Shaping of thin metal products between two rolls

Device for shaping thin metal products, said device comprising 1) two rolls having substantially parallel axes defining between them a gap lying in a common plane of their axes, each of said rolls having a neck that lies in the gap;

• 2) supports including bearings in which axial ends of shafts of the rolls rotate;
• 3) a frame on which the bearings for at least one of the rolls is guided and can move translationally in a direction in which the rolls are moved closer together or further apart;
• 4) first means for measuring a position of a generatrix diametrically opposite the neck of each roll, said first means for measuring monitoring at least at three points located respectively in a mid-plane perpendicular to the axes and in two secondary planes parallel to the mid-plane and lying near edges of the rolls;
• 5) second means for measuring a position in the mid-plane, of a generatrix lying at 90.degree. to the neck;
• 6) means, responsive to said first and second means for measuring, for computing an instantaneous value of a thickness of the gap at the center, as well as a profile of the gap;
• and 7) means, responsive to said means for computing, for moving the frame to move one of the rolls translationally with respect to the other of the rolls to maintain a constant gap thickness.

A device for shaping thin metal products;

• said device comprising:
• a frame;
• first and second rolls rotatably mounted on said frame, said first and second rolls having parallel axes lying in a common plane, each of said rolls having a neck located in said common plane, a gap being formed between the necks of said first and second rolls and lying in said common plane, each roll having a first generatrix located diametrically opposite the neck and a second generatrix lying at an angle of 90.degree. from the neck;
• for each of said first and second rolls:
• a set of sensors which measure a position of the first generatrix of said roll, said first set of sensors including 1) a first sensor measuring a position of a first point of said first generatrix lying in a mid-plane extending perpendicularly to said axes of said rolls and located mid-way between opposed edges of said roll, and 2) second and third sensors measuring positions of second and third points of said first generatrix lying in first and second secondary planes, said first and second secondary planes being parallel to said mid-plane and being located near said opposed edges of said roll,
• a fourth sensor which measures a position of a first point on said second generatrix lying in said mid-plane, and
• means, responsive to said first, second, third, and fourth
• sensors, for computing an instantaneous value of a thickness of the gap at a center of the roll, as well as a profile of the gap;
• and means, responsive to said means for computing, for driving said second roll to move translationally with respect to said first roll so as to vary a thickness of said gap.