Abstract: A system for transferring a steel slab from a first roller table to a second roller table by lifting the top slab from a stack of slabs on the first table, and then transferring and lowering the slab onto the second table. Specifically, a gantry-type bridge trolley mechanism having suspended electromagnets is provided that is motor driven on a cantilevered runway over the slab unpiler table and the furnace table. A stabilizer system minimizes sway of the electromagnets and the slabs.

Abstract: A system for transferring a steel slab from a first roller table to a second roller table by lifting the top slab from a stack of slabs on the first table, and then transferring and lowering the slab onto the second table. Specifically, a gantry-type bridge trolley mechanism having suspended electromagnets is provided that is motor driven on a cantilevered runway over the slab unpiler table and the furnace table. A stabilizer system minimizes sway of the electromagnets and the slabs.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for viewing and analyzing the interior of a molten metal bath during treatment in a metallurgical vessel comprises a concentric pipe tuyere extending into the vessel below the surface of the bath and comprising an inner pipe through which a pressurized transparent fluid is passed, and an outer pipe forming, with the inner pipe, an annulus through which a cooling fluid is passed. A sight glass is disposed in alignment with an opening in the inner pipe and with a centerline of the tuyere providing visual access to the interior of the bath. An optical sensor is associated with the sight glass to receive and analyze light generated in the bath to determine molten metal properties such as temperature and chemical composition.

Abstract: A compact facility for treating flexible strip material, particularly cold rolled metal strip, has a strip entry section, a strip treating section and a strip exit section, in which at least one of the strip entry section and the strip exit section is disposed in spaced-apart, side-by-side and parallel relationship with the treating section, resulting in facility installation space savings and elimination of all but one operator's pulpit. The moving strip is turned by two or more turning devices from the direction of travel in the entry section to a direction along the length of the treating section and from the treating section to a direction along the length of the exit section.

Abstract: A twin sheet thermoformer apparatus using hydraulic cylinders to draw the upper and lower platens together for uniform seam forming of the part. A flow divider insures uniform travel of each hydraulic cylinder. An adjustment mechanism enables simultaneous adjustment of the position of four locking shafts on one platen coupled to form locking shafts on the other platen preparatory to operation of the hydraulic cylinders. The adjustment mechanism includes nut members each threaded onto a locking shaft with a recirculating chain engaged with a sprocket on each nut member. Driving the chain enables simultaneous adjustment of each shaft to allow the platen positions to be quickly and accurately adjusted. An encoder generates signals corresponding to the lower platen travel caused by operation of the hydraulic cylinders, which are transmitted to the lower platen drive servo motor to drive the lower platen correspondingly.

Abstract: A process for operation of a two-stand reversing mill optimizes product yield and time productivity in rolling strip in two or more passes through the mill, by bringing, in each pass, a tail end of the rolled strip to but not into the first roll stand through which the remainder of the strip has last been passed, gripping said tail end on a reel serving as an exit reel, rolling the strip and coiling it onto said exit reel. In a next to last pass after the first pass, a portion, e.g. about 1 1/2 wraps, of the strip may be left on a reel serving as an entry reel to maintain strip tension.

Abstract: A coiler spool comprises an elongated, hollow cylinder made of resilient spring steel and having a slot extending longitudinally of the cylinder, and means, such as an expandable mandrel, to radially expand the coiler spool to open the normally closed slot for reception in the open slot of a leading edge of a strip to be coiled. On release of the coiler spool expansion pressure, the coiler spool contracts due to its inherent resiliency and closes the slot, thereby gripping in the slot the leading edge of the strip to be coiled.

Abstract: In the rolling of e.g. metal strip, an entry reel is provided in the form of a stub mandrel having two opposed and spaced-apart arms with reduced diameter end portions, rolling the strip and evacuating a tail end of the strip from the entry reel, placing a coiling spool over the reduced diameter portions of the arms of the stub mandrel, reversing the rolling direction of the mill, gripping the last rolled end of the strip on the coiling spool, again rolling the strip, and coiling the rolled strip on the coiling spool.