US2010670A - Expanded structural member - Google Patents

Description

1 A. T. KELLER ET AL 0,670

EXPANDED STRUCTURAL MEMBER Filed July 9, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l I gm nl ovj fllberi 7. Kalle]; LkaI-Zes 90km mlemls' FM.

Aug. 6, 1935. T. KELLER ET AL 2,010,670

EXPANDED STRUCTURAL MEMBER Filed July 9, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 t gwuemtoid Alba/Z Z'K6Zl61 fiarles 452m mdlezl/ZG Fm Aug. 6, 1935.

A. T. KELLER ET AL EXPANDED STRUCTURAL MEMBER Filed ,July 9, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwue'ntozd AerZ 7f Fella];

Aug. 6, 1935. A. T. KELLER ET AL 0 EXPANDED STRUCTURAL MEMBER Filed July 9, 1930 4- Sheets-Sheet 4 gmtow fllber ZKellez? Z4 452126406 Lewis! zmw.

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 EXPANDED: STRUCTURAL MEMBER Albert '1. Keller, Bethlehem, Charles Schenck,

1 Coopersburg, and Lewis Fine, Bethlehem, Pa.,

. assignors to Bethlehem Steel Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 9, 1930, Serial No. 466,614

' l 14 Claims.

Our ,invention relates to the manufacture of expanded metal bars, beams, columns, girders and the like for use in structural operations. I

. One of the objects of our invention relates to ,5, the manner of forming and mounting the delivery pinch rolls which are adapted to receive and pull the expanded section through the expanding guide, one of the delivery pinch rolls being yieldedges in such a manner as to relieve the pressure or load in the central slitters.

Another object of our invention relates to the manner of forming the slitting knives of greater height than the thickness of the web of the article being slitted in order to give a clearance between the face of the slitting rolls and the sides of the web, so that'the strands will not become elongated during the slitting operation. In the drawings we have illustrated our invention as used in forming an expanded metal I-beam but we wish it understood that our invention could be used equally well in expanding other shapes as channels, 'Z-bars andthe like if desired.

In the forming of expanded sections such as that illustrated, thebeam is first fed between feed rolls to the slitting rolls which advances the beam and pushesit through an expanding guide adapted to expandthe web of the bar and finally advances it between the finishing pass of a set of delivery pinch rolls which flattens the web strands and at the same time pulls the expanded metal shape through the expanding guide.

It was found however that after the metal shape left the finishing roll' pass of ordinary construction where the rolls "had fixed centers or draft that the shape of the bar would be distorted when r it issued from the pass.

It has been found by, actual practice that rolls j with fixed draft having a roll pass similar to that shown in Fig. 50f the drawings in which the sizes of the roll pass are in contact with the web of the section, but nottouching any part of the flanges, with suflicient clearance to allow an increase in the draft without touching the flanges,

that the section when it issued from the pass was wider than the width of thepass cut in the rolls,

and that the web strands will be buckled or laterally waved, and arch shaped in top plan.

. The cause of this action can be easily explained,

by referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be noted that while the section in passing in the direction of the arrow from left to right through the delivery pinch rolls any draft on the web will elongate the strands and due to their angularity, they will move outward from the central bonds in a curved path. This outward motion will in- V I crease the width of the section and when the web becomes too thick, the increase in the length of the strand due to the fixed draft will cause the strands to buckle. To overcome this buckling, it was decided to relieve the pass in the 10 delivery rolls so that it made contact on the web portion adjacent to the flanges only with the central portion of the pass out of engagement with the web. It was found however that the section after passing a roll pass having a relieved central portion that the section was somewhat less in width than the pass and in some of the sections the flanges were buckled outwardly between the side bonds and in many cases the strands were torn off where they joined the bonds near the go flanges, the reason for this being that any draft placed on the web close to the flanges as described above will elongate the flanges and cause the strands to hinge at the center of the web where the two strands meet.

This hinging action moves the flanges inward and reduces the width of the section and if the flanges are elongated very much, will cause a pull on the strand and will tear them at the bonds where they join the flanges or at the center of the expanded section.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the amount of draft put on the delivery roll and shape of roll is important. To overcome the difficulty experienced, we have found that a strand having means adapted to give a yielding constant pressure on the web of the section can be applied on the delivery pinch rolls which have a pass out in them as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and '7. This pressure can be applied by.means of apply- 40 ing weights as shown in Figs. '7 and 8 or if desired by means of fluid pressure cylinders mounted on the roll housing. With this arrangement the strands are elongated just enough to keep them straight without regard to the thickness of the web of the expanded section.

Having now given a general description of our invention, we will now in order to make the matter more clear, refer to the accompanying four sheets of drawings which form part of this specification and in which like characters of reference refer to like parts:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of ou improved apparatus illustrating the blank in the course of slitting and expansion of the sec shape of the .cutti. make a plurality of central cuts in the blank,

tion in which one set of slitting rolls are used;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. l with parts in section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan of a modified form of apparatus which is similar to Fig. l but showing two sets of slitting rolls;

Fig.4 is a side elevation of the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 with the ends of the shafts in section;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section of the meeting edges of the delivery pinch rolls illustrating the manner of the grooved pass engaging'the web of the section;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section view illustrating the manner of slitting the bar;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the delivery pinch roll stand;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the roll stand shown in Fig. *7;

Fig.9 is a detail section View at the top of one of the sides of the delivery'pinch roll housing tak- Fig. 10 is a top plan view of one of the cap plates for the delivery pinch roll housing.

Referring now to the various characters of reference on the drawings and first to Figs. 1, 2 and to 10, the numeral l indicates the blank or shape to be expanded, and 3, the feed rolls mounted onshaits and 5 having knurled tractive peripheries 6 adapted to engage the blank and feed it forward to a of slitting set of knife edges on one roll coacting with the cutting knife edge on the opposite roll. The central knife iii are spaced in staggered relation to the two outer sets.

By referring to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the knife edges are such as to the edges is of which will be 30 on each side of .a -vertical line at right angles to the web, or 60 in the included angle, whilethe two rows of side slits made by the slitting knife edges H and fit as fo med to cut the Web of the blank at an angle of on. the inner side ill of the vertical center at right angles to the web and. 45

on the outer face as at it. The object of the change in the angularity of the outer slitting knife edges is to throw the metal which is extruded by the knife edges outwardly during the slitting process thereby relieving the load on the center slitting knife edges l2 and more evenly distribute the metal and prevent stretching in the web strands. The slitting knife edges on each roll are adapted to out half way through the web of the [blank and are of greater height than half the thickness of the web inorder to give a clearance ll between the sides of the. slitting rolls and the web of the blank. After the blank. has passed between the slitting rolls l and 3 it is fed between expanding guide 18 of well known construction having grooves on each side to receive the flanges of the blankpassing through them in the direction of the-arrow andgraduall-y expanding the web of the blank by forcing the strand l9 apart. These strands are connected together-centrally at one end by means of bondsfiil and at the other ends opposite the flanges by means of bonds 21.

The feed rolls 2 and 3 and slitting rolls 7 and 8 advance the blank between the expanding guide 58. After passing through the guide, the

expanded section is received in the pass 22 be,

tween a set of delivery pinch rolls '23 and 26 adapted to pull the expanded section through the expanding guide and to straighten the expanded web. These delivery pinch rolls 23 and 25 have their shafts 25 and 2t journaled in bearing blocks 27 and 28 which are mounted in guide- ways 29 and 30 of the frame of a roll stand iii. The side frames of the roll stand are each connected together at the tops by means of a cap plate 32 the ends of which are bifurcated as at 33 to receive the upwardly extending posts 34 of the side frame. These posts are eachslotted as at 35 to receive a tapered key 36 for clamping the ends of the cap plates 32 in position. Formed centrally on top of each cap plate and integral therewith near the inner edges is'a standard 137i to the upper end of which ispivoted a lever 38 having a bearing surface 39 adapted to engage the top end of a pin All. This pin 38 extends downwardly through an opening ll formed in the center of each cap plate 32, the opposite end of each pin engaging the 'top of the journal boxes 27. Each lever 38 extends horizontally outward and has a weight 12 ad- 'justably mounted thereon 'by .means of which the pressure on the expanded section passing between the delivery pinch rolls may be varied.

The shaft it of the lower slitting roll 8 is preferably the main drive shaft and has a gear :33 mounted thereon which meshes with idler gears ifl and'lfi on either side thereof which are adapted to mesh with a gear ill on'the'lower feed roll shaft '5 and gear 41 on the shaft 2.6 for the lower delivery pinch roll "24. "In this manner the feed rolls 2 and 3, slitting rolls 1 and 8 and delivery pinch rolls '23 and '24 are all rotated at the same surface speed. Each pair of feed rolls, slitting rolls and delivery pinch rolls is geared together by "means of gears Mi, '3' and '47 which are mounted ons'ha'fts k'l,'9 and 25 respectively and are all adapted to rotate at the same surface rate of speed.

The operationof our device is as follows: .Assuming that the 'feed rolls '2 and "3, slitting rolls fl and 8, and the delivery pinch rolls I23 and '24 are all being driven at the same surface speed, the blank i is fed between 'theknurled feed rolls 2 and '3 which advances 'it to the slitting rolls the outer slitting knife edges of whichare so shaped that they throw the flanges outwardly during the slitting process and thereby relieve the load on the center slitting iknife edges and all of the slitting knife edges are of sufficient length to allow for-a clearance between the side face of the slitting rolls and the sides of the web strands so that when they cut :into the web of the blank it will not elongate .thestrands. After the blank i has passed between .theslit'ting :rolls it .is advanced into the guide .IB which gradually expands the web of the blank by forcing .the strands l9 apart between the bonds 2i! and 2|. The expanded section is .thenadvanced into the .pass 22 of a set .of delivery .pinch vrolls :23 and E i one of which is vyieldingly mounted .and adapted to apply a constant pressure on the expanded web of .the section sufficient .to pull the section through the guide, vand thereby elongating the strands 'just enough to keep them straight as will be more clearly ,understood by referring to Figs. 1, 5 and 7.

In Figs. 3 and 4 we have shown a modification in which two pairs of slitting rolls Z8, is; 50 and 55 mounted on shaft '52, '53, i254 and "55 are used. The first set .of slitting rolls 48 and 49 have outer slitting Iknife edges-5B thereon, while the second set of slitting rolls havethe central slitting knife edges 51 formed thereon, otherwise the construction is similar to that described for Figs. 1, 2, to Band the same reference numeral will apply thereto. Although we have described and illustrated our invention in considerable detail, we do not wish to be limited to the exact andspecific details thereof, as shown and described, buttmay use such modifications in, substitutions for, or

equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of our invention, or as pointed out in the claims. i

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for expandingmetal shapes, means for slitting the metal shape longitudinally of its length, a guide for expanding the metal shape, a pair of delivery pinch rolls mounted in'a housing provided with a pass adapted to receive the metal shape after it has emerged from the expanding guide for feeding the expanded shape forward from the expanding guide, slide-ways formed in each side of the housing, journal bear ings mounted in the slide-ways for supporting the delivery pinch rolls, a slotted post extending upwardly from the housing on each side of the slide-ways, a cap-platehaving bifurcated ends for receiving the slotted posts, a tapered key in each slot for clamping the bifurcated ends of thecapplates to the top of the housing, a central perforation provided in each of said cap-plates, a pin mounted in each perforation having its lower end engaging the top journal bearing of the top delivery pinch roll, a standard opposite each perforation formed integral witheach cap-plate, a weighted lever pivoted to each standard andengaging the top of the pin adapted to exert a constant pressure on the expanded shape as it passes between the delivery pinch rolls, and means for adjusting the weight on the lever.

2. In a machine for making open work metal shapes, a pair of slitting rolls for slitting the web of the shape longitudinally of its length, a pair of feed lrolls for advancing the shape between the slitting rolls, a plurality of cutting knifeedges extending outwardly from the periphery of the slitting rolls, the cutting knife edges on one slitting roll coacting with the cutting knife edges on the other slitting roll, the combined height of the two cutting knife edges being of greater height than the thickness of the web of the shape,

means for expanding the blank after slitting, and

delivery pinch rolls tractively engagingthe expanded metal shape emerging from the expanding means, and weighted lever means connected to one of the pinch rolls adapted to project one of the delivery pinch rolls towards the other to exert a yielding constant pressure on the expanded web of the metal shape as it passes betweenthe rolls.

3. In a machine for making open work metal shapes provided witha thickened central portion, a pair of slitting rolls for slitting the thickened web of the shape longitudinally of its length to form strands, a pair of feed rolls for advancing the shapebetween theslitting rolls, a-plurality of cutting knife edges extending outwardly from the periphery of the slitting rolls the outer side faces of the cutting knife edges having a greater angularity from a planeat the center of the cutting knife edges than the inner side faces adapted to throw the flanges outwardly during the slitting operation, the cutting knife edges on one slitting roll coacting with the cutting knife edges on the other slitting roll, the combined height of the two cutting knifeedges "being greater than the thick- .ness of. theiweb ofthe shape,.means for expandingntheyshape after slitting,,delivery pinch rolls provided with'a pass adapted to tractively engage theexpanded metal shape emerging from t the expanding, means and adapted to exert a yielding constant pressure on the expanded web of the metal shape to straighten the strands as the expanded shape passes between, the pinch rolls,

:and means for driving the feed rolls,-slitting rolls and pinch rolls in synchronism.

., 4,, In a machinefor making an open work metal shape from a blank provided withfa thickened "central web, portion, feed rolls for moving the shape forward, slittingrolis for engaging the shape during thein ovement thereof to slit the thickened ,metal' web portion at spaced intervals ,longitudinallyof its direction of movement to form strands; meansfor expandingtheshape laterally after the slitting operation, a set of continuously driven delivery pinch rolls fortractively engaging and rolling thethickened strand portion of the shape after emerging from theexpanding means, and weighted lever means; for moving one of the pinch rolls towards the other pinch roll to exert a constantyielding pressure on the strands of the shape as it passes between the pinch olls;

, 5. In a, machine for making-pan open work flangedmetal shape from a blank having a thickened central web portion, feed rollsv geared together for moving the shape forward, slitting rolls geared together for engaging the shape during the movement thereof to slit the thickened metal web portion longitudinally of its direction of movement to form strands, an idler gear directly connecting the gearing of the feed rolls with the gearing of the slitting rolls, means for expanding the shape laterallyat right angles to the flanges after the slitting operation, a set of delivery pinch rolls geared together for tractively engaging and rolling the thickened strand portions of the shape after emerging from the expanding means, an idler gear for directly connecting the gearing of the slittingrolls withthe gearing for the delivery pinch rolls, a roll stand forthe pinch rolls having slide-ways formed therein at each side thereof movable, and, stationary journal bearing blocks mounted in the slideways, shafts for the pinch rolls journaled in the bearing blocks, and weighted lever means connected to each of the movable bearing blocks for moving one of the pinch rolls towards the other pinch roll and adapted to exert a constant yielding pressure on the thickened web portion of the to the flanges after slitting, a set of delivery pinch rolls for tractively engaging and rolling the thickened strand portion of the shape after emerging from the expanding means, a roll stand for the pinch rolls, having slide-ways formed therein at each side of the standya stationaryand ,movable bearing block mounted in each slide-way, shafts for the pinch rolls journaled in the bearingblocks, a cap-plate secured to each side of the troll stand provided with a central opening, a pin extending through eachopeningt'lfi with its lower end engaging the movable bearing block, a post formed integral with each cap-plate, a lever. having its inner end pivotally connected to each ofthe top:ends of each post and engaging the top end of the pins at an intermediate point, and an adjustable weight mounted on the outer ends of each lever adapted to move one of the pinchrolls towards the other pinch roll to exert a constant yielding pressure on the web of the shape as it passes between the said pinch rolls.

'7. In amachine for making an open work flanged'metal shape from a blank having a thickstrands of the expanded shape after-leaving the expanding guide, slide-ways formed in each side of the housing, journal bearings mounted in each of the slide-Ways, a weighted lever for independently applying pressure to each of the top journal bearings for the top pinch roll for projecting one of the pinch rolls towards the other adapted to exert a yielding constant pressure on the strands of the expandedshape as it. passes between the delivery pinch rolls.

- 8'. In a machine for making open work metal shapes from a blank having a central webportion and flanged edges, feed rolls for advancing the blank, slitting rolls having coacting knives having side edges of one angularity for forming longitudinally extending spaced slits in the central portion of the web, coacting knives having side edges of a different angularity than those forming the central slits for forming longitudinally extending slits in the web of the blank at an intermediate point in staggered relation between the central slits and the flanges adapted to form strands, said side edges of the knives being adapted to extrude and throw a major portion of the metal displaced outwardly in forming the slits in the intermediate portion of: the web of the shape, means for laterally expanding the shape, and a set of delivery pinch rolls in spaced relation with the inside of the flanges of the shape adapted to exert a yielding constant pressure on theJcentral portion of the web to slightly elongate and straighten the strands.

. the central slits for forming longitudinally extending spaced slits in the web of the blank at an intermediate point between the central slits and the flanges in staggered relation with said central slits to form strands, means for laterally expanding the shape, and a set of delivery pinch rolls provided with a pass in spaced relation with the inside of the flanges of the shape adapted tov exert a yielding constant pressure on the central portion: of the'web to 1 slightly elongate and straighten the strands of theshapeas it passes between the said pinch rolls.

-10. Inamachine-for'making open work metal shapes from: av blank provided; with av thickened central web portion and flanged edges, said web being provided with reduced regions between the thickened central portion and the flanges, ffifidl rolls for advancing the blank, slitting rolls having coacting knife. edges with sides of diiierent angularity for forming longitudinally extendingv spacedslots in the central and intermediate portion of the thickened web portion to form strands without elongating the metal therein, means for expanding the shape, and a set of delivery pinch rolls provided with a pass adapted to engage-the, outside, ofthe flanges and in spaced relation. with the inside, ofv the flanges of the shapeadapted to exert a yielding constant pressure on. the web to slightly elongate and flatten the. strands. of the shape as, it passes between the pinch rolls.

1 1:. Ina machine for making; open work metal shapes with a, central web portion and flanged edges,,f.eed rolls for advancing the blank, slitting rollshaving coacting knives for slitting the central portion of, the: web and coacting knives havinggsideedges of a diiierent angularity adapted to displace: a major portion of themetal outwardly ,to relieve the, pressureon the central slitting knives: for'slitting the web atintermediate points and in staggered relation between the central slits and the flangesoi the blank to form strands, means for laterallyexpanding the shape, and a set. of delivery pinch rolls provided with a pass in spaced, relation with the inside of the flanges of the shape adapted to engage the central portion of the-web-to slightly elongate and straighten the strands by exerting a yielding constant pressure on the strands of the shape as it passes between the pinch rolls.

12. In a machine for making open work metal shapes from a blank provided with a thickened central web portionand. flanged edges, said web being provided with reduced regions between the thickened central, portion and the flanges, feed rolls for advancing the blank, slitting rolls provided with coacting knives adapted to form longitudinally extending slits in the central portion of the web, slitting, rolls providedwith coacting knives having cutting edges of a different angularity than the central coacting slitting knives adapted to throw the metal which is extruded by the knife edges outwardly during the slitting operation thereby relieving the pressure on the central slitting knife edges to more evenly distribute the metal and prevent stretching of the strands, means for laterally expanding the shape, and a set of delivery pinch rolls provided with a pass adapted to engage the central. thickened portion of the web to slightly elongate and straighten the strands by exertingv a yielding constant pressure on the strands of the shape as it passes between the pinch rolls. 1

13. In a machine for making an open work metal shape from a blank provided with a thickened central web portion and flanged edges, said web being provided with reduced regions between the thickened central portion and the flanges, slitting. rolls adapted to form longitudinal slits in the central portion of the thickened web portion, slitting rolls for forming spaced longitudinal slits inthe thickened web portion at an intermediate point, between the flanges and the central slits to form strands, means for expanding the. shape laterally after the slitting operation,. a. setof. continuously driven delivery pinch rolls for traotively engaging and'lrolling the strands of the shape after emerging from the expanding means thereby slightly elongating and straightening the strands and means for exerting a yielding constant pressure on the strands of the shape as it passes between the pinch rolls.

14. In a machine for making an open work metal shape from a blank provided with a thickened central web portion and flanged edges, said web being provided with reduced regions between the thickened central portion and the flanges, feed rolls for advancing the blank, slitting rolls adapted to slit the central portion of the thickened web portion, slitting rolls mounted adjacent to the rolls for forming the central slits adapted to form slits in the thickened web portion at an intermediate point between the flanges and the central slits and in staggered relation with said central slits to form strands, means for laterally expanding the shape after the slitting operation, a set of continuously driven delivery pinch rolls for tractively engaging and rolling the strand portions of the shape after emerging from the expanding means thereby slightly elongating and straightening the strands, and means for exerting a yielding constant pressure on the strands of the shape as it passes between the pinch rolls.

ALBERT T. KELLER.

CHARLES SCHENCK.

LEWIS FINE.

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