Support for rolling metal rod, wire or tube along rolling axis

Abstract

The utility model relates to a support (1) for rolling a metal rod, a wire or a pipe along a rolling axis (19), which comprises a support shell (10), and the outer part (12) of the support shell, viewed along the rolling axis (19), comprises at least six side surfaces (14.1-14.6) which are arranged to rotate around the rolling axis in an offset of about 60 degrees under each condition, the two side surfaces in each case form a pair of side surfaces positioned parallel to each other. It further comprises: three rollers (20.1 to 20.3) positioned in each case on a roller axis, surrounding the rolling axis in a star-shaped manner and together forming a bore (21), the three rollers being settable for setting the bore based on the radial position of the rolling axis; and an adjustment connector (30) arranged on the exterior and intended for introducing an adjustment torque for setting the aperture. In this case, the adjustment connector includes a gear shaft parallel to a pair of mutually parallel side surfaces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a support for rolling metal rods, wires or tubes along a rolling axis, which comprises three rollers, the three rollers being positioned on roller shafts in each case and forming a caliber in a star shape around the rolling axis, and the three rollers being adjustable for setting the caliber by means of an adjustment connector arranged externally for introducing an adjustment torque based on their radial positions relative to the rolling axis. Background Art

[0002] Supports comprising three or more rollers for rolling rod-shaped materials to be rolled are known in principle in the production of metal tubes, rods or wires. In this case, the material to be rolled can be rolled to the required diameter since the caliber is set accordingly. To set the caliber of the support, it is customary to change the spacing between the rollers and the rolling axis. A technical solution for setting the position of the rollers relative to the rolling axis is an eccentric adjustment member.

[0003] For example, a support in the above technical field is known from DE 100 15 340A1. The known support allows the caliber to be set by means of an eccentric mechanism which can be actuated by an adjustment connector arranged externally for introducing an adjustment torque. By rotating the eccentric bushing, the rollers can be adjusted radially relative to the rolling axis so that the caliber of the support can be set steplessly and materials to be rolled with different diameters can be produced. In DE 100 15 340A1, synchronous adjustment of all roller shafts and thus all rollers can be achieved by driving only one eccentric bushing, and the adjustment is carried out via an adjustment connector provided on the side surface of the support housing.

[0004] Generally, a plurality of supports are arranged continuously in a rolling mill. Thus, the material to be rolled can be stretched, in particular, by the difference between the roller speeds of individual supports and rolled into a smaller diameter.

[0005] Furthermore, the roundness of the material to be rolled is usually insufficient after passing through one support because, due to the star-shaped arrangement of the rollers and their relatively small number, the cross-section presents a polygonal shape, the number of sides of the polygon corresponding to the number of rollers of the support. For example, the material to be rolled rolled by a single three-roller support has a cross-sectional shape that is not ideally circular but approximately triangular.

[0006] To improve the roundness of the material to be rolled, continuous supports are preferably arranged such that, in each case, the corners of the cross-section of the material to be rolled leaving the support contact the centers of the rollers of the next support, and thus the cross-section of the material to be rolled is made rounder.

[0007] Thus, in each case, for example, the three rollers of the first and third stands of a rolling mill with four stands are generally positioned in a so-called "Y arrangement", and in each case, the rollers of the subsequent stands (such as the second and fourth stands) are arranged in a so-called "inverted Y arrangement". Since the rollers and stands are alternately arranged in a Y arrangement and an inverted Y arrangement, in each case, the corners of the cross-section of the material to be rolled are rolled by the rollers of the following stand, and thus the cross-section of the material to be rolled is made round.

[0008] In the Y arrangement, the lower roller is oriented such that its roller axis is positioned horizontally, i.e., the diameter of the lower roller extends vertically in the viewing direction of the rolling axis. In contrast, in the inverted Y arrangement, it is the roller axis of the upper roller that is positioned horizontally, i.e., the diameter of the upper roller extends vertically in the viewing direction of the rolling axis. In both cases, the roller axes of the other two rollers are positioned at an angle of 120° relative to the horizontal roller axis in each case. Of course, the arrangement relative to the horizontal is generally arbitrary, because for the effects described herein, it is only the relative arrangement of the rollers with respect to the adjacent stands that matters.

[0009] The stands are arranged one after another to form a rolling mill, usually using stand bases into which the stands are inserted and by which the stands are held. This makes it possible to replace the stands in the rolling mill, for example, for maintenance that is regularly required.

[0010] The stand known from DE 100 15 340 A1 allows switching between a Y arrangement and an inverted Y arrangement by rotating about a horizontal axis by approximately 180°, and allows insertion into the stand base in two orientations. The upper and lower side surfaces of the rectangular stand housing are used as contact surfaces in the stand base.

[0011] The stand positions of the Y arrangement and the inverted Y arrangement can be selected such that when the side surfaces are the side surfaces that horizontally delimit the stand, i.e., are vertically oriented, the adjustment connectors of the eccentric adjustment members provided on the side surfaces of the stand housing remain on the same side. The coupling for torque introduction of the drive train for a gearbox having a motor and, if required, also for driving the rollers with horizontally oriented roller axes is then positioned on the opposite side surface.

[0012] Although the above arrangement of the adjustment connectors allows good accessibility for manually operating the adjustment connectors from this side, the adjustment connectors cannot be easily, i.e., automatically operated and actuated by so-called remote adjustment, because in order not to impede access to the stand, the motors required for this purpose may not be provided on this side. Summary of the Utility Model

[0013] In view of this background, the object of the present utility model is to provide a bracket in the above technical field, which allows for a particularly advantageous and uniform absorption of rolling torque and can be easily switched between different orientations during the process, so that it can be used in a modular manner for different configurations and different positions in the bracket blocks.

[0014] In other words, the object is to develop a bracket in the above technical field such that it can be modularly arranged in a rolling mill, at different positions in a bracket base and in different positions in as general a manner as possible, so that the radial spacing (i.e. adjustment) between the rollers and the rolling axis can be adjusted in a plurality of different ways and with different adjustment configurations.

[0015] The bracket of the present utility model for rolling metal rods, wires or tubes along a rolling axis comprises: a bracket housing, the exterior of which, when viewed along the rolling axis, includes at least six side surfaces arranged to rotate about the rolling axis by approximately 60° in each case, and in each case two side surfaces form a pair of side surfaces positioned parallel to each other. The bracket further comprises three rollers, which are each positioned on a roller shaft and are arranged in a star shape around the rolling axis and together form a caliber, and the three rollers can be set for setting the caliber based on their radial position with respect to the rolling axis. In addition, the bracket includes an adjustment connector arranged on the exterior and intended for introducing an adjustment torque for setting the caliber, and the adjustment connector includes a gear shaft which is parallel to a pair of mutually parallel side surfaces.

[0016] In the context of the present utility model, the side surfaces are the surfaces of the bracket housing that laterally delimit the front and rear surfaces through which the rolling axis extends. When viewed along the rolling axis, they together form the lateral outer surface of the bracket housing. Since the side surfaces are arranged in pairs parallel to each other, the projection of the bracket housing along the rolling axis can delimit a polygon having at least six sides and corners. The side surfaces can have different lengths.

[0017] The side surfaces of the bracket housing can be used as contact surfaces, including contact surfaces or extending parallel to one or more contact surfaces formed, for example, by slide rails, and the bracket can be placed stably on the contact surfaces, especially in a bracket base. The side surfaces do not have to be flat, but can also include steps, protrusions or recesses as well as openings, and can also be formed in multiple parts.

[0018] In the context of the present utility model, the fact that the side surfaces are arranged to rotate about the rolling axis by approximately 60° in each case means that the side surfaces arranged to be offset in this way also enclose angles of 60° and 120° with respect to each other. The side surfaces offset by approximately 60° rotation are preferably adjacent, but do not have to be adjacent. It is also possible not to provide sharp corners between adjacent side surfaces, but to provide rounded corners, extended chamfers, etc.

[0019] The fact that the rollers are positioned on a roller shaft in each case also means, for example, rollers axially clamped between two partial shafts of the roller shaft axially separated. Specifically, the rollers are arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on the roller shaft, for example, by frictional connection, i.e., not mounted on the roller shaft via bearings. This is also associated with the ability of the rollers to be driven by their roller shafts. For this purpose, each of the roller shafts can have its own drive connection and an end protruding outside the support. Then, by means of appropriate coupling, a motor can apply torque to each of the roller shafts respectively and thus apply torque to the associated rollers. A plurality of roller shafts can also be coupled together via a gearbox outside the support and driven by a common motor. Since the rolling force in the support in the technical field of the present utility model reaches several thousand tons, the rolling motor must be powerful and thus must be large. The rolling motor and its periphery should not prevent access to the rolling mill and the support so as not to impede the regular replacement of the support for maintenance reasons.

[0020] Therefore, for the entire rolling mill, it is important that the drive connections of the roller shafts are positioned at the same location and in the same orientation at specific positions in the rolling mill so that the replaced support can be connected to the drive of the rollers as quickly and reliably as possible, and for these points and orientations, it should not impede access to the rolling mill, especially the support, as much as possible.

[0021] The star-shaped arrangement of the rollers around the rolling axis means that the rollers or their planes of rotation are arranged at an angle of 120° with respect to two adjacent rollers or their planes of rotation in each case. This also applies to the roller shafts, the axes of which intersect except in the plane of rotation of the rollers but not in the bore. However, within the support, each roller shaft is at an angle of 120° with respect to the other two roller shafts in each case.

[0022] In the context of the present utility model, the bore means the opening between three rollers through which the material to be rolled is guided and is rolled during the process. It extends above the cross-sectional surface orthogonally to the rolling axis of the channel formed in the rolling surface by the star-shaped arrangement of the three rollers. The bore is not the same as the target or production diameter of the material to be rolled because the support widens due to the material to be rolled and does not elastically deform during the rolling process, and because the material to be rolled is not only affected by the rollers themselves, but its diameter is also affected elastically and plastically by the forces between adjacent supports, for example. However, the bore significantly affects the production diameter.

[0023] In the case of the support of the present utility model, the spacing of the rollers from the rolling axis can be set for setting the bore by means of adjusting the torque via an externally arranged adjustment connector.

[0024] The fact that the gear shaft is parallel to a pair of mutually parallel side surfaces allows the space of the support housing to be optimally utilized via an adjustment connector arranged externally for the adjustment mechanism of the rollers. This in turn allows the support to have particularly advantageous flexibility in the support base in different arrangements and with different configurations, which is particularly superior to the flexibility of a rectangular support housing.

[0025] Compared with the rectangular support housing with four side surfaces known in the prior art, the number and arrangement of the side surfaces of the support of the present utility model have the following advantages: The support can be used in different positions at different positions in the rolling mill in a modular manner and can be used in different configurations in terms of the adjustability of the radial spacing between the rollers and the rolling axis. Therefore, the number of supports reserved for the operator of the rolling mill is reduced, because even after the rolling mill is modified in terms of the adjustability of the radial spacing between the rollers and the rolling axis, the same support can be used universally throughout the rolling mill. Therefore, the present utility model enables more flexible use within the rolling mill, and in particular enables a more flexible choice of both the position and the adjustment configuration in the rolling mill in the case of a simultaneous compact design of the rolling mill.

[0026] The present utility model also allows for the flexible attachment of additional components arranged on or in the support housing. In addition to the connection of the adjustment members, such components can be, for example, operating material connections, guides (such as funnel guides or roller guides, as inlet guides or outlet guides), sliding elements, bearing elements, and fastening elements. However, also in this regard, the present utility model allows for a very significant modularity of the rolling mill.

[0027] To the extent that the arrangement of the drive device for the roller shaft within the rolling mill is thus simplified, it is advantageous to limit the complexity of the roller arrangement. Specifically, three different arrangements of the support are produced, in which, when viewed from the rolling axis, three identical angles of the rotational axis of the roller shaft are always produced. When using rollers and roller shafts that are substantially identical in structure and can be driven by any of the provided drive devices, only a translational displacement of, for example, the drive device or the gearbox and the coupling components needs to be provided, which can compensate for the translational offset of the roller shaft. This reduces the complexity and design effort of the rolling mill.

[0028] Preferably, the spacing between the gear shaft, which is perpendicular when viewed along the rolling axis, and the rolling axis is not greater than 10% of the perpendicular spacing between the rolling axis and the side surface. In other words, the gear shaft is approximately positioned at the center of the support housing, between the parallel side surfaces, more precisely, within 10% of the extension of the support housing between the side surfaces, around the center positioned by the rolling axis of the support housing.

[0029] This arrangement of the gear shaft means that the support housing can be used particularly flexibly, since tilting of the support housing about an inclined axis parallel to the gear shaft and passing through the rolling axis, for example for switching between a Y-arrangement and an inverted Y-arrangement, hardly causes any translational displacement of the position of the adjustment connector. As a result, a high level of symmetry can be achieved, as well as the associated high modularity.

[0030] Preferably, three rollers and three roller shafts are arranged so as to be offset by approximately 120° in a rotationally symmetric manner about the rolling axis in each case, and the roller shafts extend parallel to the gear shaft. In this context, "parallel" means that the gear shaft viewed along the rolling axis, i.e. the projection of the gear shaft in a plane perpendicular to the rolling axis, extends parallel to one of the roller shafts or its projection in a plane perpendicular to the rolling axis. There can also be an inclination along the rolling axis. Particularly preferably, the gear shaft and the roller shafts are located in the same plane perpendicular to the rolling axis, and in this plane, the gear shaft and one of the roller shafts are parallel to each other.

[0031] The fact that one of the roller shafts extends parallel to the gear shaft is another advantageous embodiment of the support, since this enables a compact design of the support housing, since the symmetry of the rollers and the roller shafts matches the shape of the support housing, in particular the relative arrangement of the side surfaces matches each other. This allows for high strength, uniform load distribution and high flexibility in the use of the support in a rolling mill.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the support comprises only one adjustment connector for introducing an adjustment torque for setting the aperture. This has the advantage of higher flexibility in the use of the support. In this preferred embodiment, in a configuration with remote adjustment, only one drive for the adjustment connector is required, which simplifies the overall configuration. In a configuration with manual adjustment, one single point is sufficient, at which all rollers can be actuated simultaneously and in a coordinated manner. Thus, in both configurations, a simple design outside the support can be achieved, with high flexibility and high adjustment accuracy.

[0033] Particularly preferably, the adjustment connector is operatively connected to an eccentric mechanism having an eccentric bushing in which the roller shaft is mounted, the eccentric bushing being rotatably mounted in the support housing, and the rotational position of the eccentric bushing being adjustable by means of a gearbox. This embodiment of the adjustment mechanism known from the prior art, in combination with the geometry of the support housing, is particularly suitable for achieving the adjustment of the rollers via a single adjustment connector. By virtue of the eccentric mechanism, high forces can be absorbed and high precision can be achieved, without taking up a large amount of installation space in the process.

[0034] Advantageously, when viewed in the direction of the rolling axis, the exterior of the support housing preferably has exactly six side surfaces that form a regular hexagon. This particularly preferred embodiment of the support housing enables the support housing to be used in a particularly flexible manner. The symmetry of the support housing associated with the regular hexagon is particularly suitable for the star-shaped arrangement of the three rollers and roller shafts. Thus, the three rollers and roller shafts within the support housing can be arranged within the support housing in a particularly symmetric manner, such that the support can be assembled into the support base in a plurality of different orientations, and the rollers can be coupled to the motor of the rolling mill in each of said orientations. However, alternatively, the support housing can also be of a different shape. For example, in each case, a short outer side can be provided between the six long outer sides such that, when viewed in the direction of the rolling axis, a dodecagon is formed by the side surfaces.

[0035] Advantageously, the adjustment connector can be actuated both manually and automatically by means of a motor. In this context, "can be actuated manually" means that in this connection the adjustment connector can be actuated manually by an operator using a suitable tool. Conversely, "can be actuated via an external motor" means that the adjustment connector can be actuated without manual operation and without the aid of tools, but rather, for example, using a suitable coupling, such as by rotation. This means that the adjustment connector must be arranged and designed such that it is compatible with both configurations of the drive for roller adjustment. Thus, the support can be used directly in both configurations without having to modify the adjustment connector for one or the other configuration, i.e., manual adjustment or automatic adjustment by means of a motor. However, alternatively, the adjustment connector can also be designed for only automatic adjustment or only for manual adjustment. In this case, it will still be necessary to modify the adjustment connector to change the configuration of the adjustment, although this means an increase in complexity compared to the preferred embodiment, but will not substantially impair the overall high flexibility of the support.

[0036] Advantageously, the support housing is closed and non-segmented, and is in particular manufactured integrally. In other words, the support housing is preferably manufactured in one piece and can thus be manufactured, for example, by a casting method, and thus favorable mechanical properties for absorbing the loads acting during the rolling process as well as efficient manufacturing are possible.

[0037] Preferably, each of the three roller shafts or rollers can be driven individually by its own associated motor. Thus, for example, three relatively small-sized motors can be used since they only need to exert one-third of the rolling torque. This enables the motors to be designed smaller, which significantly reduces the overall size of the rolling mill.

[0038] In this case, the three roller shafts preferably each include a drive-side end for individual drive, which projects outwardly at one of the side surfaces of the support housing. In this way, it is possible to ensure the drive of the roller shafts via the side surfaces such that the corners of the support housing are not occupied by the drive-side ends of the roller shafts.

[0039] Other advantages and developments of the present utility model will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following description of all technical solutions. Description of the Drawings

[0040] Figure 1A is a view along the rolling axis of the preferred bracket arranged in an inverted Y in the first adjustment configuration.

[0041] Figure 1B is a view along the rolling axis of the bracket arranged in a Y from Figure 1A in the first adjustment configuration.

[0042] Figure 1C is a view along the rolling axis of the bracket arranged in an inverted Y from Figure 1A in the second adjustment configuration.

[0043] Figure 1D is a view along the rolling axis of the bracket arranged in a Y from Figure 1A in the second adjustment configuration.

[0044] Figure 2A is a perspective view of the bracket from Figure 1A from the first perspective.

[0045] Figure 2B is another perspective view of the bracket from Figure 1A from the second perspective.

[0046] Figure 3A is a side view of the bracket from Figure 1A showing the adjustment connector.

[0047] Figure 3B is a side view of the bracket from Figure 1A showing the side opposite to the adjustment connector. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0048] In the following description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements have the same reference numerals, and the repeated description is largely avoided.

[0049] Figure 1Ais a view along the rolling axis 19 extending in the Z direction of the preferred support 1 for rolling metal rods, wires or tubes. The support 1 includes a support housing 10 which, in the embodiment shown herein, has a regular hexagonal shape when viewed along the rolling axis 19. The outer part 12 of the support housing 10 has six side surfaces 14.1 to 14.6 of equal length, which are arranged in a rotationally symmetric manner around the rolling axis 19. The adjacent side surfaces 14.1 to 14.6 merge with each other in regions called corners 16.1 to 16.6. In this case, the corners 16.1 to 16.6 can be differently marked. It includes adjacent edges that merge with each other in the corners 16.1 to 16.6 between the adjacent side surfaces 14.1 to 14.6, and these edges can be sharp-edged, but are preferably chamfered or rounded. Small intermediate surfaces between the adjacent side surfaces 14.1 to 14.6 are also possible in the sense of significantly wider chamfers, and are still understood as corners 16.1 to 16.6 in the context of the present utility model. The inlet side 15 of the support housing 10 (not shown in Figure 1A but shown in Figure 1B and Figure 1A shown) and the outlet side 13 shown in

[0050] thus generally have a regular hexagonal shape like the support housing 10 of the embodiment of the present utility model, and are characterized in particular by having three pairs of side surfaces 14.1, 14.4, 14.2, 14.5, 14.3, 14.6 that are parallel to each other in each case. The support housing 10 is manufactured as an integral unit.

[0050] The preferred support 1 is designed such that the inlet side 15 (not shown in Figure 1A is similar to the outlet side 13 shown in Figure 1A so that all the features described below for the outlet side 13 are found at the same or corresponding positions on the opposite side of the support housing 10, as also shown below with reference to other figures.

[0051] The support 1 further includes three rollers 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 that are arranged in a star shape around the rolling axis 19. The rollers 20.1 to 20.3 each define a plane of rotation, which planes are at an angle of 120° to each other and intersect in the rolling axis 19. The planes of rotation of the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 are each arranged orthogonally to a pair of side surfaces 14.1 to 14.6 of the support housing 10. In the region of the rolling axis 19, the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 form an aperture 21 therebetween. The aperture 21 is in particular surrounded by the rolling surfaces 22 of each of the rollers 20.1 to 20.3, and the rolling surfaces 22 of the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 are formed as concave grooves centered along the periphery of the respective rollers 20.1 to 20.3 in order to provide a material to be rolled with an outer contour that is as round as possible. However, depending on the material to be rolled, the rolling surface 22 can also be designed differently, in particular as a flat surface or a convex surface. In Figure 1A it can be seen that the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 are arranged in an inverted Y arrangement, since the upper roller 20.1 is vertically positioned and the two remaining lower rollers 20.2, 20.3 are each positioned at an angle of 120° relative to the vertical orientation of the upper roller 20.1.

[0052] The rollers 20.1 to 20.3 are each fixedly positioned on a roller shaft via which the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 are driven. The axis of rotation of the roller shaft extends parallel to a pair of side surfaces 14.1, 14.4, 14.2, 14.5, 14.3, 14.6 in each case. Furthermore, the axis of rotation is arranged transversely to the rolling axis 19 and is arranged around said axis in a rotationally symmetric or star shape. Figure 1A The axis of rotation of the roller shaft of the upper roller 20.1 in is oriented in the X direction. The axes of rotation of the other two roller shafts are inclined by angles of 120° and 240° respectively relative to the axis of rotation of the upper roller shaft. In the roller shafts, in each case, Figure 1A only the drive-side ends 24.1, 24.2, 24.3 are shown in, which ends project outwards at one of the side surfaces 14.2, 14.4, 14.6 of the support housing 10. Thus, the roller shafts can each be adjacent to an external drive, which external drive can thus transmit its rolling torque to the roller shafts via a coupling and thus to the rollers 20.1 to 20.3.

[0053] The roller shafts extend inside the support housing 10, in which there is also positioned an eccentric adjustment member (not shown) for adjusting the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 via their roller shafts. The eccentric adjustment member enables, in Figure 1AIn the X-Y plane, the spacing between the roller axes can be changed and thus the spacing between the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 on the one hand and the rolling axis 19 on the other hand can be changed. Thus, for a constant caliber 21, different sizes of the caliber 21 can be set, and the wear of the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 can also be compensated. The eccentric adjustment member forms the adjustment mechanism for the rollers 20.1 to 20.3.

[0054] The adjustment mechanism for the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 can be actuated from the outside because the adjustment connector 30 protruding to the outside near the corner 16.1 is rotated. In Figure 1A the embodiment shown, the adjustment connector 30 is designed such that it can be actuated manually as well as automatically by a motor. The adjustment connector 30 is preferably connected to a rotatably mounted gear shaft extending inside the support housing 10 and to a bevel gear meshing in the toothed section of the eccentric bushing of the eccentric adjustment member, and the eccentric bushing can in turn transmit the rotational movement transmitted to it via the bevel gear to the other two eccentric bushings and thus allow synchronous adjustment of the rollers. The adjustment mechanism is not shown in detail in Figure 1A outside the adjustment connector 30.

[0055] The adjustment connector 30 is positioned near the corner 16.1, and the gear shaft connected to the adjustment connector 30 extends parallel to Figure 1A the upper roller shaft in

[0056] i.e., in the X direction, and the drive-side end 24.1 of the upper roller shaft protrudes outside the support housing 10 on the opposite side. The adjustment connector 30 is thus positioned substantially opposite the drive-side end 24.1 of the roller shaft extending parallel to the gear shaft. This relative arrangement implies that the adjustment connector 30 is not covered by a roller motor arranged flush with the drive-side end 24.1 of one of the roller shafts, because the drive-side ends 24.2, 24.3 of the roller shafts adjacent to the adjustment connector 30 are each oriented approximately 60° upward and downward with respect to the adjustment connector 30 and its gear shaft, creating a large free space between the coupled motors, which allows free access to the adjustment connector 30. Figure 1A In Figure 1A the adjustment connector 30 is arranged near the corner 16.1 and is offset slightly upward with respect to the imaginary horizontal center plane of the support housing 10. In this case, the spacing in the Y-axis direction in Figure 1A between the adjustment connector 30 and the center plane extending parallel to the gear shaft (i.e., in the X direction in

[0057] Figure 1AShows three mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 for a guide for the material to be rolled ( Figure 1A not shown in). The guide can be mounted on the outlet side 13 of the support housing 10, which is shown in Figure 1A . The mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 can also be arranged on the inlet side 15 (not visible in Figure 1A ) such that a guide for the material to be rolled can be mounted there.

[0058] The guide for the material to be rolled can be, for example, a roller guide, in particular the roller guide 60, as shown by way of example in Figure 1B , or can be a funnel guide. The mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 are positioned in a star shape around the rolling axis 19 and, in each case, are opposite one of the rollers 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 with respect to the rolling axis 19. The three mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 are arranged around the rolling axis 19 at an angular spacing of 120° in each case.

[0059] In addition, three coupling element clamping areas 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 are arranged on the outlet side 13 of the support housing 10 shown in Figure 1A , in the adjacent corners 16.1, 16.2, 16.6 of the support housing 10. The coupling element clamping areas 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 are delimited in each case by two clamping rails 52. The three adjacent corners 16.1, 16.2, 16.6 in which the coupling element clamping areas 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 are arranged are the corner 16.1 in which the adjustment connector 30 is also arranged and the two adjacent corners 16.2, 16.6 thereto. The coupling element clamping areas 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 serve to firmly fasten the roller guide adjustment connector 64 (not shown in Figure 1A but shown in Figure 1B ) to the support housing 10. This relative arrangement of the coupling element clamping areas 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 in the corner 16.1 of the adjustment connector 30 and the two corners 16.2, 16.6 around these enables the arrangement and configuration of the support 1 to be combined with the roller guide and, thus, a particular flexibility of the entire system consisting of the support 1 and the roller guide to be achieved.

[0060] Figure 1AThe display support housing 10 includes four slide rails 40.2, 40.3, 40.4, 40.5 on the outlet side 13, which are arranged parallel to four adjacent side surfaces 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5. The slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 are adjacent to each other and extend along the periphery of the hexagonal support housing 10 from the corner 16.2 including the coupling member clamping area 50.2 to the corner 16.6 including the coupling member clamping area 50.6. In Figure 1A In the description of, the slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 are not arranged on the side surfaces 14.2 to 14.5, but are offset inward in the direction of the rolling axis 19. The slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 form sliding surfaces that extend on the one hand along the side surfaces 14.2 to 14.5 in the peripheral direction and on the other hand outward from the paper plane parallel to the rolling axis 19 and the side surfaces 14.1 to 14.6, that is, in Figure 1A the Z direction in. Therefore, the slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 can be used as contact surfaces in four orientations of the support 1 and are particularly intended to facilitate the reception of the support 1 in a support base (not shown), since the support 1 can be pushed into the support base on the slide rails 40.2 to 40.5, and in this case the slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 can also be used as sealing elements. On the opposite inlet side 15 ( Figure 1A not shown in), the four slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 are also positioned opposite the shown slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 such that in each case a pair of slide rails 40.2 to 40.5 on the opposite sides can be used to stably mount the support 1 in the support base.

[0061] The support 1 further includes Figure 1A three water outlets 42.1, 42.2, 42.3 on the outlet side 13 shown in. Thus, for example, cooling water intended for a roller guide can be introduced into the support housing 10 at one of the side surfaces 14.1, 14.3, 14.5 through a water inlet ( Figure 1A not shown in), guided through the support housing 10 and led out through one of the water outlets 42.1, 42.2, 42.3, and fed from there to the roller guide.

[0062] In addition, on Figure 1A the outlet side 13 shown in and the inlet side 15 (not shown in this figure), a total of five clamping points 44.2, 44.3, 44.4, 44.5, 44.6 are positioned in the corners 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, 16.6 of the side surfaces 14 that define the arrangement of the slide rails 40.2, 40.3, 40.4, 40.5, and these clamping points can absorb the clamping force from the support base for fixing the support 1.

[0063] Figure 1B Shown as being relative toFigure 1A The orientation of is presented by the position in which the bracket 1 is tilted by approximately 180° about the horizontal axis K (i.e., extending in the X direction) from Figure 1A the bracket 1. Thus, Figure 1B is the rear view of the bracket 1 according to Figure 1A showing the entry side 15. In this position of the bracket 1, contrary to the position described in Figure 1A , the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 are arranged in a Y arrangement.

[0064] The roller axes are parallelly displaced relative to the position of the bracket 1 from Figure 1A the bracket 1, and thus their drive - side ends 24.1 to 24.3 project outside the bracket housing 10 in the same direction, but in different positions, especially mirror - imaged at the respective corners 16.2, 16.4, 16.6. Thus, due to the above - mentioned tilt, the presented bracket 1 allows use in mills with both a Y arrangement and an inverted Y arrangement of the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 in the same bracket base, with only translational displacement of the drive - side ends 24.1 to 24.3 of the roller axes. This allows a high degree of flexibility in the use of the bracket 1 in a compact mill. The rolling drives coupled to the drive - side ends 24.1 to 24.3 of the roller axes in the two positions of the bracket 1 can be arranged on the same side of the rolling axis 19 for each bracket position with an alternating Y arrangement and an inverted Y arrangement, which results in relatively small space requirements for the entire mill.

[0065] Due to the tilt about the axis K, the adjustment connector 30 is still arranged near the corner 16.1 of the bracket housing 10. It is arranged in a manner slightly offset downward relative to the horizontal central plane of the bracket housing 10, especially mirror - imaged at the corner 16.1. However, also in this position of the bracket 1, i.e., the Y arrangement, the adjustment connector 30 can be easily reached from the same side and is thus particularly suitable for the efficient manual operation of the bracket 1 in proximity to the eccentric adjustment member.

[0066] Figure 1B The roller guide 60 is further shown, which is fastened to the bracket housing 10 via mounting elements 26.1 to 26.3, the mounting elements 26.1 to 26.3 having been described above with reference to Figure 1A and also being present on the entry side 15 of the bracket housing 10 shown in Figure 1B . The roller guide 60 is also adjustable since the rollers of the roller guide 60 can be positioned closer to or farther from the rolling axis 19 by means of a roller adjustment mechanism. For the roller adjustment mechanism, the roller guide 60 is connected to a roller adjustment connector 64 via a universal shaft 62, and a torque can be applied to the roller adjustment mechanism via the roller adjustment connector 64.

[0067] The roller adjusting connector 64 is attached to the coupling clamping area 50.1 on the support 1 and the associated clamping rail 52. Due to the arrangement of the mounting elements 26.1 to 26.3 and the coupling clamping areas 50.1, 50.2, 50.6 on the support housing 10, the roller guide 60 can be firmly, precisely and quickly attached to the support housing 10.

[0068] In addition, the water pipeline 66 of the roller guide 60 is visible Figure 1B in. The water pipeline 66 is connected to the water outlet 42.3, and the cooling water for the guide rollers of the roller guide 60 leaves the support 10 through the water outlet 42.3. When the support is received in the support base and connected to the water connection of the support base, the cooling water is fed into the support 10 through the water inlet 43.3 ( Figure 1B not shown in).

[0069] Figure 1C Shown in a position rotated approximately 120° clockwise about the rolling axis 19 relative to the position from Figure 1A is the preferred support 1 from Figure 1A . Due to the geometry of the support 1, the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 are oriented in the same inverted Y arrangement as in the position shown Figure 1A , and the three drive side ends 24.1 to 24.3 also extend in the same direction and are positioned at the same locations such that they can be coupled to an external motor for applying a rolling torque in the same manner as in the position from Figure 1A . However, compared with Figure 1A , the adjusting connector 30 is arranged to rotate approximately 120° clockwise.

[0070] This arrangement is preferably used to remotely adjust the adjustment mechanism of the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 by an external motor. The positioning of the adjusting connector 30 in the position of the support 1 shown Figure 1C is such that the external adjustment coupling of the external adjustment motor can engage with the adjusting connector 30 in the support base (not shown) and actuate the adjusting connector 30 to start the rollers 20.1 to 20.3. This is different from the situation in the positions shown Figure 1A and 1B .

[0071] The support 1 must be able to be pushed into and pulled out of the support base transversely to the rolling axis 19 in order to be quickly repaired. This requirement in turn means that the support in Figures 1A to 1D must be pushed to the right into the support base in order to drive the vertical roller 20.1 in Figure 1A and 1B or Figure 1C and 1DThe rolling motors of 20.2 can engage with the respective drive-side ends 24.1 and 24.2 because the rolling motors of the rollers 20.1 are arranged on the right side next to the rolling axis 19 in Figure 1A and 1B and for 20.2, are arranged on the right side next to the rolling axis 19 in Figure 1C and 1D in order to be coupled to the drive-side ends 24.1 and 24.2 respectively.

[0072] This in turn means that in Figures 1A to 1D , no external adjustment motor can be positioned on the left side close to the rolling axis 19 and thus also close to the left side of the support 1, that is, in front of the rolling axis 19 in the insertion direction. Therefore, the positions from Figure 1A and 1B are configured for manual adjustment, that is, the adjustment connector 30 is actuated by a person, and in this configuration, the adjustment connector 30 cannot be actuated by an automatic remote adjustment member or can only be actuated with excessive effort. The positions from Figure 1C and 1D , where the adjustment connector is positioned behind the rolling axis 19 in the insertion direction, are configured for remote adjustment, that is, the adjustment connector 30 is actuated by means of an external motor.

[0073] In Figure 1C , in the position of the support 1 shown, the support is positioned on the slide rail 40.4, and the roller 20.2 is a roller with a vertical rotation plane, and the coupling clamping area 50.6 is positioned horizontally next to the rolling axis 19.

[0074] Figure 1D Shows the preferred support in the configuration from Figure 1C (that is, the configuration with remote adjustment of the adjustment connector 30 in the upper right corner). The position of the support 1 in Figure 1D can be presented relative to the position in Figure 1C by tilting the support 1 by approximately 180° about an axis K that is inclined by approximately 120° relative to the horizontal and thus also by 60°, and the axis extends through the corners 16.1 and 16.4. Similar to the transition between the position of the support 1 from Figure 1A and the position of the support 1 from Figure 1B , after the transition between the position of the support 1 from Figure 1C and the position of the support 1 from Figure 1D , a tilt of approximately 180° about the axis K occurs, and the axis extends substantially parallel to the gear shaft of the adjustment connector 30. Therefore, after this tilt, the orientation of the adjustment connector 30 does not change, and the rollers 20.1 to 20.3 change from the inverted Y arrangement shown in Figure 1C to Figure 1Dthe Y-arrangement shown in, and vice versa.

[0075] Figure 1D As with Figure 1B the entrance side 15 of the support 1 is shown. Also as in Figure 1B a roller guide 60 including a cardan shaft 62 and a roller adjustment connector 64 is attached to the support housing 10 via a clamping rail 52 by means of mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 and a coupling clamping area 50.2.

[0076] In Figure 1D the position of the support 1 shown in, the support is positioned on a slide rail 40.3, the roller 20.3 is a roller with a vertical rotation plane, and the coupling clamping area 50.2 is positioned horizontally next to the rolling axis 19.

[0077] Due to the hexagonal shape of the support housing 10, the support 1 can be arranged in Figures 1A to 1D the four positions shown in, all of which are compatible with a similar arrangement of the rolling motor in a rolling mill with a support base. Thus, both a Y-arrangement and an inverted Y-arrangement of the rollers can be presented, and also two different configurations in the sense of different orientations and arrangements of the adjustment connector 30, one for manual adjustment and one for remote adjustment. In the case of known square support housings, this flexibility is not achieved because these are firmly seated and can only be displaced on or along one side surface of the support housing, which fixes the orientation of the adjustment connector in a constant orientation of the rolling motor.

[0078] Figure 2A is a perspective view of the entrance side 15 of the preferred support 1, in which three rollers 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 are arranged in an inverted Y-arrangement, and the adjustment connector 30 of the eccentric adjustment member is horizontally oriented to the side.

[0079] Recesses and drill holes are visible along the exterior 12 of the support housing 10, which are provided for receiving the roller shafts (in Figure 2A only the drive side end 24.2 of the roller shaft belonging to the roller 20.2 is directly recognizable) and the adjustment connector 30. Further visible, the clamping point 44.6 on the entrance side 15 facing the viewer is bolted to the opposite clamping point on the exit side 13, such that the clamping force applied to the clamping point 44.6 can be conducted directly and stably between the clamping points 44.6 in order to fix the support 1 in its support housing without severely deforming or even damaging sensitive components of the support housing 10 due to the introduction of excessive local forces. The clamping points 44.2 to 44.5 are designed and connected to each other in the same way.

[0080] As with Figure 2A the same, Figure 2B from the same asFigure 2A The inlet side 15 of the support 1 is shown from different perspectives, where the drive-side end 24.1 of the roller shaft of the roller 20.1 is visible.

[0081] Figure 3A and 3B are respective side views of the support, in which three rollers are oriented in an inverted Y arrangement. Figure 3A The corner 16.1 and the side surfaces 14.1 and 14.6 are shown, as well as the adjustment connector 30 and the drive-side ends 24.2 and 24.3 of the roller shafts of the rollers 20.2 and 20.3.

[0082] Figure 3A Two water inlets 43.2 are further shown, which can be connected to the water connection in the support base in order to receive water in the support housing 10 and discharge it via the water outlet 42.2, for example, in order to feed it into the water pipeline 66 of the roller guide 60. In Figure 3A it is also visible next to the drive-side end 24.2 an air connection 41.2 via which compressed air can be fed into the support housing 10 in order to protect the interior of the support housing 10 (in particular the gearbox components located therein, such as the eccentric adjustment member) from water ingress by overpressure.

[0083] Figure 3B shows the corner 16.4 opposite to the corner 16.1 from Figure 3A and the side surfaces 14.3 and 14.4 opposite to the side surfaces 14.1 and 14.6. In addition, the slide rails 40.3 and 40.4 on both the inlet side 15 and the outlet side 13 are visible. In Figure 3B in the perspective view, the drive-side end 42.1 of the roller shaft of the roller 20.1 is visible at the end face, and an air connection 41.1 and two water inlets 43.3 are also shown.

[0084] List of reference numerals

[0085] 1 Support

[0086] 10 Support housing

[0087] 12 Exterior

[0088] 13 Outlet side

[0089] 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5, 14.6 Side surfaces

[0090] 15 Inlet side

[0091] 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, 16.6 Corners

[0092] 19 Rolling axis

[0093] Rollers 20.1, 20.2, 20.3

[0094] Caliber 21

[0095] Rolled surface 22

[0096] Drive side ends 24.1, 24.2, 24.3

[0097] Mounting elements 26.1, 26.2, 26.3

[0098] Adjustment connector 30

[0099] Slide rails 40.2, 40.3, 40.4, 40.5

[0100] Air connectors 41.1, 41.2, 41.3

[0101] Outlet ports 42.1, 42.2, 42.3

[0102] Water inlet ports 43.1, 43.2, 43.3

[0103] Clamping points 44.2, 44.3, 44.4, 44.5, 44.6

[0104] Coupling element clamping areas 50.1, 50.2, 50.6

[0105] Clamping rail 52

[0106] Roller guide 60

[0107] Cardan shaft 62

[0108] Roller adjustment connector 64

[0109] Water pipeline 66

[0110] K is the tilt axis for shifting between the Y arrangement and the inverted Y arrangement.

Claims

1. A support (1) for rolling metal rods, wires or tubes along a rolling axis (19), characterized in that The support comprises: a support housing (10), the outer portion (12) of which, viewed along the rolling axis (19), comprises at least six side surfaces (14.1 to 14.6) arranged so as to be rotated in each case offset by approximately 60° about the rolling axis, wherein in each case two side surfaces (14.1, 14.4, 14.2, 14.5, 14.3, 14.6) form a pair of side surfaces (14.1 to 14.6) situated parallel to one another; three rollers (20.1 to 20.3) which are positioned in each case on a roller axis and surround the rolling axis (19) in a star-shaped manner and together form a caliber (21), and which, based on the radial position of the rolling axis (19), can be arranged for setting the caliber (21); and an adjustment connector (30) arranged on the outer portion (12) for introducing an adjustment torque for setting the caliber (21), The adjustment connector (30) comprises a gear shaft parallel to a pair of mutually parallel side surfaces.

2. The bracket (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The vertical spacing of the gear axis from the rolling axis (19) when viewed along the rolling axis (19) is no greater than 10% of the vertical spacing of the rolling axis (19) from the side surface (14.1 to 14.6).

3. A support (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The three rollers (20.1 to 20.3) and the three roller axes are arranged so as to be offset in rotation by approximately 120° about the rolling axis (19) in each case in a rotationally symmetrical manner, and the roller axes extend parallel to the gear axis.

4. The bracket (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The support housing (10) comprises only one adjustment connector (30) for introducing the adjustment torque for setting the caliber (21).

5. The bracket (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that The adjustment connector (30) is operatively connected to an eccentric mechanism having an eccentric bushing in which the roller shaft is mounted, wherein the eccentric bushing is rotatably mounted in the bracket housing (10) and the rotational position of the eccentric bushing can be set by means of a gear box.

6. The bracket (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The exterior (12) of the support housing (10) comprises exactly six side surfaces (14.1 to 14.6) forming a regular hexagon.

7. The bracket (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The adjustment connector (30) can be actuated manually and automatically by a motor.

8. The support (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The support housing (10) is closed and non-divided, and is in particular manufactured in one piece.

9. The support (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Each of the three roller shafts or rollers (20.1 to 20.3) can be driven individually, in particular by its own motor associated therewith.

10. The support (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The three roller shafts each include a drive-side end (24.1 to 24.3) for individual driving, the drive-side end (24.1 to 24.3) protruding toward the exterior (12) of the support housing (10) at one of the side surfaces (14.2, 14.4, 14.6) of the regular hexagon.

Images