CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority of provisional patent application Serial No. 60/389,786 filed June 19, 2002.
BACKGROUND DISCUSSION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to laying heads for rod rolling mills, and is concerned in particular with an improvement in the manner in which the laying pipes are supported within the laying heads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Figure 1 depicts a conventional laying head having a tubular quill 10 supported between bearings (not shown) for rotation about an axis A. A laying pipe 12 has an entry end 12a aligned with the axis A for receiving hot rolled rod from the last roll stand of the mill. A three dimensionally curved intermediate portion 12b leads from the entry end 12a of the pipe to a delivery end 12c from which the rod is delivered as a helical formation of rings.
The outboard portion of the pipe projecting beyond the quill 10 is radially and axially supported by a series of clamps 14 carried on arranger plate 16 projecting from a tubular boss 18. However, the pipe portion contained within the quill is supported only radially at 20. During high speed operation of the laying head, the pipe portion within the quill is thus relatively free to deflect, causing accelerated wear in the region 22. Deflection is occasioned
by centrifugal forces, and thermal expansion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
■In accordance with the present invention, an interior surface of the quill is configured to conform to and to radially inwardly support the three dimensionally curved intermediate portion of the laying pipe. Preferably, an internal pipe support is axially received in the quill and is configured and dimensioned to confine the curved intermediate pipe portion against the
conformed interior quill surface
These and other features and advantages of the present inventor will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Accordingly, there is provided a laying head for forming a longitudinally moving hot rolled product into a helix, said laying head comprising:
a tubular quill having a central axis of rotation and an interior surface surrounding a passageway extending along said axis and through said quill from a first end to an opposite second end, said interior surface having a cylindrical section leading from said first end to a radially outwardly flared section which in turn leads to said second end;
a laying pipe positioned in said passageway, said laying pipe having an entry end aligned with said axis at the first end of said passageway, and having a curved intermediate portion surrounded by the flared section of the interior quill surface, said laying pipe projecting axially from the second end of said passageway to a delivery end spaced radially from said axis, characterized in that
The flared section of said interior surface being configured to conform to and to radially inwardly confine the curved intermediate portion of said laying pipe; and,
support means at the first end of said passageway for radially supporting the entry end of said laying pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a prior art quill and laying pipe assembly;
Figure 2 is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 showing a quill and laying pipe assembly in accordance with the present invention; and
Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In accordance with the present invention, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the tubular quill 24 has a central axis of rotation A and an interior surface surrounding a passageway 26 extending along axis A from a first end 26a to an opposite second end 26b. The interior surface has a stepped cylindrical section 28 leading from the first end 26a of the passageway 26
to a radially outwardly flared section 30 which in turn leads to the second end 26b of the passageway.
A laying pipe 32 is received in the passageway 26. The laying pipe has an entry end 32a aligned with axis A at the first passageway end 26a, and a three dimensionally curved intermediate portion 32b surrounded by the flared section 30 of the interior quill surface. The laying pipe projects axially from the second passageway end 26b to a delivery end 32c spaced radially from axis A.
The flared section 30 of the interior quill surface is configured to conform to and to radially inwardly confine the curved intermediate pipe portion 32b. A support means in the form of an annular insert 34 is received in the first end 26a of the passageway 26 to radially support the entry end 32a of the laying pipe 32.
Preferably, an internal pipe support 36 is axially received in the second end 26b of the passageway 26. The pipe support has an end flange 38 secured as at 40 to a collar 42 removably secured to the quill 24 by swing bolts 44 (only one being shown). Collar 42 supports a tubular boss 46 carrying brackets 48 for the axially projecting portion of the laying pipe 32.
The pipe support 36 has a peripheral three dimensionally curved track 50 configured and dimensioned to confine the intermediate pipe portion 32b against the complimentary shaped flared section 30 of the interior quill surface.
By thus closely confining the curved intermediate pipe portion 32b, deflection that might otherwise occur due to centrifugal forces and thermal expansion is thus beneficially reduced, with a concomitant reduction in wear of the laying pipe.

We claim-
1. A laying head for forming a longitudinally moving hot rolled product into a helix, said laying head comprising:
a tubular quill having a central axis of rotation and an interior surface surrounding a passageway extending along said axis and through said quill from a first end to an opposite second end, said interior surface having a cylindrical section leading from said first end to a radially outwardly flared section which in turn leads to said second end;
a laying pipe positioned in said passageway, said laying pipe having an entry end aligned with said axis at the first end of said passageway, and having a curved intermediate portion surrounded by the flared section of the interior quill surface, said laying pipe projecting axially from the second end of said passageway to a delivery end spaced radially from said axis, characterized in that
The flared section of said interior surface being configured to conform to and to radially inwardly confine the curved intermediate portion of said laying pipe; and,
support means at the first end of said passageway for radially s upporting the entry end of said laying pipe.
2. The laying head as claimed in claim 1, wherein an internal pipe support axially is received in the second end of said passageway, said support being configured and dimensioned to confine the intermediate portion of said laying pipe against the flared section of the interior of said quill.

3. The laying head as claimed in claim 3 wherein a circular collar is detachably secured to said quill at the second end of said passageway, said internal pipe support being carried by and projecting axially from said collar into said passageway.
4. A laying head as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support means is formed of first support means at the first end of said passageway and second support means originally received in the second end of said passageway.
5. A laying head for forming a longitudinally moving hot rolled product into a helix, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.