Method for changing the configuration of a rolling mill and rolling mill for the implementation of said method

Method for changing the configuration of a rolling mill (1) comprising,

• a holding cage (2),
• a set of cylinders placed one above the other, with substantially parallel axes, comprising two working cylinders (3, 4;
• 3′, 4′), bottom and top, two intermediate cylinders (5, 6), bottom and top, and two support cylinders (7, 8), respectively bottom and top,
• each cylinder having two ends mounted so as to rotate, each on a bearing carried by a chock,
• means for applying a clamping force between the chocks of the support cylinders,
• means (9) for applying vertical camber forces on the working cylinders, comprising two sets of hydraulic actuators,
• means (10) for applying vertical camber forces on the intermediate cylinders, comprising two sets of hydraulic actuators,
• a method in which the chocks (E1) of the working cylinders (3, 4;
• 3′, 4′) and the chocks (E2) of the intermediate cylinders (5, 6) are asymmetric and in which the rolling mill is changed from a first working cylinder diameter range configuration (C1) to a second configuration (C2) with different working cylinder diameters (3, 4) while keeping the chocks (E1, E2), by turning over the chocks (E1) of the working cylinders (3′, 4′) and turning over the chocks (E2) of the intermediate cylinders, while keeping the same cage (2), the same means for applying a clamping force between the chocks of the support cylinders, the same means (9) for applying vertical camber forces on the working cylinders, the same means (10) for applying vertical camber forces on the intermediate cylinders, and the same type of support cylinder (7, 8)
• characterised in that:
• for the chocks (E1) of the working cylinders (3, 4;
• 3′, 4′) and for the chocks (E2) of the intermediate cylinders (5, 6), use is made of supports comprising four support members (O1, O2, O3, O4;
• O1′, O2′, O3′, O4′), disposed laterally, with firstly two support members (O1, O2, O1′, O2′) projecting on one side of the chock, namely a top support member (O1;
• O1′) and a bottom support member (O2, O2′) defining a first interspace, and secondly two support members (O3, O4;
• O3′, O4′) projecting on the other side of the chock, namely a top support member (O3;
• O3′) and a bottom support member (O4;
• O4′) defining a second interspace,
• the hydraulic actuators of the means (9) for applying vertical camber forces on the working cylinders are actuators disposed in the first and second interspaces of the chocks of the working cylinders (3, 4;
• 3′, 4′), the actuators (V1, V2, V3) disposed in one and the same interspace being overlapping, said actuators being intended to cooperate thrustingly, in some cases, with the top support members (O1, O3) in order to camber the working cylinder (3, 3;
• 4′, 4′) in a first direction and for the remainder with the bottom support members (O2, O4) in order to camber the working cylinder (3;
• 3′;
• 4;
• 4′) in the other direction,
• the hydraulic actuators of the means (10) for applying vertical camber forces on the intermediate cylinders (5, 6) are actuators disposed in the first and second interspaces of the chocks of the intermediate cylinders, the actuators (V1′, V2′, V3′) disposed in one and the same interspace being overlapping, the actuators being intended to cooperate thrustingly, in some cases, with the top support members (O1′, O3′) order to camber the intermediate cylinder in a first direction and for the remainder with the bottom support members (O2′, O4′) in order to camber the intermediate cylinder in the other direction.