US1611608A - Self-centering flexible rolling-mill coupling - Google Patents

Description

C. A. PSILANDER I SELF CENTERING FLEXIBLE ROLLING MILL COUPLING Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,608"

Filed y 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 21 1926.

C. A. PSILANDER SELF CENTERING FLEXIBLE ROLLING MILL COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 led May 28 1925 %.5.

gwuenhn 61/7. i/Zi/YDf/P Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. PSILANDER, F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HANS E. MELIN AND ONE-THIRD TO ARTHUR A. OLSON, BOTE OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

snnr-onnrnzame FLEXIBLE ROLLING-MILL COUPLING.

Application'filed May 28,.1125. Serial No. 33,540.

Rolling mill trains sufl'er the disadvantage that, dueto variable wear in the bearings, and other causes, the rolls. cannot be maintained in horizontal alinement. To offset 6 this it has been the practice for many, years to employ couplings between the rolls 51nd spindles with sufficient clearancewto compensate for dilferent roll levels and also for manufacturing faults. And, in order'to' main- 10 tainthe rolls and spindles in operating line, drags are usually provided at the ends of the mill train to hold the couplings tightv against their working surfaces and prevent them' from getting loose when the roll train stops or slows down.

The'drags bei-ng simply brakes, are in no case fullyeffective for the purpose intended. .In fact they are more or less of a handicap, because they: absorb alarge portion of the power, require cooling and other special maintenance and occupy considerable space. It has been proposed to employ springs between the ends of the spindles and the spindle ends of the couplings, to assist the. drags in overcoming the noise and play of the parts. While theoretically they may overcome the play between the couplings and the spindles, their eificiencydepends on anv ex-.

ternal ring for which there is usually no room at the roll end of the coupling. Hence. the ultimate result is support at one end only and but little improvement over the usual drags. Moreover, the proposed compensating means requires special spindles, special 85 couplings,- and special spring stretcher blocks, and if used commercially would necessitate a reconstruction to a greater or less degree of the standard roll train. The object of the present invention is to 40 overcome the faults and disadvantages stated, by providing a'self-compensating, flexible, and balanced coupling for rolling mill trains, wherein the standard roll receiving end, as well as the standard spindle receiving end are provided with compensating springs arranged withinjand carried wholly by the coupling, whereby the coupling becomes flexible and self-centering. The couplings, otherwise of standard form and construction, are recessed'from within to form spring housings in which springs are arranged to bear on the wabbler ends of the spindles and rolls, to maintain driving contact between the coupling and its connected part, without appreciable play, while at the same time end of a spring hanger 12, the opposite end Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved cou pling, the springs being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view showing how the springs may be retracted, as when removing or inserting a roll or spindle.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional detail.

The coupling 1, otherwise of standard form and construction, is adapted, as at ends 2, for the-reception of spindles 3 and roll necks 4. The coupling is recessed from the inner wall in line with the spindle and roll necks to form spring housings 5. v The bottom or transverse wall 6 of each housing 5,

is formed with a rectangular opening 7. A

heavy duty spring-8 is arranged in the housing inwardly of the wall 6, with the latter formingan outer bearing abutment for the spring. The other end of the spring is provided with a bearing abutment in the form .ofa skirted cap 9.- In Figs. 4 and 5, the cap has a'central threaded boss 11 to receive one no of which extends through and more or less corresponds in shape to the opening 7 in the wall 6. The spring hanger 12, beyond the wall. 6, is laterally extended-to form a shoulder 13, being further extended beyond such shoulder 13 to form a second shoulder 14. The outer or'free endof the spring hanger is formed with an opening 15, and 1n operative position the spring hanger plays through the opening 7, both shoulders being free. In Figs. 2 and 3, the s ring hanger 12 has pivotal connection wit lugs-11 of the cap or bearing member 9.

The spring. housings 5 in the couplings are formed so that the .caps of the springs at each end of the coupling bear on the spindle .end or'roll neck, as the-case may be, in the direction of drive in the operation of the train- That is to say, the cou pling drives and is driven through actual.

contact with the spindle end or roll neck,

wpre cisely as in standard installations, while neck, holding the coupling to its work in any position; preventing the constantly recurring loose relation between the coupling and spindle endor roll neck, particularly when starting and stopping. The springs serve to hold the couplings in comparatively tight relation, and thereby obviate, or at least materially reduce, noise, wear and backlash. Furthermore, in the usual type of mill, the use of couplings, such as described, will admit of the elimination of stretcher blocks and drags, and consequently the couplings and spindles necessary to the drags, thus saving the cost of such, as well as the power and maintenance necessary when drags are employed. I

- \Vhen it becomes necessary to remove a roll or spindle, a suitable bar or lever 16 is inserted in the eye or opening'15 of the spring hanger 12, and manipulated to compress the spring and thus withdraw its capped end or bearing element 9 from contact with the spindle end and roll neck. In

this relation, the shoulder 13 of the hangers will be forced to one side to cause said shoulder to bear on the wall 6, to hold the spring withdrawn. Of course, it will'be understood that all springsrhave to be withdrawn to permit thecoupling to be moved laterally over the spindle end, as required for the removal or insertion of a roll. To restore the coupling function the hangers are simply displaced laterally, to free the shoulder from the wall 6, whereupon the s rings will resume their operative position. I hen the couplingsare to be stored or held vready for use with the springs in inoperaplings being merely recessed from the inside to form the spring housings. There are no overhangs or projections and yet the rolls and spindles may be as easily withdrawn and coupled as in the ordinary or standard arrangement. The springs are always active, both when the train is operating and when it is at rest, and though serving to maintain a comparatively tight connection they are flexible and operate to fully and automatically compensate for any irregularity in the roll line.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

-1. A rolling mill coupling having self adjusting springs operating wholly within the effective coupling length of the coupling and bearing on the ends of the coupled element in the direction of the drive.

.2. A rolling mill coupling internally recessed to form spring housings, and springs free in said housings to bear on the ends of the coupled elements in the direction of the drive.

3. A rolling mill coupling having inner recesses forming spring housings, springs free in said housings to exert pressure in wardly oi the coupling, and means to hold the springs against such freedom.

4. A" rolling mill coupling having inner recesses forming housings, springs in said housings and normally free to exert pressure inwardly of the coupling, and means for retracting the springs.

5. A rolling mill coupling internally recessed to form spring housings, springs in said housings,spring hangers extending to the outer surface of the coupling, and means for holding them in a predetermined position against the tension of the springs.

6.-In-combination, a spindle, a roll, and means for coupling-them, said, means comprising a floating coupling box, and springs within the coupling box for centering it.

7. In, combination, a spindle, a roll, and

means for coupling them, said means com prising a floating coupling box, springs for centering the box, and adjustable hangers for the springs.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES A. PSILANDER.

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