Roll stand with system for axially displaceable rolls

A roll stand comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of upper guide members spaced apart on the frame along an upper axis and a pair of lower guide members spaced apart on the frame along a lower axis parallel to the upper axis;
• guide formations between the members and the frame preventing the members from moving axially relative to the frame and permitting the members to move vertically in the frame;
• respective upper and lower journal blocks on the members;
• respective guide formations between the blocks and the respective members preventing the blocks from moving vertically relative to the members and permitting the blocks to move axially on the members;
• an upper roller carried between the upper journal blocks, axially coupled thereto, and rotatable thereon about the upper axis;
• a lower roller carried between the lower journal blocks, axially coupled thereto, and rotatable thereon about the lower axis;
• means braced between the guide members for relatively displacing the rolls and the respective journal blocks generally perpendicular to the axes between a use position with the axes relatively far apart and a service position with the rolls relatively closely spaced;
• respective extensible and shortenable upper and lower hydraulic ram actuators each having a piston fixed to the respective guide member and a cylinder axially slidable on the piston;
• and
• respective interengageable coupling formations on the cylinders of the actuators and on the journal blocks including downwardly and upwardly projecting and open flanges and grooves engageable in each other to couple each cylinder to the respective journal block only in the use position of the rolls, whereby in the service position the flanges are out of the respective grooves and the rolls can be moved axially independently of the actuators and in the use position the actuators can axially displace the rolls via the respective members and blocks relative to the frame.