Improvements in Rolling Mills and Appliances used in connection therewith.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct.. 1891-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Rolling Mills and Appliances used in connection
therewith.
I, THOMAS VALENTINE ALLIS of No. 308 Fifth Avenue in the City, County
and State of New York United States of America, Engineer, 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 more particularly to improvements in continuous rolling
mills in which the rolls are placed in inclined positions transversely to the length-
wise direction of the train, also to feeding apparatus for feeding the billets or
blooms thereto, also to guide mechanism for controlling the billets or blooms in the
process of reduction in the rolls, all as hereinafter fully described reference being
made to the accompanying drawings in which I represent my improvements as
applied to plant or apparatus for producing wire rods and strips from billets or
blooms in a continuous process, said plant or apparatus comprising various novel
features of improvement adapted to facilitate the work and economize the cost as
compared with the present state of the art, but the essential features of my said
improvements are alike applicable and are particularly intended for use in billet
mills.
Fig. 1, shows in plan view my feeding apparatus for delivering the billets or
blooms to the rolls, one pair of which is shown to indicate the train.
Fig. 2, is partly a side elevation and partly a sectional elevation of the said feed
apparatus shown in Fig.
Fig. 3, is partly a side elevation and partly a sectional elevation of the said
apparatus on the line xx Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 4, is an end elevation of the continuous train of rolls in its simplest form as
best adapted for flat strips and illustrating certain features of my invention of
improvements in continuous trains of rolls in which the rolls are arranged in a
plane inclined transversely to the lengthwise direction of the train.
Fig. 5, is an end elevation of the continuous train of rolls as adapted for bars,
and illustrating certain other features of my invention of improvements in continuous
trains of rolls of the character described.
Fig. 6, is a plan view of a portion of the train of rolls shown in end elevation in
Fig. 5.
Fig. 7, is a side view of a pair of rolls of said train as in its inclined position in
the train with some of the parts in section in the vertical plane of the axis of the
rolls, the scale being enlarged for greater clearness.
In Figs. 1 and 2 are represented two endless carriers c, both arranged in a line
and running to, and discharging the billets b, into the billet pocket d, located at the
head of the train of rolls e, so that the billets may be readily handed from the
furnaces, which will in practice be located in suitable proximity to the carrier, on
to a carrier and be automatically delivered into the pocket from which they are to
be pushed forward successively into the rolls, for which a hydraulic, steam or
pneumatic pusher f, is provided, of which the reciprocating rod g, is arranged in
the line of the pocket and the passway of the rolls, suitably for forcing the billets
forward thereto from the bottom of the pocket when the impelling force is admitted
to the pusher, the valve of which is to be operated by an attendant at the proper
times by the lever h, Figs. 1 & 3. The pocket has inclined sides i, on to which the
billets are discharged from either side by the carriers respectively, and down which
they gravitate to a position in line with the pass way and the pusher rod; a
detachably fastened stop ledge a' is provided for arresting and gauging the billets
on the line of the feed way, it is temporarily fastened by pins 6' to the lower

page_text: portion of the opposite side i, of the hopper from which the billets are received and
prevents the lower billets from being crowded over too far by the others following
and may be shifted from one side to the other.
Power is preferably applied to the pulleys j, for driving the carriers, said pulleys
are coupled with the driving shafts by clutches k, and levers l, for disconnecting one
carrier when not in use as in Figs. 1 and 2 but said carriers may be geared
directly with the line shafts of the roughing train as in Fig. 1.
The endless billet carriers consist of the chains c¹ mounted on suitable chain
carrying wheels c, on which chains the plates c, supporting the billet carrying
saddles are placed transversely and pivoted at c, suitably to receive the hot
billets from the furnaces and deliver them to the feeding pocket.
Between the chain carrying wheels, carrying rolls ce are placed under said plates
both in the upper and lower ranges of the carrier for preventing the carrier from
sagging and these rolls are mounted in troughs c' which are to be kept filled with
circulating water to prevent the carrier from being overheated by the billets, any
suitable arrangement of supply and discharge pipe connections being provided to
maintain the circulation of the water. The chain carrying wheel shaft d', at one
extremity of the chains are mounted in journal boxes d, which are adjustable on
the bench d, for taking up the slack of the chains by adjusting screws d.
The train of rolls e, may consist of any approved arrangement of a series of
pairs of rolls placed in line in close proximity and at right angles successively and
including a sufficient number of pairs to reduce a billet of say six inches square or
thereabout, to bars of any predetermined smaller size. In this example I have
represented the apparatus as adapted for reducing a billet of say four inches to a
half or five eighths of an inch or thereabouts such as may be fed directly to the
finishing rolls for producing wire rods.
In the construction of my improved continuous mill with the rolls inclined to the
base I place the rolls in the lower position of the inclines with the couplings and
gearings above as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, which brings all my gearing and
bearings in accessible positions and where they are not liable to be injured by scale
and slivers of metal; for rolling flat strips I place all the rolls in one plane as
represented in Fig. 4; the rolls may overhang the housings, but for rods or bars
the pairs of rolls will be placed in the opposite inclines alternately as in the rest of
the figures where they are shown, and when used for strips or small rods such as
may form loops between the pairs of rolls when reduced to small sizes, 1 provide
inclined guide tables as 32 up or down which the loops may run between the pairs
of rolls; when the rolls are all in one inclined plane as for strips the guide tables
will all be placed at right angles thereto, and they may all be placed in the same
incline as shown in Figa. 5 and 6 when the rolls are alternately in the opposite
inclines, or said tables may be reversely inclined alternately if desired.
The rolls may be geared to line shafts 33, mounted at the upper sides of the bed
frames and having the power applied to them by belts running on pulleys 34, but
the arrangement which I prefer consists in the said line shafts 33 in the bed frame
below the base supports for the roll housings, with the counter shafts 35 geared
thereto by the bevel wheels 36, and gearing with the roll shafts by the spur
wheels 37 and pinions 38. 1 provide receiving pockets 39 under the guide tables 32
to receive the scale and other matters therefrom and having a discharge spout 40
discharging the same into a sewer 41.
The rolls have a series of pass grooves &³, and are mounted in housings b', that
are adjustable along the inclined base supports d³, on which they are mounted to
shift the rolls from time to time to bring new passes into the feed line as others are
worn out to avoid frequent changing of the rolls.
The housings b, are fitted with an adjusting screw e³, in the nut f', said nut has
a bearing in the base in which it is confined by collars for shifting the housings
from time to time.
Owing to the inclined arrangement of the rolls and also to adjust them length-
wise for ensuring the matching of the pass grooves properly, the end thrust

page_text: bearings 46, are provided for the lower ends which bearings are supported on
the ends of the adjusting screws 47, and these screws are supported in the nuts 48
located in the slots 49 of the bottom plate 50, of the box cap of which 51 represents
the side, which box is placed with the open end against the outside of the housing
(and secured thereto by suitable bolts) for supporting said screws and also for
enclosing and protecting them from scale and the like. The nuts are adjustable in
the slots 49 to shift as the rolls do and they are secured against the thrusts of the
screws by their flanges 53.
The journals of the rolls are recessed at the ends for receiving the thrust
bearings 46, and said bearings project at the outer ends into oil boxes 54 secured
at 55 on to the screws so as to be set close against the ends of the journals, they
are to be supplied with a substance for lubricating the thrust bearings.
To protect the journals of the lower ends of the rolls from scale and other
matter liable to fall in between the ends of the rolls and the bearings and caps and
thus work into the boxes, I have grooved these rolls in the lower ends as shown
at 56, and fitted to the grooves in the rolls the sheet metal plates 57, having the
flange 58 bearing close against the housings, and having the scroll flange 59 of the
inner edge fitting the groove so as to intercept such matters and drop them below
the bearings.
The adjusting screws 43 for gauging the rolls are geared by the wheels 60 with
the intermediate pinion 61, having the bevel toothed face 62 with which a bevel
wheel 63 on the vertical shaft 64 is geared, to adjust the rolls from the plat-
form 65, suitably arranged above the rolls for enabling them to be adjusted by an
attendant thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A continuous train of rolls in which the rolls are arranged on a base inclined
transversely to the longitudinal direction of the train with the rolls proper at the
lower side of the base substantially as described.
2. A continuous train of rolls in which the rolls are arranged on a base inclined
transversely to the longitudinal direction of the train, with the rolls proper at the
lower side of the base, and the driving power applied at the upper side of the base
substantially as described.
3. A continuous train of rolls in which the rolls are arranged on a base inclined
transversely to the longitudinal direction of the train, with the rolls proper at the
lower side of the base, and the roll coupling pinions connected with their upper
ends, the driving power being applied at the upper side of the inclined base substan-
tially as described.
4. A continuous train of rolls in which the rolls are arranged on a base inclined
transversely to the longitudinal direction of the train, with the rolls proper at the
lower side of the base, and the wabbler couplings and roll coupling pinions
connected with their upper ends, the driving power being applied at the upper side
of the inclined base substantially as described.
.
5. In a continuous train of rolls arranged on a base which is vertically inclined
laterally to the lengthwise direction, with the rolls proper located at the lower
side of the base and having the driving power applied at the upper side of said
base, the combination with the rolls, of the main driving shaft located under said
bed frame and ranging longitudinally thereof, the countershaft below and parallel
with the roll shaft of each pair of rolls, and gearing with said main shaft by
the bevel wheels, and the spur wheel and pinion gearing said countershaft and
roll shafts at the upper side of the bed frame and above the rolls substantially as
described.
6. A. continuous train of rolls in which the pairs of rolls are placed alternately
in oppositely inclined planes, transversely to the lengthwise direction of the train,

page_text: and the rolls proper are located at the lower sides of the inclines substantially as
described.
7. The combination with a continuous train of rolls located on a base inclined
transversely to the lengthwise direction of the train, of a loop guide table in the
plane of the feed line and inclined reversely to the inelination of the roll train
substantially as described.
8. The combination with a continuous train of rolls in which the pairs of rolls
are alternately in opposite inclined planes transversely to the lengthwise direction
of the train, of loop guide tables between the pairs of rolls and in the plane of the
feed way and inclined reversely to the axis of the rolls to which the loops run from
the tables, said tables being parallel with the plane of the pass grooves of said rolls
or substantially so as described.
9. The combination in a train of rolls in which the successive pairs of rolls are
alternately arranged in oppositely inclined planes, of tables between the successive
pairs of rolls all arranged in one inclined plane parallel with one of the inclined
planes of the rolls or thereabout substantially as described.
10. The combination of the continuous train of rolls, a billet receiving pocket in
front of and in line with the feed way of said rolls, and one or more automatically
delivering endless billet carriers for transferring the billets to said receiving pocket
substantially as described.
11. The combination with the continuous train of rolls, billet receiving pocket
placed in the feed line of said rolls, and the endless billet carriers discharging into
said pocket, of the reciprocating pusher also placed in said line substantially as
described.
12. The combination with the billet receiving pocket having the opposite
inclined receiving sides, of the detachably fastened stop ledge substantially as
described.
13. The combination in the endless billet carrier of the endless chains, the plates
jointed to the endless chains, billet saddles on the plates, the overlapping carrying
rolls supporting the plates between the chain wheels, and said chain wheels substan-
tially as described.
14. The combination in the endless billet carrier of the endless chains, the plates
jointed to the endless chains, the rollers supporting the plates between the chain
wheels, said chain wheels and the water troughs, said water troughs partly enclosing
the rollers substantially as described.
15. The combination with the rolls, of the end thrust bearings against the ends
of the rolls, adjusting screws supporting said bearings and the cap supporting the
adjusting screws and attached to the roll housings, said screws laterally adjustable
in said cap correspondingly with the laterally adjustable rolls substantially as
described.
16. The combination with the rolls, of the end thrust bearings fitted in the
recesses in the ends of the rolls, adjusting screws supporting said bearings, the cap
supporting the adjusting screws and attached to the housings, said screws laterally
adjustable in said cap correspondingly with the laterally adjustable rolls substan-
tially as described.
17. The combination of the oil boxes with the thrust bearings against the ends
of the rolls, and the adjusting screws supporting said thrust bearings and boxes
substantially as described.
18. The combination with the lower journals of the inclined rolls, thrust bearings,
and adjusting screws, of the cap attached to the housings and enclosing said journals
and thrust bearings substantially as described.
19. The combination with the lower journals of the inclined rolls, thrust bearings
and adjusting screws, of the cap attached to the housings and enclosing said journals
aud thrust bearings, said adjusting screws fitted in the cap for their support substan-
tially as described.
20. The combination with the rolls having an aunular groove in the lower end

page_text: of the sheet metal scale guards surrounding the journals and having the scroll
flanges fitting the grooves and bearing at the outer edges against the side of the
housing to exclude scale and dirt substantially as described.
21. In a train of rolls having inclined tables between the pairs of rolls, a
pocket combined therewith and arranged to receive the droppings therefrom and
having a spout discharging said droppings into a sewer below.
22. The combination with a continuous train of rolls arranged alternately in
opposite inclined planes the apex of which is downward and the driving gears are
above the rolls of the platform located over the rolls, the hand wheels for working
the roll adjusting screws mounted thereon, and geared with the said adjusting
screws substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of October 1891.
THOMAS VALENTINE ALLIS.