US 11,833,562 B2
Dual-stage multi-roll leveler and metal strip material flattening method
Guil Bergman, Ft. Recovery, OH (US); Chris Heid, Minster, OH (US); Lee Heitkamp, Maria Stein, OH (US); and Tony Enneking, Minster, OH (US)
Assigned to Machine Concepts, Inc., Minster, OH (US)
Filed by Machine Concepts, Inc., Minster, OH (US)
Filed on Jul. 13, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/927,954.
Application 16/927,954 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/387,274, filed on Dec. 21, 2016, granted, now 10,710,135.
Prior Publication US 2020/0360977 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. B21D 1/05 (2006.01)
CPC B21D 1/05 (2013.01) 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dual-stage, multi-roll leveler for flattening a moving strip material, the leveler comprising:
a framework defining a work envelope having a material entry side and a material exit side;
a first leveling stage including a driven first stage work roll set located within the work envelope to receive the strip material through an entry side thereof, the first stage work roll set including a plurality of upper work rolls disposed above a plurality of lower work rolls with a uniform entry side and exit side gap therebetween;
a second leveling stage including a driven second stage work roll set disposed within the work envelope and located downstream of the first stage work roll set so as to receive the strip material therefrom, the second stage work roll set being independent from the first stage work roll set and including a plurality of upper work rolls disposed above a plurality of lower work rolls with a uniform entry side and exit side gap therebetween;
a gap adjusting mechanism configured to uniformly adjust the gap between the upper and lower work rolls of the first stage and second stage work roll sets;
a work roll bending mechanism configured to uniformly bend the upper work rolls or the lower work rolls of the second stage work roll set; and
a drive system for rotationally driving the driven first stage work roll set of the first leveling stage independently, and at a different rotational speed from, the driven second stage work roll set of the second leveling stage.