STAND HOUSING COMPRISING A ROLLER GUIDE

Abstract

The present application relates to a stand (1) for rolling metal rods, wires, or pipes, along a rolling axis (19). The stand (1) comprises three rollers (20.1, 20.2, 20.3) which are located on one roller shaft in each case and surround the rolling axis (19) in a star-shaped manner, and which together form a caliber (21), a stand housing (10) having an outside (12) which, viewed along the rolling axis (19), comprises at least six side surfaces (14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5, 14.6) that are arranged so as to be offset about the rolling axis (19), about a 60° rotation in each case, and two end faces (13, 15) which are opposite one another, wherein the side surfaces (14.1-14.6) form a regular hexagon, at least in an imagine extension, and a roller guide (60) which is attached to one of the end faces (13, 15) of the stand housing (10) and comprises a universal shaft (62), wherein the universal shaft (62) comprises a roller adjustment connector (64) via which a central adjustment of the roller guide (60) is possible and which is attached on the stand housing (10) in one corner (16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, 16.6) of the hexagon.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stand for rolling metal long products, specifically rods, wires or pipes, along a rolling axis, which comprises a roller guide attached to an inlet side of the stand.

BACKGROUND

Stands for rolling rod-shaped material to be rolled are known in principle in the production of metal pipes, rods, or wires. In this case, material to be rolled can be rolled to desired diameters, in that the caliber is set accordingly. For example, a stand of the above technical field is known from DE 100 15 340 A1.

In general, a plurality of stands is arranged in succession in a rolling mill. As a result, the material to be rolled can be stretched in particular by a difference between the roller speeds of the individual stands, and rolled to a smaller diameter.

Furthermore, the roundness of the material to be rolled is generally not sufficient after passing through one stand, because the cross-section assumes a polygon-like shape on account of the typically star-shaped arrangement of the rollers and their relatively small number, the number of sides of the polygon corresponding to the number of rollers of the stand. For example, a material to be rolled that is rolled by a single three-roller stand has a cross-sectional shape which is not ideally round but rather approximately triangular.

The successive stands are preferably arranged, for improving the roundness of the material to be rolled, in such a way that in each case the corners of the cross section of the material to be rolled, of a material to be rolled that is leaving the stand, are contacted centrally by the rollers of the following stand, and the cross-section of the material to be rolled is rounded as a result.

Therefore, the three rollers in each case, for example of the first and of the third stand of a rolling mill having four stands, are typically located in what is known as a “Y-arrangement”, and the rollers of the stand arranged therebehind in each case, for example the second and fourth, are arranged in what is known as an “anti-Y-arrangement” (A). Due to the alternating arrangement of the rollers and stands in a Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement, in each case the corners of the cross-section of the material to be rolled are rolled using the following stand, by a roller, and the cross-section of the material to be rolled is rounded as a result.

In the Y-arrangement, the lower roller is oriented in such a way that its roller shaft is positioned horizontally, i.e. the diameter of the lower roller extends vertically, in the viewing direction of the rolling axis. In contrast, in the anti-Y-arrangement it is the upper roller that has its roller shaft positioned horizontally, i.e. the diameter of the upper roller extends vertically, in the viewing direction of the rolling axis. In both cases, the roller shafts of the two further rollers are positioned tilted by 120° in each case, relative to the horizontal roller shaft. Of course, the arrangements relative to the horizontal are arbitrary overall, because it is only the relative arrangement of the rollers with respect to adjacent stands that is important for the effect described here.

Switching between the different arrangements of the hitherto cuboid stands typically takes place by for example rotating about a horizontal axis, about 180°. However, this switching results, in addition to other obstacles, in the inlet side, i.e. the end face of the stand through which the material to be rolled enters the stand, and the outlet side, i.e. the opposite end face through which the material to be rolled leaves the stand, are swapped. In other words, the inlet side becomes the outlet side, and vice versa.

The arrangement of the stands one behind the other to form a rolling mill typically takes place using stand bases, into which the stands are introduced and by which they are held. This makes it possible to replace stands from the rolling mill, for example for the maintenance which is regularly required.

In order to prevent the material to be rolled from performing a torsional movement between successive stands and the point of action of the rollers along the periphery of the material to be rolled being difficult to control, roller guides are known, which are typically attached to a stand on the inlet side of said stand. A configuration of this kind is known for example from CN 114 130 828 A.

Particularly effective roller guides exhibit the possibility of centrally adjusting the caliber between the infeed rollers, using a roller adjustment mechanism. For this purpose, for example a shaft, usually a universal shaft, is used, for introducing a roller adjustment torque via a roller adjustment connector, i.e. a coupling for the shaft, which connection can be fastened to the stand.

Furthermore, there are two basic configurations for the roller adjustment connector, specifically a manual adjustment of the rollers and an automatic adjustment, known as remote adjustment. While an arrangement of the roller adjustment connector on an operator side of the stand housing allows for good accessibility for the manual operation of the roller stand connection from this side, in this arrangement the roller adjustment connector cannot be readily operated and actuated automatically, i.e. by what is known as remote adjustment, because a motor that is required for this may not be provided on this side, in order not to block access for the user to the stand.

In the prior art, modifying a stand, after switching between the Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement, in such a way that the roller guide is correctly arranged and set, is associated with significant effort, in particular when it is a roller guide comprising a roller adjustment connector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Against this background, an object of the present invention is that of providing a stand of the above technical field, which allows for more flexible use within a rolling mill, and in particular a more flexible selection both of a position in the rolling mill and also of a roller adjustment configuration, with a simultaneously compact design of the rolling mill.

In other words, the object is that of developing a stand of the above technical field in such a way that it can be arranged at different positions and in different locations in a stand base, one roller guide in each case being attached having a central adjustment.

This object is achieved by a stand according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.

The stand for rolling metal long products, specifically rods, wires or pipes, along a rolling axis comprises three rollers that are positioned on a roller shaft in each case and surround the rolling axis in a star-shaped manner, and which together form a caliber, the three roller shafts preferably being mounted by means of eccentric bushings in bearing holes of the stand housing in such a way that a radial spacing of the rollers from the rolling axis is adjustable, a stand housing having an outside which, viewed along the rolling axis, comprises at least six side surfaces that are arranged so as to be offset about the rolling axis, about a 60° rotation in each case, the side surfaces together forming a regular hexagon, at least in an imaginary extension, and a roller guide which is attached on an end face, in particular an inlet side, of the stand housing and which comprises a universal shaft, the universal shaft comprising a roller adjustment connector via which a central adjustment of the roller guide is possible and which is attached on the stand housing in a corner of the hexagon.

In the present context, the side surfaces are the surfaces of the stand housing which laterally define the two end faces, specifically a front surface referred to as the inlet side, and a rear surface referred to as the outlet side, through which end faces the rolling axis extends. The end faces together form, viewed along the rolling axis, the lateral outer surface of the stand housing. The side surfaces are arranged so as to be offset about the rolling axis, about a 60° rotation in each case, i.e. such that adjacent side surfaces enclose an internal angle of 120°. The side surfaces thus form, at least in an imaginary extension, a regular hexagon, which means that the projection of the stand housing along the rolling axis defines a polygon having at least six sides and corners. In this case, it is also possible for no sharp corners, but rather roundings, chamfers or similar transitions, to be provided between adjacent side surfaces of the hexagon, which transitions interconnect the straight side surfaces.

The side surfaces of the stand housing can serve as a contact surface, comprise a contact surface, or extend in parallel with a contact surface or a plurality of contact surfaces, for example formed by sliding rails, on which contact surface(s) the stand can stand in a stable manner, in particular in a stand base. The side surfaces do not have to be flat, but rather can also comprise steps, protrusions, or recesses, as well as openings, and can also be formed in multiple parts.

The star-shaped arrangement of the rollers around the rolling axis means that the rollers or their rotation planes are in each case arranged at an angle of 120° relative to the two adjacent rollers or their rotation planes. This also applies for the roller shafts of which the axes intersect other than in the rotation planes of the rollers, but not in the caliber. However, within the stand each roller shaft is at an angle of 120° in each case relative to the other two roller shafts. This results in synergies of the geometry of the roller arrangement and of the stand housing, which are derived in particular from the similar symmetry of the star-shaped arrangement of three rollers on the one hand, and the regular hexagon of the outside of the stand housing on the other hand.

In the case of this preferred stand, the spacings of the rollers from the rolling axis can be set for setting the caliber by rotating eccentric bushings, i.e. an eccentric adjustment as is known for example from DE 100 15 340 A1.

The number and the arrangement of the side surfaces of the present stand housing results in the advantage, compared with a rectangular stand housing having four side surfaces, as is known from the prior art, that the stand can be used in a modular manner in different locations at different positions in the rolling mill, and in different configurations with respect to the adjustability of the roller guide. In other words, the stand can be used in a plurality of different orientations, e.g. Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement, having different allocations of the end faces as the inlet side or outlet side, with and without a roller guide or the like, and in different versions of the roller adjustment of a roller guide, e.g. manually or automatically. The number of stands to be kept available for an operator of a rolling mill is reduced thereby, because the same stand can be used universally in the entire rolling mill, even after modification of the rolling mill with respect to the adjustability of the roller guide between manual and automatic. Thus, the invention achieves a more flexible use within a rolling mill, and in particular a more flexible selection both of a position in the rolling mill and also of a roller adjustment configuration, with a simultaneously compact design of the rolling mill.

The stand housing preferably comprises at least one pair of coupling clamping regions which is arranged in a corner of the hexagon and on which the roller adjustment connector is attached, one coupling clamping region of the pair being arranged on one of the end faces, and the other coupling clamping region of the pair being arranged on the other of the end faces.

A corner in the sense of the arrangement of the coupling clamping region according to the preferred embodiment extends from the point at which the side surfaces, or, in the case of a non-sharp corner, their imaginary extensions, meet, up to 25% of the peripheral spacing from the adjacent corner in the direction thereof. The arrangement of the coupling clamping region, which itself has a peripheral extension corresponding to the size of the coupling, centrally in the corner of the regular hexagon formed by the side surfaces, is particularly preferred.

A coupling clamping region makes it possible to ensure secure, reliable, and precise mounting of the roller adjustment connector on the stand housing, which is advantageous in particular for switching the stand housing, because the roller guide then sometimes has to be readjusted, for example if it is intended, as usual, to be located on the inlet side in both situations.

In a preferred embodiment, the stand housing comprises two pairs of coupling clamping regions, of which one is arranged at one corner of the hexagon, and the other is arranged at a corner of the hexagon that is offset about the rolling axis about a 120° rotation, the roller adjustment connector being attached to one of these pairs. In other words, one of the pairs of coupling clamping regions is arranged at a first corner, and the other of the pairs is arranged at a second corner of the hexagon, which is the next but one along the peripheral direction.

As a result, switching between two different arrangements, in particular a Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement, can take place by tilting about a tilt axis which extends through the corner located between the first and the second corner, and the center of the stand housing, i.e. an oblique tilt axis compared with the conventional horizontal tilt axis in the case of rectangular stand housings. In this case, the first and the second corner swap positions upon switching, and an attachment of the roller adjustment connector, i.e. the coupling for central adjustment of the roller guide, can take place reliably, quickly, and precisely, at the suitable corner in each case, by means of the coupling clamping region. This is particularly advantageous if the stand housing additionally comprises a bearing hole for an adjustment connector for the rollers of the stand, which hole is arranged in the region of the third corner. Switching between the two different arrangements along a tilt axis, which extends through the corner in the vicinity of which the adjustment connector for the roller adjustment is located, is particularly efficient for the entire rolling mill.

The stand housing preferably comprises three pairs of coupling clamping regions, of which one is arranged in a corner of the hexagon, and two are arranged at the corners adjacent thereto, the roller adjustment connector being attached to one of said pairs. In other words, in this preferred embodiment a pair of coupling clamping regions is also located in a third corner located between the above-mentioned first and second corner, such that three adjacent corners are provided with one pair of coupling clamping regions in each case.

This results in further flexibility because, when switching between two different arrangements, in particular the Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement, by tilting about the tilt axis extending through the corner located between the first and the second corner, and the center of the stand housing, the third corner retains its position. An attachment of the roller adjustment connector, i.e. the coupling for central adjustment of the roller guide, can take place reliably, quickly, and precisely at the respective suitable corner, by means of the coupling clamping region. This is particularly advantageous if the stand housing additionally comprises a bearing hole for an adjustment connector for the rollers of the stand, which is arranged in the region of the third corner. Switching between the two different arrangements along a tilt axis, which extends through the corner in the vicinity of which the adjustment connector for the roller adjustment is located, is particularly efficient for the entire rolling mill.

The coupling clamping regions preferably comprise threaded holes for fastening the coupling for the shaft of the roller guide. As a result, the coupling, i.e. the roller adjustment connector, can be attached reliably and firmly to the stand housing.

In a preferred embodiment, the coupling clamping regions are made in the end faces. As a result, an even more reliable and design space-saving attachment of the coupling can be ensured.

The stand housing advantageously further comprises clamping rails screwed to the coupling clamping regions, by means of which rails the coupling can be oriented and mounted. This enables a simple and precise mounting and orientation of the coupling.

In a preferred embodiment, the stand housing comprises at least one operating material connection on the end face, and the roller guide comprises an operating material line which is connected to the operating material connection on the stand housing.

For example cooling water can be fed reliably and efficiently to the roller guide via the operating material line that is connected to the operating material connection on the stand housing, because the connection of the line can already take place before insertion of the stand into the stand base, and can be correspondingly reliably designed, and also quickly implemented owing to the better accessibility. The operating material, for example cooling water, can be conducted through the stand housing, for example in that it is introduced into the stand housing through an operating material feed opening, when the stand housing is received in the stand base, if the operating material feed line is connected to a corresponding operating material connection on or in the stand base.

In this case, the preferred arrangement of the operating material connection on the end face facilitates feeding of the operating material to the roller guide, since this is attached on the same end face and thus the operating material line can be guided in a geometrically simple manner.

Thus, the operating material, in particular cooling water, can be reliably conducted through the operating material line of the roller guide, and for example the rollers and the material to be rolled can be cooled using the cooling water.

The stand preferably further comprises an adjustment connector for introducing an adjustment torque in order to adjust a radial position of the roller shafts, with respect to the rolling axis, for setting the caliber. In this case, at least two adjustment configurations, i.e. both remote adjustment via an external motor, and also manual adjustment, are possible. For this purpose, the external motor, or a suitable tool, such as a wrench, must be brought into engagement with the adjustment connector in order to actuate this, i.e. to rotate it. The rotational movement can be transmitted for example to one of the eccentric bushings of the stand via a gearbox, for example. The rotational movement can be transmitted from said eccentric bushing to others of the eccentric bushings of the roller shaft in a manner that is known in principle. Thus, all the roller shafts can be adjusted synchronously via a single adjustment connector, and the caliber can be set correspondingly. Other adjustment mechanisms are also possible.

The adjustment connector is preferably arranged on the outside, i.e. on the lateral outside, of the stand housing, in a corner of the regular hexagon. “In a corner of the regular hexagon” means, in this connection, that the adjustment connector is arranged closer to a corner, i.e. to a transition between two adjacent side surfaces, than the center of a side surface. This arrangement of the adjustment connector makes it possible for the stand to be used more flexibly. The stand can thus be rotated about 180°, about an axis extending through the corner and the rolling axis, and thereby switched between the Y-arrangement and the anti-Y-arrangement, without substantially changing the position of the adjustment connector.

Further advantages and developments of the invention emerge from the following description of the figures, and all of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a view along a rolling axis of a preferred stand, in an anti-Y-arrangement, in a first adjustment configuration.

FIG. 1B is a view along a rolling axis of the stand from FIG. 1A, in a Y-arrangement, in the first adjustment configuration.

FIG. 1C is a view along a rolling axis of the stand from FIG. 1A, in the anti-Y-arrangement, in a second adjustment configuration.

FIG. 1D is a view along a rolling axis of the stand from FIG. 1A, in the Y-arrangement, in the second adjustment configuration.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the stand from FIG. 1A, from a first perspective.

FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the stand from FIG. 1A, from a second perspective.

FIG. 3A is a side view of the stand from FIG. 1A, showing an adjustment connector.

FIG. 3B is another side view of the stand from FIG. 1A, showing a side opposite the adjustment connector.

WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

In the following description of the figures, identical or corresponding elements are provided with the same reference numbers, and a repeated description is largely avoided.

FIG. 1A is a view along a rolling axis 19, extending in a Z-direction, of a preferred stand 1 for rolling metal rods, wires, or pipes. The stand 1 comprises a stand housing 10 which, in the embodiment shown here, is in the shape of a regular hexagon, when viewed along the rolling axis 19. An outside 12 of the stand housing 10 is provided with six side surfaces 14.1-14.6 of equal length, which are arranged around the rolling axis 19 in a rotationally symmetrical manner. Adjacent side surfaces 14.1-14.6 merge into one another in a region referred to as a corner 16.1-16.6. In this case, the corners 16.1-16.6 can be differently marked. They comprise an abutment edge between the adjacent side surfaces 14.1-14.6 that merge into one another in the corner 16.1-16.6, which edge can be sharp-edged but is preferably chamfered or rounded. A small intermediate surface between adjacent side surfaces 14.1-14.6 in the sense of a pronounced, relatively wide chamfer is also possible, and is still understood, in the present context, as a corner 16.1-16.6. An inlet side 15 (not shown in FIG. 1A but shown in FIG. 1B), and an outlet side 13, shown in FIG. 1A, of the stand housing 10 thus, like the stand housing 10 of the present embodiment, have a regular hexagonal shape overall, which is characterized inter alia by the fact that it has three pairs of side surfaces 14.1, 14.4, 14.2, 14.5, 14.3, 14.6, which are positioned in parallel with one another in each case. The stand housing 10 is manufactured as a monobloc.

The preferred stand 1 is designed in such a way that the inlet side 15 (not shown in FIG. 1A) resembles the outlet side 13 shown in FIG. 1A, such that all the features that are described below for the outlet side 13 are found on the opposite side of the stand housing 10 at the same or corresponding locations, as is also shown in the following with reference to other figures.

The stand 1 further comprises three rollers 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 that surround the rolling axis 19 in a star-shaped manner. The rollers 20.1-20.3 in each case define a rotational plane, which planes are at an angle of 120° relative to one another and intersect in the rolling axis 19. The rotational planes of the rollers 20.1-20.3 are arranged orthogonally to one pair of side surfaces 14.1-14.6 of the stand housing 10 in each case. In the region of the rolling axis 19, the rollers 20.1-20.3 form a caliber 21 between them. The caliber 21 is in particular surrounded by a roll surface 22 of each of the rollers 20.1-20.3, the roll surfaces 22 of the rollers 20.1-20.3 being formed centrally along the periphery of the respective roller 20.1-20.3, as a concave groove, in order to provide the material to be rolled with as round an outer contour as possible. Depending on the material to be rolled, the roll surface 22 can also be designed differently, however, in particular as a flat surface or as a convex surface. In FIG. 1A, it can be seen that the rollers 20.1-20.3 are arranged in an anti-Y-arrangement, because the upper roller 20.1 is positioned vertically and the two remaining lower rollers 20.2, 20.3 are in each case positioned at an angle of 120° relative to the vertical orientation of the upper roller 20.1.

The rollers 20.1-20.3 are in each case positioned fixedly on a roller shaft, via which the rollers 20.1-20.3 are driven. Axes of rotation of the roller shafts extend in parallel with one pair of side surfaces 14.1, 14.4, 14.2, 14.5, 14.3, 14.6 in each case. The axes of rotation are furthermore arranged transversely to the rolling axis 19 and are arranged around said axis in a rotationally symmetrical or star-shaped manner. The axis of rotation of the roller shaft of the upper roller 20.1 in FIG. 1A is oriented in the X-direction. The axes of rotation of the two other roller shafts are angled accordingly at an angle of 120° and 240°, respectively, with respect to the axis of rotation of the upper roller shaft. Of the roller shafts, in each case only a drive-side end 24.1, 24.2, 24.3 is shown in FIG. 1A, which end protrudes towards the outside, at one of the side surfaces 14.2, 14.4, 14.6 of the stand housing 10. As a result, the roller shafts can each adjoin an external drive, which can thus transmit its rolling torque to the roller shafts, and thus the rollers 20.1-20.3, via a coupling.

The roller shafts extend in the interior of the stand housing 10, in which an eccentric adjustment means (not shown) for adjusting the rollers 20.1-20.3 via their roller shafts is also located. The eccentric adjustment means makes it possible for a spacing between the roller shafts and thus the rollers 20.1-20.3 on the one hand, and the rolling axis 19 on the other hand, in the X-Y plane of FIG. 1A, to be changed. As a result, different sizes of the caliber 21 can be set, and also wear of the rollers 20.1-20.3 can be compensated, for a constant caliber 21. The eccentric adjustment means forms an adjustment mechanism of the rollers 20.1-20.3.

The adjustment mechanism of the rollers 20.1-20.3 can be actuated from the outside, in that an adjustment connector 30 that protrudes to the outside in the vicinity of the corner 16.1 is rotated. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the adjustment connector 30 is designed in such a way that it is both manually actuatable and can also be actuated automatically by a motor. The adjustment connector 30 is preferably connected to a rotatably mounted gear shaft, which extends in the interior of the stand housing 10, and to a bevel gear which engages in a tooth segment of an eccentric bushing of the eccentric adjustment means, the eccentric bushing being able, in turn, to transmit to the two other eccentric bushings a rotational movement transmitted to it via the bevel gear, and thus being able to allow a synchronous adjustment of the rollers. The adjustment mechanism is not shown in detail in FIG. 1A beyond the adjustment connector 30.

The adjustment connector 30 is located in the vicinity of the corner 16.1, and the gear shaft connected to the adjustment connector 30 extends in parallel with the upper roller shafts in FIG. 1A, i.e. in the X-direction, the drive-side end 24.1 of which protrudes out of the stand housing 10 on the opposite side. The adjustment connector 30 is thus located substantially opposite the drive-side end 24.1 of a roller shaft that extends in parallel with the gear shaft. This relative arrangement implies that the adjustment connector 30 is not covered by a roll motor that is arranged flush with the drive-side end 24.1 of one of the roller shafts, because the drive-side ends 24.2, 24.3 of the roller shafts that are adjacent to the adjustment connector 30 are oriented upwards and downwards by approximately 60° in each case with respect to the adjustment connector 30 and its gear shaft, such that the motors coupled thereto form a large free space between them, which leaves the adjustment connector 30 freely accessible.

In FIG. 1A, the adjustment connector 30 is arranged close to the corner 16.1 and so as to be offset slightly upwards with respect to an imaginary horizontal central plane of the stand housing 10. In this case, a spacing along the Y-axis in FIG. 1A, between the adjustment connector 30 and the central plane extending in parallel with the gear shaft, i.e. in the X-direction in FIG. 1A, is less than 10% of the extension of the stand housing 10 in the Y-direction, i.e. between two opposite side surfaces 14.2, 14.5 of the stand housing 10.

FIG. 1A shows three mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 for a guide (not shown in FIG. 1A) for the material to be rolled. The guide can be mounted on the outlet side 13 of the stand housing 10, which is shown in FIG. 1A. The mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 can also be arranged on the inlet side 15 (not visible in FIG. 1A), so that a guide for the material to be rolled can be mounted there.

The guide for the material to be rolled can for example be a roller guide, in particular a roller guide 60, as is shown by way of example in FIG. 1B, or a funnel guide. The mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 are positioned in a star-shaped manner around the rolling axis 19 and so as to be opposite one of the rollers 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 in each case, with respect to the rolling axis 19. The three mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 are in each case arranged around the rolling axis 19 at an angular spacing of 120°.

Furthermore, three coupling clamping regions 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 are arranged on the outlet side 13 of the stand housing 10, shown in FIG. 1A, in adjacent corners 16.1, 16.2, 16.6 of the stand housing 10. The coupling clamping regions 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 are in each case delimited by two clamping rails 52. The three adjacent corners 16.1, 16.2, 16.6 in which the coupling clamping regions 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 are arranged are the corner 16.1 in which the adjustment connector 30 is also arranged, and the two corners 16.2, 16.6 adjacent thereto. The coupling clamping regions 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 serve to fasten a roller guide adjustment connector 64 (not shown in FIG. 1A but shown in FIG. 1B) securely on the stand housing 10. This relative arrangement of the coupling clamping regions 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 in the corner 16.1 of the adjustment connector 30 and the two corners 16.2, 16.6 surrounding these makes it possible for the particular flexibility of the arrangement and configuration of the stand 1 to be combined with a roller guide and thus to be transferred to the entire system consisting of the stand 1 and roller guide.

FIG. 1A shows that the stand housing 10 comprises four sliding rails 40.2, 40.3, 40.4, 40.5 on the outlet side 13, which rails are arranged in parallel with four neighboring side surfaces 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5. The sliding rails 40.2-40.5 adjoin one another and extend along the periphery of the hexagonal stand housing 10, from the corner 16.2 comprising the coupling clamping region 50.2 to the corner 16.6 comprising the coupling clamping region 50.6. In the illustration of FIG. 1A, the sliding rails 40.2-40.5 are not arranged on the side surfaces 14.2-14.5, but rather so as to be offset inwards in the direction of the rolling axis 19. The sliding rails 40.2-40.5 form glide surfaces which extend on the one hand in the peripheral direction along the side surfaces 14.2-14.5, and on the other hand out of the sheet plane in parallel with the rolling axis 19 and the side surfaces 14.1-14.6, i.e. in the Z-direction in FIG. 1A. Thus, the sliding rails 40.2-40.5 can serve as contact surfaces in four orientations of the stand 1 and are intended in particular for facilitating receiving of the stand 1 in a stand base (not shown), in that the stand 1 can be pushed into the stand base on the sliding rails 40.2-40.5 and in this case the sliding rails 40.2-40.5 can also be used as scaling elements. On the opposing inlet side 15 (not shown in FIG. 1A) four sliding rails 40.2-40.5 are also located, opposite the sliding rails 40.2-40.5 that are shown, such that in each case a pair of the sliding rails 40.2-40.5 on opposing sides can be used for stable mounting of the stand 1 in a stand base.

The stand 1 further comprises three water outlet openings 42.1, 42.2, 42.3 on the outlet side 13 shown in FIG. 1A. Cooling water, which is intended to be used for a roller guide for example, can thus be introduced into the stand housing 10 at one of the side surfaces 14.1, 14.3, 14.5 through water feed openings (not shown in FIG. 1A), conducted through the stand housing 10, and conducted out through one of the water outlet openings 42.1, 42.2, 42.3 and fed from there to the roller guide.

Furthermore, on the outlet side 13 shown in FIG. 1A and also the inlet side 15 (not shown in this figure) a total of five clamping points 44.2, 44.3, 44.4, 44.5, 44.6 are located in the corners 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, 16.6 that define the side surfaces 14 along which the sliding rails 40.2, 40.3, 40.4, 40.5 are arranged, which clamping points can absorb a clamping force from the stand base for fixing the stand 1.

FIG. 1B shows the stand 1 from FIG. 1A in a position that can be assumed, relative to the orientation of FIG. 1A, by tilting of the stand 1 about 180° about a horizontal axis K, i.e. which extends in the X-direction. Thus, FIG. 1B is a rear view of the stand 1 according to FIG. 1A, i.e. showing the inlet side 15. In this position of the stand 1, in contrast to the position illustrated in FIG. 1A the rollers 20.1-20.3 are arranged in a Y-arrangement.

The roller shafts are displaced in parallel relative to the position of the stand 1 from FIG. 1A, and therefore their drive-side ends 24.1-24.3 protrude out of the stand housing 10 in the same direction, but in a different position, specifically mirrored at the respective corner 16.2, 16.4, 16.6. Thus, due to the above-described tilting, the stand 1 shown allows for use in the rolling mill having both a Y-arrangement and an anti-Y-arrangement of the rollers 20.1-20.3 in the same stand base, the drive-side ends 24.1-24.3 of the roller shafts shifting merely in translation. This allows a high degree of flexibility of use of the stand 1 in a compact rolling mill. The roll drives, which are coupled to the drive-side ends 24.1-24.3 of the roller shafts in the two positions of the stand 1, can be arranged on the same side of the rolling axis 19 for each stand place having alternating Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement, which keeps the space requirement of the entire rolling mill relatively small.

Due to the tilting about the axis K, the adjustment connector 30 is still arranged in the vicinity of the corner 16.1 of the stand housing 10. It is arranged in a manner slightly offset downwards with respect to the horizontal central plane of the stand housing 10, specifically mirrored at the corner 16.1. Nonetheless, in this position of the stand 1 too, i.e. the Y-arrangement, the adjustment connector 30 can be easily reached from the same side, and thus is suitable in particular for efficient manual operation of stands 1 adjacent to the eccentric adjustment means. FIG. 1B further shows a roller guide 60 which is fastened on the stand housing 10 via the mounting elements 26.1-26.3, which have been described above with reference to FIG. 1A and are also present on the inlet side 15 of the stand housing 10 shown in FIG. 1B. The roller guide 60 is also adjustable, in that rollers of the roller guide 60 can be positioned closer to or further from the rolling axis 19 by means of a roller adjustment mechanism. For the roller adjustment mechanism, the roller guide 60 is connected via a universal shaft 62 to a roller adjustment connector 64 via which a torque can be applied to the roller adjustment mechanism.

The roller adjustment connector 64 is attached to the coupling clamping region 50.1 and the clamping rail 52, associated therewith, on the stand 1. Due to the arrangement of the mounting elements 26.1-26.3 and the coupling clamping regions 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 on the stand housing 10, the roller guide 60 can be attached securely, precisely, and quickly to the stand housing 10.

Furthermore, a water line 66 of the roller guide 60 is visible in FIG. 1B. The water line 66 is connected to the water outlet opening 42.3 through which cooling water for the guide rollers of the roller guide 60 leaves the stand 10, the cooling water being fed to the stand 10 by a water feed opening 43.3 (not shown in FIG. 1B) when said stand is received in the stand base and connected to a water connection of the stand base.

FIG. 1C shows the preferred stand 1 from FIG. 1A, in a position rotated clockwise about the rolling axis 19 about 120° with respect to the position from FIG. 1A. Owing to the geometry of the stand 1, the rollers 20.1-20.3 are oriented in the same anti-Y-arrangement as in the position shown in FIG. 1A, and the three drive-side ends 24.1-24.3 also extend in the same directions and are located at the same positions, such that they can be coupled to the external motors, for applying the rolling torque, in the same way as in the position from FIG. 1A. However, the adjustment connector 30 is arranged rotated clockwise about 120° compared with FIG. 1A.

This arrangement preferably serves to implement remote adjustment of the adjustment mechanism of the rollers 20.1-20.3 by an external motor. The position of the adjustment connector 30 in the location of the stand 1 shown in FIG. 1C makes it possible for an external adjustment coupling of an external adjustment motor to come into engagement, in the stand base (not shown), with the adjustment connector 30 and to actuate this, in order to adjust the rollers 20.1-20.3. This is different from the case in the locations shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

The stand 1 must be able to be pushed into and pulled out of a stand base transversely to the rolling axis 19, in order to be able to be serviced quickly. This requirement in turn means that the stand in FIG. 1A-1D has to be pushed to the right, into the stand base, in order that the roll motor that drives the vertical roller 20.1 in FIGS. 1A and 1B or 20.2 in FIGS. 1C and 1D can come into engagement with the respective drive-side end 24.1 and 24.2, respectively, because the roll motor for the roller 20.1 is arranged to the right, beside the rolling axis 19, in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and for 20.2 to the right, beside the rolling axis 19, in FIGS. 1C and 1D, in order to be coupled to the drive-side end 24.1 and 24.2, respectively.

This in turn means that, in FIG. 1A-1D, no external adjustment motor may be located to the left next to the rolling axis 19 and thus also the stand 1, i.e. in front of the rolling axis 19 in the insertion direction. The locations from FIGS. 1A and 1B are therefore configured for manual adjustment, i.e. the actuation of the adjustment connector 30 by a person, and in this configuration the adjustment connector 30 cannot be actuated, or can be actuated only with excessive effort, by an automatic remote adjustment means. The locations from FIGS. 1C and 1D, in which the adjustment connector is located behind the rolling axis 19 in the insertion direction, are configured for remote adjustment, i.e. actuation of the adjustment connector 30 by means of an external motor.

In the location of the stand 1 shown in FIG. 1C, said stand is positioned on the sliding rails 40.4, while the roller 20.2 is the roller having a vertical rotation plane, and the coupling clamping region 50.6 is located in the horizontal direction, beside the rolling axis 19.

FIG. 1D shows the preferred stand in the configuration from FIG. 1C, i.e. the configuration for a remote adjustment with the adjustment connector 30 at the top right. The location of the stand 1 in FIG. 1D can be assumed relative to that in FIG. 1C, by tilting of the stand 1 about 180° about the axis K that is inclined about 120°, and thus also 60°, relative to the horizontal, which axis extends through the corners 16.1 and 16.4. Analogously to the transition between the location of the stand 1 from FIG. 1A and that from FIG. 1B, upon the transition between the location of the stand 1 from FIG. 1C and that from FIG. 1D, too, tilting about 180° about the axis K takes place, which axis extends substantially in parallel with the gear shaft of the adjustment connector 30. As a result, upon this tilting the orientation of the adjustment connector 30 is not changed, and the rollers 20.1-20.3 transition out of the anti-Y-arrangement shown in FIG. 1C and into the Y-arrangement shown in FIG. 1D, and vice versa.

FIG. 1D, like FIG. 1B, shows the inlet side 15 of the stand 1. As also in FIG. 1B, a roller guide 60 including the universal shaft 62 and roller adjustment connector 64 is attached to the stand housing 10 via the mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 and the coupling clamping region 50.2 using clamping rails 52.

In the location of the stand 1 shown in FIG. 1D, said stand is positioned on the sliding rails 40.3, while the roller 20.3 is the roller having a vertical rotation plane, and the coupling clamping region 50.2 is located in the horizontal direction, beside the rolling axis 19.

Owing to the hexagonal shape of the stand housing 10, the stand 1 can be arranged in the four locations shown in FIG. 1A-1D, which are all compatible with similar arrangements of the roll motor in the rolling mill with stand bases. As a result, both Y-arrangements and anti-Y-arrangements of the rollers can be assumed, and likewise in two different configurations in the sense of different orientations and arrangements of the adjustment connector 30, once for manual adjustment and once for remote adjustment. In the case of the known square stand housings this flexibility is not achieved, because these stand securely and can be shifted only on or along one of the side surfaces of the stand housing and can be displaced, which fixes the orientation of the adjustment connector at a constant orientation of the roll motors.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the inlet side 15 of the preferred stand 1, in which the three rollers 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 are arranged in the anti-Y-arrangement and the adjustment connector 30 of the eccentric adjustment means is oriented horizontally to the side.

Recesses and drilled holes are visible along the outside 12 of the stand housing 10, which are provided for receiving the roller shafts, in FIG. 2A only the drive-side end 24.2 of the roller shaft belonging to the roller 20.2 being directly identifiable, and the adjustment connectors 30. It can furthermore be seen that the clamping point 44.6 on the inlet side 15 facing the viewer is connected by a bolt to the opposite clamping point 44.6 on the outlet side 13, such that a clamping force applied to the clamping points 44.6 can be conducted directly and stably between said clamping points 44.6, in order to fix the stand 1 in its stand housing, without critically deforming or even damaging sensitive parts of the stand housing 10 by too great a local introduction of force. The clamping points 44.2-44.5 are designed in the same way and are connected to one another.

FIG. 2B shows, like FIG. 2A, the inlet side 15 of the stand 1 from a different perspective from FIG. 2A, in which the drive-side end 24.1 of the roller shaft of the roller 20.1 can be seen.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are each side views of the stand, in which the three rollers are oriented in the anti-Y-arrangement. FIG. 3A shows the corner 16.1 and the side surfaces 14.1 and 14.6, as well as the adjustment connector 30 and the drive-side ends 24.2 and 24.3 of the roller shafts of the rollers 20.2 and 20.3.

FIG. 3A further shows two water feed openings 43.2, which can be connected to a water connection in the stand base, in order to receive water in the stand housing 10 and conduct it out via the water outlet opening 42.2, in order, for example, to feed it to a water line 66 of a roller guide 60. In FIG. 3A, an air connection 41.2 is furthermore visible next to the drive-side end 24.2, via which connection compressed air can be fed to the stand housing 10, in order to protect the interior of the stand housing 10, in particular the gearbox parts located therein, for example the eccentric adjustment means, against penetrating water, by excess pressure.

FIG. 3B shows the corner 16.4 opposite the corner 16.1 from FIG. 3A, and the side surfaces 14.3 and 14.4 opposite the side surfaces 14.1 and 14.6. Furthermore, the sliding rails 40.3 and 40.4 both on the inlet side 15 and on the outlet side 13 are visible. In the perspective view of FIG. 3B, the drive-side end 42.1 of the roller shaft of the roller 20.1 is visible at the end face, an air connection 41.1 and two water feed openings 43.3 also being shown.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

• • 1 stand
  • 10 stand housing
  • 12 outside
  • 13 outlet side
  • 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5, 14.6 side surface
  • 15 inlet side
  • 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, 16.6 corner
  • 19 rolling axis
  • 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 roller
  • 21 caliber
  • 22 roll surface
  • 24.1, 24.2, 24.3 drive-side end
  • 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 mounting element
  • 30 adjustment connector
  • 40.2, 40.3, 40.4, 40.5 sliding rail
  • 41.1, 41.2, 41.3 air connection
  • 42.1, 42.2, 42.3 water outlet opening
  • 43.1, 43.2, 43.3 water feed opening
  • 44.2, 44.3, 44.4, 44.5, 44.6 clamping point
  • 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 coupling clamping region
  • 52 clamping rail
  • 60 roller guide
  • 62 universal shaft
  • 64 roller adjustment connector
  • 66 water line
  • K tilt axis for shifting between Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement

Claims

1. A stand for rolling metal rods, wires, or pipes, along a rolling axis, comprising:

three rollers located on a respective roller shaft and the three rollers surrounding the rolling axis in a star-shaped manner collectively forming a caliber;

a stand housing having an outside comprising at least six side surfaces when viewed along the rolling axis that are arranged so as to be offset about the rolling axis by a 60° rotation between adjacent side surfaces, and two end faces that are opposite one another, wherein the side surfaces form a regular hexagon, at least in an imaginary extension; and

a roller guide attached to one of the end faces of the stand housing, the roller guide comprising a universal shaft, wherein the universal shaft comprises a roller adjustment connector configured to enable a central adjustment of the roller guide, and wherein the roller adjustment connector is attached to the stand housing in a corner of the hexagon.

2. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the stand housing comprises at least one pair of coupling clamping regions arranged in one corner of the hexagon and on which the roller adjustment connector is attached, wherein a first coupling clamping region of the pair is arranged on one of the end faces and a second coupling clamping region of the pair is arranged on the other of the end faces.

3. The stand according to claim 2, comprising two pairs of coupling clamping regions, a first pair of coupling clamping regions arranged in one corner of the hexagon and a second pair of coupling clamping regions arranged in a corner of the hexagon offset about the rolling axis by a 120° rotation from the corner of the first pair of coupling clamping regions, wherein the roller adjustment connector is attached to one of said pairs.

4. The stand according to claim 2, comprising three pairs of coupling clamping regions, a first pair of the pairs of coupling clamping regions arranged in one corner of the hexagon and the other two pairs of coupling clamping regions arranged in corners adjacent to the corner of the first pair, wherein the roller adjustment connector is attached to one of said pairs.

5. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the stand housing comprises at least one operating material connection on at least one of the end faces, and wherein the roller guide comprises an operating material line connected to the operating material connection on the stand housing.

6. The stand according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment connector for introducing an adjustment torque, the adjustment connector configured to adjust a radial position of the roller shafts such that the caliber is set.

7. The stand according to claim 6, wherein the adjustment connector is arranged on the outside of the stand housing, in one of the corners of the regular hexagon.

8. The stand according to claim 6, wherein the adjustment connector is manually actuatable.

9. The stand according to claim 6, wherein the adjustment connector is a remote adjustment connector.

10. The stand according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment connector is manually actuatable or wherein the remote adjustment connector is automatically actuatable by a motor