THREEFOLD ROTATIONALLY SYMMETRICAL STAND HAVING AN ADJUSTMENT CONNECTOR

Abstract

The present application relates to a stand (1) for rolling metal rods, wires or pipes along a rolling axis (19), which stand comprises a stand housing (10), the outside (12) of which, viewed along the rolling axis (19), comprises at least six side surfaces (14.1-14.6) that are arranged so as to be offset about the rolling axis, about a 60° rotation in each case, wherein in each case two side surfaces (14.1, 14.4, 14.2, 14.5, 14.3, 14.6) form a pair of side surfaces (14.1-14.6) that are located in parallel with one another. It further comprises three rollers (20.1-20.3) which are positioned on one roller shaft in each case, surround the rolling axis (19) in a star-shaped manner, and together form a caliber (21), and the radial position of which, based on the rolling axis (19), can be set for setting the caliber (21), and an adjustment connector (30) that is arranged on the outside (12) and is intended for introducing an adjustment torque for setting the caliber (21). In this case, the adjustment connector (30) comprises a gear shaft which is in parallel with a pair of the mutually parallel side surfaces.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stand for rolling metal rods, wires or pipes along a rolling axis, comprising 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, and the radial position of which, based on the rolling axis, can be set, for setting the caliber, by means of an adjustment connector arranged on the outside for introducing an adjustment torque.

BACKGROUND

Stands for rolling rod-shaped material to be rolled, comprising three or more rollers, 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 setting the caliber of a stand, it is conventional to change the spacing of the rollers from the rolling axis. A technical solution for setting the roller positions with respect to the rolling axis is the eccentric adjustment means.

For example, a stand of the above technical field is known from DE 100 15 340 A1. The known stand allows for setting of the caliber by means of an eccentric mechanism which can be actuated by an adjustment connector arranged on the outside for introducing an adjustment torque. The rollers are adjustable radially with respect to the rolling axis by rotating the eccentric bushings, such that the caliber of the stand can be set in a stepless manner and material to be rolled, having different diameters, can be produced. In DE 100 15 340 A1, synchronous adjustment of all the roller shafts, and thus all the rollers, is made possible by driving just one eccentric bushing, which adjustment takes place via an adjustment connector provided on a side surface of the stand housing.

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 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” (). 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.

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.

The stand known from DE 100 15 340 A1 makes it possible to switch between the Y-arrangement and anti-Y-arrangement by rotation about a horizontal axis, about 180°, and allows for insertion into the stand base in both orientations. The upper and lower side surface of the rectangular stand housing serve as contact surfaces in the stand base.

The stand locations for the Y-arrangement and the anti-Y-arrangement can be selected in such a way that the adjustment connector of the eccentric adjustment means, provided on a side surface of the stand housing, remains on the same side when the side surface is a side surface that defines the stand horizontally, i.e. is vertically oriented. A coupling for torque introduction of a drive train having a motor and, if required, a gearbox for driving the roller with a horizontally oriented roller shaft is then located on the opposite side surface.

While the above-described arrangement of the adjustment connector allows for good accessibility for manual operation of the adjustment connector from this side, the 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 to the stand.

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 particularly favorable, uniform absorption of the rolling torque and in the process is easily switchable between different orientations, such that it can be used in a modular manner for different configurations and at different positions in a stand block.

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 modularly, in as versatile a manner as possible, in a rolling mill, at different positions and in different locations in a stand base, such that the radial spacing between the rollers and the rolling axis, i.e. the adjustment, is adjustable in a plurality of different ways, in different adjustment configurations.

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

The present stand for rolling metal rods, wires or pipes along a rolling axis comprises a stand housing, the outside of 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, two side surfaces in each case forming a pair of side surfaces that are located in parallel with one another. The stand further 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, and the radial position of which, based on the rolling axis, can be set for setting the caliber. Furthermore, the stand comprises an adjustment connector which is arranged on the outside and is intended for introducing an adjustment torque for setting the caliber, the adjustment connector comprising a gear shaft which is in parallel with a pair of the mutually parallel side surfaces.

In the present context, the side surfaces are the surfaces of the stand housing which laterally define the front surface and the rear surface, through which the rolling axis extends. Together they form, viewed along the rolling axis, the lateral outer surface of the stand housing. Since the side surfaces are arranged in parallel with one another in pairs, the projection of the stand housing along the rolling axis can define a polygon having at least six sides and corners. The side surfaces can be of different lengths.

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.

In the present context, the fact that the side surfaces are arranged so as to be offset about the rolling axis, about a 60° rotation in each case, means that the side surfaces, arranged so as to be offset in this way, also enclose an angle of 60° and 120° relative to one another. The side surfaces that are offset about a 60° rotation are preferably adjacent, but do not have to be adjacent. It is also possible that no sharp corners, but rather roundings, extended chamfers, or the like, are provided between adjacent side surfaces.

The fact that the rollers are positioned on one roller shaft in each case means for example also a roller which is axially clamped between two partial shafts of an axially divided roller shaft. In particular, the roller is arranged on the roller shaft in a rotationally fixed manner, for example frictionally connected, i.e. is not mounted on the roller shaft by a bearing. This is also associated with the rollers being able to be driven by their roller shaft. For this purpose, cach of the roller shafts can have its own drive connection and an end protruding outside of the stand. Then, by means of suitable coupling, one motor, respectively, can apply a torque on cach of the roller shafts, and thus the associated roller. It is also possible for a plurality of roller shafts to be coupled together via a gearbox outside of the stand and to be driven by a common motor. Since the rolling forces acting in a stand of the present technical field amount to a few kilotons, the roll motors have to be powerful and therefore large. The roll motors and their periphery should not prevent access to the rolling mill and stand, in order not to hinder regular replacement of the stand for servicing reasons.

It is therefore important, for the entire rolling mill, for the drive connections of the roller shafts to be located at the same location and in the same orientation at a particular position in the rolling mill, in order that a replaced stand can be connected as quickly and reliably as possible to the drive of the rollers, and for these points and orientations to as far as possible not hinder access to the rolling mill, in particular to the stands.

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 cach roller shaft is at an angle of 120° in each case relative to the other two roller shafts.

In the present context, the caliber means the opening between the three rollers, through which the material to be rolled is guided, and in the process rolled. It extends over the cross-sectional surface, orthogonally to the rolling axis of the passage which is formed within the roll surfaces by the star-shaped arrangement of the three rollers. The caliber is not identical to a target or a production diameter of the material to be rolled, because the stand is widened by the material to be rolled and is not elastically deformed during the rolling process, and because the material to be rolled is influenced not only by the rollers themselves but rather the diameter thereof is for example also influenced elastically and plastically by forces between adjacent stands. The caliber significantly influences the production diameter, however.

In the case of the present stand, the spacings of the rollers from the rolling axis can be set for setting the caliber by means of an adjustment torque, via the adjustment connector arranged on the outside.

The fact that the gear shaft is in parallel with a pair of the mutually parallel side surfaces allows for an optimal use of space of the stand housing for an adjustment mechanism of the rollers via the adjustment connector arranged on the outside. This in turn allows for a particularly advantageous flexibility of the stand in the stand base in different arrangements and also in different configurations, which flexibility is in particular superior to that of rectangular stand housings.

The number and the arrangement of the side surfaces of the present stand 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 radial spacing of the rollers from the rolling axis. 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 radial spacing of the rollers from the rolling axis. 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 an adjustment configuration, with a simultaneously compact design of the rolling mill.

The invention also allows for flexible attachment of additional components arranged on or in the stand housing. Such components can be, in addition to a connection of an adjustment means, for example operating material connections, guides, such as a funnel guide or roller guide, as an inlet guide or outlet guide, glide elements, bearing elements, and fastening elements. However, in this respect too, the present invention allows for very marked modularization of the rolling mill.

The limitation of the complexity of the roller arrangement is advantageous insofar as the arrangement of drive devices for the roller shafts within the rolling mill is simplified as a result. In particular, three different arrangements of the stand result, in which, viewed along the rolling axis, three identical angles of the axes of rotation of the roller shafts always result. When substantially structurally identical rollers and roller shafts are used, which can be driven by any of the provided drive devices, it is therefore merely necessary to provide for example translational displacements of the drive devices or gearbox and coupling components, which can compensate the translational offset of the roller shafts. This reduces the complexity of and the design effort for the rolling mill.

Preferably, a spacing of the gear shaft from the rolling axis, which is perpendicular when viewed along the rolling axis, is no more than 10 percent of a perpendicular spacing of the rolling axis from a side surface. In other words, the gear shaft is located approximately in the center of the stand housing, between the side faces that are in parallel therewith, more precisely within a range of 10 percent of the extension of the stand housing between the side surfaces, around the center of the stand housing, in which the rolling axis is located.

This arrangement of the gear shaft means that the stand housing can be used particularly flexibly, because tilting of the stand housing about a tilt axis, for example for switching between a Y-arrangement and an anti-Y-arrangement, in parallel with the gear shaft and through the rolling axis, barely results in any translational shifting of the position of the adjustment connector. Thus, a high level of symmetry, and, associated therewith, a high degree of modularity, can be achieved.

Preferably, the three rollers and the three roller shafts are arranged so as to be offset in a rotationally symmetrical manner about the rolling axis, about a 120° rotation in each case, and a roller shaft extends in parallel with the gear shaft. In this context, “parallel” means that the gear shaft, viewed along the rolling axis, i.e. the projection thereof on a plane perpendicular to the rolling axis, extends in parallel with one of the roller shafts or the projection thereof on the plane perpendicular to the rolling axis. Slants can also be present along the rolling axis. Particularly preferably, the gear shaft and the roller shafts are located in the same plane, perpendicularly to the rolling axis, and in this plane the gear shaft and one of the roller shafts are in parallel with one another.

The fact that one of the roller shafts extends in parallel with the gear shaft is a further advantageous embodiment of the stand, because this makes a compact design of the stand housing possible, in that the symmetry of the rollers and roller shafts matches the shape of the stand housing, in particular the relative arrangement of the side surfaces matches each other. This allows for high strength, uniform load distribution, and a high degree of flexibility of the use of the stand in the rolling mill.

In a preferred embodiment, the stand comprises only one adjustment connector for introducing the adjustment torque for setting the caliber. This has the advantage of higher flexibility of the use of the stand. In this preferred embodiment, in a configuration having remote adjustment only one drive of the adjustment connector is required, which simplifies the overall configuration. In a configuration having manual adjustment one single point is sufficient, at which all the rollers can be actuated at the same time and in a manner matched to one another. Thus, in both configurations, a simple design outside of the stand, with high flexibility and high precision of the adjustment, can be achieved.

Particularly preferably, the adjustment connector is operatively connected to an eccentric mechanism having eccentric bushings in which the roller shafts are mounted, the eccentric bushings being rotatably mounted in the stand housing, and it being possible for a rotational position of the eccentric bushings to be set by means of the gearbox. This implementation of an adjustment mechanism which is known from the prior art is particularly suitable, in conjunction with the geometry of the stand housing, for achieving the adjustment of the rollers via a single adjustment connector. By means of the eccentric mechanism, high forces can be absorbed and a high degree of precision can be achieved, without occupying significant installation space in the process.

Advantageously, viewed in the direction of the rolling axis, the outside of the stand housing preferably has exactly six side surfaces, which form a regular hexagon. This particularly preferred embodiment of the stand housing makes it possible for the stand housing to be used in a particularly flexible manner. The symmetry of the stand housing, associated with the regular hexagon, is particularly well suited to the star-shaped arrangement of the three rollers and roller shafts. Thus, the three rollers and roller shafts within the stand housing can be arranged in a particularly symmetrical manner in the stand housing, as a result of which the stand fits into the stand base in a plurality of different orientations, and the rollers can be coupled to the motors of the rolling mill in each of said orientations. Alternatively, however, the stand housing can also be of a different shape. For example, in each case one short outer side can be provided between six long outer sides, such that a dodecagon is formed from the side surfaces, viewed in the direction of the rolling axis.

Advantageously, the adjustment connector can be actuated both manually and automatically by means of a motor. In this case “manually actuatable” means, in this connection, that the adjustment connector can be actuated by an operator by hand, using a suitable tool. “Actuatable via an external motor” means, in contrast, that the adjustment connector can be actuated, e.g. rotated, without manual operation and the aid of a tool, but rather for example using a suitable coupling. This means that the adjustment connector has to be arranged and designed in such a way that it is compatible with both configurations of a drive for the roller adjustment. Thus, the stand can be used directly in both configurations, without the adjustment connector having to be modified for one or the other configuration, i.e. the manual adjustment or the automatic adjustment by means of a motor. However, it is also possible for the adjustment connector to be designed only for automatic adjustment or only for manual adjustment. In this case, said adjustment connector would still have to be modified for changing the configuration of the adjustment, which, although meaning increased complexity compared with the preferred embodiment, does not substantially impair the high flexibility of the stand overall.

Advantageously, the stand housing is closed and undivided and is in particular produced from a monobloc. In other words, the stand housing is preferably manufactured integrally and can therefore be produced for example by a casting method, as a result of which advantageous mechanical properties for absorbing the loads acting in the rolling process, and also efficient manufacture, are possible.

Preferably, each of the three roller shafts or rollers can be driven separately by its own motor associated therewith. Thus, for example three motors of a relatively small size can be used, because they have to apply only one third of the rolling torque. This makes it possible to design the motors to be smaller, which significantly reduces the overall size of the rolling mill.

In this case, the three roller shafts preferably each comprise a drive-side end for separate driving, which protrudes towards the outside, at one of the side surfaces of the stand housing. In this way, the drive of the roller shafts via the side surfaces can be ensured, such that the corners of the stand housing are not occupied by the drive-side ends of the roller shafts.

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 clements 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 clements 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 sealing 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 I 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 activate 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 FIG. 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 FIG. 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.

FIG. 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:

a stand housing, 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, wherein each side surface is included in a pair of side surfaces that are located in parallel with one another;

three rollers positioned on a respective roller shaft, the three rollers surrounding the rolling axis in a star-shaped manner collectively forming a caliber, wherein the three rollers are configured such that the radial position of the three rollers, with respect to the rolling axis, can be set for setting the caliber; and

an adjustment connector arranged on the outside of the stand housing for introducing an adjustment torque for setting the caliber,

wherein the adjustment connector comprises a gear shaft in parallel with a pair of the mutually parallel side surfaces.

2. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the gear shaft and the rolling axis are perpendicular when viewed along the rolling axis, and wherein a spacing of the gear shaft from the rolling axis is no more than 10 percent of a perpendicular spacing of the rolling axis from an outside side surface.

3. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the three rollers and the three roller shafts are offset in a rotationally symmetrical manner about the rolling axis by a 120° rotation between each roller shaft, and wherein a roller shaft extends in parallel with the gear shaft.

4. The stand according to claim 1 further comprising only the one adjustment connector for introducing the adjustment torque for setting the caliber.

5. The stand according to claim 4, wherein the adjustment connector is operatively connected to an eccentric mechanism having eccentric bushings in which the roller shafts are mounted, wherein the eccentric bushings are rotatably mounted in the stand housing and a rotational position of the eccentric bushings can be set by means of the gearbox.

6. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the outside of the stand housing comprises exactly six side surfaces which form a regular hexagon.

7. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment connector is configured to be actuated manually and automatically by a motor.

8. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the stand housing is closed and undivided.

9. The stand according to claim 1, wherein each of the three roller shafts or rollers are configured to be driven separately, in particular by its own motor associated therewith.

10. The stand according to claim 9, wherein the three roller shafts each comprise a drive-side end for separate driving, which protrudes towards the outside of the stand housing, at one of the side surfaces of the regular hexagon.

11. The stand according to claim 1, wherein the stand housing is produced from a monobloc.

12. The stand according to claim 9, wherein each of the three roller shafts or rollers are configured to be driven by a respective motor.