A mechanism for adjusting the stock restraining effect of the guide rollers of a stock guide for a rolling mill

Description

[0001] The invention relates to apparatus for adjusting the stock restraining effect of the guide rollers of a stock guide for a rolling mill, the apparatus including a guide box, a pair of roller holders pivotally mounted on the guide box by means of respective vertically extending fulcrum pins, a pair of pivot studs mounted on respective roller holders adjacent to the rear ends of the latter in opposed aligned relationship, a pair of guide rollers rotatably mounted on the respective roller holders at forward ends thereof and movable toward and away from each other with pivotal movement of the roller holders, spring means arranged between the two roller holders to serve the purpose of normally urging the pivot studs towards each other, an internally screw-threaded tubular member arranged between said pivot studs coaxially therewith and including a first tubular section internally formed with lefthand screw-threads, a second tubular section internally formed with righthand screw threads, and a pair of lefthand and righthand screw-threaded shafts threadably fitted in said first and second internally screw-threaded tubular sections and held in abutting engagement with the abutting points of the respective pivot studs.

[0002] Rolling mills may be serially arranged on a rolling line to roll a steel stock, such as steel wire rod or steel bar, in a successive fashion. Stock guides are provided at the entrance of such rolling mills to guide the stock into engagement with the mill rolls. One type of such stock guide is a roller-type entrance guide for properly directing the stock to be rolled into the roll groove of the associated rolling mill, In such a roller-type guide, means may be provided for adjusting and setting the stock restraining effect of the guide rollers.

[0003] In general, entrance roller guides include a guide box arranged on the rolling line, a pair of roller holders pivotally supported on the guide box by means of a pair of vertically extending fulcrum pins secured to the guide box on opposite sides of the rolling line, and right and left guide rollers mounted on the forward ends of the respective roller holders in positions close to the associated roll entrance to guide the stock into the latter. The distance between the guide rollers is adjustable by rocking the roller holders laterally in opposite directions and symmetrically with respect to the line of roll pass.

[0004] As is well known, in the rolling of wire rods, bars and other forms of steel material the cross section of the material is reduced in succession until the final form of product is obtained and, at each stage, it is required that the stock being rolled be directed accurately to the center of the roll groove.

[0005] Generally, with stock guides of the type concerned, the stock is directed under the restraint of a pair of right and left guide rollers which engage the stock on its opposite sides. In this connection, rolling conditions such as rolling speed and roll load are different for different roll stands in the line and this makes it necessary at each stand to set the stock restraining effect of the guide rollers in accordance with the rolling conditions at the stage. The stock restraining effect must also be properly adjustable in accordance with any subtle change of the stock in the rolling process as well as with the reduction in stock restraining effect of the stock guide due to wear of the guide rollers without delay. Further, for high speed rolling operation, it is required that the stock restraining effect of the stock guide be set with high accuracy in order to prevent any meandering or inversion of the stock being rolled. Such guide adjusting operation, however, at all times involves a substantial danger to the attendant because of the high rolling speed.

[0006] Also, in the ON-LINE operation of rolling mills, it has been very difficult and practically infeasible to adjust the stock guide and it is keenly desired that the guide adjusting operation be readily performable even under such severe conditions without involving any danger to the attendant.

[0007] Several forms of roller holder controls, used to adjust the distance between the guide rollers, are known. Amongst these, the device of German Patent No. 1 048 251 is the most advanced. In the roller distance adjusting mechanism incorporated in the roller guide of the German patent, a tension spring is arranged between the pair of roller holders for normally biassing the rear end portions thereof inwardly toward each other. A cylindrical shaped nut, formed with righthand and lefthand internal screw-threads, is supported between the rear end portions of the roller holders on a horizontal axis normal to the rolling line and is held against axial movement. Also, externally threaded movable members are threadably engaged with the respective sections of the cylindrical nut being formed with righthand and lefthand internal threads, respectively, and are held between the inwardly spring-biased roller holders in abutting engagement with respective pivot pins provided thereon in aligned relation to each other. With this arrangement, the distance between the guide rollers mounted on the respective roller holders is adjustable simply by turning the cylindrical nut about its own axis thereby to move the externally threaded members axially in opposite directions.

[0008] However, work personnel in the vicinity of the rolling mills arranged along a rolling line and the stock guides arranged therebetween are generally under extremely severe and dangerous work conditions including the splashing of cooling water and other rigorous operating conditions. This makes it practically impossible, during operation of the rolling line, manually to turn the cylindrical nut as required to adjust the distance between the guide rollers. Under this situation, it is highly desirable to provide a guide adjusting device with allows easier adjustment of the distance between the guide rollers or the stock restraining effect thereof in a simple manner.

[0009] In order to meet the above requirements, the invention is intended to provide improved apparatus which allows simple adjustment of the stock restraining effect of the guide rollers of a rolling mill stock guide easily and quickly.

[0010] Thus, according to the present invention, the apparatus described in the introductory paragraph of the specification is characterised in that a ratchet wheel is provided between said first and second tubular sections and integral therewith, in that a pair of ratchet pawls is provided for pivotal movement into and out of meshing engagement with said ratchet wheel in an alternate fashion, in that a manually operable control cam is provided for actuating said ratchet pawls alternately into and out of meshing engagement with said ratchet wheel, and in that there is provided a notching lever handle operable to rotate intermittently said ratchet wheel and hence said tubular member step-by-step through the intermediary of either one of said ratchet pawls.

[0011] Preferably, said ratchet wheel and pawls are mounted in a ratchet casing rotatable about the axis of the ratchet wheel by means of said notching lever handle.

[0012] Preferably, said spring means is a tension spring.

[0013] Preferably, said control is provided with a lever grip for manual operation.

[0014] Preferably, further spring means is provided for biasing the ratchet pawls into meshing engagement with said ratchet wheel.

[0015] In the embodiment to be described with reference to the drawings, rear end portions of the roller holders are normally urged inwardly toward each other under the bias of a tension spring and the pivot studs are thus held, at their abutment points, in pressure contact with the adjacent extremities of the respective threaded shafts. The two threaded shafts extend through the respective fixed brackets and are supported thereby so as to be firmly held against rotation about their common axis. With this arrangement, when the internally screw-threaded tube or cylindrical nut is turned in either direction about its own axis, the two threaded shafts are moved toward or away from each other in equal amounts, allowing the roller holder levers to rock in opposite directions about the respective fulcrum pins with the pivot studs resiliently held in pressure contact with the adjacent ends of the respective threaded shafts thereby to adjust the distance between the guide rollers and their stock restraining effect.

[0016] A stock guide is described which includes an adjusting mechanism comprising, among others, a ratchet wheel formed around the internally screw-threaded tube integrally therewith and a pair of ratchet pawls movable into and out of meshing engagement with the ratchet wheel in alternate fashion under the action of a control cam connected with a notching lever handle which is manually operable fore and aft in a plane including the longitudinal axis of the stock guide. For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a stock guide for rolling mill use which includes a guide roller adjusting mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stock guide,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view, partly in section, of the stock guide, taken along the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4.

[0018] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a pair of roller holders 2 and 3 are assembled into a guide body or box 1 on the right and left sides thereof symmetrically of the longitudinal axis of the guide box. A pair of main and auxiliary guide rollers 4 and 41 or 5 and 51 are rotatably mounted on each of the roller holders 2 and 3 at the forward end thereof. The roller holders 2 and 3 are themselves pivotally supported, intermediate the ends thereof, on the guide box 1 by means of respective fulcrum pins 6 and 7. An entry guide 20 is fitted to the guide box 1 along the center line thereof to serve the purpose of directing a stock W to be rolled toward the main guide rollers 4 and 5 and auxiliary guide rollers 41 and 51. The stock W is then guided to the center of the roll groove or pass C between a pair of working rolls R and R' (see also Fig. 3)-principally under the restraining effect of the main guide rollers 4 and 5. This effect is adjustable by causing the roller holders to swing in opposite directions so that the loading points W₁ and W₂ (Fig. 2) on the main guide rollers 4 and 5 are moved toward or away from each other. Specifically, the restraining force of the guide rollers acting on the stock at the loading points W₁ and W₂ is adjustable by controllable displacing laterally the points of pressure contact P₁ and P₂ of pivot studs 8 and 9, carried on the rear portions of the respective roller holders 2 and 3, so that point P₁ and P₂ move toward or away from each other thereby to cause the roller holders to swing about the axes of fulcrum pins 6 and 7, on which the roller holders are pivotally mounted. Points P₁ and P₂ are biassed towards each other by a tension spring 49.

[0019] As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a pair of right and left support brackets 10 are formed integral with the guide box 1 as upward extensions therefrom. A lefthand and a righthand screw-threaded shaft 15 and 16, which are threadably received in respective correspondingly screw-threaded tubular sections 45 and 46, are fitted through the respective support brackets 10 for horizontal axial displacement relative thereto. The internally screw-threaded tubular sections 45 and 46 are formed integral with a ratchet wheel 44 coaxially on the respective sides thereof for rotation therewith. The threaded shafts 15 and 16 are each formed with a key groove 22 to slidably receive a key bolt 21, which is threadably mounted on the adjacent support bracket 10, and are thus held against rotation but are axially movable upon rotation of the ratchet wheel 44.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 5, the ratchet wheel 44 is formed with ratchet teeth around the periphery thereof and is accommodated in a ratchet casing 42, which is rotatable relative to the ratchet wheel 44 about the common axis of the ratchet wheel 44 and the left and right screw-threaded shafts 15 and 16 in a reciprocatory fashion under the action of notching handle 60 provided therefor. A pair of ratchet pawls 17 and 18 are pivotally mounted at one end thereof on the inside of the ratchet casing 42 so as to be alternately placed at the other end in and out of meshing engagement with the ratchet wheel 44. Compression springs 23 and 24 are arranged between the inner wall surface of ratchet casing 42 and the respective ratchet pawls 17 and 18 so that either one of the ratchet pawls as placed in mesh with the ratchet wheel 44 is resiliently held in place under the bias of the associated compression spring. Within the ratchet casing 42 a pawl controlling cam 19 is also provided which is rotatably supported on the adjacent wall of the ratchet casing 42 between the pair of ratchet pawls 17 and 18 in contacting relation therewith. As shown, the integral shaft of the controlling cam 19, which extends through the casing wall, is provided at its external end with a lever grip 190 (Fig. 4) which is manually operable to turn the controlling cam 19 in either , direction. It will be readily noted that, as the lever grip 190 is operated to turn the controlling cam 19 from its solid line position to its dotted line position or vice versa, either one of the ratchet pawls 17 or 18 is allowed to be placed in meshing engagement with the ratchet wheel 44 under the resilience of the associated compression spring 23 or 24 while the other ratchet pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 44. Under this condition, as the ratchet casing 42 is turned fore and aft by means of the notching handle 60 as indicated by the double-arrowed line a-b in Fig. 5, the ratchet wheel 44 is rotated intermittently or in step-by-step increments in that direction in which one of the meshing pawls, in this case 17, is effective to drive the ratchet wheel 44.

[0021] With such rotation of the ratchet wheel 44 and hence of the internally screw-threaded tubular sections 45 and 46, the lefthand screw-threaded shaft 15 and righthand screw-threaded shaft 16 are driven axially to the left and right, respectively, as viewed in Fig. 4. Accordingly, the abutting points of the pivot studs 8 and 9, i.e. the points of force input P₁ and P₂ to the respective roller holders 2 and 3, are incrementally moved away from each other and, in this manner, the roller holders 2 and 3 are swung in opposite directions about the respective fulcrum pins 6 and 7 against the resilience of the tension spring 49 arranged between the adjacent ends of the roller holders so that the loading points W₁ and W₂ of main guide rollers 4 and 5,'carried on the forward ends of guide provide with such quick roller setting mechanism of the ratchet type of the present invention, which is extremely simple and easy to operate, should be fabricated with particular precision and completely in bilaterally symmetrical form so as to be installed exactly on the line of roll pass without any possible misalignment and thus to enable the pair of roller holders 2 and 3 to operate accurately in symmetrical fashion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the device or the line of roll pass. It will be apparent that, as long as the guide box 1 is arranged exactly in alignment with the center of the roll groove C, the stock W being rolled is at all times held correctly restrained on the line of roll pass and that the distance / between the peripheral surfaces of guide rollers 4 and 5 and the stock restraining effect thereof can be readily be adjusted whenever desired by a "one-touch" operation and without involving any danger to the attendant. As will readily be appreciated from the foregoing, according to the present invention a novel stock guide has been realized which is capable of guiding the stock W with particular safety and accuracy and is manually readily adjustable as required.

[0022] Though one preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0023] Shortly summarized, the invention relates to a roller type stock guide of the type comprising a cylindrical nut member including two tubular sections 45, 46 having threaded connections of opposite hands with a pair of threaded shafts 15, 16 being arranged between two roller holders 2, 3 and operable to be turned for moving the threaded shafts 15, 16 in opposite directions thereby to vary the distance between the guide rollers 4, 5 in which a ratchet type nut driving mechanism is provided which includes a ratchet wheel 44 formed around the cylindrical nut member integrally therewith, a pair of ratchet pawls 17, 18 movable into and out of meshing engagement with the ratchet wheel 44 in alternate fashion under the action of a manually operable control cam 19, and a notching lever handle 60 manually operable to turn the ratchet wheel 44 and cylindrical nut member in an intermittent fashion through the intermediary of either one of the ratchet pawls 17, 18 as placed in mesh with the ratchet wheel 44.

Claims

1. Apparatus for adjusting the stock restraining effect of the guide rollers of a stock guide for a rolling mill, the apparatus including a guide box (1), a pair of roller holders (2, 3) pivotally mounted on the guide box (1) by means of respective vertically extending fulcrum pins (6, 7), a pair of pivot studs (8, 9) mounted on respective roller holders (2,3) adjacent to the rear ends of the latter in opposed aligned relationship, a pair of guide rollers (4, 5) rotatably mounted on the respective roller holders (2, 3) at forward ends thereof and movable toward and away from each other with pivotal movement of the roller holders, spring means (49) arranged between the two roller holders to serve the purpose of normally urging the pivot studs (8, 9) towards each other, an. internally screw-threaded tubular member arranged between said pivot studs coaxially therewith and including a first tubular section (45) internally formed with lefthand screw-threads, a second tubular section (46) internally formed with righthand screw threads, and a pair of lefthand and righthand screw-threaded shafts (15, 16) threadably fitted in said first and second internally screw-threaded tubular sections (45, 46) and held in abutting engagement with the abutting points (P1, P2) of the respective pivot studs (8, 9), characterised in that a ratchet wheel (44) is provided between said first and second tubular sections (45, 46) and integral therewith, in that a pair of ratchet pawls (17, 18) is provided for pivotal movement into and out of meshing engagement with said ratchet wheel (44) in an alternate fashion, in that a manually operable control cam (19) is provided for actuating said ratchet pawls (17, 18), alternately into and out of meshing engagement with said ratchet wheel (44), and in that there is provided a notching lever handle (60) operable to rotate intermittently said ratchet wheel (44) and hence said tubular member step-by-step through the intermediary of either one of said ratchet pawls (17, 18).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ratchet wheel (44) and pawls (17,18) are mounted in a ratchet casing (42) rotatable about the axis of said ratchet wheel (44) by means of said notching lever handle (60).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said spring means is a tension spring (49).

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said control cam is provided with a lever grip (190) for manual operation.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein further spring means (23, 24) is provided for biasing the ratchet pawls (17, 18) into meshing engagement with said ratchet wheel (44).

Revendications

1. Appareil pour ajuster l'effet de limitation du produit semi-ouvré exercé par les galets de guidage d'un guide de produits pour laminoir, l'appareil comprenant une boîte de guidage (1), une paire de porte-galets (2, 3) fixés à la boîte de guidage (1) grâce à un montage pivotant au moyen d'axes de pivotement (6, 7) orientés yerticalement, une paire de goujons de pivotement (8, 9) montés sur les porte-galets respectifs (2, 3) à proximité des extrémités arrière de ces derniers en étant alignés en regard l'un de l'autre, une paire de galets de guidage (4, 5) fixés par un montage pivotant aux porte-galets respectifs (2, 3) aux extrémités avant de ces derniers et susceptibles de se rapprocher et de s'éloigner l'un de l'autre avec un mouvement pivotant des porte-galets, des moyens formant ressorts (49) disposés entre les deux porte-galets et ayant pour fonction de pousser normalement les goujons de pivotement (8, 9) l'un vers l'autre, un élément tubulaire fileté intérieurement disposé entre lesdits goujons de pivotement coaxialement à ces derniers et comprenant une première section tubulaire (45) comprenant intérieurement un filetage à pas à gauche, une seconde section tubulaire (46) comportant intérieurement un filetage à pas à droite, une paire d'axes fileté à pas à gauche et à pas à droite (15, 16) vissés dans ladite première et ladite seconde sections tubulaires à filetage intérieur (45, 46) et maintenus en butée avec les points de butée (P1, P2) des goujons de pivotement respectifs (8, 9), caractérisé en ce qu'une roue à rochet (44) est installée entre lesdites première et seconde sections tubulaires (45, 46), en en faisant partie intégrante, par le fait qu'une paire de cliquets (17, 18) de roue à rochet est installée pour engrener, par pivotement, avec ladite roue à rochet (44) et pour s'en dégager de façon alternative, par le fait qu'une came de commande (19) manoeuvrable à la main est installée pour actionner lesdits cliquets (17, 18) en les amenant alternativement à s'engrener avec ladite roue à rochet (44) et à s'en dégager, et par le fait qu'il est prévu une poignée de levier à entaille (60) utilisable pour faire tourner par intermittence ladite roue à rochet (44), et, par conséquent, ledit élément tubulaire pas à pas par l'intermédiaire de l'un ou l'autre desdits cliquets (17, 18).

2. Appareil selon la revendication 1, caractérisé par le fait que ladite roue à rochet (44) et lesdits cliquets (17, 18) sont montés dans un boîtier (42) susceptible de tourner autour de l'axe de ladite roue à rochet (44) grâce à ladite poignée de levier à entaille (60).

3. Appareil selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé par le fait que lesdits moyens formant ressorts sont constitués par un ressort de traction (49).

4. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé par le fait que ladite came de commande est équipée d'une poignée de levier (190) pour un fonctionnement manuel.

5. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé par le fait que d'autres moyens formant ressorts (23, 24) sont installés pour pousser le cliquets (17, 18) à s'en- gréner avec ladite roue à rochet (44).

Ansprüche

1. Vorrichtung zur Einstellung der Materialklemmwirkung der Führungsrollen einer Materialführung für ein Walzwerk, mit einem Führungskasten (1), einem Paar von Rollenhaltern (2, 3), die durch jeweils vertikal verlaufende Drehstifte (6, 7) drehbar an dem Führungskasten (1) angebracht sind, einem Paar von Drehbolzen (8, 9), die an den jeweiligen Rollenhaltern (2,3) neben den hinteren Enden derselben in entgegengesetzt ausgerichtetem Verhältnis angebracht sind, einem Paar von Führungsrollen (4, 5), die drehbar an den vorderen Enden der jeweiligen Rollenhalter (2, 3) angebracht und aufeinander zu und voneinander weg mit der Drehbewegung der Rollenhalter bewegbar sind, mit Federmitteln (49), die zwischen den beiden Rollenhaltern angeordnet sind, um die Drehbolzen (8, 9) normalerweise aufeinander zu zu drücken, einem mit einem Innengewinde versehenen, rohrförmigen Teil, das zwischen den Drehbolzen koaxial mit diesen angeordnet ist und einen ersten rohrförmigen Abschnitt (45) mit einem linksgängigen Innengewinde, einen zweiten rohrförmigen Abschnitt (46) mit einem rechtsgängigen Innengewinde und ein Paar von linksgängigen und rechtsgängigen Gewindestangen (15, 16) umfasst, die drehbar in den genannten ersten und zweiten Abschnitt (45, 46) eingesetzt und anliegend an den Anschlagpunkten (P1, P2) der jeweiligen Drehbolzen (8, 9) gehalten sind, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass ein Ratschenrad (44) zwischen dem ersten und zweiten rohrförmigen Abschnitt (45, 46) integral damit vorgesehen ist, dass ein Paar von Ratschenklauen (17, 18) für eine Drehbewegung in und ausser Kämmungseingriff mit dem Ratschenrad (44) auf alternierende Weise vorgesehen ist, dass ein manuell betätigbarer Steuernocken (19) für die Betätigung der Ratschenklauen (17, 18) vorgesehen ist, und zwar alternativ in und ausser Kämmungseingriff mit dem Ratschenrad (44), und dass ein Stufenhebei-Handgriff (60) vorgesehen ist, der dahingehend betreibbar ist, intermittierend das Ratschenrad (44) und dann das rohrförmige Teil zu drehen und zwar Schritt-für-Schritt durch Zwischenschaltung eines der Ratschenklauen (17, 18).

2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, bei der das Ratschenrad (44) und die Klauen (17, 18) in einem Ratschengehäuse (42) angebracht sind, das durch den Stufenhebel-Handgriff (60) um die Achse des Ratschenrades (44) drehbar ist.

3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, bei der die Federmittel von einer Zugfeder (49) gebildet sind.

4. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei der der Steuernocken mit einem Hebelgriff (190) für die manuelle Betätigung versehen ist.

5. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei der weitere Federmittel (23, 24) vorgesehen sind, um die Ratschenklauen (17, 18) in Kämmungseingriff mit dem Ratschenrad (44) vorzuspannen.

Drawing