US 5,109,740 AGranted

Billet cut-off control

AssigneeBelco Industries, Inc.

InventorsMichael T. Kohn, John F. Pearson

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Metal billets are cut from heated logs emerging from a furnace by a shearing system controlled by information detected as the logs emerge from the furnace. Detection in this position eliminates the variations inherently present in the length of the logs resulting from temperature gradients within the furnace, and from a length of time the logs are subject to these gradients. The advancing end of an isolated log is sensed by an electric eye, and the interface between one log and the following log is detected by an eddy current device. The data from these sensing devices is supplied to a computer, which controls the shearing operation so that billets can be cut with a minimum of waste. The billets can be of two segments, and the equipment establishes cutting operations that produce the combined billet length, regardless of the position of the interface between the logs.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A method of controlling a cutting system adapted to cut from a metal log, emerging from a furnace having an outlet end, billets of one or more segments having a predetermined total length, each of said segments having a predetermined minimum length, said method comprising:

presenting an end-for-end sequence of metal logs to said cutting system at a position spaced from said furnace end on a conveyor establishing a path of log movement, each of said logs having a leading and a trailing end;
detecting at a position interposed between said furnace end and said cutting system, the discontinuity represented by a trailing end of one of said logs and a leading end of the next following log, said one and next logs remaining in end-to-end contact;
detecting a leading end of a log isolated from any preceding log;
and
controlling said cutting system and advancing said logs as a function of the positions of said discontinuity and leading end, said leading end detection being disposed at a distance from said discontinuity detection less than one log diameter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/616,341Filed 21 Nov 1990
Granted: 5 May 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B21D 43/28
Feeding, positioning or storing devices combined with, or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, apparatus for working or…:…
B21C 33/006
Feeding extrusion presses with metal to be extruded ; Loading the dummy block: consecutive billets, e.g. billet profiles allowing air expulsion or…
B23D 33/003
Accessories for shearing machines or shearing devices: for obtaining pieces of a predetermined weight or volume, e.g. control arrangements
B23D 36/0016
For machines with only one cutting, sawing, or shearing devices: for minimising waste