Roll stand containing work rolls

A roll stand arrangement contains work rolls and back-up or support rolls, the work rolls being laterally supported by hydrostatic support ledges. Within each upright or support stand of the roll stand arrangement there is provided a guide frame which is guided within a window of the related support stand together with mounting elements for the back-up or support rolls. Within the guide frame there are guided the mounting elements of the work rolls in slide elements. There are simultaneously pivotably supported in the slide elements the shaft or bearing journals of the support ledges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of rolling 
mill and, in particular, concerns a roll stand or roll stand arrangement 
containing work rolls. 
Generally speaking, the roll stand arrangement containing work rolls of the 
present development has such work rolls supported, with respect to the 
pressing force, at back-up or support rolls, and there are provided 
lateral hydrostatic support ledges or ledge members. Both the back-up 
rolls and the work rolls are provided with mounting elements which are 
guided in windows of the upright support stands or frames of the roll 
stand arrangement. 
A roll stand arrangement of the aforementioned type is known to the art 
from U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,905, granted Aug. 26, 1980. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved construction of a roll stand constituting an improvement upon the 
heretofore known roll stand of a rolling mill, and specifically with the 
objective of facilitating the dismantling of the work rolls and also the 
lateral hydrostatic support ledges, and thus, appreciably increasing the 
productivity or output capacity of the roll stand during operation. 
Still a further significant object of the present invention is directed to 
a new and improved construction of roll stand arrangement which is 
relatively simple in design, extremely economical to manufacture, highly 
reliable in operation, not readily subject to breakdown or malfunction, 
and requires a minimum of maintenance and servicing. 
Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, 
which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the 
roll stand arrangement of the present development is manifested by the 
features that there is provided a respective guide frame located in each 
support stand or frame of the roll stand arrangement. These guide frames 
ae each guided in a window of a related support stand or frame and 
themselves each possess a window in which there are guided the mounting 
elements of the work rolls. The ends of the lateral support ledges or 
ledge members are simultaneously pivotably supported at the region of each 
related guide frame. 
The guide frames provided according to the teachings of the invention 
enable conjointly dismantling both of the work rolls in conjunction with 
their support ledges as a unit or block. At the same time there also 
exists the possibility of only dismantling the work rolls and to allow the 
guide frames together with the support ledges to remain in the support 
stands or frames of the roll stand arrangement. 
The ends of the lateral support ledges or equivalent structure can be 
preferably mounted in slide elements which are guided in the guide frames 
in a direction essentially parallel to the pressing or working direction. 
These slide elements can possess guide surfaces for the mounting elements 
of the work rolls and can be rigidly connected with these mounted 
elements. During operation, with such roll stand design the support ledges 
can follow the movements of their related work rolls. On the other hand, 
the work rolls can be dismantled without any hindrance out of the roll 
stand arrangement upon releasing the connection with the slide elements. 
The support ledges preferably can be pivoted out of the region of the 
contour or sectional shape of the mounting elements of the work rolls. 
The slide elements also each can have a substantially T-shaped 
cross-sectional configuration, and the flange of such cross-section shape 
confronts the mounting element of the related work roll, and furthermore 
possesses a guide surface for the mounting element. Additionally, the leg 
portion of such T-shaped slide element is guided in a groove of the guide 
frame. The connection of the flange or flange portion of the slide element 
with the mounting element of the related work roll can be accomplished by 
a groove which extends essentially parallel to the axial direction of the 
work roll and, further, by means of a part of the flange portion which 
engages with the groove. Consequently, there is rendered possible a simple 
dismantling or knock-down of the work rolls in that, in each instance, 
there is possible disassembly of the work rolls in the direction of the 
groove. 
The ends of the support ledges which are pivotably mounted in the slide 
elements can extend through elongate openings or holes provided in the 
guide frames. Consequently, there is obtained the requisite mobility of 
the slide elements in conjunction with the mounting elements of the work 
rolls in relation to the guide frames. 
The back-up or support rolls can be constituted by conventional controlled 
deflection rolls possessing a stationary roll support or beam and a 
substantially tubular-shaped roll shell which is rotatable about the 
stationary roll support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Describing now the drawings, it is to be understood that only enough of the 
construction of the roll stand arrangement of the present development has 
been shown to enable those skilled in the art to readily understand the 
underlying principles and concepts of the present development, while 
simplifying the illustration of the drawings. The roll stand arrangement 
of a rolling mill schematically illustrated in the drawings, and generally 
indicated by reference character 100, will be seen to contain two spaced 
upright support frames or stands 1 in which there are mounted two work 
rolls 2 and two back-up or support rolls 3. As the back-up rolls 3 there 
are employed, in the exemplary embodiment under discussion, so-called 
controlled deflection rolls which, as is quite well known for such type of 
rolls, contain a stationary roll support or beam 4 and a substantially 
tubular-shaped roll shell or jacket 5 which is rotatable about the 
stationary roll support 4, as best seen by referring to FIG. 4. Such type 
of controlled deflection roll has been disclosed, for instance, in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,802,044, granted Apr. 9, 1974. However, it is to be 
specifically understood that also other known constructions of such type 
of rolls, or even solid rolls, can be employed as the back-up or support 
rolls 3. 
With the illustrated exemplary construction of back-up rolls 3 there are 
guided within bores 6 at the roll support or beam 4 of each roll 3 
hydrostatic support or pressure pistons 7 which exert a pressure upon the 
related tubular-shaped roll shell 5, and thus, simultaneously produce the 
pressing force. Rolls suitable for this purpose have also been disclosed 
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,283, granted May 27, 1975. 
As will be further evident by referring to the drawings, especially FIGS. 1 
to 3, the bearing or shaft journals 8 of the work rolls 2 are rotatably 
mounted in mounting elements 10. The bearing or shaft journals 11 of the 
back-up rolls 3 are supported in mounting elements 12. 
As best seen by specifically referring to FIG. 3, the bearing or shaft 
journals 8 of the work rolls 2 are mounted, for instance, in needle 
bearings 13 in the mounting elements 10. Here also, it is to be expressly 
understood however, that also other types of bearing or mounting 
arrangements are possible, such as slide bearings. 
As will be further evident from the drawings, particularly by reverting to 
FIG. 1, the mounting elements 12 of the back-up rolls 3 are guided at 
lateral guide surfaces 14 formed at openings 14a defining windows of the 
upright support frames or stands 1. The mounting elements 10 of the work 
rolls 2 are located, in turn, in guide frames 15, wherein a respective one 
of each of the guide frames 15 is guided between the guide surfaces 14 of 
the related upright support frame or stand 1. 
As best seen by inspecting FIG. 3, in each window-like guide frame 15 there 
are guided four slide elements 16 possessing a substantially T-shaped 
cross-sectional configuration. In each instance two slide elements 16 are 
operatively associated with a mounting element 10 of one of the work rolls 
2. Each slide element 16 possesses a substantially planar or flat guide 
surface 17 which coacts with a substantially planar or flat guide surface 
18 of the related mounting element 10. As will be evident by inspecting 
FIGS. 2 and 3, grooves 20 are formed in the surfaces 18 of the mounting 
elements 10. Engaging into these grooves 20 are projections or 
protuberances 21 of the slide elements 16. The grooves 20 or equivalent 
structure extend in the direction of the lengthwise axis of the rolls 2 
and 3, so that the mounting elements 10 together with the work rolls 2 can 
be conveniently displaced out of the roll stand arrangement 100. 
As also will be best recognized by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, at the leg 
members or legs 16a of the T-shaped cross-section of each slide element 16 
there are pivotably mounted in bearings 22 the bearing or shaft journals 
23 of support ledges or ledge members 24. These support ledges 24 are 
provided in conventional manner with hydrostatic support or pressure 
elements 25. As to the construction of these support ledges or ledge 
members 24 together with their support elements 25 reference may be made 
to the previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,905. The leg member 16a of 
each T-shaped slide element is seated in a leg receiving groove 15b of the 
guide frame 15, whereas the flange portion 16b of such slide element 16 
possesses the aforementioned guide surface 17 and the flange part defining 
the projection or protuberance 21. 
The bearing or shaft journals 23 of the support ledges 24 and their support 
elements 25 are provided with bores or channels 26 or equivalent structure 
for the throughflow of a suitable pressurized fluid medium, for instance 
hydraulic oil. These bores 26 can be connected by couplings 27 or the like 
with infeed lines or conduits 28. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, each guide 
frame 15 is provided at the region of the bearing or shaft journals 23 
with elongate openings or holes 30 which enable a vertical mobility of the 
support or guide ledges 24 together with the slide elements 16 and the 
work rolls 2 in relation to the guide frames 15 which contain the openings 
15a defining windows for receiving the related mounting plates 10. 
For assembly and adjustment purposes the illustrated embodiment of roll 
stand arrangement 100 is also equipped with threaded spindles 31 or 
equivalent adjustment facilties, each such threaded spindle 31 operatively 
engaging with a related mounting element 12 of the upper back-up or 
support roll 3. Below the mounting elements 12 of the lower back-up rolls 
3 there are arranged distance or spacer blocks 32, also simply referred to 
as spacer elements or spacers. Additionally, the mounting elements 12 of 
the lower back-up roll 3 are provided with hydraulic displacement or lift 
pistons 33 or equivalent structure. 
Below the guide frames 15 there are arranged substantially horizontally 
extending rail members or rails 34, along which there can be pulled both 
of the guide frames 15 out of the roll stand arrangement 100. 
Additionally, and as particularly well seen by reverting to FIG. 2, also 
the mounting elements 10 of the work rolls 2 are provided with hydraulic 
displacement or lift pistons 35 or equivalent structure. 
For the removal of the mounting elements 10 out of the window-like guide 
frame 15 there are mounted rail members or rails 40 in the guide frames 
15. These rail members 40, just as is the case for the rail members 34, 
extend from one support stand 1 to the other and then, if desired, also 
protrude past the same. 
To positionally fix or secure the mounting elements 10 and their related 
guide frame 15 in the axial direction of the rolls 2 and 3 in the work 
position there are provided bracket elements or plates 37 and 38 or 
equivalent structure. Further bracket elements or plates 37' analogously 
fix or secure the mounting plates 12 of the back-up rolls 3. 
During operation, the rolls 2 and 3 together with their appertaining parts 
are located in the illustrated position, and between both of the work 
rolls 2 there is formed a not particularly referenced work gap or nip 
through which there is drawn or otherwise passed the material which is to 
be rolled, in the present case assumed to be an aluminum foil or sheet. 
If, for instance, the work rolls 2 are to be dismantled together with the 
support ledges 24 and support elements 25, then with the aid of the 
displacement or lift pistons 33 the lower spacers 32 of the mounting 
elements 12 can be removed, whereafter the lower mounting elements 12 can 
be lowered into the support frames or stands 1. As a result, the guide 
frames 15 shift downwardly up to the location of the rail members 34 and 
come into contact therewith. When the upper mounting elements 12 are 
raised in conjunction with the upper rolls 2 by the action of the threaded 
spindles 31 or equivalent structure, then after removing the bracket 
elements or plates 37 the guide frames 15 can be retracted together with 
the work rolls 2 and in conjunction with the lateral support ledges 24 and 
support elements 25 while riding upon the rail members 34. 
Now if it is intended to dismantle only the work rolls 2, then the guide 
frames 15 remain in their assembled position, and now only the brackets or 
plates 38 of the mounting elements 10 of the work rolls 2 are released or 
disconnected. Thereafter, both of the rolls 2 together with their mounting 
elements 10 can be drawn out of the roll stand 100 in their axial 
direction. To facilitate this work there can be provided between the guide 
frames 15 and within their window-like openings 15a the rail members or 
tracks 40, upon which can slide the lower mounting elements 10. An 
assembly or re-mounting of the rolls 2 can be accomplished in the reverse 
direction. During the disassembly work as well as during the assembly or 
re-mounting work there can be placed not particularly illustrated spacer 
elements or distance holders between the mounting elements 10. 
As will be clearly seen by referring to FIG. 4, during the dismantling of 
the rolls 2 together with their mounting elements 10 the support ledges 24 
can be pivoted into the broken line illustrated positions, so that they 
move completely out of the region of the profile or contour of the 
mounting elements 10. 
It should be understood that the slide elements 16 can also possess a 
different configuration than the preferred shape containing a 
substantially T-shaped cross-sectional configuration. Thus, there can be 
also employed slide elements having a simple rectangular cross-sectional 
configuration. 
By virtue of the arrangement of the bores or channels 26 in the bearing or 
shaft journals 23 of the support ledges 24 there can be realized in a most 
simple manner a free pivoting of the support ledges 24 and their support 
elements 25, without having to take in to particular consideration 
external lines or conduits. Additionally, by virtue of the couplings or 
connection elements 27 there is rendered possible a simpler and more rapid 
connection and disconnection of the lines from externally of the roll 
stand arrangement 100. 
While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the 
invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not 
limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced 
within the scope of the following claims.