Abstract: The disclosure relates to a new procedure for the stretch reducing of tubular stock, in a manner to reduce the so-called crop end loss off of specification product at the ends of a tube section. In the process of the invention, a multi-stand stretch reducing mill is provided with a plurality of speed variable mill stands, at least at the upstream or entry end of the multi-stand mill. As the head end of a finite tubing section enters the upstream end of the mill, and as the tail or trailing end of the finite section enters the mill, programmed speed variations are made in the selected mill stands, to compensate for the fact that the head end or tail end sections of a finite length of pipe are acted upon at any given instant by fewer mill stands than intermediate sections of the tube.In the process of the invention, selected mill stands are speed controlled such that certain ones thereof apply maximum pulling force to the tube end section, while certain other mill stands apply maximum retarding force.

Abstract: A flying shear is disclosed in which a shear carriage is arranged to be driven along the pass line of a moving strip, between a pair of spaced shear platens. The carriage is constructed for telescoping movement and mounts a pair of cooperating carriage plates. The platen members are stationary, but are arranged to have relative closing and opening movement, in order to telescopically compress the shear carriage at desired times, to effect a shearing operation.A novel form of support is provided for the shear carriage, enabling the carriage normally to be supported from the platen structure by means of antifriction rollers, which accommodate rapid acceleration and high speed movement of the carriage. At the instant when the shearing operation is to occur, however, the closing movement of the platens serves to effectively disable or retract the antifriction roller support for the carriage and cause the carriage to be supported by relatively broad area, elongated, sliding friction bearing surfaces.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a wedge actuating drive for reciprocating cold reducing tube mills. The wedge drive is driven in common with the main crank which reciprocates the roll carriage, so as to be synchronized therewith. Upper and lower roll positioning wedges are arranged to be cyclicly inserted in and withdrawn from roll-closing positions, by means of eccentric drive shaft means associated with each of the wedges, one above and one below the pass line for the workpieces.Indexing drive means is provided for the eccentric shaft means, whereby during continuous rotation of the main drive shaft for the system, the eccentric drive shaft means for the wedges are actuated intermittently, so that wedge actuation occurs, as desired, only during the periods when the crank-driven roll carriage nears the end extremities of its reciprocating stroke.