Rod switching apparatus

Claim 1

A SWITCHING MEANS FOR DIRECTING MOVING ROD TO A PLURALITY OF LAYING REELS IN A ROLLING MILL IN WHICH THE TIME OF CLEARING A SINGLE LAYING REEL COMPARED WITH THE COILING TIME REQUIRES THE USE OF THREE OR MORE LAYING REELS, SAID SWITCHING MEANS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: A ROTARY ROD SWITCH POSITIONED DOWNSTREAM FROM A DIVIDING SHEAR, SAID ROD SWITCH HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ROD RECEIVING PASSAGES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, SAID LOWER ROD RECEIVING PASSAGE ALIGNED TO RECEIVE THE LEADING EDGE OF UNSHEARED ROD, SAID SHEAR WHEN ACTUATED DIRECTING THE SHEARED LEADING END OF THE NEXT ONCOMING ROD PORTION INTO SAID UPPER ROD RECEIVING PASSAGE WHILE THE PRECEDING ROD PORTION CONTINUES TO PASS THROUGH SAID LOWER ROD RECEIVING PASSAGE, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROD SWITCH IN ORDER TO REVERSE THE POSITIONS OF SAID PPER AND LOWER ROD RECEIVING PASSAGES; A CROP SWITCH POSITIONED AT SOME DISTANCE DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID ROTARY ROD SWITCH AND HAVING CROP SWITCHING PASSAGES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, CONNECTNG MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID ROTATABLE ROD SWITCH AND SAID CROP, SWITCH FOR PLACING THE DOWNSTREAM ENDS OF SAID ROD RECEIVING PASSAGES IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPSTREAM ENDS OF SAID CROP SWITCHING PASSAGES, MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY ADJUSTING THE DOWNSTREAM ENDS OF SAID CROP SWITCHING PASSAGES FROM A RAISED POSITION TO A LOWERED POSITION IN COMMUNICATION WITH A CROP RECEIVING DEVICE; A REEL SWITCH POSITION DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID CROP SWITCH AND HAVING REEL SWITCHING PASSAGES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, THE UPSTREAM ENDS OF SAID REEL SWITCHING PASSAGES IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE RAISED DOWNSTREAM ENDS OF SAID CROP SWITCHING PASSAGES, MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY ADJUSTING THE DOWNSTREAM ENDS OF SAID REEL SWITCHING PASSAGES IN ORDER TO DIRECT ROD PASSING THERETHROUGH TO ONE OF A PLURALITY OF LAYING REELS.