Title of Invention

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING COILS OF METAL STRIP ON PALLETS

Abstract

In an apparatus used at the downstream end of a metal-strip rolling and winding installation for convoying the vory heavy metal-strip colli produced thereby and comprising a system for circulating and advancing loaded pallets (4) and having arrays o£ rollers (8), each pallat having two apacad longitudinal baaina (11) and a coil-holding saddle (13) bridging them and forming confronting support faces (IS) extending at a support angle (7), the pallets (4, 104, 204, 304) for conveying a hot coil (5) have longitudinal beams {11, 1ll, 211, 311) that have formations (18; 20; 29) shaped to compensate for vertical and horisontal deformations resulting from load and heat.

Full Text

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING COILS OF METAL STRIP ON PALLETS The invention relates to an apparatus used at the downstream and of a metal-strip rolling and winding inatallation for conveying the very heavy metal-strip coils produced thereby and comprising a system for circulating and advancing loaded pallets and having arrays of rollers, each pallet having two epaced longitudinal beams and a coil-holding saddle bridging them and forming confronting support faces extending at a support angle, Such pallet-circulating systems have been used for a long time for cold coils, that for coils at the end of a rolling stream producing cold metallic strip, e.g. in aluminum production. They can move coils weighing as much as 45 ton and can be quickly recirculated. Unlike most other conveyor systems the masses involved are relatively small, which makes them easy to drive and position accurately. There are also advantages with respect to servicing, availability, replacement , simple loading and unloading of the coil (coil), and an increase in conveying efficiency. In addition they are very flexible with respect to separate loading and unloading. Such a circulating system using pallets for conveying heavy, for example 30 to 40 ton, bundles or coils that are hot, that is with a surface temperature of the coil between 5OOEC and i 800EC cannot be benefitted from because of the high temperatures. In addition to the considerable weight, there are substantial deformations caused by the large thermal stress. These lead to deformations of the pallet that can be several millimeters. The temperature is different in different parts of the pallet and of the support parts of the saddle and in parts not exposed to radiant: heat from the hot coil, as well as parts extending perpendicular to this radiation. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an apparatus of this type that in spite of the cumulative influences of weight and heat make a reliable conveyor system possible. This object is attained according to the invention in that the pallets for conveying a hot coil have longitudinal beams that have formations shaped to compensate for vertical and horizontal deformations resulting from lead and heat. The invention is based on the finite-element method which recognizes that the pallets so that their longitudinal beams remain in good contact with the rollers of the roller conveyers end their ability to roll ie not impaired when at least these longitudinal beams are according to the invention constructed so as to take into account the vertical and horizontal deformations likely to occur, An arcing of their running faces and lateral bellying-out or other deformations then have no effect on the running of the pallets, so that the use of the pallet to convey hot coils is possible with no problems, These formations can be narrowings or cutouts in the running surface, holes in other parts of the pallets, steps or the like, that is formations that allow the pallet to roll easily in spite of the considerable thermal and mechanical stresses it ie subject to. In this manner compaction of the hot coil caueed by changes in transport speed and sudden stops is avoided, even when the hot coil is conveyed laying flat, it is therefore not necessary to convey the hot coils lying on its end faces (lying flat). According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the pallet is provided with additional heat-shield means for reducing the radiation and heat conduction from a hot coil held in the support saddle to the longitudinal beams. These heat shields, which can be a heat-protecting shield extending between the support faces at the foot of the support saddle above the longitudinal beams and extending over the width of the pallet or a heat-protecting shield extending from the ends of the pallet toward the support surfaces of the support saddle and extending over the entire width of the pallet, block radiant heat and greatly reduce the shape-deforming influence on the pallet; and its longitudinal beams. According to a particular formation the running surfaces of the longitudinal beams are formed as skids and have end faces that: are inclined upward from a conveyor plane of the roller array at an angle. This ensures that although the longitudinal beams are surprisingly bowed upward by a horizontal load component of the weight of the hot coil on the saddle/ there is always some space underneath the end faces so that the pallets roll freely along the conveyor. In a preferred embodiment of the invention two movable skids form a single longitudinal beam. The pallet thus rides on four movably mounted skids that can react independently of each other to the effects of heat and coil weight and together with the inventive formations produce an ideal running surface. A preferred embodiment of the invention is that between the inclined end faces and a central planar face, which has a length at least equal to a spacing of the rollers of the roller array, the longitudinal beams each have an inclined face forming a ■mailer angle to the transport plane. With such different angles that depend from the roller spacing or the distribution of the rollers of the roller conveyors and the central planar region of the longitudinal beam, it is sure that the longitudinal beams do not bow toward the roller arrays, but instead the angled faces form a lightly concave curve so that the angle stays at aero. Together with the central portion, this ensures that there is an ideally long flat running region extending if necessary over several rollers. The end-face angles remain generally unchanged and guarantee smooth running. According to a further embodiment of the invention the longitudinal beams each in a central region between the support faces of the support saddle a reduced section elastically deformable region. Such a formation allowing the longitudinal beams to deform is here where it is subjected to the most heat, namely at the connection between the web or floor plate of the pallet between the supports, The two running-face sections of the longitudinal beams flanking the restricted-section region, extending to the angled faces at the ends, and engaging several rollers are not subjected to radiant heat, which effect is helped by the horizontal heat shield at the foot of the support saddle. It is suggested according to the invention that the longitudinal beam be mounted via elastic bushings on outwardly projecting support bolts of a pallet frame having the support saddle. These movable joints, e.g. sleeves or rubber, plastic, or the like, allow limited play and deflection of the longitudinal beams when they arc or belly out as the result of heat. Another ■olution for compensating out the lateral arcing or bellying of the pallet is according to the invention that each longitudinal beam is mounted by a pivot at one end on outwardly projecting support bolts of a pallet frame having the support saddle and at the other end is supported for free movement on a ball joint of the pallet frame. The pivot mounting of the longitudinal beam maintained by a spacer washer or the like at a predetermined spacing from the pallet frame can be done for example by a sort of Cardon joint with relatively sliding half-cup pivot elements. The loose joint at the other and of the pallet allows free movability, A device for limiting upward movement prevents movement out of the bearing seats. Further features and particularities of the invention are seen in the drawing and the following description of embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing. Therein: FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a pallet-circulating system for conveying metal coils with roller conveyors at different levels; FIG. 2 is a detail of the conveyor system of FIG. 2 in perspective view with a lift provided along a conveyor; FIG, 3 ia a perspective top view of a detail of the conveyor of the pallet-circulating system; FIG, 4 is a side view of a detail of a pallet, the underlying schematically illustrated roller conveyor, and between them the deformed shape of the longitudinal beams of the pallet shown exaggerated; FIG. 5 is a top view of the FIG. 4 pallet; FIG. 6 is a side view of the FIG. 4 pallet; PIG- 7 is a sid© view of another pallet; FIG. 8 ie a side view of yet another pallet; FIG. 9 ie a detail of the FIG. 8 pallet taken along section line IXBIX; FIG. 10 ie a aide view of another embodiment of the pallet; FIG- 11 is a top view of the FIG. 10 pallet; FIG. 12 ie a detail of the FIG. 10 pallet taken along section line XIIBXII; FIG. 13 is a detail of the FIG. 10 pallet taken along section line XIIIBXIII; FIG. 14 is a side view of an embodiment of a pallet formed with two movable skids; and FIG. 15 is the FIG. 14 pallet partly in section in front view, FIG. 1 shows in a rolling mill for making metallic strip a pallet-circulating system 1 having conveyors 2 that are set at different levele above the floor 3, The conveyors 2 move pallets 4 carrying freshly rolled bundles or coils 5 of metal strip and distribute them to downstream treatment stations There are several treatment stations for the coils 5 on the pallets 4. A lift 6 integrated into the conveyori 2 serves for distribution to the different levels. The lift 6 a* better shown in FIG. 2 serves upper and lower roller arrays 7 for several pallets 4 of which one is shown here with a coil 5. The roller arrays 7 each have a large number of rollers 8 that are driven by a chain 10 from a respective drive motor 9 (see PIG, 3), As shown for example in FIGS, 5 and 6 the pallets 4 are each formed by a pair of parallel spaced longitudinal beams 11 spanned by a web plate 12 and a support saddle 13 on which the coil 5 is set (see FIG. 2). The saddle 13 is formed by two spaced U-shaped transverse saddle elements 14 bridging the longitudinal beams 11 and each having two upper support faces 15 turned toward the coil and inclined downward and inward. The coil 5 is thus supported by four support faces 15 (see FIG* 5), Opposed support faces 15 form a support angle y that is optimized to fit with the diameter of the coil and that ensures a uniform distribution of vertical and horizontal loads. The weight of the coil and the effect (heat conduction and radiation) of the heat of the coil 5 will deform the pallet 4; the stress distribution leads to movements whereby the longitudinal beams 11 bow upward and belly laterally outward, as shown by the exaggerated aide curves 16 in FIGS. 5 and 11* In order that the pallet 4 can continue to ride on the rollers 8 of the roller arrays 7 of the conveyors 2, the longitudinal beams 11 are provided with compensatory skid-shaped running faces that rise up at their end faces 16 from a transport plane 17 (see FIG. 4 below and FIG, 10) of the rollers 6 of the roller arrays 7 at an angle In the pallet 4 of FIGS. 4 to 6 between the inclined end faces IB and a central planar face 19 of each longitudinal beam 11 there are angled faces 20 (line [3) that form with the transport plane 17 a smaller angle p than the angle a of the end faces (line a). The length of the planar central face 19 is larger than the spacing T of the rollera 8. When the beams 11 are not shaped like this, they would, under the effects of heat and load shown in FIG, 4, deform directly underneath the pallet as shown by a curve 21 relative to a dot-dash line 38 repreaenting the transport plane 17 and bow upward, with the front and rear ends of the beams 11 moving below the null line 38 of the transport plane 17. Here, however, the curved shape shown at the exaggerated dotted line 32 is created, according to which angle (3 of the outer end faces 20 In order to compensate for deformation all embodiments of the pallets have in the transversa saddle elements 14 of the saddles 13 formations here constituted by treneveree and longitudinal bores 24 and 25. To limit the heat transmission, there are also heat shields 26 and 27, respectively mounted between the support faces 15 at the base of the saddle 13 above the beams 11 and at the ends of the pallet and set against the saddle elements 14 having the support faces 15 (heet shield 27}. In the pallet 104 of FIG, 7 the longitudinal beams l1 have in addition to the angled end faces extending at angle a between the support faces 15 of the saddle elements 14 a reduced-section elastically deformabla region 2S. The running feces 2) between the region 28 and the end faces 28 are substantially planar and have a length equal to a multiple of the spacing T of the rollers 8. In the pellet 204 of FIGS. 8 and 9 and the pallet 304 of FIGS. 10 to 13 the respective longitudinal beams 211 and 311 having the angled faces 18 are mounted externally on a pallet floor frame 30 (see FIG. 9 and FIGS. 11 to 13) . To compensate for thermally and mechanically induced deformations, the longitudinal beams are mounted on outwardly projecting support bolts 31 via elastic bushings 32 (see FIG. 9}. A spacer ring 33 creates a safety space with respect to the floor frame 30. The pallet 304 of FIGS, 10 to 13 is provided on its end shown on the left in FIGS. 10 and 11 with fixed supports for ths longitudinal beam 311. The longitudinal beams are there supported vie ball-type pivots 34 having a spacer ring 35 for the floor frame 31 on the support pin. On the end on the right pallet side there are loose bearings (see FIG. 13) constituted (see sectional illustration on the right side of FIG. 10} by a saddle-like frame bracket 37 holding a ball or roller 36. In the pallet 404 of FIGS. 14 and 15 each of the two longitudinal beams 411 is formed of two separate skids 39a and 39b. lach skid 39a or 39b is mounted via a bearing 40 (see FIG. 15) that can shift independently in the floor frame of the pallet 404 and that has angled faces 18 forming the angle a at front and rear ends* Patent Claims 1. An apparatua used at the downatream and of a metal- itrip rolling and winding installation for conveying the vary heavy metal-atrip coils (5) producad thereby and comprising a system for circulating and advancing loadad pallets {4) and having arraya of rollara (■)/ aaoh pallat having two spaced longitudinal beams (11) and a coil-holding saddle (13) bridging them and forming confronting aupport faces (15) extending at a aupport angle (7), charactarised in that tha pallets (4, 104/ 204/ 304) for conveying a hot coil (5) hava longitudinal beams (11, 111, 211, 311) that hava formation. (18; 201 23) ahapad to componsate for vertical and horizontal deformations rasulting from load and heat. 2. Tha apparatua according to claim l, characterised in that the pallat (4, 104, 204, 304) ii provided with additional haat-shield means (26; 27) for reducing tha radiation and haat conduction from a hot ooil (B) held in the aupport aaddla (13) to tha longitudinal beams (11/ 111/ 211, 311). 3. The apparatua according to claim 1, characterised in that tha running surfaces of the longitudinal baama (11, 111/ 211, 311) are formed as a kids and hava and faces (19) that are inclined upward from a conveyor plane (17) of the roller array (7) at an angle (a) . 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, charactarised in that between the inclined end faces (18) and a central planar face (19), which has a length at least equal to a spaaing (T) of the rollers (9) of the roller array (7)/ the longitudinal beams (11) each have an inclinad face (30) forming a smaller angla (p) to tha transport plans (17) . 5. Tha apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that two movable skids Ola and 29b) form a single longitudinal beam (411). 6. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that each longitudinal beam (111) has in a central region between the support faces (19) of the respective support saddle (13) a reduced section elastically doformable region (28). 7. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that each longitudinal beam (211) ia mounted via elastic bushings (32) on outwardly projecting support bolts (31) of a pallet frame (30) having the support saddle (13). 8. Tha apparatus according to on« of claims l to 3, charactarisad la that each longitudinal beam (311) ia mountad by a pivot (34) at ona and on outwardly projecting aupport bolts (31) of a pallet frame (30) having tha aupport saddla (13) and at the othar and ia aupportad for free movament on a ball joint (36) of tha pallet frame (30). 9. The apparatus according to ona of olaima 2 to 8, charactarised by a haat-protecting shiald (26) axtanding between tha aupport facaa (15) at tha foot of tha aupport aaddla (13) abova tha longitudinal beams (11, 111, 311, 311) and axtanding ovar tha width of tha pallat (4, 104, 204, 304)* 10. Tha apparatus according to ona of claim 2 to 9, charactarised by a haat-protacting shield (27) axtanding from tha anda of tha pallat (4, 104, 204, 304) toward the aupport surfacas (15) of tha aupport aaddla (13) and axtanding over tha antira width of tha pallat.

Documents:

0078-che-2006-abstract.pdf

0078-che-2006-claims.pdf

0078-che-2006-correspondnece-others.pdf

0078-che-2006-description(complete).pdf

0078-che-2006-drawings.pdf

0078-che-2006-form 1.pdf

0078-che-2006-form 3.pdf

0078-che-2006-form 5.pdf

78-CHE-2006 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 07-02-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 AMENDED CLAIMS 07-02-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 13-06-2011.pdf

78-CHE-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 16-02-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 ENGLISH TRANSLATION 13-06-2011.pdf

78-CHE-2006 FORM-3 07-02-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 FORM-3 16-02-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 16-02-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 26-03-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 ENGLISH TRANSLATION 26-03-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 07-02-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 POWER OF ATTORNEY 26-03-2012.pdf

78-CHE-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS.pdf

78-CHE-2006 CORRESPONDENCE PO.pdf

78-CHE-2006 DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE) GRANTED.pdf

78-CHE-2006 FORM 18.pdf