초록 ▼

A pipe mill and method comprises certain improvements in pipe mills of cage-type. Edge forming roll sets, usually mounted immediately downstream of the breakdown passes, are mounted for lateral movement to compensate for strip camber or lateral creep. In one form of the invention the edge forming ro

A pipe mill and method comprises certain improvements in pipe mills of cage-type. Edge forming roll sets, usually mounted immediately downstream of the breakdown passes, are mounted for lateral movement to compensate for strip camber or lateral creep. In one form of the invention the edge forming rolls are adjustably fixed with respect to each other on a mounting plate which is suspended on a pivot. Movement of the edge forming rolls from side-to-side about the pivot is obtained by power steering each edge forming roll housing with the steering pivot located at the center of pressure of the edge forming roll set. The steering is controlled by a closed loop system utilizing sensors with a microprocessor. A taper pin lock holds the plate centered and against movement for threading purposes. Side push cylinder assemblies may be employed to center the plate for locking. In another somewhat more sophisticated form primarily intended for lighter gauge strip, the movement of the plate is further assisted by a double acting hydraulic cylinder controlled by the same closed loop automatic control system which may include three or more sensors, at least one detecting speed, and at least two lateral motion or presence of camber in the strip. In another aspect of the invention the breakdown passes and/or the edge forming roll sets may be mounted for slight angular adjustment from vertical to accommodate typical downhill or atypical uphill forming. Such breakdown passes may also be steered to compensate for camber utilizing the same or similar closed loop control system, either by pivoting about the vertical center axis or by controlling the side-to-side gap or pinch points of the breakdown.

대표청구항 ▼

A forming mill for converting planar strip into closed form for seam welding including a series of successively acting deflecting means for gradually bending the planar strip transverse to its movement through said deflecting means, said deflecting means comprising at least one set of opposed pairs

A forming mill for converting planar strip into closed form for seam welding including a series of successively acting deflecting means for gradually bending the planar strip transverse to its movement through said deflecting means, said deflecting means comprising at least one set of opposed pairs of edge forming rolls, one of each pair being on opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline of the mill, and means mounting said set of opposed pairs of edge forming rolls as a unit for lateral movement with respect to a vertical plane through said centerline of the mill in response to unwanted transverse creep of the strip.