Vibration damping apparatus

• US 6,763,694 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hatch Limited (Hatchcos Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Industrial Automation Services Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Edwards, John, Wallace, Glen, Meehan, Paul, Boulton, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolan, Ed
• Application Number:
  US10/019,511
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 72/101, 72/104, 722/37, 722/45, 724/667, 724/668, 724/669, 722/46
• US Class Current: 72/245
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 31/203 Balancing rolls
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 33/00 Safety devices not otherwise provided for safety devices in general F16P; Breaker blocks; Devices for freeing jammed rolls for handling cobbles; Overload safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 37/007 Control for preventing or reducing vibration, chatter or chatter marks B21B37/66 takes precedence

Abstract

Vibration damping apparatus (40) includes a body in the form of backup roll balance piston (42) positionable for sliding movement in an enclosure in the form of cavity (44) in the lower backup roll chock (30) of the mill stack (10). The body of the piston is a casing which performs the role of a conventional postion. A damping means is integral with the piston (42) for providing vibration damping of opposing backup roll chocks (24, 30). The damping means is a specially designed absorption system to provide tuned stiffness and damping elements which act in parallel and are located in compartment (46) at an uppermost end or cap of the piston (42). A second vibration absorbent compartment portion (56) of the piston (42) also includes vibration absorbing components. Portion (56) is an integral cap located at the end of the piston (42) in contact with the fluid (52).

Claims

1. Vibration damping apparatus for damping vibration of a roll chock in a rolling mill, the apparatus including:

a body connectable to the roll chock and slidable in an enclosure located at or near the roll chock in response to relative movement between the roll chock and the enclosure; and

damping means integral and moveable with the body, the damping means positioned for providing vibration damping of the roll chock and comprising a compartment located at one end of the body outside of the enclosure to abut with the roll chock, the compartment including one or more vibration absorbing components.

2. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein an opposing end of the body is located within the enclosure and is in contact with a fluid therewithin, the fluid moveable into or from the enclosure via a passage ultimately connected to a reservoir, in use to transmit force to the body in the enclosure.

3. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a second vibration absorbent compartment portion of the body, including further vibration absorbing components, is located at the opposing end of the body and in contact with the fluid.

4. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the enclosure is defined within a further roll chock or as part of separate apparatus positionable between opposing roll chocks.

5. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the apparatus is mounted at a lower of the opposing chocks and an in use uppermost end of the body contacts the underside of an upper of the opposing roll chocks.

6. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body is a cylindrically shaped piston.

7. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the second vibration absorbent compartment of the body includes one or more vibration absorbing components including at least one of a spring, a vibration absorbing pad or a vibration absorbing fluid substance.

8. A method for damping vibration of a roll chock in a rolling mill including the steps of:

(i) positioning a slidable body and associated damping means as defined in claim 1 at or near a roll chock of the mill; and

(ii) regulating the damping means in a manner that provides a counteractive damping of vibration characteristics in the rolling mill.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the damping means includes at least one of a spring and a vibration absorbing pad positionable with respect to the body and step (ii) includes selecting vibration absorbing characteristics of at least one of the spring and the pad which counteract the vibration characteristics of the rolling mill;

or the damping means includes a vibration absorbing fluid positionable with respect to the body and step (ii) includes selecting fluid characteristics that counteract the vibration characteristics of the rolling mill.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the characteristics of the spring or pad which are varied include geometry, elastic modulus and damping material constant, and in the case of a fluid, the viscosity and the elastic modulus of the fluid.

11. Apparatus for transmitting force between a roll chock and another part of a rolling mill, the apparatus including:

a body slidable in an enclosure, the body being connectable to one of either the roll chock and the another part of the rolling mill, and the enclosure being located at the other of the roll chock and the another part of the rolling mill, wherein the body is capable of transmitting force to and from the roll chock; and

damping means integral and moveable with the body and for providing vibration damping of the roll chock within the mill, wherein the damping means comprises a compartment located at one end of the body, the compartment including one or more vibration absorbing components which comprise at least one of a spring, a vibration absorbing pad, or a vibration absorbing fluid substance.

12. A method for transmitting force between a roll chock and another part of a rolling mill including the steps of:

positioning, the apparatus of claim 11 between the roll chock and the another part of the mill, the body of the apparatus being arranged to transmit force therebetween; and

regulating the damping means by selecting vibration absorbing characteristics of at least one of the spring, the pad or the fluid substance, which counteract the vibration characteristics of the rolling mill.

13. Apparatus for transmitting force as claimed in claim 11 wherein the another part of the rolling mill is one of a roll chock or a rolling mill frame.

14. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the damping fluid is selected based on its properties of viscosity and elastic modulus.

15. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the body also includes an internal element of a dense mass material.

16. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the internal element is moveable within the body, the movement restricted by the vibration damping component.

17. Vibration damping apparatus for damping vibration of a roll chock in a rolling mill, the apparatus including:

a body connectable to the roll chock and slidable in an enclosure located at or near the roll chock in response to relative movement between the roll chock and the enclosure, the body having first damping means integral and moveable therewith, the damping means positioned for providing vibration damping of the roll chock, the damping means comprising a compartment located at one end of the body and including one or more vibration absorbing components which comprise at least one of a spring, a vibration absorbing pad or a vibration absorbing fluid substance, and

second damping means comprising a fluid located within the enclosure and in communication with the body, the fluid being moveable into or from the enclosure such that the fluid movement is responsive to detected vibration to provide for further vibration damping of the roll chock within the mill.

18. A method for damping vibration of a roll chock in a rolling mill including the steps of:

(i) positioning a slidable body and associated damping means as defined in claim 17 at or near a roll chock of the mill; and

(ii) regulating the damping means in a manner that provides a counteractive damping of vibration characteristics in the rolling mill.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein step (ii) includes selecting characteristics of the fluid of the second damping means to counteract the vibration characteristics of the rolling mill.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the characteristics of the fluid which are varied include the viscosity and the elastic modulus of the fluid.

21. Vibration damping apparatus for damping vibration of a roll chock in a rolling mill, the apparatus including:

a body connectable to the roll chock and slidable in an enclosure located at or near the roll chock in response to relative movement between the roll chock and the enclosure; and

damping means integral and moveable with the body, the damping means positioned for providing vibration damping of the roll chock, the damping means comprising a compartment located at one end of the body and including one or more vibration absorbing components which comprise at least one of a spring and a vibration absorbing pad, or a vibration absorbing fluid substance.

22. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the compartment is located at end of the body outside of the enclosure to abut with the roll chock.

23. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein an opposing end of the body is located within the enclosure and is in contact with a fluid therewithin, the fluid moveable into or from the enclosure via a passage ultimately connected to a reservoir, in use to transmit force to the body in the enclosure.

24. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein a second vibration absorbent compartment portion of the body, including further vibration absorbing components, is located at the opposing end of the body and in contact with the fluid.

25. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the enclosure is defined within a further roll chock or as part of separate apparatus positionable between opposing roll chocks.

26. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein the apparatus is mounted at a lower of the opposing chocks and an in use uppermost end of the body contacts the underside of an upper of the opposing roll chocks.

27. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the body is a cylindrically shaped piston.

28. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein the second vibration absorbent compartment of the body includes one or more vibration absorbing components including at least one of a spring and a vibration absorbing pad, or a vibration absorbing fluid substance.

29. Vibration damping apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the body also includes an internal element of a dense mass material.

30. A method for damping vibration of a roll chock in a rolling mill including the steps of:

(i) positioning a slidable body and associated damping means as defined in claim 21 at or near a roll chock of the mill; and

(ii) regulating the damping means by selecting vibration absorbing characteristics of at least one of the spring and the pad, or of the fluid substance, which counteract the vibration characteristics of the rolling mill.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the selected characteristics of the spring or pad include one or more of geometry, elastic modulus and damping material constant.