Description:‘IMPROVED MANDREL BAR STOPPER TO AVOID FALSE CRIMPING AT CRIMPING LINE IN SEAMLESS STEEL TUBE PROCESS’

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention generally relates to Crimping Line Mandrel Bar Stopper Design Modification to avoid false crimping at times in a Seamless Steel Tube manufacturing plant. The present invention in particular relates to design modification of stopper retracting system in crimping line when the mandrel bar reaches the crimping position.

More particularly, the invention relates to a method of providing True – True (or) False - False feedback for the crimping press to operate against the existing practice at times gives False – True feedback for the crimping press to operate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

In the process of seamless steel tube manufacturing, Solid billet is converted into hollow bloom using Cross Piercing Elongation process. Then Hollow is transferred to next step where mandrel bar is inserted into hollow bloom and Crimping takes place at Crimping Press. Crimped mandrel bar with hollow is fed to Push Bench process for further elongation to make the shell.

During Crimping operation at times due to the existing Crimping Line stopper design, stopper is getting retracted even without mandrel reaching the crimping position. Hence many occasions false crimping had happened, which results in rejection of hollows and equipment downtime.
In view of the above, present invention has been proposed, which can address the aforesaid shortcomings of the prior art(s).

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
Primary object of the invention is to provide Improved mandrel bar Stopper to avoid False crimping at Crimping Line in Seamless Steel Tube Process.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a Design modification of Mandrel bar stopper to avoid False – True feedback to the crimping press.

Still another object of the invention is to provide Improved mandrel bar Stopper to avoid False crimping at Crimping Line in Seamless Steel Tube Process, which results in material saving and increase in mill availability.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of the present invention is illustrated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
One or more drawbacks of conventional systems and process are overcome, and additional advantages are provided through the apparatus/composition and a method as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be part of the claimed disclosure.

Accordingly, Mandrel Bar stopper head diameter to be reduced in such a way that mandrel bar can only make it retract unlike the existing practice. (Hollow bloom also can make stopper retract which gives False – True feedback to Crimping Press).
An arrangement is proposed for the locking of the hollow bloom.

According to this invention, there is provided Improved mandrel bar Stopper to avoid False crimping at Crimping Line in Seamless Steel Tube Process comprising of stopper cylinder (4) connected to fixed structure arrangement (8) through stopper cylinder piston (6), wherein said stopper cylinder piston (6) is provided in connection with actuator (5) mounted with proximity sensor (7), in which said fixed structure arrangement (8) is provided in connection with the stopper cylinder piston (6) with stopper head reduced diameter (3) and the stopper cylinder piston (6) with stopper head reduced diameter (3) is accommodated inside fixed arrangement (9) to lock the hollow boom;
wherein the diameter of stopper head (3) is reduced to the diameter of mandrel bar (2) and a fixed arrangement (9) is provided to block the linear movement of hollow bloom (1), in which the hollow boom (1) with mandrel bar (2) is placed facing the stopper head reduced diameter (3).

By the above disclosed method, the draw backs of the prior art are eliminated and there is a substantial saving, increase in machine availability and better hollow conversion rate.

Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and processes that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein:-

Figure 1 Shows: the Existing Mandrel bar stopper schematic of the prior art.
Figure 2 Shows: the proposed mandrel bar stopper schematic according to the present invention.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE
PRESENT INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
While the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof have been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.
In the existing methodology, after piercing operation from CPE, the output hollow bloom (1) is transferred to Crimping Line for Crimping operation along with mandrel bar (2) in Crimping Press. In crimping line mandrel bar (2) of diameter lesser than the hollow bloom (1) is pushed inside the hollow bloom (1) till the end. After reaching the end position, the mandrel bar (2) hits the stopper head (3) and positions itself along with the hollow bloom (1). The stopper head (3) retracts by 25mm and again extends forward to the basic position as it is coupled with the stopper cylinder (4). The stopper cylinder (4) functions as hydraulic shock absorber. Actuator (5) is mounted on the moving stopper cylinder piston (6). During basic position proximity sensor (7) mounted on the fixed structure (8) is in sensed condition. When the mandrel bar (2) hits the stopper head (3), the actuator (5) mounted on the cylinder piston (6) retracts hence proximity sensor (7) is de-sensed. Again when the stopper cylinder (4) extends forward, proximity sensor (7) is sensed again. Therefore, this sensing and de-sensing of proximity sensor (7) feedback is sent to the PLC and further crimping of hollow bloom (1) is done by the crimping press. At times due to hollow bloom movement while mandrel bar entering into the hollow bloom, stopper cylinder (3) is being retracted by hollow bloom (1) without mandrel bar (2) reaching its final position which leads to False crimping operation. It results in rejection of hollow blooms and considerable mill down time.

The present invention makes a disclosure regarding a technology pertaining to an invention directing to Improved mandrel bar Stopper to avoid False crimping at Crimping Line in Seamless Steel Tube Process, which involves the following:

- Mandrel Bar Stopper head diameter reduction,

- Providing Hollow locking fixing arrangements;

In the proposed invention, design modification of stopper head (3) is carried out by reducing the diameter of stopper head (3) to the diameter of mandrel bar (2) and a fixed arrangement (9) is made to block the further linear movement of hollow bloom (1). So even if the hollow bloom (1) moves forward during travel of mandrel bar (2) the hollow bloom (1) is blocked by the fixed arrangement (9) thereby avoiding false crimping by providing true feedback to the Crimping Press only when the mandrel bar (2) retracts the crimping stopper cylinder (4).

Distinguishing features of the present invention as compared to the prior art are as follows:

SL. NO. EXISTING METHOD PROPOSED METHOD
1. No arrangement to block Hollow bloom.
Fixed structure available to block hollow bloom.
2.
Continuous process is interrupted and false crimped mandrel with hollow bloom is rejected.
No process interruption as even though hollow bloom moves linearly it is blocked.
3. Hollow bloom with mandrel is rejected every time the false crimping occurs.
No rejection.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION:
- Hollow boom is locked against rigidly and mandrel bar alone can make the stopper to retract. This will give the True – True (or) False – False feedback to Crimping Press;

- Hence it will avoid False crimping, thereby results in material saving and increase in mill availability;

- Simple in construction;

- User friendly.

Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases, it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.

Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particulars claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogues to “at least one of A, B and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B”.

The above description does not provide specific details of manufacture or design of the various components. Those of skill in the art are familiar with such details, and unless departures from those techniques are set out, techniques, known, related art or later developed designs and materials should be employed. Those in the art are capable of choosing suitable manufacturing and design details.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into other systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the following claims.

The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
, Claims:WE CLAIM:

1. Improved mandrel bar Stopper to avoid False crimping at Crimping Line in Seamless Steel Tube Process comprising of stopper cylinder (4) connected to fixed structure arrangement (8) through stopper cylinder piston (6), wherein said stopper cylinder piston (6) is provided in connection with actuator (5) mounted with proximity sensor (7), in which said fixed structure arrangement (8) is provided in connection with the stopper cylinder piston (6) with stopper head reduced diameter (3) and the stopper cylinder piston (6) with stopper head reduced diameter (3) is accommodated inside fixed arrangement (9) to lock the hollow boom;
wherein the diameter of stopper head (3) is reduced to the diameter of mandrel bar (2) and a fixed arrangement (9) is provided to block the linear movement of hollow bloom (1), in which the hollow boom (1) with mandrel bar (2) is placed facing the stopper head reduced diameter (3).

2. The improved mandrel bar Stopper to avoid False crimping at Crimping Line in Seamless Steel Tube Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein even if the hollow bloom (1) moves forward during travel of mandrel bar (2) the hollow bloom (1) is blocked by the fixed arrangement (9) thereby avoiding false crimping by providing true feedback to the Crimping Press only when the mandrel bar (2) retracts the crimping stopper cylinder (4).