Furnace roll assembly

Abstract

A roller assembly for moving a billet in a furnace comprising a rotatable shaft, a roller and at least one support member. The roller has an outer rolling surface for accepting the billet thereon. The roller further includes an inner surface. The at least one support member is located between the rotatable shaft and the roller. The at least one support member includes a support surface engaging the inner surface of the roller, whereby the support surface provides support for the rolling surface of the roller, thereby preventing cracking or indenting of the rolling surface as the billet strikes the rolling surface.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A roller assembly for moving a billet in a furnace comprising: 
 a rotatable shaft;    a roller having an outer rolling surface for accepting the billet thereon, the roller further including an inner surface; and    at least one support member located between the rotatable shaft and the roller, the at least one support member including a support surface engaging the inner surface of the roller, whereby the support surface provides support for the rolling surface of the roller, thereby preventing cracking or indenting of the rolling surface as the billet strikes the rolling surface.    
     
     
         2 . The roller assembly of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the at least one support member comprises a pair of locking collars locking the roller to the rotatable shaft.    
     
     
         3 . The roller assembly of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the locking collars include a plurality of fingers defining the support surface;    the roller includes a plurality of slots conforming to the shape of the fingers and defining the inner surface; and    the fingers engage the slots to lock the roller onto the rotating shaft and to rotate the roller with the rotating shaft.    
     
     
         4 . The roller assembly of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the rolling surface of the roller is non-linear and is thereby adapted to force the billet thereon into a center area of the rolling surface.    
     
     
         5 . The roller assembly of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the inner surface of the roller is generally parallel to adjacent portions of the rolling surface of the roller.    
     
     
         6 . The roller assembly of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the support surface of the locking collar is generally parallel to the inner surface of the roller.    
     
     
         7 . The roller assembly of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the roller includes a central inner hub contacting the rotatable shaft, the central inner hub dividing the inner surface of the roller into a first inner surface and a second inner surface.    
     
     
         8 . The roller assembly of  claim 7 , wherein: 
 ends of the fingers of the locking collars abut a side of the central inner hub of the roller.    
     
     
         9 . The roller assembly of  claim 7 , wherein: 
 the first inner surface includes a plurality of first depending tabs depending therefrom, the first depending tabs defining a first set of the slots; and    the second inner surface includes a plurality of second depending tabs depending therefrom, the second depending tabs defining a second set of the slots.    
     
     
         10 . The roller assembly of  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the first and second depending tabs are integral with the central inner hub; and    the first and second depending tabs are tapered in a direction moving away from the central inner hub.    
     
     
         11 . The roller assembly of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 each locking collar includes a skirt surrounding the rotatable shaft, a flange extending away from the skirt, and the fingers; and    the fingers extend away from the flange in a direction opposite to the hub.    
     
     
         12 . The roller assembly of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 the fingers taper in a direction moving away from the flange.    
     
     
         13 . The roller assembly of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 each of the fingers include a tab extending therefrom, and each of the tabs abuts a side of the central inner hub of the roller.    
     
     
         14 . The roller assembly of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the tab extends in a direction parallel to the direction of the flange.    
     
     
         15 . The roller assembly of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the rotatable shaft is hollow.    
     
     
         16 . A furnace comprising: 
 a furnace housing having an inlet and an outlet, the furnace housing configured to accept a billet through the inlet, the furnace housing further configured to eject the billet through the outlet, the billet having a direction of travel through the furnace housing; and    a plurality of roller assemblies located within the furnace housing, each roller assembly comprising a rotatable shaft, a roller and at least one support member;    wherein the roller has an outer rolling surface for accepting the billet thereon, the roller further including an inner surface; and    wherein the at least one support member is located between the rotatable shaft and the roller, the at least one support member including a support surface engaging the inner surface of the roller, whereby the support surface provides support for the rolling surface of the roller, thereby preventing cracking or indenting of the rolling surface as the billet strikes the rolling surface.    
     
     
         17 . The furnace of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the at least one support member comprises a pair of locking collars locking the roller to the rotatable shaft.    
     
     
         18 . The furnace of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 the locking collars include a plurality of fingers defining the support surface;    the roller includes a plurality of slots conforming to the shape of the fingers and defining the inner surface; and    the fingers engage the slots to lock the roller onto the rotating shaft and to rotate the roller with the rotating shaft.    
     
     
         19 . The furnace of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the rolling surface of the roller is non-linear and is thereby adapted to force the billet thereon into a center area of the rolling surface.    
     
     
         20 . The furnace of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the inner surface of the roller is generally parallel to adjacent portions of the rolling surface of the roller.    
     
     
         21 . The furnace of  claim 20 , wherein: 
 the support surface of the locking collar is generally parallel to the inner surface of the roller.    
     
     
         22 . The furnace of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the roller includes a central inner hub contacting the rotatable shaft, the central inner hub dividing the inner surface of the roller into a first inner surface and a second inner surface.    
     
     
         23 . The furnace of  claim 22 , wherein: 
 ends of the fingers of the locking collars abut a side of the central inner hub of the roller.    
     
     
         24 . The furnace of  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the first inner surface includes a plurality of first depending tabs depending therefrom, the first depending tabs defining a first set of the slots; and    the second inner surface includes a plurality of second depending tabs depending therefrom, the second depending tabs defining a second set of the slots.    
     
     
         25 . The furnace of  claim 24 , wherein: 
 the first and second depending tabs are integral with the central inner hub; and    the first and second depending tabs are tapered in a direction moving away from the central inner hub.    
     
     
         26 . The furnace of  claim 25 , wherein: 
 each locking collar includes a skirt surrounding the rotatable shaft, a flange extending away from the skirt, and the fingers; and    the fingers extend away from the flange in a direction opposite to the hub.    
     
     
         27 . The furnace of  claim 26 , wherein: 
 the fingers taper in a direction moving away from the flange.    
     
     
         28 . The furnace of  claim 27 , wherein: 
 each of the fingers include a tab extending therefrom, and each of the tabs abuts a side of the central inner hub of the roller.    
     
     
         29 . The furnace of  claim 28 , wherein: 
 the tab extends in a direction parallel to the direction of the flange.    
     
     
         30 . The furnace of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the rotatable shaft is hollow.    
     
     
         31 . The furnace of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the roller assemblies extend obliquely to a line perpendicular to the direction of travel of the billet.    
     
     
         32 . The furnace of claim  31 , wherein: 
 the roller assemblies have an upstream driven and a downstream roller end, such that the rolling surface of the roller rotates and lifts the leading edge of the billet.