Apparatus for a multihead rolling unit arranged to enable the rapid removal and replacement of said unit

Claim 1

An apparatus for multihead rolling units, comprising a fixed framework, a plurality of substantially horizontal guides, each unit being releasably mounted on a pair of said guides, a lubricating and cooling fluid distributor, arranged on said framework, adjacent to each unit, and means for discharging said lubricating and cooling fluid, each adjacent to said units, each distributor having at least one duct hole for the lubricating fluid and one duct hole for the cooling fluid, connected to lubricating and cooling fluid supplies, a top body on each unit for cooperation with said distributor, means, on each unit, for the rapid connection of said top body with said distributor, and of said unit with said discharging means, respectively, to cause communication for the lubricating and cooling fluid through said unit, and means for displacing said unit on said guides, wherein, according to the improvement, said means for the rapid connection of said top body with said distributor comprises a nozzle projection for the lubricating and for the cooling liquid, respectively, communicating with the internal lubricating and cooling means of each unit, respectively, a first hollow sleeve member arranged rigidly inside each of said duct holes of said distributor and defining at its end internal to said distributor a chamber communicating with said fluid supplies, a second hollow sleeve member, slidably mounted inside said first hollow sleeve member, and having lateral passage means near its end internal to said distributor, said second sleeve member being movable by said nozzle projection when said unit is approached to said distributor from an external position in which said lateral passage means are closed by said first hollow sleeve member into an internal position in which said lateral passage means are in communication with said chamber, resilient means being provided internally to said duct holes to cause said second sleeve member to be urged into said external position to close communication from said distributor to said units, and wherein said means for rapid connection of said units with said discharging means comprise an articulated pipe union having direct operation value means for closing the passage of fluid after disconnecting said pipe union at one of its ends.

Claim 2

An apparatus for multihead rolling units, comprising a fixed framework, a plurality of substantially horizontal guides, each unit being releasably mounted on a pair of said guides, a lubricating and cooling fluid distributor, arranged on said framework, adjacent to each unit, and means for discharging said lubricating and cooling fluid, each adjacent to said units, each distributor having at least one duct hole for the lubricating fluid and one duct hole for the cooling fluid, connected to lubricating and cooling fluid supplies, a top body on each unit for cooperation with said distributor, means, on each unit, for the rapid connection of said top body with said distributor, and of said unit with said discharging means, respectively, to cause communication for the lubricating and cooling fluid through said unit, and means for displacing said unit on said guides, wherein, according to the improvement, said means for the rapid connection of said top body with said distributor comprises a nozzle projection for the lubricating and for the cooling liquid, respectively, communicating with the internal lubricating and cooling means of each unit, respectively, a first hollow sleeve member arranged rigidly inside each of said duct holes of said distributor and defining at its end internal to said distributor a chamber communicating with said fluid supplies, a second hollow sleeve member, slidably mounted inside said first hollow sleeve member, and having lateral passage means near its end internal to said distributor, said second sleeve member being movable by said nozzle projection when said unit is approached to said distributor from an external position in which said lateral passage means are closed by said first hollow sleeve member into an internal position in which said lateral passage means are in communication with said chamber, resilient means being provided internally to said duct holes to cause said second sleeve member to be urged into said external position to close communication from said distributor to said units, and wherein said means for rapid connection of said units with said discharging means comprise an articulated pipe union having direct operation value means for closing the passage of fluid after disconnecting said pipe union at one of its ends.