Electric heating – Metal heating – Wire – rod – or bar bonding
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-09
2002-04-16
Valenza, Joseph E. (Department: 3651)
Electric heating
Metal heating
Wire, rod, or bar bonding
C219S101000, C228S151000, C193S0350SS, C198S782000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06373017
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a continuous hot rolling method of metal blocks for butt-joining a preceding metal block and a succeeding metal block and continuously performing a hot finish rolling, as well as a metal blocks joining apparatus, a table roller conveyor, a poor joined portion removing apparatus and a metal blocks cooling apparatus which are directly used to carry out such method.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, in hot rolling lines of metal blocks comprised, for example, of steel, aluminum, copper and the like, the metal blocks to be rolled are heated, rough rolled and finish rolled one by one, so as to be finished into a plate having a predetermined thickness. Such a rolling system suffers from disadvantages that a poor threading of the rolled material in the finish rolling inevitably causes the line to stop, and a poor shape of fore end portion and rear end portion of the rolled material results in a low yield.
Therefore, it is a recent trend to carry out an endless rolling in which the metal blocks to be rolled are connected at the fore end and rear end portions thereof prior to the finish rolling and continuously conveyed to the hot rolling line. As prior art in this connection, various proposals are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. SHO-58-112601, SHO-60-244401, SHO-61-159285, SHO-61-144203, SHO-62-142082, SHO-62-234679, HEI-4-84609, HEI-4-89120, HEI-5-185109, etc.
According to a general practice, the regions of the metal blocks in the vicinity of their respective end portions are clamped and supported by clamps on the inlet side of the rolling equipment and the to-be-joined portion is heated to an elevated temperature and pressed and joined by heating means as the endless rolling of the metal blocks is performed. However, in joining the metal blocks which are passed through the above-mentioned processes, there still remain various disadvantages such as those described below, in connection with which there have been demands for improvements.
(2) The joining apparatus for joining the metal blocks is generally constructed such that a carriage movable on a conveying line of the metal blocks is provided with clamps for fixing the metal blocks, heating means (e.g., an induction heating coil) for heating the metal blocks to an elevated temperature, and pressing means for pressing the end portions of the metal blocks with each other. In this instance, it has been a general practice to cause the heating means to approach the metal blocks only in the use condition and maintain it off the line except during the heating, and such a practice proved to be free from problems. However, the clamps and the pressing means remain mounted on the carriage and hence located on the conveying line of the metal blocks, so that they are subjected to a substantial thermal load and their lives become relatively short. Moreover, the carriage mounting the clamps and the pressing means cannot be attached with table rollers for structural reasons, so that scratches are formed due to the sliding motion of the metal blocks in the carriage when scales are deposited thereon. Further, the maintenance of the clamps and the pressing means cannot be performed except when the transfer of the metal block is stopped or when the rolling is stopped.
(3) In the rolling line provided with a movable-type joining apparatus suitable for joining the metal blocks during the running, there is required an ascending and descending timing control with which the table rollers supporting the metal blocks are moved vertically corresponding to the running of the joining apparatus. A conventional table roller disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI-4-367303 lacks in accuracy and reliability as described below. Also, in connection with the driving cylinders for causing the vertical motion of the table rollers, it has been recognized disadvantageous that the hydraulic apparatus has to be large in scale due to a requirement for substantial flow rate of operating oil, thereby giving rise to substantial increase in the power loss and the running cost.
FIG. 4
shows a construction of the equipment disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, and
FIG. 5
shows a control mechanism relating to a vertical motion of the table rollers disposed in such equipment.
In
FIG. 4
mentioned above, since the preceding metal block
1
and the succeeding metal block
2
are joined with each other while they are conveyed, the metal blocks joining apparatus
4
first assumes a waiting position on the upstream side (left side in
FIG.4
) of the conveying line for the metal blocks. And, when the rear end portion of the preceding metal block
1
and the fore end portion of the succeeding metal block
2
reach to the joining apparatus
4
, both metal blocks
1
,
2
are clamped by pinch rolls P
1
, P
2
disposed on the joining apparatus
4
while the joining apparatus
4
runs at the same speed as the conveying speed of the metal blocks, and the rear end portion of the preceding metal block
1
and the fore end portion of the succeeding metal block
2
are heated and pressed until the joining apparatus
4
reaches a predetermined position on the downstream side of the line to complete the joining. On this occasion, the control unit
5
shown in
FIG. 5
detects the position of the joining apparatus
4
to operate driving cylinders
7
a
-
7
g
through an electromagnetic valve
6
, respectively, to cause vertical motion of the respective movable table rollers
8
a
-
8
g
for preventing them from colliding against the joining apparatus
4
. In the equipment constructed as above, there is required a control by which the table rollers positioned in front of the joining apparatus
4
are descended when the joining apparatus
4
reaches thereto and the table rollers are ascended immediately after the joining apparatus
4
has passed therethrough. However, there is a problem relating the accuracy and reliability of the electromagnetic valve
6
for performing the control and the vertical motions of the table rollers, so that the joining apparatus
4
and the table rollers
8
a
-
8
g
may collide against each other. Also, in connection with the driving cylinders
7
a
-
7
g
for causing the vertical motion of the table rollers
8
a
-
8
g
, it has been recognized disadvantageous that the hydraulic apparatus has to be large in scale due to a requirement for substantial flow rate of operating oil, and such apparatus has to be continuously operated thereby giving rise to substantial increase in the power loss and the running cost.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object to provide a novel method for dissolving all of the conventional various problems in connection with implementation of a continuous hot rolling, and various apparatuses which are used directly for carrying out said method.
The various problems described above as the tasks of the invention can be advantageously attained by the constituent features described below.
Specifically, the invention provides a continuous hot rolling method comprising the steps of cutting a rear end portion of a preceding metal block and a fore end portion of a succeeding metal block, respectively, heating and pressing the metal blocks to each other and thereby joining them with each other, and subsequently performing a finish rolling, wherein the method further comprises the step of restraining a region of each of the metal blocks extending from a clamping position to the end portion thereof for preventing a level change of the metal blocks upon heating and pressing the metal blocks (the first invention)
The invention further provides a continuous hot rolling method comprising the steps of cutting a rear end portion of a preceding metal block and a fore end portion of a succeeding metal block, respectively, heating and pressing the metal blocks to each other thereby joining them with each other, and subsequently performing a finish rolling, wherein the method further comprises the step of restraining a region of each of the metal blocks pas
Amagasa Toshiaki
Hayashi Kanji
Hirabayashi Takeshi
Isoyama Shigeru
Izumi Kiyoshi
Kawasaki Steel Corporation
Orum & Roth
Valenza Joseph E.
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