1. A thermo-electromechanical system comprising two mutually superimposed devices (A) in respective fireproof shells (A\u2032) with inner burners (7) of natural gas, able to coil, on a relevant central chuck (6) by means of couples of input and output rolls (2), a pre-strip (a) with a thickness comprised between 30 and 8 mm from a roughing mill directly connected to a casting line for thin slabs, and subsequently to rotate on themselves and uncoil said pre-strip for allowing the inlet to the following descaler and finishing rolling mill, characterized in that
said devices (A) are also provided with outer (4) burners;
said inner burners (7) are able to optimise the temperature of the pre-strip (a) to be entered into the finishing roller mill, by means of a suitable control software also provided with an algorithm able to change the flow rate of burners to achieve automatically a steady temperature between the leading and trailing ends of the strip both when coiled and uncoiled or as a function of the kind of steel of pre-strip (a) and the properties to be obtained on the finished product;
said outer burners (4) are able to homogenize through a special control software the temperature of pre-strip (a) on the whole length thereof from the coiled core to a terminal tail portion (c), which remains outside, whereby the complete uniformity of the mechanical and geometric characteristics of the final product, responsive to temperature changes, is ensured;
actuating means are provided for the rotation of chucks (6) of upper and lower devices (A) both when coiled and uncoiled under control of special algorithms of the controlling software to speed up or slow down the coiling of pre-strip (a);
control means are provided for the speed of said pre-strip (a) both when being coiled and uncoiled, consisting of a special process software in order to avoid stretches or compressions of pre-strip, such as to jeopardize the geometric quality of the final product; and
means are provided for operating the stop of the chuck (6) by leaving said tail end (c) of pre-strip upon coiling at the outside of said devices (A) and said couples of rolls (2) for a length comprised between 0 and 800 mm, thus making easier, in the subsequent uncoiling, its entering to the following descaling and final rolling up to the finishing roll train.
2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that, downstream of the in-line casting and hot rolling step, a shear cuts the pre-strip, and a first one of said controlling software algorithms of devices (A) speeds up the coiling thereof so as to create the required room to ensure the correct positioning of a helping device (1) to receive on the coiling device (A) the following strip.
3. A system according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a second algorithm of the control software suitable to allow the slowing down of the coiling step, immediately before its completion, when the distance from the following strip is sufficient to ensure its coiling, thus assisting the heating of the terminal portion (c) left outside the device (A) and rolls (2).
4. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said chuck (6) on which the pre-strip (a) is wound comprises a drum formed of a central body (6.2) with central shaft (6.1) and side segments (6.3) held together by mutually fitted parts (6.6, 6.7, 6.6\u2032, 6.7\u2032) without the aid of bolts.
5. A system according to claim 4, characterized in that said chuck (6) is thermally insulated from the central shaft (6.1) on which it is mounted, the latter being hollow with an axial hole (6.4) for the cooling water, thus avoiding that the head and outgoing tail of the entering pre-strip (b) undergo such cooling as to jeopardize its capability to be rolled.
6. A process for the thermo-mechanical treatment of a pre-strip (a) with a thickness comprised between 30 and 8 mm from a roughing mill directly connected to a casting line for thin slabs, comprising:
the coiling and subsequent uncoiling of the pre-strip (a) to allow its forwarding to a finishing rolling;
heating (7) the pre-strip (a) by burning natural gas during the coiling and uncoiling steps inside coiling devices (A),
heating (4) the pre-strip(a) outside said coiling devices (A), with said inside heating (7) being controlled by a special software of the pre-strip (a);
controlling, through special algorithms of the process software, the coiling step for its respective speeding up or slowing down; and
controlling, through a special process software, the speed of the pre-strip (a) during the coiling and uncoiling steps,
wherein the combustion for heating the pre-strip (a) within the coiling devices (A) occurs with an excess of gas with respect to the stoichiometric ratio in order to assist in a reducing environment the formation of a surface oxide easily removable as a scale in a subsequent descaling step.
7. A process for the thermo-mechanical treatment of a pre-strip (a) with a thickness comprised between 30 and 8 mm from a roughing mill directly connected to a casting line for thin slabs, comprising:
coiling and subsequent uncoiling of the pre-strip (a) to allow its forwarding to a finishing rolling;
heating (7) the pre-strip (a) by burning natural gas during the coiling and uncoiling steps inside coiling devices (A), with said inside heating (7) being controlled by a special software of the pre-strip (a);
heating (4) the pre-strip (a) outside said coiling devices (A);
controlling, through special algorithms of the process software, the coiling step for its respective speeding up or slowing down; and
controlling, through a special process software, the speed of the pre-strip (a) during the coiling and uncoiling steps,
wherein the combustion for heating the pre-strip (a) within the coiling devices (A) occurs with an excess of gas with respect to the stoichiometric ratio in order to assist in a reducing environment the formation of a surface oxide easily removable as a scale in a subsequent desealing step.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A liquid level sensor, comprising:
a hollow member having a distal open end adapted to be positioned into a liquid reservoir to a depth below a liquid surface level, the distal open end of the hollow member allowing liquid to enter the tube to an equilibrium level dependent on the volume of liquid in the liquid reservoir;
a sensor head unit;
a connection tubing system adapted to provide a closed fluid conduit between the hollow member and the sensor head unit, such that an air column pressure in said hollow member dependent on said equilibrium level is transmitted to the sensor head unit;
said sensor head unit comprising a non-electrically powered system for providing an indication of a position of said liquid surface level, said system including: a bellows member having an input stem portion adapted for connection to the connection tubing system, an expandable body portion and a distal bellows face surface, the bellows body adapted for expansion and contraction in response to differential column pressure changes so that said bellows face surface translates along a range of movement, the bellows member mounted in a sensor head housing with external surfaces of the bellows member exposed to ambient atmospheric pressure;
mechanism responsive to movement of said bellows face surface to provide an indication of a position of said liquid surface level, said mechanism including a sector gear movement including a dial pin, a pinion gear mounted to said dial pin, and a sector gear responsive to said movement of said bellows face surface, said sector gear engaging said pinion gear to rotate said pinion gear and said dial pin in response to said movement of said bellows face surface.
2. (canceled)
3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said mechanism further comprises:
a rotatable member mounted for rotation adjacent said bellows face surface, a first lever extending from said rotatable member and positioned in contact with the bellows face surface so that movement of the bellows face surface causes motion of the first lever to rotate the rotatable member, and a second lever extending from said rotatable member and positioned to contact a sector gear member and rotate the sector gear as the rotatable member is rotated.
4. The sensor of claim 3, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for positioning the rotatable member at different axial positions in a range of movement to calibrate the sensor.
5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said hollow member is a rigid tube, and said distal end is adapted to be positioned at a depth in the reservoir below a low or empty liquid level.
6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said liquid is lubricating oil, and the reservoir is an engine crankcase or engine oil sump.
7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said liquid is a fuel, and the reservoir is a fuel tank of a fuel station, a vehicle, an aircraft or a boat.
8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said sensor head unit further comprises:
said housing structure including a threaded bore;
wherein said bellows stem portion has a cylindrical threaded surface adapted to engage said threaded bore of said housing structure; and
wherein a position of the bellows face surface may be adjusted by rotating the bellows stem portion within the threaded bore.
9. A liquid reservoir system, comprising:
a reservoir for holding a volume of liquid;
a hollow member having a distal open end adapted to be positioned into the liquid reservoir to a depth below a liquid surface level, the distal open end of the hollow member allowing liquid to enter the tube to an equilibrium level dependent on the volume of liquid in the reservoir;
a sensor head unit;
a connection tubing system adapted to provide a closed fluid conduit between the hollow member and the sensor head unit, such that an air column pressure in said hollow member dependent on said equilibrium level is transmitted to the sensor head unit;
said sensor head unit mounted at a location remote from the reservoir, and comprising a sensor head housing and a non-electrically powered system for providing an indication of a position of said liquid surface level, said system including:
a bellows member having an input stem portion adapted for connection to the connection tubing system, an expandable body portion and a distal bellows face surface, the bellows body adapted for expansion and contraction in response to differential column pressure changes so that said bellows face surface translates along a range of movement, the bellows member mounted in the sensor head housing with external surfaces of the bellows member exposed to ambient atmospheric pressure;
a level indicating mechanism responsive to movement of said bellows face surface to provide an indication of a position of said liquid surface level;
a calibration mechanism for calibrating said level indicating mechanism, the calibration mechanism configured to advance or retract the bellows member within the sensor head housing to adjust the location of a home position of the distal bellows face surface within the sensor head.
10. The reservoir system of claim 9, wherein said mechanism includes a sector gear movement including a dial pin, a pinion gear mounted to said dial pin, and a sector gear responsive to said movement of said bellows face surface, said sector gear engaging said pinion gear to rotate said pinion gear and said dial pin in response to said movement of said bellows face surface.
11. The reservoir system of claim 9, wherein said hollow member is a rigid tube, and said distal end is adapted to be positioned at a depth in the reservoir below a low or empty liquid level.
12. The reservoir system of claim 9, wherein said liquid is lubricating oil, and the reservoir is an engine crankcase or engine oil sump.
13. The reservoir system of claim 9, wherein said liquid is a fuel, and the reservoir is a fuel tank of a fuel station, a vehicle, an aircraft or a boat.
14. The reservoir system of claim 10, wherein said level indicating mechanism further comprises:
a rotatable member mounted for rotation adjacent and parallel to said bellows face surface, a first lever extending from said rotatable member and positioned in contact with the bellows face surface so that movement of the bellows face surface causes motion of the first lever to rotate the rotatable member, and a second lever extending from said rotatable member and positioned to contact a sector gear member and rotate the sector gear as the rotatable member is rotated, the dial pin arranged in a direction generally perpendicular to said bellows face surface.
15. A liquid level sensor system, comprising:
a hollow sensing tube member having a distal open end adapted to be positioned into a liquid reservoir to a depth below a liquid surface level and a chamber, the distal open end of the hollow member allowing liquid to enter the tube chamber to an equilibrium level dependent on the volume of liquid in the reservoir;
a sensor head unit coupled to said hollow sensing tube member and responsive to an air column pressure in said chamber; said sensor head unit comprising a non-electrically powered system for providing an indication of position of said liquid surface level, said system including:
a closed bellows member having an input stem portion adapted for coupling to the hollow sensing tube member so that said column pressure is transmitted to the closed bellows member, an expandable body portion and a distal bellows face surface, the bellows body adapted for expansion and contraction in response to column pressure changes so that said bellows face surface translates along a range of movement; and
means responsive to movement of said bellows face surface to provide an indication of a position of said liquid surface level, said means responsive to movement of said bellows face surface including a sector gear movement, a rotatable member mounted for rotation adjacent said bellows face surface, a first lever extending from said rotatable member and positioned in contact with the bellows face surface so that movement of the bellows face surface causes motion of the first lever to rotate the rotatable member, and a second lever extending from said rotatable member and positioned to contact a sector gear member and rotate the sector gear as the rotatable member is rotated;
a connection system adapted to provide a closed fluid conduit between the hollow sensing tube member and the sensor head unit, such that said column pressure in said hollow member is transmitted to the sensor head unit.
16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:
calibration mechanism for calibrating said means responsive to movement of said bellows face surface to provide an indication of a position of said liquid surface level, the calibration mechanism configured to advance or retract the bellows member within the sensor head to adjust the location of a home position of the distal bellows face surface within the sensor head.
17. The sensor system of claim 15, wherein said rotatable member is mounted parallel to said bellows face surface.
18. The sensor system of claim 17, wherein the means responsive to movement of said bellows face surface includes a dial pin disposed in a direction perpendicular to said bellows face surface, a pinion gear mounted to said dial pin, and said sector gear engaging said pinion gear to rotate said pinion gear and said dial pin in response to said movement of said bellows face surface.
19. The sensor of claim 15, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for positioning the rotatable member at different axial positions in a range of movement to calibrate the sensor.
20. The sensor of claim 19, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a pair of threaded pins mounting the rotatable member on pivots.
21. The sensor system of claim 15, wherein said hollow member is a rigid tube, and said distal end is adapted to be positioned at a depth in the reservoir below a low or empty liquid level.
22. The sensor system of claim 15, wherein said liquid is lubricating oil, and the reservoir is an engine crankcase or engine oil sump.
23. The sensor system of claim 15, wherein said liquid is a fuel, and the reservoir is a fuel tank of a fuel station, a vehicle, an aircraft or a boat.