Rolling mill laying head

Abstract

A laying head for forming an axially moving hot rolled product into a helical series of rings includes a quill rotatable about an axis, with a tubular body journaled for rotation between axially spaced bearings, and a nose projecting axially and forwardly from its tubular body. A product guide is carried by the quill. The product guide is configured to form the product into a helical series of rings. A guide trough provides a helical extension of the product guide. Major portions of the product guide and the guide trough are carried on a continuous helical support on the nose of the quill. The guide trough is channel shaped, with a continuous bottom defining the rim of the helical support, and with segmented detachable side walls.

Claims

1. A laying head for forming an axially moving hot rolled product into a helical series of rings, said laying head comprising: a quill rotatable about an axis, said quill having a tubular body journaled for rotation between axially spaced bearings, and having a nose projecting axially and forwardly from said body, said nose comprises a unitary structure having a central tubular body provided at one end with a mounting flange adapted to be connected to said central tubular body; a product guide carried by said quill, said product guide having an entry end aligned with said axis and arranged to receive said product, and having an intermediate curved portion leading from said entry end to a delivery end spaced radially from said axis and from which said product is discharged as said helical series of rings; a guide trough providing a helical extension of said product guide, the intermediate curved portion and delivery end of said product guide and said guide trough being carried on a continuous helical support on the nose of said quill, wherein a portion of said helical support is defined by a continuous collar serving as a bottom of said guide trough, said helical support formed as an integral component of said nose.

2. The laying head of claim 1 wherein said helical support comprises an auger plate configured as a spiral scroll projecting radially from said nose.

3. The laying head of claim 1 wherein said nose is detachably secured to said tubular body.

4. The laying head of claim 1 wherein said helical support is a fabricated component integrally joined to said nose.

5. The laying head of claim 1 wherein said product guide comprises a pipe.

6. The laying head of claim 5 wherein said pipe is detachably secured to said helical support.

7. The laying head of claim 1 wherein said bottom of said guide trough is defined by an outer rim of said helical support,with detachable side walls projecting radially outwardly from said bottom.

8. The laying head of claim 7 wherein said detachable side walls are subdivided into segments.

9. The laying head of claim 8 wherein said side wall segments are substantially identical.

10. The laying head of claim 8 wherein said side wall segments are fabricated from aluminum or aluminum alloys.

11. The laying head of claim 8 wherein said side wall segments are fabricated from carbon fiber.

12. The laying head of claim 8 wherein said side wall segments are fabricated from thermoplastics.

13. The laying head of claim 8 wherein said side wall segments are coated with a wear resistant material.

14. The laying head of claim 13 wherein said wear resistant material comprises a nano metal.

15. A laying head for forming an axially moving hot rolled product into a helical series of rings, said laying head comprising: a quill rotatable about an axis, said quill having a tubular body journaled for rotation between axially spaced bearings, and having a nose projecting axially and forwardly from said body, said nose comprises a unitary structure having a central tubular body provided at one end with a mounting flange adapted to be connected to the tubular body; a product guide carried by said quill, said product guide having an entry end aligned with said axis and arranged to receive said product, and having an intermediate curved portion leading from said entry end to a delivery end spaced radially from said axis and from which said product is discharged as said helical series of rings; and a channel shaped guide trough providing a helical extension of said product guide, said guide trough having a continuous bottom and segmented detachable side walls, wherein said continuous bottom is defined by a continuous collar, said nose comprises said helical extension formed as an integral component of said nose.

16. The laying head of claim 15 wherein the intermediate curved portion and delivery end of said product guide and said guide trough are carried on a continuous helical support fabricated as an integral component of said nose.

17. The laying head of claim 16 wherein the bottom of said guide trough comprises an outer rim of said helical support.

18. The laying head of claim 16 wherein said product guide comprises a pipe detachably secured to an outer rim of said helical support.

19. The laying head of claim 15 wherein said nose is detachably secured to said tubular body.

20. A tubular nose adapted to project axially in cantilever fashion comprising: a rotatable quill of a rolling mill laying head, said quill carrying a product guide having an entry end aligned with a rotational axis of the quill, and an intermediate curved portion leading from said entry end to a delivery end communicating with a guide trough providing a helical extension of said product guide, said nose having an auger plate configured and arranged to provide continuous support for said guide trough and for the intermediate curved portion and delivery end of said product guide, wherein a portion of a rim of the auger plate is defined by a continuous collar serving as a bottom of said guide trough, said auger plate is fabricated as an integral component of said nose.

21. The nose of claim 20 wherein the rim of said auger plate is an outer rim of and comprises the bottom of said guide trough.

22. The nose of claim 20 having one end thereof configured and arranged to be detachably secured to said quill.

23. The nose of claim 20 wherein the intermediate curved portion and delivery end of said product guide are secured by brackets on the rim of said auger plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view, with portions in section, of a conventional laying head;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of the nose and guide trough assembly of the conventional laying head shown in FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the conventional guide trough assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the nose of a laying head quill in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the laying pipe and guide trough carried on a continuous helical support comprising an integral component of the nose;

(5) FIG. 5 is a front perspective of the nose depicted in FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 6 is a view showing one side of the nose depicted in FIG. 5;

(7) FIG. 7 is a view showing the opposite side of the nose depicted in FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 8 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 4 and showing details of trough segments in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

(9) FIGS. 9A and 9B are respectively perspective and side views of a guide trough side wall segment in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In accordance with the present invention, the conventional assembly of the nose 18 and separate disc-shaped trough support 30 depicted in FIG. 1 is replaced by a unitary nose 36, an exemplary embodiment of which is depicted in FIG. 4. The unitary nose 36 has a central tubular body 38 provided at one end with a mounting flange 40 adapted to be connected to the tubular body 12a of the conventional laying head quill 12 shown in FIGS. 1-3. A helical support, which may comprise a continuous auger plate 42 configured as an unwinding spiral scroll, is permanently joined to the central body 38.

(11) As can best be seen by additional reference to FIGS. 5-7, the auger plate 42 extends continuously from the mounting flange 40 to the distal end of the central body 38. A segment of the plate 42 carries brackets 44 on its rim. As can best be seen in FIG. 4, the brackets 44 coact with clamps 46 to secure the laying pipe 22 in its operative position. The remaining rim of the auger plate 42 is defined by a continuous collar serving as the bottom 48 of a channel-shaped guide trough 50.

(12) By supporting both the laying pipe 22 and the guide trough 50 on a continuous auger plate 52 formed as an integral component of the cantilevered nose 36, stress concentrations are significantly reduced. This in turn makes it possible to reduce the weight of the nose 36, with the result that the center of gravity of the laying head's rotating assembly is advantageously shifted rearwardly and closer to the bearings 14, 16. Overall rigidity and resistance to vibration is thus beneficially enhanced.

(13) With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A and 9B, the sides 52 of the guide trough 50 are segmented and detachable secured to the bottom 48 by conventional fasteners which may comprise bolts 54 and nuts 56. An exemplary embodiment of a trough side wall segment 52 is depicted in FIGS. 9A and 9B.

(14) When individual side wall segments 52 experience accelerated wear, they may be readily replaced without replacing others that experience lesser wear.

(15) Preferably, the side wall segments 52 are identical. The side wall segments may be cast or fabricated from light weight wear resistant materials, illustrative examples including aluminum, aluminum alloys, carbon fibers, thermoplastics, etc. Additionally, or alternatively, the interior surfaces 52 of the side wall segments 52 may comprise or be coated with a wear resistant material, for example, a nano metal.

(16) The foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. Various changes are modifications will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. All such changes and modifications are seen to fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.