Cold reduction mill guide

Abstract

A cold reduction mill guide includes a pair of workpiece guide members which are mounted on a frame and hydraulically movable to adjust the width of a passage through which a metal workpiece passes. The frame includes a base plate and two spaced elongated projections extending upwardly therefrom atop which the guide members are slidably movable. Two hydraulic actuators for respectively moving the guide members are disposed below the base plate. A translating assembly is mounted on each guide member and the extendable member of each actuator to translate movement to the guide members. The base plate defines two openings for movably receiving portions of the respective translating assemblies. Each translating assembly includes a support member on which a respective guide member is mounted and a translating member mounted on the respective support member and extendable member. Each support member slidably engages guide bars on the frame projections.

1 . A cold reduction mill guide comprising: 
 first and second workpiece guide members defining therebetween a workpiece passage having a selectively adjustable width; at least one of the guide members being selectively movable to adjust the width of the passage; and    a hydraulic assembly for selectively moving the at least one guide member to adjust the width.    
   
   
       2 . The mill guide of  claim 1  wherein the hydraulic assembly includes at least one hydraulic actuator for selectively moving the at least one guide member to adjust the width of the passage.  
   
   
       3 . The mill guide of  claim 2  wherein a linear transducer is mounted on the at least one actuator for measuring a degree of extension of the at least one actuator and facilitate control of the width of the passage.  
   
   
       4 . The mill guide of  claim 2  wherein the at least one actuator has an extendable-retractable member; wherein the at least one guide member is rigidly mounted on a movable translating assembly which is mounted on the extendable-retractable member whereby the translating assembly translates movement of the extendable-retractable member to the at least one guide member.  
   
   
       5 . The mill guide of  claim 4  further including a frame having axial and longitudinal directions whereby the workpiece passage is adapted to accommodate a workpiece moving in the longitudinal direction; wherein the translating assembly includes a translating member and a support member on which the guide member is mounted; wherein the support member has first and second opposed ends between which it is elongated in the longitudinal direction; wherein the translating member has first and second ends between which it is elongated in the axial direction; wherein the translating member adjacent the first end thereof is connected to the support member and adjacent the second end thereof is mounted on the extendable-retractable member of the at least one actuator.  
   
   
       6 . The mill guide of  claim 5  wherein the at least one actuator has a non-extending member which is mounted on the frame; and wherein the translating assembly extends from adjacent the second end of the translating member back over the actuator toward the non-extending member.  
   
   
       7 . The mill guide of  claim 4  further including a frame comprising a base plate wherein the actuator is disposed below the base plate; and wherein the base plate defines an opening through which a portion of the translating assembly extends whereby said portion is movable within the opening in the axial direction.  
   
   
       8 . The mill guide of  claim 4  further including a frame comprising a base and a pair of spaced projections extending upwardly therefrom; wherein the translating assembly includes a support member on which the guide member is mounted; and wherein the support member is disposed above the base between the projections.  
   
   
       9 . The mill guide of  claim 8  wherein the support member slidably engages the frame adjacent each of the spaced projections.  
   
   
       10 . The mill guide of  claim 9  wherein the frame includes at least one guide bar adjacent each of the spaced projections; and wherein the support member slidably engages the guide bars.  
   
   
       11 . The mill guide of  claim 2  further including a frame having axial and longitudinal directions whereby the workpiece passage is adapted to accommodate a workpiece moving in the longitudinal direction; wherein the frame includes a base and a pair of spaced upwardly extending projections which are elongated in the axial direction; wherein the actuator is extendable and retractable in the axial direction to move the at least one guide member in the axial direction to adjust the width of the passage; wherein the at least one guide member is mounted on a support member which is disposed between the projections; and wherein respective portions of the at least one guide member are disposed over the projections.  
   
   
       12 . The mill guide of  claim 11  wherein the actuator has an extendable end; wherein the support member and the at least one guide member are elongated in the longitudinal direction; wherein a translation member is elongated in the axial direction between first and second opposed ends; wherein the translation member is connected adjacent the first end thereof to the support member and mounted adjacent the second end thereof on the extendable end of the actuator.  
   
   
       13 . The mill guide of  claim 2  wherein the guide member moves in a linear direction and the actuator extends and retracts in a linear direction which is substantially the same as the linear direction of the guide member movement.  
   
   
       14 . The mill guide of  claim 1  further including a guide bar for guiding movement of the at least one guide member.  
   
   
       15 . The mill guide of  claim 14  wherein the at least one guide member is slidably mounted on the guide bar.  
   
   
       16 . The mill guide of  claim 2  wherein the mill guide includes a frame; wherein the actuator has an extendable end and an opposed non-extending end adjacent which it is mounted on the frame; and wherein the at least one guide member is spaced from the movable end of the actuator in a direction which is toward the non-extending end whereby the at least one guide member is distal the movable end.  
   
   
       17 . The mill guide of  claim 16  wherein the at least one guide member has a path of travel offset from and substantially parallel to the actuator.  
   
   
       18 . The mill guide of  claim 16  wherein the frame has axial and longitudinal directions whereby the workpiece passage is adapted to accommodate a workpiece moving in the longitudinal direction; wherein the frame has a first half in the axial direction; wherein the actuator is mounted adjacent the non-extending end thereof on the first half of the frame; and wherein the at least one guide member has a path of travel in the axial direction which is disposed along the first half of the frame.  
   
   
       19 . The mill guide of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second guide members is selectively movable to adjust the width of the passage.  
   
   
       20 . The mill guide of  claim 19  wherein the hydraulic assembly includes first and second hydraulic actuators; wherein the first and second guide members are mounted respectively on first and second support members which are respectively mounted on first and second translating members for respectively translating movement of the first and second actuators to the first and second guide members to adjust the width of the passage; and wherein the first and second support members respectively define first and second translation passages for respectively receiving the second and first translating members.