EP0464427B1 - Installation for automatic coupling of an injection lance to a collector unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for automatic coupling of an insufflation lance to a manifold which is in communication with conduits conveying fluids intended to be injected into a molten metal bath through channels evolving through the lance which is mounted on a lance-carrying carriage movable vertically along a slide, the manifold comprising means for being coupled, in a sealed manner to the lance head.

The invention relates more particularly to the lances used for the conversion of cast iron to steel and which are immersed in the converter to inject the refining substances into the metal bath. These lances comprise, for this purpose, a series of channels, generally concentric, for the insufflation of these substances and for the cooling of the lance.

US Patent 3,972,515 proposes a device for coupling such a lance in a sealed manner, to a manifold which is in communication with the pipes serving the lance in refining substances and in coolant. The contact surfaces between the lance and the collector must, of course, be designed as sealing surfaces to prevent any leakage of these gaseous and liquid substances, while the clamping between the collector and the lance must be powerful enough to preserve this sealing.

In the device known from the above-mentioned document, the lance is fixed to the collector manually by means of tightening bolts. In the device proposed in document DE-A1-38 28 928, the lance is fixed to the collector automatically by means of pivoting hooks actuated by hydraulic cylinders.

Both in one and in the other of the two devices, the fixing between the lance and the collector must not only ensure sealing at the level of the joint surfaces, but also the support of the lance since the latter is carried by the collector. It follows that a very rigid attachment is necessarily required between the lance and the collector, with the consequence that the collector, the seal and the pipes are necessarily exposed to the vibrations of the lance.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of the kind described above, in which the coupling of the lance to the collector is also carried out automatically, but in which, unlike known devices, the contact surfaces and of joint between the collector and the lance are not exposed to vibrations, or even to shocks which the lance undergoes during its operation and its handling.

To achieve this objective, the automatic coupling device proposed by the present invention is essentially characterized by means for rigidly hooking the lance to the lance-carrying carriage, and by means ensuring the support of the manifold relative to the lance-carrying carriage and allowing vertical movement of the manifold relative to the lance-carrying carriage, or vice-versa.

According to a first embodiment, the collector is mounted on a collector trolley which can either be made integral, via the collector and the lance, with the lance trolley, or be immobilized, by gravity, relative to the slide of the latter.

According to this first embodiment, the collector can be mounted by means of elastic means on the collector-carrying carriage. To this end, it may include a peripheral flange by which it is supported between three pairs of vertical springs fixed on a plate secured to the collector-carrying carriage.

The lance-carrying carriage can be moved by means of guide rollers relative to the collector-carrying carriage when the latter is immobilized relative to the slide. This immobilization can be achieved by a cleat movable under the action of a jack to support the lance carrier carriage relative to the slide.

According to a variant of this embodiment, the collector carrier trolley is supported by at least one jack mounted on the lance carrier trolley to move the collector carrier trolley during a lance change.

According to another embodiment, the collector slides directly without an intermediate collector holder, on the lance-carrying carriage and can be supported with respect thereto either by a movable cleat, or by a jack as in the first embodiment.

Unlike known devices, according to which the lance is rigidly attached to the collector, the device proposed by the present invention provides for rigidly hanging the lance on the lance-carrying carriage and ensuring the support of the collector via the carriage lance holder. The vibrations and shocks to which the lance is exposed are therefore transmitted to the lance-carrying carriage. On the other hand, thanks to its non-rigid suspension, the collector can, when it is integral with the lance head, adapt to the vibrations of the latter without disturbing the seal at its joint with the lance.

With a view to attaching the lance to the collector, the latter may comprise two hooks pivoting under the action of hydraulic cylinders by means of rods eccentric with respect to the axis of the hooks.

With a view to attaching the lance to the lance-carrying carriage, the lance may comprise two pairs of pins, while the carriage comprises two pairs of supports, each provided with notches for receiving and carrying the pins of the lance, while that each of said notches is associated with a hook actuated by a jack to block the pins in the notches and secure the lance with the lance-carrying carriage.

• les figures 1 à 5 montrent, par des vues schématiques latérales , un premier mode de réalisation avec les différentes séquences d'accrochage d'une lance à un collecteur;
• la figure 6 montre une variante du mode de réalisation des figures 1 à 5 et
• la figure 7 montre une vue plongeante sur un deuxième mode de réalisation.

Other particularities and characteristics will emerge from the detailed description of some advantageous embodiments, presented below, by way of illustration, with reference to the drawings in which:

• Figures 1 to 5 show, by side schematic views, a first embodiment with the different attachment sequences of a lance to a manifold;
• FIG. 6 shows a variant of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5 and
• Figure 7 shows a bird's-eye view of a second embodiment.

The figures show a lance-carrying carriage 8 designed to be moved vertically, eg using guide rollers 12 along a slide or raceway 10, eg using cables or chains moving around pulleys 14 in order to immerse a lance 16 attached to the carriage 8 in a converter not shown and to extract it.

In view of the attachment of a lance 16 to the carriage 8, the latter comprises a pair of upper supports 18 and a pair of lower supports 20. In the figures, one of the supports of each pair is hidden by the one which is visible in the figures. The two supports of each pair are sufficiently spaced, horizontally, one from the other to be able to engage between them the lance 16 transported using a hook 22. The two supports 18, 20 are provided with notches 30 , 32 corresponding to a pair of upper pins 28 and a pair of lower pins 26 provided on the lance 16 and by which the latter is deposited in the notches 30, 32 by means of the hook 22, another pair of pins 24 serving when the lance 16 is hooked to the hook 22.

Each of the notches 30, 32 is associated with one or more, preferably, two pairs of upper and lower hooks 34, 36 (one of the hooks of each of the pairs being only visible in the figures) to secure the lance 16 in the notches 30, 32 and the connection between the lance 16 and the carriage 8. Each pair of hooks 34, 36 is actuated by one, preferably, a pair of jacks 38, 40. The hooks 34 and 36 are mounted as in document DE-A1-38 28 928 on eccentric axes so as to effect, in a manner known per se, a movement composed of a pivoting and a translation. Indeed, under the action of the jack (s) 38, the hooks 34 pivot around their axis, followed by a slight downward movement of their axis to enclose the pins 28 in the notches 30. The hooks 36, by against, effect under the action of the jack or jacks 40, owing to their eccentric mounting, essentially a horizontal translational movement, of small amplitude, in order to wedge or release the pins 26 in the notches 32.

The reference 42 designates a collector which is in communication with the pipes 44 which transport the refining substances, as well as the cooling pipes 46. The manner in which these pipes are connected to the manifold 42 and passes through it is shown in more detail. in the two aforementioned documents illustrating the state of the art.

According to one of the features of the first embodiment, the collector 42 is mounted by means of elastic means on a collector-carrying carriage 48 which can slide vertically relative to the lance-carrying carriage 8 and vice versa, by the 'intermediate roller 50. The manifold 42 has a peripheral flange 52 by which it is carried between a group of several upper coil springs 54 and a group of lower coil springs 56, some of these upper and lower springs being hidden in the figure. Each of these upper and lower springs 54 and 56 are attached by means of a coaxial rod to a plate 60 which is integral with the collector-carrying carriage 48. The collector 42 therefore has a certain freedom of movement between the upper springs 54 and lower springs 56.

If the fixing of the collector 42 by means of springs on its carriage 48 provides the advantage of greater flexibility, it should be noted that this elastic fixing is not essential since the fact that the lance 16 is no longer carried by the collector 42, but by its carriage 8 already achieves the intended goal.

The proposed device further comprises means for immobilizing the collector carrier trolley 48 relative to the slide 10, the lance carrier trolley 8 remaining however free to slide vertically relative to the collector carrier trolley 48 and the slide 10. In the example shown, these means consist of a stopper 62 which can be moved horizontally under the action of a jack 64. When the jack 64 is in extension as shown in FIG. 1, the stopper 62 penetrates below the carriage 48 and forms a stop supporting the carriage and the collector 42. Instead of providing a sliding cleat it is also possible to provide a pivoting cleat.

The different sequences for coupling a lance 16 to the manifold 42 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. A lance 16 is brought by the hook 22 and is deposited by the pins 28 and 26 in the notches 30 and 32. Then the hook 22 can be lowered until the lance 16 is carried by the pins 28 and 26 in the notches 30, 32 after which the hook 22 can be released (see Figure 2). Then the jacks 38 and 40 are actuated to wedge the pins 28 and 26 of the lance 16 in the notches 30 and 32 (see FIG. 3) and make the lance 16 completely integral with the carriage 8.

The next step, represented by FIG. 4, consists in making the coupling between the manifold 42 and the joint plane 70 of the lance 16. For this purpose, the manifold 42 comprises a pair of hooks 66 actuated under the effect of rods with eccentric pivoting when the plate 67 is moved by hydraulic cylinders 69. These hooks 66 are comparable to the hooks 34, that is to say that they are mounted on an axis which, by pivoting, performs a slight translation in the vertical direction thanks to the eccentric rods relative to the axis of the hooks.

With a view to coupling, the lance-carrying carriage 8 is raised in the position of FIG. 4 until the joint plane 70 of the lance 16 is in contact with the underside of the manifold 42 or in the immediate vicinity thereof, which for this purpose may include a bowl for receiving the lance 16 with the appropriate seals. Then actuating the jacks 68 to close the hooks 66 and hang the pins 28 as shown in Figure 5. The collector 42 is, therefore, completely integral with the lance 16 and, therefore, the lance holder carriage 8 .

The following operation consists in actuating the jack 64 and retracting the rod of the latter in order to disengage the cleat 62 from the collector carrier carriage 48 (fig.5) and to release it relative to the slide 10. The carriage 48 is now supported by the lance-carrying carriage 8 via the springs 54, 56, the manifold 42 and the lance 16. It is therefore sufficient to lower the assembly formed by the two carriages 8 and 48 along the slide 10 for immersing the lance 16 in the converter.

The dismantling of a lance 16 comprises, of course, the same scenario in the opposite direction, that is to say, first the ascent of the carriage 8 to remove the lance 16 from the converter, the operation of the jack 64 to wedge the collector-holder carriage 48, the opening of the hooks 66, the descent of the lance-holder carriage 8, the opening of the hooks 34 and 36 and the release of the lance 16 by means of the hook 22.

FIG. 6 represents a variant of the embodiment above and which makes it possible to remove the cleat 62 and its jack 64. According to this variant, the collector carrier carriage 48 is supported by one or two jack (s) 74 secured to one another of the lance-carrying carriage 8. When changing a lance, the lance-carrying carriage 8 with lance 16 remains stationary, while the collector-carrying carriage 48 is moved under the action of the jack 74 to carry out the maneuvers of approach or clearance between the collector and the lance unlike the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 5 in which the lance-carrying carriage 8 is moved while the collector-carrying carriage 48 remains stationary. The advantage of this variant is that the winch and the pulleys 14 do not need to be actuated when changing a lance.

Figure 7 shows a top view on a second embodiment. The reference 8 designates a lance-carrying carriage with its rollers 12 identical to those of the first embodiment. Reference 76 designates the manifold with its fittings 78. Unlike the first embodiment, the manifold 76 is no longer supported by a carriage but is directly provided with rollers 80 and guide rollers 82 moving in corresponding vertical rails 84 of the lance-carrying carriage 8 and allowing the collector 76 to slide vertically relative to the carriage 8. The vertical support of the collector 76 can be produced either, like FIGS. 1 to 5, by means of the lance 16 and a cleat 62 not shown, or according to FIG. 6 using a jack not shown.

The advantage of the embodiment of Figure 7 is a simpler, more compact and more robust construction.

Claims (10)

1. Device for the automatic coupling of an injection lance to a collector unit which is in communication with pipes conveying fluids for injection into a molten metal bath through channels running through the lance (16) which is mounted on a lance-holding carriage (8) movable vertically along a slide, the collector unit (42, 76) having means for coupling it in a fluid-tight manner to the plane of the joint (70) of the lance (16), characterised by means for coupling the lance (16) rigidly to the lance-holding carriage (8) and by means providing for the support of the collector unit (42, 76) with respect to the lance-holding carriage (8) and allowing a vertical movement of the collector unit (42, 76) with respect to the lance-holding carriage (8), or vice versa.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the collector unit (42) is mounted on a collector- holding carriage (48) capable either of being attached rigidly, through the intermediary of the collector unit (42) and the lance (16), to the lance-holding carriage (8), or of being immobilised, by gravity, with respect to the slide of the latter.
3. Device according to Claim 2, characterised in that the collector unit (42) is mounted, using elastic means, on the collector-holding carriage (48).
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterised in that the collector unit (42) has a peripheral flange (52) by which it is supported between several pairs of vertical springs (54, 56) fixed on a plate (60) attached rigidly to the collector-holding carriage (48).
5. Device according to Claim 2, characterised in that the lance-holding carriage (8) can be moved, through the intermediary of guide rollers (50), with respect to the collector-holding carriage (48) when the latter is immobilised with respect to the slide (10).
6. Device according to Claim 5, characterised by a tappet (62) which can be moved under the action of an actuator (64) in order to support the collector-holding carriage (48) with respect to the slide (10).
7. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the collector-holding carriage (48) is supported by at least one actuator (74) mounted on the lance-holding carriage (8) in order to move the collector-holding carriage (48) during a change of lance.
8. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the collector unit (76) slides directly, without an intermediate collector holder, on the lance-holding carriage (8) through the intermediary of rollers (80, 82).
9. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the body of the lance (16) carries two pairs of bearing necks (26, 28) and in that the lance-holding carriage (8) comprises two pairs of supports (18, 20) each provided with notches (30, 32) to receive and carry the bearing necks (26, 28) of the lance (16) and in that each of the said notches (30, 32) is associated with a hook (34, 36) operated by actuators (38, 40) so as to lock the bearing necks (26, 28) in the notches (30, 32) and to attach the lance (16) rigidly to the lance-holding carriage (8).
10. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the collector unit (42, 76) has two hooks (66), pivoting under the action of actuators (68) and small seesaws mounted off-centre with respect to the axis of the hooks, in order to attach the collector unit (42, 76) rigidly to the plane of the joint (70) of the lance (16).

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