Device for correcting meandering in non-contact conveyance for strip material

Abstract

Provided is a device for correcting meandering of a strip material capable of correcting meandering caused in the strip material and conducting stable conveyance even when the meandering amount is small. The device for correcting meandering in a non-contact conveyance of a strip material that supports and conveys the continuously travelling strip material at a non-contact state by floating the strip material using a group of one or more floaters arranged in series, is characterized in that a gas nozzle for jetting a gas to a lower surface of the strip material is disposed in at least one section between the most upstream floater among the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately upstream of the floater, between adjacent two floaters and between the most downstream floater among the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately downstream of the floater as a mechanism for imparting tilting to the strip material to operate the tilting of the strip material in the widthwise direction above the floater.

Claims

1. A device for correcting meandering in a non-contact conveyance of a strip material that supports and conveys a continuously travelling strip material at a non-contact state by floating the strip material with a group of one or more floaters arranged in series below the strip material, characterized in that two or more gas nozzles for jetting gas to a lower surface of the strip material are disposed on both sides of the strip material in the widthwise direction, as a mechanism for imparting tilting to the strip material to operate tilting of the strip material in the widthwise direction above the floater, irrespective of which side the strip material meanders, at least in one section between the most upstream floater among the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately upstream of the most upstream floater, between two adjacent floaters, and between the most downstream floater among the floater group and a conveyance roll located immediately downstream of the most downstream floater, wherein a gas pressure jetted from each of the two or more gas nozzles is different between the two sides of the strip material in the widthwise direction.

2. The device for correcting meandering of a strip material according to claim 1, wherein the gas nozzle is disposed at a position within S/2 from the floater, where S is defined as a center distance between the most upstream floater among the floater group and the conveyance roll located immediately upstream of the floater, a center distance between the adjacent two floaters, and a center distance between the most downstream floater among the floater group and the conveyance roll located immediately downstream of the floater.

3. The device for correcting meandering of a strip material according to claim 2, wherein the gas nozzle is disposed at a position lower than the height position of the strip material before the gas jetting by not less than H, where H is defined as an average floating amount of the strip material above the floater.

4. The device for correcting meandering of a strip material according to claim 3, wherein the gas pressure jetted from the gas nozzle is controlled in proportion to the total tension of the strip material.

5. The device for correcting meandering of a strip material according to claim 2, wherein the gas pressure jetted from the gas nozzle is controlled in proportion to the total tension of the strip material.

6. The device for correcting meandering of a strip material according to claim 1, wherein the gas nozzle is disposed at a position lower than the height position of the strip material before the gas jetting by not less than H, where H is defined as an average floating amount of the strip material above the floater.

7. The device for correcting meandering of a strip material according to claim 6, wherein the gas pressure jetted from the gas nozzle is controlled in proportion to the total tension of the strip material.

8. The device for correcting meandering of a strip material according to claim 1, wherein the gas pressure jetted from the gas nozzle is controlled in proportion to the total tension of the strip material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of a floater 2 used in a non-contact conveyance of a strip material 1.

(2) FIG. 2 is a section view of the floater 2 used in the non-contact conveyance of the strip material 1 viewing from a line A-A′.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a meandering correction theory of the floater 2 in a conventional technique.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a device for correcting meandering 20 using a gas nozzle 7 according to an embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an arrangement distance K and a nozzle distance L of the gas nozzle 7, an average floating amount H of the strip material 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 is a side view of a floater 2, as an example usable in embodiments of the invention, that conveys a continuously travelling strip material 1 at a floating state. The floater 2 conveys the strip material 1 at a floating state by jetting gas from below the strip material 1 to the lower surface of the strip material 1. Concretely, the floater 2 is arranged below the travelling strip material 1, and gas is supplied from a fan, blower and the like which are not shown into the floater 2 to render the pressure inside the floater higher than atmospheric pressure. The high-pressure gas in the floater 2 is jetted to the lower surface of the strip material from a slit-like gas jetting port (slit nozzle) 5 arranged at the upper portion of the floater 2 along the widthwise direction 11 of the strip material. The slit nozzle 5 is arranged at two positions in the travelling direction 10 of the strip material, and each gas jetting directions 51 is opposed to each other. Therefore, the gas jetted from the slit nozzle 5 is confined in a space between the strip material 1 and a top board 6 located at the top of the floater 6 to generate static pressure, which supports the strip material 1 at a floating state.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a section of the floater 2 shown in FIG. 1 viewing from a line A-A′. A plurality of rib plates 4 are stood on the top board 6 in the upper portion of the floater 2 at intervals in the widthwise direction 11 of the strip material. The rib plates 4 prevent the gas jetted from the slit nozzle 5 from flowing out in the widthwise direction 11 of the strip material, whereby static pressure can be stably generated between the strip material 1 and the top board 6 to allow the strip material 1 to float up stably. From a viewpoint of preventing the gas jetted from the slit nozzle 5 from flowing out toward the travelling direction 10 of the strip material, a plurality of rib plates may be stood in the travelling direction 10 of the strip material, in addition to the rib plates 4. Moreover, side plates 3 having a height higher than that of the rib plate 4 are stood on both outer sides of the rib plate 4, i.e., both widthwise ends of the top board 6 in the widthwise direction 11 of the strip material to prevent the meandering of the strip material.

(8) Here, the meandering correction capability of the floater 2, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for the strip material will be described using FIG. 3. When the strip material 1 meanders to one side (left side in FIG. 3), a gas flow path between the side plate 3 on the meandered side and the strip material 1 becomes narrower, and hence static pressure FO generated on the lower surface of the strip material 1 becomes higher. Therefore, the floating amount of the strip material 1 on the meandering side becomes larger and the strip material 1 comes into a tilting state as shown in FIG. 3. The static pressure FO applied to the lower surface of the strip material 1 acts as a force in a direction vertical to the surface of the strip material. This force can be divided into two vectors of a vertical direction force and a horizontal direction force. The vertical direction force is a floating force Fu that supports the own weight of the strip material 1, and the horizontal direction force acts as a correction force Fc for correcting the meandering of the strip material 1. That is, the tilting of the strip material 1 above the floater generates ae horizontal component force of the static pressure applied to the lower surface, which works as a force to correct the meandering. Consequently, the strip material 1 can be conveyed on the floater without continuing to meander.

(9) However, the end portion of the strip material 1 needs to sufficiently approach to the side plate 3 in order that the correction force Fc correcting the meandering acts, which requires a certain amount meandering to be generated. In other words, the conventional floater 2 is effective in large meandering, but hardly causes the meandering correction force Fc in small meandering.

(10) The inventors have studied the meandering correction method that is effective even in the small meandering. As a result, referring the above meandering correction capability of the floater as a clue, they have conceived that forcibly tilting the strip material 1 allows the meandering correction force Fc to be generated even in small meandering, and the invention has been accomplished. Concretely, the present invention according to exemplary embodiments is a method for correcting meandering comprising: disposing a nozzle for jetting gas to a lower surface of the strip material of the upstream side or downstream side of the floater 2, making difference in rotation moment centered on the widthwise center of the strip material between the right and left sides in the widthwise direction 11 of the strip material to cause the strip material to tilt by adjusting the nozzle position and gas pressure, and controlling the tilting of the strip material above the floater to thereby exert meandering correction force Fc by a fluid force (static pressure) of the floater.

(11) In an embodiment of the invention, a device for correcting meandering 20 is configured by arranging a meandering correction gas nozzle 7 for tilting the strip material 1 at a position below the strip material in the vicinity of the floater 2 as shown in FIG. 4. As being a non-contact type different from a method of tilting a strip material by pushing the roll or the like, the invention has an advantage that damage due to the contact is not caused in the strip material. It is preferable to dispose two or more meandering correction gas nozzles 7 on both sides of the strip material in the widthwise direction 11 so that the strip material can tilt no matter which side the strip material meanders. In order to tilt the strip material 1, rotation moment centered on the widthwise center of the strip material can be exerted by making a difference in the gas pressure jetted from the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 between the both sides of the strip material in the widthwise direction 11. In this case, it is possible to correct meandering by making the pressure on the side where the strip material meanders higher.

(12) In order to exert the meandering correction force Fc more effectively, it is preferable to dispose the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 close to the floater 2 so that the tilting of the strip material above the floater 2 can be largely changed by the gas jetting with high responsivity. As shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement position of the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 (arrangement distance K of the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 from the center of the floater) is preferable to be within S/2 in the longitudinal direction of the strip material, where S is defined as a center distance between the most upstream floater 2 among the floater 2 group and a conveyance roll 9 located immediately upstream of the floater 2, a center distance between the adjacent two floaters 2 and a center distance between the most downstream floater 2 among the floaters 2 group and a conveyance roll 9 located immediately downstream of the floater 2. That is, it is preferable to arrange the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 such that the gas can be jetted to the strip material within a range up to the lowest point of a catenary curve (catenary) formed by the strip material between the floater and an upstream floater or a downstream floater or between the floater and the conveyance roll. When the gas jetting position to the strip material is farther than the above position from the floater, the effect of tilting the strip material above the floater and the responsivity become insufficient. As to the lower limit of the gas jetting position, when the gas jetting position is too close to the floater, the gas flow from the floater nozzle is changed by the gas additionally jetted from the meandering correction gas nozzle, which affects the static pressure for stably floating the strip material above the floater. Accordingly, it is preferable to separate the jetting gas position from the end of the floater in the longitudinal direction of the strip material. It is more preferable to separate the nozzle from the end of the floater by not less than 100 mm. Moreover, FIG. 5 shows an example when the center distance between the most downstream floater and the conveyance roll located immediately downstream of the floater is S.

(13) It is preferable to adjust the gas pressure of the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 to 0 (no gas jetting) or within the range of not less than 0.1 P but not more than 10 P, where P is defined as the pressure of the floater. This is due to the fact that when the pressure is too high, the behavior of the strip material is rapidly changed to cause the sheet to pass unstably and also the floater is tilted by a force which is larger than the floating force (static pressure) above the floater 2 and hence the floater 2 has a high possibility of coming in contact with the strip material 1. When the pressure is too low, on the other hand, it is necessary to increase the opening area of the meandering correction gas nozzle in order to impart tilting to the strip material, resulting in poor response. Also, it is preferable to increase the gas pressure of the meandering correction gas nozzle in proportion to the total tension of the strip material. As the tension of the strip material becomes higher, the strip material is more unlikely be tilted, and hence it is preferable to increase the gas pressure of the meandering correction gas nozzle. In order to maintain the corresponding tilting capability of the strip material when the tension is changed, therefore, it is preferable to also change the gas pressure in proportion to the total tension of the strip material.

(14) A distance L between the position 12 of the strip material when the meandering correction gas nozzle is not used and the upper end of the meandering correction gas nozzle is preferable to be not less than H downward, where H is defined as an average floating amount of the strip material above the floater. As vertical vibration is caused in the strip material due to the floating by the gas, the strip material is more likely to come in contact with the nozzle, when the position of the meandering correction gas nozzle is higher than the above position 12. As to the upper limit of the distance L for separating the meandering correction gas nozzle from the strip material, it is preferable to arrange the top of the meandering correction gas nozzle within 20 D, where D is defined as the nozzle diameter or a slit width when slit nozzle is used. When the meandering correction gas nozzle is arranged separated from the strip material farther than the above maximum position, it is difficult to impart tilting to the strip material with high responsivity, influenced by the attenuation of the gas jetting stream. Therefore, the distance L between the meandering correction gas nozzle and the strip material is preferably within the range of H to 20 D, more preferably 1.5H to 15 D. The average floating amount H is defined as the average value of the distance from the top of the rib plate to the strip material over full width of the strip material when the rib plate is used, as also shown in FIG. 5, and as the average value of the distance from the top board of the floater to the strip material over full width of the strip material when the rib plate is not used.

(15) In order to prevent the opening of the meandering correction gas nozzle from displaced out of the surface of the strip material due to the change in the width or meandering of the strip material, the opening of the meandering correction gas nozzle is preferable to have a long-slit-like shape in the widthwise direction of the strip material. Here, the slit-like shape includes such a shape that a plurality of nozzles are densely arranged in the widthwise direction of the strip material.

(16) The tilting angle α of the strip material 1 above the floater 2 by jetting the gas from the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 is preferable to fall within the range of ±0.3 to 6° with respect to the horizontal face, although it depends on the width of the strip material and the floating amount. When the absolute value of the tilting angle α is less than 0.3°, the tilting amount of the strip material is too small to generate sufficient meandering correction force. On the other hand, when the absolute value of the tilting angle α exceeds 6°, it is necessary to float the strip material higher above the floater, which deteriorates the sheet passing stability. More preferably, the tilting angle α of the strip material above the floater falls within the range of ±0.5 to 5°.

(17) The meandering correction gas nozzle 7 is preferable to have a mechanism for evacuating and separating from the strip material 1, in preparation for a case that the meandering correction function is not used. A method of adjusting the distance between the meandering correction gas nozzle 7 and the strip material 1 can use electromotive cylinder, hydraulically operated cylinder and the like.

(18) Since no friction force (binding force in widthwise direction) acts on the strip material, the meandering speed in the conveyance apparatus that floats the strip material by the floater or the like is very fast, and hence it is necessary to control the generated meandering with high responsivity. To this end, it is preferable to measure the meandering amount at the exit side of the conveyance apparatus (floater groups) and feedback the measurement value to control the gas pressure of the meandering correction gas nozzle 7. Also, it is also effective to use a method of measuring the form of the strip material at a stage before the conveyance apparatus to predict a tendency of meandering amount and feedforward the predicted result to control the gas pressure of the meandering correction gas nozzle 7.

(19) The material of the meandering correction gas nozzle is not particularly limited, but is preferably a material that can withstand the high-temperature environment and corrosive environment in an annealing furnace or a drying furnace. The material can preferably use ceramics, steel, stainless steel (SUS) and so on. Also, the top of the meandering correction gas nozzle is preferable to be equipped with a guard capable of suppressing damage of the nozzle when coming in contact with the strip material. The material of the guard can preferably use ceramics, steel, stainless steel (SUS) and so on that can withstand the high-temperature environment and corrosive environment.

(20) One or more blowers feeding gas to the meandering correction gas nozzle may be used. In the meandering correction and control, gas is repeatedly fed and stopped to the plural meandering correction gas nozzles, so that it is preferable to have a switching valve to allow switching of which nozzle to supply or stop gas. A large-capacity blower is difficult to switch from jetting to stopping the gas instantly, so that it is preferable to equip an escape port, which can jet the gas to an area where the strip material is not affected by the jetted gas, with at least in one switching valve system. Thus, by escaping the gas without stopping the blower, it becomes possible to jet and stop the gas repeatedly with high responsivity from the meandering correction gas nozzle by the switching valve.

EXAMPLES

(21) In a drying furnace provided with a non-contact conveyance apparatus where 5 floater devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are arranged in series at an interval of 10 m as a center-to-center distance, an experiment is conducted to heat and dry a strip steel sheet material having a width of 1200 m and a thickness of 0.3 mm at a non-contact state by passing the steel sheet under conveyance conditions shown in Table 1. The steel strip having a good shape with an elongation difference rate in the widthwise direction of less than 0.005% is meandered from a non-meandering state by 20 mm, using a meandering correction gas nozzle for imparting tilting as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 to evaluate a time required for returning to the center (meandering response time (meandering correction capacity)) and occurrence of scratches.

(22) The center distance between the most upstream floater and the conveyance roll located immediately upstream thereof and a center distance between the most downstream floater and a conveyance roll located immediately downstream thereof in the above conveyance apparatus are both 10 m. The meandering correction gas nozzle is arranged at an exit side of the fifth floater viewed from an entrance side of the strip material.

(23) The meandering correction gas nozzle are provided with two slit-like shaped openings of 10 mm×600 mm at both sides of the strip material in the widthwise direction. Each opening is arranged so that one end of the 600 mm-length side is 50 mm displaced from the center of the strip material in the widthwise direction and the other end thereof is 50 mm displaced outward from the end of the strip material. The gas pressure of the meandering correction gas nozzle is adjusted within the range of 0 to 10 kPa as a gauge pressure.

(24) Side plates having a height of 50 mm are arranged at an interval of 1500 mm in the widthwise direction in the floater. The floater has a nozzle interval in the longitudinal direction of the strip material of 1100 mm, and a length in the travelling direction of the strip material of 1500 mm, and a length in the widthwise direction of the strip material of 1500 mm. A slit width in the opening of the nozzle is 20 mm. A tension of the strip material in the conveyance is 0.6 kg/mm.sup.2, and a conveying speed of the strip material is 100 m/min. Also, the inner pressure of the floater is about 0.6 kPa as a gauge pressure, and a floating height H of the strip material is 25 mm on average. The floating height is a distance from the top of the rib plate (top board when the rib plate is not used) to the average height position in the widthwise direction of the strip material.

(25) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Gas nozzle Distance L Gas pressure arrangement between nozzle (gauge Meandering Presence distance and strip pressure) response or absence No. K (mm) material (mm) P (kPa) time (s) of scratches Remarks 1 1500 25 1 8 Absence Invention Example 2 1500 50 2 9 Absence Invention Example 3 1500 50 3 8 Absence Invention Example 4 1500 50 0.5 10 Absence Invention Example 5 3000 50 1 13 Absence Invention Example 6 3000 50 2 12 Absence Invention Example 7 5000 50 2 17 Absence Invention Example 8 5000 50 3 15 Absence Invention Example 9 6000 50 2 105 Absence Invention Example 10 3000 20 2 13 Presence (slight) Invention Example 11 3000 15 2 14 Presence Invention Example 12 1500 150 1 9 Absence Invention Example 13 1500 200 1 10 Absence Invention Example 14 1500 250 1 38 Absence Invention Example 15 1500 50 6 11 Absence Invention Example 16 1500 50 8 10 Presence (slight) Invention Example 17 1500 50 10 9 Presence Invention Example 18  850 50 1 9 Absence Invention Example 19 — — — uncontrollable Absence Comparative Example

(26) In the above experiment, it is possible to conduct such a control that the strip material passing through the center is forcibly meandered and again returned to the center by changing the gas pressure of the meandering correction gas nozzle at a non-meandering state (meandering amount: 0 mm). Although a comparative example is conducted under a condition where no meandering correction gas nozzle is used, it is not possible to forcibly meander the strip material (exert the meandering correction force) passing through the center.

(27) Although the meandering can be controlled even when the distance K from the center of the floater to the gas nozzle, the distance L from the strip material to the top of the nozzle and the gas pressure P of the nozzle are out of the preferable ranges, the meandering response time becomes longer or the occurrence of scratches is observed.

(28) The meandering amount is measured by detecting the edge of the strip material using a two-dimensional laser sensor in the vicinity of the first conveyance roll after the drying furnace. The scratches are visually detected at the exit side of the drying furnace under a sufficiently bright fluorescent lamp.

(29) The technique of the invention is not limited to the strip steel sheet material described in the above example and can be applied to strip metal sheets such as aluminum sheet, copper sheet and so on and strip material such as plastic film, paper and so on.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(30) 1 strip material 2 floater 3 side plate 4 rib plate 5 gas jetting port (slit nozzle) 51 gas jetting direction 6 top board of floater 7 meandering correction gas nozzle 8 opening of meandering correction gas nozzle 9 conveyance roll 10 travelling direction of strip material 11 widthwise direction of strip material 12 position of strip material when meandering correction gas nozzle is not used 20 device for correcting meandering FO static pressure applied to lower surface of strip material Fu floating force Fc meandering correction force