Roll changers

Claim 2

In a rolling mill having upper and lower work rolls defining a pass line, a mill housing having windows at each end, and upper and lower roll chocks having the ends of the said upper and lower work rolls, respectively journalled therein and adapted to be removably mounted in said housing windows; a cartridge means for supporting said work roll chocks during movement into and out of the mill housing including a pair of side leg means extending between said housing windows and having chock engaging members at each housing window, rail means extending horizontally between said housing windows for supporting said cartridge means within the mill housing, said cartridge means having wheel means mounted thereon and arranged to be supported on said rail means, said chock engaging members having portions movable into supporting engagement with each of said work roll chocks for supporting the same during movement of the cartridge into and out of the mill housing.

Claim 3

A rolling mill according to claim 1 in which said cartridge means includes a tie means interconnecting said leg means at one end thereof.

Claim 4

A rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said cartridge wheel means are rotatably mounted on the cartridge for a turning movement about a vertical axis from a position aligned with the direction of movement of the cartridge into and out of the mill to a position transverse thereto.

Claim 5

A rolling mill according to claim 1 including a roll changing platform adjacent one of said housing windows and having first rail means arranged to be aligned with said mill housing rail means for receiving said cartridge wheels therefrom, and means for moving said cartridge means between a position in the mill housing on said mill housing rail means and a position on said roll changing platform on said first rail means thereof.

Claim 6

A rolling mill according to claim 4 including means for lowering and raising said mill housing rail means between a lower position and a raised position, said cartridge means being constructed and arranged to position said upper work roll on said lower work roll in said lower position of said rail means, said chock engaging members having portions engaging said upper work roll chocks during the raising of said mill housing rail means from said lower position to said raised position to raise said upper work roll chocks above said lower work roll chocks into a predetermined separated condition, said mill housing rail means being aligned with said first rail means of said roll changing platform in said raised position thereof.

Claim 7

A rolling mill according to claim 5 wherein said cartridge wheel means are rotatably mounted on the cartridge for a rotating movement from a position aligned with the direction of movement of the cartridge into and out of the mill to a position transverse to such cartridge movement.

Claim 8

A rolling mill according to claim 6 wherein said roll changing platform includes a second rail means extending transversely to said first rail means and intersecting the same, said cartridge wheel means being constructed and arranged to be positioned at the intersections of said first and second rail means, means at the intersections of said first and second rail means for guiding said cartridge wheel means for movement along either said first and second rail means.

Claim 9

A rolling mill according to claim 7 wherein said wheel guide means includes a rail portion for supporting said cartridge wheel means at said intersections and means for rotating said rail portions to extend in alignment with either said first or said second rail means, said rail portions being constructed and arranged to engage said cartridge wheel means during said turning movement for rotating the same into alignment with either said first or second rail means.

Claim 10

A rolling mill according to claim 7 wherein said roll changing platform defines a roll changing station from which a cartridge means may be moved into and out of the mill housing, means defining a loading station alongside of said roll changing station including rail meaNs aligned with said second rail means of said roll changing platform for guiding the cartridge wheel means therealong from said loading station to said roll changing station by way of said second rail means and said loading station rail means.

Claim 11

A rolling mill according to claim 9 including means for pushing a cartridge means from said loading station onto said roll changing station.

Claim 12

A rolling mill according to claim 10 including a second cartridge means for supporting a second set of work roll chocks and including a pair of side leg means having chock engaging members and rotatable wheel means adapted to ride on said mill housing rail means, on said first and second roll changing rail means and on said loading station rail means, means on said second cartridge means adapted to contact a cartridge means positioned at said roll changing station with said second cartridge means positioned at said loading station and for pushing a cartridge sideways from said roll changing station when said second cartridge is moved from said loading station to said roll changing station by said pushing means.

Claim 13

In a rolling mill according to claim 1 having an upper back-up roll positioned above said upper work roll in said mill housing, a lower back-up roll positioned below said lower work roll in said mill housing, and upper and lower back-up roll chocks having the ends of said upper and lower work rolls, respectively, journalled therein; wherein said chock engaging members are constructed and arranged to be positioned between said upper and lower back-up roll chocks for supporting said upper back-up roll chocks on said lower back-up roll chocks with said chock-engaging means positioned therebetween.

Claim 14

In a rolling mill according to claim 5 wherein said means for moving said cartridge means from the mill housing to said roll changing platform comprises a hook means having a downwardly facing coupling opening, said cartridge means including means for coupling the same to said cartridge moving means, said coupling means including a member mounted on said cartridge means movable into coupling engagement with said hook means during the raising movement of said cartridge means.

Claim 15

A rolling mill according to claim 13 wherein said cartridge moving means includes a power operated cylinder having an actuator rod movable from an extended position whereat it is engageable with said coupling means of said cartridge means in the mill housing to a retracted position across the top of said roll changing platform whereby a cartridge means connected to said actuator rod during said movement will be pulled from the mill housing onto the roll changing platform.

Claim 16

In a rolling mill according to claim 4 wherein said cartridge moving means includes a push-pull chain means having a forward end movable from a position at one end of said roll changing platform whereat it is engageable with a cartridge means in the mill housing to a position at the other end of said roll changing platform, said movement of said chain means being across the roll changing platform parallel to said first rail means thereof whereby a cartridge means connected to the forward end of said chain means will be pulled from the mill housing onto the roll changing platform.

Claim 17

In a rolling mill according to claim 15 including means for guiding the forward end of said chain means and confining said chain means in a path parallel to said first rail means and means for driving said chain means through such movement thereof including a power driven sprocket means engaging said chain means.

Claim 18

In a rolling mill according to claim 15, means defining a slot extending across said roll changing platform and adapted to receive said forward end of said chain means during said movement across said platform, said slot intersecting said second rail means, rail portions located at said intersections of said slot and said second rail means for closing said slot to permit the passage of the cartridge wheels thereacross.

Claim 19

In a rolling mill according to claim 17 including means interlocking said slot closing rail means and said means for turning said rail portions for conjoint movement thereof.

Claim 20

In a rolling mill according to claim 12 having mill screws arranged to contact the upper portion of the upper back-up roll chocks; means for providing a clearance between a mill screw and an upper back-up roll chock including a cavity formed in the upper portion of the upper back-up roll chock beneath the mill screw, a spacer member mounted in said cavity and means for moving said spacer member from a position in said cavity beneath said mill screw to a position clear of said mill screw to permit upward movement of the upper back-up roll chocks relative to the mill screw with said mill screw moving into said cavities.

Claim 21

In a rolling mill according to claim 19 wherein each said cavity has an opening at one portion thereof, said spacer means being movable through said opening during movement thereof between said positions thereof.

Claim 22

In a rolling mill according to claim 19 wherein said cavity is enclosed at its sides and substantially larger than said mill screw at two end portions thereof, said spacer means being constructed of two members movable by said spacer moving means from a position beneath the mill screw to a position within said enlarged end portions of said cavity clear of said mill screw.

Claim 23

A rolling mill according to claim 2 wherein said cartridge means includes a second tie means interconnecting said leg means at the other end thereof from said one end, said portions of said chock engaging members which are movable into supporting engagement with said upper work roll chocks including members associated with said wheel means for movement upwardly relative to said cartridge means during a raising movement of said wheel means whereby said upper work roll chocks may be raised without raising the cartridge means.

Claim 24

A rolling mill according to claim 12 including power-operated means mounted in each of said chock engaging members of said cartridge means for movement upwardly into contact with the lower end portions of said upper back-up roll chocks for supporting the same.

Claim 25

A rolling mill according to claim 12 including means for holding the upper back-up roll chocks in said mill housing during a work roll change, said last-mentioned means including a pair of power-operated cylinder means mounted on the mill housing at each window thereof and having an actuator rod which has at its extended end a lug-engaging block, a lug member mounted on said upper back-up roll chocks adjacent said cylinder means and arranged to be engaged by said lug members when said actuator rod is extended whereby said upper back-up roll chock is supported on the mill housing by said cylinder means.

Claim 26

In a rolling mill having upper and lower work rolls defining a pass line, a mill housing having windows at each end, and upper and lower roll chocks having the ends of the said work rolls journalled therein and adapted to be removably mounted in said housing windows; means for supporting said work roll chocks during movement into and out of the mill housing, rail means extending horizontally between said housing windows for supporting said chock supporting means within the mill housing, said chock supporting means having wheel means mounted thereon and arranged to be supported on said rail means, said wheel means being rotatably mounted for rolling movement in the direction of movement of said chock supporting means into and out of the mill and in the direction transverse thereto, a roll changing platform adjacent one of said housing windows and having first rail means aligned with said mill housing rail means for receiving said wheel means therefrom, means for moving said chock supporting means from a position in the mill housing on said mill housing rail means to a position on said roll changing platform on said first rail means thereof, said roll changing platform including a second Rail means extending transversely to said first rail means and intersecting the same, said wheel means being constructed and arranged to be positioned at the intersections of said first and second rail means, and means at said intersections for guiding said wheel means for movement along either said first and second rail means.

Claim 27

In a rolling mill having upper and lower work rolls defining a pass line, a mill housing having windows at each end, and upper and lower roll chocks having the ends of the said work rolls journalled therein and adapted to be removably mounted in said housing windows; means for supporting said work roll chocks during movement into and out of the mill housing, rail means extending horizontally between said housing windows for supporting said chock supporting means within the mill housing, said chock supporting means having wheel means mounted thereon and arranged to be supported on said rail means, said wheel means being rotatably mounted for rolling movement in the direction of movement of said chock supporting means into and out of the mill and in the direction transverse thereto, a roll changing platform adjacent one of said housing windows and having first rail means aligned with said mill housing rail means for receiving said wheel means therefrom, means for moving said chock supporting means from a position in the mill housing on said mill housing rail means to a position on said roll changing platform on said first rail means thereof, said roll changing platform including a second Rail means extending transversely to said first rail means and intersecting the same, said wheel means being constructed and arranged to be positioned at the intersections of said first and second rail means, and means at said intersections for guiding said wheel means for movement along either said first and second rail means.

Claim 28

A rolling mill according to claim 25 wherein said wheel guide means includes a rail portion for supporting said wheel means at said intersections and means for rotating said rail portions to extend in alignment with either said first or said second rail means, said rail portions being constructed and arranged to engage said wheel means during said turning movement for rotating the same into alignment with either said first or second rail means.

Claim 29

A rolling mill according to claim 25 wherein said roll changing platform defines a roll changing station from which a chock supporting means may be moved into and out of the mill housing, means defining a loading station alongside of said roll changing station including rail means aligned with said second rail means of said roll changing platform for guiding said wheel means therealong from said loading station to said roll changing station by way of said second rail means and said loading station rail means.

Claim 30

A rolling mill according to claim 27 including means for pushing a cartridge means from said loading station onto said roll changing station.

Claim 31

A rolling mill according to claim 28 including a second chock supporting means for supporting a second set of work roll chocks and including rotatable wheel means adapted to ride on said mill housing rail means on said first and second rail means and on said loading station rail means, means on said second chock supporting means adapted to contact a chock supporting means positioned at said roll changing station with said second chock supporting means positioned at said loading station and for pushing a chock supporting means sideways from said roll changing station when said second chock supporting means is moved from said loading station to said roll changing station by said pushing means.

Claim 32

A rolling mill according to claim 1 in which said chock supporting portions of said chock engaging member are constructed and arranged to support said chocks in a predetermined separated condition.