4-High rolling mill

A 4-high rolling mill for installation at a forward stage of a tandem rolling mill, comprising:

• a pair of upper and lower work rolls for rolling a material to be rolled, said work rolls being provided with a roll being device;
• a pair of upper and lower backup rolls supporting said upper and lower work rolls, respectively;
• and
• a roll shift device for shifting said upper and lower work rolls in an axial direction of said work rolls;
• each of said upper and lower work rolls having a curved initial crown portion formed on one side portion of a barrel of said work roll which is not less than a half of a length of said work roll barrel, and a substantially cylindrical initial crown portion formed on a remainder of said work roll barrel, said curved initial crown portion and said cylindrical initial crown portion forming a working region for reducing a workpiece therebetween and a curve of said curved initial crown portion approximating a curve represented by the formula y=x.sup.n, where X represents a non-dimensioned coordinate in an axial direction of the roll, Y represents an amount of displacement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and n is a number greater than 1.5 and said curved initial crown portions of said upper and lower work rolls being disposed oppositely relative to each other in the axial direction of said work rolls, and always disposed in overlapping direction to each other at at least a part thereof.

A rolling method comprising the steps of:

• providing a 4-high rolling mill comprising (a) a pair of upper and lower work rolls for rolling a material to be rolled, said work rolls being provided with a roll bending device, (b) a pair of upper and lower backup rolls supporting said upper and lower work rolls, respectively, and (c) a roll shift device for shifting said upper and lower work rolls in an axial direction of said work rolls, each of said upper and lower work rolls having a curved initial crown portion formed on one side portion of a barrel of said work roll which is not less than a half of a length of said work roll barrel, and a substantially cylindrical initial crown portion formed on a remainder of said work roll barrel said curved initial crown portion and said cylindrical initial crown portion forming a working region for reducing a workpiece therebetween and, a curve of said curved initial crown portion approximating a curve represented by the formula Y=X.sup.n where X represents a non-dimensioned coordinate in an axial direction of the roll, Y represents an amount of displacement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and n is a number greater than 1.5 said curved initial crown portions of said upper and lower work rolls being disposed oppositely relative to each other in the axial direction of said work rolls, and always disposed in overlapping relation to each other at at least a part thereof;
• shifting each of said upper and lower work rolls axially in such a manner that an end of an effective length of said work roll barrel is disposed outwardly of a lateral edge of the material to be rolled;
• and
• shifting each of said upper and lower work rolls cyclically axially within a predetermined range during rolling operations.

A 4-high rolling mill comprising:

• a pair of upper and lower work rolls for rolling material to be rolled each of said upper and lower backup rolls having a curved initial crown portion formed on one side portion of a barrel of said work roll which is not less than a half of a length of said work roll barrel, and a substantially cylindrical initial crown portion formed on a remainder of said work roll barrel, said curved initial crown portion and said cylindrical initial crown portion forming a working region for reducing a workpiece therebetween and a curve of said curved initial crown portion approximating a curve represented by the formula Y=X.sup.n, where X represents a non-dimensioned coordinate in an axial direction of the roll, Y represents an amount of displacement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and n is a number greater than 1.5 said curved initial crown portions of said upper and lower work rolls being disposed oppositely relative to each other in the axial direction of said work rolls, and always disposed in overlapping direction to each other at at least a part thereof;
• a pair of upper and lower backup rolls supporting said upper and lower work rolls, respectively;
• a roll bending device for applying a bending force to said upper and lower work rolls;
• a roll shift device for shifting said upper and lower work rolls in an axial direction of said work rolls;
• and
• a roll grinding device movable in the direction of said work rolls so as to grind a barrel surface of each of said upper and lower work rolls to maintain shape of said initial crown portion.

A 4-high rolling mill for installation of a forward stage of a tandem rolling mill, comprising:

• a pair of upper and lower work rolls being provided with a roll bending device, each of said upper and lower work rolls having a curved initial crown portion formed on one side portion of a barrel of said work roll which is not less than a half of a length of said work roll barrel, and a substantially cylindrical initial crown portion formed on a remainder of said work roll barrel, said curved initial crown portion and said cylindrical initial crown portion forming a working region for reducing a workpiece therebetween and a curve of said curved initial crown portion approximating to a curve represented by the formula y=x.sup.n, where X represents a non-dimensioned coordinate in an axial direction of the roll, Y represents an amount of displacement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and n is a number greater than 1.5 and said curved initial crown portions of said upper and lower work rolls being disposed oppositely relative to each other in the axial direction of said work rolls, and always disposed in overlapping direction to each other at at least a part thereof;
• a pair of upper and lower backup rolls supporting said upper and lower rolls, respectively;
• a roll shift device for shifting said upper and lower work rolls in an axial direction of said work rolls;
• and a roll grinding device movable in the direction of said work rolls so as to grind a barrel surface of each of said upper and lower work rolls to maintain shape of said initial crown portion.

A rolling method comprising the steps of:

• providing a 4-high rolling mill comprising (a) a pair of upper and lower work rolls for rolling a material to be rolled, said work rolls being provided with a roll bending device, and each of said upper and lower work rolls having a curved initial crown portion formed on one side portion of a barrel of said work roll which is not less than a half of a length of said work roll barrel, and a substantially cylindrical initial crown portion formed on a remainder of said work roll barrel, said curved initial crown portion and said cylindrical initial crown portion forming a working region for reducing a workpiece therebetween and a curve of said curved initial crown portion approximating to a curve represented by the formula Y=X.sup.n, where X represents a non-dimensioned coordinate in an axial direction of the roll, Y represents an amount of displacement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and n is a number greater than 1.5 said curved initial crown portions of said upper and lower work rolls being disposed oppositely relative to each other in the axial direction of said work rolls, and always disposed in overlapping relation to each other at at least a part thereof, (b) a pair of upper and lower backup rolls supporting said upper and lower work rolls, respectively, (c) a roll shift device for shifting said upper and lower work rolls in an axial direction of said work rolls, and (c) a roll grinding device for grinding each of said upper and lower work rolls;
• shifting each of said upper and lower work rolls axially in such a manner that an end of an effective length of said work roll barrel is disposed outwardly of a lateral edge of the material to be rolled;
• shifting each of said upper and lower work rolls cyclically axially within a predetermined range during rolling operations;
• and
• moving said roll grinding device in the axial direction of said work rolls so as to grind a barrel surface of each of said upper and lower work rolls to maintain shape of said initial crown portion.