Patent GB-1207707-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to coilers for upcoiling or uncoiling strip metal
IPC: B21C47/30
Filed: 1968-01-17
Abstract: 1,207,707. Strip coiling machine. VEREINIGTE OSTERREICHISCHE EISEN-UND STAHLWERKE A.G. 17 Jan., 1968 [14 Feb., 1967], No. 2625/68. Heading B3E. A strip coiling or uncoiling machine has an expanding mandrel and incorporates a hydromechanical mandrel expanding device which is housed in the coiler and which comprises pressure-liquid operated piston motors characterized in that one or more pumps for pressurizing the liquid, and devices for controlling the liquid flow to the motors are disposed in the coiler shaft itself. The coiler includes a mandrel 1 which has segments 6, pivoted at 7, and which are moved outwardly by wedges 5, each connected to a piston 3 which reciprocates in a radial cylinder bore 2. Opposite ends of the cylinders 2 are connected by ducts 8 and 9 to a gear pump 12. This pump consists of a gear 15 which is coaxial with the mandrel and a gear 16 mounted on stub axles 18 journalled in end covers 13 and 14 of the pump. The coaxial gear 15 is fixed to a hollow driving shaft 17, inside which is a sleeve valve 21. The interior of the sleeve valve is open to a reservoir 27 and there are ports 28, 29 and 30 in the sleeve wall which can be aligned with radial bores 22, 23, 24 and 25 through the wall of the shaft 17. The radial bores communicate respectively with the duct 9, the pump inlet, the pump outlet, and the duct 8. In the position shown in Fig. 3 the sleeve valve is in a position such that the duct 9 is connected to the reservoir 27 and the duct 8 is connected to the pump outlet, so that the wedges 5 move the segments 6 to their expanded positions. There is a spring-loaded pump relief valve 31. The sleeve valve 21 is moved to the left against the spring 19 by a sliding coupling 32 which is driven in rotation by a shaft 35 and a motor 34, and which has a blind bore the bottom 33 of which engages the end of the sleeve valve. The coupling normally drives the shaft, but can be moved to a right-ward position in which it is disengaged from the shaft 17. The end cover 13 of the pump is integral with a tapered trunnion which is supported by a bearing 36. The motor 34, coupling 32 and bearing 36 are mounted on a pivoted bracket 37 and can be swung down to clear the end of the mandrel for loading or unloading a coil of strip. With the valve 21 in the position shown in Fig. 3 the shaft 17 is driven in a direction opposite to the normal rotation of the mandrel, to expand the segments, and if necessary to clamp the leading end of a length of strip between one of the segments and the body of the mandrel. The motor 34 is then stopped and locked and subsequent rotation of the mandrel causes the gear 16 to travel round the gear 15. Since the speed of the mandrel is less than the speed of the motor 34 a reduced output is available from the pump which is sufficient to compensate for leakage, excess fluid escaping through the relief valve 31. In a modification, Fig. 4 (not shown), a first pump is mounted on the motor shaft outside the mandrel proper. This pump is situated inside a stationary casing which forms a fluid reservoir, the shaft having seals where it enters and leaves the casing, and the pump housing being locked against rotation relative to the housing but slidable axially therein. The pump discharges to a second pump mounted inside a hollow shaft in the coiler mandrel. The pump is integral and axially slidable with a piston inside the shaft which actuates a segment-expanding wedge sleeve.