CROSS-ROLLING UNIT AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING A ROLL GAP

Abstract

In order to provide an adjustment of the roll gap under load with high positioning accuracy and regulation accuracy, a cross-rolling unit for adjusting rolls operating under load with, disposed on a force-absorbing roll stand, a mechanical setting unit for a first cross-roll setting and a hydraulic setting unit for a second cross-roll setting, wherein the mechanical setting unit includes two mutually displaceable mechanical subassemblies having a common axis of symmetry and the hydraulic setting unit includes at least two mutually displaceable hydraulic subassemblies having respectively one central axis, has the mechanical setting unit and the hydraulic setting unit disposed in the force-absorbing roll stand as a common subassembly. The axis of symmetry of at least one of the mutually displaceable mechanical subassemblies and the central axes of each of the mutually displaceable hydraulic subassemblies are the same.

Claims

1. A cross-rolling unit for adjusting rolls operating under load comprising: (a) a force-absorbing roll stand; (b) a subassembly disposed on the force-absorbing roll stand comprising a mechanical setting unit for a first cross-roll setting and a hydraulic setting unit for a second cross-roll setting; wherein the mechanical setting unit comprises mutually displaceable first and second mechanical subassemblies having a common axis of symmetry; wherein the hydraulic setting unit comprises mutually displaceable first and second hydraulic subassemblies having a first central axis and a second central axis, respectively; and wherein the axis of symmetry and the first and second central axes are identical.

2. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 1, wherein the first mechanical subassembly is a spindle.

3. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 1, wherein the first hydraulic subassembly is a cylinder.

4. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 1, wherein the second hydraulic subassembly is a piston (22).

5. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 2, wherein a force acting on one of the rolls operating under load acts first on the hydraulic setting unit, then acts on the mechanical setting unit, and thereafter acts on the roll stand, or wherein a force acting on one of the rolls operating under load acts first on the mechanical setting unit, then acts on the hydraulic setting unit, and thereafter acts on the roll stand.

6. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of a rotary drive and an electric drive configured to turn the spindle.

7. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 6, wherein the rotary drive comprises a worm gear.

8. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 6, wherein the rotary drive and the electric drive have an identical working direction.

9. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 6, wherein the rotary drive is disposed on an outside of the roll stand.

10. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 6, wherein a relative movement between the rotary drive and the spindle is possible.

11. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 6, wherein a force acting on one of the rolls operating under load acts first on the hydraulic setting unit, then acts on the rotary drive or the electric drive, and thereafter acts on the roll stand.

12. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic setting unit is disposed inside a closed frame of the roll stand.

13. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 2, wherein a nut threaded onto the spindle forms a piston of the hydraulic setting unit.

14. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 3, wherein the cylinder comprises a cylinder cover or a cylinder tube.

15. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 2, wherein the spindle is joined via a spindle thread directly with a piston of the second hydraulic subassembly.

16. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the rolls can be set entirely mechanically.

17. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 2, wherein a position of the spindle is measurable.

18. The cross-rolling unit according to claim 5, wherein the spindle is configured to vary a working region situated between the rolls.

19. An adjustment method for adjustment of a roll gap of rolls of a cross-rolling unit operating under load comprising a force-absorbing roll stand and a subassembly disposed on the force-absorbing roll stand comprising a mechanical setting unit and a hydraulic setting unit, the method comprising: (a) adjusting the roll gap by the mechanical setting unit and the hydraulic setting unit; and (b) (i) transferring a rolling force acting on the rolls from at least one of the rolls firstly to the hydraulic setting unit, then transferring the rolling force by the hydraulic setting unit to the mechanical setting unit, and thereafter transferring the rolling force by the mechanical setting unit to the roll stand; or (ii) transferring a rolling force acting on the rolls from at least one of the rolls firstly to the mechanical setting unit, then transferring the rolling force by the mechanical setting unit to the hydraulic setting unit, and thereafter transferring the rolling force by the hydraulic setting unit to the roll stand.

20. The adjustment method according to claim 19, wherein the mechanical setting unit sets the roll gap in a load-free condition and/or the hydraulic setting unit adjusts the roll gap under load.

21. The adjustment method according to claim 19, wherein the mechanical setting unit adjusts the roll gap under load.

22. The adjustment method according to claim 19, further comprising at least one of a rotary drive and an electric drive configured to turn a gear part.

23. The adjustment method according to claim 22, wherein the rotary drive (12) or the electric drive or the gear part is decoupled with respect to forces directed from one of the rolls toward the roll stand (4).

24. The adjustment method according to claim 23, wherein the rotary drive is a worm gear.

25. The adjustment method according to claim 22, wherein the rotary drive or the electric drive drives or turns the gear part from outside the roll stand.

26. An adjustment method, wherein a position of a gear part is measured.

27. The adjustment method according to claim 19, wherein the hydraulic setting unit adjusts the roll gap using a piston and a cylinder.

28. The adjustment method according to claim 27, wherein, during adjustment of the roll gap, at least one of the piston and the cylinder travel coaxially relative to a spindle of the mechanical setting unit.

29. The adjustment method according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the piston and the cylinder surrounds the gear part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0089] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[0090] In the drawings,

[0091] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a cross-rolling setting device on a roll stand;

[0092] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional diagram of the cross-rolling setting device according to FIG. 1;

[0093] FIG. 3 shows a schematic aspect of two cross rolls of a cross-rolling unit;

[0094] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a first cross-rolling unit with the cross rolls according to FIG. 3;

[0095] FIG. 5 shows a schematic front view of a second cross-rolling unit; and

[0096] FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of the second cross-rolling unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0097] The cross-rolling device 3 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a mechanical setting unit 10 as well as a hydraulic setting unit 20, which are disposed as a common subassembly on a roll stand 4.

[0098] The mechanical setting unit 10 comprises a spindle 11, a rotary drive 12 and an electric drive 13. The rotary drive 12 as well as the electric drive 13 are disposed on an outside 44 of the roll stand 4 and joined there with an upper part of the spindle 11.

[0099] Thus, a part of the spindle 11 is situated outside the roll stand 4. The further part of the spindle 11 projects through the roll stand 4 into the interior of the roll stand, wherein the part of the spindle 11 that is not situated outside the roll stand 4 has a spindle thread 15.

[0100] The rotary drive 12 comprises a worm gear 18 and, driven by the worm gear 18, a toothed wheel 16, which via a decoupling means 17 formed by a sliding guide is able to drive the spindle 11, and with the electric drive 13 drives the spindle 11 from outside the roll stand 4 and turns this spindle around an axis of symmetry 52 of the spindle 11.

[0101] The rotary drive 12 therefore represents, together with the spindle thread 15, a first mechanical subassembly 50 of the mechanical setting unit 10, whereas the spindle 11 forms a second mechanical subassembly 51 of the mechanical setting unit 10. Thus a first mechanical subassembly 50 of the mechanical setting unit 10 can be displaced toward a second mechanical subassembly 51 of the mechanical setting unit 10.

[0102] The hydraulic setting unit 20 is disposed inside the roll stand 4 of the common subassembly that comprises the mechanical setting unit 10 and the hydraulic setting unit 20. The hydraulic setting unit 20 comprises a first hydraulic subassembly 60 having a central axis 62 and a second hydraulic subassembly 61 having a central axis 63, wherein the two central axes 62, 63 are the same.

[0103] In the present exemplary embodiment, the first hydraulic subassembly 60 is formed as a cylinder 21 in the form of a cylinder tube 24 and the second hydraulic subassembly 61 is formed as a piston 22. In addition, the cylinder 21 has a cylinder cover 23. The arrangement of a cylinder 21 and a piston 22 therefore represents a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit consisting of cylinder 21 and a piston 22.

[0104] The mechanical setting unit 10 as well as the hydraulic setting unit 20 are disposed in such a way on the roll stand 4 that the common axis of symmetry 52 of the mechanical subassemblies 50, 51 is the same as the central axes 62, 63 of the hydraulic subassemblies 60, 61. This hydraulic setting unit 20 is disposed in such a way that the piston 22 or the cylinder 21 surrounds the spindle 11.

[0105] The piston 22 is configured with a female thread, so that this thread can engage directly in the spindle thread 15 of the spindle 11. In this way, the piston 22 serves not only the function as a piston 22 for the hydraulic setting unit 20 but also as a nut 14, which therefore can be regarded inherently as likewise part of the mechanical subassembly 50 of the roll-stand-side mechanical setting unit 10.

[0106] The rotary drive 12 or the electric drive 13 drive the spindle 11, which is turned and operatively connected via the spindle thread 15 with the nut 14 and thus with the hydraulic setting unit 20. The spindle 11 is turned and is thereby moved along its axis of symmetry 52 in one direction or the other depending on the direction of rotation.

[0107] Because the spindle 11 is joined with a roll seat 81 inside the roll stand 4, the roll seat 81 can be set in this way by the mechanical setting unit 10 and thus also set by the rolls 80 carried by the roll seat 81.

[0108] With the mechanical setting unit 10 of the present exemplary embodiment, rolls 80 or a roll seat 81 can therefore be set in load-free condition in a first step if necessary, wherein this setting makes up the largest part of the entire necessary setting.

[0109] After the roll seat 81 has been set appropriately for a rolling process by the mechanical setting unit 10 in the first step, it or the rolls 80 can be adjusted under load by the hydraulic setting unit 20 in a second step. This second adjustment by the hydraulic setting unit 20 takes place via a much shorter adjustment distance than in comparison with the first setting and may even take place during the rolling process. In the process, cylinder 21 and piston 22 of the hydraulic setting unit 20 operate as a hydraulic cylinder, so that a first load-free setting can take place mechanically and a second setting can take place hydraulically under load, especially during the rolling process.

[0110] It will be understood that the hydraulic setting unit 20 may possibly also be adjusted without load if this adjustment seems necessary. Likewise, in a preferred embodiment, the mechanical setting unit can be adjusted under load, which appears feasible even at large rolling forces, in particular by the step-up ratios between spindle 11 and spindle thread 15 as well as between toothed wheel 16 and worm gear 18.

[0111] With suitable configuration, the toothed wheel 16 and the worm gear 18 or the spindle 11 and/or the spindle thread 15 can be designed in such a way that a self-locking capacity can act in energy-saving manner under specific circumstances.

[0112] The forces or rolling forces that arise during rolling act via the roll seat 81 firstly on the spindle as part of the mechanical setting unit 10 and then act on the hydraulic setting unit 20. Due to the hydraulic setting unit 20, the forces are then transferred to the roll stand 4, so that a flow of force arising due to the rolling forces operates via the mechanical setting unit 10, then via the hydraulic setting unit 20, and thereafter on the roll stand 4.

[0113] Due to the manner in which the common subassembly consisting of mechanical setting unit 10 and hydraulic setting unit 20 is able to move the roll seat 81, a relative movement between the rotary drive 12 and the spindle 11 is necessary, so that the rotary drive 12 remains in fixed position, the spindle 11 turns and is displaced correspondingly. This feature is achieved by the decoupling means 17, which also decouples jolts directed parallel to the axis of symmetry 52 or to the central axes 62, 63, which may travel from the rolls 80 possibly to the rotary drive 12 or to the electric drive 13.

[0114] It is conceivable for the roll stand 4 to be formed as a closed frame, which is not visible from the detailed illustration in FIGS. 1 and 2. By an appropriately closed frame, a closed flow of force can also be provided.

[0115] Beyond this feature, the roll seat 81 in the arrangement of the present exemplary embodiment can be set purely mechanically via the mechanical setting unit 10. During a possible failure of the hydraulic setting unit 20 or of one of the subassemblies 60, 61, the cross-roll setting device 3 can continue to be used. Possibly even higher loads than with the hydraulic setting unit 20 could be managed by such a purely mechanical setting or adjustment. In addition, exclusively a mechanical setting may also take place intentionally by the mechanical setting unit 10 if, for example, products with less strict requirements must be manufactured and in this way the energy demand for the regulation of the hydraulics can be saved and thus it is possible to dispense intentionally with an adjustment by the hydraulic setting unit 20.

[0116] The cross-rolling units 1 illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6 respectively comprise at least 2 rolls 80 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) or 3 rolls 80 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), which are mounted respectively in their roll seats 81, which in turn are mounted via a cross-roll setting device 3 on a roll stand 4.

[0117] The rolls 80 are able to rotate around roll axes 85 and have roll surfaces 86, which come or are able to come into contact with an elongated workpiece, not illustrated in the figures.

[0118] In the process, a possible workpiece runs substantially along a roll centerline 2, which roughly represents the material center of gravity of the traveling material and—stated more precisely—represents the axis from an infeed roller table, not illustrated, through the center of the rolling unit to an outfeed roller table, not illustrated.

[0119] These roll axes 85 are aligned substantially parallel to the roll centerline 2, wherein a small angle of inclination between 5° and 8° is provided in the present exemplary embodiment. In deviating embodiments, it is obvious that other angles of inclination, possibly even relative to the horizontal, may also be provided here.

[0120] The rolls 80 themselves have a relatively complex roll surface 86, which for its part then leads in turn to a relatively complex roll pass or working region 30 and especially also to a different load of the respective roll seats 81 of a roll 80. This feature means that the roll axes 85 may also be inclined relative to the horizontal, which possibly may also be provided already without load by analogy with cross-roll unit 1.

[0121] The roll-positioning device of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 are joined via longitudinal spars, which serve as engagement stations 84, with the roll stand 4, so that the rolling forces are transmitted into the roll stand 4 via the engagement stations 84 or via the connection between the engagement stations 84 and the roll stand 4, which can be denoted as engaging end 83, which leads to a corresponding spring-back of the roll stand 4, which ultimately can lead, by analogy with the unequal loading of the rolls 80 and the roll seats 81 already alluded to in the foregoing, to a corresponding unequal loading of the roll stand 4.

[0122] In the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a solid roll stand 4 is provided, in which a cross-roll setting device 3, as was already explained on the basis of FIGS. 1 and 2, is introduced. A roll stand 4 of corresponding solid structure can likewise be used in the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0123] In the arrangements according to FIGS. 4 to 6, each roll seat 81 is mounted in settable relationship by two cross-roll setting devices 3 on the roll stand 4. Hereby it is also possible in particular to set the roll axes 85 at their angle relative to the roll centerline 2, or it is also possible to counter non-uniform load changes.

[0124] Because two cross-roll setting devices 3 are mounted in settable relationship on the roll stand 4 in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, the two roll seats 81 are consequently also mounted in settable relationship on the roll stand 4 by two setting units 10, 20. It is conceivable that more than two cross-roll devices 3 or setting units 10, 20 can also be disposed on one roll stand 4. To this extent, a corresponding axis of symmetry may possibly also be defined due to the symmetry of the two setting units 10, 20.

[0125] During rolling, the roll surface 86 of the rolls 80 has a component of movement perpendicular to the roll centerline 2 of the cross-rolling unit 1, as is immediately obvious from the figures. As a rule, it follows accordingly that the roll surface 86 of the rolls 80 has, during rolling, a component of movement perpendicular to the direction of movement of the workpiece through the cross-rolling unit 1. The axes 85 of the two rolls 80 also have a component parallel to the roll centerline 2 of the cross-rolling unit 1, as is immediately recognizable from the figures.

[0126] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the distance between the two roll seats 81 of the two rolls 80 is measured, in that a distance measuring system 91 is disposed respectively between the roll markers 110 on the roll seats 81 and reference markers 120 disposed on the respective roll seat 81, wherein the measurement can take place directly even during the rolling. In this situation, the roll marker 110 of a first roll seat 81 can be denoted specifically as the reference marker 120 of the second roll seat 81 using the same distance measuring system 91. It will be understood that, in a deviating embodiment, it is possible to use only a single distance measuring system 91, which then is situated only between two roll seats 81 or markers 110, 120, which respectively are provided on one of the two rolls 80, although possibly this arrangement may then concern, but only by analogy, a somewhat more imprecise statement about the respective roll pass.

[0127] In this exemplary embodiment, the respective ends of the distance measuring system 91 are attached directly on the roll seats 81, so that the roll seats 81 themselves serve as roll marker points 111 or reference marker points 121. Accordingly, the roll seats 81 also serve as the respective reference for the measurement of the distance 90 to the respective other roll seat 81. It will be understood that, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, possibly also separate subassemblies may also serve as the roll marker points 111 or reference marker points 121. It is also possible that other subassemblies, such as, for example, subassemblies provided between the roll positioning devices 82 and the roll seats 81 or the longitudinal or upright spars will be used correspondingly or that corresponding separate subassemblies will serve as carriers of the roll marker points 111 or reference marker points 121.

[0128] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively, shoulders are provided as the roll marker points 111 or reference marker point 121, wherein the shoulders for the roll marker point 111 on the roll seats 81 and the shoulders for the reference marker points 121 are disposed on a separate reference rack 122.

[0129] The reference rack 122 is decoupled from the roll stand 4, so that this provides a reference or a reference marker 120 independently of the respective rolling forces. The roll marker points 111 or the roll markers 110 are provided on the roll seats 81, although in deviating embodiments they may also be provided on other subassemblies.

[0130] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 also, possibly a distance measurement may take place between the rolls 80 or the roll seats 81 among one another, as is illustrated by way of example on the basis of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0131] As is immediately obvious, in the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 5 and 6, the distance between the roll seats 81 of the rolls 80 and a reference provided outside the engaging end 83 is measured. For this purpose, the reference marker 120 is disposed outside the engagement station 84 of the roll positioning device, engaging with the roll stand 4, of the roll seat 81.

[0132] In the present exemplary embodiment, resistance sensors, capacitive sensors and/or inductive sensors are used as the distance measuring system 91 or for distance measurement. Alternatively, optical range finders, ultrasonic sensors or radar sensors can also be used accordingly.

[0133] Accordingly, a contact-based or even contactless measurement may be undertaken.

[0134] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.