Apparatuses and methods for spot polishing a metal sheet or plate leveler

Abstract

An apparatus for spot polishing the work rolls of a metal sheet or plate leveler having a series of upper work rolls and a series of lower work rolls. The apparatus includes an assembly comprising a spot polisher frame, an airbag or other position translation element, and a polisher, including an abrasive surface, configured to radially polish only a portion of an upper or lower work roll. The apparatus further includes a polisher arm, to which the abrasive polisher is attached, at a first end of the polisher arm. The apparatus further includes a second end of the polisher arm hingedly connected to the spot polisher frame so as to enable the repositioning of the abrasive surface between a polishing and non-polishing orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A spot polisher apparatus for polishing the work rolls of a metal sheet or plate leveler, the metal sheet or plate leveler having a series of upper work rolls and a series of lower work rolls, said apparatus comprising:
 a spot polisher frame;   one or more polishers each comprising an abrasive surface configured to polish at least one of said upper and lower work rolls; and   one or more polisher arms, wherein each said polisher is attached to a first end of each said polisher arm to operably expose said abrasive surface to said at least one upper and lower work roll, wherein:
 a second end of each said polisher arm is hingedly connected to said spot polisher frame, 
 said polisher arms being repositionable relative to said spot polisher frame between a first position in which said abrasive surface is operably positioned in proximate contact with the surface of at least one work roll for polishing said surface upon rotation of the work roll, and a second position in which said abrasive surface is retracted from contact with said at least one work roll, to enable the spot polisher apparatus to be retracted from a position proximate said upper and lower work rolls. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  in which a polisher arm translation element repositions said polisher arm as desired between said first and second positions. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  in which said polisher arm translation element comprises an airbag which is configured to inflate and deflate with air, said airbag being capable of being inflated with air to move said polisher arm into said first position, and capable of being deflated to move said polisher arm to said second position. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  in which said polisher arm translation element comprises a mechanical assembly which is configured to raise and lower the polisher arm, said mechanical assembly being capable of raising said polisher arm into said first position, and capable of lowering said polisher arm to said second position, said mechanical assembly being powered by an electric motor. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  in which one of each of said one or more polisher arms is associated with one of each of said series of upper work rolls and series of lower work rolls. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  in which each of said respective airbags is configured to inflate or deflate to move its said respective polishers. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  further comprising tubing connected to the airbag, the tubing fluidly connected to an inside of said airbag. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7  further comprising an air pump fluidly connected to the tubing, such that said air bag is inflatable or deflatable based on operation of the air pump. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 7  in which while said airbag is inflated or deflated with air, said first end of said polisher arm moves along with the polisher via a hinge operably positioned between said second end of said polisher arm and said spot polisher frame. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the apparatus is configured to be inserted into the metal sheet or plate leveler while all of said one or more polisher arms are oriented in their second retracted positions, to enable alignment of said polisher arms into positions on the work rolls needing to be cleaned and polished and, upon alignment, enabling selected ones of said polisher arms to be moved to their first positions contacting the surfaces of selected ones of the upper and lower work rolls. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  in which the apparatus is further configured to deflate said airbag after a polishing operation, such that said polisher and polisher arm moves into said second position out of contact with one of said upper and lower work rolls, to further enable removal of the apparatus from the metal sheet or plate leveler while said airbag is deflated. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  in which, in said first position, said one or more polishers are each in contact with the surface of one of said upper and lower work rolls. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  in which, in said second position, said one or more polishers are retracted from contact with any of said upper and lower work rolls. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  in which each abrasive surface of each said polisher has a uniform abrasive surface length. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  in which the uniform abrasive surface length of each of said one or more polishers is shorter than the length of any of the upper and lower work rolls, such that while said one or more polishers and polisher arms are in their respective first positions, only a portion of said polishing work rolls is polished as said polishing work rolls are rotated. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , in which said abrasive surface of each of said plurality of polishers has a uniform length less than half the length of any of the upper and lower work rolls length, less than one-fourth the work roll length, less than one-eighth the work roll length, less than one-sixteenth the work roll length, or less than one-thirty second the work roll length. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  further comprising an air pump configured to alternatively inflate and deflate said plurality of airbags. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , in which the air pump is operated to alternatively inflate and deflate said plurality of airbags simultaneously. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18  in which, as said air pump is operated to alternatively inflate and deflate said plurality of airbags simultaneously, said plurality of polisher arms also move about their respective hinges simultaneously. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in which the entirety of said spot polisher apparatus is operably attached to the forward end of an abrasive pan-type metal sheet or plate leveler polisher, to jointly reciprocate therewith, as both said pan-type polisher and spot polisher apparatus are simultaneously moved into their respective, successive polishing positions between the upper and lower work rolls of a metal sheet or plate leveler. 
     
     
         21 . A method for polishing the work rolls of a metal sheet or plate leveler, the metal sheet or plate leveler having a series of upper work rolls and a series of lower work rolls, said method comprising:
 inserting a spot polisher into the metal sheet or plate leveler while the polisher arm translation elements collectively maintain the spot polisher arms in their retracted second positions;   activating selected ones of the polisher arm translation elements to move said selected spot polishers to their first positions to enable contact with selected ones of said upper and lower work rolls;   rotating said series of upper work rolls and said series of lower work rolls, such that the plurality of polishers rub against said selected ones of said series of upper and lower work rolls;   reactivating said selected ones of said polisher arm translation elements to retract said selected spot polishers back to their second positions, out of contact with said series of said selected upper and lower work rolls; and   removing the spot polisher from its position between the upper and lower work rolls of the metal sheet or plate leveler while said polishers are retracted.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21  in which the inserting of said spot polisher apparatus and moving the spot polisher apparatus to a first position with respect to said series of upper work rolls and said series of lower work rolls, further comprises:
 after retracting the spot polisher arms to their second retracted position along said series of upper work rolls and said series of lower work rolls, moving the spot polisher to another location, between said series of upper work rolls and said series of lower work rolls, to enable reactivation of the polisher arm translation element to reposition said polisher arms to their first position at another location between the work rollers, to re-engage the spot polishing of another region of said plate leveler work rolls. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 21  in which the inserting of said spot polisher is into a first end of said metal sheet or plate leveler, and wherein the method further comprises:
 after the repositioning the selected polisher arms back to their second positions, moving the spot polisher out of a second end of said metal sheet or plate leveler, such that a pan leveler attached to the spot polisher is moved into position with respect to said series of upper and lower work rolls; 
 polishing said series of upper and lower work rolls through utilization of a pan-type leveler polisher; and 
 after using said pan-type leveler polisher, jointly and simultaneously removing both said pan-type leveler polisher and said spot polisher from their position within said metal sheet or plate leveler.