Plant for the production and the packaging of steel rods and profiles

Abstract

A plant for the production and packaging of bars and steel profiles, comprising a rolling station ( 2 ) of rods and profiles ( 1 ) of indefinite length, a cooling station ( 3 ), a scrap separation station ( 4 ), a diverter device ( 5 ), a cutting shears ( 6 ), intended to cut said bars and profiles ( 1 ) in bar portions ( 1 a, 1 b ) having a fixed length (LH), and a speed changing device ( 7 ), able to move the bar portions ( 1 a, 1 b ) at a speed rate such that they can be placed within respective grooves or housing ( 18 ) provided on the outer surface of at least one cylinder or rotating drum ( 8 a, 8 b ); each cylinder or rotating drum ( 8 a, 8 b ) is associated with a speed changing device ( 7 ), so that the housing ( 18 ) receive bar portions ( 1 a, 1 b ) at different speeds, depending on the fact that said housings ( 18 ) belong to one first ( 8 a) or to at least second rotating cylinder ( 8 b), in order to avoid overlap of the bar portions ( 1 a, 1 b ) when the same are discharged onto the cooling plate ( 13 ).

1 . Plant for the production and packaging of steel bars or rods and profiles, including a rolling station ( 2 ) of rods and profiles ( 1 ) of indefinite length, which is placed in line with a cooling station ( 3 ) and with a scrap separation station ( 4 ), wherein, outside said separation station ( 4 ), at least one diverter device ( 5 ), at least one cutting shear ( 6 ) for cutting said bars and profiles ( 1 ) in bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) having at least a first fixed length (LH), and at least one speed changing device ( 7 ), able to handle said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) at a speed rate such that said portions can be placed within respective grooves or housings ( 18 ) having a second fixed length (L), greater than said first fixed length (LH) and greater than the commercial length of the bars and provided on the outer surface of at least one cylinder or rotating drum ( 8   a,    8   b ), are provided, so that the upper housings ( 18 ) of said rotating drums or cylinders ( 8   a,    8   b ) receive relative bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) from said rolling station ( 2 ), by means of said diverter device ( 5 ), while the lower housings ( 18 ) download the bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ), which have been previously received in the upper position, on at least one cooling plate ( 13 ), characterized by the fact that each rotating cylinder ( 8   a,    8   b ) is associated with a speed changing device ( 7 ), so that said housings ( 18 ) receive said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) at different speeds, depending on the fact that said housings ( 18 ) belong to one first ( 8   a ) or to at least one second rotating cylinder ( 8   b ), and so that said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) have different stop positions in the relative housings ( 18 ), in a direction perpendicular to the direction of rotation of said cylinders ( 8   a,    8   b ), depending on the fact that said housings ( 18 ) belong to one first ( 8   a ) or to at least one second rotating cylinder ( 8   b ), in order to avoid overlapping of said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) when said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) are downloaded on said cooling plate ( 13 ). 
     
     
         2 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that each speed changing device ( 7 ) is installed in front of a relative rotating cylinder ( 8   a,    8   b ). 
     
     
         3 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said diverter device ( 5 ) directs said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ), respectively and alternately, into a first ( 8   a ) and into a second rotating cylinder ( 8   b ). 
     
     
         4 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) have the same positions within said housings ( 18 ), both for said first rotating cylinder ( 8   a ) and for said second rotating cylinder ( 8   b ), so that said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) are arranged within said housings ( 18 ) always in the same positions. 
     
     
         5 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said cooling plate or bed ( 13 ) has means for transporting said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ), such as moving knives or blades, from a first seat ( 19 ) to a second seat ( 20 ), adjacent to said first seat ( 19 ), of the cooling plate ( 13 ). 
     
     
         6 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said transporting means move said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) from said first seat ( 19 ) to said second seat ( 20 ) of the cooling plate ( 13 ) only after the discharge of at least one bar portion ( 1   a,    1   b ) from each rotating cylinder ( 8   a,    8   b ). 
     
     
         7 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ), which are downloaded from said rotating cylinders ( 8   a,    8   b ) and which are moved on said cooling plate ( 13 ), reach suitable alignment rollers ( 9 ), where said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) are kept in place in order to be downloaded into a wrapping station ( 10 ) and into a binding station ( 11 ) and into a packaging station ( 12 ). 
     
     
         8 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said first fixed length (Lh) is such that it is possible to house at least two bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) within said second fixed length (L) and said second fixed length (L) is equal to the length of said housings ( 18 ) provided on each rotating cylinder ( 8   a,    8   b ). 
     
     
         9 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said first fixed length (Lh) is less than half of said second fixed length (L). 
     
     
         10 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that at least one of said speed changing devices ( 7 ) keeps the relative bar portions ( 1   b ) at a rate such that said relative bar portions ( 1   b ) are housed in the housings ( 18 ) of at least one first rotating cylinder ( 8   b ) that are near or close to, but different than, the housings ( 18 ) of at least one second rotating cylinder ( 8   th ), so as not to overlap said bar portions ( 1   a,    1   b ) onto the cooling plate ( 13 ). 
     
     
         11 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said first bar portions ( 1   a ) and said second bar portions ( 1   b ) are housed within the same housing ( 18 ) of said rotating cylinder ( 8   a,    8   b ). 
     
     
         12 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that a first housing ( 18 ) of a first rotating cylinder ( 8   a ) and, later, a second housing ( 18 ) of a second rotating cylinder ( 8   b ) are loaded cyclically and alternately. 
     
     
         13 . Plant as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that some bar portions ( 1   a ) are positioned at the inlet side of said alignment rollers ( 9 ), while other bar portions ( 1   b ) are placed at the output side of said alignment rollers ( 9 ), so that at least two bundles of bars are simultaneously formed in the wrapping station ( 10 ).