Device for cold cutting elongate members along a longitudinal axis

A process for separating a cold elongate metallic workpiece along a substantially longitudinal axis thereof into two separate sections, said process comprising the steps of:

• providing a separation device comprising:
• separate first, second and third spaced apart workpiece supports, said first and third workpiece supports extending upstream and downstream respectively of said second workpiece support;
• a separation unit mounting a cutting means for cutting metal, wherein said second support comprises ancillary under-supports disposed laterally to either side of said metal cutting means and engagable with an underside of said elongate metallic workpiece, and means for constraining lateral movement of said workpiece passing through said separation unit, said constraining means comprising at least one pair of horizontally spaced apart non-driven guide rollers adjacent said metal cutting means, each guide roller of said pair being freely rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and spaced laterally to a respective side of said metal cutting means, said constraining means providing no lateral constraint of movement of said workpiece downstream of a most downstream pair of said non-driven guide rollers;
• said first workpiece support including an elongate conveyor table comprising a plurality of horizontally dispose rollers, said third workpiece support including a receiving table arranged to receive and support fully separated workpieces issuing from said separation unit, wherein the width of said receiving table is substantially greater than the width of said second workpiece support;
• and
• a feeder consisting of:
• a pusher upstream of said cutting means and adjacent said elongate conveyor table, said pusher movable back and forth between respective distal ends of said elongate conveyor table in a substantially horizontal plane by a linear drive means, and
• downstream of said cutting means, a plurality of horizontally disposed driven rollers engageable with an underside of said elongate metallic workpiece;
• said first and third workpiece supports extending in substantially a common horizontal plane and said second support movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to said common horizontal plane;
• placing said elongate metallic workpiece on said first support;
• aligning said substantially longitudinal axis of said elongate workpiece with said cutting means of said separation unit;
• feeding said elongate workpiece through said separation unit to cut said separate sections;
• supporting said separate sections;
• and
• constraining lateral movement of said elongate workpiece in said separation unit.