METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CUT TO LENGTH BARS IN A STEEL MILL

• US 20110036137A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Teng Pong
• Original Assignee: David Teng Pong
• Inventors: PONG, David Teng
• Granted Patent: US 8,215,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 72/203
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 2015/0014 transversely to the rolling direction
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 36/0016 for minimising waste
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 36/0033 for obtaining pieces of a predetermined length

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing steel bars that are cut to length in response to a customer order. The method includes producing a continuous length of steel bar from a rolling mill, cutting the continuous length of steel bar into successive segments, each representing a multiple of the length of the bar of the customer order, cutting the segments in in-line cold shears first into two times the length of the bar of the customer order and then in half into lengths equal to the length of the bar of the customer order while maintaining the production of the continuous length of steel bar produced by the rolling mill, and bundling the bars of the length of the customer order for discharge from the mill.

Claims

1. A method of producing steel bars that are cut to length in response to a customer order, said method comprising the steps of:

producing a continuous length of steel bar from a rolling mill,

cutting said continuous length of steel bar into successive segments, each representing a multiple of the length of the bar of the customer order,

cutting said segments in in-line cold shears first into two times the length of the bar of the customer order and then in half into lengths equal to the length of the bar of the customer order while maintaining the production of the continuous length of steel bar produced by the rolling mill, and

bundling the bars of the length of the customer order for discharge from the mill.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a change of length of the bar by a customer order is made, the length of said segments is changed and said segments are repositioned relative to said cold shears to produce the bar length corresponding to the changed length of the customer order.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a CPU controls the cutting of the continuous length of steel bar by a flying shear and the cutting of the bar by the in-line cold shears.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, comprising adjusting the position of said segments relative to said cold shears to cut the segments to the desired lengths in response to signals from said CPU.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bundling of the steel bars is effected in simultaneously in three in-line bundlers, one of which is stationary and the other two of which are moved to position in response to a signal from said CPU.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cold shears have respective gauge stops, said CPU producing signals to move said gauge stops to positions at which the cold shears cut the segments to the desired length of the customer order.

7. Apparatus for producing steel bars that are cut to length in response to a customer order, said apparatus comprising:

a rolling mill for producing a continuous length of steel bar;

a flying shear at an exit end of said rolling mill;

a CPU connected to said flying shear to cut said continuous length of steel bar into lengths each representing a multiple of the length of the bar of the customer order.

two in-line cold shears to which said lengths are continuously fed,

said cold shears having respective adjustable gauge stops, said cold shears and said gauge stops being connected to said CPU which positions and operates said cold shears to that one cold shear cuts said lengths into pieces equal to two times the length of the bar of the customer order and the other cold shear cuts the cut pieces in half to produce bars cut to the length of the customer order,

said cold shears being operated in time with the production of the continuously produced length of bar, and

a bundling station positioned to receive the cut bars from the cold shears for producing bundles of the bars of the length of the customer order.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said bundling station includes three in-line bundlers, the first and third being movable and the second stationary.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first and third bundlers are connected to the CPU for being moved in response to a change in length of the bar of the customer order.