Mandrel holder head with release device

A mandrel holder head adapted to releasably engage a mandrel used for rolling metallic tubes, where said mandrel has a first end part having an outer diameter, an opposite end part having an outer diameter, and an intermediate part having an outer diameter, said outer diameters of said first and opposite end parts being greater than the outer diameter of said intermediate part, said mandrel holder head comprising:

• a. a support member provided with a cavity with a first lateral opening on a top surface of said support member, the cavity being adapted to accommodate a said first end of the mandrel, and
• b. an intermediate member adapted to cooperate with said support member, said cavity of said support member being adapted to receive said intermediate member through a first longitudinal opening, said intermediate member and support member having a common central axis, said intermediate member having a second cavity with a second lateral opening oriented axially where said second lateral opening is adapted to engage said opposite end part of the mandrel, said support member and intermediate member being adapted to selectively restrain said mandrel in said mandrel holder head or to allow said intermediate member to be rotated about said central axis for removal of said intermediate member transversely to said central axis from said support member for extraction of said mandrel from said mandrel holder head in the direction of the central axis.