Patent ID: 7523632
Filing Date: 2009-04-28
Classification: B21B

Abstract:
1. A modular rolling mill comprising: a plurality of rolling units having work rolls configured and arranged to progressively reduce the cross sectional area of a product received along a mill pass line; gear units mechanically coupled to each rolling unit, each gear unit in turn being mechanically coupled to a driven line shaft by first bevel gear sets, the ratios of said first bevel gear sets being progressively increased from the first to the last of said gear units to thereby accommodate a progressively increasing speed of the product being rolled; a second bevel gear set associated with the last of said gear units, the ratio of said second bevel gear set being the same as the ratio of the first bevel gear set of the penultimate gear unit; and means for selectively coupling said line shaft to the last gear unit via one or the other of its first and second bevel gear sets.