Guide device for guiding a driving bar of a mandrel or for guiding a mandrel in a rolling process of tubular bodies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801541-B2
Application number	US-202017635181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2020
Priority date	Aug 22, 2019
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for guiding a movable element, in particular a driving bar of a mandrel or a mandrel, in a rolling mill with mandrel. The device according to the invention comprises a support structure for the advancement of the movable element along an advancement direction. The device comprises a first slide and a second slide which are carried by said support structure and are slidable along a transverse direction which is substantially orthogonal to said advancement direction, in which each slide carries two abutment surfaces for guiding the movable element and in which each slide is movable along said transverse direction between at least a first operating position, upon reaching which said abutment surfaces are susceptible to coming into contact with a movable element of a first predefined diameter, and at least a second operating position, upon reaching which said abutment surfaces are susceptible to coming into contact with a movable element of a second predefined diameter. According to the invention, the device comprises actuating means which move the slides along the transverse direction between the operating positions and lock the slides themselves when one of said operating positions is reached.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for guiding a movable element in a rolling mill with mandrel, wherein said movable element is a driving bar of a mandrel or a mandrel, wherein said device comprises a support structure which defines an advancement direction for said movable element, wherein said device comprises a first slide and a second slide which are carried by said support structure and are slidable along a transverse direction which is orthogonal to said advancement direction, wherein each of said slides carries two abutment surfaces for guiding said movable element, each of said slides being movable along said transverse direction between at least a first operating position in which, when reached, said abutment surfaces come into contact with a movable element of a first predefined diameter, and at least a second operating position in which, when reached, said abutment surfaces come into contact with a movable element of a second predefined diameter, said device comprising actuating means which move said slides along said transverse direction between said operating positions and lock said slides when one of said operating positions is reached;
wherein said actuating means comprise a first moving unit for said first slide and a second moving unit for said second slide, wherein at least one of said moving units comprises:
an articulated mechanism configured to take on at least a first configuration corresponding to said first operating position and a second configuration corresponding to said second operating position;
thrust means for varying the configuration of said articulated mechanism;

and wherein said articulated mechanism comprises:
a first pair of levers and a second pair of levers and wherein for each pair of levers, a first lever is hinged to a first part of said support structure and a second lever is hinged to said first lever and to one of said corresponding slides;
a connecting rod which connects said first lever of said first pair of levers to said first lever of said second pair of levers, wherein said connecting rod synchronizes the rotation of said first levers, and

wherein said thrust means are connected to said connecting rod or to one of said levers.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least two abutment surfaces of said first slide mirror said abutment surfaces of said second slide with respect to a vertical reference plane containing said advancement direction.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said abutment surfaces for at least one of said slides extend on corresponding planes of extension which are tilted with respect to a horizontal reference plane containing said advancement direction, wherein said planes of extension are tilted by a same angle (α) with respect to said reference plane and intersect on said reference plane so that said abutment surfaces are reciprocally oriented according to a V shape.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said corresponding moving unit for at least one of said slides comprises a mechanical locking element which intervenes on the corresponding articulated mechanism, thus locking it in said first or second configuration and so that the configuration of said articulated mechanism can be varied only upon the actuation of said thrust means.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said thrust means are connected to said connecting rod and comprise a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric type actuator.

6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein said mechanical locking element comprises an abutment surface against which said second lever of each pair of levers rests when said articulated mechanism takes on said second configuration.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said slides comprises a movable portion carrying a first abutment surface of said abutment surfaces, wherein said movable portion is movable between a closed position and an open position, when in said closed position, said first abutment surface comes in contact with said mandrel and wherein in said open position, said first surface occupies a position which is distal from said advancement direction and such as to allow the positioning of said mandrel in a housing space (SP) delimited by said other abutment surfaces.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein said movable portion is rotatable between said closed position and said open position about a rotation axis parallel to said advancement direction, said device comprising at least one rotation unit for rotating said movable portion between said closed position and said open position.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said device comprises two rotation units installed on opposite end parts of said at least one of said slides, wherein said end parts are arranged along a direction parallel to said advancement direction.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one rotation unit comprises:
an articulated kinematics configured to take on at least a first configuration corresponding to said closed position and a second configuration corresponding to said open position of said movable portion;
an operating element for varying the configuration of the kinematics from said first configuration to said second configuration or from said second configuration to said first configuration.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one of said movement units comprises a mechanical locking element which acts on said articulated kinematics, thus locking it in said second configuration and so that the configuration of articulated kinematics can be varied only upon the actuation of said operating element.

12. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said operating element comprises an actuator and wherein said articulated kinematics comprises:
a body hinged to said at least one slide and hinged to a rod of said actuator so that a translation of said rod corresponds to a rotation of the body;
a lever hinged to said movable portion of said slide and hinged to said body so that upon a rotation of said body with respect to said at least one slide, said lever causes a rotation of said movable portion and therefore a passing from said closed position to said open position or from said open position to said closed position.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said locking element comprises an abutment surface against which said lever rests when said articulated kinematics takes on said second configuration.

14. A unit for guiding a movable element in a mandrel rolling plant, wherein said movable element is a driving bar of a mandrel or a mandrel, and wherein said unit comprises a first section for guiding said bar and a second section for guiding said mandrel and said bar, wherein at least one of said first section and second section comprises at least one device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Danieli Off Mecc

Inventors

• Bucci Annibale
• Lange′ Marco

Classifications

• B21B17/04 Primary

  in a continuous process · CPC title

• B21B25/02 Primary

  Guides, supports, or abutments for mandrels, e.g. carriages {or steadiers}; Adjusting devices for mandrels · CPC title