Republic Steel Corporation

Harold C Overton

Theodore L Page

Junion L Bedwell

A method and apparatus are disclosed for reducing spangle in a galvanization system that utilizes air knives to control coating thickness and distribution. Cooling nozzles are located downstream of the air knives along the feed path of the substrate being coated. The cooling nozzles direct an air and water mixture against the substrate at approximately the location the air from the air knives impinge the substrate. The air from the air knives force the air and water mixture to be carried along the substrate surface in a direction of the substrate feed path.

Apparatus and method for reducing spangle in galvanized products

A system for controlling the thickness and distribution of a coating applied to a moving substrate includes a pair of 'air knives' which discharge pressurized fluid onto a moving substrate as it emerges from a coating bath to screed excess coating from the substrate and leave a coating deposit having a desired thickness and distribution. Each air knife has a plenum chamber which supplies pressurized fluid to a pair of nozzle lips that define an elongated nozzle opening. Fluid flow influencing devices are provided between the plenum and the nozzle lips of each air knife. The flow influencing devices preferably include a baffle plate, a screen assembly, a shutter plate, and a vane assembly. The baffle plate and the screen assembly help assure that a laminar, equally pressurized flow is supplied to the shutter plate. The shutter plate has specially configured flow restricting openings that cause the pressure profile of fluid discharging from the air knives to vary in a predetermined manner along the length of their nozzle openings, whereby coating profiles are caused to vary in a predetermined manner across the width of the substrate. The vane assembly includes vanes which help to control the directions of fluid discharge through the nozzle openings. Pressurized fluid is supplied to the air knives by a system which includes a blower, and blower speed is controlled in response to sensed line speed of the moving substrate to assure that a coating deposit of desired thickness remains on the substrate.

Coating thickness and distribution control

A bearing chocking assembly for mill rolls includes an axially immovable segmented inner ring engageable with a formation such as a shoulder in an annular groove formed on a mill roll neck, and an axially movable outer ring engageable with a bearing retainer for axially positioning the bearing retainer to 'chock' or axially position bearings which journal the roll neck. Cooperating wedge-shaped cam surfaces on the inner and outer rings effect axial movement of the outer ring when the outer ring is rotated relative to the inner ring. The inner ring is keyed to the roll neck to prevent relative rotation therebetween. The outer ring is bolted to the inner ring once it has been positioned to properly chock the roll bearings.

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Gadsden, AL, United States of America

Harold C Overton