Rolling mill force measuring apparatus

Claim 2

Roll force measuring apparatus for a rolling mill stand having a pair of frames with spaced apart posts adapted to movably constrain rolls operatively associated with a workpiece, said mill stand including means reacting against said posts for applying a working force to said rolls, said measuring apparatus comprising: a. first and second strain gage means each adapted to be mounted on opposing strain sites on a predetermined post of each said pair of frames b. measuring circuit means connected to said first and second strain gage means for producing an output signal proportional to the sum of post strains as a function of total roll force, said measuring circuit means including first and second electronic circuit means connected to said first and second strain gage means, respectively, and adapted to automatically null said output signal in response to a strain gage means variation occurrable during the absence of a workpiece, said measuring circuit means including a third electronic circuit means selectively responsive to either one of said first or second strain gage means and operative on both said first and second electronic circuit means to maintain said ouTput signal null value at the magnitude occurring the instant the presence of a workpiece is detected, and c. circuit means for connecting said output signal to utilization means.

Claim 3

first and second constant current sources for energizing said first and second strain gage bridge circuits,

Claim 4

first and second constant current sources for energizing said first and second strain gage bridge circuits,

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 further including: d. means for utilizing said output signal to determine total roll force.

Claim 6

first and second amplifiers each having a bias input and a signal amplifying input, the latter input of said amplifiers being responsive to said first and second strain gage bridge circuits for producing first and second output signals, respectively,

Claim 7

first and second amplifiers each having a bias input and a signal amplifying input, the latter input of said amplifiers being responsive to said first and second strain gage bridge circuits for producing first and second output signals, respectively,

Claim 8

Roll force measuring apparatus for a rolling mill stand having a pair of frames with spaced apart posts adapted to movably constrain rolls operatively associated with a workpiece, said mill stand including means reacting against said frame posts for applying a working force to said rolls, said measuring apparatus comprising: a. strain gage means adapted to be mounted on opposing strain sites on a predetermined post of each said pair of frames, said strain gage means including a pair of semiconductor strain sensing elements circuited in a half-bridge at each strain site, each half-bridge on a given frame post being arranged with that of an opposing site to form a full-bridge circuit responsive to the strain present at opposing strain sites on said given frame post, whereby said strain gage means provides first and second strain-responsive circuits associated with said pair of frames, b. measuring circuit means connected to said first and second strain responsive circuits of means (a) for producing an output signal proportional to post strain as a function of roll force, said measuring circuit comprising:

Claim 9

Roll force measuring apparatus for a rolling mill stand having a pair of frames with spaced apart posts adapted to movably constrain rolls operatively associated with a workpiece, said mill stand including means reacting against said frame posts for applying a working force to said rolls, said measuring apparatus comprising: a. strain gage means adapted to be mounted on opposing strain sites on a predetermined post of each said pair of frames, said strain gage means including a pair of semiconductor strain sensing elements circuited in a half-bridge at each strain site, each half-bridge on a given frame post being arranged with that of an opposing site to form a full-bridge circuit responsive to the strain present at opposing strain sites on said given frame post, whereby said strain gage means provides first and second strain-responsive circuits associated with said pair of frames, b. measuring circuit means connected to said first and second strain responsive circuits of means (a) for producing an output signal proportional to post strain as a function of roll force, said measuring circuit comprising:

Claim 10

Roll force measuring apparatus comprising: a. a rolling mill stand having a pair of frames with spaced apart posts adapted to movably constrain rolls operatively associated with a workpiece, said mill stand including means reacting against said frame posts for applying a working force to said rolls, b. first and second strain gage means each adapted to be mounted on opposing strain sites on a predetermined post of each said pair of frames, c. measuring circuit means connected to said first and second strain gage means for producing an output signal proportional to the sum of post strains as a function of total roll force, said measuring circuit means including a first and second electronic circuit means connEcted to said first and second strain gage means, respectively, and adapted to automatically null said output signal in response to a strain gage means variation occurrable during the absence of a workpiece, said measuring circuit means including a third electronic circuit means selectively responsive to either one of said first or second strain gage means and operative on both said first and second electronic circuit means to maintain said output signal null value at the magnitude occurring the instant the presence of a workpiece is detected, d. circuit means for connecting said output signal to utilization means, and e. means for utilizing said output signal to determine total roll force.

Claim 11

Roll force measuring apparatus comprising: a. a rolling mill stand having a pair of frames with spaced apart posts adapted to movably constrain rolls operatively associated with a workpiece, said mill stand including means reacting against said frame posts for applying a working force to said rolls, b. first and second strain gage means each adapted to be mounted on opposing strain sites on a predetermined post of each said pair of frames, c. measuring circuit means connected to said first and second strain gage means for producing an output signal proportional to the sum of post strains as a function of total roll force, said measuring circuit means including a first and second electronic circuit means connEcted to said first and second strain gage means, respectively, and adapted to automatically null said output signal in response to a strain gage means variation occurrable during the absence of a workpiece, said measuring circuit means including a third electronic circuit means selectively responsive to either one of said first or second strain gage means and operative on both said first and second electronic circuit means to maintain said output signal null value at the magnitude occurring the instant the presence of a workpiece is detected, d. circuit means for connecting said output signal to utilization means, and e. means for utilizing said output signal to determine total roll force.

Claim 12

first and second switchable integrators each having a switching input and a signal integrating input, the latter input of said integrators being responsive to said first and second output signals for producing the respective bias input signals for said first and second amplifiers in such manner as to independently and automatically null the first and second output signals, respectively, said nulling function occurring during the absence of an integrator switching input signal which corresponds to the absence of said workpiece,

Claim 13

first and second switchable integrators each having a switching input and a signal integrating input, the latter input of said integrators being responsive to said first and second output signals for producing the respective bias input signals for said first and second amplifiers in such manner as to independently and automatically null the first and second output signals, respectively, said nulling function occurring during the absence of an integrator switching input signal which corresponds to the absence of said workpiece,

Claim 14

a level detector responsive to one of said first or second output signals for producing the switching signal for said first and second integrators so as to maintain said first and second output signal null values at their respective magnitudes which occur the instant the presence of a workpiece is detected, the presence of said switching signal corresponding to the presence of said workpiece, and

Claim 15

a level detector responsive to one of said first or second output signals for producing the switching signal for said first and second integrators so as to maintain said first and second output signal null values at their respective magnitudes which occur the instant the presence of a workpiece is detected, the presence of said switching signal corresponding to the presence of said workpiece, and

Claim 16

a third amplifier for summing the first and second output signals so as to produce a summed output signal, c. circuit means for preferably connecting said summed output signal to utilization means, or alternatively, connecting either of said first or second output signals thereto, and d. means for utilizing either said first, second or summed output signals to determine roll force.

Claim 17

a third amplifier for summing the first and second output signals so as to produce a summed output signal, c. circuit means for preferably connecting said summed output signal to utilization means, or alternatively, connecting either of said first or second output signals thereto, and d. means for utilizing either said first, second or summed output signals to determine roll force.