US2322655A - Billet sorting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

M. MORGAN BILLET SORTING APPARATUS June 22, 1943.

Filed Jan. 21 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l [NVENTOR NYLES MORGAN ATTORNEY June 22, 1943. MORGAN 2,322,655

BILLET SORTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1942 3 Sheets---Sheet 2 zNVEN'TOR MYLES MORGAN ATTORNEY June 22, 1943. M. MORGAN 2,322,655

BILLET SORTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR MYL-ES MORGAN AT TORNEY Patented June 22, 1943 BILLET SORTING APPARATUS Myles Morgan, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 21, 1942, Serial No. 427,596

9 Claims.

This invention relates to billet sorting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for use i in conjunction with the cooling bed of a mill for rolling metal billets and arranged to facilitate the sorting ofthe billets into groups having distinguishing characteristics.

In the manufacture of billets, molten metal is poured into moldsto form cast ingots, and these ingots are reduced into billets by a. series of roll passes. As the billets leave the cooling bed of the rolling mill, it is important to separate them into groups. For example there will ordinarily be a group of billets from the top endsof the ingots, a group from the middle portions of the ingots, and a group from the bottom ends of the ingots. Also, there may be groups of defective tops, middles and bottoms" having various imperfections. In the past the sorting of billets has been carried out largely by hand, a procedure which is slow, laborious, dangerous and expensive.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide an apparatus which will greatly facilitate the sorting of billets and eliminate substantially all hand labor from this operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rugged and dependable apparatus adapted to receive metal billets they are discharged broadside from a cooling bed and assemble them into groups under the control of an operator.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

the usual billet cooling bed having spaced horizontal skids ID on which the billets are supported. Between certain of the skids there are provided the usual go-devils ll (Fig. 1) which can be reciprocated in directions parallel with the skids by well known power mechanism under the control of the operator to move the billets broadside along the skids and discharge. them from the ends thereof. While the billets are on the cooling bed they will be inspected and marked to indicate the group to which they belong. The billets may be marked by applying paint of various colors to their ends.

Adjacent the discharge end of the cooling bed there is provided a group of parallel horizontal troughs l2, seven being shown in the particular embodiment illustrated. These troughs are arranged in a gradually descending series, with the highest troughs located close to and slightly be-- neath the ends of the cooling bed skids Ill. The troughs are formed by spaced downwardly sloping rows of members it which alternate with downwardly sloping rows of members l5, all of which are firmly supported upon a concrete foundation IS. The members It and I5 are preferably metal castings which are joined together in each row in vertical planes passing through the centers of the troughs. As shown in Fig. 2, the members H) are somewhat narrower than the members It, and the space between the rows is sufficient to allow a workman to walk along the same.

Bridge members l8 are provided across the tops of all the troughs l2 (except the lowermost troughs), and means is provided to withdraw the bridge members adjacent any selected trough so that a descending billet will be deposited therein. These bridge members are preferably formed as bars or levers which are fulcrumed on pins it carried by the members it. The main arm of each lever It extends upwardly from the fulcrum l9, and when in its normal or lowered position it crosses the adjacent trough l2 and rests on the wall at the upper side of the trough. With the levers lowered, their upper surfaces lies in a common plane with the upper surfaces of the members l4 between the troughs, this plane being inclined at an angle somewhat exceeding the angle of friction, so that the billets will slide thereover by gravity. Preferably the levers are so arranged that they may be swung upwardly about their fulcrums, and for this purpose each lever is provided at its lower end with a short arm 2| (Fig. 3) which is connected by a link 22 to an arm 23 on a horizontal shaft 25. These shafts 25 extend parallel with the troughs ii, there being one shaft for each trough (except the lowermost trough, which has no levers). The shafts are located beneath the lever fulcrums l8 and out of the path of the descending billets. An arm 26 is mounted on each shaft near one end of the motor, the parts will return by gravity to their original positions. A suitable construction for the mechanism 28 is disclosed in the United States patent to Driesch No. 2,036,798, granted April '7, 1936. The energization of the motors 23 may be controlled by separate manually operable switches (not shown) located in any position convenient for the operator.

After an appreciable number of billets of a given classification have accumulated in a particular trough, they may be removed by any suitable apparatus, such as an overhead crane. Preferably the billets are handled by means of chain slings 3|, as indicated in Fig. 4. In order to aid the operators in passing the chains beneath the billets, chain guide members 32 are provided adjacent the troughs. These members are located beneath the upper sides of the troughs, and they are provided with upper surfaces which slope downwardly away from the cooling bed to guide the lowered chains beneath the billets.

In the embodiment illustrated, the motors 29 will raise the levers I8 enough to allow the billets to drop into the troughs, but not enough to avoid interference with the groups of billets as they are lifted from the troughs; While the various parts might easily be constructed to provide sufilcient power actuated movement of the levers to avoid such interference, there would still be danger of broken parts in the event a careless crane opblock, a nut 35 being provided on the lower end of each link to form an abutment for engagement with the block when the shaft 25 is turned to raise the levers. This construction provides a lostmotion connection such that when the levers are raised by engagement of a group of lifted billets therewith, as shown at the left in Fig. 4, the links 22 will slide downwardly through the blocks 34. In order to ensure the return of the levers after the billets have been moved out of contact therewith, each link 22 is provided with an abutment or shoulder 31 spaced above the block 34, and a coiled spring 38 surrounds each link between this shoulder and the block. These parts are so arranged that when the billets are lifted from the trough, thereby raising the levers, the shoulders 31 will engage the upper ends of the springs 38 and compress the same. When the billets have cleared the levers, the springs will expand once more and cause the levers to swing downwardly at least far enough to bring them into a position such that gravity will complete their movement.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the above disclosure. The billets will be classified and marked while they rest on the skids III of the cooling bed. The operator will energize the motor 29 associated with the particular trough I2 which corresponds with the classification of the billet nearest the discharge end of the cooling bed. This will turn the shaft 25 and raise the levers 18 above the said trough. The go-devils II will then be actuated to push the billet from the cooling bed, and the billet will slide broadside by gravity over the intervening levers l8 until it reaches the proper trough and is deposited therein. If several consecutive billets are in the same classification, they will be pushed off as a group by the go-devils. When a trough is to be emptied, chains 3| will be lowered at the upper side of the bundle on to the chain guides 32, which will deflect the ends of the chains downwardly beneath the bundle, so that workmen may readily grasp these ends and hook them in place to form slings around the bundle. Thereupon the slings will be elevated by the crane, raising the billets and lifting the levers l8 above the same, the links 22 sliding through the blocks 34 to compress the springs 38. Upon removal of the billets, the springs will expand and aid gravity in returning the levers to their original positions.

It will be clear that the invention provides a very rugged and dependable apparatus whereby billets may be sorted very expeditiously. Substantially no hand labor is required, and the operation can be regulated from a control station in a safe and convenient location. The apparatus is particularly adapted for use with modern rolling mills of the continuous type, which deliver billets in rapid succession to the cooling bed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Billet sorting apparatus comprising a group of parallel horizontal troughs arranged in a gradually descending series, bars pivotally secured to the lower walls of the troughs and extending upwardly across the troughs to provide an inclined surface over which billets may slide broadside downwardly, a horizontal rotatable shaft adjacent each trough and parallel therewith, arms secured to the shafts, and links connecting the arms with the corresponding bars and so arranged that by turning the proper shaft the bars above a selected trough may be swung upwardly to cause a descending billet to be deposited therein.

2. Billet sorting apparatus comprising spaced parallel inclined rows of members shaped to form a series of horizontal troughs arranged in a gradually descending series, bars pivotally secured to the lower walls of the troughs and extending upwardly across the troughs to provide an inclined surface over which billets may slide broadside downwardly, a horizontal rotatable shaft adjacent each trough and parallel therewith, the shafts being located a substantial distance below the corresponding bars, and means connecting the shafts with the corresponding bars and so arranged that by turning the proper shaft the bars above a selected trough may be swung upwardly to cause a descending billet to be deposited therein.

3. Billet sorting apparatus comprising a group of parallel horizontal troughs arranged in a gradually descending series, bars pivotally secured to the lower walls of the troughs and extending upwardly across the troughs to providean inclined surface over which billets may slide broadside downwardly, and power actuated means to swing the bars adjacent any selected trough upwardly and therebycause a descending billet to be deposited therein, the bars being free to swing upwardly independently of the power actuated means, whereby the billets may be readily lifted out of the troughs.

4. Billet sorting apparatus comprising a group of parallel horizontal troughs arranged in a gradually descending series, bars pivotally secured to the lower walls of the troughs and extend ng upwardly across the troughs to provide an inclined surface over which billets may slide broadside downwardly, a horizontal rotatable shaft adjacent each trough and parallel therewith, and a lost-motion connection between each bar and the corresponding shaft so arranged that by turning the proper shaft the bars above a selected trough may be swung upwardly to cause a descending billet to be deposited therein, the said connections permitting the bars to be raised independently of the shafts as billets are lifted from the troughs.

5. Billet sorting apparatus comprising a group of parallel horizontal troughs arranged in a gradually descending series, bars pivotally secured to the lower walls of the troughs and extending'upwardly across the troughs to provide an inclined surface over which billets may slide broadside downwardly, a horizontal rotatable shaft adjacent each trough and parallel therewith, a separate motor connected to each shaft to actuate the same, arms secured to the shafts, and means connecting the arms with the corresponding bars and so arranged that by energizing the proper motor the bars above a selected trough may be swung upwardly to cause a descending billet to be deposited therein.

' 6. Billet sorting apparatus comprising a group of parallel horizontal troughs arranged in a gradually descending series, bars pivotally secured to the lower walls of the troughs and extending upwardly across the troughs to provide an inclined surface o er which billets may slide broadside downwardly, a horizontal rotatable shaft adjacent each trough and parallel therewith, arms secured to the shafts, blocks pivoted to the arms, and links slidable through theblocks and connected to the bars, the links having abutments thereon for engagement with the blocks so that as a shaft is turned the bars above a selected trough will be swung upwardly to cause a descending billet to be deposited therein, the links sliding through the blocks when the bars are raised by the lifting of billets from the troughs.

7. Billet sorting apparatus comprising a group of parallel horizontal troughs arranged in a grad-- ually descending series, bars pivotally secured to the lower walls of the troughs and extending upwardly across the troughs to provide an inclined surface over which billets may slide broadside downwardly, a horizontal rotatable shaft adjacent each trough and parallel therewith, arms secured to the shafts, blocks pivoted to the arms, links slidable through the blocks and connected to the bars, each link having two shoulders thereon at opposite sides of the block so arranged that as a shaft is turned one of the abutments on each of the corresponding links will be engaged by the blocks and the bars above the corresponding trough will be swung upwardly to cause a descending billet to be deposited therein, the links sliding through the blocks when the bars are raised by the lifting of billets from the troughs, and a coiled spring surrounding each link between the block and the other shoulder to assist in returning the bars to their lower positions.

8. Billet sorting apparatus comprising a series of parallel horizontal troughs arranged to receive groups of billets therein, and guide members associated with the troughs providing inclined upper surfaces on to which chains may be lowered and arranged to deflect the chains beneath the groups of billets.

9. Billet sorting apparatus comprising spaced parallel rows of members shaped to form a series of horizontal troughs arranged to receive groups of billets which extend transversely of the rows, and guide members located laterally adjacent to the trough-forming members and providing inclined upper surfaces on to which chains may be lowered and arranged to deflect the chainsv beneath the groups of billets. I MYLES MORGAN.

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