AN IMPROVED CUTTER ASSEMBLING MEANS FOR SLITTERS AND THE LIKE

Abstract: A cutter assembling means for a slitter for strip steel comprises two mutually co-operating arbors (12, 13) on which there are threaded pairs of mutually co-operating disc shaped cutters and intervening spacers. The assembling means comprises a rotatable assembling means (29) which is movable towards and away from the arbor ends, on which means cutters and spacers may be threaded, a device (34) to equip the assembling means (29) with cutters and spacers from a magazine or store means to open and close one frame end wall (11) of the slitter hydraulically to free the arbor ends for assembly and disassembly means to hydraulically lock the cutters and spacers against axial movements on the arbors and means (36) to control the choice of the different cutters and spacers in adaptation of the parameters in question for each slitting operation.

Description: AN IMPROVED CUTTER ASSEMBLING MEANS FOR SLITTERS AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to an improved cutter assembling means for slitters and the like, particularly slitters for strip steel. The invention is generally useful also in connection with certain rolling mills, but, as it has been created in connection with works on a slitter of steel strips it will, for convenience, be disclosed hereinafter essenti¬ ally with special reference to a steel strip slitter, without being restricted to slitters. Hereinafter, the term steel strips, of course, should be concieved to include also other materials, such as brass, copper and other metals, for instance, and some¬ times also plastic materials. The work performed by a slitter as contemplated here is sometimes called "slit¬ ting" in that the stock material is slitted longitudinal¬ ly, as contrasted to cutting, where the stock material is cut transverse to its longitudinal direction. Typically, a slitter for steel strips comprises two mutually parallel arbors on which there are threaded pairs of mutually co-operating, ring shaped cutters and inter¬ vening spacers. The width, i.e. the axial measure of the cutters and the spacers depends on the strip width or widths of the strip steel in each case. On shifting to other widths the cutters and spacers have to be shifted, which is usually called re-assembling. Of course, the corresponding applies to co-operating rolls in a rolling mill, a contour rolling mill or the like. To permit cutter assembly and re-assembly, respecti¬ vely, of a slitter, it is, of course, necessary to free one end of each arbor, whereas the other end remains sit¬ ting in a cantilever fashion. It will then be possible to draw off cutters and spacers from the freed arbor end, and then to thread on other cutters and spacers on the arbor in question. The freing of the arbor ends for re-assembly is com¬ paratively elaborate and time consuming, and is further- more a very heavy work. To avoid the said problems, least to some extent, it has been proposed to use two more sets of arbors, so that one set may be assembl while another set is in operation. Of course, a certa improvement is gained in this way, but this solution costly and offers only a partial solution. Irrespective of in which way the cutters and t spacers are locked against axial movements on their re pective arbors, and irrespective of in which way the en of the arbors are freed and the cutter assembly is carri out, it is, of course, a main problem to pick for ea case exactly the combination of cutters and spacers th is suited for the special occasion, and also to plan t work in one way or another in the most advantageous w from a technical and economical point of view, where, course, also other parameters have to be taken into co sideration, such as which materials are available, t appearance of the order stock with regard to dimension quantities, demanded delivery times etc. Irrespective of such considerations it is also impo tant to observe, that the re-assembly is carried out co rectly and quickly while utilizing as little labour for as possble, preferably without any manned operation of t slitter by one or more re-assemblying persons. The present invention has aimed at providing a cutt assembling means for slitters and the like which remedi the above mentioned problems. To the just mentioned end the cutter assembling mea for slitters and the lika according to the present inve tion has been designed so as to comprise a preferab rotatable and axially towards and away from the arbor en movable re-assembling means on which the cutters and t spacers may be threaded, a device to equip the re-asem ling means with cutters and spacers from a suitable st re, if desired in operation of the slitter, means to op and close one frame end wall of the slitter, preferab hydraulically, to free the arbor ends for assembling dis-assembling and means to hydraulically lock the cutte and the spacers against axial movements on the arbors as well as means to control the choice of the different cut¬ ters and spacers for each occasion in adaptation to the parameters for each cutting operation. The cutter assembling means according to the present invention permits extremely short stops in the production for re-assembly and offers also the advantage that the planner may control the production rate. Further, much better slitting results than previously are obtained, particularly in that the human factor is avoided. One special advantage is that the means according to the in¬ vention may preferably also be built in into existing machinery, for which reason the initial costs may be kept low. In a means according to the invention it is particu¬ larly advantageous to build in a locking means which is characterized essentially in that there at each arbor end is disposed a hydraulic piston for axial displacement of means within the arbor end, which means are adapted, at their axial displacement, to axially displace a ring threaded on the respective arbor end, so as to clamp cut¬ ters and spacers between said axially displaceable ring and a similar, axially stationary ring at the other end of the arbor. Further, in a machinery according to the present invention there is advantageously used a hydraulic opening means which is characterized essentially in that one frame end wall for rotatable journalling of one of the arbor ends is, by means of at least one hydraulic piston, out¬ wardly pivotable around a shaft disposed perpendicularly to the centre line direction of the arbors in order to free the ends of the arbors in such a manner, that an as¬ sembly means carrying cutters and spacers may be axially moved up against the said arbors in order to disassemble and assemble the cutters and spacers. The proposed opening means is simple and sturdy in its construction and reliable in operation, and, therefo¬ re, it readily lends itself to be combined with the above proposed locking means for the cutters and the spacers a the other details of the proposed re-asse ling mean which, thus, becomes almost completely automatized. The invention will be disclosed in more details bel with reference had to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagramatical end view of one embodime of a slitter, picked as an example, having an openi means according to the invention to illustrate the env ronment within which the means according to the inventi is intended to work; Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the slitte corresponding to fig. 1; Fig. 2A illustrates a detail; Fig. 3 is an axial longitudinal section showing t end of a cutter arbor, having a special locking mean wherein the locking means is shown in two different pos tions; Fig. 4 is a very diagrammatic plan view of a slitti line according to the invention. In the drawings there is shown, in end view, a pa of a strip slitter comprising two frame portions 10, between which there are rotatably journalled two arbo 12, 13, on which there are threaded a plurality of mut ally co-operating disc shaped cutters with interveni spacers. The arbors and the drives therefore are known p se and do not need any detailed description. The materi is intended to pass through the slitter in the directi of the arrow R in fig. 2. According to fig. 3 there is disposed on the arbor a thrust ring 14, which is axially movable by means pistons 15, each one of which has an inclined surfa which is adapted to co-operate with a corresponding i clined surface on the thrust ring 14. The pistons 15 a radially movable in relation to the arbor 13 in that the by means of keygrooves or the like, are interconnect with axially movable keys 16, which are adapted to axially displaced by displacing a thrust rod 17. At i right hand end this rod has a head 18. The head 18 displaceable leftwardly by means of a rod 20 that is mov¬ able by means of a hydraulic piston 19, and the rod 20 has pivotable hooks 21 which may engage behind the head 18 and pull the head outwardly, towards the right, when the pis¬ tons 15 are to be displaced outwardly to axially lock the cutters and spacers on the arbor 13. Portions of the right frame wall 11 are outwardly pivotable around a vertical shaft 22, viz. by means of a hydraulic cylinder 23, one end of which is pivotally con¬ nected to a bracket 24 on the frame, and the other end of which is pivotally connected to a stationary bracket 25 on the slitter frame, fig. 1 and 2. The just mentioned pivot¬ able frame wall portions have a locking lug 26 which, by means of a hydraulic piston 27, may be locked to a frame portion 28 to lock the end wall in operative position. A corresponding locking means is disposed at the other end of the frame. According to fig. 4 a slitter having an automatic re¬ assembly feature according to the invention comprises the slitter S per se, which has a hydraulically openable frame end wall 11. Adjacent to the slitter S there is disposed a re-assembling means 29, comprising four pairs of arbors 30, one above the other, which arbors are adapted to be disposed with their ends opposite the ends of the slitter arbors 12, 13 to thread on thereto cutters and spacers in the desired arrangement. On assembly the cutters and spa¬ cers are pushed on by means of a pusher 31, and on de- assembly from the slitter arbors the cutters and spacers are pushed off by means of an off-pusher 32 of the slit¬ ter. Normally, the cutters and spacers are stored in one or more stores 33, from where they are picked by means of a robot 34 to be placed on the assembling means 29. When the cutters are dismounted from the slitter they may ad¬ vantageously be brought to a brushing device 35 for clean¬ ing, before they are again placed in the store 33. The control of the choice of the cutters and spacers having the correct dimensions for each particular case to be put on the assembling means 29, the opening of the frame end wall 11 and the movements of the assembli means 29, both the turning motion and the docking moveme towards and away from the slitter, as well as the contr of the locking means, is performed by a computer in a cordance with the program determined for each particul case. A plurality of modifications and alterations as details may be carried out within the scope of the inve tion.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An improved cutter assembly means for slitters and the like, particularly a slitter for strip steel, viz. a slitter of the type which comprises two arbors (12,13), disposed mutually parallel, on which there are threaded mutually co-operating cutters and intervening spacers, characterized in that the means comprises a preferably rotatable and axially towards and away from the arbor ends movable re-assembling means (29) on which the cutters and the spacers may be threaded, a device (34) to equip the re-asembling means (29) with cutters and spacers from a suitable store (33), if desired in operation of the slit¬ ter, means to open and close one frame end wall (11) of the slitter, preferably hydraulically, to free the arbor ends for assembling or dis-assembling and means to hydrau¬ lically lock the cutters and the spacers against axial movements on the arbors (11,12) as well as means (36) to control the choice of the different cutters and spacers for each occasion in adaptation to the parameters for each cutting operation.

Inventors: FORSSLING HANS, FORSSLING, HANS
Applicants: AKV I KOPPARBERG AB
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B23D35
IPC codes: B23D19, B23D35