Improvements in or connected with Rolling Mills for Bars, Rods, and Wire.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1899
Improvements in or connected with Rolling Mills for Bars,
Rods, and Wire.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM WALKER, of 160, Roebank Street, Dennistoun, in the County
of Glasgow, North Britain, Rolling-Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
•
My said invention has for its object to obtain improved results with economy
and expedition in the working of rolling mills for rolling bars, rods, and
wire.
My improvements are applicable in connection with what are known as guide
mills, comprising a combined series of mills arranged in line and one or more of
which may be three-high or have three horizontal rolls the others each having two
rolls. In working, a bar or rod is passed in succession through the several mills,
and my invention has to do with the transference from one mill to the next. To
facilitate such transference and also to act on the bars or rods at right angles to
the action of the horizontal rolls, I place in a vertical plane between each two mills
and at right angles to the line of mills a pair of vertical rolls such rolls being
arranged at a suitable distance from the line of mills to allow of a bar or rod being
conveniently guided from one of the mills to the vertical rolls and thence to the
next of the mills. The pairs of rolls which are driven by means of gearing from
the gearing of the main mills and are provided with adjusting mechanism to
determine their distance apart, draw the bar or rod through and have at the same
time a rolling action on it. Pairs of the vertical rolls may be provided on both
sides of the main mills, either opposite to alternate spaces between the mills, or
opposite to all the spaces.
1000
Improvements in or connected with Rolling Mills for Bars,
Rods, and Wire.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM WALKER, of 160, Roebank Street, Dennistoun, in the County
of Glasgow, North Britain, Rolling Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to and is connected with rolling mills for rolling steel or iron
bars, rods, and wire and it has for its object to obtain improved results with economy
and expedition in the working of such mills.

page_text: mills, and also wire mills, such mills comprising a combined series of mills arranged
in line and one or more of which may be three high or have three horizontal rolls,
the others each having two horizontal rolls.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended two sheets of drawings illustrative of the invention.
On the drawings :-
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing how the various mills are arranged on the floor of the
rolling shed.
Fig. 2 is an elevation and Fig. 3 a plan showing two sets of rolls with the guide
between them.
Fig. 4 is a section takeu on the line - Fig. 3.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate the same parts.
•
In the diagram Fig. 1, a, b, c, d, e, are horizontal mills arranged in a line
whilst f, g, h, are vertical rolls arranged at one side of the train of horizontal mills
and i, j, vertical rolls arranged at the other side of the train.
The chief feature of the invention consists, as indicated in this Fig. 1, in
placing sets of vertical rolls f to in a vertical plane, at each side of, and at
right angles to a horizontal train of three high and two high mills. The
vertical rolls are placed at a suitable distance from the line of horizontal mills
to allow of the rod, or bar, being conveniently guided from one of the mills to a set
of vertical rolls, and thence to the next of the mills and so on as indicated by the
dotted lines at . The pairs of vertical rolls are placed opposite to the alternate
spaces between the horizontal mills, or, as shown, opposite to every space
between the horizontal mills, or I may place vertical rolls opposite to any number of
the spaces between the horizontal mills.
The line of horizontal mills are coupled together by the usual couplings (not
shown) in such mills.
The vertical rolls. are driven by means of gearing from the main gearing of the
horizontal mills, and they have an exactly similar action on the rod, or bar, as have
the horizontal mills, but such action is at a different anglo to the action of the
horizontal milis.
The vertical rolls are provided, as usual, with suitable mechanism, and similar
mechanism to that of the horizontal mills, for adjusting and regulating the working
of such mills.
Under my invention when rolling rods, bars, or wire, I pass the material under
operation, be it rods, bars, or wire, into the first of the horizontal mills a and when
it is leaving, but still passing through this horizontal mill a, I, by means of a
suitable guide, bend and guide the end that first leaves the mill into the set of
vertical rolls f. While the rod, bar or wire is still passing through the rolls f
and in the direction of the horizontal mill 6, I, by a suitable guide, again bend and
guide the end that first leaves the vertical rolls into the horizontal mill b. Again,
as the rod, bar, or wire, is passing through the mill b and in the direction of the
vertical rolls j, I, by means of a suitable guide, bend and guide the end that first
leaves the horizontal mill b into the vertical rolls j. The end that first leaves the
vertical rolls is then guided into the horizontal inill c and so on throughout the
series of mills.
However, if I wish to vary the operation, I may, as the bar, rod, or wire is
leaving, and still passing through, the horizontal mill b, by a suitable guide, guide
and bend the end that first leaves the horizontal mill b into the vertical rolls i and
from thence back again into the horizontal mill a. Then from this mill a, through
the vertical rolls f, to the horizontal mill b, effecting these passes in the same
manner at the second operation as at the first. If preferred, I may, further, guide
the end of the rod, bar, or wire that first leaves the horizontal mill b into the
vertical rolls j.

page_text: From any one of the horizontal mills, I may pass the rod, bar, or wire into any
pair of vertical rolls and from thence into any horizontal mill.
The vertical rolls are made to travel in a direction which shall correspond with
the direction of the horizontal mill to be used, or with the direction in which the
bar, or rod, or wire is to travel.
In carrying out my invention I may employ and use any suitable number of
horizontal mills, and also any suitable number of sets of vertical rolls.
Ι
For the purpose of guiding the material being treated from the horizontal to the
vertical rolls and vice versa, I prefer to use guides m such as are clearly shown at
Figs. 2, 3 and 4. As will be seen these guides m are of ☐ shape in cross section
with one side m¹ made movable, being pivotted at n upon lugs cast on the bottom
of the guide. The bottom of each guide m is, at one end, secured to the cramp o
of a horizontal mill and, at the other ond, to the cramp p of a vertical mill so as to
be properly supported in place. The movable side m¹ of each guide is provided
with a lever arm q to which is attached a suitable weight (not shown).
With this arrangement when the rod, bar, or wire leaves the horizontal mill a it
impinges against the movable back m¹, which latter yields to a slight extent, (the
pressure of the rod overcoming the gravity of the weight) and is guided by it along
the guide m into the next vertical mill f out of which mill it passes along the second
guide m to the next horizontal mill 6 and so on as before explained.
When the pressure due to the increasing "slackness" or bend of the bar as it
passes from the rolls a and through the rolls becomes extreme the side m¹ yields
to such an extent as to allow the bar to escape either wholly or partially out of the
guide m.
As will be readily seen the guides m, along with the rolls, when arranged as at
Fig. 1, practically form a continuous sinuous path along which the bar, rod, or
wire is caused to travel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The improved method of rolling bars, rods, and wire, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. In rolling bars, rods, and wire the use, in combination, of horizontal mills
arranged tandemwise in the same straight line and coupled together so as to
constitute one horizontal train and vertical rolls arranged in positions intermediate
of and at right angles to the train of horizontal mills, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1898.