Abstract: A rolling mill having a roll stand with back-up rolls and two cylindrical work rolls. The work rolls have roll-pass grooves associated in pairs with different roll-pass areas. The driving mechanism of the rolling mill is coupled to the back-up rolls which exercise constant pressure on the work rolls during rolling so that these are in hard mutual contact and rotate with the back-up rolls. The work rolls are axially displaceable in the roll stands between the back-up rolls when the latter are open so that a desired roll-pass groove can be positioned with its center line coinciding with the central plane of the rolling mill.

Abstract: A device for gripping and guiding a bar of material into the nip of the rolls of a rolling mill. At least two opposed guide rollers are moveably mounted on an appropriate support, such as a gripping arm of a manipulator head for a rolling mill. The guide rollers are moveable towards one another into a gripping position for gripping the edges of a bar of material being introduced into the rolling mill nip. The guide rollers are moveable away from one another and out of engagement with the bar of material. A bar is readily gripped by the opposed rollers and is quite free to be advanced into the roller nip since the guide rollers are free to rotate. One or more rollers may include a ratchet to prevent rotation in the opposite direction such that any tendency of a bar of material to be thrown back out of the roll nip will be resisted.

Abstract: Manipulator for a rolling mill and particularly for a rolling mill for ingots or billets of steel. The manipulator comprises a pusher for pressing the ingot or billet through the roll-nip of the rolls at the beginning of rolling, and grab means for manipulating the ingot or billet during rolling when the pusher is raised up and the grab means can reach the ingot or billet.