This application claims priority to provisional application Serial No. 60/044, 889 filed April 25, 1997.
The present invention relates to a rolling mill and method of rolling long products and generally to rolling mills, and is concerned in particular with an improvement to the finishing section of a single strand bar mill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The roll stands of conventional bar mills are usually aligned along a single pass line. Where slitting is being practiced, the roll stands of the roughing and intermediate mill sections are again aligned along a common pass line, with two sets of roll stands in the finishing section being aligned along parallel pass lines arranged to receive the slit sections. In both cases, the arrangement of the roll stands in the finishing section imposes severe limitations on the range of products the mill is able to produce.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, there is provided a rolling mill comprising:
a plurality of roll stands positioned successively along a first pass line for rolling a billet into a first process section;
a cooling bed;
first guide means for directing said first process section along said first pass line for delivery to said cooling bed;
characterized by
finishing blocks positioned on second and third pass lines parallel to said first pass line;
slitting means for subdividing said first process section into second and third process sections;
second guide means for directing said second and third process sections respectively to said second and third pass lines for continued rolling in said finishing blocks before being delivered to said cooling bed; and
means for shifting at least one of said finishing blocks of the kind such as herein described onto said first pass line for additional rolling of said first process section prior to delivery thereof to said cooling bed.
Accordingly, there is also provided a method of rolling long products, comprising:

rolling a billet into a first process section in a succession of roll stands placed along a first pass line and characterized by
(a) at times directing said first process section to a cooling bed;
(b) at other times as an alternative to (a):
(i) slitting said first process section into second and third process
sections; (ii) rolling said second and third process sections in finishing
blocks placed on second and third pass liens parallel to said
first pass line; and (iii) directing the products emerging from said finishing blocks to
said cooling bed; and
(c) at other times as an alternative to (a) or (b)
(i) shifting one of said finishing blocks to said first pass line; and (ii) continuing the rolling of said first process section in the thus
shifted finishing block before directing the product emerging
therefrom to said cooling bed.
The present invention is directed to a novel rearrangement of the roll stands of the finishing section to thereby broaden the range of products capable of being produced by the mill. In a first embodiment, the finishing section is provided with two laterally shiftable four stand.

finishing blocks. In one operational mode, the blocks are positioned on parallel pass lines arranged to roll slit strands into relatively low quality bar products, e.g. reinforcing bars. In another operational mode, the slitter is bypassed and one or the other of the finishing blocks is shifted onto the main pass line to roll high quality bar products from a single strand received directly from the intermediate mill section. In still another operational mode, the product exiting from one or the other finishing blocks is directed to an additional downstream block where it is rolled into rod.
In a second embodiment, each of the laterally shiftable blocks is further subdivided into two laterally shiftable two stand blocks, and in a third embodiment two stationary two stand blocks and a rod finishing block are arranged in a staggered relationship on three parallel pass lines.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1A is a schematic plan view of the roughing and intermediate sections of a single strand bar mill;
Figure IB is a schematic plan view of the finishing section of the same bar mill, with finishing blocks and downstream product handling equipment arranged in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2A is an enlarged plan view of the slitting and associated switching components of Figure IB shown in one operational mode;

Figure 2B is a view similar to Figure 2A showing the slitting and switching components in another operational mode;
Figure 3 is a partially sectioned view of a typical drive and shifting arrangement employed with either of the finishing blocks shown in Figure 1B;
Figures 4A - 4D are schematic illustrations depicting some of the rolling schedules possible with the finishing section shown in Figure 1B;
Figure 5 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a finishing mill section with the components configured to roll two slit strands; and
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, with the components reconfigured to roll a single strand product.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring initially to Figures 1A and 1B, a single strand bar mill in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising roughing, intermediate and finishing sections. The roughing section includes roll stands 1H, 2V, 3H, 4V, 5H and 6V aligned along the main mill pass line P1. The intermediate mill section likewise includes roll stands 7H, 8V, 9H, 10V, 11H, 12V, 13H and 14V aligned along the same pass line. Other components typically associated with the roughing and intermediate sections of the mill include water boxes 10 and shears 12. Billets enter roll stand 1H and proceed through the roughing and intermediate sections of the mill from left to right as viewed in Figure 1A. Upon exiting from the intermediate section of the mill, the resulting single strand process section immediately enters the finishing section of the mill. This

section includes a slitter 16 and a switch 18. A better illustration of these components is provided by Figure 2A, where it will be seen that the slitter 16 is mounted on a laterally traversable bed 20 along with a guide trough 22. The switch 18 includes two laterally traversable beds 24, 26. Bed 24 carries two angularly disposed guide troughs 28 and another guide trough 30 parallel to the main pass line P1. Bed 26 carries further angular guide extensions 32 and an additional straight guide trough 34.
In the operational mode depicted in Figure 2A, the slitter 16, guide troughs 28 and their extensions 32 are positioned on the main pass line P1.. Thus, the first process section received from vertical stand 14V will be subdivided into second and third process sections by the slitter 16, and each of these subdivided process sections will be directed by guide troughs 28 and their extensions 32 to angularly disposed guide pipes 36 leading to side loopers 38. Side loopers are well known devices designed to accommodate the formation of horizontal loops in the product, which serve to relieve tension in the product as it passes from one roll pass to the next.
In the operational mode shown in Figure 2B, the beds 20, 24 and 26 have been shifted to displace the slitter 16 to an inoperative position and to place the guide troughs 22, 30 and 34 in line with the main pass line P1. This allows the first process section exiting from vertical stand 14V to continue along the main pass line P1..
With reference again to Figure 1B, when the slitter 16 and switch components are adjusted to the positions shown in Figure 2B, the product will continue along the main pass line P1. to a cooling bed 40. On the other hand, when the slitter and associated switching components are adjusted to the positions shown in Figure 2A, the subdivided second and third process sections will continue through the side loopers 38 to auxiliary pass lines P2 and P3 running parallel to the
main pass line P1.. Finishing blocks 42a, 42b are located within the finishing section of the mill.

Each finishing block 42a, 42b is shiftable from its respective auxiliary pass line P2, P3 onto the main pass line P1.
With reference to Figure 3, which is typical of the drive and shifting arrangement for each finishing block, a drive motor 44 has an output shaft 46 with an externally splined end 48 received in an internally splined tube 50 rotatably supported by bearings 52 carried in a housing 54. A shaft 56 has an externally splined end received in the internally splined tube 50 and its opposite end connected by a coupling 58 to one or the other of the finishing blocks 42a, 42b. A piston-cylinder unit 60 serves as the mechanism for laterally shifting the associated finishing block between the main mill pass line P1. and the respective auxiliary pass line P2 or P3.
When the finishing blocks 42a, 42b are positioned as shown in Figure 1B, products exiting therefrom are redirected by appropriate guides 62 back towards the main mill pass line P1. where they continue along parallel paths to the cooling bed 40.
Optionally, one of the finishing blocks 42a, 42b can feed a switch mechanism 64 which can be adjusted to divert the exiting product to a third path P4 leading to a rod rolling block 66.
Figure 4A is a diagrammatic representation of the rolling of slit products into lower quality smaller diameter bars, such products being typically used as reinforcing bars in the construction industry.
Figure 4B illustrates the use of one of the finishing blocks 42b to roll higher precision bars being received directly from the intermediate section of the mill.
Figure 4C illustrates another operational mode where both finishing blocks 42a, 42b are bypassed and larger diameter bar products are directed from the intermediate section of the mill to the cooling bed.

Figure 4D illustrates still another operational mode where one of the finishing blocks 42b is employed to roll product received directly from the intermediate section of the mill, and the product exiting from that finishing block is in turn diverted to the rod rolling block 66 for the production of high quality rods.
In Figure 5, the parallel pass lines P2, P3 are occupied respectively by pairs of two stand blocks 68a, 68b, and 68c, 68d, with uploopers 70 between each pair of blocks. When the slitter 16 is operated to divide the product received from vertical stand 14V, the slit strands are again diverted by the switch 18 via side loopers 38 to the rolling lines P2, P3 where they are rolled through the respective pairs of blocks before being redirected centrally to the cooling bed 40. Optionally, the product emerging from block 68d can be switched to path P4 for continued rolling in the rod rolling block 66.
The same arrangement is depicted in Figure 6 with the addition of uploopers 72 and a sizing mill 74 on pass line P1. As herein employed, the term "uplooper" refers to a conventional apparatus designed to accommodate the controlled formation of a vertical loop in the product to thereby relieve tension which might otherwise develop in the product as it passes from one rolling block to the next. The term "sizing mill" refers to a block of stands in which successive roll passes take relatively light reductions, usually in a round-round sequence, as disclosed for example in U.S. Patent No. 4,907,438. Here, the slitter 16 is inoperative, and the switch 18 is set to direct product along pass line P1.. One of the blocks 68b has been shifted onto pass line P, to finish roll the product prior to its being sized in mill 74. Alternatively, the product exiting from block 68b (or any of the other blocks 68a, 68c or 68d shifted onto pass line P1.) can be directed along path P4 to the rod rolling block 66 or along path P1. to bar sizing mill.

In light of the foregoing, it will now be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention makes it possible to produce a wide range of products with a relatively modest outlay for capital equipment in the finishing section of the mill. This is due in large part to the use of laterally shiftable finishing blocks which can either be bypassed when rolling larger low quality bar, or used in tandem when rolling slit products, or employed alternatively when shifted onto the main rolling line to finish roll higher quality bars.

WE CLAIM :
1. A rolling mill comprising:
a plurality of roll stands positioned successivel

y along a first pass line (P') for rolling a billet into a first process section;
a cooling bed (40);
first guide means (22, 30, 34) for directing said first process section along said first pass line for delivery to said cooling bed;
characterized by
finishing blocks (42a, 42b) positioned on second and third pass lines parallel to said first pass line;
slitting means (16) for subdividing said first process section into second and third process sections;
second guide means (28) for directing said second and third process sections respectively to said second and third pass lines (P2, P3) for continued rolling in said finishing blocks before being delivered to said cooling bed; and
means (60) for shifting at least one of said finishing blocks of the kind such as herein described onto said first pass line for additional rolling of said first process section prior to delivery thereof to said cooling bed.
2. The rolling mill as claimed in claim 1 wherein said slitting means (16) and said second guide means (28) are shiftable between inoperative positions located laterally of said first pass line, and operative positions on said first pass line.

3. The rolling mill as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first guide means (22, 30, 34) is shiftable between an inoperative located laterally of said first pass line, and said operative positions when said slitting means and said second guide means are shifted to their respective inoperative positions.
4. The rolling mill as claimed in claim 1 comprising a rod rolling block (66), and third guide means (64) for directing the product emerging from one of said finishing blocks to said rod rolling block.
5. A method of rolling long products, comprising:
rolling a billet into a first process section in a succession of roll stands placed along a first pass line and characterized by
(a) at times directing said first process section to a cooling bed;
(b) at other times as an alternative to (a):
(i) slitting said first process section into second and
third process sections;
(ii) rolling said second and third process sections in
finishing blocks placed on second and third pass
lines parallel to said first pass line; and
(iii) directing the products emerging from said
finishing blocks to said cooling bed; and
(c) at other times as an alternative to (a) or (b)
(i) shifting one of said finishing blocks to said first pass line; and

(ii) continuing the rolling of said first process section in the thus shifted finishing block before directing the product emerging therefrom to said cooling bed.
6. A rolling mill substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7. A method of rolling long products substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.