Patent ID: 9662694
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: B21B,E04H

Claim:
1. A method of rolling a bar consisting of steel or alloy steel, wherein said method comprises the step of passing the bar consisting of steel or alloy steel through at least one roll stand configured to roll a bar consisting of steel or alloy steel to thereby form a rolled bar, wherein the rolled bar has a central longitudinal axis and three interconnected arms, each of which extends along the central longitudinal axis and generally radially from the central longitudinal axis adjacent one another, and wherein each of said three interconnected arms are from 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm thick, wherein the roll stand comprises: only three roll assemblies for shaping said arms, with each said roll assembly comprising: wherein the roll assemblies define a pass line along which the central longitudinal axis of the bar substantially travels; and wherein the rolls are spaced about the pass line with their said axes of rotation in a common plane and said contoured rims provide a void through which the pass line extends and shape the arms of the bar as the bar passes through the void, and wherein the roll positioners are capable of moving the rolls incrementally within the common plane and along an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of each said roll so as to change the size of the void; and wherein the rolls abut each other to thereby encapsulate the bar as it passes through the void; and wherein the method comprises the step of varying the rotational speed of at least one roll within any one roll stand independently of the rotational speed of another roll within the any one roll stand; and wherein the at least one roll stand is a plurality of roll stands arranged in sequence, wherein the rolls of each of said roll stands have circumferentially extending contoured rims adapted to incrementally form the three interconnected arms of the rolled bar.