US2565928A - Rolling mill - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1951 J. M. O'MALLEY ROLLING MILL Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1946 All!!! 1 ff I V. E L L N0 5. M m w J I r w A T RNEY Aug. 28, 1951 J. M O'MALLEY 2,565,928

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 19, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 l- L L/- Aug. 28, 1951 J. M. OMALLEY 2,565,928

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VE N TOR J0$EPH M. OLMALLEY g- 1951 J. M. O'MALLEY 2,565,928

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 o o I 45 45 1 Il 1T m f 62 H 43 43 H l 1' J T N Z6 Z6 25 J SEPH M. O'MALLEY BY QM W r4770? EY.

F 7 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 28, 1951 ROLLING MILL Joseph M. O'Malley, Worcester, Mass., asaignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a eorporationot Massachusetts Application February 19, 1946, Serial No. 848,701

Claims. (01. 30 -55,)

This invention relates to rolling mills of the type having a pair of vertical rolls for rolling metal bars which travel in a substantially horizontal path between the rolls, and more particularly to a construction and arrangement of parts which will facilitate the removal and replacement of the rolls.

The handling of rolls in connection with a large rolling mill presents a diflicultproblem, and this is particularly true in mills having gearing located above the rolls and arranged to drive the rolls from their upper ends. The weight of each roll is so great than an overhead crane must be employed for roll-handling purposes, yet the gearing prevents removal of the rolls by direct upward movement unless the gearing itself is first removed. This of course is expensive and time-consuming. The roll neck bearings in a large mill are also very heavy, and they further complicate the problem of roll handling.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a vertical rolling mill so constructed and arranged as to greatly facilitate the re-- moval and replacement of the rolls. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rolling mill having vertical rolls driven by gearing at their upper ends, the construction being such that the rolls may be removed and replaced in an expeditious manner without dis-' Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a section through a vertical rolling mill, the section being taken principally in the plane of the roll axes, the bearing chocks for the left-hand roll being sectioned in a laterallyoif--- 2 handling apparatus, capable of handling both rolls simultaneously;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the mill, partially broken away, showing the apparatus of Fig. 6 in position to remove the rolls; and Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the mill, showing both rolls in the process of removal.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a pair of separate roll housings l0 each 01' which supports upper and lower bearings or chocks ll having vertically aligned bores for the reception of the necks 01' a vertical roll l2. The two rolls I2 are located in laterally adjacent positions. As best shown in Fig. 3, the housings provide a laterally open pocket II for each chock II, the

sulting from the rolling pressure, i'our transverse horizontal tension bars l8 are provided. There are two of these bars at each side or the housings, one above the other, and they are firmly connected to the right-hand housing. The left ends of the bars are connected .by yokes (not shown) which carry horizontal screws l9 (Fig. 1) in engagement with the left-hand housing.

Power transmitting mechanism is provided to drive the rolls I2. For this purpose a vertical shaft 2| (Fig. 1) is rotatably supported in each housing, in a position adjacent the outer side of the corresponding roll. A bevel gear 22 is mounted on the lower end of each shaft and meshes with a bevel pinion 23, each gear and pinion being enclosed in a casing 25 carried by the housing l0 thereabove. Both the pinions 23 are slidably keyed, to a transverse horizontal drive shaft 26 which extends through both gear casings 25, this shaft being rotated by any suitable source of power.

The vertical shafts 2| are connected to the rolls to drive the same. As shown, a gear housand fitting within an internally splined coupling member 38 secured to the upper end of the corresponding shaft 2|. On the upper end of'each spindle 33 there is secured a head 31 multisplined externally and fitting within an internally splined coupling member 38 attached to the upwardly projecting hollow shaft of the gear 29. Each driven gear 30 is of hollow construction to provide a central longitudinal borev or passage 40 therethrough for the reception of a vertical spindle 4|. The lower end of this spindle is formed with a head 42 which is multisplined externally to provide a telescopicv driving connection with a coupling member or sleeve 43 mounted on the wabbler |5 therebeneath. On

the upper end of each spindle 4| there is secured a head 45 multi-splined externally and fitting within an internally splined coupling member 46 attached to the upwardly projecting shaft of the gear 30. The several splined or fluted joints are made with suflicient looseness to permit the spindles 33 and 4| to serve as universal spindles which will transmit ower in a proper manner and without. binding despite slight misalignment of the driving gears 29 with respect to the shafts 2| or of the driven gears 30 with respect to the rolls l2.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the left-hand spindle 2| has been raised to withdraw the head 42 from the coupling member 43 and the head from the coupling member 46. By turntheir upper ends, so that a crane or hoist may be employed for the purpose. In this manner the gearing may be disconnected from the rolls, so

that each roll I! with its associated bearing chocks H -and couplin member 43 may be removed as a unit assembly from the housing.

In order to facilitate the handling of each roll assembly there is provided a roll handling apparatus arranged to be suspended from anoverhead crane or the like. In Fig. 5 there is shown one suitable form of roll handling apparatus 49 comprising two spaced uprights 50 from which four parallel bars or fingers 5| project horizontally. These fingers are arranged in two vertically spaced pairs. On the outer end of each finger there is formed an upwardly projecting lug 53. Two horizontal struts 54 are provided to hold the uprights 5|! in the proper spaced relationship, these struts being located between the inner ends of the respective pairs of fingers. The uprights 50 extend for a considerable distance upwardly above the upper pair of fingers, and their upper ends are brought inwardly toward one another to engage the opposite sides of a bar 55 which extends horizontally in the same direction as the fingers 5|. This bar 55 is provided with an open- 4 ing 55 therethrough which lies substantially in a common vertical plane with the finger lugs 53.

The various parts or this apparatus 48 are iastened together by welding or other suitable means. 7

The roll neck bearing chocks i I are constructed and arranged for engagementwith the fingers 5| of the apparatus 45. For this purpose each chock is provided with two recesses or pockets 58 located on opposite sides of the roll axis and arranged to receive the fingers 5| (Figs. 1 and 3). These recesses open outwardly, toward the corresponding chock for the opposite roll, and the outer ends of the recesses are flared 0r bell-mouthed to facilitate the entrance of the fingers. The upper walls of the recesses 58 are slightly undercut near their inner ends, as shown in Fig. l, to receive the finger lugs 53. Preferably the two pairs of fingers 5| are spaced apart vertically a distance slightly 'exceeding'the vertical spacing of the recesses 58.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the above disclosure. The roll housings ill will be separated as i lustrated in Fig. 1, and the left-hand spindle M will be raised to disconnect it from thecoupling member 43 therebeneath. The apparatus 49 will then be suspended from the hook Ell of a suitable crane, lowered into the space between the roll housings, and then moved horizontally toward the lefthand roll l2 to bring the fingers 5| into the recesses 58 of the bearing chocks H. The apparatus will then be raised slightly until the upper chock rests upon the upper fingers 5i and the lower chock rests upon the lower fingers 5|, the weight of the roll I! and of the coupling member 43 being carried by the lower chock. The entire rolland bearing assembly may now be moved out-- wardly and upwardly as shown. in Fig. 2, until the lower chock is above the level of the upper bars l'8, whereupon it may be moved laterally between the gear housings 28. A new roll and bearing assembly may be placed in the mill by a reversal of this procedure. The gearing which drives the rolls need not be disturbed at all.

In Figs. 6 to 8 there is shown a modification of the invention, including an apparatus 62 arranged to handle both rolls simultaneously. This apparatus comprises two spaced uprights 63 which carry four parallelhorizontal cross-bars 54, arranged in two vertically spaced pairs. These bars 84 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the uprights, and each bar provides two oppositely projecting fingers, with an upwardly projecting lug 65 on theend of each finger. Two horizontal struts 61 are provided to hold the uprights 63 in the proper spaced relationship, these struts being located between the central portions of the respective pairs of bars 34. A vertical plate 68 extends between the upper portions of the uprights 63, this plate being shaped to provide a pair of oppositely'disposed hooks. 69. The various parts of the apparatus 62 are fastened together by welding or other suitable means.

The operation of this embodiment of the invention will be readily apparent. The roll housings Ill will be separated and both spindles 4| will be raised to disconnect them from the coupling members 43. The apparatus 62 will be suspended from the crane hook 60 by means of wire rope slings II which engage the-hooks 69. With the apparatus 62 lowered into position between the roll housings, the housings will be moved toward one another, causing the fingers 64 to enter the recesses-58 of the bearing chocks H, as

- is supported by the fingers 64, whereupon the roll housings will again be separated and the loaded apparatus 62 raised still further and carried away by the crane, as indicated in Fig. 8.

It will be recognized that the invention greatly facilitates the handling of rolls in a mill of the vertical type, and this is accomplished in such a manner that the roll-driving gears need not be disturbed. Since the roll neck bearings remain in place on the roll necks, the bearing surfaces are not exposed to dirt or possible injury.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

1. A rolling mill comprising a housing, and separate upper and lower roll neck bearings mounted on the housing and removable there from in a horizontal outward direction, the

bearings having vertically aligned bores adapted to receive the necks of a vertical roll, each of the bearings having two recesses therein extending inwardly from the outer face of the bearing at opposite sides of the corresponding bore and adapted to receive the projecting fingers of a roll handling apparatus.

6 2. A rolling mill as set forth in claim 1, in which the housing has two vertically spaced pockets therein opening horizontally outward,

the rollneck bearings being mounted in the pockets.

3. A rolling mill as set forth in claim 2, in which the sides of each pocket and bearing are correspondingly flared in the outward direction.

4. A rolling mill as set forth in claim 1, in which the recesses in the bearings are bellmouthed at their outer ends.

.5. A rolling mill as set forth inclaim 1, in which the upper walls of'the recesses are undercut near their inner ends.

JOSEPH M. OMALLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 693,104 Budke Feb. 11,1902 808,719 Bray Jan. 2, 1906 2,011,686 Mikaelson et al. Aug. 20, 1935 2,049,842 Kling Aug. 4, 1936

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