Selectively insulated mill roll

Claim 1

A mill roll assembly comprising a substantially solid cylinder, a pair of annular bushings, a pair of closure collars, a plurality of annular gaskets, and means for sealingly securing said collars and gaskets to said cylinder, said cylinder comprising a core portion having a right circular cylindrical surface, and a shoulder of reduced diameter on each end of said cylinder, said cylinder also having an axially extending manifold disposed centrally in each end, a plurality of holes in each end which holes extend substantially radially intermediate each said manifold and the adjacent said shoulder, a longitudinally extending annular channel disposed in each end of said cylinder radially outwardly from said shoulders, and a plurality of parallel, circumferentially spaced passageways disposed subjacent said cylindrical surface and extending longitudinally of said cylinder intermediate said channels, said cylindrical surface comprising a cylindrical working zone intermediate cylindrical nonworking end zones, said cylinder further comprising an annular-shape end portion defined inTermediate each said non-working end zone and the radially outwardly disposed surface of the adjacent said channel, said bushings being configured to be press fit into said channels and provided with a longitudinally extending hole in registration with each said passageway so that coolant cannot flow through said channels except through said holes in said bushings, said collars and said gaskets being configured to define annular manifolds for sealingly interconnecting said radial holes with said passageays through said bushings when sealingly secured with said means to said cylinder adjacent said shoulders whereby coolant can be conducted through said assembly via said manifolds, said holes, and said passageways to virtually sheath the core portion of said cylinder disposed radially inwardly of said passageways and to remove heat from the cylinder which heat is generated on said working surface during milling, said collars and said gaskets being sealingly secured to said cylinder by said means with one of said gaskets disposed intermediate each said annular-shape end portion of said cylinder and the adjacent said collar to insulate said end portions from said collars, said bushings and said gaskets being further configured to also insulate said end portions from coolant being circulated through said assembly, said gaskets being composed of material of sufficiently low thermal conductivity to virtually preclude longitudinal heat flow through said annular-shape end portions of said cylinder, and said bushings being composed of material of sufficiently low thermal conductivity to substantially preclude radial heat flow from said annular-shape end portions of said cylinder, whereby said annular-shape end portions of said cylinder are not overaffected by coolant being conducted through said assembly for the purpose of controlling the temperature of said working surface.