Multi-slit powered slitting machine

Apparatus for slitting a hot rolled process section moving longitudinally along the rolling line of a rolling mill, the process section having parallel bars connected together along at least one of their lengthwise edges, said slitting apparatus comprising:

• first and second pairs of upper and lower slitting rollers carried respectively on upper and lower roller shafts and positioned sequentially along the rolling line, the slitting rollers of each pair being arranged to engage opposite sides of the process section;
• drive means for rotatably driving said slitting rollers in directions urging said process section along the rolling line, said drive means comprising an upper drive shaft carrying an upper drive gear in meshed relationship with driven gears on said upper roller shafts, and a lower drive shaft carrying a lower drive gear in meshed relationship with driven gears on said lower roller shafts, said upper and lower drive gears being in meshed relationship, with one of said drive shafts being connected to a single power source;
• adjustment means for adjusting the spacing between the upper and lower roller shafts of at least one of said first and second pairs of slitting rollers;
• the slitting rollers of said first pair having profiles configured to break the connection between at least some of the bars of the process section while allowing the connections between other bars of the process section to remain intact;
• and
• the slitting rollers of said second pair having profiles configured to break the remaining intact connections between the other bars of the process section.

A method of slitting a hot rolled process section moving longitudinally along the rolling line of a rolling mill, the process section having parallel bars connected together along at least one of their lengthwise edges, said method comprising:

• directing the process section between first and second pairs of upper and lower slitting rollers positioned sequentially along the rolling line, the slitting rollers of each pair being mutually spaced and arranged to engage opposite sides of the process section;
• and
• rotatably driving said slitting rollers in directions urging said process section along the rolling line;
• the slitting rollers of said first pair having profiles configured to break the connection between at least some of the bars of the process section while allowing the connections between other bars of the process section to remain intact;
• the slitting rollers of said second pair having profiles configured to break the remaining intact connections between the other bars of the process section.