Method and apparatus for variably controlling transverse rigidity of rolling machine

An apparatus for variably controlling transverse rigidity of a sheet rolling mill having work rolls and backup rolls comprising a decrease bender, an increase bender, bender control means having a bending force setting signal input for controlling said benders upon said signal, and roll bending force setting means for setting a roll bending force in said bender control means, said roll bending force setting means including a rolling force detecting means, a transverse rigidity coefficient setter for setting a transverse rigidity coefficient of the rolling mill, a function unit having a function determined by sheet width and a sheet width setter for transmitting a signal of a sheet width value to said function unit, thereby calculating roll bending force by multiplying said transverse rigidity coefficient and said function to a rolling force detected by said rolling force detecting means, wherein said bender control means comprises valve means for controlling a bender working fluid, a servo amplifier having a roll bending force setting signal input for, based on such signal, transmitting a control signal to said value means, and a feedback circuit for detecting a working fluid pressure in the bender and feeding the same back to said servo amplifier, and wherein a hydraulic chamber is provided in each backup roll so that the surface profile can be changed by controlling the hydraulic pressure in said hydraulic chamber;

• means for controlling a backup roll internal pressure for change of surface profile by controlling hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic chamber and means for setting an internal pressure of the backup rolls, said internal pressure setting means including a second transverse rigidity coefficient setter, a second function unit and a sheet width setter for sending a signal of the value of sheet width to said second function unit, a backup roll internal pressure set value being calculated from the rolling force by a second transverse rigidity coefficient and a second function, thereby controlling the transverse rigidity of the rolling mill by using the backup roll internal pressure set value and the roll bending force jointly.