ROLL STAND WITH WORK ROLL SLIDABLE IN AXIAL DIRECTION

A roll stand has a support frame, a pair of similar small-diameter working rolls rotatable about respective vertically spaced axes and defining a workpiece nip receiving a workpiece to be rolled, and a pair of similar large-diameter backup rolls rotatable about respective axes vertically flanking the working-roll axes and each bearing vertically on the respective working roll. These working rolls have ends and each have therebetween an effective axial length equal to at least 1.3 times the effective axial length of the respective backup rolls. Actuators are connected to the working rolls for displacing same axially relative to the backup rolls through an axial distance equal to about their own effective axial lengths between end positions each engaging only about half of the respective backup roll. A selector feeds to and through the stand a group of strips comprised generally of pairs of strips wherein the combined width of the strips of each pair is generally equal to the working-roll width. A controller is connected to the actuator for positioning the working rolls of the stand with their ends at one edge of one of the workpieces of each pair and at the opposite edge of the other workpiece of the pair.