U.S. patent application number 12/442715 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-04 for method and apparatus for winding up metal strips onto a winding mandrel.
Invention is credited to Helmut Hoefer, Thomas Holzhauer, Andreas Kastner, Matthias Kipping, Peter Sudau, Matthias Tuschhoff.
Application Number | 20100025514 12/442715 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39185155 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100025514 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kipping; Matthias ; et
al. |
February 4, 2010 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING UP METAL STRIPS ONTO A WINDING
MANDREL
Abstract
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for winding
up metal strips (2) onto a winding mandrel (3), which is arranged
in a reeling shaft (1) and to which the metal strip is passed by a
driver having a lower and an upper driver roller (5, 6), wherein a
table (7) is provided underneath the metal strip (2) for guidance
and a pivotable strip diverter and, adjoining the latter almost up
to the winding mandrel (3), a pivotable shaft flap (11) are
arranged above the metal strip. By measuring the strip tension in
the reeling shaft, it is intended to regulate the driver in such a
way that the running of the strip makes it possible for the metal
strip to be wound up to form a coil with straight edges. To achieve
this, the longitudinal tensile force exerted on the metal strip (2)
by the driver is determined by means of a strip tension measuring
device (13), which dips into the metal strip from above in the
reeling shaft (1), and the measuring signal is passed to a driver
regulating device (22) to control the running of the strip by the
driver. In the case of an apparatus suitable for this purpose, the
strip diverter is formed as a strip tension measuring device (13)
which dips into the metal strip (2) from above and is provided with
a diverter body, which has a rotatably mounted roller arm (16),
carrying a roller (17) at its front end, wherein a force measuring
means (20) that is connected in signalling terms to the regulating
device (22) is arranged between the diverter body and the roller
arm (16).
Inventors: |
Kipping; Matthias; (Herdorf,
DE) ; Hoefer; Helmut; (Hilchenbach, DE) ;
Tuschhoff; Matthias; (Siegen, DE) ; Sudau; Peter;
(Hilchenbach, DE) ; Kastner; Andreas;
(Kirchhundem, DE) ; Holzhauer; Thomas;
(Kirchhundem, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
K.F. ROSS P.C.
5683 RIVERDALE AVENUE, SUITE 203 BOX 900
BRONX
NY
10471-0900
US
|
Family ID: |
39185155 |
Appl. No.: |
12/442715 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
September 21, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2007/008217 |
371 Date: |
March 25, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/418 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21C 47/34 20130101;
B21C 47/345 20130101; B21C 47/3441 20130101; B21C 47/003 20130101;
B21C 47/3425 20130101; B21C 47/063 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
242/418 |
International
Class: |
B21C 47/04 20060101
B21C047/04; B65H 23/18 20060101 B65H023/18; B65H 23/198 20060101
B65H023/198 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 25, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 045 608.4 |
Sep 21, 2007 |
DE |
10 2007 045 425.4 |
Claims
1. A method of winding metal strips on a mandrel of a coiler to
which the metal strips are conveyed by a feeder having a lower and
an upper feed roller, a guide plate being provided under the metal
strip, a pivotal strip guide and a pivotal upper guide plate
downstream of the pivotal strip guide extending above the metal
strip almost to the mandrel, wherein a strip-tension measurer
engages downward into the coiler from above with the metal strip
and determines the longitudinal tension exerted by the feeder on
the metal strip and feeds an output corresponding thereto to a
feeder controller.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the variation in
thickness of the distribution of tension is determined by how much
the measured support forces affect the suspension of the
strip-tension measurer.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein a contact angle of a
roller engaged downward with the metal strip during the pivoting in
of the strip-tension measurer is used for the direct or indirect
measuring of the support force.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the contact angle is
held approximately constant for controlling extent of engagement of
the roller.
5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the roller is previously
rotated up to the speed of the metal strip before pivoting in.
6. An apparatus for winding metal strips on a mandrel arranged in a
coiler to which the metal strip is supplied by a feeder comprising
a lower and an upper feed roller, in which a guide plate is
provided under the metal strip for guidance and a pivotal strip
guide and a pivotal upper guide plate extend downstream from this
guide almost up to the mandrel above the metal strip wherein the
strip guide is designed as a strip-tension measurer that can be
pivoted from above down into engagement with the metal strip and
that is provided with a guide body that has a pivotal roller arm
that carries a roller on its outer end, and that a force sensor is
arranged between the guide body and the roller arm and sends an
output to a controller of the feeder.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the guide body
connects a back pivot arm to a front pivot arm of the strip-tension
measurer.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising at least
one controlled-stroke pivot cylinder engaging the back pivot
arm.
9. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the roller supported
in the roller arm can be driven.
10. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein a driven guide
roller is arranged at the axis of rotation of the strip-tension
measurer, which axis is at a spacing from the roller arm.
11. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein at least a front
part of the guide plate downstream of the lower feed roller and
under the metal strip is a pivotal flap.
12. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the strip-tension
measurer is integrated into the upper guide plate with the roller
arm and extending toward the mandrel.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for
winding metal strips on a mandrel in a coiler to which the metal
strip is supplied by a feeder comprising a lower and an upper feed
roller, a guide plate being provided under the metal strip for
guidance and a pivotal strip diverter and a pivotal upper guide
plate following this diverter almost up to the mandrel being
provided above the metal strip.
[0002] A feeder known from DE 195 20 709 [U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,022]
comprises a fixed-axis lower roller and an upper roller that can be
moved relative to it. The adjustable upper roller is supported in a
pivot frame that can be adjusted by hydraulic or pneumatic
cylinders and that is formed by two spaced rocker arms connected at
a common pivot axis by a base supported on both sides in the feeder
frame. This upper roller can be pivoted by individually actuatable
fluid-powered cylinders, the base connecting the rocker arms being
formed by a torsion spring.
[0003] Different pivot angles of the rocker arms and therewith of
the adjustable upper roller can be achieved here by introducing
different adjustment forces at a relatively low different force of
the fluid-powered cylinders because the tension exerted by the
feeder on the strip can be influenced by pivoting the upper roller
and tension can be distributed in this manner.
[0004] DE 197 04 447 [U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,472] teaches a measuring
roller for measuring the evenness of a roll strip under tension in
a hot-strip roll train. One or more of these measuring rollers is
pressed from below against the roll strip and positioned between
the roll frames of the finishing train and/or in the roll direction
downstream of the last roll frame of the finishing train and/or
upstream of a drive apparatus for a reel and/or between the drive
apparatus and the reel. In a measuring roller between the drive
apparatus and the reel the measured value obtained can be used to
pivot the drive apparatus and the strip travel can be controlled
during winding onto the reel mandrel in this manner.
[0005] DE 199 53 524 [U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,722] describes a looper
that can measure the radial variation in thickness present on
account of the longitudinal tension prevailing in a metal strip
over the strip width. The looper comprises to this end a looper
roll supported at each end on a respective pivot arm. The pivot
arms are subdivided at a hinge into a shaft arm part and a roller
arm part and are connected to a looper shaft. The hinge transmits a
return force exerted by the metal strip on the looper roller
adjusted from below against the metal strip onto force sensors on
the pivot arms. The return force corresponds to the longitudinal
tension so that it can be determined from the measured return
forces. In order to prevent the roller arm part from lifting off
the force sensor, the shaft arm and the roller arm are connected to
one another by a retaining element. The upstream and downstream
travel directions that are determined for example by the roll
frames or feeders, can be readjusted, as well as the speed or the
roller positions can be adjusted either on the basis of the total
longitudinal tension or of the determined vectors.
[0006] The basic object of the invention is to develop a method and
an apparatus of the above-described type in such a manner that an
improved measuring of the tension of the metal strip in the coiler
can be achieved for controlling the driving apparatus or feeder to
so influence strip travel that a square-end coil can be formed.
[0007] This object is attained in accordance with the invention
with a method in that a strip-tension measurer engages downward
into the coiler from above with the metal strip, determines the
longitudinal tension exerted by the feeder on the metal strip, and
feeds an output corresponding thereto to a feeder controller. As a
result of the engagement of the strip-tension measurer from above
with the metal strip, in particular an optimal contact angle can be
maintained even on the strip end. This would not be possible if the
strip-tension measurer were engaged from below, since in this case
the contact angle is severely limited by the strip guide including
the guide plate required above the metal strip and becomes so small
that no reliable measurement is possible on the strip end. However,
the measuring on the strip end is important because strip guidance
is particularly difficult here on account of there being no tension
exerted on the strip by the finishing frame of the rolling
train.
[0008] The invention proposes that the variation in thickness
caused by the longitudinal tension in the metal strip over the
strip width and determined by the strip tension measuring apparatus
engaging downward at a contact angle with the metal strip is
determined by how much the measured support forces deflect the
suspension support of the strip-tension measurer.
[0009] To this end, according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention, for the direct or indirect measurement of support force
the contact angle between the strip-tension measurer engaging
downward with the metal strip is used. The contact angle transfers
force from the metal strip to the roller and from the latter to the
force sensor integrated in the strip-tension measurer.
[0010] In order to actuate the strip-tension measurer at least one
cylinder is required, according to the invention a
controlled-stroke pivot cylinder braced against a downstream pivot
arm. Alternatively, there can be two pivot cylinders. Another
possibility for actuating the strip-tension measurer is to provide
the strip-tension measurer in a U-shaped frame engaged by a
cylinder at a symmetry axis of the frame.
[0011] It is recommended here that the contact angle be held
approximately constant by controlling the amount of engagement of
the roller. The contact angle is a function of the stroke of the
pivot cylinder or cylinders and the diameter of the wound coil. In
order to maintain an optimal winding during the entire winding
method the stroke of the at least one pivot cylinder can be
monitored. The theoretical value can be calculated during the
winding method independently of the instantaneous coil diameter,
the optimal winding and the position data. In order to detect the
stroke, a path sensor can be built into the pivot cylinder in or on
the cylinder; optionally, the strip-tension measurer, which can be
pivoted in, can be provided with an angle sensor, so that the
stroke of the pivot cylinder can be calculated. The instantaneous
diameter of the coil can be calculated by a rotation counter of the
mandrel and a strip-thickness sensor. Alternatively, the coil
diameter can also be directly measured, e.g. by an optical laser
sensor.
[0012] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the
invention the roller of the strip-tension measurer is rotated up to
the speed of the metal strip prior to engagement therewith. Since
the roller is pivoted during the winding method into the strip,
this speed synchronization can avoid damage to the metal strip by a
subsequent acceleration that otherwise might occur. The roller
drive can take place mechanically and/or electrically and/or
hydraulically.
[0013] An apparatus for solving the problem constituting the object
of the invention, in particular for carrying out the method, is
characterized according to the invention in that the strip guide is
designed as a strip-tension measurer that can be pivoted from above
into the metal strip and that is provided with a guide body that
comprises a rotatably supported roller arm that carries a roller on
its front end, and that a force sensor is provided between the
guide body and the roller arm, which sensor is connected by output
technology to a controller of the feeder. The strip-tension
measurer in accordance with the invention thus fulfills the classic
strip guide function at the same time. Namely, the entire
strip-tension measurer pivots counterclockwise from the
out-of-operation position, that is, the raised out-of-use position,
downward into the operating position, engaging downward with the
metal strip that is running in and guides the metal strip to the
following mandrel with an activated measuring at the same time.
[0014] The function of the strip-tension measurer as simultaneous
strip guide is preferably supported by the fact that at least one
front section of the guide plate following the lower roller of the
feeder under the metal strip is designed as a pivotal flap. This
flap can pivot counterclockwise about the axis of the lower feed
roller.
[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention the
guide body connects a rear pivot arm to a front pivot arm of the
strip-tension measurer. In the case of only one pivot cylinder that
would be attached in the rear and thus on the drive side, the guide
body receives, as connection between the pivot arm on the drive
side to the pivot arm on the operator side, the torsion load that
would be produced by a one-sided actuation of the strip-tension
measurer by only one rear- or drive-side pivot cylinder.
[0016] If a driven guide roller is advantageously arranged in the
axis of rotation of the strip-tension measurer that is at a spacing
from the roller arm receiving the driven roller, the metal strip
can be protected from damage when it is guided on the path from the
lower feed roller to the next roller of the following coiler.
[0017] A variant of the invention provides that the strip-tension
measurer is arranged with the roller arm facing the mandrel
integrated into the upper guide plate. A combination of
strip-tension measurer and upper guide plate is present in this
arrangement. The front roller of the strip-tension measurer would
follow a upper guide plate extending up to the first pressure
roller of the mandrel and the free space toward the upper roller of
the feeder would be filled out with a conventional guide.
[0018] Further features and details of the invention result from
the claims and the following description of an illustrated
embodiment of the invention presented in the drawings.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a prior-art
coiler;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a coiler with a
strip-tension measurer that can pivot from above into the metal
strip, simultaneously acts as a strip guide, and when not in use is
lifted off the metal strip;
[0021] FIG. 3 shows the subject matter of FIG. 2 with the
strip-tension measurer pivoted into the measuring and use position
shortly before the end of a winding operation; and
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross section through a detail of a guide roller
mounted in the strip-tension measurer.
[0023] A prior-art coiler 1 as shown in FIG. 1 is downstream of the
rolling train or finishing frame and winds up the rolled metal
strip 2 on a mandrel 3 to a package or coil 4 (see FIG. 3). The
metal strip 2 is supplied to the mandrel 3 by a drive apparatus or
feeder of which only the upper and lower feed rollers 5 and 6 are
shown here. A lower guide plate 7 travels from the lower feed
roller 6 to the mandrel 3. The leading end of the metal strip 2 fed
in this manner first engages a first pinch roller 8 associated with
the mandrel 3 and is followed by more such rollers distributed over
the mandrel's circumference.
[0024] A strip guide 9 that contacts the upper feed roller 5 in the
out-of-use position for receiving the strip is located above the
metal strip 2. The strip guide 9 is pivoted by a cylinder 10 that
has a piston rod connected to a pivot arm of strip guide 9. The
coiler 1 is closed at the top by a upper guide plate 11 traveling
from strip guide 9 to the mandrel 3. A cylinder 12 is articulated
to upper guide plate 11 for pivoting it.
[0025] In the embodiment of the coiler 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3
parts the same as those of the above-described coiler are
identified by the same reference numbers. A significant difference
here is a strip-tension measurer 13 that also acts as the strip
guide. It consists of rear drive-side and front pivot arms 14 of
which only the rear drive-side pivot arm can be seen in FIG. 2. The
two pivot arms 14 are connected to one another by a
torque-transmitting guide body 15 (see FIG. 4). Moreover, it
comprises a roller arm 16 at whose outer end a driven roller 17 is
rotatably supported. The roller arm 16 is can oscillate about a
pivot 18. In order to not swing down because of gravity, the roller
arm 16 is held in position by a retaining element 19.
[0026] As soon as the strip-tension measurer 13 pivots from above
down against the metal strip 2 and engages down into it with its
roller 17 while forming a contact angle, a force is applied to the
roller 17 that is applied to the roller arm 16 in a clockwise
direction. However, clockwise rotation of the roller arm is
prevented by a force sensor 20 that also braces the roller arm 16,
determines a force produced at the axis 21 of the support, and
transmits it as a measurement output to a controller 22 (see FIG.
3). The latter can be controlled in such a manner dependent on the
measurement, e.g., by pivoting the upper and/or lower feed
roller(s) 5 and 6 or by a parallel pivoting of both rollers or by
applying different forces on the drive side and operator side so
that a straight-edged coil 4 can be produced on the mandrel 3.
[0027] The strip-tension measurer 13 is provided on its downstream
(in the direction of the strip travel) end at a spacing from the
roller 17 with a guide roller 23 provided in its axis of rotation,
as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as cross section in the area of pivot arm
7 through the pin of guide roller 23. Here too the coiler 1 is
closed at the top by an upper guide plate 11 that can be pivoted by
a cylinder 12. The guide plate 7 that extends underneath the metal
strip 2 from the lower feed roller 6 to the mandrel 3 and conducts
the metal strip 2 is provided at least on its upstream end with a
flap 24 that can pivot counterclockwise about the axis of lower
feed roller 6.
[0028] FIG. 3, which shows the shortly before the end of an
operation winding the metal strip 2 to a finished coil 4, can be
accurately determined on the one hand from the contact angle that
the metal strip 2 forms where it engages the roller 17 of the
strip-tension measurer 13. On the other hand, different measurement
outputs 25 and control outputs 26 are indicated by dotted lines
that are fed to the controller 22 or are outputted from it to pivot
actuators of the upper and lower feed rollers 5 and 6 (see dotted
lines 26). The parameters essential for determining and, if
necessary, maintaining constant an optimal contact angle during the
entire winding method are set, for example, by determining the
stroke of the pivot cylinder or cylinders 10 of the strip-tension
measurer 13, which cylinder(s) is/are provided by a movement
sensor, by an angular-position sensor of the strip-tension measurer
13, or from the instantaneous diameter of coil 4. This diameter can
be determined by sensors counting revolutions of the mandrel 3 (see
dotted line 25 starting from it) and detecting the strip thickness.
Direct measuring of the diameter of coil 4 is possible, as by the
illustrated optical laser sensor 27.
[0029] In any case, it is possible to make a measurement output
available from the strip tension measurer in the coiler for a
feeder controller. This can take place alternatively to the
embodiment shown in the combination the strip-tension measurer with
the strip guide and also by a combination of the strip-tension
measurer with the upper guide plate. The strip-tension measurer 13
shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 would then be integrated in the upper guide
plate 11 with its roller 17 facing the mandrel 3, i.e.
symmetrically to both sides of line A-A in FIG. 2. The space that
is then free from upper feed roller 5 to the strip-tension measurer
13 could be filled out or bridged over in this option by a
conventional strip guide 9 (see FIG. 1).
TABLE-US-00001 List of reference numerals 1 coiler 2 metal strip 3
mandrel 4 package/coil 5 upper feed roller 6 lower feed roller 7
guide plate (guide plate) 8 pressure roller 9 strip guide 10
cylinder 11 upper guide plate 12 cylinder 13 the strip-tension
measurer 14 pivot arm 15 guide body 16 roller arm 17 roller 18
pivot 19 retaining element 20 force sensor 21 force axis 22
feeder-controller 23 guide roller 24 pivotal flap 25 measurement
output 26 measurement output 27 optical laser sensor
* * * * *