US3228505A

US3228505A - Rod switch

Info

Publication number: US3228505A
Application number: US343781A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leitner Hermann
Original assignee: Siemag Siegener Maschinenbau GmbH
Current assignee: Siemag Siegener Maschinenbau GmbH
Priority date: 1963-02-18
Filing date: 1964-02-10
Publication date: 1966-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-11
Also published as: BE643675A; GB1048098A

Description

H. LEITNER Jan. 11, 1966 ROD SWITCH Filed Feb. 10, 1964 HERMANN LEITNER INVENTOR.

FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,228,505 ROD SWITH Hermann Leitner, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignor to Siemag Siegener Maschinenban G.m.b.H., Westphalia, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Feb. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 343,781 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 13, 1963, S 83,799 9 Claims. ((31. 193-39) This invention relates to a rod switch and, more particularly, to apparatus arranged to cause the rolled product of a rolling mill selectively to enter one of a plurality of paths.

In the operation of a rolling mill, it is quite often necessary to cause an extremely long piece of rolled product to be divided and passed to a plurality of disposal apparatus. In the rolling of rods, for instances, the rod leaves the last roll stand in extremely long lengths which are much greater than could be accommodated by a single ordinary reel. It is also sometimes necessary to produce coils of rod of a weight less than the weight of the billet or bar from which the rod was rolled. For these reasons, it becomes necessary sometimes to cut the rod into shorter lengths and to cause each length to pass to a specific reel. It is normal practice to coil the entire product of a mill by the use of several reels, but it is necessary that the lengths of the rod pass to one reel after another in succession and that a length be introduced again to the first reel of a series only after the other reels of the series have been successively used. By that time, the first reel has coiled its length of rod, has discharged it, and is ready for another rod. Apparatus has been conceived and built in the past to direct divided lengths of rod to various reels but, as the speed of rolling mills increases, it becomes more and more ditficult to so direct the rod. Attempts to solve the problem have been very complicated and expensive.

The final speed of modern rod mills has today reached a speed of more than 30 meters per second and the prospects for the future is that this final speed will be increased still further. Moreover, the distance between the end of one rod and the beginning of the following rod must be kept as small as possible so that the rolling mill can be used with the highest efficiency possible. This is required because of the large capital investment present in modern rolling mills. The condition for success in reaching this goal is that the beginning of each following rod be guided safely into the unoccupied one of two guide pipes arranged in side-by-side relationship.

In accordance with well-known practice, the device usually used consists of a switch pipe which is swingable in a horizontal direction so that its exit opening can be brought alternately in front of the inlets of two guide members lying side by side. The drive for the swinging movement is so designed that the switch pipe, during the passage of the respective strips and for a short time before the passage through the rear end of the rod, is pressed with an increasing control pressure against the rod which is running through it in the direction of the other position of swing. As soon as the rod rear end leaves the guide pipe, the pipe is pushed with a jerk into the other position. This takes place because, for a short period of time, before the entering of the front end of the next rod, the resistance to the control pressure has been eliminated, which resistance was created by the passage of the previous length of rod. In addition to the high manufacturing costs of providing for the slow rise of the control pressure, this type of device has a disadvantage that part of the guide tube which presses from time to time against the rod wears very quickly. In addition, there is the possibility that a malformed rod end can easily get jammed by the corresponding high contact pressure which is created by the guide tube against the end of the rod passing through. This often results in the breaking of the rod and in the formation of a cobble, requiring a shutdown of the mill. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a rod switch for reliably introducing successive lengths of product of a rolling mill into various paths.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a rod switch of simple and rugged construction for introducing the front ends of lengths of rolling mill product into desired paths.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a rod switch of simple and rugged construction which may be readily manufactured from easily obtainable ma terials by standard manufacturing processes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rod switch which is not rapidly worn out by lateral pressure against the rod passing through it.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a rod switch in which the danger of a cobble due to malformed rod rear end is eliminated.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rod switch embodying the principles of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the invention taken on the line IIII of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the invention taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2, and

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are schematic plan views of the apparatus showing the sequence of operation.

In general, in order to provide the advantages described above with a degree of assurance, this invention provides for the arrangement between the switch pipe and the receiver of a swingable control part which is capable of swinging relative to the switch pipe. The control part is connected to the switch pipe by pressure devices which oppose the adjusting forces of the rod passing through it, so that, immediately after a rod passes through the control guide, it will move into axial alignment with the switch pipe and will be directed toward the other receiver opening. The advantage of this arrangement is that the rods can pass through the guide system without interruption and can be introduced safely into the corresponding one of the two receiver openings.

In order to keep the areas of wear in the control guide within normal limits, the guide areas of the control guide are formed in the shape of a funnel with the enlargement in the direction of the inlet side. Preferably, the control guide is connected to the switch pipe by an elastic means which, in the preferred example, is a leaf spring. In this manner, the switch pipe can be moved during the passage of a rod into a position in front of the next receiver opening and to receive the next rod. This can be done without moving the rod too far out of its direction of flow because the rod adapts itself to the running direction because of the flexible connection between the switch pipe and the control guide. As soon as the end of the rod has left the control guide, it flips back to a position of alignment with the switch pipe because of the force of the spring, so that the next rod can enter the proper receiver opening only a fraction of a second later.

Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, which best show the general features of the invention, the rod switch, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown as consisting of a base 11, on which are mounted a receiver 12, a switch pipe 13, and a control guide 14. The receiver is provided with a first opening and a second opening 16 leading, respectively, to

pipes

17 and 18 which, in the preferred embodiment, lead to rod reels (not shown). The forward end of the switch pipe 13 rests on a support 19 having

adjustable stops

21 and 22. It is provided with a motor 23 for bringing about swinging movement from one extreme position to another. When it rests against the stop 22 it is directed axially into the opening 15 of the receiver 12; when it is resting against the stop 21 it is directed toward the opening 16 of the receiver 12. The switch pipe 13 is pivotally mounted some distance rearwardly on a vertical pivot (not shown) for horizontal motion- At the exit end, the pipe has mounted on it the control guide 14 which is swingable relative to the switch pipe 13 but only in the horizontal plane. Mounted on the exit end of the switch pipe 13 is a sleeve 24 having abutments 25 and 26in which are mounted the ends of

elongated leaf springs

26 and 27. The sleeve 24 is provided adjacent the control guide 14 with

further abutments

28 and 29 which also restrain the

leaf springs

26 and 27. Extending from the upper and lower parts of the control guide 14 are

abutments

31 and 32 to which are locked the other ends of the

springs

26 and 27. The control guide 14 is separated from the end of the switch pipe 13 and the

springs

26 and 27 constitute its sole support. Passing axially through the control guide 14 is a passage 33 which, in the preferred embodiment, is a surface of revolution in the form of a cone, having its large end adjacent the switch pipe 13 and its small end adjacent the receiver 12.

The operation of the apparatus will now be readily understood, in view of the above description. Let us suppose, for the purpose of illustration, that apparatus is in the condition shown in FIG. 4 and the control guide 14 is aligned with the pipe and with the left-hand opening 16 in the receiver 12. The rod 34 flows in a relatively straight line through the elements on its way to a reel. While the rod 34 is still passing through the three elements, the switch pipe 12 is moved horizontally by the motor 23 so that it is in alignment with the opening 15 in the receiver 12. However, the rod 34 still passes through the switch pipe 12, the control guide 14, and into the opening 16 of the receiver. The rod pressure thus moves the control guide 14 so that, even though the larger end of the passage 33 is still in substantial alignment with the exit end of the switch pipe 12, the smaller end of the passage 33 is directed toward the opening 16 of the receiver, so that, as is obvious in FIG. 5, the rod 34 passes through the elements with a minimum of bending.

Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that, as soon as the rear end of the rod 34 leaves the control guide 14, it is no longer constrained to be directed toward the opening 16 and immediately snaps into alignment with the switch pipe 13 and is directed toward the opening 15 of the receiver. This permits the front end of the next rod 35 to pass straight into the opening 15 of the receiver on its way to another reel.

Finally, as is evident in FIG. 7. the pressure of the rod 35 causes the control guide 14 to bend, relative to the front end of the switch pipe 13 when the switch pipe aligns itself with the opening 16 of the receiver and while the rod 35 is still passing into the opening 15. As soon as the rod 35 is passed entirely through the control guide 14, it will snap into the position shown in FIG. 4 and the next rod will be guided directly into the opening 16 of the receiver. The cycle then repeats itself.

It can be seen, then, that switching of the switch pipe from one direction to another can take place while a preceding rod length is still flowing through it. This takes place without excessive Wear on the switch pipe and other elements. At the same time, the apparatus is quite simple and is not capable of being easily damaged or put out of pperating condition.

It is obvious that miner changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for alternately introducing bendable rolling mill product which arrives one length after the other through a switch pipe and enters two receiver pipes arranged adjacent one another, wherein the switch pipe can be directed toward one receiving pipe during the running of the rod through the other receiver pipe,

distinguished by the fact that,

between the switch pipe and the receiving pipes is arranged a control guide which is swingable relative to the switch pipe and is swingable by the forces of the rod passing through them, wherein the control guide is arranged in such a Way that immediately after the termination of the rod force the control guide adjusts itself to be directed in axial direction to the switch pipe which has already arrived in front of the next receiving pipe.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the control guide is connected by elastic members to the switch pipe.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the control guide has a passage for rod which has a larger diameter in the direction of the inlet side.

4. A rod switch, comprising (a) a receiver having two openings located in closely adjacent relationship,

(b) a switch pipe having an exit end capable of move ment from a first position in alignment with one of the openings to a second position in alignment with the other openings,

(0) a control guide located between the switch pipe and the receiver, and

(d) resilient means connecting the control guide to the switch pipe to permit the guide to be directed toward one of the openings while the switch pipe is moved into alignment with the other opening.

5. A rod switch, comprising (a) a receiver having two openings leading to rod pipes located in closely adjacent relationship,

(b) a switch pipe having an exit end pivoted a substantial distance from the said end for swinging movement from a first position in alignment with one of the openings to a second position in alignment with the other opening,

(0) a tubular control guide located between the switch pipe and the receiver, and

6. A rod switch as recited in claim 5, wherein the control guide is substantially completely supported on the switch pipe at the said exit end.

7. A rod switch as recited in claim 5, wherein the resilient means consists of two leaf springs located on opposite sides of the switch pipe in the plane of swinging movement thereof.

8. A rod switch as recited in claim 5, wherein the control guide is provided with a passage in the form of a surface of revolution having a large diameter at the end adjacent the switch pipe and a relatively small diameter adjacent the receiver.

9. A rod switch as recited in claim 5, wherein the resilient means is selected of such a stiifness that the control guide is maintained directed toward one of the openings by a rod passing through it even though the switch pipe has been moved into alignment with the other opening and so that the control guide immediately snaps into a position directed toward the other opening as soon as the said rod has passed through it.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 288,820 11/1883 Kuhlman 19331 289,784 12/1883 Stoner 193-31 440,696 11/ 1890 Daniels 193-39 464,323 12/1891 Evans 19331 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR ALTERNATELY INTRODUCING BENDABLE ROLLING MILL PRODUCT WHICH ARRIVES ONE LENGTH AFTER THE OTHER THROUGH A SWITCH PIPE AND ENTERS TWO RECEIVER PIPES ARRANGED ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER, WHEREIN THE SWITCH PIPE CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARD ONE RECEIVING PIPE DURING THE RUNNING OF THE ROD THROUGH THE OTHER RECEIVER PIPE, DISTINGUISHED BY THE FACT THAT, BETWEEN THE SWITCH PIPE AND THE RECEIVING PIPES IS ARRANGED A CONTROL GUIDE WHICH IS SWINGABLE RELATIVE TO THE SWITCH PIPE AND IS SWINGABLE BY THE FORCES OF THE ROD PASSSING THROUGH THEM, WHEREIN THE CONTOL GUIDE IS ARRANGED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TERMINATION OF THE ROD FORCE THE CONTROL GUIDE ADJUSTS ITSELF TO BE DIRECTED IN AXIAL DIRECTION TO THE SWITCH PIPE WHICH HAS ALREADY ARRIVED IN FRONT OF THE NEXT RECEIVING PIPE.