US3889344A

US3889344A - Extractor for guide rolls

Info

Publication number: US3889344A
Application number: US428566A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Charles H Bode; Carlton E Craig; Donald L Friend; Louis G Lazzaretti; Jr George J Wagner
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1973-12-26
Filing date: 1973-12-26
Publication date: 1975-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-17
Also published as: DE2461396A1; AU7654874A; AR208188A1; AT340080B; BR7410729D0; FR2255979A1; NL7416874A; RO65267A; BE823786A; ATA1029574A; GB1496497A; ES433330A1; IT1027176B; JPS50116327A; FR2255979B1; ZA748134B; CA1012335A

Abstract

An extractor for withdrawing or inserting the rolls of a continuous-casting machine, particularly the rolls of a curved roll-rack. The extractor is portable and carried by a crane or the like. The frame of the extractor has hooks which engage knobs on a fixed part of the casting machine to obtain a purchase. The extractor includes a carriage movably supported on the frame, and roll-handling means mounted on the carriage for connecting the extractor to the rolls to pick them up and withdraw or insert them.

Description

[ 1 June 17, 1975 United States Patent [191 Bode, Jr. et al.

Galluccia..........................

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[73] Assignee: United States Steel Corporation, Anomey' Agent, or w p w Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dec. 26, 1973 Appl. No.: 428,566

ABSTRACT [22] Filed:

An extractor for Withdrawing or inserting the rolls of a -casting machine, particularly the rolls of a -rack. The extractor is portable and carried by a crane or the like. The frame of the extractor has hooks which engage knobs on a fixed part of the casting machine to obtain a purchase. The extractor includes a carriage movably supported on the frame,

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UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,080.647 29/252 15 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures EXTRACTOR FOR GUIDE ROLLS This invention relates to an improved extractor for withdrawing or inserting the rolls of a continuous casting machine. and to an improved extracting method.

Our extractor and method are particularly useful for withdrawing or inserting the rolls of a curved roll-rack. which guides a casting as its direction of travel through the continuous-casting machine changes from vertical to horizontal. The casting still has a liquid core as it passes through the curved roll-rack. and hence must be closely confined to prevent its solidified skin from bulging. A curved roll-rack includes a large number of opposed top and bottom idler rolls. which contact the concave and convex faces respectively of the casting at close intervals, and sometimes a number of driven rolls interspersed with the idlers to assist in propelling the casting. The rolls of a curved roll-rack are subject to severe operating conditions which result from their di rect exposure both to the hot casting and to the water sprays applied to the casting to cool it and promote solidification. Consequently it is necessary frequently to remove these rolls for maintenance. Similar problems may be encountered in maintaining the rolls of a straight roll-rack, and our extractor and method may be used here also.

Reference can be made to the commonly owned Gal- Iucci U.S. Pat. No. 3.763.923 for a showing of an extractor which has been used heretofore. The frame of the Gallucci extractor is permanently pivoted to the supporting structure of the casting machine. Hence the extractor lacks portability. After it has been used to withdraw a roll or roll cluster. a separate crane must be used to pick up the roll transport the rolls to a work area. Similar operations are needed to replace the roll or roll cluster. Another difficulty is that an elaborate mechanism is needed for aligning the extractor wi h the particular rolls which are to be withdrawn from the machine.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved extractor which is portable and can be carried by a crane into position for withdrawing or replacing a roll or roll cluster and also used to carry a roll to a work area.

A further object is to provide an improved extractor which avoids the need for any special aligning mechanism.

A further object is to provide an improved extractor which is cooperable with a continuous-casting machine to hook onto fixed parts of the machine to obtain the purchase necessary to withdraw a roll or roll cluster.

A further object is to provide an improved extractor which, in one embodiment, has means for directly engaging the rolls of a cluster of two rolls journaled in a common chock, thereby avoiding need for special lugs on the clusters to enable the extractor to be connected thereto.

A more specific object, with respect to the lastmentioned embodiment, is to provide an improved extractor which has heads insertable between the rolls of a cluster and rotatable 90 from their insertion position to engage the rolls and connect with the cluster.

A further object is to provide an improved method of extracting and handling roll clusters in which the extractor is crane-carried into position and hooked to fixed parts of a continuous-casting machine.

In the drawing:

FIG. I is a partly diagrammatic side elevational view of a portion of a continuous-casting machine equipped with one embodiment of extractor constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale of the extractor shown in FIG. I,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of the extractor shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view from the left on a still larger scale of the extractor shown in FIGS. 2 and FIG. 5 is a partly diagrammatic side elevational view of a portion of a continuous-casting machine equipped with a modified embodiment of extractor constructed in accordance with our invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view on a larger scale of the extractor shown in FIG. 5; and FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the extractor shown in FIG. 6.

EXAMPLE OF CURVED ROLL-RACK FIG. 1 shows a curved roll-rack of a construction similar to that shown in the commonly owned applications of Anderton et al. Ser. No. 265,379. filed June 22, I972, a continuation of which issued as US. Pat. No. 334L389, and Hall et al Ser. No. 392.170 filed Aug. 27, I973. The embodiment of the extractor shown in FIGS. I to 4 is particularly useful in conjunction with a curved roll-rack of this construction. Nevertheless use of this extractor is not thus limited, as has been pointed out and will become more apparent from the ensuing description.

The curved roll-rack shown in FIG. I includes a frame constructed of arcuate lower, middle and upper idler roll support sections l0, l2 and I3 assembled in aligned end-to-end relation. a first fabricated base member 14 located between the lower and

middle sections

10 and 12, a second fabricated base member 15 located between the middle and upper sections 12 and I3, and a third fabricated base member 16 located at the top of the upper section 13. The curved roll rack is supported on a rigid structure 17. A straightener l8 and a bending roll unit 19 of any standard or desired construction are supported at the exit and entry ends respectively of the curved roll-rack. The frame sections carry at their concave edges a plurality of roll supports 20 in which are supported bottom and

top clusters

21 and 22 of opposed idler rolls. Each bottom cluster includes a chock 23 in which two bottom rolls are journaled. Likewise each top cluster includes a chock 24 in which two top rolls are journaled. Both bottom and top clusters are withdrawn or inserted at the concave side of the frame and are held in their supports 20 with fasteners 2S (wedges or nuts). The base members I4 and 15 serve not only to support arcuate frame sections, but also as roll housings for bottom and top driven

rolls

26 and 27. Each roll support 20 carries a respective knob 28 which extends from its outside face near its upper end. The roll supports at the opposite side of the frame (not shown) are similar. The purpose of the knobs 28 is to enable the extractor to obtain a purchase on the fixed parts of the curved roll-rack, as hereinafter explained.

EXTRACTOR (FIGS. 1 to 4) FIG. I shows an extractor 31 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of our invention suspended from a conventional overhead crane 32 which has back and front hoists 33 and 33a. The crane runs on a track 34. The hoists suspend respective back and front pairs of crane hooks 3S and 351: which engage respective pairs of lifting eyes 36 and 36:! or equivalent located at opposite sides of the extractor adjacent the back end and spaced rearwardly from the front end. The extractor has a rigid frame of welded construction which, as best shown in FIGS. 2. 3 and 4, includes side members 37, back and central

transverse members

38 and 39. and depending U-shaped back and front legs 40 and 40a. The front ends of the side members 37 carry forwardly extending downwardly open hooks 42 rigidly affixed to their outside faces for engagement with any selected set of knobs 28 on the curved roll rack.

The inside faces of the side members 37 carry respective opposed rails 45 (FIG. 4). A carriage 46 within the frame has top and

bottom rollers

47 and 48 which engage and run on rails 45. The carriage likewise has a rigid frame of welded construction and includes side members 49 to which the

rollers

47 and 48 are jour naled. and back and front

transverse members

50 and 51. The extractor frame carries motive means operativcly connected with carriage 46 for propelling the carriage along rails 45. The motive means illustrated includes a pair of double-acting hydraulic cylinders 52 connected to the back transverse member 38 of the extractor frame. and respective pistons and piston rods 53 operating within the cylinders and connected with the back transferse frame member 50 of the carriage (FIG. 2 Respective motor driven pumps 54 supply hydraulic fluid to the cylinders. The motors for driving the pumps are indicated at 55. and reservoirs for hydraulic fluid at 56. The hydraulic circuit is not otherwise illustrated since it is constructed in accordance with well known principles. It is apparent also that many equivalent forms of motive means could be devised in lieu of the hydraulic mechanism illustrated.

Carriage 46 also includes a pair of frames 59, one on each side, rectangular in plan and open at the top and bottom rigidly affixed to its front transverse frame member 51. Respective rotary actuators 60 are fixed to the carriage within frames 59. The actuators are driven by a pump 61 which in turn is driven by a motor 62. A reservoir 63 for hydraulic fluid is positioned alongside the motor and pump. We have not shown the actuators and the drive mechanism therefor in detail since suitable devices are known and available commercially. One example is the Shcffer Power Unit Model PPVIOJB supplied by The Sheffer Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show the pump, motor and reservoir mounted on top of the carriage 46. while FIG. I shows these mechanisms mounted on the bottom. We prefer to mount the mechanisms on the top where they are more easily accessible, but in some installations we mount them on the bottom, since there is insufficient clearance with parts of the casting machine to permit us to mount them on the top.

The actuators 60 have forwardly projecting rotatable spindles 65 on which we mount respective rolI' engaging heads 66. The back ends of the heads are journaled in bearings 67 mounted on frames 59 (FIG. 2). The heads have spaced apart back and

front flanges

68 and 69 contoured to engage the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls. Flange 68 may be circular in outline and continuous. Flange 69 has two diametrically opposed interruptions or flat portions 70 (FIG. 4). Each time the actuators 60 are operated, they rotate their spindles and heads 66 90. Initially the heads are in a position in which the flat faces of the front flanges 69 are horizontal. In this position flanges 69 can pass between the two rolls of any selected top cluster 22 or the two rolls of any selected bottom cluster 21 of the curved roll rack. When the heads rotate 90 from this position, the front flanges 69. as well as the back flanges 68 positively engage the rolls of a cluster.

Preferably we equip the extractor with automatically operating latch mechanisms which positively latch the hooks 42 to any selected set of knobs 28. As best shown in FIG. 3, the latch mechanism at each side includes a respective plunger 73 mounted within a longitudinal bore 74 formed in hook 42. A compression spring 75 is housed within bore 74 and acts at opposite ends against the plunger 73 and a nut 76 mounted on the back end of the hook to urge the plunger forward to its latching position. A cable 77 is connected at its front end to plunger 73 and at its back end to a vertical pin 78. This pin depends from a slide 79 which is mounted within guides 80 fixed to the outside of the side member 37. The carriage 46 carries a tripper 8I engageable with pin 78 (FIG. 4). When the carriage retracted, the tripper abuts the pin and pulls plunger 73 to a position in which hook 42 is open so that it can be freely engaged with or removed from knobs 28. When the carriage is extended, spring 75 pushes the plunger 0t its latching position. whereby the extractor is safely latched to the fixed parts of the curved roll rack.

OPERATION In operation, crane 32 picks up the extractor 31 and carries it to a position in which hooks 42 engage the set of knobs 28 opposite the roll cluster to be withdrawn from the curved roll rack and thus obtain a purchase of the extractor on fixed parts of the curved roll-rack. We disengage the fasteners 25 for the cluster to be removed. We operate cylinders 52 to project carriage 46 and at the same time automatically operate plungers 73 to latch the hooks to the knobs. While the carriage is projected, the heads 66 of course are in a position in which the front flanges 69 can pass between two rolls of a

cluster

21 or 22. As soon as the carriage is fully projected, we operate the rotary actuators 60 to rotate the heads 66 90. Thereafter we retract the carriage and thus pull the roll cluster from the frame of the curved roll rack. The plungers 73 retract automatically, whereafter we use the crane and extractor to carry the cluster to any suitable work area. We follow similar steps in reverse order in installing a roll cluster. Since both top and bottom clusters of the curved roll-rack shown in FIG. I are installed or removed at the concave side ofthe rack, it is unnecessary ever to transport the extractor to the convex side.

MODIFICATION OF FIGS. 5 to 7 FIG. 5 shows a modified form of the extractor 84 constructed in accordance with our invention, but used with a different form of roll-rack in which the bottom and

top roll clusters

85 and 86 near the upper end of a frame 87 are withdrawn or inserted at the convex side. In this instance three rolls are journaled in common chocks 88. The frame 87 carries knobs 89 corresponding with knobs 28 of the embodiment already described. The chocks of both bottom and top clusters carry cars 90 which project outwardly toward the convex side of the roll rack.

The extractor 84 is suspended from a conventional overhead crane (not shown) with back and front pairs of crane hooks or shackles 92 and 9211. The hooks or shackles engage respective pairs of lifting eyes 93' and 93a or equivalent located at opposite sides of the extractor adjacent the back end and spaced rearwardly from the front end. The extractor has a two-part frame formed of a relatively fixed section 94 and a relatively movable section 95. The fixed section includes rails96 which extend along its inside faces. The movable section has rollers 97 which ride on said rails. We insert a spring-pressed pin 99 through either of two holes 100 or 1000 in the fixed section 94 and a hole 101 in the movable section 95. When we use the extractor to handle a bottom cluster of rolls 85, we insert pin 99 in

holes

100 and 101 and thus hold the movable section in a retracted position with respect to the fixed section. When we use the extractor to handle a top cluster of rolls 86, we advance the movable section 95 along the rails 96 and insert pin 99 in

holes

100a and 101 and thus hold the movable section in an extended position with respect to the fixed section. We connect a cable 102 or the like to pin 99 to withdraw the pin when we wish to change the position of the movable section 95. Cable 102 extends through a curved guide tube 103 to a convenient location for grasping it manually. The front end of the fixed section 94 carries forwardly ex tending downwardly open hooks 104 rigidly affixed to its outside faces for engagement with any set of knobs 89.

A carriage 105 within the movable frame section 95 has rollers 106 which engage and run on rails 96. When the extractor is positioned to engage a top cluster of rolls 86, the rails are aligned with tension bars 108 of the curved roll rack, and rollers 106 can run on the tension bars. The movable frame section 95 carries motive means operatively connected with carriage 105 for propelling the carriage along rails 96 and tension bars 108. The motive means illustrated again includes a pair of double-acting hydraulic cylinders 109 (only one shown) attached to the movable frame section. and respective pistons and piston rods 110 operating within the cylinders and connected with the carriage (FIG. 6). The hydraulic circuit can be similar to that of the embodiment already described. Hence, the showing and description are not separated.

Carriage 105 has a pair of upstanding brackets 113 located at opposite sides (only one shown). Each bracket carries a respective pair of outwardly projecting stops 114 and has upper and lower holes 115 located forwardly of the stops. Carriage 105 also carries a pair of transverse fluid-pressure cylinders 116 (only one shown which contain respective reciprocable pistons and plungers 117. The plungers are aligned with holes 115.

After we hook the extractor to a set of knobs 89, we operate cylinders 109 and thus move the carriage 105 forward. The carriage advances until the stops 114 abut the ears 90. When the stops and cars abut, holes 115 are aligned with corresponding holes in the ears. We operate cylinders 116 to project plungers 117 into the aligned holes, whereafter we operate cylinders 109 to withdraw the roll cluster. After withdrawing the bottom cluster by this procedure and releasing it, we can ad vance the movable frame section 95 to its extended position and withdraw the top cluster. Again we follow similar steps in reverse order in installing a roll cluster.

We have illustrated a counterweight 118 mounted on the back end of the fixed frame section 94 and a grating 119 mounted on the bottom. The counterweight serves to balance the extractor when the extractor is carrying a roll cluster. The grating serves to support a workman to enable him to make minor repairs on a roll-rack without actually extracting a cluster. We have shown hook 104 equipped with a latch mechanism similar to that shown in the first embodiment. but in this instance released manually with a cable 120.

With either of the illustrated embodiments of our invention, we can store the extractor in any convenient location where it is out of the way but accessible to the crane as long as we are not actually using it. When the crane positions the extractor to withdraw or insert a selected roll cluster, the

hooks

42 and 104 can engage the

knobs

28 and 89 without need for any special aligning mechanism. Whenever the hooks engage the knob. the crane easily tilts the extractor to the proper position for the roll-engaging means to engage the rolls.

We claim:

1. An extractor for removing or inserting the rolls of a continuous-casting machine. said extractor comprising a portable frame. means on said frame to be engaged for lifting and positioning the frame with respect to the machine, means on one end of said frame for removably engaging fixed parts of the machine at any of a plurality of locations to afford a purchase of the frame on the machine at a location corresponding with any roll to be removed or inserted. an extensible and retractable carriage carried by said frame. motive means carried by said frame and operatively connected with said carriage, roll-handling means carried by said carriage, and operating means on said carriage for connecting the handling means to a roll and disconnecting it therefrom.

2. An extractor as defined in claim 1 in which said means for lifting and positioning the frame includes lifting eyes mounted on said frame at spaced apart locations thereon and adapted to be engaged by crane hooks.

3. An extractor as defined in claim 1 in which said means for engaging fixed parts of the machine includes hooks at one end of said frame at opposite sides thereof engageable with knobs on fixed parts of the machine.

4. An extractor as defined in claim 3 comprising in addition retractable latch means carried by said frame for latching said hooks in engagement with the knobs.

5. An extractor as defined in claim 4 in which said latch means automatically assumes its latching position when said carriage is extended and automatically retracts when said carriage is retracted.

6. An extractor as defined in claim 4 in which said latch means includes respective plungers slidably mounted in said hooks, spring means acting on said plungers and urging them to latching position, operating pins for said plungers connected therewith, and trippers carried by said carriage and engageable with said pins for automatically retracting said plungers when said carriage is retracted.

7. An extractor as defined in claim 1 in which said roll-handling means directly engages the rolls themselves.

8. An extractor as defined in claim 7 in which said roll-handling means are rotatable and have a first position in which they may be inserted between two rolls of a cluster and a second position angularly spaced from said first position in which they can withdraw and carry the cluster. and said operating means includes means for rotating said roll-handling means.

9. An extractor as defined in claim 8 in which said roll-handling means are rotated approximately 90 to move them between said first position and said second position.

10. An extractor as defined in claim 8 in which said roll-handling means include heads having from and back flanges at opposite ends contoured to engage cy lindrical roll surfaces, said front flanges being interrupted to enable said heads to pass between the rolls when said roll-handling means are in said first position 11. An extractor as defined in claim 1 in which said roll-handling means indirectly engages the rolls through the'chocks in which the rolls are journaledr 12. An extractor as defined in claim 11 in which said roll-handling means includes an upstanding bracket mounted on said carriage cooperahle with ears carried by the roll Chocks.

13. An extractor as defined in claim 12 in which said brackets carry stops cooperable with ears on the chocks for positioning the carriage and further comprising transversely movahle plungers for connecting the brackets and ears.

[4. An extractor as defined in claim 1 in which said frame has relatively fixed and relatively movable sections. said extractor comprising means for holding said movable section in one position with respect to said fixed section to handle a top cluster of rolls and a second position to handle a bottom cluster or rolls.

15. An extractor as defined in claim 1 comprising in addition a counterweight carried by said frame remote from said roll-handling means to balance the extractor when carrying rolls.

Claims

1. An extractor for removing or inserting the rolls of a continuous-casting machine, said extractor comprising a portable frame, means on said frame to be engaged for lifting and positioning the frame with respect to the machine, means on one end of said frame for removably engaging fixed parts of the machine at any of a plurality of locations to afford a purchase of the frame on the machine at a location corresponding with any roll to be removed or inserted, an extensible and retractable carriage carried by said frame, motive means carried by said frame and operatively connected with said carriage, roll-handling means carried by said carriage, and operating means on said carriage for connecting the handling means to a roll and disconnecting it therefrom.

8. An extractor as defined in claim 7 in which said roll-handling means are rotatable and have a first position in which they may be inserted between two rolls of a cluster and a second position angularly spaced from said first position in which they can withdraw and carry the cluster, and said operating means includes means for rotating said roll-handling means.

9. An extractor as defined in claim 8 in which said roll-handling means are rotated approximately 90* to move them between said first position and said second position.

10. An extractor as defined in claim 8 in which said roll-handling means include heads having front and back flanges at opposite ends contoured to engage cylindrical roll surfaces, said front flanges being interrupted to enable said heads to pass between the rolls when said roll-handling means are in said first position.

11. An extractor as defined in claim 1 in which said roll-handling means indirectly engages the rolls through the chocks in which the rolls are journaled.

12. An extractor as defined in claim 11 in which said roll-handling means includes an upstanding bracket mounted on said carriage cooperable with ears carried by the roll chocks.

13. An extractor as defined in claim 12 in which said brackets carry stops cooperable with ears on the chocks for positioning the carriage, and further comprising transversely movable plungers for connecting the brackets and ears.

14. An extractor as defined in claim 1 in which said frame has relatively fixed and relatively movable sections, said extractor comprising means for holding said movable section in one position with respect to said fixed section to handle a top cluster of rolls and a second position to handle a bottom cluster or rolls.