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US 4,730,472 AGranted
Hydraulic contouring means for a hot or cold leveler machine
AssigneeUnited Engineering, Inc.
InventorRobert H. Ellis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeUnited Engineering, Inc.
InventorRobert H. Ellis
Estimating the term…
A hot or cold leveler is provided having conventional high loaded driven work rolls backed up longitudinally across their face by a plurality of short backing rolls. A series of lower work and backing rolls are cassette mounted on the lower main frame of the leveler. The upper backing rolls are mounted on an intermediate support frame designed for limited flexure and which in turn is supported across its length by a plurality of hydraulic piston-cylinder assemblies fixed in the top main frame of the leveler for contouring of the leveling action. Each cylinder is controlled by a servo valve which can be operator-adjusted to work the sheet material across its width dependent on sheet flatness. Buckling at the center, quarter, or edges of the sheet can be removed by a corrective positioning of the piston-cylinder in the location of the buckle. Entry and delivery rollers are similarly servo-controlled. The entry roll is backed off to permit the sheet product to enter the machine and it acts as an anvil roll. The delivery roll is adjusted to deliver flat product onto a delivery table. Pressure transducer means and piston position transducer means are provided in each cylinder, whereby a positive feedback signal is provided due to loads on the flexible beam exerted by the material being worked to withdraw or inject hydraulic fluid to the cylinders.
In a sheet metal leveling machine having a rigid frame, a plurality of parallel upper and lower working rolls journalled for rotation in said frame for receiving, the sheet material to be worked between opposed pairs of rolls which are offset with respect to one another a flexible subframe subject to distortion due to forces imparted thereto by either of said sets of working rolls when the sheet material passes in contact therewith, and means to compensate for said distortion;
In a sheet metal leveling machine having a rigid frame, a plurality of substantially parallel work rolls journalled for rotation in said framework and extending across the width of the machine in two banks comprising an upper work roll set and a lower work roll set for applying working pressure on the face of the sheet material passing between said upper and lower roll sets, said upper and lower work roll set being offset relative to one another, a flexible beam subject to distortion due to forces imparted thereto by either of said sets of rolls, said flexible beam extending across said machine substantially parallel to the axes of said work rolls and generally transverse to the direction of travel of the sheet material being worked, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders formed in said rigid framework across said machine width above said upper roll set, a piston having a shaft extending therefrom mounted for reciprocation in each cylinder, said piston shafts being in contact with said flexible boam to cause piston movement corresponding to beam flexure, at least two of said cylinder being located along a line substantially parallel to the axes of the work roll sets, means in each cylinder to sense movement of its piston away from a predetermined position, and means to vary the hydraulic pressure in each cylinder above said pistons dependent on movement of said piston from a predetermined position to compensate for and correct beam distortion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.