Conveyors: power-driven – Conveying system having plural power-driven conveying sections – Forming a single conveying path
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-27
2001-05-22
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveying system having plural power-driven conveying sections
Forming a single conveying path
C198S782000, C198S836300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234301
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a strand guide, in particular for a continuous slab-casting plant for steel, with supporting segments in which are arranged frames which have rows of guide rollers and driving rollers arranged opposite one another, wherein the frames are held opposite one another by tie rods.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A strand guide having supporting segments carrying a plurality of rollers is known from EP European referece 0 222 732 B1. The supporting segments are fastened to a one-piece longitudinal beam, especially a curved longitudinal beam. In order to prevent roller offset between two adjacent supporting segments, carrying plates and setting pins are provided. These carrying plates and setting pins are manufactured and arranged in such a way that roller offset is prevented also during assembly and disassembly. The roller segments themselves are fixedly mounted as a closed unit.
EP European refererce 0 117 404 B1 discloses a supporting guide in a continuous casting plant for steel with two oppositely located rows of guide rollers and driving rollers, portions of which are mounted at crossbeams. The top crossbeam is held by tie bars at supports of a fixed crossbeam arranged at a base frame. No additional guidance of the fixed crossbeam (lower frame) or top crossbeam (upper frame) is provided.
During operation of a strand guide of the above-mentioned type, especially in slab casting plants and continuous casting plants for steel, shearing forces occur in the upper frame, essentially due to slanted running of the rollers. Not only does this result in increased wear on rollers and roller bearings, but the transmission of high shearing forces between the upper frame and lower frame requires side frames dimensioned in a correspondingly robust manner. Further, shaping errors can occur in the strand, especially slanting of the narrow sides due to the shearing forces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the invention is to prevent the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide a strand guide, especially for a continuous slab-casting plant, which ensures automatic centering of at least one of the oppositely located frames of the individual supporting segments relative to the strand so as to be free of play in a simply designed construction.
According to the invention, guide members are provided which are arranged conically at an opening angle relative to one another and fastened at one end to the end of a frame via holding elements and at the other end to at least one fixed point.
In a bow-type continuous casting plant, the guide members are fastened to the upper frame, while the other end is fastened to the curved longitudinal beam of the continuous casting plant or, preferably, to the lower frame. The opening angle of the two guide members can be as much as 60°. The conical opening is preferably arranged in the strand guiding direction. For this purpose, knee-shaped extensions are provided at the upper frame.
The connection between the guide member and the holder at the frame is constructed as a joint or as holders which are fixed with respect to rotation relative to it.
Particularly when using the holder which is fixed with respect to relative rotation, the guide members that are used are constructed as bars and are formed of a material withstanding tensile and compressive forces and lateral deformation. Bundles of barshaped or strip-shaped material having a rectangular, polygonal or round cross section are used for this purpose. Intermediate layers are provided in order to prevent fretting corrosion or frictional corrosion between the individual guide members.
Due to the construction according to the invention, no shearing forces occur between the upper frame and the lower frame, so that a side frame may be dispensed with.
The elimination of shearing forces improves the operational dependability of the supporting segments because jamming cannot occur in spite of extensive freedom of movement of the guided frame.
Since bulky, rigid side frames are not required, side access to the individual segments is clearly improved.
Further, manufacturing costs are reduced in that uneconomical transmission elements and linear guide elements are dispensed with.
The construction according to the invention also facilitates the realization of dynamic adaptation of gate or feed opening widths during the casting operation. This is especially advantageous in soft reduction, as it is called. Through the use of guide members, the freedom of movement of the upper frame relative to the lower frame in a bow-type continuous casting plant is substantially increased, particularly with respect to the degrees of freedom of tilting about the horizontal axes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3527336 (1970-09-01), Johnston
patent: 5918653 (1999-07-01), Knerr
patent: 117404 (1986-04-01), None
patent: 222732 (1990-04-01), None
Bunsen Christoph
Horbach Ulrich
Schubert Ingo
Siemer Hans
Von Wyl Horst
Bidwell James R.
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Mannesmann AG
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