US991070A - Rolling-mill. - Google Patents

Description

A, T. KELLER.

ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1907.

Patented May 2, 1911.

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ROLLING MILL.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 22, 1907.

Patented May 2, 1911.

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INVENTOR H] Ill VHF- WITNESSES A. T. KELLER. ROLLING MILL.

Patented May 2, 1911.

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A. T. KELLER.

ROLLING MILL.

APPLIOATION nun; AUG. 22, 1907.

991,070. Patented May 2, 1911.

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ALBERT 'I. KELLER, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO MESTA MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLING-MILL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. KELLER, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rolling-Mills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a rolling mill embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, some of the parts being in section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation,- Fig. 4C is a detail view showing the actuating mechanism for the movable roll and lifting weights; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the mechanism for automatically stopping the motor which operates said weights, the motor switch being shown diagrammatically; Fig. 6 is a detail view partly in section of a portion of the same; and Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary view showing the manner in which the rest "bars are connected to the boxes of the movable roll, Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a modification.

My invention has relation to rolling mills, and more particularly to operating mecha nism for the vertically movable middle roll of a three-high mill, the object of my invention being to provide actuating mechanism of this character which will obviate the use of the hydraulic motors commonly employed, together with the difficulties of leakage and freezing to which such motors are subject; and to provide means for automatically stopping the actuating mechanism at the proper times.

The precise nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, it being premised, however, that various changes may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In these drawings, the numeral 2 designates the roll housings, 3 the bottom roll, 1 the vertically movable middle roll, and 5 the adjustable upper roll, which may be operated by any suitable or usual form of screwdown mechanism.

6 designates the holding-down screws of such a mechanism, which are actuated by a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 22, 1907.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Serial No. 389,649.

motor 7 through the spur gearing 8 and 9 and the worm gearing 10.

11 designates the vertically movable boxes or carriers for the necks of the middle roll 4:, mounted to move in any suitable manner in the guides 12 at each side of the housing windows. These boxes or carriers are rig idly connected by the rest bars 13. one at each side of the roll 4. These rest bars are rigidly secured to the boxes or carriers 11 forming a rigid connection between the two, whereby both ends of the roll are caused to move in unison with each other and the roll is'held in proper parallelism. The ends of the rest bars are extended through the windows of the housings, as shown in Fig.7, and have pins or studs 14: to which are connected links 15 of the operating mechanism. These links have a pin and slot connection 16 at their upper ends with the arms 17 of rock shafts 18. Said shafts also carry the arms 19, from the outer ends of which are suspended links or rods 20 havlng weights 21 at their lower ends, suiiiciently heavy to raise the roll 4 when free to operate.

22 is an electric motor whose armature is geared to a shaft 23, by means of the spur gearing 24 and 25. The spur gear wheel 25 is fixed to the shaft 23, and the latter has threaded end portions of opposite hand which engage respectively with nuts 26, which are carried by arms of levers 27, which are loosely sleeved on the shafts 18, said levers also having arms which extend underneath the arms 19 to which the weights 21 are connected.

The weights 21 normally tend to hold the middle roll 4: in its highest position. To lower the middle roll, the motor 22 is started, thereby actuating the shaft 23. This swings the levers 27 to cause their lifting arms to engage with the levers 19, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby raising the weights 21 and permitting the rollt to move downwardly by its own weight. To raise the middle roll, the motor is actuated in the reverse direc tion, thereby moving the lifting arms of the levers 27 away from the lever arms 19 to permit the weights 21 to act. The loose connection between the levers 27 and the lever arms 19 are provided, owing to the fact that the electric motor cannot be instantaneously Stopped, so that it is desirable to have a certain lost motion in the parts. This is also provided for by the pin and slot connection 16 between the lever arms 17 and the links 15.

For the purpose of stopping the motor automatically at the proper times, and thus relieving the operator from the necessity of constantly watching the mill to attend to this, Iprovide the mechanism now to be described.

Mounted on the shaft 23 is a sprocket wheel 28, which is connected by sprocket chain 29 with a sprocket wheel 30 on a shaft 31 mounted in suitable bearings in the frame of the mill, as best shown in Figs. 2 and G. This shaft 31 is supported in bearings in a carriage 32, and carries at the opposite end a nut 33, through which extends a screw 3%. The nut 33 carries a bevel pinion 34:, whose teeth mesh with a fixed bevel pinion 36 on the carriage 32. To each end of the screw is pivoted a trip piece or tappet 37, which is free to swing on its pivot in one direction, but which is held rigid against movement in the opposite direction by interfitting shoulders 38.

39 designates a lever, which is pivoted at 40 above the screw 38 on a bracket arm stl.

4-2 designate links, which have a pin and slot connection at one end with the respective arms of the lever 39, the two links being connected at their opposite ends by a fulcrum pin 43, and having an extending link 4A; which is connected by an arm 15 with a shaft etG. To the shaft 5L6 is connected in any suitable manner, the movable arm 47 of a switch for controlling the circuit of the motor 22, as shown in Fig. 5.

The shaft 31 is rotated by the sprocket gear during the time the shaft 23 is being rotated by the motor 22. The shaft 31 in rotating carries with it the nut 33, screw 3% and bevel wheel 35. As the wheel 35 is thus carried around the axis of the shaft 31, its engagement with the bevel wheel 36, fixed on the carriage, causes said wheel 35 to turn.

This rotates the nut 33 and moves the screw (which is held from turning in relation to the nut-holding swivel by the key 34) in the direction corresponding to the direction of rotation of the motor 22. The carriage 32 is so adjusted that when the middle roll reaches the desired position, one of the tappets 37 at the ends of the screw will engage the projecting end 39 of the lever 39, thereby moving said lever to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. This actuates the switch arm 4-7 to open the motor circuit and stop the motor. The motor is again started by the operation of a lever 18, which is connected to the shaft 4-6 to thereby move the switch arm 47 to circuit-closing position. The parts which are actuated by the screw 34 and the lever 48 in the manner described, have three positions, viz., a middle position,

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, in which the motor circuit is open, a second position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, in which the motor circuit is closed to run the motor in one direction, and a third position in which the motor circuit is closed to operate it in the other direction. In this other position the link l i and arm 45 are bowed downwardly below the dotted position shown in said figure to bring the switch arm 47 into position to connect the upper sets of the relatively fixed motor circuit contacts. The position of the lever 48 at once indicates to the operator the condition of the motor circuit.

The link 44 and arm 45 are moved to the central position by the action of the screw 3%, but are moved to the other two positions to close the motor circuit, by the manual operation of the lever 48. The pin 43 is attached to a sliding head or block 43* which is mounted in the fixed guides 43 With the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 5, the lever will be actuated by the tappet 37 which is shown at the upper end of the screw 3% to thereby move said lever and the connected parts to the dotted positions shown, the lower link 42 acting upon the head 43 to pull it forwardly, and the pin in the upper arm of said lever moving idly in the slot in the upper link 42. lVhen the switch 17 is in its other circuitclosing position, the motor is revolving in the opposite direction, which, of course, effects an endwise move ment of the screw 34 in the opposite direction through its nut 33. The lever 39 must now be actuated by the reversely working tappet 37 at the other end of the screw. Consequently, the lever 39 will be moved in the opposite direction to that shown by the dotted lines, and the cross-head 43 will be pulled forwardly by the upper link 42, the pin at the lower arm of the lever 39 moving loosely back in the slot in the end of the lower link. The lever arms 44 and 45 are therefore always moved by the operation of the tappets to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

In view of the fact that the upper roll 5 is adjusted to various positions by the screwdown mechanism to accommodate different thicknesses of metal, it is necessary to provide means for effecting the corresponding adjustment of the carriage 32. That is to say, when the upper roll is adjusted downwardly for a comparatively thin piece of metal, the middle roll of course has a movement of correspondingly less extent, and therefore it is necessary that the motor 22 shall make fewer revolutions than are required when the upper roll is at a higher position and the middle roll has farther to move.

I provide for the proper adjustment of the carriage 32 by means such as now described: The shaft 10, which is driven by the motor 7, and which carries the worms for operating the screw-down mechanism, is provided at its opposite end with a sprocket wheel 49, which is connected by a chain 50 with a sprocket wheel 51 on a shaft 52. The shaft 52 carries a bevel pinion 53, which meshes with a corresponding pinion at on a screw-shaft. 55, which passes upwardly to a nut 56 on the carriage 32. The screw shaft is fixed at its upper and lower ends so that its vertical movement is pre vented, and when rotated by the shaft 52 it causes the nut 56 and thereby the carriage 32 to move up or down a distance proportionate to the movement of the upper roll under the simultaneous actuation of the screw-down mechanism. In this manner, the position of the carriage 32 is regulated by the position of the upper roll, so that the screw 34 has a greater or less distance to move before it actuates the motor switch.

The advantages of my invention result from the provision of the means whereby the middle roll may be operated by an electric motor. This is very desirable in an electrically driven mill, and also in that the operation of a motor of this kind does away with objections which are inherent in the use of the hydraulic motors commonly employed. The means for {automatically stopping the motor 22 at the proper times relieves the attendant from the necessity of doing this work, and overcomes the liability to accidents due to negligence or improper operation on his part.

It will be obvious that my invention is susceptible of various modifications. Thus, the motor-controlling switch may be connected in various ways to the movement which is operated by the screw 3st; this movement may itself be of various characters; and the shafts 31 and 52 may be driven in various other ways. Thus, in Fig. 8, I have shown a modification in which the rollnecks extend through the housing windows into levers 11 which are loosely supported at one end from the roll housings by links 11". To the opposite end of each of said levers is connected link 15*, similar to the links 15 and actuated in a similar manner. In this form, but one counterweight is required, and the actuating shaft 23 has, of course, but a single threaded portion.

lVhat I claim is r- 1. In a. rolling mill, a vertically movable roll, oppositely disposed weighted levers at each end of said roll arranged to lift the roll from opposite sides and both ends, a rotary motor, and connections from the motor to both sets of levers actuated by the rotation of the motor for lifting the said levers; substantially as described.

2. In a three-high rolling mill, a vertically movable middle roll, oppositely disposed weighted levers arranged to lift said roll from opposite sides, a motor for operating the levers to raise the weights, and lost motion connections between the motor and weighted levers, said connections being arranged to permit a movement of the motor after the movable roll has completed its upward movement; substantially as described.

3. In a threehigh mill, a vertically movable middle roll, links connected thereto, rock shafts having arms to which the links are connected at their free ends, weights attached to oppositely extending arms on said shafts, levers loosely fulcrumed on said shafts and having a loose engagement with the weight arms, and a motor connected to said levers; substantially as described.

4. In a three-high rolling mill, a vertically movable middle roll, rock shafts arranged to be moved in opposite directions, connections between the rock shafts and the middle roll, weighted arms connected to said rock shafts, levers for raising said weights mounted on the rock shafts, a shaft having oppositely threaded portions engaging said levers, and a motor geared to the threaded shaft to rotate the shaft and thereby simultaneously operate the levers to lift the weights; substantially as described.

In rolling mill mechanism, a vertically movable roll, a motor and connections for raising and lowering the roll, a controlling device for the motor, manual means for starting the motor, and connections between the roll and motor operated by the motor when started and arranged to actuate the controlling device to stop the motor, substantially as described.

6. In rolling mill mechanism, a vertically movable roll, an electric motor and connections for raising and lowering the roll, a switch for controlling the circuit of the motor, and connections between the motor and the roll whereby the switch is opened after a predetermined period of rotation of the motor, substantially as described.

7. In a three-high rolling mill, a vertically movable middle roll, a motor and con nections for moving said roll vertically with respect to the top and bottom rolls, a controlling device for the motor, and connections between the roll and motor operated by the motor upon a predetermined movement of the middle roll for actuating the controlling device to stop the motor, substantially as described.

8. In a three-high rolling mill, a vertically movable middle roll, a vertically movable upper roll, a motor and connections for moving the middle roll relatively to the top and bottom rolls, a motor and connections for adjusting the upper roll, a controlling device for the motor for the middle roll, connec tions between said motor and middle roll actuated by the motor for stopping it after a i predetermined movement of the middle roll, and means for varying the movement of the middle roll and the stopping of its motor controlled by the movement of the top roll, substantially as described.

9. Mechanism of the character described comprising a frame, a rotary shaft mounted thereon, a motor and gearing for actuating the same, said shaft having a nut-holding portion thereon, a nut carried by said holding portion, a screw movable through said nut, means between the screw and the nutholding portion adapted to hold the screw from turning with relation to said nutholding portion, gearing between the frame and the nut adapted to actuate the nut upon rotation of the said shaft, and controlling mechanism adapted to control the motor, said controlling mechanism having a member adapted to be engaged by an engaging portion on said movable screw and thereby adapted to operate the controlling mechanism, substantially as described.

10. In a rolling mill, a vertically movable roll, an electric motor and connections for raising and lowering the roll, a controller and circuit connections for the motor, said controller having two positions in each of which the circuit connections are completed to operate the motor in one direction, and a third position in which said connections are opened, manual means for moving said controller to either one of the two first named positions, and connections between the mid dle roll and motor operated by the motor itself for moving the controller to its third position substantially as described.

11. In a three-high mill, a vertically movable middle roll, a motor and connections for raising and lowering the roll, a switch controlling the circuit of the motor, means operated by the motor for opening the circuit after a predetermined period of operation of the same, and means controlled by the movement of one of the other rolls for varying the length of periods of such operation; substantially as described.

12. In a three-high mill, a vertically movable middle roll, a motor and connections for raising and lowering the same, a vertically movable top roll, means for raising and lowering the same, a switch for controlling the circuit of the motor, means operated by the motor for opening the switch, and means controlled by the top roll adjusting means for determining the time of operation of said switch; substantially as described.

13. In a three-high mill, a vertically movable middle roll, a vertically adjustable top roll, a motor and connections for raising and lowering the middle roll, a switch for controlling the circuit of the motor, devices operated by the motor for opening its circuit, a second motor and gearing for adjusting the top roll, and connections between the second motor and gearing and the switch-opening device for the first motor for varying the periods of its operation; substantially as described.

14. In a three-high rolling mill, a verti-' cally movable middle roll, a vertically ad just'able top roll, a motor and connections for raising and lowering the middle roll, a switch for controlling the operation of the motor, a switch-opening device actuated by the motor to operate after a predetermined period of revolution thereof, a movable carrier for said device, gearing for adjusting the top roll, and means operated by said gearing for adjusting the position of said carrier to thereby change the time of operation of said switch; substantially as described.

15. In a three-high rolling mill having a vertically movable middle roll and a vertically adjustable top roll, motor-controlled mechanism for raising and lowering the middle roll, a motor and gearing for adjusting the top roll, and means for controlling the circuit of the first named motor which said means is controlled by the second motor; substantially as described.

16. In mechanism of the character described, a middle roll, vertically movable boxes or carriers in which the roll is journaled, and rest bars connected to and connecting the boxes or carriers, said bars extending through the roll housings.

17. In a threehigh rolling mill, a vertically movable middle roll, a vertically movable upper roll, a motor, and connections for moving the middle roll relatively to the top and bottom rolls, a motor and connections for adjusting the upper roll, a controlling device for the first-named motor connections actuated by the same motor and cooperating with the controlling device for stopping the motor dependent upon the position of the middle roll, and means adapted to cooperate with the second motor and the connections between the first motor and its controlling means adapted to vary the time of stopping of the first motor according to the position of the upper roll, substantially as described.

18. A rolling mill having a vertically movable roll, counterbalanced levers on opposite sides and each end of the roll tending to move the roll in one direction, and a motor arranged to move both sets of levers in the opposite direction; substantially as clescribed.

19. A rolling mill having an adjustable roll, a second roll arranged to be moved to and from the adjustable roll, means for moving the second roll to and from the first roll, and means controlled by the movement of the first roll for regulating the movement of the second roll moving means; substantially as described.

20. A rolling mill including two rolls, In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set ifneans for adjusting one 101f the rolls, means my hand.

or movin the ot er r0 toward the first roll, and lneans controlled by the adjust- ALBERT KELLER 5 ment of the first roll for controlling the Witnesses:

movement of the second roll moving means; GEO. B. BLEMING, substantially as described. GEO. H. PARMELEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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