Apparatus for conveying heated rod

Abstract

Reducing or overcoming frictional drag on a rod moving through an enclosing tube by utilizing viscous drag of a liquid medium flowing through the tube in the direction of rod movement. Heated metallic rod moves through a hollow support tube leading from the output of a rolling mill to a mechanism for coiling the rod. The rod leaving the rolling mill is at an elevated temperature which places the rod in an extremely flexible state, so that the rod tends to become twisted within the tube to create 'cobbles' or entanglements preventing further movement of the rod through the tube. The present apparatus and method, as applied to the disclosed embodiments of the invention, provide a flow of liquid medium through the tube in the direction of rod movement at a velocity sufficient to impart substantial force to the rod through the effect of viscous drag between the moving liquid medium and the rod. The amount of force imparted to the moving rod through viscous drag may be adjusted to be substantially equal to the frictional retarding force which would otherwise impede movement of the rod, or the amount of force may be adjusted to provide an increment of force tending to propel the rod in the forward direction through the tube. The liquid flowing through the tube may also perform additional functions, such as cooling and pickling the heated rod moving through the tube.