Apparatus for changing the position of the web in structural shape rolling

Abstract

An apparatus for repositioning the web of a rolled structural shape such as an H-beam or I-beam in which the web spans between two flanges. The horizontal rolls of the mill stand are individually adjusted by computer based upon a measurement of the web profile upstream of the mill stand along a conveyor for the workpiece so that the rolling gap is located centrally between the upper and lower flange edges notwithstanding the fact that the web may have originally been off-center.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for changing a position of a web of a structural shape workpiece having flanges with upper and lower edges and said web between said flanges, said apparatus comprising: 
 a horizontal conveyor for conveying said workpiece with said web in a horizontal orientation;    a mill stand along said conveyor and having an upper horizontal roll and a lower horizontal roll defining a rolling gap for rolling said web;    a upper roll positioner operatively connected to said upper horizontal roll and a lower roll positioner operatively connected to said lower horizontal roll for vertically positioning said horizontal rolls independently of one another;    a profile measuring unit along said conveyor upstream of said mill stand and outputting measurement signals representing a shape of the workpiece and an actual position of the web relative to said edges of said workpiece; and    a computer unit connected to said profile measuring unit and to said upper and lower roll positioners for displacing said rolls in response to said signals to orient said gap midway between the upper and lower edges, thereby repositioning said web upon rolling of said workpiece between said rolls.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus defined in  claim 1 , further comprising another profile measuring unit along said conveyor downstream of said rolls and producing measurement signals representing the shape of the workpiece following rolling of said web between said rolls and supplying same to a computer unit.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus defined in  claim 2 , further comprising another mill stand along said conveyor having upper and lower horizontal rolls and upper and lower roll positioners operatively connected to the upper and lower horizontal rolls of said other mill stand for varying said web position upon rolling of said workpiece in said other mill stand.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus defined in  claim 1 , further comprising means for adjusting the height of said conveyor at least along a segment thereof upstream of said mill stand.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus defined in  claim 1  wherein said mill stand is adapted for reversing operation and said apparatus has profile measuring units providing different measurement signals for differing directions of rolling of said workpiece in said mill.  
     
     
         6 . A method of operating a mill stand for rolling of a structural shape workpiece having flanges with upper and lower edges and a horizontal web between said flanges, said mill stand having an upper horizontal roll and a lower horizontal roll defining a rolling gap for rolling said web, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a) feeding said workpiece along a horizontal conveyor to said gap in a horizontal orientation of said web;    b) measuring a profile of said workpiece upstream of said gap and outputting measurement signals representing a shape of the workpiece and an actual position of the web thereof relative to said edges of said workpiece;    c) vertically positioning said horizontal roll independently of one another and in response to said measurement signal to orient said gap midway between the upper and lower edges; and    d) rolling said web between said horizontal rolls thereby repositioning said web.    
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 6  wherein said rolls are displaced to orient said gap as said web approaches said gap.  
     
     
         8 . The method defined in  claim 6  wherein said rolls are displaced to orient said gap while said web is in said gap between said rolls.  
     
     
         9 . The method defined in  claim 6 , further comprising measuring the profile of said workpiece downstream of said gap and adjusting horizontal rolls of a second mill stand downstream of the first-mentioned mill stand to adjust the position of the web of the workpiece as it is rolled in the second mill stand.  
     
     
         10 . The method defined in  claim 6 , further comprising the step of measuring the shape of the workpiece downstream of said rolls, reversing the direction of travel of said workpiece through said gap between said rolls and controlling the measurement signal positioning said rolls in accordance with the direction of travel of the workpiece through said gap between said rolls.