HIGH BACK COIL CAR DESIGNED TO FACILITATE AUTOMATIC BANDING ON THE COIL CAR

Abstract

A strip process line has a high back coil car for automatically banding coil of metal strip on the coil car. The process line runs while banding occurs on the coil car. The coil car includes an outer frame, and coil receiving saddle with a pair of blocker rolls or a “V” saddle, and a hold down arm and a plurality of strap guide channels. By the high back car being docked with an automatic loading station, the process line can run while the banding takes place on the coil car, and keeps the operator safely away from the coil car until the banding is completed.

Claims

1. A strip process line comprising: a high back coil car for automatically banding coil of an associated metal strip on said coil car, wherein said process line runs while banding occurs on said coil car; wherein said coil car comprises an outer frame and a coil receiving saddle; and a hold down arm and a plurality of strap guide channels.

2. The strip process line of claim 1, wherein said high back coil car is supported on wheels that ride on rails on a floor surface.

3. The strip process line of claim 1, wherein said coil receiving saddle comprises blocker rolls or a “V” saddle.

4. The strip process line of claim 3, wherein a hydraulic cylinder raises said coil car outer frame and said coil receiving saddle and said blocker rolls.

5. The strip process line of claim 4, wherein said blacker rolls are grooved to receive said strap guide channels which pass below a strapping guide arm.

6. The strip process line of claim 5, wherein said metal strip is processed and rewound as said coil onto a recoiler.

7. The strip process line of claim 6, wherein said coil car is moved into position adjacent said coil, and wherein said outer frame is in a fully lowered position.

8. The strip process line of claim 7, wherein said outer frame is raised by said hydraulic cylinder until an outer diameter of said coil is tight against said blocker rolls.

9. The strip process line of claim 8, wherein said blocker rolls are driven via a chain and sprockets to facilitate rotation of said coil.

10. The strip process line of claim 9, wherein said coil car hold down arm is raised and lowered by second and third hydraulic cylinders until an arm pad is positioned tightly against an outer diameter of said coil.

11. The strip process line of claim 10, wherein when a recoiler has a hold down roll wherein when said recover hold down roll is raised, said coil car outer frame moves away from said recoiler and is then lowered.

12. The strip process line of claim 11, wherein said coil car moves away from said recoiler and towards a banding station and is positioned such that one of said strap guide channels is aligned with a banding slot guide on a banding strap arm of said banding station.

13. The strip process line of claim 12, wherein a banding strap of a plurality of banding straps is fed by a banding head upwards and within said banding strap arm and then within said strap guide channel.

14. The strip process line of claim 13, wherein a leading end of the banding strap extends towards said banding head which pulls said strap tight.

15. The strip process line of claim 14, wherein said coil car is advanced until another of said strap guide channels is positioned in alignment with said banding slot guide mounted on said banding station arm.

16. The strip process line of claim 15, wherein said coil car indexes until all of said plurality of banding straps have been applied to said coil.

17. A method of automatically banding coil of metal strip, comprising: providing a high back coil car at an end of a process line for automatically banding coil of said associated metal strip on said high back coil car, wherein said process line runs while banding occurs on said high back coil car; wherein said high back coil car comprises an outer frame, a coil receiving saddle; and a hold down arm and a plurality of strap guide channels.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said coil receiving saddle comprises blocker rolls or a “V” saddle.

19. The method of claim 18, further providing a hydraulic cylinder for raising said coil car outer frame and said coil receiving saddle and blocker rolls.

20. The method of claim 19, further including moving said coil car into position adjacent said coil, and fully lowering said outer frame in a fully lowered position, and then raising said outer frame via said hydraulic cylinder until an outer diameter of said coil is tight against said blocker rolls.

21. The method of claim 20, further including raising and lowering said hold down arm and lowered by second and third hydraulic cylinders thereby positioning an arm pad tightly against an outer diameter of said coil.

22. The method of claim 21, further including moving said coil car away from said recoiler and towards a banding station and positioning said coil car such that one of said strap guide channels is aligned with a banding slot guide on a banding strap arm of said banding station.

23. The method of claim 22, further including feeding a banding strap of a plurality of banding straps by a banding head upwards and within said banding strap arm and then within said strap guide channel.

24. The method of claim 23, further including advancing said coil car until another of said strap guide channels is positioned in alignment with said banding slot guide mounted on said banding station arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a process line wherein the strip travels and is rewound as a coil at the exit end of the process.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the exit end of the process line of FIG. 1, showing a recoiler, wound coil, a high back coil car, and a banding station in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the high back coil car and the wound coil at the exit of the process line in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the high back coil car shown in a lowered and elevated state in accordance with the disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 4a is an enlarged elevated view of the coil saddle and driven blocker rolls in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the high back coil car in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the high back coil car docked at the banding station in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 6a is a top plan view of the high back coil car docked at the banding station in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the high back coil car in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0035] As discussed above, none of the existing technology includes a high back coil car that can dock with an automatic banding station, thus allowing the process line to run while the banding takes place on the coil car, and keeps the operator safely away from the coil until the banding is done. Referring now to FIG. 1, a typical process line (PL) is shown showing strip travel wherein the strip is rewound as a coil at the exit end of the process. A coil car 10 is shown at the exit of the process line.

[0036] A high back coil car to facilitate automatic banding on the coil car in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the disclosure is discussed below and is shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 6A and 7.

[0037] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 4a, a high back coil car 10 includes an elevating outer frame 12, a coil receiving saddle 14 which can be provided with a pair of driven blocker rolls 16, a coil hold down arm 18, a plurality of coil banding strap guide channels 20, and other ancillary components that will be further described in this disclosure. A “V” saddle could be used as an alternative to the blocker rolls in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. 5, the high back coil car is supported on wheels 22 that ride on rails 24 that are embedded in the floor.

[0039] A hydraulic cylinder 26 is used to raise the outer frame 12 carrying the coil saddle 14 and the blocker rolls 16 (see FIG. 4A). The blocker rolls 16 are preferably driven by a chain and sprocket 27 arrangement.

[0040] Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 7, the blocker rolls 16 are grooved to receive strapping guide channels 20. The strapping guide channels 20 preferably curve upwards along the coil car back as shown in FIG. 4, and then extend above the car back as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. When the high back coil car is docked at a banding station 30, the extension of strapping guide channels 20 passes just slightly below a strapping guide arm 28 which is part of banding station 30 (see FIG. 6).

[0041] Referring also to FIG. 2, during use, a typical sequence would be as follows: Strip is processed and rewound as a coil 32 onto the mandrel of recoiler 34. If the strip has high tensile properties, the strip is wound at high tension. When the strip tails out of the process line, the outer wrap of coil 32 is pinched by a hold down roll 19 (shown in FIG. 3) which is mounted on the recoiler 34.

[0042] The high back coil car 10 is then traversed towards coil 32 which is on the mandrel of recoiler 34 (see FIGS. 1-3). At this time, the coil car outer frame 12 is in its fully lowered position. Once in position under coil 32, the coil car outer frame 12 is raised by the hydraulic cylinder 26 until the outer diameter of the coil is tight against blocker rolls 16 (see FIGS. 5 and 4a).

[0043] At times it may be necessary to rotate the coil 32 on the recoiler 34 mandrel, until the tail of coil 32 is positioned between coil car blocker rolls 16. Blocker rolls 16 are driven via chain and sprockets 26 to facilitate rotation of the coil 32, and to keep the coil 32 outer wrap tight against the coil 32 outside diameter.

[0044] The coil car hold down arm 18 is lowered and positioned by a pair of hydraulic cylinders 36 and 38 until the hold down arm pad 40 is in tight engagement against the outside diameter of coil 32.

[0045] Recoiler hold down roll 19 is raised via cylinder 41, and the coil car outer frame 12 moves away from the recoiler and is then lowered all the way down. Since coil car hold down arm 18 is mounted to the coil car outer frame 12, coil car hold down arm 18 stays tight against coil 32 while the outer frame 12 is lowered.

[0046] The high back coil car 10 now enters an automatic sequence that is initiated by the operator. Specifically, coil car 10 moves away from recoiler 34 advancing towards banding station 30. Coil car 10 traverses via an electric motor with an encoder that is used to position the coil car 10 relative to banding station guide arm 28.

[0047] Dependent on the width of coil 32, coil car 10 will position itself such that a coil car strapping guide channel 20 is positioned in complete alignment with a banding slot guide mounted on banding station guide arm 28. Coil car 10 stays in this position until a banding strap 29 (FIGS. 2 and 6) has been applied to the outside diameter of coil 32. To accomplish this, a banding strap is fed from a banding strap roll 31 to banding head 42 then from head 42 upwards and within banding strap arm 28, then down towards and within coil car strapping guide channel 20, which extends down and through coil car blocker rolls 16 (FIG. 4a). The leading end of the banding strap continues past the coil car saddle 14, towards the banding head 42 which is then lowered against the outside diameter of coil 32. The banding head 42 pulls the strap tight. The strap 29 comes out of the various strapping guide channels and becomes tight and is cinched against the outside diameter of coil 32. The banding station then clinches or welds the strap end to the body of the strap. The banding head 42 then moves away from the coil 32.

[0048] Coil car 10 is then advanced (i.e., indexed) over until the next coil car strapping guide channel 20 is positioned in complete alignment with the banding slot guide mounted on banding station arm 28. The banding sequence recommences and is completed as described above. This operation repeats itself as necessary with coil car 10 indexing as necessary until the full complement of banding straps 29 have been applied to coil 32. The number of straps 29 applied and the number of automatic indexing cycles for coil car 10, is dependent on the width of the coil. In this embodiment, a maximum of six banding straps 29 can be applied. Other numbers of straps are also contemplated by the disclosure.

[0049] By the high back car being docked with an automatic loading station, the process line can turn while the banding takes place on the coil car, and keeps the operator safely away from the coil car until the banding is completed.

[0050] The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims and above description.