Method of and apparatus for measuring the distance between cooperating rollers of a rolling mill

Claim 1

A method of measuring the distance between cooperating rolls each having a roll neck of a rolling mill to thereby determine the size of the roller gap and the thickness of rolled sheet-like stock, comprising the steps of directly mounting a respective measuring probe at the roll neck of each of the cooperating rolls, fixedly mounting one of the measuring probes in a first housing on one of the roll necks and displaceably mounting the other of the measuring proves in a second housing on the other of the roll necks, introducing between both probes spacer elements during calibration of the probes for rolling foils, advancing the rolls towards one another and bringing such rolls into contact with one another with a predetermined contact pressure so as to produce a null roller gap, displacing the displaceable probe into its housing during contact of the rolls so that the displaceable and fixed probes bear against the space elements and upon contact with the spacer elements the displaceable probe assumes a defined reference position with respect to the fixed probe for the null roller gap, positionally fixing the displaceable probe, removing the spacer elements out of the operable region of the probes following the calibration operation, continuously measuring the changes in the spacing between the lengthwise axes of the cooperating rolls by means of the measuring probes, deriving from the measuring operation the distance between such cooperating rolls and in turn obtaining a measure of the thickness of the stock as it is rolled between such cooperating rolls at the rolling mill.

Claim 2

A method of measuring the distance between cooperating rolls each having a roll neck of a rolling mill to thereby determine the size of the roller gap and the thickness of rolled sheet-like stock, comprising the steps of directly mounting a respective measuring probe at the roll neck of each of the cooperating rolls, fixedly mounting one of the measuring probes in a first housing on one of the roll necks and displaceably mounting the other of the measuring proves in a second housing on the other of the roll necks, introducing between both probes spacer elements during calibration of the probes for rolling foils, advancing the rolls towards one another and bringing such rolls into contact with one another with a predetermined contact pressure so as to produce a null roller gap, displacing the displaceable probe into its housing during contact of the rolls so that the displaceable and fixed probes bear against the space elements and upon contact with the spacer elements the displaceable probe assumes a defined reference position with respect to the fixed probe for the null roller gap, positionally fixing the displaceable probe, removing the spacer elements out of the operable region of the probes following the calibration operation, continuously measuring the changes in the spacing between the lengthwise axes of the cooperating rolls by means of the measuring probes, deriving from the measuring operation the distance between such cooperating rolls and in turn obtaining a measure of the thickness of the stock as it is rolled between such cooperating rolls at the rolling mill.

Claim 3

An apparatus for measuring the distance between cooperating rolls each having a roll neck of a rolling miLl and thereby determining the thickness of processed sheet-like stock, comprising at least one pair of cooperating rolls forming therebetween a roller gap through which the stock is moved for rolling thereof, at least one test probe, mounting means mounted directly at a roll neck of the cooperating rolls for mounting said test probe between the roll necks, said mounting means comprising a substantially ring-shaped carrier support having a substantially bell-shaped housing portion for receiving the test probe, said substantially ring-shaped carrier support being composed of two parts which can be releasably clamped about the associated roll neck for detachably mounting thereat, means for generating a substantially uniform magnetic field which traverses said test probe, the density of said uniform magnetic field varying as the roller gap varies, said test probe monitoring the density variations of said uniform magnetic field in order to be able to determine changes in the distance between the lengthwise axes of the rolls.

Claim 4

An apparatus for measuring the distance between cooperating rolls each having a roll neck of a rolling miLl and thereby determining the thickness of processed sheet-like stock, comprising at least one pair of cooperating rolls forming therebetween a roller gap through which the stock is moved for rolling thereof, at least one test probe, mounting means mounted directly at a roll neck of the cooperating rolls for mounting said test probe between the roll necks, said mounting means comprising a substantially ring-shaped carrier support having a substantially bell-shaped housing portion for receiving the test probe, said substantially ring-shaped carrier support being composed of two parts which can be releasably clamped about the associated roll neck for detachably mounting thereat, means for generating a substantially uniform magnetic field which traverses said test probe, the density of said uniform magnetic field varying as the roller gap varies, said test probe monitoring the density variations of said uniform magnetic field in order to be able to determine changes in the distance between the lengthwise axes of the rolls.