Frameless roll leveler, straightener and the like

Claim 2

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising a first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said second group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common supporting guideway for said first and said second roll supports, and means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports totally on said common supporting guideway so that only said common guideway is subjected to alternatingly positive and negative beam-loading forces along the length of said guideway and so that said beam-loading forces are confined totally to said guideway, said second roll supports supporting said second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common supporting guideway so that a workpiece can be inserted generally between said second rolls and said first rolls.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said first and said second supports are slidably mounted on said common supporting guideway for movement therealong in order to vary the pitch of said roll leveler and the like.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1 wherein at least one group of said first and said second group of supports are mounted on transverse adjustment means mounted on said common supporting guideway for varying the opening between said first and said second rolls.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 3 wherein said transverse adjustment means include at least one eccentric member rotatably mounted on shaft means forming part of said common supporting guideway.

Claim 6

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising the first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said second group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting such second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, at least one group of said first and said second group of supports being mounted on transverse adjustment means mounted on said common support structure for varying the opening between said first and said second rolls, said transverse adjustment means including at least one eccentric member rotatably mounted on shaft means forming part of said common support structure, and axial adjustment means coupled to the rolls of at least one of said roll groups and to the associated supports for adjusting said rolls axially to compensate for angular displacement of said eccentrics.

Claim 7

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising the first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said second group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting such second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, at least one group of said first and said second group of supports being mounted on transverse adjustment means mounted on said common support structure for varying the opening between said first and said second rolls, said transverse adjustment means including at least one eccentric member rotatably mounted on shaft means forming part of said common support structure, and axial adjustment means coupled to the rolls of at least one of said roll groups and to the associated supports for adjusting said rolls axially to compensate for angular displacement of said eccentrics.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 2 wherein individual drive mechanisms are coupled respectively to said slidable supports for individually driving each of said slidable supports along said common supporting guideway.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 6 wherein threaded rod means are extending along the length of said common supporting guideway for cooperative engagement by said drive mechanisms to effect movements of said slidable supports.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 6 wherein said drive mechanisms are mounted on slide blocks slidably engaged with slideway means extending along the length of said common supporting guideway.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 8 wherein said slide blocks are slidably coupled to said slidable supports respectively for movement thereof along said common supporting guideway in avoidance of the bending and other loads of said roll supports.

Claim 12

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising a first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said second group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting said second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, at least some of said first and said second supports being slidably mounted on said common support structure for movement therealong in order to vary the pitch of said roll leveler and the like, and said common support structure including a pair of spacedly parallel shafts and means for supporting said shafts only at their ends, each of said slidable supports being slidably mounted on both of said shafts.

Claim 13

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising a first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said second group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting said second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, at least some of said first and said second supports being slidably mounted on said common support structure for movement therealong in order to vary the pitch of said roll leveler and the like, and said common support structure including a pair of spacedly parallel shafts and means for supporting said shafts only at their ends, each of said slidable supports being slidably mounted on both of said shafts.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 10 wherein a pair of threaded rods are disposed in spaced parallelism with said shafts respectively and are likewise supported at their ends by said support means, driving mechanisms are coupled respectively to said slidable supports, each of said driving mechanisms being threadedly engaged with both of said threaded rods for moving said driving mechanisms and said slidable supports along said common support structure.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 11 wherein each of said driving mechanisms is mounted on slideway means extending spacedly and generally parallel with said support shafts, said driving mechanisms being loosely coupled to said slidable supports respectively.

Claim 16

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising a first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said second group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting said second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, at least some of said first and said second supports being slidably mounted on said common support structure for movement therealong in order to vary the pitch of said roll leveler and the like, an endmost roll and its support being substantially fixedly mounted on said common support structure, and the remainder of said supports being slidably mounted on said support structure for movements in common directions toward and away from said fixed support.

Claim 17

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising a first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said second group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting said second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, at least some of said first and said second supports being slidably mounted on said common support structure for movement therealong in order to vary the pitch of said roll leveler and the like, an endmost roll and its support being substantially fixedly mounted on said common support structure, and the remainder of said supports being slidably mounted on said support structure for movements in common directions toward and away from said fixed support.

Claim 18

The combination according to claim 13 wherein a traveling roll and its support are slidably mounted on said common support structure for movements to positions intermediate the other endmost leveler roll and a delivery or entry structure of said roll leveler.

Claim 19

The combination according to claim 12 wherein each of said drive mechanisms includes a pair of drive blocks slidably engaging said slideway means, said threaded rods extending through apertures in said drive blocks respectively.

Claim 20

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said second supports have a necked down portion for closely fitting insertion and passage between an adjacent pair of said first supports.

Claim 21

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising a first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said seconD group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, and means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting said second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, said common support structure including an elongated beam arrangement supported only at its ends.

Claim 22

A frameless roll leveler and the like comprising a first group of leveler rolls, a second group of leveler rolls, a first group of roll supports, a second group of roll supports, means for rotatably mounting said first group of rolls on said first group of supports respectively and for rotatably mounting said seconD group of rolls on said second group of roll supports respectively, a common support structure for said first and said second roll supports, and means for alternately and individually mounting said first and said second roll supports on said common support structure, said second roll supports supporting said second rolls outwardly of said first rolls relative to said common support structure, said common support structure including an elongated beam arrangement supported only at its ends.

Claim 23

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said common supporting guideway includes a pair of spacedly parallel members, and each of said first and second supports being mounted on both of said members.

Claim 24

The combination according to claim 18 wherein at least some of said first and said second supports are slidably mounted on both of said members for varying the pitch of said roll leveler and the like.