Clamp for rolling mill roll stand

Abstract

A clamp for releasably securing a rolling mill roll stand on a support structure, comprises a tubular housing adapted to be secured to the support structure. A piston subdivides the interior of the housing into front and rear chambers. A clamping jaw projects forwardly from the piston through an open front end of the housing. The piston is reciprocally movable between a locked position at which the clamping jaw engages the roll stand, and an unlocked position at which the clamping jaw is disengaged from the roll stand. Resilient elements act in the rear chamber to exert a locking force urging the piston into its locked position, and pressurized fluid acts in the front chamber to overcome the resilient locking force when unlocking the clamp.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clamp for releasably securing a rolling mill roll stand on a support structure, said clamp comprising:
 a tubular housing adapted to be secured to said support structure, said housing having a cylindrical interior extending along a central axis between a closed rear end and an open front end;   a piston subdividing the interior of said housing into front and rear chambers;   a clamping jaw projecting forwardly from said piston through the open front end of said housing, said piston being reciprocally movable along said axis between a locked position at which said clamping jaw engages said roll stand, and an unlocked position at which said clamping jaw is disengaged from said roll stand;   resilient means acting in said rear chamber to exert a locking force urging said piston into said locked position; and   fluid means acting in said front chamber to overcome said locking force to thereby urge said piston into said unlocked position.   
     
     
         2 . The clamp of  claim 1  wherein said rear chamber is filled with a liquid lubricant. 
     
     
         3 . The clamp of  claim 2  wherein said rear chamber is connected to an external source containing a supply of said lubricant. 
     
     
         4 . The clamp of  claim 1  wherein said resilient means comprises at least one spring axially confined between the closed rear end of said housing and said piston. 
     
     
         5 . The clamp of  claim 4  wherein said resilient means comprises a plurality of Belleville springs in a stacked arrangement along said axis. 
     
     
         6 . The clamp of  claim 1  wherein the open front end of said housing is defined by an annular collar, and wherein said clamping jaw has a cylindrical body projecting through said collar. 
     
     
         7 . The clamp of  claim 1  further comprising an expandable bellows connected at opposite ends respectively to said housing and said clamping jaw. 
     
     
         8 . The clamp of  claim 1  further comprising a piston rod extending rearwardly from said piston, said piston rod being slidably received in an annular guide at the closed rear end of said housing. 
     
     
         9 . The clamp of  claim 7  further comprising a cylindrical shroud projecting forwardly from the open end of said housing, said bellows being surrounded by said shroud. 
     
     
         10 . The clamp of  claim 8  further comprising a guide pin projecting interiorly from the closed rear end of said housing, said guide pin being slidably received in a blind bore in said piston rod. 
     
     
         11 . The clamp of  claim 1  wherein said housing has a cylindrical wall surrounded said interior, and wherein a first O-ring seal is positioned on said piston for sealing contact with said wall. 
     
     
         12 . The clamp of  claim 6  further comprising a second O-ring seal is positioned within said annular collar for sealing contact with the cylindrical body of said clamping jaw. 
     
     
         13 . The clamp of  claim 1  wherein said housing is configured and adapted for insertion into an opening in said support structure. 
     
     
         14 . The clamp of  claim 1  wherein said fluid means comprises a pressurized liquid introduced into said front chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The clamp of  claim 1  wherein said clamping jaw includes a beveled clamping surface configured and dimensioned to coact with a correspondingly beveled surface on said roll stand. 
     
     
         16 . A clamp for releasably fixing a rolling mill roll stand on a support structure, said clamp comprising:
 a tubular housing adapted to be secured to said support structure, said housing having a cylindrical interior extending along a central axis between a closed rear end and an open front end;   a piston subdividing the interior of said housing into front and rear chambers, said rear chamber being filled with a liquid lubricant and being in communication with an external supply of said lubricant;   a clamping jaw projecting forwardly from said piston through the open front end of said housing, said piston being reciprocally movable along said axis between a locked position at which said clamping jaw engages said roll stand, and an unlocked position at which said clamping jaw is disengaged from said roll stand;   resilient means acting in said rear chamber to exert a locking force urging said piston into said locked position, said resilient means comprising a plurality of Belleville springs in a stacked arrangement along said central axis; and   fluid means acting in said front chamber to overcome said locking force to thereby urge said piston into said unlocked position.