Method of and apparatus for cooling rolled wire

摘要

A steel wire directly from the rolling mill is formed into a horizontally advancing helix having a succession of upstanding turns. This helix is fed into a horizontally opening end of an elbow and a roller at the short side of the elbow deflects the helix so that it exits from the downwardly opening outlet end of the elbow. An upright cooling tube is provided immediately at this downstream end and has a multiplicity of throughgoing holes each aligned with a respective nozzle for spraying of liquid on the descending coil so as rapidly to cool it and to transform at least the surface of it into martinsite. At the lower end of the tube the cooled coil, at a temperature of 500 DEG C.-600 DEG C. as compared with the starting temperature of 750 DEG C., is carried horizontally away by a conveyor.