Patent ID: 7500374

Claim:
Apparatus for urging an oil film bearing onto and off of a roll neck in a rolling mill, said apparatus comprising: an annular hydraulically actuated piston/cylinder unit mounted on a cylindrical section of the roll neck, said cylindrical section being delimited at one end by a circular shoulder on the roll neck, and at the opposite end by a circular groove in the roll neck; a retaining ring having lock arms pivotally movable into seated positions in said groove, said piston/cylinder unit being operable in a first mode in an abutting relationship with said lock arms to urge said bearing onto said roll neck, and being operative in a second mode in an abutting relationship with said shoulder to urge said bearing off of said roll neck; and said piston/cylinder unit and said lock arms having complimentary tapered surfaces arranged to coact in urging said lock arms inwardly into said seated positions in response to the abutment of said piston/cylinder unit with said lock arms.