Patent GB-869276-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to rolling mills
IPC: B21B13/14
Filed: 1957-06-28
Abstract: 869,276. Rolling. UNITED ENGINEERING & FOUNDRY CO. June 28,1957 [June 29, 1956], No. 20468/57. Class 83 (4). In a mill for reducing metal strip continuously the work rolls are subjected to pressure either directly or through at least one intermediate roll either at two points which are symmetrically disposed about the centre line of the mill and spaced apart by a distance of approximately 0.55 of the width of the strip or over a length of roll symmetrical about the centre line of the mill and equal in length to approximately 0.55 of the width of the strip. During rolling of metal strip S, Fig. 1, the working rolls 18 and the intermediate rolls 21 are supported by spaced lands 24 on the outer backing rolls 23. Bearing chocks 22 are vertically slidable in windows 16 of mill housings 11 and 12 so that the rolls 21 are supported in the manner of a continuous beam with the ends cantilevering beyond the lands 24 to substantially eliminate deflection of the rolls 21, thus maintaining the working rolls 18 parallel and the thickness of the strip constant. The distance between the lands is 0.55 of the strip width for least deflection. The bearing chocks 25 are adjustable by worm-driven pressure screws 26. The mill drive may be by driving the rolls e.g. the intermediate rolls 21 are motor driven, by tension on the strip or by a combination of both. In a modification each intermediate roll may be supported by a pair of short rolls replacing the lands 24 and which are mounted side by side on stub-shafts, the lateral position of the rolls being adjustable to give minimum deflection of the intermediate rolls for different widths of strip. In a second modification the intermediate rolls 54, Fig. 6, are supported by short spherical bearings 53 either fixed to or adjustably mounted on a shaft 51. In another modification an outer backing roll 41, Fig. 4 (not shown), has a portion 43 of enlarged diameter and a length equal to 0.55 of the width of the strip. Another modification, Fig. 7, comprises a cluster mill having working rolls 58 each supported by a pair of secondary rolls 60. Intermediate backing rolls 62 are ultimately supported by lands 66 of rolls 64 spaced as before to limit deflection. The rolls are mounted in windows 57 of two unitary housings 56, the chocks 65 being adjustable by wedge-operated pressure members 67. The cluster mill may be driven by driving one or more of the rolls or by tension on the strip. In a further modification a cluster mill, Fig. 11, has working rolls 81 each directly supported by a pair of floating intermediate rolls 82 and indirectly supported by a secondary roll 83. Each of the rolls 82 and 83 are supported with substantially no deflection by a roll 84 having spaced lands 85 as before described. The rolls 84 adjacent the intermediate rolls 82 are offset towards the pass-line of the mill so that the rolling pressure forces the rolls 82 into engagement with rolls 83 and the working rolls so as to prevent displacement of the rolls and to limit the deflection of the work rolls. The alternative forms of the outer support rolls previously described may also be applied to either the cluster mills or to a four-high mill.