Adjustable side guide with quick change strip heater assembly

Apparatus to guide and restore heat losses to a hot metallic workpiece while advanced for a hot metal working operation, said apparatus including:

• side guides extending along opposite lateral sides of a driven roller table for guiding a hot metallic workpiece, each of said side guides being defined by a beam section including an elongated horizontal guide extending along one longitudinal side of a hot metallic workpiece, said beam section further including an elongated horizontal back section joined by web sections horizontally separated one from another by a plurality of utility pockets, said elongated horizontal guide having a window opening at said pass line communicating with each of said plurality of utility pockets;
• a drive for positioning said side guides adjacent opposite lateral sides of the hot metallic workpiece;
• a plurality of burner carriers each supporting a group of spaced apart burners with the burners of each group connected to discrete utility lines;
• and
• a drive to selectively position each of said plurality of burner carriers wherein the spaced apart burners of each group are aligned with corresponding ones of said window openings to direct products of combustion from said burners of each group for heating opposed lateral sides of a hot metallic workpiece while guided by said elongated horizontal guide and an inoperative position wherein said spaced apart burners of each group are raised to an elevated position by said drive above said window opening along said utility pockets for servicing of the burners of each of said group of burners.

A method for guiding and restoring heat losses in a hot metallic workpiece while advanced for a hot metal working operation, said method including the steps of:

• advancing a first hot metallic workpiece to an entrance between opposed side guides at an entry end of finishing a hot rolling mill;
• positioning the side guides in such close proximity to the opposed edges of the first workpiece to allow combustion products emitting from a plurality of burners exposed by window openings in each of said side guides to heat opposed side edges of the first hot metallic workpiece for offsetting heat losses from the opposed side edges before rolling in said hot rolling mill;
• processing the first hot metallic workpiece in said hot rolling mill;
• lifting a select group of burners along utility pockets in the associated side guide from the window openings therein for servicing the resulting elevated group of burners;
• advancing a second hot metallic workpiece to the entrance between the opposed side guides for processing in said hot rolling mill;
• heating opposed side edges of the second hot metallic workpiece by locating the side guides in such close proximity to the opposed edges of the second workpiece to cause combustion products emitting from said plurality of burners exposed by window openings in said side guides, except those burners comprising said select group of burners, to offset heat losses before rolling in said hot rolling mill;
• and
• lowering said select group of burners in the utility pockets in the associated side guide to register with the window openings therein for causing combustion products toward a side edge of the hot metallic workpiece.