Patent GB-647942-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a roll-forge mill
IPC: B21H1/22
Filed: 1945-12-03
Abstract: 647,942. Rolling. CRUCIBLE STEEL CO. OF AMERICA. Dec. 3, 1945, No. 32583. Convention date, Jan. 15. [Class 83 (iv)] A rolling mill comprises at least,two roll stands having each a pair of co-operating dierolls, a workpiece feeding and ejecting mechanism to and from the rolls and common means for driving the rolls and the feeding and ejecting mechanism in timed relation. The mill comprises two parallel rows of mill stands, each row having three vertical stands 30 and three horizontal stands 32 arranged alternately and driven from aligned shafts 64, 66, geared to electric motors 52, Figs. 1 and 2. Each row is associated with a pair of furnaces 34. The individual stands are as described in Specification 647,988. The plant includes furnace conveyers 36, feed conveyers 40 leading from the furnaces to the first pair of rolls and interstand conveyers 42. A cross conveyer 44 is also provided for transporting billets from the end of one row to the conveyer 40 of the other row and may be used optionally so that the mill may be run as two independent six-pass mills or as one twelve-pass mill. The billets may be transferred from the furnace conveyer 36 to the feed conveyer 40 by the synchronizing mechanism described in Specification 647,989, [Group XXX]. Feeding and delivering work. Between the stands are separate endless belt conveyers 42, each driven by an independent motor. A camshaft 90, Fig. 10, is driven by a gear 296 coupled through an idler gear with a gear on the upper countershaft of the first roll stand and by means of cams 304 and 306, serves to rock a shaft 316 which has follower arms 310 and 312 depending one on each side of the camshaft. Beyond the side frame 116 of the roll stand the shaft 316 forms a bearing for an arm 324 adjacent a tapered end portion to which is keyed a driving-arm 326. The lower end of the arm 324 is pivoted to one end of a link 334 adapted to reciprocate a pair of feeding and ejecting carriages 338, Fig. 8, when the arm is oscillated by the arm 326. A rod 342, pivoted to the arm 324 above the connection to the link 334 passes through a sleeve 346 pivoted to the bifurcated end of the arm 326. Movement of the arm 326 normally operates the arm 324 through a spring 340 whose ends abut the sleeve 346 and a shoulder 356 on the rod, but the spring is designed to permit, by its compression, a complete cycle of movement of the arm 326 without oscillating the arm 324 in the event of the carriages 338 encountering abnormal resistance. Each carriage runs on a horizontal track 368, Figs. 8 and 16, adjustably secured to the frame 116 by means of brackets and tie-rods and comprises a base portion 358 with four rollers 360, 362, 370, 372 engaging the track as shown. A bracket portion 384 of the carriage provides a bearing for a shaft 388, one end of which carries a work-feeding finger 392 adapted to depend into the V-shaped upper portion of a conveyer 42. The other end of the shaft carries a short lever arm 396 keyed thereto, a lever arm 398 journalled thereon and another keyed lever 400 coupled by a spring 404 to a fixed part of the carriage. Lever 398 is pivotaly connected to the rod 414 of a, piston operating in a cylinder 418, Fig. 18 having a connection to a fluid .pressure line 436 by which the piston may be moved so as to turn the shaft 388 and raise the feed finger into an inoperative position. As a workpiece is carried towards a pair of rolls on a conveyer, it enters the flared mouth of an adjustably mounted upper guide 440, Fig. 21, having an undersurface shaped according to the form of the workpiece. The forward end of this guide comprises a pivoted drag shoe 452 adapted to restrain the workpiece until it is pushed forwards by the feed finger. Adjustable guides 464 and 482 are also provided at the other side of the rolls. Hydraulic and electric control arrangements. A fluid pressure line 490 has six branches controlled by electrically-operated valves 498- 503, Fig. 23, and connected to a second header line having a series. of bleeder valves, such as 507, branch connections such as 508 to the carriage cylinders 418, and check valves such as 506 which permit fluid to flow only from left to right as seen in the Figure. In operation and assuming that for some reason it is necessary to stop the feed of work at the mill stand at which are positioned the two carriages coupled to the branch 512, the operator presses a button to open the valve 500. The electrical connections are such that this also effects the opening of the preceding valves 499 and 498. Fluid then flows to the carriage cylinders and moves the feed fingers to the inoperative position. The pressing of the stop button also effects the stoppage of the appropriate interstand conveyers so as to avoid a piling up of the work. When it is desired to resume feeding, the valves 500, 499 and 498 are closed successively, fluid is bled by the valves 511, 507 and the feed fingers restored to their normal operating position. The furnace timing motors driving the furnace feed and delivery mechanism, the motors driving the individual conveyers and the electrically-operated valves of the hydraulic system are interconnected in an electric system described with reference to Figs. 14A and 14B (not shown). The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises also the subject-matter of Specifications 647,988 and 647,989. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.