PURPOSE: To prevent a bearing of a motor and the motor from being at high temps. by installing an overheat shield interrupting radiant heat from a hot steel ingot passing between vertical shaft rolls on the bottom of the motor.

CONSTITUTION: A motor 21 having a hollow rotation shaft 21a is vertically mounted on a vertical shaft roll 25 so that the axis of the motor 21 is offset against that of the roll 25. The top end of an intermediate spindle 23 penetrating the shaft 21a is connected to the top end of the shaft 21a through a 1st universal coupling 24a. The bottom end of the spindle 23 is connected to the top end of the roll 25 through a 2nd universal coupling 24b and a vertical shaft roll 15 is driven by a motor 11 through a hollow spindle. Elastic and flexible shields 26, 16 covering the bottom of the motors 21, 11 are installed to interrupt radiant heat from a steel ingot passing between the rolls 25, 15.