US3685711A - Tension adjuster for slit metal sheets - Google Patents

Abstract

This device for adjusting the tension of an initially tensionless sheet consisting of a plurality of slit strips in a sheet-mill, so that the tension applied to said sheet is distributed in a manner substantially proportional to the width of each slit strip, the speeds of said slit strips differing slightly from one another.

Description

Umted States Patent 1 l 1 Gay [451 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] TENSION ADJUSTER FOR SLIT i [56] References Cited METAL SHEETS UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor 21 3,386,679 6/1968 Foulon et a1 ..226/195 x 2,292,851 I 8/1942 Tykal ..226/ 185 X [73] Assignee: Compagnie des Ateliers et Forges de 3,468,494 9/1969 Gaudin ..242/75.2 la Loire, Paris, France 3,111,285 11/1963 =Coker et a1. ..226/ 195 X 3,547,332 12/1970 Gaudin ..242/75.2

[22] Filed: Sept 1970 Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles [21] Appl. No.: 70,067 Attorney- Wehderoth, Lind, & Ponack [52] US. Cl. ..226/l9l, 226/195, 242/752, I [57] CT 242/562 This device for adjusting the tension of an initially ten- 51 Int. Cl. ..B65h 23/18 sionless sheet consisting of a plurality of slit strips ina 5 Fi f Search 22 95, 90 191 192 193 sheet-mill, so that the tension applied to said sheet is distributed in a manner substantially proportional to the width of each slit strip, the speeds of said slit strips f differing slightly from one another.

5 Clains, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED M1922 1972 SHEET 1 OF 3 PIERRE ANDRE GAY, I

Inventor llllluflh Attorneys PATENTEU 3.685, 71 l saw 3 0F 3 i PIERRE. HTDPE. GAY, v

Attorneys TENSION ADJUSTER FOR SLIT METAL SHEETS This invention relates to slitting machines or slit lines of the type used for slitting sheet-mill products into narrow strips suitable for making miscellaneous articles, v

and has specific reference to improved means for regulating the value and distribution of tension of an initially tensionless sheet consisting of a plurality of. slit strips. r

It is known that the function of a slit line is to slit a relatively wide sheet or strip into a plurality of narrow strips. This line comprises essentially an unrolling unit for uncoiling the continuous wide sheet, shear means for cutting this sheet into a plurality of narrow strips, and other means for coiling up the slit strips.

A hitherto unsolved problem arising in these slit lines is the proper coiling of slit strips. 7

In fact, before the slitting operation the sheet is neither perfectly flat, nor of strictly uniform thickness. As a result, the slit strips have neither constant lengths nor constant thickness.

Furthermore, to perform a satisfactory slitting operation the tractive efforts exerted on the slit strips must be kept at avery low value just downstream of the shearing means.

The problem of coiling slit strips is equivalent to the problem of coiling a plurality of unstressed strips having slightly different thicknesses, which travel at slightly different speeds (these speed variations being due to variations in length caused in turn by the insufficient flatness of the initial wide sheet or strip) and have to be coiled under tension. In fact, a coil must compulsorily be formed under a certain stress in order to obtain a proper shape thereof and to avoid the relative slipof its turns during the subsequent uncoiling thereof.

This invention is therefore concerned primarily with tension adjustment means adapted to exert on an initially unstressed sheet consisting of a plurality of slit strips a tension which is distributed in a manner substantially proportional to the width of each slit strip, the

A typical form of embodiment of a tension adjuster I according to this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the attached drawings in which FIG. 1 illustrates the pair of guide rolls;

FIG. 2 illustrates the pairr of braking rolls;

FIG. 3 illustrates the tension adjuster in the slitting line.

As illustrated in FIG. I, the guide rolls consist of a pair of shafts 1 2 mounted in bearings 3 and 4 respectively.

A series of rings 5 formed with relatively deep notches 6 are slipped on shaft 1, and adapted to be set in a variable position on said shaft 1 to which they are secured by set screws 7.

Other rings 8 each provided with a disk 9 engaging one of said notches 6 are slipped on the other shaft 2.

Thus, passages of adjustable width and each adapted to guide a slit strip are formed between the guide rolls.

A typical slit strip is designated by the reference numeral 10.

adapted to be rotated about the axis of said pivot 12 by a fluid-actuated cylinder 13.

The pair of braking rolls illustrated in FIG. 2 com prises a pair of shafts l4, 15 carried by bearings l6, 17

: respectively.

A series of different and alternating rings 18. 19 are stacked on these shafts l4, l5. Rings 18 are locked against rotation on shafts 14, 15 by suitable key means. but adapted to slide axially therealong. These rings 18 are locked in relation to the relevant shaft by a key groove 20 formed in this shaft. The other rings 19 are free to rotate and move axially in relation to the shaft. These rings may advantageously be coated with resilient material such as rubber on their outer surface. The ring stacking is compressed between a fixed abutment 21 and amovable abutment22 constituting the piston of afluid-actuated cylinder 23.

The braking rolls are so driven that their peripheral speed is slightly inferior to that of the strip. They can be urged towards each other by another fluid-actuated.

' with a tension adjuster according to this invention.

After slitting the initial sheet the slit strips 'are coiled by a coiling machine 25 pulling these strips through the device of the present invention by extracting them from a loop pit 26.

What I claim is:

l. A device for adjusting the tension of slit strips comprising on the one hand a pair of guide rolls having shafts, one of said rolls comprising rings secured in an adjustable position on its shaft, said rings having radial notches formed therein, the other of said rolls comprising rings slipped on its shaft each provided with a disk coacting with one of said notches of said first named roll, the gap left between said two rolls having the shape of a sequence of rectangles constituting the cross-sectional contours of the slit strips, said rolls being driven to have a substantially zero relative speed in relation to the strip and, on the other hand a pair of braking rolls comprising a series of stacked rings, which are friction driven independently of each other from a shaft rotatably driven at a speed so that if the rings do not slip on their friction surfaces their peripheral speed is inferior to the strip speed.

2. A device for adjusting the tension of slit strips comprising a pair of guide rolls provided with adapters capable of giving to the gap left between said two rolls substantially the shape of a sequence of rectangles reproducing the succession of rectangles constituting the cross-sectional contours of the slit strips, said rolls move axially, and a second series of rings alternating with said first series of rings adapted to rotate and move axially in relation to their shaft.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said braking rolls are pressed against each other by a fluid-actuated cylinder.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein fluid-actuated cylinders are connected to said stacked rings to adjust the braking force.

Claims (5)

1. A device for adjusting the tension of slit strips comprising on the one hand a pair of guide rolls having shafts, one of said rolls comprising rings secured in an adjustable position on its shaft, said rings having radial notches formed therein, the other of said rolls comprising rings slipped on its shaft each provided with a disk coacting with one of said notches of said first named roll, the gap left between said two rolls having the shape of a sequence of rectangles constituting the cross-sectional contours of the slit strips, said rolls being driven to have a substantially zero relative speed in relation to the strip and, on the other hand a pair of braking rolls comprising a series of stacked rings, which are friction driven independently of each other from a shaft rotatably driven at a speed so that if the rings do not slip on their friction surfaces their peripheral speed is inferior to the strip speed.

2. A device for adjusting the tension of slit strips comprising a pair of guide rolls provided with adapters capable of giving to the gap left between said two rolls substantially the shape of a sequence of rectangles reproducing the succession of rectangles constituting the cross-sectional contours of the slit strips, said rolls being driven to have a substantially zero relative speed in relation to the strip and a pair of braking rolls having a series of stacked rings frictionally driven independently of each other from a shaft rotatably driven at a speed so that if the rings do not slip on their friction surfaces their peripheral speed is inferior to the strip speed.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said stacked rings comprise a first series of rings stacked oN their shafts rotatably driven therefrom but adapted to move axially, and a second series of rings alternating with said first series of rings adapted to rotate and move axially in relation to their shaft.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said braking rolls are pressed against each other by a fluid-actuated cylinder.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein fluid-actuated cylinders are connected to said stacked rings to adjust the braking force.

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