EP0034550B1 - Transporting device for ingots - Google Patents

Abstract

1. An apparatus for transferring bars from a casting machine to a cooler, comprising a carriage provided with gripping means, characterized in that it comprises at least one rail (1) which is disposed longitudinally between the casting machine and the cooler (2), the carriage being moved along said rail (1), and at least two pulley tackles (9) mounted on said carriage, which act directly or indirectly on the gripping means, each of said gripping means comprising a hook (11) comprising in its lower portion a surface capable of co-operating with the surface of a bar (16) when said hook is lowered thereabove, to cause said hook to pivot and come into a position of gripping said bar.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for transferring bars from a casting machine to a cooler.

Until now, the bars, for example round or square, are transferred to the outlet of the curved or vertical continuous casting machines to the cooler, by various well known means. One can in particular use means similar to those described in the article published in the Revue Métallurgie avril 1979 pages 259-263, which relates in particular to the evacuation of bars at the outlet of a continuous casting installation.

In this document, we show the use of semi-gantries, sort of overhead cranes which move the bars transversely. The use of other conventional evacuation means such as overhead crane, stacker, line of rollers, positioner trolley is also envisaged.

These various devices have the drawback either of a heavy and costly structure, this is the case of traveling bridges or gantries, or of permanently occupying a space on the ground which obstructs traffic, this is the case of rollers, or finally to use expensive vehicles which also require a qualified driving staff, permanently available, this is the case of positioner trolleys or others.

Patent DE-AS-1,147,735 describes a device making it possible to introduce packets of bars or tubes into treatment baths so that they are inclined when entering the liquid. A system of hoists comprising cables wound on two drums whose axes make a determined angle between them makes it possible to achieve this result. The device is integral with a rolling cart on rails.

The means for capturing the load include stirrups, the positioning of which is not described, but is probably carried out manually.

Patent DE-C-959 678 describes a means for transferring long products comprising a horizontal beam, suspended below a carriage rolling on rails, by means of two hoists, a device making it possible to adjust the horizontality of the beam, in particular in the case where one of the hoists is more loaded than the other.

The use of the last two devices described in these documents for the transfer of continuous casting bars is not envisaged.

These devices do not include gripping means suitable for gripping continuous casting bars.

We looked for the possibility of producing a bar transfer device from the outlet of a continuous casting machine to a cooler, which allows this transfer to be carried out in a simple and economical manner, while reducing engineering costs to a minimum. civil and by making automatic the gripping of the bars.

The device for transferring bars from a casting machine to a cooler which is the subject of the invention, comprises a carriage provided with gripping means and is characterized in that it also comprises at least one rail arranged longitudinally between the casting machine and the cooler, along which rail the carriage moves and at least two hoists mounted on said carriage which act directly or indirectly on the gripping means, each of these gripping means being constituted by a hook , comprising at its lower part a surface capable of cooperating with the surface of a bar, when it has descended above the latter, to make it pivot and come into its gripping position.

Preferably, the hoists are actuated by a single motor mounted on the carriage and, advantageously, the axes of the pulleys of the hoists are perpendicular to the direction of the rail.

It is also advantageous to install the gripping means on a beam, arranged longitudinally under the rail, and on which the free ends of the hoists are mounted.

Finally, there is preferably at the edge of the cooler an inclined surface comprising a first part of large inclination on which the bar can be deposited by the gripping means, followed by a second part of lower inclination ending with a stop at the level from the cooler.

When the continuous casting is in a pit, it is the same device which performs the lifting and transfer functions.

Furthermore, the device can be arranged to also be able to transfer the dummies from a storage area to the casting machine.

Other advantages of the invention will appear in the description which follows, of one of its embodiments given by way of nonlimiting example.

• La figure 1 représente en perspective un dispositif selon l'invention susceptible d'être appliqué à une installation comportant trois machines de coulée et trois refroidissoirs.
• La figure 2 est une vue de côté du chariot du dispositif selon l'invention.
• La figure 3 est une vue frontale à plus grande échelle d'un crochet selon l'invention dans la phase de saisie d'une barre.
• La figure 4 est une vue similaire à la figure 3 dans laquelle le crochet est représenté dans la phase de dépôt d'une barre.
• La figure 5 est un schéma d'une installation comprenant le dispositif selon l'invention.

In the attached schematic drawings:

• Figure 1 shows in perspective a device according to the invention capable of being applied to an installation comprising three casting machines and three coolers.
• Figure 2 is a side view of the carriage of the device according to the invention.
• Figure 3 is a front view on a larger scale of a hook according to the invention in the gripping phase of a bar.
• Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 in which the hook is shown in the deposition phase of a bar.
• FIG. 5 is a diagram of an installation comprising the device according to the invention.

The device shown in Figure 1 comprises three rails (1) arranged longitudinally between casting machines and rockers not shown on the one hand, and corresponding coolers (2) on the other hand.

The three rails are installed on common gantries (3). On each of the rails (1) is provided a carriage as shown in FIG. 2.

This carriage is composed of a first beam (4) arranged longitudinally under the rail (1) in order to be able to move along this rail. To this end, the beam (4) is provided with rollers (5). On the beam (4) is installed a winch (6), the axis of which is transverse to the direction of the rail (1), actuated by a motor (7).

On the winch (6) are wound two cables (8) each forming a hoist (9) which rotates around an axis perpendicular to the rail (1). The ends of the hoists (9) are fixed on a second beam (10) arranged longitudinally under the rail (1).

Hooks (11), for example two in number, are pivotally mounted under the beam (10). The hooks (11) are connected to the beam (10) by means of yokes (12) supporting a longitudinal pivot axis (13) so that the hooks (11) can pivot in a plane perpendicular to the rail (1) .

Thus the carriage can move longitudinally along the rails (1) and the lifting movement is exerted by the winch (6).

The hooks (11) pivotally mounted about the axis (13) supported by the yokes (12) have at their lower part an inclined surface (14) whose function will be described below. Furthermore, the hooks (11) also include bearing surfaces (15) capable of receiving a bar (16).

The bars (16) are gripped as shown in FIG. 3. The carriage is first brought to the vertical of a bar (16) which has previously been placed in a horizontal position using a rocker on supports (17). By actuation of the motor (7) the beam (10) and the hooks (11) are lowered by means of the hoists (9). When the surface (14) of the hooks (11) comes into contact with the surface of the bar (16), the hooks (11) pivot around the axes (13) to come successively in the positions represented in (11a) and ( 11 b) in FIG. 3. When the hooks (11) have been sufficiently lowered, they can pivot in the opposite direction to come into the position shown in (11c). The hooks (11) can then be reassembled using the winch (6) by lifting the bar (16). The cart can. then transfer the bar (16) to the corresponding cooler, rolling on the rail (1). The bar (16) is removed from the cooler (2) as shown in Figure 4.

At the edge of the cooler (2) is disposed an inclined plane (18) comprising a first part of strong inclination (19) and a second part of weaker inclination (20). In the cooler (2) produced in a known manner, the slightly inclined surface (20) ends in a stop (21).

The hook (11) is lowered by the hoists (9) until the bar (16) comes into contact with the part (19) of the inclined plane (18) in the position shown in (16a). The hooks (11) continuing their descent to the position (11d) where their beak (21) is retracted under the inclined plane (18), the bar (16) begins to roll on the strongly inclined part (19) then under the effect of the inertia continues to roll on the slightly inclined part (20) until it is stopped in the position (16d) against the stop (21) where it is then supported by the cooler (2).

FIG. 5 schematically represents an installation comprising a transfer device according to the present invention.

This installation comprises three vertical casting machines, not shown, at the outlet of which the bars, in particular round or square, are placed in a horizontal position using rockers (22). Short roller conveyors (23) are provided to spread the rocker bars (22) and bring them under the end of the rails (1).

On each of the rails (1) is mounted a carriage as described with reference to Figure 2, and each of the rails (1) corresponds to a rocker (22) and a cooler (2).

We also note that the rails (1) extend beyond the last cooler (2). In fact, the transfer device according to the invention also makes it possible to bring the casting dummies to the casting machines.

For this purpose, the storage area (24) of the casting dummies is arranged at the ends of the rails (1) opposite the rockers (22). A conveyor formed for example of rails (25) allows the manikins to be brought from the storage area (24) to a location below the rail (1) corresponding to the casting machine on which it is desired to install the mannequin.

The invention therefore makes it possible to ensure, in a simple and economical manner, not only the transfer of the bars from the continuous casting machines to the cooler, but also the casting dummies from their storage area to the casting machines. .

Although in the example described, the tracks of the carriage have been shown in the axis of the outlet of the casting lines, it is also possible, according to the invention, in particular for a machine with two lines to use a single trolley whose raceways are perpendicular to the axis of exit of the casting lines and which is able to serve both the cooler and the storage of mannequins.

Claims (5)

1. An apparatus for transferring bars from a casting machine to a cooler, comprising a carriage provided with gripping means, characterised in that it comprises at least one rail (1) which is disposed longitudinally between the casting machine and the cooler (2), the carriage being moved along said rail (1), and at least two pulley tackles (9) mounted on said carriage, which act directly or indirectly on the gripping means, each of said gripping means comprising a hook (11) comprising in its lower portion a surface capable of co-operating with the surface of a bar (16) when said hook is lowered thereabove, to cause said hook to pivot and come into a position of gripping said bar.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that said pulley tackles (9) are actuated by a single motor (7) mounted on the carriage (3).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the axes of the pulleys of the pulley tackles (9) are perpendicular to the direction of the rail (1).

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said gripping means are installed on a beam (10) which is disposed longitudinally beneath said rail (1) and on which the free ends of said pulley tackles (9) are mounted.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that it comprises, at the edge of the cooler (2), an inclined surface having a first steeply inclined portion (19) on which said bar (16) can be deposited by the gripping means, and a second less steeply inclined portion (20) which terminates with an abutment at the level of the cooler (2).

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