Roll shifting system for rolling mills

A rolling mill having a housing with a window formed therein for receiving at least two rolls together with chock assemblies therefore, which rolls generally define an axial direction, said window including immovable guide blocks for said chock assemblies and means for shifting the rolls in opposite axial directions, the improvement comprising:

• separating means received in said blocks and operatively associated with said chock assemblies such that said chock assemblies move relative to said separating means in said axial direction, for imposing through said chock assemblies applied forces on the ends of each roll having the tendency to deflect the rolls in the plane of the major component of the rolling force generated by the rolls, whereby shifting at least one roll changes said applied forces;
• and
• control means for controlling said applied forces in response to said shifting of at least one of the rolls, including
• first determining means for determining the amount of roll shifting,
• second determining means operatively associated with said first determining means for determining the amount of said change caused by said separating means, and
• means responsive to said second determining means for effecting a change in said applied roll deflection forces to maintain the ultimate effect of said forces at a predetermined value.