Method of dividing logs of heated metal into billets and apparatus for use in the method
AssigneeMechatherm Engineering Limited
InventorJohn A. Gardner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for dividing metal logs into billets is disclosed. The apparatus includes a furnace, a shear spaced from the furnace, and a guide-pusher system for moving the logs relative to the furnace and shear. Using this apparatus, a first log is cut into a plurality of billets each having a predetermined length. As a result, the remaining end of the first log will be unacceptably short. Instead of discarding this portion, it is selectively divided to form the first part of a combination, two-part billet. The second part of the two-part billet is severed from the end of a second log to be processed in the apparatus. As a result, a two-part billet is produced from materials which would normally be discarded, thereby resulting in considerable cost savings.
Claims8
A method of dividing first and second logs of heated metal into billets comprising the steps of:
- dividing said first log into a plurality of billets with a remainder of said first log being left over after said dividing is completed;
- dividing said remainder into a plurality of parts;
- dividing said second log into a plurality of parts;
- and
- combining each of said parts from said remainder with one of said parts from said second log to form a plurality of billet pairs, each part from said remainder being used as a first billet in each of said billet pairs.
A method of dividing first and second logs of heated metal into billets comprising the steps of:
- advancing said first and second logs along a path through a furnace toward a shear, said shear being directly ahead of said furnace;
- dividing said first log into a plurality of billets using said shear with a remainder of said first log being left over after said dividing is completed;
- advancing said remainder of said first log into said shear;
- dividing said remainder of said first log into a leading portion and a trailing portion using said shear;
- moving said leading portion to a position ahead of said shear;
- moving said trailing portion rearwardly from said shear along said path to a position between said shear and said furnace;
- moving said trailing portion transversely out of said path;
- advancing said second log along said path through said shear;
- dividing said second log using said shear in order to form a leading portion and a remaining portion;
- transferring said leading portion of said second log together with said leading portion of said first log to a work station for further processing;
- moving said trailing portion of said first log back into said path;
- advancing said trailing portion of said first log together with said remaining portion of said second log through said shear;
- removing a further portion from said remaining portion of said second log;
- and
- transferring said further portion of said second log together with said trailing portion of said first log to said work station for further processing.
Apparatus for heating and shearing into billets metal logs, the apparatus comprising a furnace, a shear spaced from the furnace, guide means defining a rectilinear path through the furnace and through the shear, respective pushers at opposite ends of said path for pushing logs along said path in either selected direction and holding means for moving transversely from a position on said path between the furnace and the shear a trailing end portion of a log, holding that trailing end portion out of said path and then returning the trailing end portion to the path between the furnace and the shear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.