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US 7,155,951 B2Granted
Mill variation control apparatus and method
AssigneeNovelis Inc.
InventorThomas William Dashwood Farley
Life of this patent
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AssigneeNovelis Inc.
InventorThomas William Dashwood Farley
Estimating the term…
Apparatus and method for reducing vibration in a mill stand. The apparatus comprises a roll (4) positioned upstream or downstream of the mill stand (1) and over which the strip material (2) being rolled is passed. The vibration control apparatus comprises an inertia element in the form of a flywheel (7) connected to the roll (4) by a stiffness element in the form of a compliant shaft (6). The components (6) and (7) form a mechanical system which can be tuned in such a way as to introduce a speed fluctuation at the roll (4) which exactly matches the speed fluctuation of the strip material as it enters the roll bite. Both the inertia element (7) and stiffness element (6) can take other forms: for example, the stiffness element could be a flexible drive belt or belts; the inertia element could be a shaft about which the roll (4) rotates, via a stiffness element.
Mill apparatus for rolling strip material, said apparatus comprising a set of rolls between which the strip material is passed, and vibration control apparatus comprising a roll positioned so that the strip material passes over it at a position upstream or downstream of the set of rolls, said apparatus being characterised in that said roll is mounted for rotation about a fixed axis and in that said vibration control apparatus further comprises an inertia element mounted for rotation about a fixed axis which is coaxial with that of the roll, said inertia element being mechanically connected to the roll via a stiffness element, such that the inertia element is driven by the roll via the stiffness element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.