Patent Description:
Equipments are known and broadly used in the production technology of aluminum section bars which comprise extrusion presses capable of extruding the material at high temperature, said equipments comprising heat treatment solutions, in particular for cooling the extruded section bars downstream of the extrusion press and along the extrusion line.

However, said solutions according to prior art offer a limited ability to control the cooling curve of the section bars. Furthermore, since the newly extruded section bar still has a high temperature (generally higher than <NUM>) and thus does not have high structural rigidity, the extruded section bar must be extracted from the press and accompanied along the roller conveyor by a gripper or puller extractor device, which engages (couples) with the end of the extruded item exiting from the press and drags it during extrusion applying slight traction up to the conveyor belts. The use of the puller for these purposes requires the use of cooling stations of the type depicted in <FIG>. Said stations <NUM> according to the prior art comprise as depicted an upper unit <NUM> and a lower unit <NUM> both equipped with outlets <NUM> and nozzles <NUM>, the outlets <NUM> being served by a ventilation system (not depicted in detail) and thus dedicated to the emission of air jets, the nozzles <NUM> being served by means (not depicted in detail) for generating a pressurized cooling fluid, generally water, and thus dedicated to the emission of pressurized water or liquid jets.

The upper unit <NUM> can translate along a substantially vertical direction (as indicated by the double arrow) between a lower position (shown in <FIG>) and an upper position (not shown), wherein in the lower position the unit <NUM> is positioned near the roller conveyor <NUM> so that the section bar <NUM>, positioned on the roller conveyor <NUM>, can be struck by air and water jets from both above and from the sides, wherein the outlets <NUM> and the nozzles <NUM> of the lower unit <NUM> ensure that the section bar <NUM> is struck by air and water jets from both below and the sides.

The repositioning of the upper unit <NUM> in the upper position makes it possible to free up the space underneath and thus making same available for the puller (not shown).

The cooling stations according to the prior art of the type depicted in <FIG> have several disadvantages and/or drawbacks which the applicant intends to overcome or at least minimize by means of the present invention.

Firstly, it is worth noting that the presence of the water nozzles also in the upper unit <NUM> also implies the presence of means for distributing the coolant or at least pumping and/or sending the coolant to the nozzles on the upper unit <NUM>. However, the direct consequence of such a requirement is an increase in the weight of the upper unit <NUM> and thus the need to provide appropriate means for vertically moving the upper unit <NUM>, e.g., such as electric and/or hydraulic actuators, which are very costly both in terms of installation and maintenance.

Furthermore, the presence of the water nozzles in the upper unit <NUM> results in the need to make the upper unit <NUM> either entirely or at least largely of corrosion-resistant material, such as stainless steel or similar materials, or at least to clad the upper unit <NUM> or parts thereof with said corrosion-resistant materials, again in these cases with a marked increase in costs.

It is a primary object of the present invention to make available an equipment or a station for heat treatment which allow to overcome or at least reduce the disadvantages and/or drawbacks affecting equipments or stations for heat treatment according to the prior art.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a station or equipment for the heat treatment of extruded aluminum section bars which comprises a movable upper unit characterized by low weight and made at least in part of non-corrosion resistant materials, such as non-stainless steel.

According to the invention, the low weight of the upper unit allows the use of less expensive actuating means than electric and/or hydraulic actuators, e.g., pneumatic actuators, for vertically moving the unit.

Furthermore, and again according to the invention, the possibility of using materials other than stainless steel to make at least part of the upper unit allows further cost savings.

The present invention arises from the general consideration according to which the purposes illustrated above can be achieved and the disadvantages of equipments according to the prior art can be effectively reduced by means of an equipment for the heat treatment of manufactured items at high temperatures in which the upper unit is equipped with only outlets for dispensing cooling air jets. Indeed, the absence of nozzles for dispensing cooling liquid jets makes it possible to avoid the presence, on the upper unit, of means for storing and/or pumping the cooling liquid, and thus to contain the overall weight of the upper unit.

Furthermore, the absence of coolant delivery nozzles on the upper unit prevents the upper unit structure from being struck, during the operation of the station, by the coolant, thus offering the possibility of making at least a large part of the upper unit from materials other than corrosion-resistant materials.

Therefore, based on both the predetermined purposes summarized above and the considerations made above, the present invention relates to an equipment or a station according to the main claim <NUM> and an equipment according to the main claim <NUM>, further embodiments of the present invention being defined by the dependent claims.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said upper unit comprises a cooling hood open towards said support device, wherein said outlets of said second plurality are positioned inside said hood, and wherein with said upper unit positioned in said second lower position, said at least one section bar is accommodated at least partially inside said hood.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said outlets of said second plurality are positioned inside said hood so that, with said upper unit positioned in said second lower position, said at least one section bar is struck by the respective air jets both from above and laterally.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said upper unit can be translated by means of at least one pneumatic actuator.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said lower unit comprises at least one first movable bulkhead and a second movable bulkhead, each movable by translation in a substantially vertical direction relative to said supporting device between a first lower position of its own and a second upper position of its own, wherein said own second upper position, said first bulkhead and second bulkhead are positioned at said at least one section bar on the opposite sides of said at least one section bar.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, in said own first lower position said first bulkhead and second bulkhead are respectively accommodated at least partially in a first guide and a second guide, wherein said first guide and second guide are arranged on opposite sides of said supporting device.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said lower unit comprises a first cover and a second cover respectively constrained to said first bulkhead and to said second bulkhead, and respectively rotatable relative to said first bulkhead and second bulkhead about respective rotation axes substantially parallel to said extrusion direction each between a first position of its own and a second closed position of its own.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said first cover and second cover, in said first open own positions, are arranged substantially parallel to said first bulkhead and second bulkhead, respectively, wherein said first and second cover, in said second closed own positions, are arranged above said support device to define each an internal angle with said first bulkhead and second bulkhead, respectively. According to an embodiment as disclosed, the switching by translation of said first bulkhead and second bulkhead from their respective first lower positions into their respective second upper positions results in the switching by rotation of said first cover and respectively second cover from their respective first positions into their respective second positions, wherein the switching by translation of said first bulkhead and second bulkhead from their respective second upper positions to their respective first lower positions results in the switching by rotation of said first cover and respectively second cover from their respective second positions into their respective first open positions.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said first cover and second cover are connected to said first bulkhead and second bulkhead, respectively, by means of linkages and cams, wherein the switching by translation of said first bulkhead and second bulkhead from their respective first lower positions to the respective second upper positions and the switching by translation of said first bulkhead and second bulkhead from the respective second upper positions to the respective first lower positions results in the switching by rotation of first cover and second cover from the respective first positions to the respective second positions, respectively, and in the switching by rotation of said first cover and respectively second cover from their respective second positions to their respective first positions, respectively.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said first bulkhead and second bulkhead are arranged in support on a first pair of levers and respectively a second pair of levers switchable by rotation, wherein the switching by rotation of said first pair of levers and second pair of levers in a first direction of rotation results in the switching by translation of said first bulkhead and respectively second bulkhead from their respective first lower positions to their respective second own upper positions, wherein the switching by rotation of said first pair of levers and second pair of levers in a second direction of rotation opposite to said first direction of rotation results in the switching by translation of said first bulkhead and respectively second bulkhead from their respective second upper positions to their respective first lower positions. According to an embodiment as disclosed, a first lever of said first pair of levers and a second lever of said second pair of levers are put into rotation by means of a first electromechanical actuator and a second electromechanical actuator, respectively, and in that a third lever of said first pair of levers and a fourth lever of said second pair of levers are connected to said first lever and said second lever, respectively, by first connection means and second connection means, respectively, such as cables or equivalent connection means.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said nozzles of said first plurality are supported by said first bulkhead and second bulkhead and said first cover and second cover, wherein said nozzles of said first plurality are positioned so that, with said first and second bulkhead in the respective second upper positions and with said first cover and second cover in the respective own second closed positions, said at least one section bar is struck by the respective refrigerant liquid jets from above, below and laterally.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, said nozzles of said first plurality are arranged in mutual fluid communication by means of connecting pipes accommodated inside said first and second bulkhead and first and second cover. According to an embodiment as disclosed, said outlets of said first plurality are positioned below the roller conveyor, each between two successive rollers, to strike said section bar with respective air jets from below.

However, embodiments (not disclosed) are possible according to which the outlets of the lower unit are supported by the movable bulkheads and/or by the respective tiles or covers, as an alternative and/or in addition to those provided below the roller conveyor.

According to an embodiment as disclosed, an extrusion equipment, in particular for the extrusion of aluminum section bars, comprises an extrusion press, wherein said extrusion equipment comprises an equipment according to one of the embodiments of the present invention for the heat treatment of said aluminum section bars exiting from said extrusion press, said equipment for the heat treatment of said aluminum section bars being arranged downstream of said extrusion press along the extrusion direction defined by said extrusion press.

A description of the embodiments of the present invention as depicted in the drawings is provided below, wherein:.

It must be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed in the following and depicted in the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, all the variants and/or changes to the embodiments as disclosed below and depicted in the accompanying drawings which fall within the scope of the appended claims belong to the present invention.

The present invention is particularly advantageously applied to the cooling of extruded section bars made of aluminum, this being the reason why the present invention will be described hereafter with particular reference to its applications in the field of cooling of section bars made of aluminum.

However, it is worth specifying that the possible applications of the present invention are not limited to those described below. On the contrary, the present invention can be conveniently applied in all cases in which it is necessary to optimize the cooling cycle of a high-temperature manufactured item, e.g., made by casting molten metal. In <FIG>, reference numeral <NUM> identifies a station or equipment for the heat treatment of section bars exiting from an extrusion press (not shown).

As depicted (see also <FIG>), the station <NUM> comprises a roller conveyor <NUM> consisting of a plurality of rollers arranged in succession along the direction <NUM> (parallel to the extrusion direction) and free to rotate each about its own rotation axis perpendicular to the direction <NUM>, the roller conveyor <NUM> being thus adapted to support the section bar (not shown) and to allow its advancement along the extrusion direction <NUM>.

The station <NUM> further comprises an upper unit <NUM> adapted to be switched in translation along a substantially vertical direction (see the double arrow in <FIG>), between an upper or rest position and a lower or working position (closest to the roller conveyor <NUM>). The upper mobile unit <NUM> further comprises a hood <NUM> open toward the roller conveyor <NUM>, wherein in the lowered or bottom position the hood <NUM> is positioned near the roller conveyor <NUM> so that the manufactured item is at least partially accommodated within the hood <NUM> (surrounded by the walls of the hood <NUM>). According to one of the principles underlying the present invention, a plurality of outlets only for the delivery of respective air jets are accommodated inside the hood <NUM>, said outlets being served by ventilation means <NUM> (one or more fans and/or compressors and/or similar devices), wherein said nozzles are positioned inside the hood <NUM> so that, with the unit <NUM> in the lower working position, the manufactured item or section bar resting on the roller conveyor <NUM> can be struck by air jets from above and/or from both opposite sides (transversely relative to the direction of extrusion or advancement <NUM>). On the contrary, in the upper position (not shown) it is possible both to access the space underneath the hood <NUM> (for maintenance, inspections, or similar work or also to act on the manufactured item supported by the roller conveyor <NUM>, if necessary) and to use a puller to extract the item from the press according to the methods described above and substantially known and thus not described in detail for the sake of brevity.

Finally, it should be noted that the station or equipment <NUM> comprises actuating means <NUM>, in particular but not necessarily pneumatic, such as pneumatic actuators or the like, for actuating the upper unit <NUM>.

Hereafter, the lower unit <NUM> of the equipment <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to figures <NUM> to <NUM>.

As depicted, the lower unit <NUM> comprises a box-shaped main body <NUM> open upwardly in which the roller conveyor <NUM> is accommodated. Opposite side walls (transverse to the extrusion/advancement direction <NUM>) are hollow and open both upwards and downwards to define a first guide <NUM> and a second guide <NUM>, respectively (<FIG>). A first bulkhead <NUM> and a second bulkhead <NUM> are accommodated in said first guide <NUM> and second guide <NUM>, respectively, each translatable in a vertical direction (see double arrow in <FIG>) between a position in which the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> are entirely accommodated inside the first guide <NUM> and the second guide <NUM>, respectively (<FIG>), and a position in which the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> are positioned at least partially outside the first guide <NUM> and the second guide <NUM>, respectively (<FIG>). For this purpose, as depicted in <FIG>, the lower unit <NUM> comprises a first electric reducer <NUM> and a second electric reducer <NUM>, and a first pair of levers <NUM>, a second pair of levers <NUM>, a third pair of levers <NUM> and a fourth pair of levers <NUM>, the levers of the first and second pairs <NUM> and of the third and fourth pairs <NUM> being adapted to be put into rotation each around its own rotation axis substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the extrusion direction <NUM>. For this purpose, a first lever <NUM> of the first pair of levers <NUM> is engaged on the electric reducer <NUM>, while a first lever <NUM> of the third pair <NUM> is engaged on the second electric reducer <NUM>. Furthermore, the second lever <NUM> of the first pair of levers <NUM> is integral with the first lever <NUM>, wherein the second lever <NUM> of the second pair <NUM> is integral with the first lever <NUM> of said second pair <NUM>, the first lever <NUM> of the first pair <NUM> being connected to the first lever <NUM> of the second pair <NUM> by a tie-rod <NUM>. Similarly, the second lever <NUM> of the third pair of levers <NUM> is integral with the first lever <NUM> of said third pair <NUM>, wherein the second lever <NUM> of the fourth pair <NUM> is integral with the first lever <NUM> of said fourth pair <NUM>, said first levers <NUM> and <NUM> of said third and fourth pairs <NUM> respectively being mutually connected by means of a tie-rod <NUM>. Therefore, it can be appreciated that the rotation of the first lever <NUM> of the first pair of levers <NUM> (by means of the electric reducer <NUM>) results in the rotation of both the second levers <NUM> and <NUM> of said first and second pair <NUM>, respectively, whereas the rotation (by means of the electric reducer <NUM>) of the first lever <NUM> of said third pair <NUM> results in the rotation of both the second levers <NUM> and <NUM> of said third and fourth pair of levers <NUM>, respectively.

The first bulkhead <NUM> is restingly arranged on the first and second pairs of levers <NUM>, wherein in the same manner the second bulkhead <NUM> is restingly arranged on the third and fourth pairs of levers <NUM>, and wherein the levers <NUM> and <NUM>, during their rotational motion, are at least partially accommodated in the first guide <NUM> and the second guide <NUM>, respectively.

Thus, it can be appreciated that the rotation of the levers of the first and second pairs <NUM> in a first rotation direction (counterclockwise relative to <FIG>) results in the raising of the first bulkhead <NUM>, while the rotation of the levers of the third and fourth pairs <NUM> in a first rotation direction (clockwise relative to <FIG>) results in the raising of the second bulkhead <NUM>. Conversely, the rotation of the levers of the first and second pairs <NUM> in a rotation direction opposite to the first one (clockwise relative to <FIG>) results in the lowering of the first bulkhead <NUM>, wherein the rotation of the levers of the third and fourth pairs <NUM> in a rotation direction opposite to the first one (counterclockwise relative to the figures) results in the lowering of the second bulkhead <NUM>.

The drawings further show that the lower unit <NUM> comprises a first cover or tile <NUM> and a second cover or tile <NUM> constrained to the first bulkhead <NUM> and second bulkhead <NUM>, respectively, and each free to rotate about its own rotation axis R1 and R2, respectively, parallel to the extrusion/advancement direction <NUM>, wherein the cover or tile <NUM> and the cover or tile <NUM> are hinged to the upper edge of the first bulkhead <NUM> and second bulkhead <NUM>, respectively.

In particular, the cover <NUM> and the cover <NUM> can each be switched by rotation between an open position (<FIG>) in which they are arranged parallel to the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM>, respectively (and also accommodated in the first guide <NUM> and respectively in the second guide <NUM>), and a closed position (<FIG> and <FIG>) in which they are arranged in a position above the roller conveyor <NUM> as well as oriented relative to the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM>, respectively, to define internal angles α.

The switching by rotation of the covers <NUM> and <NUM> is achieved by means of levers <NUM> each constrained at a first end to the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM>, respectively, as well as at the opposite end to a cam <NUM>, the cams <NUM> being rigidly fixed one to the first cover <NUM> and the other to the second cover <NUM>.

Thus, it can be appreciated that the switching by translation of the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> (in the manner clarified above) from the lowered position (<FIG>) to the raised position (<FIG> and <FIG>) results in the switching by clockwise rotation (relative to the figures) of the first cover or tile <NUM> from its own open position to its own closed position, and respectively in the switching by counterclockwise rotation (relative to the figures) of the second cover or tile <NUM> from its own open position to its own closed position. Similarly, the switching by translation of the first bulkhead <NUM> and the second bulkhead <NUM> (in the manner clarified above) from the raised position (<FIG> and <FIG>) into the lowered position (<FIG>) results in the switching by counterclockwise rotation (relative to the figures) of the first cover or tile <NUM> from its own closed position to its own open position, and in the switching by clockwise rotation (relative to the figures) of the second cover or tile <NUM> from its own closed position to its own closed position, respectively.

The lower unit <NUM> is further equipped with outlets each dispensing an air jet, and with nozzles <NUM> and <NUM> each dispensing a pressurized coolant liquid jet, said outlets (not shown) being arranged and positioned below the roller conveyor <NUM>, wherein said outlets <NUM> and said nozzles <NUM> are supported in part by the bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> and in part by the covers <NUM> and <NUM>; said outlets are served by ventilation means, e.g., the same ventilation means <NUM> arranged on the upper unit <NUM> and/or ventilation means (not shown) dedicated to the lower unit <NUM>, wherein the nozzles <NUM> and <NUM> for dispensing coolant liquid jets are served by a coolant liquid storage and pumping system. Finally, as depicted, the nozzles <NUM> and the nozzles <NUM> are mutually connected and put in communication with each other by means of connecting pipes or ducts <NUM> accommodated and/or obtained in the first bulkheads <NUM> and second bulkheads <NUM> and in the first and second covers <NUM> and <NUM>, wherein the nozzles <NUM> and the nozzles <NUM> are arranged so that, with the bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> and the covers or tiles <NUM> and <NUM> in the position in <FIG> and <FIG>, the manufactured item can be struck by coolant jets from above and/or from the side and/or from below, the nozzles <NUM> and nozzles <NUM> being usable in predetermined groups according to the desired and/or required cooling cycle. Instead, the air outlets are designed to strike the section bar from below, each with its own air jet, also the outlets being useable in predetermined groups according to the desired and/or required cooling cycle.

The operation of the apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment depicted in the drawings and disclosed above can be summarized as follows.

With the section bar arranged on the roller conveyor <NUM>, if an air-only cooling cycle is needed or desired, the upper unit <NUM> is placed in the lower position, taking care to check that bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> are positioned in their own lowered positions, with covers or tiles <NUM> and <NUM> in their own open positions.

If, on the other hand, a cooling cycle with coolant (e.g., water) is required or desired, operations are prosecuted by placing the upper unit <NUM> in its upper position, as well as by placing the bulkheads <NUM> and <NUM> in their own raised positions, and then the covers <NUM> and <NUM> in their own closed positions.

Obviously, the cooling cycle by means of the lower unit <NUM> may also be performed using one or more selections (one or more groups)-of the nozzles <NUM> and/or the nozzles <NUM> and/or the air outlets according to whether it is desired to strike the manufactured item <NUM> with water jets from above and/or from one or both sides thereof and/or with air jets from below.

Finally, it is worth noting that the cooling cycles using the upper unit <NUM> and the lower unit <NUM> may be performed in succession one after the other and/or alternatively one to the other.

It has thus been demonstrated by means of the detailed description given above of the embodiments of the present invention depicted in the drawings that the present invention makes it possible to obtain the desired objects and to overcome or at least limit the drawbacks affecting the prior art.

In particular, by means of the present invention, an equipment for the heat treatment of manufactured items at high temperature, in particular for cooling aluminum extruded section bars is made available, along with an extrusion equipment, wherein:.

Claim 1:
Equipment (<NUM>) for the heat treatment of manufactured items at high temperatures, in particular for the controlled cooling of extruded section bars made of aluminum, said equipment (<NUM>) being adapted to be arranged downstream of an extrusion press defining an extrusion direction (<NUM>) of the extruded section bars downstream of the extrusion press,
said equipment (<NUM>) comprising a support device (<NUM>) adapted to support restingly at least one said extruded section bar in a substantially horizontal position; an upper cooling unit (<NUM>) arranged above said support device (<NUM>) and adapted to be switched by translation in a substantially vertical direction with respect to said support device (<NUM>) between a first upper position and a second lower position;
a lower cooling unit (<NUM>) arranged at said support device (<NUM>);
wherein said equipment (<NUM>) comprises ventilation means (<NUM>) adapted to generate a ventilated air flow and means adapted to generate a refrigerant liquid flow; wherein said lower unit (<NUM>) comprises a first plurality of outlets and nozzles (<NUM>, <NUM>) in fluid communication with said ventilation means (<NUM>) and said means for generating said refrigerant liquid flow, respectively, said outlets and said nozzles (<NUM>, <NUM>) being each adapted to convey a jet of air and refrigerant liquid, respectively, towards said at least one extruded section bar;
characterized in that said upper unit (<NUM>) is equipped only with a second plurality of vents in fluid communication with said ventilation means (<NUM>) and each adapted to convey a jet of air towards said at least one extruded section bar, and in that said upper unit (<NUM>) is made at least partially of non-stainless steel or of non-corrosion resistant materials.