Steel Coil Cutting Apparatus and Method

Abstract

A method of cutting a steel coil with an axial center located within a bore of the steel coil. The method comprises the steps of positioning a cutting apparatus near the axial center of the steel coil, utilizing an imaging device as a sensor that is attached to the cutting apparatus for detecting the axial center of the steel coil, and aligning the cutting apparatus to be co-axial with the axial center. The method further comprises the steps of providing the cutting apparatus with a cutting device, radially directing the cutting device, and axially cutting an entire length of the steel coil by activating the cutting device, and axially moving the cutting device through the bore of the steel coil from a first end of the steel coil to a second end of the steel coil.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . An apparatus for cutting a steel coil having an axial center, an axial length extending between a first axial end and a second axial end, an outer side surface, and a bore having an inner bore surface, comprising:
 an axial arm;   a cutting head connected to a distal end of the axial arm; and   an imaging sensor connected to the cutting head.   
   
   
       22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for detecting the axial center of the steel coil without physically engaging the steel coil.   
   
   
       23 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for non-contactively detecting the axial center of the steel coil.   
   
   
       24 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the cutting head defines:
 means for cutting the steel coil in a radially outward direction from the inner bore surface of the steel coil to the outer side surface of the steel coil.   
   
   
       25 . The apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the axial arm defines:
 means for axially moving the cutting head through the bore of the steel coil from the first axial end of the steel coil to the second axial end of the steel coil; and   means for permitting the cutting head to axially cut the axial length of the steel coil from the first axial end of the steel coil to the second axial end of the steel coil as the axial arm axially moves the cutting head through the bore of the steel coil from the first axial end of the steel coil to the second axial end of the steel coil as the cutting head cuts the steel coil in the radially outward direction.   
   
   
       26 . The apparatus according to  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a plurality of blocks positioned adjacent the second axial end of the steel coil, wherein the plurality of blocks define
 means for vertically elevating the steel coil at a distance from a support surface by providing the plurality of blocks between the support surface and the second axial end of the steel coil. 
   
   
   
       27 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a controller connected to the axial arm, wherein the controller defines
 means for controlling spatial movement of the axial arm, wherein the spatial movement of the axial arm includes three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates including an X-coordinate, a Y-coordinate and a Z-coordinate. 
   
   
   
       28 . The apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the controlled spatial movement of the axial arm conducted by the means for controlling includes:
 a change of the Z-coordinate from a first Z-coordinate to a second Z-coordinate defining
 axial movement of the axial arm relative the steel coil. 
   
   
   
       29 . The apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the axial movement of the axial arm relative the steel coil includes the changing of the Z-coordinate from the first Z-coordinate to the second Z-coordinate while the X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate remain unchanged. 
   
   
       30 . The apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the controller is connected to the imaging sensor, wherein the controller and imaging sensor define:
 a centering detection system.   
   
   
       31 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for determining the axial center of the steel coil, and, upon determining the axial center of the steel coil, the imaging sensor communicates the determined axial center of the steel coil to the controller, wherein the controlled spatial movement of the axial arm conducted by the means for controlling includes   a change of one or more of the X-coordinate from a first X-coordinate to a second X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate from a first Y-coordinate to a second Y-coordinate defining
 movement of the axial arm from
 a non-axial center of the steel coil to 
 the determined axial center of the steel coil. 
 
   
   
   
       32 . The apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein the movement of the axial arm from the non-axial center of the steel coil to the determined axial center of the steel coil includes the change of one or more of the X-coordinate from the first X-coordinate to the second X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate from the first Y-coordinate to the second Y-coordinate while the Z-coordinate remains unchanged. 
   
   
       33 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a cooling system attached to one or more of the cutting head and the axial arm, wherein the cooling system defines   means for cooling one or more of the cutting head and the axial arm.   
   
   
       34 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the cutting head includes:
 at least one cutting device, wherein the at least one cutting device includes
 at least one pair of cutting devices, wherein the at least one pair of cutting devices includes
 a first cutting device, and 
 a second cutting device that is diametrically arranged with respect to the first cutting device. 
 
   
   
   
       35 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the imaging sensor includes:
 a laser and photo-detectors.   
   
   
       36 . The apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein the imaging sensor includes:
 a camera system.   
   
   
       37 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the cutting head is perpendicularly arranged in a radially outward direction relative the distal end of the axial arm. 
   
   
       38 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the cutting head includes:
 one or more torches.   
   
   
       39 . The apparatus according to  claim 38 , wherein the cutting head further includes:
 a fuel supply connected to the one or more torches, wherein the fuel supply includes fuel, and   a regulator connected to the fuel supply.   
   
   
       40 . The apparatus according to  claim 39 , wherein the regulator defines:
 means for regulating a flow of the fuel from the fuel supply to the one or more torches.   
   
   
       41 . The apparatus according to  claim 39 , wherein the fuel includes:
 oxygen, wherein the one or more torches define one or more oxygen torches.   
   
   
       42 . The apparatus according to  claim 39 , wherein the fuel includes:
 gas.   
   
   
       43 . An apparatus for cutting a steel coil having an axial center, an axial length extending between a first axial end and a second axial end, an outer side surface, and a bore having an inner bore surface, comprising:
 at least one radially outwardly directed cutting device arranged within the bore of the steel coil, wherein the at least one radially outwardly directed cutting device defines
 means for
 radially cutting the steel coil from the inner bore surface to the outer side surface, and 
 
 axially cutting the axial length of the steel coil by
 axially moving the at least one radially outwardly directed cutting 
 
 device through the bore of the steel coil from
 the first axial end of the steel coil to 
 the second axial end of the steel coil. 
 
   
   
   
       44 . The apparatus according to  claim 43 , further comprising:
 an axial arm;   a cutting head connected to a distal end of the axial arm, wherein the at least one radially outwardly directed cutting device is connected to the cutting head; and   an imaging sensor connected to the cutting head.   
   
   
       45 . The apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for detecting the axial center of the steel coil without physically engaging the steel coil.   
   
   
       46 . The apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for non-contactively detecting the axial center of the steel coil.   
   
   
       47 . The apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein the axial arm defines:
 means for axially moving the cutting head and the at least one radially outwardly directed cutting device through the bore of the steel coil from the first axial end of the steel coil to the second axial end of the steel coil.   
   
   
       48 . The cutting apparatus according to  claim 44 , further comprising:
 a controller connected to the axial arm, wherein the controller defines
 means for controlling spatial movement of the axial arm, wherein the spatial movement of the axial arm includes three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates including an X-coordinate, a Y-coordinate and a Z-coordinate. 
   
   
   
       49 . The cutting apparatus according to  claim 48 , wherein the controlled spatial movement of the axial arm conducted by the means for controlling includes:
 a change of the Z-coordinate from a first Z-coordinate to a second Z-coordinate defining
 axial movement of the axial arm relative the steel coil. 
   
   
   
       50 . The cutting apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein the axial movement of the axial arm relative the steel coil includes the changing of the Z-coordinate from the first Z-coordinate to the second Z-coordinate while the X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate remain unchanged. 
   
   
       51 . The cutting apparatus according to  claim 48 , wherein the controller is connected to the imaging sensor, wherein the controller and imaging sensor define:
 a centering detection system.   
   
   
       52 . The cutting apparatus according to  claim 51 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for determining the axial center of the steel coil, and, upon determining the axial center of the steel coil, the imaging sensor communicates the determined axial center of the steel coil to the controller, wherein the controlled spatial movement of the axial arm conducted by the means for controlling includes
 a change of one or more of the X-coordinate from a first X-coordinate to a second X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate from a first Y-coordinate to a second Y-coordinate defining
 movement of the axial arm from
 a non-axial center of the steel coil to 
 the determined axial center of the steel coil. 
 
 
   
   
   
       53 . The cutting apparatus according to  claim 52 , wherein the movement of the axial arm from the non-axial center of the steel coil to the determined axial center of the steel coil includes the change of one or more of the X-coordinate from the first X-coordinate to the second X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate from the first Y-coordinate to the second Y-coordinate while the Z-coordinate remains unchanged. 
   
   
       54 . An apparatus for cutting a steel coil having an axial center, an axial length extending between a first axial end and a second axial end, an outer side surface, and a bore having an inner bore surface, comprising:
 a controller;   an axial arm connected to the controller;   a cutting apparatus connected to the axial arm; and   an imaging sensor connected to one or more of the controller and cutting apparatus, wherein the imaging sensor defines
 means for detecting the axial center of the steel coil, wherein the controller defines 
 means for
 receiving the detected axial center of the steel coil from the imaging sensor, and 
 controlling a spatial orientation of the axial arm responsive to the receipt of the detected axial center of the steel coil for
 aligning the cutting apparatus to be co-axial with the detected axial center. 
 
 
   
   
   
       55 . The apparatus according to  claim 54 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for detecting the axial center of the steel coil without physically engaging the steel coil.   
   
   
       56 . The apparatus according to  claim 54 , wherein the imaging sensor defines:
 means for non-contactively detecting the axial center of the steel coil.   
   
   
       57 . The apparatus according to  claim 54 , wherein the cutting apparatus defines:
 means for cutting the steel coil in a radially outward direction from the inner bore surface of the steel coil to the outer side surface of the steel coil.   
   
   
       58 . The apparatus according to  claim 57 , wherein the axial arm defines:
 means for axially moving the cutting apparatus through the bore of the steel coil from the first axial end of the steel coil to the second axial end of the steel coil; and   means for permitting the cutting apparatus to axially cut the axial length of the steel coil from the first axial end of the steel coil to the second axial end of the steel coil as the axial arm axially moves the cutting apparatus through the bore of the steel coil from the first axial end of the steel coil to the second axial end of the steel coil as the cutting apparatus cuts the steel coil in the radially outward direction.   
   
   
       59 . The apparatus according to  claim 54 , further comprising:
 a cooling system attached to one or more of the cutting apparatus and the axial arm, wherein the cooling system defines   means for cooling one or more of the cutting apparatus and the axial arm.   
   
   
       60 . The apparatus according to  claim 54 , wherein the cutting apparatus includes:
 one or more torches.   
   
   
       61 . The apparatus according to  claim 54 , wherein the cutting apparatus further includes:
 a fuel supply connected to the one or more torches, wherein the fuel supply includes fuel, and   a regulator connected to the fuel supply.   
   
   
       62 . The apparatus according to  claim 61 , wherein the regulator defines:
 means for regulating a flow of the fuel from the fuel supply to the one or more torches.   
   
   
       63 . The apparatus according to  claim 61 , wherein the fuel includes:
 oxygen, wherein the one or more torches define one or more oxygen torches.