Method and apparatus for production of continuous metal strip
AssigneeABB Power T&D Company Inc.
InventorsThomas L. Linsenbardt, Richard D. Buckley, Harold Younger, Darrell D. Harris, Dennis J. Struemph
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Twin metal billets are fed to dual circumferential grooves formed in a rotating wheel. The billets are advanced first to a wedge-shaped gap which deforms the billets and are then advanced to a die. The die has a die opening with a circumferentially discontinuous, annular cross-section. The metal from each billet merges in the die opening and exits therefrom in the form of a slit tube. The tube is then opened and flattened to form a flat strip by advancing the slit tube over a forming member having a progressively increasing width.
Claims3
A method of forming a continuous flat metal strip, comprising:
- feeding a first continuous rod-like billet of aluminum to a first circumferential groove formed in a rotating wheel;
- feeding a second continuous rod-like billet of aluminum to a second circumferential groove formed in the rotating wheel;
- advancing the first and second billets with the rotating wheel through a passageway formed between a stationary shoe and the wheel to first and second abutments positioned to enter the first and second grooves, respectively, and to block movement of the billets through the passageway, the billets thereby being plastically deformed and forced out of the grooves to an opening in a die positioned adjacent to the wheel, metal from the deformed billets merging in the opening of the die, the opening having a discontinuous, annular cross section such that as the merged metal flows through the die it is formed into a continuous tube of circular cross section having a slit formed therein with curved edges;
- and
- opening and flattening the tube by bending it outwardly in opposite directions at the slit to form a flat strip.
An apparatus for forming a continuous flat metal strip, comprising:
- a rotatable wheel having first and second circumferential grooves;
- means for feeding a first continuous rodlike billet to the first circumferential groove;
- means for feeding a second continuous rodlike billet to a second circumferential groove;
- a shoe mounted adjacent the wheel, the first o and second billets being movable by the wheel through a passageway formed between the shoe and the wheel;
- a die mounted adjacent the wheel, the die having an opening with a discontinuous, annular cross-section;
- first and second abutments positioned to enter the first and second grooves, respectively, and to block movement of the billets through the passageway, the billets thereby being plastically deformed and forced out of the grooves to the die opening, the deformed metal o from both billets merging into the die opening, the merged metal flowing through the die and being formed into a continuous tube of circular cross section having a slit formed therein, the opening in the die having curved ends so that the edges of the slit are similarly curved;
- and
- means for opening and flattening the tube by bending it outwardly in opposite directions at the slit to form a flat strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.