from relatively large diameter openings in side surfaces of said rim means to a relatively small inner diameter.

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