Multiroll rolling mill incorporating a hatch

Abstract

A rolling mill (100) includes: a rolling-mill cage (10) containing a plurality of cylinders, including two working cylinders (12) and two pairs of intermediate cylinders (13), a main gate (30) on the front face of the rolling mill (100) for accessing all the cylinders, a device (20) for the lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13) of the push-push type including first and second pairs of hydraulic actuators (22, 22, 21, 21) each configured so as to exert a thrust force (P) to allow a lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13), a removable small gate (40) fixed to the main gate (30), allowing access to the cylinders (12) and (13), and integrating the second pair of hydraulic actuators (21, 21) so that opening and closing the small gate (40) does not interfere with the opening and closing of the main gate (30).

Claims

1. A rolling mill (100) comprising: a rolling-mill stand (10) containing a plurality of cylinders, including two working cylinders (12) and two pairs of intermediate cylinders (13), arranged together in order to support said two working cylinders (12) in the direction of rolling, a main gate (30) on the front face of the rolling mill (100) for accessing all the cylinders and having an opening, the main gate (30) able to have either an open position for accessing all the cylinders or a closed position, and a device (20) for lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13), of a push-push system, comprising a first pair of two hydraulic actuators (22, 22) positioned at the bottom of the rolling-mill stand (10) and a second pair of two hydraulic actuators (21, 21) positioned on the front face of the rolling-mill stand (10), each of the hydraulic actuators (21, 21, 22, 22) having a portion (21a, 21a, 22a, 22a) in abutment on one of the ends (13a, 13b) of the intermediate cylinders (13) and being configured so as to exert a thrust force (P) to allow a lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13), wherein: the rolling mill comprises a removable small gate (40) able to have at least: a) a closed position (PF) in which the small gate (40) closes the opening formed in the main gate (30) and serves as a lateral stop for the working cylinders (12) and optionally the intermediate cylinders (13), and b) an open position (PO) affording access to the two working cylinders (12) and optionally to the intermediate cylinders (13), said small gate (40) integrates the second pair of hydraulic actuators (21, 21), the small gate (40) comprises fixing clamps (45) configured so as to securely connect the small gate (40) to the main gate (30) in the closed position (PF), and wherein the fixing clamps (45) are configured so that the small gate (40) is able to be disconnected from the main gate (30), and the rolling mill (100) comprises a carriage (50) positioned close to the small gate (40) and having rails (51) on which, when the small gate (40) is disconnected from the main gate (30), said small gate (40) is able to translate as far as a stop (52) in order to reach the open position (PO) and allow the removal of the working cylinders (12) and the intermediate cylinders.

2. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 1, wherein the main gate (30), when the small gate (40) is in the closed position (PF), is sandwiched between the small gate (40) and the stand (10).

3. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 1, wherein the small gate (40) is equipped with a clamp having gripping means for holding at least one cylinder (12, 13) and being configured so as to drive said at least one cylinder in a translation movement when the small gate is opened as far as the open position in order to at least partially extract said at least one cylinder (12, 13) from the rolling-mill stand (10).

4. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 1, wherein the main gate (30) is removable and is able to be temporarily disconnected from the rolling-mill stand (10).

5. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 1, wherein the carriage (50) comprises a conveyor belt (53) for assisting the removal of the working cylinders (12) and optionally the intermediate cylinders (13) from the rolling-mill stand (10), when the small gate (40) is in the open position (PO).

6. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 5, wherein the carriage (50) comprises height-adjustment means (54) to allow the adjustment of the conveyor belt (53) for height with respect to the working cylinders (12) and intermediate cylinders (13) that are to be extracted from the rolling-mill stand (10).

7. A rolling mill (100) comprising: a rolling-mill stand (10) containing a plurality of cylinders, including two working cylinders (12) and two pairs of intermediate cylinders (13), arranged together in order to support said two working cylinders (12) in the direction of rolling; a main gate (30) on the front face of the rolling mill (100) for accessing all the cylinders and having an opening, the main gate (30) able to have either an open position for accessing all the cylinders or a closed position; a device (20) for lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13), of a push-push system, comprising a first pair of two hydraulic actuators (22, 22) positioned at the bottom of the rolling-mill stand (10) and a second pair of two hydraulic actuators (21, 21) positioned on the front face of the rolling-mill stand (10), each of the hydraulic actuators (21, 21, 22, 22) having a portion (21a, 21a, 22a, 22a) in abutment on one of the ends (13a, 13b) of the intermediate cylinders (13) and being configured so as to exert a thrust force (P) to allow a lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13); a removable small gate (40) configured to have at least: a) a closed position (PF) in which the small gate (40) closes the opening formed in the main gate (30) such that the main gate (30) is in the closed position (PF) and serves as a lateral stop for the working cylinders (12) and optionally the intermediate cylinders (13), and b) an open position (PO) affording access to the two working cylinders (12) and optionally to the intermediate cylinders (13), wherein: the small gate (40) integrates the second pair of hydraulic actuators (21, 21), the small gate (40) comprises fixing clamps (45) fixed to the rolling-mill stand (10) and configured so as to securely connect the small gate (40) to the rolling-mill stand (10) in the closed position (PF), and the fixing clamps (45) are configured so that the small gate (40) is able to be disconnected from the main gate (30); and a carriage (50) positioned close to the small gate (40) and having rails (51) on which, when the small gate (40) is disconnected from the main gate (30), said small gate (40) is able to translate as far as a stop (52) in order to reach the open position (PO) and allow the removal of the working cylinders (12) and the intermediate cylinders.

8. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 7, wherein the main gate (30), when the small gate (40) is in the closed position (PF), is sandwiched between the small gate (40) and the stand (10).

9. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 7, wherein the carriage (50) comprises a conveyor belt (53) for assisting the removal of the working cylinders (12) and optionally the intermediate cylinders (13) from the rolling-mill stand (10), when the small gate (40) is in the open position (PO).

10. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 9, wherein the carriage (50) comprises height-adjustment means (54) to allow the adjustment of the conveyor belt (53) for height with respect to the working cylinders (12) and intermediate cylinders (13) that are to be extracted from the rolling-mill stand (10).

11. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 7, wherein the small gate (40) is equipped with a clamp having gripping means for holding at least one cylinder (12, 13) and being configured so as to drive said at least one cylinder in a translation movement when the small gate is opened as far as the open position in order to at least partially extract said at least one cylinder (12, 13) from the rolling-mill stand (10).

12. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 7, wherein the main gate (30) is removable and is able to be temporarily disconnected from the rolling-mill stand (10).

13. A rolling mill (100) comprising: a rolling-mill stand (10) containing a plurality of cylinders, including two working cylinders (12) and two pairs of intermediate cylinders (13), arranged together in order to support said two working cylinders (12) in the direction of rolling; a main gate (30) on the front face of the rolling mill (100) for accessing all the cylinders and having an opening, the main gate (30) able to have either an open position for accessing all the cylinders or a closed position; a device (20) for lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13), of a push-push system, comprising a first pair of two hydraulic actuators (22, 22) positioned at the bottom of the rolling-mill stand (10) and a second pair of two hydraulic actuators (21, 21) positioned on the front face of the rolling-mill stand (10), each of the hydraulic actuators (21, 21, 22, 22) having a portion (21a, 21a, 22a, 22a) in abutment on one of the ends (13a, 13b) of the intermediate cylinders (13) and being configured so as to exert a thrust force (P) to allow a lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13); and a removable small gate (40) able to have at least: a) a closed position (PF) in which the small gate (40) closes the opening formed in the main gate (30) such that the main gate (30) is in the closed position (PF) and serves as a lateral stop for the working cylinders (12) and optionally the intermediate cylinders (13), and b) an open position (PO) affording access to the two working cylinders (12) and optionally to the intermediate cylinders (13), wherein: the small gate (40) integrates the second pair of hydraulic actuators (21, 21), the small gate (40) comprises fixing means (41) configured so as to securely connect the small gate (40) to the main gate (30) in the closed position (PF), said fixing means (41) comprises: hinges (42) fixed to the main gate (30), and a locking mechanism (43) comprising a hook, and wherein the hinges (42) project from said main gate (30) and opposite to the hinge system (31) of this said main gate (30).

14. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 13, wherein the retraction means (42) of the small gate (40) are positioned as close as possible to the edge (30a) of the main gate (30) opposite to the edge (30b) to which the retraction means (31) of the main gate (30) are fixed.

15. The rolling mill (100) according to claim 13, wherein the main gate (30), when the small gate (40) is in the closed position (PF), is sandwiched between the small gate (40) and the stand (10).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

(1) Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description with reference to the accompanying FIGS. 4 to 8a-8b, which illustrate several variant embodiments thereof with no limitative character and in which:

(2) The prior art is described in the accompany FIGS. 1, 2a, 2b and 3:

(3) FIG. 1 depicts a schematic view of a cross section of a twenty-cylinder rolling mill illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,377 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,859;

(4) FIG. 2a depicts equipping the main gate PP of a rolling mill LA with a simple small gate PT situated at the center thereof, thereby allowing rapid and safe changing of working cylinders 12 and the first intermediate cylinders 13, without requiring the main gate PP to be opened;

(5) FIG. 2b depicts a push-pull system that comprises an arrangement of hydraulic actuators VH configured so as to alternately push and pull the first intermediate cylinders 13; and

(6) FIG. 3 illustrates rolling mill with a device for the lateral movement of the first cylinders of the push-push type, which is described in EP 1 213 060.

(7) FIG. 4 depicts a schematic view in cross section of a rolling mill according to a first advantageous embodiment of the present invention;

(8) FIGS. 5a-5b-5c each depict a schematic perspective view of the front face of a rolling mill according to FIG. 4;

(9) FIGS. 6a-6b-6c each depict a schematic perspective view of the front face of a rolling mill in accordance with a second advantageous embodiment of the present invention;

(10) FIG. 7 for its part depicts a schematic perspective view relating to a variant in which the main gate is removable; and

(11) FIGS. 8a-8b each depict a schematic perspective view of the front face of a rolling mill according to a third advantageous embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

(12) A rolling mill according to several example embodiments will now be described hereinafter referring conjointly to FIGS. 4 to 8a-8b.

(13) The various examples described here all relate to a rolling mill of the Sendzimir type with twenty cylinders like the one described previously and illustrated in FIG. 1. Naturally a person skilled in the art will understand here that the present invention may also be adapted to other types of multi-cylinder rolling mills.

(14) Thus, in the examples described here, the rolling mill 100 according to the present invention comprises a rolling-mill stand 10 in which there are distributed a lower group G.sub.I and an upper group G.sub.S each composed of a working cylinder 12, two first intermediate cylinders 13, three second intermediate cylinders 14 and 15, and four support cylinders, or support rollers, which are outside the arrangement and are denoted A, B, C and D for the upper group G.sub.S and E, F, G, H for the lower group G.sub.I.

(15) In the various examples described here, the rolling mill 100 according to the present invention is equipped with a push-push system, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 3, to move the first intermediate cylinders 13.

(16) As stated above, the rolling mill 100 is a twenty-cylinder rolling mill: it therefore comprises two pairs of first intermediate cylinders 13.

(17) Thus, in the various examples described here, the rolling mill 100 comprises a push-push system that has a device 20 for lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders 13 composed of an arrangement of two pairs of hydraulic actuators 21 and 21 at the front and two pairs of hydraulic actuators 22 and 22 at the rear.

(18) More precisely, the lateral movement device 20 comprises two front double hydraulic actuators 21-21 and two rear double hydraulic actuators 22-22 that are configured together so as to adjust the position of the first intermediate cylinders 13 using solely a thrust force P on the support forces of the cylinder stops 13.

(19) In the various examples described here, each hydraulic actuator 21-21 and 22-22 has respectively a portion 21a-21a and 22a-22a that is in abutment on one of the ends 13a-13b of the intermediate cylinders 13, and is configured so as to exert a thrust force P alternately on these ends 13a-13b to allow a lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders 13.

(20) In such a push-push system, it will easily be understood that, when the hydraulic actuator 21 exerts a thrust force P on an intermediate cylinder 13, then the opposite hydraulic actuator 22 is inactive, and vice versa.

(21) In the various examples described here, the rolling mill 100 according to the present invention comprises a motorised main gate 30 that is on the front face of the rolling mill 100 and allows access to all the cylinders 12, 13, 14, 15 and A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H when this main gate 30 is open.

(22) As explained in detail in the preamble of the present description, it is desirable to be able to access only the cylinders 12 and 13, in particular for maintenance reasons. Such dedicated access makes it possible to avoid the opening time for the main gate 30, which is very often too long, such access moreover being safer for the operator.

(23) In the prior art, this dedicated access is made possible by the presence of a small gate that in the closed position covers the opening present on the main gate and allowing access to the cylinders 12 and 13. However, as explained previously, the combination on a rolling mill of a push-push system and a small gate such as those designed up until now in the prior art was not possible.

(24) One of the objectives of the present invention is therefore to design a rolling mill of the Sendzimir type integrating a push-push system and where access to the working cylinders 12 and to the first intermediate cylinders 13 is made possible by an opening system such as a small gate. It is furthermore necessary for the opening and closing of this gate not to interfere with the opening and closing of the main gate, as is the case in the prior art.

(25) It is moreover necessary for the small gate to open completely to allow removal of the cylinders.

(26) The first example embodiment described in FIG. 4 achieves the objective sought.

(27) To do this, the rolling mill 100 according to this first example embodiment has a small gate 40 which, according to a first advantageous feature, is removable: it therefore has a closed position PF (illustrated in FIG. 5a) and an open position PO (illustrated in FIG. 5b); this open position PO allows access to the working cylinders 12 and to the intermediate cylinders 13.

(28) In the closed position PF, the small gate 40 closes the opening in the main gate 30.

(29) Moreover, according to a second advantageous feature of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the small gate 40 integrates the front hydraulic actuator 21-21.

(30) The fact that the small gate 40 is removable and integrates the front hydraulic actuators 21-21 allows opening and closing of the small gate 40 without interfering with the opening and closing of the main gate 30. In addition, with such a configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 5b, the opening of the small gate is complete and allows removal of the cylinders.

(31) Preferentially, the small gate 40 comprises a plate (preferably consisting of a strong rigid material) having an opening in its middle part. The front hydraulic actuators 21-21 are fixed to the small gate on either side of this opening. More particularly, as illustrated in FIG. 4, in the closed position PF, the motive part of the hydraulic actuators 21-21 is situated outside the stand of the rolling mill 10 and the functional part of the hydraulic actuators 21-21 is situated inside the stand of the rolling mill 10. This reduces the space requirement of the actuators 21-21 and avoids the opening of the small gate being partial and/or being blocked by the stand of the rolling mill.

(32) In the example embodiment described in FIGS. 5a to 5c, the small gate 40 is retractable, and opens and closes conventionally like a door. Thus, in this example, in order not to interfere the opening and closing of the main gate 30, the fixing means 41 comprise retraction means 42 such as hinges that are fixed directly or indirectly to the main gate 30; these retraction means 42 projecting from the main gate are positioned opposite to the retraction means 31 of the main gate 30.

(33) More particularly, in this example, the retraction means 42 are positioned as close as possible to the edge 30a of the main gate 30 that is opposite to the edge 30b to which the retraction means 31 of the main gate 30 are fixed.

(34) In the example described here, the small gate 40 is position substantially at the centre of the main gate 30.

(35) As illustrated in FIG. 5a, in this example, the small gate 40 comprises a pair of arms 44 extending radially as far as the edge 30a of the main gate 30. These arms 44 thus form a pivot articulation with the retraction means 42 to enable the main gate 30 to be opened and closed.

(36) Thus, by virtue of this configuration, the kinematics relating to the opening and closing of the small gate 41 is a mirror of the kinematics relating to the opening and closing of the main gate.

(37) In this example, the retraction means 42 of the small gate are composed of two hinges.

(38) In this example, the fixing means 41 further comprise a locking mechanism 43 coupled to the retraction means 42 and comprising a hook that can be actuated by a lever to enable the small gate 40 to be locked in the closed position.

(39) In this example, an operator wishing to open the small gate 40 merely needs to unlock the mechanism 43 by actuating the lever. Because of the configuration described above, the small gate 40 is opened simply: the hydraulic actuators 21-21 integrated in the small gate 40 in fact enable the small gate to be opened sufficiently to afford complete access to the cylinders 12 and/or 13.

(40) FIGS. 6a to 6c depict an alternative to the example embodiment in FIGS. 5a to 5c.

(41) In this second advantageous example embodiment, the rolling mill 100 has features common with the embodiment in FIGS. 5a to 5c.

(42) Thus the rolling mill according to these FIGS. 6a to 6c is a twenty-cylinder rolling mill of the Sendzimir type, which comprises in the same way: a rolling-mill stand 10 containing twenty cylinders; a main gate 30 affording access to all these cylinders, and a removable small gate 40 which, in the closed position, is securely fixed to the main gate 30 by fixing means 41.

(43) In this alternative example, as illustrated in FIG. 6b, the fixing means 41 consist of a set of four fixing clamps 45 positioned at the four corners of the small gate and configured so that the small gate 40 is able to be temporarily disconnected from the main gate 30.

(44) Thus, in this example and as illustrated in FIG. 6a, during the rolling and before opening the small gate 40, the operator positions a carriage 50 close to the small gate 40. When the small gate is opened, he disengages the clamps 45 in order to disconnect the small gate 40 from the main gate 30.

(45) As illustrated in FIG. 6b, the carriage 50 has a pair of rails 51 on which, when the small gate 40 is disconnected from the main gate 30, the small gate 40 can translate as far as a stop 52 in order to reach the open position PO.

(46) In this position PO, the operator can easily access the working cylinders 12 and the intermediate cylinders 13.

(47) As illustrated in FIG. 6c, once in the open position PO, the operator can actuate the height-adjustment means 53 in order to adjust the height of the conveyor belt 54 so as to allow removal of the working cylinders 12 and/or the intermediate cylinders 13 required. Thus, by virtue of this configuration, the operator can easily perform his maintenance operation on the cylinders by removing these cylinders from the rolling-mill stand.

(48) As indicated previously in the present description, the extraction of these cylinders can be facilitated by a clamp especially adapted for this purpose and making it possible to extract one or more cylinders by opening the small gate.

(49) Once the cylinders have been brought out, he can re-introduce the (new) cylinders 12 and/or 13 in the stand 10 (or replace them) and close the small gate 40 again by means of the reverse operations.

(50) He can then move the carriage 50 away in order to leave clear the space around the rolling mill 100 to enable the main gate 30 to be opened. Preferably, the carriage slides on rails embedded in the floor (not shown here).

(51) FIG. 7 depicts a variant embodiment in which, alternatively, the main gate 30 is able to be temporarily disconnected from the stand of the rolling mill 100. This variant can be adapted in particular to the second example embodiment described above.

(52) In this variant, the main gate is fixed to the stand of the rolling mill 100 by fixing means allowing secure temporary fixing of the main gate to the stand of the rolling mill. This variant is advantageous for allowing good access to all the cylinders when the main gate is in the open position as illustrated in FIG. 7.

(53) In another advantageous embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8a and 8b, provision is made for the small gate 40 to have a width substantially less than the width of the main gate 30. Here, as can be seen in FIG. 8b, the opening formed in the main gate 30 that affords access to the cylinders 12 and 13 is wide; the gate 30 in the closed position PF coves this opening.

(54) In this embodiment, the small gate 40 has fixing means 41 that are mounted directly on the rolling-mill stand 10.

(55) Thus, in this embodiment, the small gate 40 in the closed position PF is firmly fixed no longer to the main gate 30, but to the rolling-mill stand 10, which avoids in particular the main gate 30 being subject to the forces exerted by the weight of the small gate 40.

(56) This embodiment can be combined with the previous embodiment. Thus it is possible to provide for the main gate 30 to be supported by the cylinder-change carriage.

(57) In this example, the main gate 30 is sandwiched between the small gate 40 and the stand 10 when the small gate 40 is closed. This embodiment is particularly advantageous since it avoids the use of hydraulic means for closing the main gate.

(58) A person skilled in the art will understand here that this alternative comprises all the elements described for the other embodiments with the exception of the fixing means 41, which differ here because these means 41 are arranged so as to securely fix the small gate 40 in the closed position to the rolling-mill stand 10.

(59) Thus the rolling mill described according to the various example embodiments above makes it possible through its various technical, structural and functional features to remedy the drawbacks identified in the prior art.

(60) It should be noted that this detailed description relates to particular example embodiments of the present invention but that under no circumstances does this description have any limitative character with respect to the subject matter of the invention. Quite the contrary, its objective is removing any lack of precision or faulty interpretation of the following claims.