Dual-grasp tool

Abstract

A grasping tool including a chassis equipped with a fastening part configured to be manipulated by a robotic system, a holding system including a first recessing system with a first housing configured to receive and house recessed an end of a first rolling roll and a second recessing system having a second housing for receiving and housing recessed an end of a second rolling roll, a mechanism adjusting the centre distance including a slide system between the first recessing system and the second recessing system, allowing an adjustment of the separation between the first recessing system and the second recessing system.

1 . A gripping tool comprising:
 a chassis equipped with a fastening part configured to be manipulated by a robotic system,   a holding system comprising:
 a first recessing system comprising a first housing configured to receive and house recessed an end of a first rolling roll and a second recessing system comprising a second housing for receiving and housing recessed an end of a second rolling roll, and wherein the first housing has a first grasping axis for grasping the first roll and a second housing has a second grasping axis for grasping the second roll, the first grasping axis and the second grasping axis being parallel, oriented in a longitudinal direction, separated by a centre distance, in a direction transverse to the first grasping axis and to the second grasping axis, 
 means for adjusting said centre distance including a slide system between the first recessing system and the second recessing system, allowing an adjustment of the separation between the first recessing system and the second recessing system, and wherein said grasping tool is configured to allow a simultaneous grasping of the two rolls consisting of the first roll and the second roll disposed parallel to each other in a roll stand, by moving the grasping tool in a direction parallel to the two rolls comprising simultaneously an insertion of an end of the first roll in the first housing through a first entry opening of said first housing and an insertion of the end of the second roll in the second housing through a second entry opening of said housing until recessings of the first roll in the first housing and of the second roll in the second housing are obtained, allowing the graspings of the rolls held cantilevered by their recessed ends. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gripping tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the slide system includes at least one guide rail secured to the frame, oriented in the transverse direction, and wherein the first recessing system and the second recessing system are mounted slidably along said at least one rail, movable with respect to the frame on a limited travel. 
     
     
         3 . The gripping tool according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for adjusting the centre distance include:
 a spring system generating a return force constraining the first recessing system and the second recessing system moving on said slide system in a median separation position between a maximum separation position and a minimum separation position between the first recessing system and the second recessing system,   at least one first guide wall, splayed or bevelled, at the rim of the first entry opening, the first guide wall being configured to guide the end of the first roll when it is inserted in the first housing, and a second guide wall, splayed or bevelled, at the rim of the second entry opening, the second guide wall being configured to guide the end of the second roll when it is inserted in the second housing,   
       and wherein, said grasping tool being configured, during said movement of the grasping tool in a direction parallel to the two rolls, so that said at least one first guide wall cooperates in guiding with the end of the first roll and said at least one second guide wall cooperates in guiding with the end of the second roll so as to provide forces resulting from the guidances modifying said centre distance, counter to the return force of the spring system. 
     
     
         4 . The gripping tool according to  claim 1 , comprising a pneumatic brake device configured to pass from a non-braked position releasing the sliding of the slide system so as to freely allow an adjustment of said centre distance, to a braked position blocking the sliding of the first recessing system and of the second recessing system, locking said centre distance. 
     
     
         5 . The gripping tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the first recessing system comprises a first locking member and a first actuator configured to move said first locking member from a first, retracted, position, allowing the insertion of the end of the first roll in the first housing, to a second position for which the first locking member enters inside the first housing while providing locking of the first roll, typically in abutment on a bottom of the first housing, by penetration of a locking groove of the second roll, and wherein the second recessing system comprises a second locking member and a second actuator configured to move said second locking member from a first retracted position, allowing insertion of the end of the second roll in the second housing, to a second position for which the second locking member penetrates inside the second housing while providing locking of the second roll, typically in abutment on a bottom of the second housing, by penetration of a locking groove of the second roll. 
     
     
         6 . The gripping tool according to  claim 5 , wherein first actuator and the second actuator are pneumatic actuators. 
     
     
         7 . The gripping tool according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first recessing system comprises a first typically metallic body comprising the first housing, typically machined, extending along the first axis of the first housing from the first entry opening to a bottom of the first housing,   the second recessing system comprises a second typically metallic body comprising the second housing, extending along the second axis of the second housing from the second entry opening to a bottom of the second housing,   
       and wherein the first housing and the second housing, extending overlapping in a longitudinal direction of the grasping tool parallel to the first axis and second axis of the first and second housings, 
       and wherein, with respect to a virtual plane the passing through the first axis of the first housing and through the second axis of the second housing, the first body and the second body have respectively a first scallop and a second scallop, on a first side of the virtual plane and with respect to a second side of the plane for which the first body and the second body are not scalloped, obtaining an offset between, firstly:
 a second entry rim of the first opening, on the first side of the plane, that is arranged intermediate, in the direction of the first axis, between the bottom of the first housing and a first entry rim of the first opening on the second side of the plane, 
 a second entry rim of the second opening on the first side of the plane that is arranged intermediate, in the direction of the second axis, between the bottom of the second housing and a first entry rim of the second entry opening on the second side of the plane. 
 
     
     
         8 . An assembly comprising a grasping tool according to  claim 1  and a robotic system suitable for performing operations of changing rolls of the rolling mill, by extracting worn rolls from the roll stand and/or inserting new or rectified rolls into the roll stand, comprising a robot provided with a grasping system configured to provide locking of the fastening part of the grasping tool. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the grasping system comprises a quick-coupling system, comprising a first mechanical coupling part, motorised, configured to move from a coupled position configured to mechanically lock a second mechanical coupling part forming the fastening part of the grasping tool, to an uncoupled position allowing the release of the second mechanical coupling part. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the robotic system incorporates at least one controllable pneumatic power source, the quick-coupling system comprising, in addition to the first mechanical coupling part, a first pneumatic coupling part, configured to move from a coupled position for locking a second pneumatic coupling part, and wherein the grasping tool is equipped with a second pneumatic coupling part and said pneumatic actuators configured to be actuated by said at least one pneumatic power source to provide locking or unlocking of the first and second roll and/or also to provide braking of the first recessing system and of the second recessing system. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein said grasping system is configured to enable the grasping tool to be turned over through 180° between:
 a first position for which the first side of the virtual plane is arranged towards the top whereas the second side is arranged towards the bottom, said first position configured in particular for grasping the first upper intermediate rolls through an opening in a gate, during which the grasping system positions the first scallop and the second scallop in line with a top crossmember of a frame of the opening in a gate, 
 a second position for which the first side of the virtual plane is arranged towards the bottom whereas the second side is arranged towards the top, said second position configured in particular for grasping the first lower intermediate rolls through an opening in a gate, during which the grasping system positions the first scallop and the second scallop in line with a bottom crossmember of a frame of the opening in the gate. 
 
     
     
         12 . A metal strip rolling mill installation comprising a rolling mill, having a roll stand and a set of rolls, inside the stand, having:
 an upper group comprising:
 one work roll, upper, 
 two first intermediate rolls, upper, 
 three second intermediate rolls, upper, 
 four sets of backup rollers, upper, 
   a lower group comprising:
 one work roll, lower: 
 first lower intermediate rolls, 
 three second lower intermediate rolls, 
 four sets of lower backup rollers, 
   
       said installation comprising said assembly according to  claim 8 , configured to allow simultaneous grasping of the two first intermediate rolls, lower and upper, by moving the grasping tool by said robotic system, in a direction parallel to the two rolls until an insertion of the end of the first roll in the first housing through a first entry opening of said first housing and an insertion of the end of the second roll in the second housing through a second entry opening of said housing are obtained simultaneously. 
     
     
         13 . A method for changing rolls of a rolling mill using a grasping tool according to  claim 1 , the rolling mill having a roll stand and a set of 20 rolls, internal to the stand, having:
 an upper group comprising:
 one work roll, upper, 
 two first intermediate rolls, upper, 
 three second intermediate rolls, upper, 
 four sets of backup rollers, upper, 
   a lower group comprising:
 one work roll, lower: 
 two first lower intermediate rolls, 
 three second lower intermediate rolls, 
 four sets of lower backup rollers, 
   
       and in which method a simultaneous grasping is provided of the two first intermediate rolls, lower and upper, in the roll cage, by moving the grasping tool in a direction parallel to the two rolls while providing, simultaneously, firstly, an insertion of the end of the first roll in the first housing through a first entry opening of said first housing and secondly an insertion of the end of the second roll in the second housing through a second entry opening of said housing, until recessings are obtained of the first roll in the first housing and of the second roll in the second housing allowing graspings of the rolls by their recessed ends. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  using a grasping tool and wherein the first intermediate rolls have peripheral locking grooves, and wherein the method comprises the locking of the first roll in the first housing by penetration of the first locking member in the locking groove of the first roll, and locking of the second roll in the second housing by penetration of the second locking member in the locking groove of the second roll, once the ends of the first and second rolls are recessed in the first and second housings. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , using a grasping tool, comprising an adjustment of the centre distance in the course of said movement of the grasping tool in the direction parallel to the two rolls, said at least one first guide wall cooperating in guidance with an end of the first roll and said at least one second guide wall cooperating in guidance with an end of the second roll so as to generate forces resulting from the guidances modifying said centre distance, counter to the return force of the spring system. 
     
     
         16 . The method method according to  claim 15 , using the grasping tool, wherein the pneumatic brake device is switched from the non-braked position to the braked position blocking the sliding of the first recessing system and of the second recessing system, prior to a movement by the robotic system of the rolls held by the grasping tool. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , using an assembly, and wherein the roll stand has, on the same side as a window giving access to a door system comprising:
 a main door, hinged on the stand, giving access to the set of 20 rolls of the rolling mill,   a gate closing a maintenance opening in the main door, allowing removal of the work rolls, lower and upper, as well as the four first intermediate rolls, lower and upper, said gate opening having a frame   
       method wherein the grasping system grasps the first intermediate rolls in the stand, by positioning the grasping tool through the opening in the gate:
 in the first position of the grasping tool for which the first side of the virtual plane is arranged towards the top whereas the second side is arranged towards the bottom, said first position configured for grasping the first upper intermediate rolls through said opening in the gate, during which the grasping system positions the first scallop and the second scallop towards the top, in line with a top crossmember of the frame of the gate opening, 
 in the second position of the grasping tool for which the first side of the virtual plane is arranged towards the bottom whereas the second side is arranged towards the top, said second position configured for grasping the first lower intermediate rolls through said opening in a gate, during which the grasping system positions the first scallop and the second scallop towards the bottom, in line with a bottom crossmember of the frame of the gate opening.