Coilbox and method for the operation thereof

Abstract

A coilbox is provided for winding a metal strip to form a coil and for unwinding the metal strip from the coil. In order to further develop a known coilbox in such a manner that the position of the coil is known at all times, in particular during its passive transfer from the winding station to the unwinding station, at least one additional roller rotatably mounted on the frame is provided.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A coilbox (100), comprising: a winding station (110) for winding a metal strip to form a coil (20), wherein the winding station is formed by a plurality of rollers, including a first roller (111) and a second roller (112) rotatably mounted on a common frame (114); a rotary drive (120) for pivoting the frame (114) with the first roller (111) and the second roller (112) through an angle of rotation (a) about a point of rotation (D) in a region of the first roller (111) between a winding position, in which the metal strip is wound to form the coil (20), through a plurality of transition positions (P1, P2, P3), into a transfer position (P4) for transferring the coil (20) to an unwinding station (120); the unwinding station (120) in which the metal strip can be unwound from the coil (20), including at least a third roller (123) and a fourth roller (124); wherein the unwinding station (120) is arranged downstream of the winding station (110) in a direction of material flow (R), and wherein the second roller (112) is arranged downstream of the first roller (111) and the fourth roller (124) is arranged downstream of the third roller (123) in the direction of material flow (R), and wherein axes of rotation of all rollers are aligned parallel to one another, further comprising at least one additional roller (116) rotatably mounted on the frame (114), wherein an axis of rotation of the additional roller is parallel to the axes of rotation of the first to fourth rollers, and wherein the axis of rotation of the additional roller (116) is positioned on the frame (114) in such a manner that a radial distance (xz) from the point of rotation (D) of the frame (114) to the axis of rotation of the additional roller (116) is greater than a radial distance (x2) from the point of rotation of the frame to the point of rotation of the second roller; and the radial distance (xz) from the point of rotation (D) of the frame (114) to the axis of rotation of the additional roller (116) plus a radius of the additional roller (116) is smaller than a minimum radial distance (x3) from the point of rotation of the third roller (123) to the point of rotation (D) of the frame (114), minus at least the radius of the third roller, and an uppermost point of the additional roller in a first transition position (P1), in which uppermost points of the first roller and the second roller form a horizontal roller table plane (E1), is arranged at a predetermined distance (w) below the roller table plane (E1).

17. The coilbox (100) according to claim 16, wherein in the transfer position (P4) the second roller (112) has reached its upper end position (TOP2).

18. The coilbox (100) according to claim 16, wherein a diameter of the additional roller (116) is smaller than a diameter of the first, second, third or fourth roller.

19. The coilbox (100) according to claim 16, wherein at least one displacement device (130) is provided for individually displacing the third and/or the fourth roller (123, 124) below the roller table plane (E1) formed by the first and second rollers (111, 112).

20. The coilbox (100) according to claim 16, further comprising a further additional roller (115) rotatably mounted on the frame between the second roller (112) and the additional roller (116), wherein the further additional roller is positioned on the frame (114) in such a manner that it projects with an outer circumference over a notional tangential connecting line (V), facing the roller table plane (E1), between the outer circumferences of the second roller (112) and the additional roller (116).

21. The coilbox (100) according to claim 16, further comprising a position detector (140) for generating a position signal, which represents the position of the additional roller (116) when the additional roller is raised to or beyond a level of the roller table plane (E1) formed by the first roller (111) and the second roller (112) in the first transition position (P1).

22. The coilbox (100) according to claim 16, further comprising a forming region arranged at a beginning of the winding station (110), the forming region having infeed rollers for guiding new metal strip entering the coilbox and having bending rollers and a forming roller for forming a beginning of the new metal strip to form a coil eye for a coil to be rewound in the winding station.

23. The coilbox (100) according to claim 22, wherein, when winding the metal strip into a new coil in the winding station, the frame (114) is pivoted by the rotary drive (120) into a winding position, in which the first and second rollers form an inclined plane towards the forming region.

24. A system, comprising: the coilbox (100) according to claim 16; and a coil (20), wherein the additional roller (116) is further rotatably mounted on the frame (114) in such a manner that, if the frame is pivoted from the first transition position (P1) by an angle of rotation (P2) into a second transition position (P2), in which the additional roller (116) initially contacts the coil (20) carried by the second and third roller (112, 123), a distance (xzP) between the axis of rotation of the additional roller (116) and the point of rotation of the frame (114) projected into the horizontal is smaller than the distance (xcP) between the center of gravity of the coil and the point of rotation (D) of the frame (114).

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein, if the frame is pivoted beyond a third transition position (P3) of the plurality of transition positions into the transfer position (P4) and the coil (20) is supported only by the third roller (123) and the additional roller (116), the coil (20) is lowered with the lowermost point on its outer circumference no more than a predetermined permissible maximum distance (Amax) below an upper edge of the third roller (123).

26. A method for operating the coilbox (100) according to claim 16, comprising: winding the metal strip to form a wound coil (20) in the winding station of the coilbox; transferring the wound coil (20) via the plurality of transition positions (P1, P2, P3) within the winding station (110) into the unwinding station (120) of the coilbox (20) arranged downstream in the direction of material flow (R) by applying a pulling force to a start of the metal strip that has been wound to form the coil and by lifting at least the second roller (112) of the winding station into a transfer position (P4) by pivoting about the point of rotation (D) of the frame; pivoting, in order to reach the transfer position (P4), the frame with the first and second roller rotatably mounted thereon along with the additional roller (116) about the point of rotation of the frame (D) to such an extent that the additional roller (116) is raised above the horizontal roller table plane (E1) formed by the first roller (111) and the second roller (112) in the first transition position (P1); and supporting the coil (20) in a quasi-labile equilibrium in the transfer position (P4) only by the third roller (123) and the additional roller (116).

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising: generating a position signal if the additional roller (116) is raised above the horizontal roller table plane (E1) formed by the first roller (111) and the second roller (113) in their starting position and has reached its respective upper end position (TOP2) in the transfer position (P4), and using the position signal as a confirmation signal that the coil (20) has safely left the winding station (110).

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: permitting entry of a new metal strip into a forming region of the coilbox (100) for forming a new coil only in response to the confirmation signal.

29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising: applying a pulling force to a beginning of the metal strip that has been wound into the coil (20) and/or lowering the third roller (123) with respect to the roller table plane (E1) for transferring the coil from the transfer position (P4) to the unwinding station (120), where the coil is stably supported on the third and fourth rollers (123, 124).

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the pulling force is applied by a rolling mill stand, arranged downstream of the unwinding station (120) in the direction of material flow, for rolling the metal strip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a coilbox, comprising a winding station and an unwinding station in a first transition position;

[0015] FIG. 2 shows the coilbox with the winding station in a second transition position;

[0016] FIG. 3 shows the coilbox with the winding station in a third transition position;

[0017] FIG. 4 shows the coilbox with the winding station in a transfer position; and

[0018] FIGS. 5-8 correspond to FIGS. 1 to 4, with the only difference that a further additional roller is now rotatably arranged between the second roller of the winding station and the additional roller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The invention is described in detail below with reference to the specified figures in the form of exemplary embodiments. In all figures, the same technical elements are designated with the same reference signs.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows the coilbox 100. It consists of a winding station 110 for winding a metal strip to form a coil and an unwinding station 120. The winding station 110 and the unwinding station 120 each in turn consist of a plurality of rollers for transporting the metal strip in the direction of transport R. In the winding station, a first roller 111, a second roller 112 and, as a special feature, an additional roller 116 are provided, all of which are rotatably mounted on a common frame 114. The frame 114 with said rollers is mounted to pivot through an angle of rotation a about a point of rotation D. A rotary drive 125 is provided for pivoting the frame 114. The term rotary drive also includes a translationally acting lifting cylinder with which the rotary or pivoting movement, as the case may be, can also be realized.

[0021] The unwinding station 120 consists of at least a third roller 123 and a fourth roller 124, which can be individually displaceable at least in the vertical direction, i.e. in their height. The vertical displacement or height difference can be variable at any time by means of a displacement device 130, or can be fixed once by means of so-called intermediate plates and then remain unchanged in this position, or can be fixed in a structurally immovable manner. The design by means of the intermediate plates offers the advantage that fewer setting functions are required. With the first roller 111, the second 112, the third roller 123 and the fourth roller 124 horizontally aligned, all of these four rollers form a horizontal roller table E1 in their home or starting position. They are arranged one behind the other in the direction of transport R. The axes of rotation of all rollers, including the additional roller 116, are arranged parallel to one another. The additional roller 116 is arranged on the frame 114 in such a manner that its radial distance xz from the point of rotation D of the frame 114 is greater than the radial distance x2 of the point of rotation of the second roller 112 from the point of rotation D of the frame. Furthermore, the radial distance xz of the additional roller 116 plus the radius of the additional roller is smaller than the minimum radial distance x3 of the point of rotation of the third roller 123 to the point of rotation D of the frame 114, minus at least the radius' of the third roller 123. In particular, a collision with the roller 3 must be/is excluded by design. Finally, in a first transition position P1 of the frame 114 and of the rollers arranged thereon shown in FIG. 1, in which the uppermost points of the first and second rollers form the specified horizontal roller table plane E1, the uppermost point of the additional roller 116 is arranged at a predetermined distance w below the specified roller table plane E1. Between the second roller 112 and the additional roller 116, a further additional roller 115 can also be rotatably mounted to the frame 114. The further additional roller 115 is then positioned on the frame 114 in such a manner that it projects with its outer circumference over a notional tangential connecting line Vfacing the roller table planebetween the outer circumferences of the second roller 112 and the additional roller 116.

[0022] The diameters of the additional roller 116 and the further additional roller 115 are smaller than the diameters of the first to fourth rollers, for example or .

[0023] Furthermore, the coilbox can have a position detector 140 for generating a position signal, which represents the position of the additional roller, in particular if the additional roller 116 is raised to the level of the horizontal roller table plane E1 formed by the first roller 111 and the second roller 112 in the first transition position P1 or beyond. The position sensor 140 can also be designed to sense the position of the frame 114, in which case the position of the additional roller can be determined using a kinematic relationship. With this exemplary embodiment, the recorded position of the frame is representative of the position of the additional roller.

[0024] At the beginning of the winding station 110, there is typically a forming region with infeed rollers for guiding new metal strip entering the coilbox and with bending rollers and a forming roller for forming the beginning of the new metal strip to form a coil eye for a coil to be rewound in the winding station. However, the forming region of the winding station 110 is not shown in the figures. In the forming region of the winding station, the incoming metal strip is wound into the coil 20 and initially deposited on the first roller 111 and the second roller 112 of the winding station 110, wherein the first and second rollers are horizontally aligned and form the horizontal roller table plane E1. Within the framework of the present disclosure, such position is referred to as the starting position for these two rollers. For example, by briefly pivoting the frame 114 clockwise, the coil is caused to slide from its depositing position on the first two rollers 111 and 112 to the first transition position P1 shown in FIG. 1. In such first transition position P1, the coil 20 is carried solely by the second roller 112 of the winding station 110 and the third roller 123 of the unwinding station 120. As soon as the coil 20 has reached this first transition position P1, the frame 114 is then pivoted back to its starting position, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, or in addition to the brief pivoting of the frame 114 clockwise and counterclockwise, the coil can also be pulled to the first transition position P1 by applying a pulling force to the free end of the metal strip wound into the coil. The pull on the free end of the metal strip in the direction of transport R can be applied, for example, by a rolling mill stand downstream of the coilbox if the free end of the metal strip wound into the coil is clamped in the roll gap of the rolling mill stand. The rolling mill stand is not shown in the attached figures.

[0025] The method for operating the coilbox aims at transferring the wound coil 20 within the coilbox 100 from the winding station 110 to the winding station 120 via a plurality of transition positions P1, P2 and P3 and a transfer position P4 in the direction of transport R.

[0026] In the first transfer position shown in FIG. 1, the coil 20 is carried solely by the second roller 112 and the third roller 123. For transferring the coil 20 into the unwinding station 120, in a first method step, the frame 114 is pivoted counterclockwise by an angle P2 only so far that the additional roller 116 rests against the outer circumference of the coil 20.

[0027] This designates the second transition position P2 as shown in FIG. 2. In this situation, it is important that the distance xzp projected into the horizontal between the axis of rotation in the additional roller 116 and the point of rotation of the frame 114 is less than the distance xcp projected into the horizontal between the center of gravity of the coil 20 and the axis of rotation D of the frame 114. The specified relationship between the distances xcp and xzp ensures that the coil 20 is not only raised during a subsequent further counterclockwise pivoting or rotation, as the case may be, of the frame 114, but also transferred further in the direction of transport R to the third transition position shown in FIG. 3.

[0028] In such third transition position, the coil is carried only by the additional roller 116 and the third roller 123. However, the axis of rotation of the additional roller 116 is still below a notional connecting line between the point D of the frame 114 and the center axis of the coil 20. Only when the frame 114 is pivoted a little further counterclockwise, such that the axis of rotation of the additional roller 116 is on the connecting line between the axis of rotation D of the frame and the center point of the coil eye, has the coil 20 reached the transfer position P4 shown in FIG. 4. The coil 20 is now in a quasi-stable equilibrium state, because its center of gravity is exactly over the center point of the axis of rotation of the third roller 123. A further transport of the coil 20 to the target position indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 4, in which the coil 20 lies stably on the third roller 123 and the fourth roller 124 of the unwinding station 120, can now no longer be achieved by the further pivoting of the frame 114. Instead, the coil is moved from the unstable equilibrium state into the stable bearing on the rollers 123 and 124 by applying a strip tension to the free end of the coil wound into the metal strip in the direction of transport R. In the transfer position P4, the coil 20 can be lowered with the lowermost point on its outer circumference by no more than a predetermined permissible maximum distance A.sub.max below the upper edge of the third roller 123. This is the prerequisite for the aforementioned pulling of the coil 20 into the stable equilibrium position, as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4, to be realized by strip tension alone. In order to facilitate the transition of the coil 20 from the transfer position P4 to the stable support on the third and fourth rollers 123, 124, the fourth roller 124 can be lowered with respect to the horizontal plane E1, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0029] FIGS. 5 to 8 show a second exemplary embodiment, wherein in addition to the additional roller 116, a further additional roller 115 is rotatably mounted on the frame 114. The exact positioning of the further additional roller 115 on the frame has already been described above. FIGS. 5 to 8 show, analogously to FIGS. 1 to 4, the different transition positions P1, P2 and P3, respectively, through which the coil 20 has to pass before it reaches the transfer position P4, which is shown in FIG. 8 for the second exemplary embodiment. The transition positions P1, P2 and P3 along with the transfer position P 4 are achieved in particular by pivoting the frame 114 increasingly further counterclockwise. In the transfer position P4, the second roller 112 in particular, but also the further additional roller 115 and the additional roller 116 reach their respective upper end point. For the second roller 112, this is marked Top2. This applies both to the first exemplary embodiment without the further additional roller and to the second exemplary embodiment with the further additional roller.

[0030] In the first transition position P1 in accordance with FIG. 5, it can be seen that the coil 20 is initially carried by the second roller 112 and the third roller 123 alone. Both the further additional roller 115 and the additional roller 116 are still arranged below the coil 20 without contacting it. Only upon the transition from the first transition position to the second transition position in accordance with FIG. 6, when the frame 114 with the rollers arranged on it is pivoted counterclockwise, does the additional roller 115 come into contact with the outer circumference of the coil 20 in addition to the second and third rollers. Here as well, analogous to the description of FIG. 2, it is important that the distance xcp projected into the horizontal between the center point of the coil 20 and the axis of rotation D of the frame 114 is greater than the distance xwzp projected into the horizontal between the axis of rotation of the further additional roller brought into contact and the point of rotation D of the frame 114. The rationale for such spacing criterion is the same as explained in the description of FIG. 2, namely that when the frame 114 is pivoted further, the coil 20 must not only be raised, but should also experience a component of force in the direction of transport R.

[0031] Upon the transition from the second transition position P2 to the third transition position P3 through the further counterclockwise pivoting of the frame 114, the coil 20 is detached from the second roller 112 and instead the additional roller 116 continues to bear against the coil 20. The coil 20 is now supported by the further additional roller 115, the additional roller 116 and the third roller 123; see FIG. 7.

[0032] By pivoting the frame 114 even further counterclockwise about the axis of rotation D, the coil 20 is pushed or displaced, as the case may be, even further in the direction of transport R and thus reaches the transfer position P4; see FIG. 8. In such transfer position P4, the coil 20 has become detached from the further additional roller 115 and now rests only on the additional roller 116 and the third roller 123. In such transfer position, the coil 20 is in an unstable equilibrium situation. All rollers on the frame 114 have each reached their upper end position; this is also indicated here by the reference sign Top2 for the second roller 112. In the transfer position P4, the additional roller 116 with its center point lies on a notional connecting line between the point of rotation D of the frame 114 and the center of the coil 20. In the ideal case, if the position TOP2 allows it, the upper end position will be limited if necessary. With this exemplary embodiment, the coil 20 can also be transferred from the unstable equilibrium position to a stable equilibrium position either by a pull on the free end of the strip in the direction of transport R and/or by lowering the third roller 123 below the plane E1, wherein the coil 20 then rests on the third roller 123 and the fourth roller 124 of the unwinding station 120. The movement of both the third roller 123 and the fourth roller 124, in particular in the vertical direction, can be realized by the displacement device 130, which engages on the rollers or in other manners, as explained above within the framework of the description of FIG. 1. A lowering of the fourth roller 124, possibly also by a fixed amount, makes it easier, on the one hand, to deposit the coil in the unwinding station and, on the other hand, to forward the unwound metal strip to a downstream processing device, for example a rolling mill stand.

[0033] For both exemplary embodiments, a position detector can be provided for generating a position signal, which signals that at least one of the rollers 111, 112, 115, 116 rotatably mounted on the frame 114 has reached the transfer position P4 and thus its respective upper end position Top2. Such position signal is used as a confirmation signal that the coil has safely left the winding station. Only in response to the confirmation signal generated in this manner is the entry of a new metal strip into the forming region of the coilbox 100 permitted for forming a new coil. By providing the additional roller 116 and possibly the further additional roller 115, the basically passive coil transport is enriched to the extent that now, by providing the additional roller, the position of the coil can be reliably detected at any time upon the transition between the winding station 110 and the unwinding station 120, in particular by detecting the positions of the additional roller 116 and/or the further additional roller 115, with the aim of increasing the productivity of a coilbox with purely passive coil displacement without further active actuating elements.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0034] 100 Coilbox [0035] 110 Winding station [0036] 111 First roller [0037] 112 Second roller [0038] 114 Frame [0039] 115 Further additional roller [0040] 116 Additional roller [0041] 120 Unwinding station [0042] 123 Third roller [0043] 124 Fourth roller [0044] 125 Rotary drive [0045] 130 Displacement device [0046] 140 Position detector [0047] 20 Coil [0048] Angle of rotation of the frame [0049] P2 Angle of rotation of the frame in position P2 [0050] A.sub.max Maximum distance [0051] D Point of rotation [0052] E1 Horizontal roller table plane [0053] P1 First transition position [0054] P2 Second transition position [0055] P3 Third transition component [0056] P4 Transfer position [0057] R Direction of material flow=direction of transport of the coil [0058] TOP2 Highest position of the second roller [0059] V Notional connecting line [0060] w Predetermined distance [0061] r2 Radius of roller 116 [0062] r3 Radius of roller 123 [0063] xcp Distance projected [0064] xzp Distance projected [0065] x2 Radial distance [0066] x3 Radial distance [0067] xz Radial distance