Method and apparatus for rolling strip

A rolling stand having a cooperative pair of work rolls rotatably received in and supported by a housing for reducing a metal strip passed therethrough from an upstream side to a downstream side thereof, comprising:

• said work rolls having a bearing clock assemblies mounted on their opposite ends,
• a backup roll for each work roll engageable therewith on the side of the work roll opposite the strip side thereof, the axes of the work rolls being located generally in a first vertical plane and the axes of the backup rolls being generally located in a second vertical plane, wherein said first vertical plane is offset with respect to said second vertical plane in a direction towards the downstream or upstream side of the stand,
• the axial lengths of the work rolls being greater than the maximum width of the strip to be rolled by the stand and having axial portions on their opposite ends inward of said bearing chock assembly and outward of said maximum width strip,
• first force applying located on a first side relative to the axes of said rolls, and arranged to engage and apply a force to only each said axial portions of said work rolls to cause the ends of the work rolls to be subject to a controlled deflection in the direction of said offset, and
• second force applying means for each work roll located on a second side relative to the axes of said rolls opposite to said first force applying means and arranged to engage and apply a force to only a central portion of each work roll in a direction generally opposite to said first force to augment said controlled deflection, thereby to lessen the edge drop effect on the strip during rolling thereof.