Patent Grant
11702313
The present disclosure relates to mult threaders. It finds particular application in conjunction with a mult threader with a separator shaft assembly and clamp bar, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present disclosure is also amenable to other like applications.
In the metals Industry, both ferrous and non-ferrous, rolling mills are used to roll the process metal down into a strip form which is subsequently wound into a coiled shape. Some of these wound coils of metal strip are forwarded to slitting lines where the coiled strip is unwound, partially flattened, and then passed through a slitting machine.
The slitting machine cuts the width of the strip into individual strands known in the industry as “mults”. The balance of this description will refer to the individual strands of strip as “mults”.
At the slitting machine, a whole width of a coil can be slit into many mults; for example, as little as two mults or as many as thirty or more mults. The more mults, the more difficult it is for the machinery downstream of the slitter to be threaded and ultimately rewind the mults into side by side narrow coils on the recoiler.
A difficulty associated with threading the mults is that the leading edges of the mults are not all lined up in a straight pattern. The layout of the knives in the slitting machine tends to apply either a slight upturn or a slight downturn to the leading edge of a given mult. For example, a given mult may have a slight upturn to the leading edge, while the adjacent mult may have a slight downturn to the leading edge.
Further during the threading process, downstream of the slitter, there is a need to develop a gap between adjacent side by side mults. This is done to keep the mults from crossing over or overlapping each other as they are threaded through the remainder of the process line. Should the crossing over or overlapping occur, the slitting process line would have to be stopped and the crossed tangled mults would need to be sorted out.
To keep the mults properly aligned and separated from each other, the individual mults are threaded between separator discs that are mounted on a separator shaft. There may be several separator shaft/disc assemblies stationed progressively downstream of the slitting machine.
As the leading edges of the mults approach the recoiler mandrel, the leading edges need to be directed down into the recoiler's gripper slot. Once the mults are in the gripper slot, the gripper is closed, and the recoiler mandrel starts winding the coil.
Since adjacent leading edges of the mults are alternately bent up or down, it is difficult to insert the leading edges into the gripper slot on the recoiler mandrel. Many times, dependent on strip thickness, an operator needs to manipulate the leading edges of the mults to get them into the gripper slot.
While the mults are being wound on the recoiler mandrel, there is again a need for separator discs to be placed between adjacent (i.e., side by side) mults to keep them from crossing over (i.e., overlapping) each other during the winding process. When the operator manipulates the leading edges of the mults, he has to also make sure the position and spacing of the mults will result in the mults falling between recoiler's separator discs.
A problem with operator involvement in the threading of the recoiler is it reduces the productivity of the slitting line and may cause potential safety issues for the operator. Moreover, the more slit mults the operator has to handle; the more time is lost to the threading process.
Thus, there is a need to improve the threading process at the recoiler and reduce operator involvement. Specifically, a mult threader with a separator assembly and clamp bar is provided to overcome the above mentioned deficiencies and others while providing better overall results.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, a mult threader assembly has a mult threader frame, a movable carriage that is slidably disposed on the frame, a fixed clamping member, a separator shaft mounted on the movable carriage, and a movable clamping member mounted on the movable carriage.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a method of threading mults includes providing a mult threader frame, slidably disposing a movable carriage on the frame, providing a fixed clamp member, mounting a separator shaft on the movable carriage, and mounting a movable clamping member on the movable carriage.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a mult threader has a fixed clamp bar and a moveable mating clamp bar. A separator shaft and the moveable clamp bar are mounted on a moveable carriage, that is slidably disposed and guided on a mult threader frame. The moveable clamp bar is preferably operated by cylinders. When the cylinders are retracted, the clamp bar is in a wide-open position.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a mult threader frame is attached to a fixed frame through a pivot point. A cylinder is attached to the mult threader frame at pivot points. When the cylinder is retracted, the mult threader is in a near vertical position which represents the mult threader's line run position which also serves as the mult threader position for threading the line.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the mult threader is preferentially positioned just after a deflector roll and just before a recoiler mandrel.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the leading end of the mults progresses to and passes slightly through the mult threader. Cylinders are operated to extend which in turn advances the moveable carriage towards the fixed clamp bar. The individual mults fall between the separator discs, i.e., one mult in each gap between adjacent separator discs. On occasion, operator assistance may be needed to guide the mults, which makes it easier when the mults are flat than when they are contained in the recoiler mandrel gripper slot.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, cylinders advance the moveable carriage until the mults are clamped between the fixed clamp bar and the moveable mating clamp bar. The separator shaft assembly is mounted on the moveable carriage. This allows the mults to stay between the separator discs, while the clamping action takes place.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, once the leading end of the mults is in a gripper slot, the gripper is closed resulting in clamping of the mults. The recoiler mandrel is rotated to start winding of the mults. Simultaneously, the mult threader frame is partially retracted away from the mandrel and, simultaneously, the recoiler separator shaft assembly is operated to lower towards the recoiler mandrel.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, when the recoiler separator shaft assembly is on the surface of the wound mults, the mult threader frame is further retracted away from the recoiler mandrel, and the mult threader moveable carriage is fully opened. This places the mult frame in a near vertical position, and the mult threader separator discs are disengaged from the mults and positioned well below the passline of the mults while the line is running.
In other situations, the separator shaft assembly may be at least partially raised during a run, especially if a large number of mults are in the line.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the mult threader clamp bars are mounted in a way that makes it easy to maintain the clamp bar pads, and easy to adjust the clamped position of the mults relative to the separator discs.
In accordance with still another aspect of the disclosure, the mult threader is not limited to usage in a slitting line that utilizes a notching machine. For other configuration slitting lines there may be more separator shaft assemblies than in the line discussed above, but the function and placement of the mult threader remains the same.
Still other aspect of the disclosure will become apparent upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed disclosure.
Referring to
Referring to
Mult threader 10 has a fixed clamp bar 16 and a moveable mating clamp bar 18. Both separator shaft 12 and moveable clamp bar 18 are mounted on a moveable carriage 20 that is slidably disposed and guided on mult threader frame 22 (see
Mult threader frame 22 is attached to a fixed frame 26 (see
Fixed frame 26 may or may not have other equipment such as a deflector roll 36, a threading table 38 or any other line equipment.
Referring now to
For an existing slitting line depicted in
The mult threader is preferentially positioned just after deflector roll 36 and just before recoiler mandrel 42. Prior to threading the slitting line, the slitting knives are positioned and spaced on slitter 50 arbors.
Separator shaft assemblies 56, 12 and 44 have separator discs 14, 45 that are spaced, and located on their shafts, such that the spacing and location of the separator discs is relative to the spacing and location of the slitting/cutting planes set-up at the slitter 50.
After the strip is slit, the leading edge is conveyed on tables 54 across the looping pit.
The leading end of the strip progresses to crop shear 58, and the unslit leading edge is cut off by crop shear 58.
The leading end of the mults progresses to and passes slightly through mult threader 10. Cylinders 24 are operated to extend which advances moveable carriage 20 towards fixed clamp bar 16 (see, e.g.,
Cylinders 24 then advance moveable carriage 20 until the mults are clamped between fixed clamp bar 16 and moveable mating clamp bar 18. Separator shaft assembly 12 is mounted on moveable carriage 20. This allows the mults to stay between the separator discs 14, while the clamping action takes place.
Referring to
Referring to
When recoiler overarm separator shaft 44 is on the surface of the wound mults 15, mult threader frame 22 is further retracted away from recoiler mandrel 42 (see
The slitting line is now ready to run and process the strip.
Mult threader separator shaft assembly 12 is mounted in a way that makes it easy to remove the separator shaft and retool for a different slitting/cut schedule for the slitting line.
Mult threader clamp bars 16, and 18 are mounted in a way that makes it easy to maintain the clamp bar pads, and easy to adjust the clamped position of the mults relative to the separator discs 14.
Mult threader 10 is not limited to usage in a slitting line that utilizes the notching machine. For other configuration slitting lines there may be more separator shaft assemblies than in the example line, but the function and placement of the mult threader remains the same.
There can be various degrees of automation associated with the sequence described above. Some slitting lines can be configured to be essential self-threading with little or no intervention by the operator. Other slitting lines can be configured for the operator to have full control over some or all the steps in the sequence. The level of automation is a user preference and does not change the essence of the design.
The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims and disclosure or the equivalents thereof.
This application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/968,349 filed on Jan. 31, 2020 and 62/972,362 filed on Feb. 10, 2020, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3863858 | Cauffiel | Feb 1975 | A |
| 3999665 | Rogers | Dec 1976 | A |
| 4270684 | Cauffiel | Jun 1981 | A |
| 6964392 | Matsunaga | Nov 2005 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210238004 A1 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62972362 | Feb 2020 | US | |
| 62968349 | Jan 2020 | US |
