US703620A - Apparatus for rolling sheet metal. - Google Patents

Description

m. 703,620. Patented July I, |9o2'. F. o. STROMBORG.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING SHEET METAL.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1901.)

2 Sheers-Sheet I.

(I0 Model.

- No. 703,620. Patenied July I, I902.

F. 0. STRUMBORG.

APFA ATus FOR ROLLING SHEET METAL. I (Application flled Nov. 13, 1901.) (No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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U STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ OSCAR STROMBORG OF BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING SHEET METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,620,dated July 1, 1902.

: Application filed November 13, 1901- Serial No. 82,l37. (No model.)

To ctZZ whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Fnrrz- OSCAR STROM- BORG, a'resident of Braddock, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Rolling Sheet Metal; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to feeding devices for plate and sheet rolling mills, and more especially to devices for feeding sheets and packs to sheet-rolls.

The object of my invention is to dispense with the hand-labor which is commonlyemployed in feeding sheets and packs to the rolls and to provide mechanism for this purpose which will feed a sheet or pack to the rolls and pass the same continuously through the rolls and back over the same, said mechanism being so constructed that the same end of the sheet or pack will always be entered into the rolls, but being provided with means whereby the sheet or pack can be reversed endwise, if desired.

According to the usual method of rolling sheet metal the sheet-bar is broken down in roughing-rolls,and a number of these rougheddown sheets are then piled and given several passes in the hot rolls until reduced to such a gage that further reduction is'im possible on account of the spring of the rolls. These piles are then folded and then. reheated, if necessary, and given further passes through the hot rolls, and if then not reduced to the desired gage they are further'folded and again rolled, as before. This process is in everyday use and is well understood by those skilled in the art. In all of these rolling stepsthat is, whether roughing down or rolling in packs in the hot rollsth e sheet or pack is entered into the rolls at the front by one workman and is received at the rear of the roll by the catcher, who returns the same over the rolls to the other, who again enters the same into the rolls, the sheet or pack being thus passed through the rolls and back over the rolls until reduced to the desired gage or until further folding or reheating becomes necessary. This method of feeding the sheet, plate, or pack to the rolls is not only slow, so that the sheets must be frequently reheated, but it isv also quite expensive by reason of the skilled same into the rolls.

labor whichis necessary and the corresponding high wages which must be paid for such labor. The object of my invention isto do away with this skilled labor and also to some extent reduce the number of reheatings necessary in reducing the sheets to the desired gage.

To this end it comprises a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, said conveyer having its ends in line with and in suitable proximity to the pass of the rolls, so as to receive the sheet or pack from the rolls, convey the same around to the front of said rolls, and again ehter the This mechanism also embodies certain means whereby the sheet or pack "may be taken from the conveyor, re-

versed endwise or folded, as desired, and then again returned to the conveyer.

1 The invention also comprises certain improvements in details of construction, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse-section, and Figs. 4, 5, and'6 are similar views of a modified form of apparatus.

In the drawings the sheet-rolls are shown at 1 and 2, said rolls being of the ordinary two-high type and may be driven and adjusted by any approved mechanism. The means for receiving the sheet or pack from the rolls and returning the same to the front of the rolls comprises a conveyer which, as shown, curves upwardly and over the rolls and thence curves downwardly to the front thereof. This conveyer comprises suitable side plates 4:, preferably formed from channels, as shown, united by stay-rods 5 or other suitable means and supported by the brackets or standards-'6. Theconveyer is con structed in'practically two sectionsnamely, the section 7, extending from the rear of the rolls upward to a point above thesame, as at pack around and back to the front of the rolls. Various forms of mechanisms for this purpose may be used, and in Figs. l, 2, and 3 sprocketchains and 11 are shown for this purpose, one set of such chains for each of the sections 7 and 9. The section 7 is provided on its inside-that is, the side toward the sheet-rolls with a series of curved guide-bars 12, which guide the sheet or pack on one side, while in section 9 these guide-bars are on the outside that is, on the side away from the sheet-rolls. The chains 10 and 11 are opposed to the guidebars 12, and consequently in section 7 the chains 10 are on the outside-that is, the side away from the sheet-rolls--while in section 9 the chains 11 are on the inside-that is, toward the sheet-rolls. I have shown three such sprocket-chains in each section,although more or less may be used, according to the width of the sheet or pack. These chains may be driven in any suitable way, and I have shown the chains 10 passing overthe sprocketwheels 13 on the bottom shaft 14 and over sprocket-wheels 15 on the top shaft 16, while the chains 11 are shown as passing over sprocket-wheels 17 on the bottom shaft 18 and sprocket-wheels 1!) on the top shaft 20. Preferably the top and bottom shaft for each set of chains are geared together to rotate in unisonas, for instance, by sprocket-chains ill-and the sprocket-chains in the two sections may also be geared together, so as to run in nnison-as, for instance, by having a spur-gear 23 on the shaft 16 engaging a similar spur-gear 22 on the shaft 20. The sprocketchains 21 and gears 22 and 23 are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The inside faces of the side plates 4 are provided with suitable guideways, such as the curved bars 2-1, and the sprocket-chains are provided at in tervals with cross shafts or rods 25, having at their ends suitable wheels or antifriction devices 26, engaging the guides 24. These means serve to guide the sprocketchains in the curved paths shown. Each of the sprocket-chains is preferably provided with means for engaging the sheet or pack to feed the same forward-such, for instance, as the projecting fingers 27, which preferably are provided at their front sides with the projections 28 to insure a positive engagement with the rear edge of the sheet or pack to feed the same forward.

The modification shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 is substantially the same as that described except that in place of the guide-bars 12 and sprocket-chains 10 and 11 two sets of positively-driven rolls are used-namely, the outer rolls 29 and the inner rolls 30. These rolls to prevent chilling of the metal are preferably formed as a series of disks 31, spaced apartand staggered with reference to each other, as shown in Figs. 5 and (5. One end of each of the roll-shafts is provided with a suitable pulley or sprocket-wheel adapted to receive the endless belts or sprocket-chains 32 33, one for each section of the conveyor,

these belts or chains being guided at their ends around suitable guide-wheels or sheaves 34, as will be readily understood. One of the sets of rolls 29 or is preferably made yielding, so as to accommodate plates or packs of different sizes, and for this purpose I have shown the outer set of rolls mounted in slotted brackets 35 and pressed inwardly by means of spiral springs 36. In this modification the guides 21 are of course dispensed with.

The sheet-bar, pack, or sheet to be rolled is fed to the sheet-rolls in any'preferred manner-such, for instance, as by means of the feed-table 37, whose inner end lies beneath the front end of the conveyer. This feed-table is preferably provided with positively-driven means for feeding the sheet or pack forward-such, for instance, as the sprocket-chains 38, or, if preferred, a series of live-rollers.

The operation of the apparatus as thus far described will be readily understood from the foregoing description, and when used for roughing down is as follows: The bars or billets to be rolled after having been properly heated are fed by the conveyer 38 to the rolls 1 and 2, through which they pass and then enter the conveyer. They are then seized either by the positively-driven disk rolls or the sprocket-chains and carried upward over the rolls and then downward to the front thereof and again fed to the'rolls, this process being repeated until the sheets have been reduced to the proper gage for rolling two at atiine or have cooled sufficiently to need reheating. By means of my apparatus, however, a larger number of passes can begiven to the sheets before reheating is necessary than in the old hand method of feeding, as it can be made to operate very rapidly.

The mechanism as thus far described will always enter the same end of the sheet or pack into the rolls. On account of the spring of the rolls the sheets will be reduced more at their edges than at their middle. This will cause a backward flow of the metal along the edges of the sheets, which will give to the rear ends thereof somewhat the shape of a fish-tail, while the front ends thereof will be rounded. Vhen this takes place, it is desirable to reverse the sheets endwise, so as to counteract this effect and cause the metal in the edges of the sheets to flow in the opposite direction.

As a convenient means for reversing the sheets endwise, as well as to take them out of the conveyor when finished, or for reheating, folding, or piling, I have shown a skeleton frame 40, which is composed of a rock-shaft 41, mounted in suitable bearings 42 and provided with a lever or handle 43 for rocking the same. To this rock-shaft are attached a number of forwardly-projecting tapering fingers or bars 44. By rocking the shaft 11 to the position shown in dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 1, the ends of the fingers 4.4: are brought beframe.

low the path ofthe sheets, and as the latter are fed forward by the conveyer they are shoved upward along the fingers 44 onto the The skeleton frame is then rocked to the position shown infull lines and the sheet will slide down the bars 45, which are supported on the conveyer-frame or otherwise, with their upper ends in proximity to the rock: shaft 41 and their lower ends in proximity to the forks 46. The forks 46 are supported on the inner ends of arms 47, secured to the rockshaft 48, whichis journaled in suitable standards 49. This rock-shaft may be provided with a lever or arm for rocking the same, or it may be provided with a counter-weighted arm 50, as shown,which connterweighted arm will hold the forks 46 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 until the sheet slides down into the same from the bars 45, when the weight of the sheet will overcome the counterweight and rock the inner endsof the arms 47 downward to such position that the sheet will be caught by the conveyer 38 and returned to the sheet-rolls. It will be observed that in this procedure the sheet will be reversed end for end, so that in the further rolling of the same the irregularities at its ends will be somewhat eradicated. In this manner a sheet may be reversed endwise whenever desired. Furthermore, when the sheet has been reduced to the desired gage or so it i must be folded the skeleton frame is rocked to the dotted-line position to extract the sheet from the conveyer and the forks 46 are turned down sufficiently to cause the sheet as it slides down from the bars 45 to strike on the outer orupper side thereof and slide onto the floor.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination of the rolls, and a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof and out of con-v tact therewith, said conveyer having its ends in line with the same pass of the rolls'and in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said pass.

2. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, said conveyer having its ends in line'with the same pass of the rolls-and in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said pass, and positively-driven feeding mechanismin said conveyer, saidfeeding mechanism being out of contact with the rolls.

3. Ina device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extendingfrom the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof and out of contact therewith, said conveyer having its ends in line with the samepassof the rolls and in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said pass, and positively-driven feeding-chains in said conveyer.

4. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to, the front thereof, said conveyer having its ends in line with the same pass of the rolls and in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed thesame to, said pass, positively-driven feeding-chains in said conveyer, said chains being out ofcontact with the rolls, and projections or fingers on said chains for engaging the sheet or pack.

5. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls/the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, saidconveyer having its ends inline with the same pass of the rolls and in position to receive the sheet or pack from, andfeed the same to, said pass, positively-driven feeding-chains in saidconveyer and out of contact with the rolls, guides i on the conveyer and means on the chains engaging said guides.

6. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, ofa conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, said conveyer ing the opposite side ofsaid conveyer.

7. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof,; said conveyor having its ends in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said rolls, and mechanism for extracting the sheets or packs from said conveyer and reversing the same endwise.

8. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending fromthe rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, said conveyer having its ends in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said rolls, positively-driven feeding means in said conveyer, and mechanism for extracting the. sheets or packs from the conveyer,-revers1ng:

the same endwise and returning the same to the rolls. 1

9. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of

a conveyer extending from the rear of'the rolls around to the front thereof, saidconveyer having its ends in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said rolls, a frame adjacent to said conveyer, and means for moving'said frame to project one end thereof into the conveyer.

10. In a device for feeding sheets or pack to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, said conveyer having its ends in position to receive the sheet or packfrom, and feed the same to,

said rolls, a frame in proximity to the conveyer in position to have one end enter said conveyer, and mechanism operating in connection with said pivoted frame adapted to receive the pack therefrom and present the same to the rolls rear end first.

11. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls over the same to the front thereof, positively-driven means in said conveyer, a frame pivoted adjacent the conveyer in position to have one end enter the conveyer and receive the pack or sheet therefrom, a pivoted fork adapted to receive the pack from the frame and to return the same to the rolls rear end first.

12. In a device for feeding plates or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, said conveyer being out of contact with the rolls and havingits ends in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said rolls, and a feed-table in front of the rolls below the front end of the conveyer in position to feed a sheet or bar to said rolls.

13. In a device for feeding sheets or packs to sheet-rolls, the combination with the rolls, of a positively-driven conveyer extending from the rear of the rolls around to the front thereof, said conveyer having its ends in position to receive the sheet or pack from, and feed the same to, said pass, a feed-table in front of the rolls below the front end of the conveyer in position for feeding sheets or bars to the rolls, a frame pivoted in proximity to the conveyer and adapted to enter the conveyer and receive the sheet or pack therefrom, and a pivoted fork adapted to receive the pack therefrom from the pivoted frame and to be then rocked to deliver the sheet or pack to the feed-table.

In testimony whereof I, the said FRITZ OSCAR STROMBORG, have hereunto set my hand.

FRITZ OSCAR STROMBORG.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. TOTTEN, F. W. WINTER.

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