FRENCH TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority from Provisional Patent Application Serial No, 60/564,067 filed on April 21,2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INTVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rolling mills producing hot rolled long products, e.g., bars, rods and the like, and is concerned in particular with the provision of an improved system for subdividing such products, with acceptable customer lengths being delivered to a cooling bed, and with unacceptable front and tail ends being diverted to a chopping shear.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Conventional systems of the above-mentioned type typically involve laterally diverting the hot rolled product from one path to another, usually by switches acting in concert with flying shears and the like. However, for certain products, particularly those with increased stiffness, other than minor lateral diversions of the unacceptable front and tail ends can prove to be problematical, resulting in a cobble and an interruption of the rolling process.
The principal objective of the present invention is to minimize the extent to which unacceptable front and tail ends are diverted on their way to the chopping shear, thus avoiding or at least significantly reducing the risk of cobbling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, hot rolled product lengths exiting from a rolling mill along a first path are directed to a first switch which acts in concert with a first shear to subdivide each product length into successive segments including a front end segment, a

urality of intermediate segments, and a tail end segment. The successive segments are alternately delivered from the first shear to one or the other of two adjacent downstream second paths. Second switches on the second paths are selectively adjustable between first positions allowing the intermediate segments to continue along the second paths to a downstream cooling bed, and second positions diverting the front or tail end segments from the second paths to thud paths. A second shear operates to chop the front and tail end segments traveling along the third paths into scrap lengths that are delivered to scrap receptacles.
The second paths are arranged between the third paths to thereby minimize the deflection of the front and tail ends by the second switches.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a system in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the second shear;
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the successive segments produced by the first shear;
Figure 4 is a more detailed plan view of the arrangement of switches and shears shown in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is an end view of the second shear; and
Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference initially to the schematic illustrations of Figures 1 and 2, a system in accordance with the present invention is shown at 10 at a location along the mill pass line "X" between the last roll stand RS of the mill and a cooling bed CB,
A first switch SW1 operates in concert with a first shear SH1 to subdivide the product lengths into successive segments, including front end segments, intennediate segments, and tail end segments. The intermediate segments comprise metallurgjcally acceptable customer lengths destined for delivery to the cooling bed. Depending on the type of product being produced, the front end segments may be metallurgically unacceptable due to inadequate upstream cooling. The tail end segments are often shorter than the desired customer length. The successive segments exiting from shear SH1 are alternately received on adjacent downstream second paths AB
The subdivided segments moving along path A are directed to a second switch SW2 which is adjustable to either allow the acceptable intermediate segments to continue along path A or to deflect front and tail end segments to a different path C1. The subdivided segments traveling along path B are similarly directed to a third switch SW3 which also is adjustable either to allow the acceptable intermediate segments to continue along path B or to deflect front and tail end segments to a different path C2.
A chopping shear SH2 is located downstream from the switches SW2SW3. As can best be seen in Figure 2, the shear SH2 has two sets of coacting shear blades B1,B1 and B2 aligned respectively on paths C1, C2. The paths A, B pass freely between the laterally spaced blade sets of the chopping shear. On the downstream side of shear SH2, the paths C1, C2 lead to crop receptacles CR, and the paths A, B continue to the cooling bed CB.
With reference to Figure 3, in an exemplary sequence, the shears SH1 would operate to subdivide billet lengths of product delivered from the last roll stand RS into a short front end

figment LI of raetallurgically unacceptable product, intermediate segments typically comprising acceptable customer lengths L1-L5, and as is more often than not, an unacceptably short tail end segment Lg.
The switches SW2,SW3 would men process these segments as shown below in Table A.
TABLE A

(Table Removed)
The foregoing sequence is merely illustrative and will vary depending on the type of product being handled, the customer lengths into which it is to be subdivided, etc.
A more detailed illustration of the switches and shears of the present invention can be seen by reference to Figures 4-6. From Figure 4, it will be seen that the switch SW] comprises a guide pipe 12 mounted for movement about a pivot 14, and pivotally adjustable to deliver products through shear SHj to paths A3 by a piston-cylinder unit 16. The shear SHi may be of conventional design well known to those skilled in the art.
An entry guide 18 directs segments passing along paths A3 to respective switches SW2,SW3, each being mounted for movement about a pivot 20. Switch SW2 is adjustable by a piston-cylinder unit 22 to allow acceptable intermediate segments to continue along path A to the cooling bed, or to divert unacceptable front and tail end segments to path C1 Switch SW3 is similarly adjustable by a piston-cylinder unit 24 to allow acceptable intermediate segments to continue along path B, or alternatively, to divert unacceptable front and tail end segments to path C2.

As can be seen from Figures 5 and 6, the chopping shear SH2 has parallel shafts 26 carrying intenneshed gears 28. The lower shaft 26 is driven by a motor 30 (shown in Figure 1). The externally projecting ends of the shafts carry the laterally spaced pairs of coacting shear blades B1,B1 and B2,B2 aligned respectively on the paths C1,C2- Guides 32 direct product segments along paths A,B between the chopping shear blades.
With the above described arrangement, the switches SW2,SW3 need only pivot through small angles in order to deflect product end segments from the paths A3 to their respective diversion paths C1.C2. In this manner, the front and tail end segments of relatively stiff products, e.g., those with larger diameters and/or lower temperatures, can be processed without the risk of cobbling.
I claim:

1. A system for subdividing hot rolled product lengths being delivered from a rolling
mill along a first path, said system comprising.
a first switch acting in concert with a first shear to subdivide each product length traveling along said first path into successive segments including a front end segment, a plurality of intermediate segments, and a tail end segment, and to alternately deliver said successive segments to adjacent downstream second paths;
second switches on said second paths, said second switches being selectively adjustable between first positions allowing said intermediate segments to continue along said second paths, and second positions diverting said front and tail end segments from said second paths to third paths; and
a second shear for further subdividing the front and tail end segments moving along said third paths.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said second paths are arranged between said third
paths.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said second paths lead to a cooling bed.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein said second shear is operable to further subdivide
said front and tail end segments into scrap lengths, and wherein said third paths lead to scrap
receptacles.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said second shear comprises laterally spaced
coacting pairs of shear blades mechanically connected to and driven by a common drive.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said second paths pass between said coacting pairs
of shear blades, and wherein said pairs of said coacting shear blades are arranged respectively on
said third paths.
7. A method of subdividing hot rolled product lengths being delivered from a rolling
mill along a first path, said method comprising:
subdividing each product length traveling along said first path into
successive segments, including a front end segment, a plurality of
intermediate segments and a tail end segment; alternately delivering said successive segments to adjacent downstream
second paths located between third paths; allowing the intermediate segments to continue along said second paths,
and diverting the front and tail end segments from said second
paths to said third paths; and further subdividing the front and tail end segments moving along said
third paths.
8. A system for subdividing hot rolled product lengths being delivered from a rolling mill along a first path substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.