Patent Application
20190232348
The invention relates to a circular rolling mill that comprises two pairs of rollers intended to shape radial faces and front faces of an annular part.
In this type of rolling mill, it is known that the rollers must be moved, during operation of the rolling mill, to adapt their position to the dimensions of the part being shaped. Traditionally, hydraulic jacks can be used to move the rollers. This requires having a large quantity of pressurized oil, to the point that a relatively bulky hydraulic unit must be provided near the rolling mill.
To offset this problem, it is known from WO-A-2009/125102 to use, in order to move the rollers of a circular rolling mill, pinion-rack assemblies whereof the pinion is rotated by the output shaft of an electric geared motor. To limit the risks of breaking in case of irregularity of the surface with which a roller interacts, it is provided to mount the electric geared motor on a support, which in turn is articulated around the rotation axis of the pinion, relative to a frame of the rolling mill. Furthermore, damping means are provided to damp the pivoting of the support. The mounting of the electric geared motor on an articulated support makes the rolling mill more complex, which increases its cost and causes additional maintenance operations.
The invention more particularly aims to resolve these drawbacks by proposing a circular rolling mill in which the rollers can be moved by an electric geared motor, without it being necessary to install said electric geared motor on a pivoting support.
To that end, the invention relates to a circular rolling mill comprising a fixed main frame, a pair of cylindrical rollers, respectively internal and external, intended to shape internal and external radial faces of an annular part and supported by a first auxiliary frame mounted on the main frame, and a pair of conical rollers, respectively upper and lower, intended to shape opposite front faces of the part and supported by a second auxiliary frame mounted on the main frame. At least one rack and pinion assembly is provided to move a roller in translation relative to the auxiliary frame that supports it and at least one electric geared motor is provided to drive the pinion of this pinion and rack assembly. According to the invention, the electric geared motor is fixedly mounted relative to one of the auxiliary frames, while a fluid discharge mechanism is interposed in a kinematic chain for transmitting force between the rack and the roller moved by this rack. Furthermore, the fluid discharge mechanism comprises at least one variable volume chamber supplied with pressurized fluid and the volume of which varies as a function of the relative position of the roller and of the rack.
Owing to the invention, the fact that the electric geared motor is mounted fixedly relative to the main or secondary frame simplifies the general structure of the rolling mill. During normal operation, the mounting mode of the motor makes it possible to form a fixed point, which allows precise control of the pinion and rack assembly, therefore of the position of the associated roller. In case of irregularity on the surface shaped by the roller, the fluid discharge mechanism makes it possible to absorb the temporary overload transmitted to the kinematic chain, without the rack being moved, therefore without risk of damaging the electric geared motor.
According to advantageous but optional aspects of the invention, such a rolling mill may incorporate one or more of the following features, considered in any technically allowable combination:
According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling the position of at least one roller for shaping a face of a part to be shaped within a circular rolling mill that comprises a fixed main frame, a pair of rollers, respectively internal and external, intended to shape internal and external radial faces of this part and supported by a first auxiliary frame mounted on the main frame, as well as a pair of conical rollers, respectively upper and lower, intended to shape opposite front faces of the part and supported by a second auxiliary frame mounted on the main frame, this roller also comprising at least one pinion and rack assembly for moving a roller relative to the auxiliary frame that supports it and at least one electric geared motor to drive the pinion of this pinion and rack assembly. According to the invention, this method comprises the following steps:
The invention will be better understood, and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly, in light of the following description of one embodiment of a rolling mill and a control method according to its principle, provided solely as an example and done in reference to the appended drawings, in which:
The rolling mill 2 shown in
A first auxiliary frame 46 is mounted fixedly on the main frame 4 and constitutes the armature of the radial cage 6. A second auxiliary frame 48 is mounted on the main frame 4 while being movable along the axis X2 relative to this main frame. The auxiliary frame 48 constitutes the armature of the axial cage 8.
Reference P denotes a part in the process of being shaped in the rolling mill 2. This part is centered on an axis XP that is vertical and perpendicular to the axis X2. References P2 and P4 respectively denote internal and external radial surfaces of the part. Likewise, references P6 and P8 denote upper and lower front surfaces of said part, when it is in place in the rolling mill 2.
The frame 46 of the radial cage 6 bears a cylindrical main roller 62 mounted rotating around a vertical axis Z62 and rotated by a main electric motor 64. The main roller 62 is mounted in the radial cage 6 to bear against the external radial surface P4 of the part P.
The frame 46 of the radial cage 6 also supports a cylindrical secondary roller or mandrel 66 mounted rotating around a vertical axis Z66 parallel to the axis Z62. The secondary roller 66 is supported by a cross-piece 68 that is movable, parallel to the axis X2, relative to the secondary frame 46 of the radial cage 6. To that end, the cross-piece 68 is secured to two bars 72 and 74 that each extend in a direction parallel to the axis X2.
The rollers 62 and 66 are solid and have a circular section.
Furthermore, a plate 70 is mounted below the cross-piece 68 and provided with a housing 70A for receiving the lower part of the secondary roller 66. This plate 70 is also movable relative to the auxiliary frame 46 while being supported by two bars 76 and 78.
References X78, X74, X76 and X78 respectively denote the longitudinal axes of the bars 74 to 78 that are parallel to the axis X2.
The radial cage 6 also comprises two centering arms of the part P, only one of these centering arms being visible in
A lifting system with racks 77 and 79 makes it possible to lift the cross-piece 68 during the placement of the part P in the rolling mill 2, then to lower it to insert the lower portion of the secondary roller 66 into the housing 70A of the plate 70.
Several electric geared motors are provided in the radial cage 6, namely:
The geared motor 172 comprises an electric motor 172A and a reduction gear 172B. The other geared motors have the same structure, each with an electric motor associated with a reduction gear.
In
The bars 72 to 78 make it possible to transmit a displacement movement to the roller 66, parallel to the axis X2 and each of the axes X72 to X78, generated by the geared motors 172 to 178.
Each of the geared motors 172 to 178 is mounted fixedly relative to the auxiliary frame 46 of the radial cage 6. For example, the geared motor 172 is supported rigidly by a plate 46A belonging to the auxiliary frame 46. Likewise, the geared motor 174 is supported rigidly by a plate 46B belonging to the auxiliary frame 46. The geared motors 176 and 178 are supported by plates 46C and 46D of the auxiliary frame 46. For the clarity of the drawing, the plates 46A and 46B are omitted in
During normal operation of the rolling mill 2, the part P is compressed radially between the rollers 62 and 66, which are rotated, around axes Z62 and Z66, directly by the motor 64, for the roller 62, and indirectly through the part P, for the roller 66.
A pinion and rack assembly is used to transmit a movement from each geared motor 172 to 178 to the secondary roller or mandrel 66, in order to control the position of this roller in translation along the axis X2.
Thus, a pinion 273 is mounted on the output shaft of the reduction gear 172B. This pinion 273 cooperates with a rack 272 mounted on the bar 72.
The mounting of the rack 272 on the bar 72 is rigid in the normal usage configuration of the rolling mill 2. This mounting, however, comprises a degree of freedom, which can be implemented in case of irregularity on the surface P2 of the part P, in a direction where a protruding relief present on this surface P2 tends to move the secondary roller or mandrel 66 toward the axis XP. Likewise, a degree of freedom is implemented in the mounting of the rack 272 on the bar 72 when an irregularity results from a protruding relief on the surface P4 that tends to push back the part P and the secondary roller 66 toward the axis XP, by reaction against the main roller 62, the axis Z62 of which is fixed relative to the auxiliary frame 46.
To that end, and as visible in
In
The mechanism M72 comprises a support 720 rigidly connected to the rack 272, for example by screws, not shown. This support 720 is received in a housing 722 arranged inside the bar 72, with an axial length L722, measured parallel to the axis X72, which is greater than the axial length L720 of the support 720, also measured parallel to said axis. Thus, the support 720 can slide inside the housing 722, parallel to the axis X72. The mechanism M72 also comprises a piston 724 that is positioned in an end housing 726 arranged at the end 72A of the bar 72 that is opposite the cross-piece 68, therefore the secondary roller 66. The end housing 726 is closed off by a cover 728 rigidly fastened to the bar 72.
The mechanism M72 also comprises a connecting rod 723 between the support 720 and the piston 724. The rod 723, which for example is in simple bearing against the support 720 and the piston 724, is positioned in a central and longitudinal channel 725 of the rod 72 that connects the housings 722 and 726 to one another. The compression of the rod 723 between the support 720 and the piston 724 makes it possible to create a rigid connection between the parts 720, 723 and 724 in translation parallel to the axis X72 when the support moves the piston to the right in
The parts 72, 272, 720, 723 and 724 are made from metal, for example steel. Guide skids 727, for example made from bronze, are provided on the support 720 to guide it inside the housing 722 and facilitate its sliding. Likewise, guide rings 729, for example made from copper, are provided around the rod 723, inside the channel 725. Alternatively, only the skids 727 or 729 are provided.
The piston 724 is equipped with sealing gaskets 724A that allow it to isolate part of the end housing 726, situated between its face 724 turned toward the cover 728 and this cover, of the channel 725. Thus, a variable volume chamber C72 is defined in the end housing 726, between the face 724B of the piston 724 and the cover 728.
This variable volume chamber C72 is supplied with pressurized oil through an orifice 728A of the cover 728 and a pipe 732 that belongs to a supply system 73 supplying the chamber C72 with pressurized oil, with a pressure greater than 100 bars. In practice, the pressure delivered by the system 73 is chosen to be greater than 200 bars, preferably around 250 bars. The system 73 may comprise, as shown schematically in
Thus, the system 73 makes it possible to deliver, inside the chamber C72, oil at a pressure equal to the output pressure of the pump 734. The valve 738 is preferably tared such that, if the pressure in the chamber C72 and in the pipe 732 exceeds the output pressure of the pump 734, the oil present in the pipe 732 is returned to the tub 736, through said valve.
The system 73 is a system known in the hydraulic field. In light of the volume of oil that it contains, around one or two liters, it is much easier to implement and much less expensive than the units traditionally used in rolling mills to supply jacks provided to move the shaping rollers.
The discharge mechanism M72 comprises the bar 72 as well as the parts and volumes 720 to 729.
By default, the pressure of the oil present in the chamber C72, on the order of 250 bars, is sufficient to stiffen the kinematic link between the rack 272 and the bar 72, therefore between the rack 272 and the secondary roller 66, during normal operation of the rolling mill 2.
The bars 74, 76 and 78 are also connected to the motors 174, 176 and 178 by kinematic chains that each include a fluid discharge mechanism of the type of the mechanism M72, the mechanism M74 used for the bar 74 being visible in
By default, the rolling mill is in the configuration of
In
In case of relief protruding on one of the radial surfaces P2 or P4 of the part P, the secondary roller 66 is moved temporarily toward the axis XP, which drives the movement of the cross-piece 68 and the plate 70 in the same direction, toward the left in
This movement is transmitted to the bars 72 to 78, which are rigidly connected to the parts 68 and 70.
Hereinafter, we consider what happens at the bar 72, with the understanding that the operation is the same at the bars 74 to 78.
Under the effect of the temporary movement of the cross-piece 68, the bar 72 is moved abruptly toward the axial cage 8, in the direction of arrow F1 in
In other words, due to the movement of the bar 72 in the direction of arrow F1, the piston 724, which is rigidly fixed to the rack 272 through the rod 723 and the support 720, moves inside the housing 726 in a direction reducing the volume of the chamber C72. This makes it possible, in the coordinate system of the secondary frame 46, for the piston 724, the rod 723, the support 720 and the rack 272 to remain fixed, while the bar 72 moves in the direction of arrow F1. In other words, the discharge mechanism M72 allows a relative movement of the rack 272 and the bar 72, which prevents the transmission to the pinion 273 and, through it, the geared motor 172, of a violent acceleration that could damage the motor 172A and/or the reduction gear 172B. The discharge mechanism M72 therefore constitutes a mechanism for protecting the electric motor 172A, the reduction gear 172B and the pinion and rack assembly 272-273 against violent accelerations that could result from surface irregularities of the part during shaping in the rolling mill 2.
Comparing
The axial cage 8 comprises two conical rollers 82 and 84 intended respectively to act on the upper front surface P6 and the lower front surface P8 of the part.
The conical rollers 82 and 84 are each rotated by an electric motor 86 or 88 supported by the auxiliary frame 48.
The roller 82 is supported by a platen 90 that is vertically movable, along an axis Z90 parallel to the axes Z62 and Z66, relative to the secondary frame 48.
To that end, the platen 90 is rigidly fastened to a shoe 91, which in turn is hitched to the lower end 92A of a bar or column 92. Like the bars 72 to 78, the bar 92 makes it possible to transmit, to the roller 82, a translational movement along its longitudinal axis X92 combined with the axis Z90.
The movement of the bar 92 along the axis Z90 is controlled by a double-toothed rack 292, in turn controlled by two geared motors 192 to 194 mounted fixed on the frame 48. Pinions 293 and 295 are respectively mounted on the output shafts of the geared motors 192 and 194 and simultaneously mesh with the two provided toothings, on either side of the axis Z90, on the rack 292.
The rack is guided in translation along the axis Z90 by rails formed in guide plates 197 and 199, the plate 199 being in partial tear-away in
The upper end of the bar 92 forms a piston 924 that is engaged, sealably owing to a gasket 924A, in a hollow housing 926 arranged in the lower part of the rack 292, at the center thereof. This constitutes a variable volume chamber C92 defined between the upper surface 924B of the piston 924 and the bottom 926B of the housing 926. A pipe 291 passes through the rack 292 over its entire height, from the housing 926, which makes it possible to connect the chamber C92 to a system 93 for supplying this chamber with pressurized oil. The system 93 comprises a pipe 932, a pump 934, a collection tub 936, a tared nonreturn valve 938 and a nonreturn valve 739.
In practice, the supply system 93 may or may not be identical to the supply system 73. These systems may be combined.
During normal operation of the rolling mill 2 shown in
In case of irregularity protruding on the upper front surface P6 or on the lower front surface, the roller 82 is moved upward, in the direction of arrow F3 in
The operation here is comparable to that mentioned previously regarding the discharge mechanism M72. Therefore, formed in the axial cage 8 is a discharge mechanism M92 that allows precise control of the height of the conical roller 82 relative to the auxiliary frame 48, during normal operation of the rolling mill 2, and accommodation of any surface irregularity on one of the front surfaces P6 or P8, without risking damaging the geared motors 192 and 194, while the latter are mounted rigidly relative to the secondary frame 48.
Alternatively, the systems 73 and 93 can be replaced by other systems for supplying the variable volume chambers C72, C74, C92, etc. with pressurized oil at a given pressure. It is in particular possible to use an accumulator reservoir loaded with oil at the desired pressure and associated with a tared discharge valve, or an overloading chamber. In the case of an overloading chamber, the rod 273 is rigidly connected to the support 720 and the piston 724, which makes it possible to suction oil into the overloading chamber, like a syringe, before placing the variable volume chamber C72 or equivalent means under a pressure of about 250 bars while pushing back the piston 724, after having cut the communication between this chamber and the overloading chamber.
In the example described above, the invention is implemented to control the movement, in translation with respect to the frames 46 and 48, of the rollers 66 and 82. Alternatively, it can be used for only one of these rollers.
According to a variant of the invention that is not shown, the bars 72 and 74, on the one hand, and the bars 76 and 78, on the other hand, can be connected to one another by rear cross-pieces positioned opposite the cross-piece 68 and the plate 70. In this case, a pinion and rack assembly driven by one or several geared motors can be provided to control the movement of each rear cross-piece along the axis X2. The structure of the pinion and rack assembly mounted on the auxiliary frame 46 can be inspired by that shown in the figures for the axial cage 8, with equivalent of the bar 92 that is positioned horizontally and that attacks each rear cross-piece, in a separation direction relative to the axis Z62 of the main roller 62.
According to another variant, a single pinion and rack assembly is used to move both rear cross-pieces, and through them, the four columns. According to still another variant, a single cross-piece connects the four bars 72 to 78.
The number of traction bars used to control the translation of the roller 66 along the axis X2 may be different from four.
The embodiment and the variants considered above may be combined to generate new embodiments of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16306289.6 | Sep 2016 | EP | regional |
This is a U.S. national phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2017/074736, filed Sep. 29, 2017, and claims benefit of priority to European Patent Application No. 16306289.6, filed Sep. 30, 2016. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2017/074736 | 9/29/2017 | WO | 00 |
