Abstract:
A support frame for metal coils, which are stacked on top of each other for a heat treatment by means of a hot, gaseous medium, especially in bell-type annealing furnaces, has devices on the support frame for guiding the flow of the medium through the coils. The support frame is a framework constructed of I-sections. The end surfaces of the coils are supported on the flanges of the framework I-sections. The webs of the framework I-sections are provided with holes, which serve for guiding the flow of medium.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention pertains to a support frame used to stack metal coils or rings on top of each other when they are to be subjected to a heat treatment by a hot, gaseous medium. The strip material of these coils must be annealed after its has been rolled or drawn in order to obtain the desired crystalline microstructure. For this purpose, the coils are stacked on top of each other in so-called bell-type annealing furnaces, for example, with the help of these support frames. The coils are annealed by a gas passing through the furnace or by hot air until the desired microstructure has been achieved. The support frames are intended to ensure the stacked coils are heated as uniformly as possible. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The known support frames are complicated in their design. Aerodynamically shaped vane elements, which fan out from the center of the support frame, are used to guide the flowing medium through the coils. The hot medium is set into rotational motion by the vane elements. These support frames are expensive to produce. In addition, the known frames are relatively fragile and do not long withstand the harsh operating conditions which prevail in a rolling mill. 
     The invention is based on the task of developing a support frame of the general type indicated in the introductory clause of claim 1 for promoting the flow of the medium, this frame being both sturdy in design and producible at low cost. This is accomplished according to the invention by the measures listed in the characterizing clause of claim 1, to which the following special meaning belongs: 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on the task of developing a support frame of the aforementioned type for promoting the flow of the medium, this frame being both sturdy in design and producible at low cost. This is accomplished according to the invention by the following measures: 
     the support frame is a framework constructed of I-sections; 
     the end surfaces of the coils are supported on the flanges of the framework I-sections; and 
     the webs of the framework I-sections are provided with holes, which serve as means to guide the flow of medium. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a top view of one of two stacked metal coils at the level of a support frame according to the invention situated between them, namely, in the viewing direction of the cross-sectional line I—I through the stack shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 2 shows a side view of the stack in the viewing direction of arrow II of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show cross-sectional views through the support frame of FIG. 1 along section lines III—III and IV—IV, respectively, the coil above and the coil below not being included in the diagram; 
     FIG. 5 shows a side view of a component part of the support frame shown in FIG. 1 in the viewing direction of arrow V indicated there; 
     FIG. 6 shows a top view of a support frame according to the invention with a star insert; 
     FIG. 7 shows a top view of the star insert of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 shows a side view of the start insert of FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 9 shows a top view and two side views of the plate-shaped bracket. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The support frame consists of a framework  10 , which is made up of three crosspieces  11  of equal length  12 . Each of the crosspieces  11  consists of an I-shaped section  28  (FIG. 3 a ), or various standard flat sections are welded together to form a framework section  28  with the overall shape of an “I” (FIGS. 3 b,    3   c ) The framework  10  is located between two stacked coils  31 ,  32 , which are supported by their end surfaces  30  on the framework section  28 . The web  23  of the framework section  28  has a row  24  of holes  25 , which are arranged essentially down the center line of the web  23 . As FIG. 5 illustrates, the distance  26  between adjacent holes  25  is very small, for which reason a very closely spaced row  24  of holes is formed. The distance  26  can be smaller than the diameter  27  of the holes. The crosspieces  11  have a complex structure, which can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     The I-shaped framework section  28  emphasized in FIGS. 3 and 4 by shading consists of known standard profiles, e.g., such as the I-section shown in FIG. 3 a.    
     FIG. 3 b  shows an I-shaped framework section  28  consisting of three flat sections  20 ″,  20 ′″,  20 ″″. The two equally wide flat sections  20 ′″,  20 ″″ form the upper and lower flanges  44 ,  45  of the framework section  28 . The third flat section  20 ″, which is somewhat narrower in this exemplary embodiment, forms the web  23  of the overall framework section  28 . The components are joined preferably by welds  16  located on both sides of the end surfaces of the flat section  20 ″. 
     Another possible embodiment of the framework section  28  is shown in FIG. 3 c . The framework section  28  consists here of two U-sections  20 ,  20 ′, arranged as mirror-images of each other, the U-webs  23  of which rest against each other. The webs  23  are provided with continuous series of holes  25 , which are aligned with each other. A common flat strip section  13  covers the top of these two component sections  20 ,  20 ′, and another common flat strip section  14  covers the bottom. These flat strip sections  13 ,  14  are joined permanently to the U-sidepieces  21 ,  22 ; the flat strip sections  13 ,  14  extend down the length of the framework crosspieces  11 . Edge zones  15  of the flat strip sections  13 ,  14  project beyond the free edges  29 . The joints between the flat strip sections  13 ,  14  and the U-shaped component sections  20 ,  20 ′ are created by welds  16  between the sidepiece ends  29  and the edge zones  15  of the strips. 
     As can be seen in FIG. 1, the framework  10  forms the outline of an equilateral triangle. The individual crosspieces  11  are mitred at the corners, as can be seen at  18  in FIG.  1 . In the corner areas  17 , furthermore, lugs  19  are present, which allow the framework to be attached to a crane. The crane serves to lift the coil  31  seated on the framework  10  and to remove it from the stack. The lugs project beyond the coil  31  supported on the framework  10 . 
     In the angle between two abutting framework crosspieces  11 , there is a corner plate  33 , which connects the two crosspieces  11  to each other. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 c  by coarse dots. In addition, the framework crosspieces  11  are provided at certain points along their long sides facing the interior of the frame with plate-shaped brackets  34 , which, for the sake of clarity, are emphasized in FIGS. 4 and 5 by fine dots. The corner plates  33  and the brackets  34  lie essentially in the same plane as the flanges  44 ,  45  or of the flat strip sections  13 ,  14  of the overall I-section  28 . In the present case, the brackets  34  are located at the center of the length of the crosspieces  11  and point toward the center of the triangle. The brackets  34  also serve to cover or support the inner turns of the coil  31 ,  32  in question. Both the corner plates  33  and the brackets  34  are provided with various support elements  35 - 37 . 
     The support element  35  for the corner plate  33  consists of an essentially vertical bracket plate  35 , which, as can be seen in FIG. 3 c , almost completely fills up the free space in the overall section  28 . Thus, the end  38  of the bracket plate  35  fits into the space between the two U-sidepieces  21 ,  22  of the component section  20  and extends all the way to the U-web  23 ′. The brackets  34  are also supported from underneath by bracket plates  36 . For stiffening, it is also possible to provide a block  37  at this point. The two bracket plates  35 ,  36  are provided with slit-like or round openings  39 , which promote the flow of the medium, as already mentioned above. 
     As can be seen in FIG. 3 c , the corner plates  33  can be provided on both the upper and the lower flat strip sections  13 ,  14 . These corner plates  33  and the brackets  34  can be of the same thickness  40 , which is essentially the same as the thickness  41  of the two flat strip sections  13 ,  14  or of the flanges  44 ,  45  of the framework I-section  28 . 
     FIG. 6 shows an additional example of a support frame according to the invention with a framework  10 ′. In the angle between two abutting framework crosspieces  11 , there is a corner plate  33 , which connects two crosspieces  11  together. In addition, the long sides of the framework crosspieces  11  facing the interior of the framework are provided with plate-shaped brackets  34  at the center point of their length. 
     In this case, a star insert  43  is provided to give additional support to the coils  31 ,  32  (not shown in this figure). The branches  47  of the star insert  43  extending from the center of the star terminate at the plate-shaped brackets  34 , where they are supported. So that the star insert  43  can be attached to the brackets  34 , the thickness of the ends  46  of the star insert branches  47  is reduced by a step-like recess, and a hole  51  is made through the end. The ends  46  fit into a shaped cavity  50  in the bracket  34 . This shaped cavity  50  is bounded on the sides by the block  37  and the bracket plate  36 . A hole  49  is also provided in the bracket plate  36  of the bracket  34 . The ends  46  of the star insert branches  47  are pushed into the shaped cavity  50  until the hole  51  in the star insert branch  47  and the hole  49  in the bracket plate  36  are aligned; suitable connecting means can pass through these holes to fasten the two components together. 
     The star insert  43  lies essentially on the same plane as the flanges  44 ,  45  of the framework I-section  28 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
       10  framework 
       10 ′ framework 
       11  crosspiece of  10   
       12  crosspiece length of  11   
       13  flat strip section of  11  at  21   
       14  flat strip section of  11  at  22   
       15  edge zone of  13 ,  14   
       16  weld 
       17  corner area of  10   
       18  mitred cut at  17   
     lug on  17   
       20 ,  20 ′ U-section, component part of  28   
       20 ″,  20 ′″,  20 ″″ flat section, component part of  28   
       21  first U-sidepiece of  20 ,  20 ′ 
       22  second U-sidepiece of  20 ,  20 ′ 
       23  web of  28   
       23 ′ U-web of  20 ,  20 ′ 
       24  row of holes (FIG. 5) 
       25  hole in  23 ,  23 ′ 
       26  distance between  25  (FIG. 5) 
       27  hole diameter of  25   
       28  framework section, overall section 
       29  free sidepiece end of  21 ,  22  (FIG. 3 c ) 
       30  end surface of  31 ,  32  (FIG. 2) 
       31  upper coil (FIG. 2) 
       32  lower coil (FIGS. 1,  2 ) 
       33  corner plate 
       34  plate-shaped bracket 
       35  support element for  33 , bracket plate 
       36  support element for  34 , bracket plate 
       37  support element for  34 , block 
       38  plate end of  35  (FIG. 3 c ) 
       39  opening in  35 ,  36   
       40  thickness of plate  33 ,  34  (FIG. 3 c , FIG. 5) 
       41  thickness of flange  44 ,  45  (FIGS. 3 a ,  3   b ) 
       42  flow arrow 
       43  star insert 
       44  upper flange of  28   
       45  lower flange of  28   
       46  end of  43   
       47  star insert branch 
       48  recess in  46   
       49  hole in  36   
       50  shaped cavity 
       51  hole in  46