STAND CHANGE CARRIAGE COMPRISING A LIFTING MECHANISM

Abstract

The present application relates to a stand change carriage (10) for simultaneously receiving and transporting a plurality of stands (12) of a rolling mill (14) for rolling metal rods, wires or pipes, the stand change carriage (10) comprising a plurality of stand places (16), one of the stands (12) being receivable individually in each of the stand places (16), and the stand change carriage (10) comprising a lifting mechanism (18) which is designed to raise and lower each of the stands (12) individually.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stand change carriage for simultaneously receiving and transporting a plurality of stands of a rolling mill for rolling metal rods, wires, or pipes.

BACKGROUND

For rolling metal rods, wires, or pipes, rolling mills are routinely used which comprise a plurality of stands arranged one behind the other in the rolling direction. Said stands in turn contain the actual rollers, which apply the rolling force to the material to be rolled, in order to create metal rods, wires or pipes therefrom.

During operation, the rollers wear, and therefore they have to be refurbished at regular intervals. For this purpose, the stands comprising the rollers to be refurbished have to be removed from the rolling mill and transported to a stand workshop. After the refurbishing of the rollers, the respective stands then have to be transported from the stand workshop again to the rolling mill and inserted into the rolling mill. There is furthermore the requirement to use different stands for different thicknesses of rolled products, the calibers of which stands are already preset to the desired thickness of the respective rolled product.

In order to be able to carry out the exchange of the stands in the rolling mill efficiently and safely, stand change carriages are used, in a known manner. A stand change carriage known for example from CN 215 089 793 U is capable of receiving a plurality of stands simultaneously and reliably transporting them between the rolling mill and the stand workshop.

However, a disadvantage of said stand change carriage is that it requires a complex stand base of the rolling mill, which has to be designed to push the stands onto the stand change carriage and pull them from said carriage into the stand base. In order for this to be possible, not only is a corresponding movement mechanism required, but rather preparation must also be made, in structural terms, for the stand change carriage to be able to approach the stand base to such an extent that the movement mechanism can move the stands between the stand base and the stand change carriage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Against this background, an object of the present invention is that of providing a stand change carriage of the above technical field, which places fewer demands on the stand base. In particular, an object of the invention is that of providing a stand change carriage by means of which it is possible to move the stands particularly safely and at the same time quickly and reliably into the stand base.

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

A stand change carriage for simultaneously receiving and transporting a plurality of stands of a rolling mill for rolling metal rods, wires or pipes comprises a plurality of stand places, one of the stands being receivable individually in each of the stand places. The stand change carriage further comprises a lifting mechanism which is designed to raise and lower each of the stands individually.

The stand places of the stand change carriage are designed such that they can each receive exactly one stand. The individual stand places thus make it possible for any number of stands, up to the number of stand places on the stand change carriage, to be selectively received and transported.

The stand places are arranged in such a way that their arrangement is identical to the arrangement of the stand receiving places, in particular receiving modules, of the stand base. Thus, the stand change carriage can approach the stand base laterally, with respect to the rolling direction in which the stands are received one behind the other in the stand base, and can receive or deposit the stands individually or simultaneously.

All possible mechanisms which are suitable and designed to raise and lower the stands individually can serve as the lifting mechanism. Examples for this are hydraulic mechanisms, electrically driven mechanical mechanisms, or also cranks that are to be actuated manually.

By means of the lifting mechanism, the stand change carriage can also raise the stands independently of a movement mechanism of the stand base, in order to then move in such a way that the stands are moved into the stand base, and to deposit the stand at its intended location by lowering said stand. Vice versa, the stand change carriage can grasp the desired stands using the lifting mechanism, lift them in the stand base, and then transport them directly, while the stands that are not to be transported are not lifted and remain in the stand base.

The lifting mechanism makes it possible to selectively select and lift stands for transport. In addition, the lifting mechanism places very low demands on the stand base. In particular, no mechanism is required for pushing the stands out of the stand base or pulling them into it. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism also makes further advantages possible, which will be explained in greater detail in the following.

Preferably, the stand change carriage comprises a plurality of wheels for transporting the stands on rails or along a rail-less substrate. A plurality of wheels allows for stable and at the same time flexible transport, and can be designed such that they are suitable both for rails and for a rail-less substrate. It is thus possible to respond to different boundary conditions on the stand base and at the stand workshop. Alternatively, the stand change carriage can also be transported differently, for example using a crawler track.

In this case, the wheels are preferably arranged outside of a surface in which the stand places are located, such that the stand places are all located within the surface spanned by the wheels. This ensures that the heavy stands are also arranged between the wheels, such that a center of gravity of the loaded stand change carriage is located securely between the wheels, and the stand change carriage can thus stably and safely transport the stands and also stably and safely receive and deposit said stands. Alternatively, the wheels can also be arranged inside the surface in which the stand places are located, i.e. stand places can also be located outside the surface spanned by the wheels.

The lifting mechanism advantageously comprises a spindle mechanism in order to raise or to lower the stands. A spindle mechanism is a particularly preferred lifting mechanism, because it can very precisely exert high forces along a large distance. Thus, the stands can be raised and lowered safely and very accurately. Alternatively and in addition, hydraulic mechanisms or hand cranks can also be used.

The lifting mechanism preferably comprises lifting pins in order to grasp the stands, two lifting pins being arranged on each of the stand places. In this case, the lifting pins are designed in such a way that they grasp the stands in that they can engage in openings of the stands that correspond to the lifting pins. Alternatively, other devices can also be used in order to grasp and lift the stands, for example a fork or a clamping means.

The lifting pins are an effective way of grasping and raising or lowering the stands. This results in a reliable and simultaneously simple and thus low-maintenance and cost-effective connection of the lifting mechanism to the stands.

The stand change carriage preferably comprises an energy source in order to supply the lifting mechanism with energy. Alternatively, the stand change carriage can also be provided with an external energy supply, however, for example via a power cable or an induction field at the locations at which the lifting mechanism is intended to be actuated.

Its own energy source makes the stand change carriage particularly advantageous, because it can operate independently and has a larger radius of action which is not limited by a cable or the like. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the stand change carriage, its own energy source also makes it possible to move the stand change carriage, i.e. not only to actuate the lifting mechanism independently.

Preferably, the stand change carriage comprises at least four stand places, and the lifting mechanism is designed to raise and lower the at least four stands individually. Alternatively, fewer or more stand places can also be provided, and the lifting mechanism can be designed to raise and lower only a plurality of stands together.

Many stand bases are thus designed such that they comprise four stands arranged one behind the other along the rolling direction. It is therefore particularly advantageous to also provide four stand places for the stand change carriage, in order that, in the case of such stand bases, all the stands can be exchanged simultaneously using the stand change carriage.

A protective barrier is preferably arranged between the stand places in pairs, in order to cover an intermediate space between the stand places. Alternatively, the protective barrier can also be omitted, in particular when the stand base already comprises a protective device for the intermediate space between adjacent stands.

The protective barrier renders the stand change carriage capable of making an additional contribution to the machine safety, and thus to particularly effectively assist the operation of the rolling mill when the stand change carriage remains in operation in the stand base. This is optional. The protective barrier of the stand change carriage makes it possible to prevent material to be rolled from escaping from the intermediate space between adjacent stands in the event of a malfunction. The protective barrier can also reliably prevent a person from reaching into the intermediate space. Correspondingly, the stand base can also omit protection of this kind.

Particularly preferably, the protective barrier is provided on both sides facing the stand places with an inflatable sealing lip. Alternatively, a sealing lip of this kind can also be omitted, or it can be designed differently, in particular purely resiliently, without being inflatable in this case.

By means of a sealing lip, the protective barrier can particularly reliably also prevent the escape of splashing water, which occurs in large amounts in the intermediate space between adjacent stands, during operation of the rolling mill. The water is used there for cooling. If the stand change carriage comprises a protective barrier between adjacent stand places, said protective barrier can be further improved by a sealing lip. If the sealing lip is inflatable, and not only resiliently deformable, it can cover a particularly large gap between the protective barrier and the stand, a receiving module or stand place in the stand receiving base, and establish a particularly firm seal.

Preferably, the stand places are designed for receiving a stand having a hexagonal outside shape, viewed along a rolling direction of the stand. Alternatively, however, the stand places can also be designed for receiving a differently shaped stand, for example a conventional stand having a square outside shape.

Stands having a hexagonal outside shape of this kind are particularly well suited for being received by the above-described stand change carriage, because there is a projection to the side here, if the stands are positioned on a side surface which can be grasped successfully by the lifting mechanism, in particular the lifting pins.

In particular in the case of hexagonal stands, but in principle also in the case of square stands, it is the case that couplings of the roller shafts, by means of which the rolling torque is introduced onto the roller shafts, extend obliquely downwards and to the side, from which the stands are exchanged. For this set-up, the above-described stand change carriage can make an additional contribution to the machine safety since it covers these couplings during operation of the rolling mill, if it remains in the stand base during operation.

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. 1 shows a preferred stand change carriage on which a stand is received.

FIG. 2 shows the preferred stand change carriage in a position retracted into a stand base.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the rolling direction of the preferred stand change carriage in a rolling mill.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of a part of the preferred stand change carriage.

WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a preferred stand change carriage 10 for receiving four stands 12. For this purpose, the stand change carriage is equipped with four stand places 16 which are all designed to individually receive a stand 12. In the situation shown in FIG. 1, a stand 12 is received in one of the stand places 16, while the three remaining stand places 16 are empty. Viewed from the left, the second stand place 16 of the stand change carriage 10 is occupied by a stand 12, and the first, third and fourth stand places 16 are empty.

FIG. 1 further shows a rolling mill 14 comprising four stand receiving places 34 of a stand base 32 arranged one behind the other along the rolling direction W. Three stands 12 are received in the stand receiving places 34, specifically, viewed from the left, in the first, third and fourth of the stand receiving places 34. One of the stand receiving places 34, the second stand receiving place 34 viewed from the left, is unoccupied. The stand change carriage 10 is positioned in FIG. 1 such that it can enter the stand base 32 laterally, in order to convey the stand 12 in the second stand place 16 into the second stand receiving place 34 of the stand base 32, in which no stand 12 is yet received, or to receive one or more, in particular all, of the stands 12 located in the stand base 32, in order to completely transport the set of four stands 12. Viewed from the right-hand side in the rolling direction W, the rolling mill 14 is accessible by the stand change carriage 10 or a worker in order to exchange stands 12 or to perform settings on the stands 12 or other parts of the rolling mill 14.

Viewed along the rolling direction, the stands 12 have a hexagonal outside shape in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, said stands being positioned on a side surface of the hexagon formed by the outside shape, such that a corner of the hexagon at half the height of the stand 12 can be reached on the accessible side.

The stand change carriage 10 comprises a base frame 36 which is movable on the wheels 20 via a rail system indicated in FIG. 1. The base frame 36 comprises a crosspiece 38 and two limbs 40 extending laterally at the two ends thereof, the wheels 20 being arranged at the two ends of the two limbs 40. The base frame 36 thus spans a rectangular surface which it surrounds in a C-shape on three sides and at each of the corners of which one of the wheels 20 is arranged. Thus, large loads can be received in the interior of the region spanned by the base frame 36, and reliably transported on the wheels 20.

Along the crosspiece 38, the stand change carriage 10 comprises a four-part lifting mechanism 18. Each part of the lifting mechanism 18 belongs to one of the stand places 16 and is designed to raise and lower a stand 12 individually.

For this purpose, the lifting mechanism 18 comprises two lifting pins 24 at each of the stand places, in order to interact with corresponding openings in the stands 12. Said openings are provided in the above-mentioned corners of the hexagon, at half the height of the stand 12, other arrangements of the openings and also other means for interaction between the lifting mechanism 18 and the stands 12 also being possible, however.

The lifting pins 24 are attached to a vertically displaceable slide 42 which is guided over a vertical rail 44. Thus, each stand 12 can be grasped by the lifting pins 24 and raised and lowered individually by vertically moving the corresponding slide 42 along the vertical rails 44.

A spindle mechanism 22 is provided, in order to operate the lifting mechanism 18. Each part of the lifting mechanism 18, i.e. the slide 42 of each of the stand places 16, is equipped for this purpose with an individually driven spindle 46 which extends from the crosspiece 38 to the slide 42 and interacts there with a thread.

A protective barrier 26 is arranged between each pair of the adjacent stand places 16, in order to cover an intermediate space 28 between the stand places 16. The protective barrier 26 extends substantially vertically, and is shaped and dimensioned such that it extends in parallel with the outside shape of the stands 12. Furthermore, each of the protective barriers 26 comprises two sealing lips 30 in each case, which extend along the outside shape of the stand 12 located on this side beside the protective barrier 26.

The sealing lips 30 are inflatable, and can thus establish sealed contact between the protective barrier 26 and the stand 12. If the stand change carriage 10 remains in the stand base 32 during operation of the rolling mill 14, the protective barrier 26 can ensure that no metal and no spraying water escapes from the region between adjacent stands 12 and that no-one reaches into said region.

FIG. 2 shows the stand change carriage 10 from FIG. 1 in a position retracted into the stand base 32. The part of the lifting mechanism 18 which belongs to the second stand place 16, viewed from the left, is not completely raised, while the three other parts of the lifting mechanism are completely raised.

It can be seen in FIG. 2 that, in this retracted position, the base frame 36 makes an additional contribution to the machine safety, in that it also covers rotating parts which protrude from the ground for driving the rollers of the stands.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the rolling direction W of the stand change carriage 10 in the rolling mill 14. The stand change carriage 10 can, as shown here, enter the rolling mill 14 and remain there, while the stand 12 transported by the stand change carriage 10 is received in the stand receiving place 34 of the stand base 32.

In this set-up, the protective barrier 26 can serve, during operation, to protect the intermediate space 28 between adjacent stands 12. The protective barrier 26 can thus prevent material to be rolled from escaping out of the intermediate space 28 or a person reaching into the intermediate space 28.

The sealing lips 30 on the protective barrier 26 can be inflated in the retracted set-up of the stand change carriage 10, and thus also close the intermediate space 28 in a manner sealed against splashing water. Thus, cooling water which is released in large quantities between the stands 12 during operation can be kept within the intermediate space 28 and be discharged in a controlled manner.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the stand change carriage 10, in order to show the sealing lips 30 in more detail. The sealing lips 30 are located on both sides of the protective barrier 26, in order to establish a splashing water-tight connection with the stands 12 (not shown in FIG. 4) which are located on these two sides, and to hold cooling water released in the intermediate space 28 between adjacent stands 12 within the rolling mill 14 and protect the region in front of the rolling mill 14 from said water.

FIG. 4 also shows the lifting pins 24 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, without said pins engaging with a stand 12 in order to raise or lower it.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

• • 10 stand change carriage
  • 12 stand
  • 14 rolling mill
  • 16 stand place
  • 18 lifting mechanism
  • 20 wheel
  • 22 spindle mechanism
  • 24 lifting pin
  • 26 protective barrier
  • 28 intermediate space
  • 30 sealing lip
  • 32 stand base
  • 34 stand receiving place
  • 36 base frame
  • 38 crosspiece
  • 40 limb
  • 42 slide
  • 44 rail
  • 46 spindle
  • W rolling direction

Claims

1. A stand change carriage for simultaneously receiving and transporting a plurality of stands of a rolling mill for rolling metal rods, wires, or pipes, the stand change carriage comprising:

a plurality of stand places, wherein one of the stands is receivable individually in each of the stand places, and

a lifting mechanism configured to raise and lower each of the stands individually.

2. The stand change carriage according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wheels for transporting the stands on rails or along a rail-less substrate.

3. The stand change carriage according to claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism comprises a spindle mechanism configured to raise or to lower the stands.

4. The stand change carriage according to claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism comprises at least four lifting pins configured to grasp the stands, wherein two lifting pins are arranged on each of the stand places.

5. The stand change carriage according to claim 1,

wherein the stand change carriage comprises an energy source in order to supply the lifting mechanism with energy.

6. The stand change carriage according to claim 1, further comprising at least four stand places,

wherein the lifting mechanism is configured to raise and lower the at least four stands individually.

7. The stand change carriage according to claim 1, wherein a protective barrier is arranged between pairs of the stand places, such that the protective barrier covers an intermediate space between each pair of the stand places.

8. The stand change carriage according to claim 7,

wherein the protective barrier is provided on both sides facing the stand places with an inflatable sealing lip.

9. The stand change carriage according to claim 1,

wherein the stand places are configured to receive a stand having a hexagonal outside shape when viewed along a rolling direction of the stand.