Patent ID: 8171767

Claim:
A modular rolling mill having a mill pass line along which products are rolled in a rolling direction, said rolling mill comprising: a plurality of first gear units arranged along a first line parallel to said mill pass mill line, each first gear unit being driven individually by a motor and having a pair of mechanically interconnected output shafts; a plurality of second gear units arranged along a second line between and parallel to both said first line and said mill pass line, each second gear unit having a pair of mechanically interconnected input shafts driving a pair of output shafts; a plurality of rolling units arranged in succession along the pass line, each rolling unit being driven by an input shaft and having a pair of mechanically interconnected roll shafts carrying work rolls; first coupling means for connecting the output shafts of each first gear unit to input shafts of two successive second gear units; and second coupling means for releasably connecting the output shafts of said second gear units to the input shafts of two successive rolling units.