EP0805218B1 - Draining station and heat treatment installation comprising such a drain station - Google Patents

Abstract

A drainage post (1) designed to drain treated charges (2) such as metal components coming from a cooling tank (4) containing a bath. The post (1) comprises an enclosure (8) having an inlet opening (14) open towards the bottom which allows the charging and discharging of the enclosure (8) with the charges (2) on an anchoring device (16). The enclosure (8) also incorporates a stopper device (22) for the inlet opening (14) arranged much lower than the anchored charges (2). The stopper device (22) consists of a moving slide (24) which also acts as a collector for the draining liquid. The post also includes an activating device (30) connected to both the enclosure (8) and the slide (24) in order to engage and disengage the slide in the inlet opening (14). The post may also be fitted with a system for the evacuation of vapours from the charges. The thermal treatment installation incorporating this draining post is also claimed.

Description

The invention generally relates to installations heat treatment plant and in particular a station system for draining loads to be treated such as metal parts from a bin cooling containing a liquid bath.

The invention also relates to an installation for heat treatment including in particular at least one oven having a downward opening and at least one cooling with an opening upwards, the oven and the tank can be brought into position superimposed by a relative movement of one with respect to the other of so that the opening of the oven can come next to opening of the container, means for transferring loads between the oven and the tank, the installation comprising besides such a drip station.

A heat treatment installation such as defined above and comprising at least one open oven down, usually referred to as a bell oven, and a closure cap is already known for example from document EP-A-0 296 102.

In thermal treatment plants type of that described in document EP-A-0 296 102 and with cooling or quenching tanks open upward and containing a quench medium liquid, and it is necessary to drain the treated charge leaving the bin before transferring it elsewhere, by example to another treatment station.

Indeed, quenching media such as oils, molten salts, are often highly polluting and avoid that they come into contact with certain elements of the installation.

For this purpose, the charges are generally high above the quenching medium using means risers and the load can then drip into the tank cooling for a desired time.

This draining operation has the disadvantage to mobilize the cooling tank for the duration which is roughly of the same order as magnitude as the duration of a quench, thus prohibiting any other soaking in this tank during draining. Through elsewhere it has been found that such a drainage could lead to productivity losses of around 30%.

Thus, the main purpose of the invention is to remedy to the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art in providing a drip station which allows simple and economical to recover the product from draining without having to mobilize a bin of cooling and so increase so significant performance of treatment facilities thermal including them.

The drip station according to the invention also has to avoid environmental pollution immediate by the vapors and fumes that emanate from loads during the draining operation.

The invention also aims to provide a heat treatment plant of the type indicated more high, in which a drip station is integrated to allow optimal exploitation of the production of the elements that compose it.

To this end the invention relates to a station system for draining loads to be treated such as metal parts from a bin cooling containing a liquid bath, characterized in what it includes an enclosure having an opening entry open down and allowing loading and unloading said enclosure with said loads on anchoring means, in that said enclosure comprises means for sealing said entry opening made lower than the charges anchored and in that said closure means include a drip liquid collector.

Thanks to these features, the drip station allows on the one hand to collect autonomously the medium of quenching flowing from the load which is in progress drip and secondly to confine the fumes and vapors from these charges. We thus limit importantly the risk of environmental pollution of the installation. The cooling tank is therefore immediately available for quenching another charge as soon as the transfer of the previous charge soaked in the drip station has been completed.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the means shutter include a movable drawer according to a direction parallel to the plane of said inlet opening and thus allowing its lateral release, said drawer comprising said collector.

The use of sealing means comprising a drawer allows to move the liquid collector according to a horizontal plane and thus decrease considerably risks of loss of the liquid collected during opening and closing movements of the station drip. Furthermore, this drawer structure is compact and therefore does not increase significantly disadvantageous the congestion of the drip station.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a thermal treatment installation comprising at least an oven with a downward opening and at least one pan having an opening upwards, the oven and the tray can be brought into superimposed position by a relative movement of one with respect to the other of so that the opening of the oven can come next to opening of the container, means for transferring a load between the oven and the tray, characterized in that it further includes a drip station comprising a enclosure having an entrance opening open downward and allowing loading, in particular from the cooling, and unloading of said enclosure with said load on anchoring means, said enclosure comprising means for closing off said entry opening, lower than the anchored load, and said closure means comprise a collector drip liquid.

Such a heat treatment installation allows avoid immobilization of the cooling tank at above which the draining of charges normally takes place in prior art installations and so optimize the use of the installation by making these bins immediately available for new quenching charges.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe d'une station d'égouttage selon l'invention avec ses moyens d'obturation représentés en position ouverte et fermée;
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne II-II la figure 1 montrant les moyens d'ancrage de la charge dans la station d'égouttage selon l'invention, la charge étant représentée dans deux positions distinctes, où elle est respectivement introduite dans la station d'égouttage et ancrée dans cette dernière;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe représentant une installation de traitement thermique montrant un bac de refroidissement placé au dessous d'une station d'égouttage selon l'invention;
• la figure 4 est une vue d'une variante de l'installation de traitement thermique représentée à la figure 3, et
• la figure 5 est une vue en élévation d'une installation de traitement thermique selon la figure 3, montrant également un four de traitement thermique.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of embodiments of the invention given purely by way of non-limiting illustration, this description being made in conjunction with the drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a sectional view of a drainage station according to the invention with its sealing means shown in the open and closed position;
• Figure 2 is a sectional view along line II-II Figure 1 showing the means for anchoring the load in the drip station according to the invention, the load being shown in two separate positions, where it is respectively introduced into and anchored in the drip station;
• Figure 3 is a sectional view showing a thermal treatment installation showing a cooling tank placed below a drip station according to the invention;
• FIG. 4 is a view of a variant of the thermal treatment installation shown in FIG. 3, and
• Figure 5 is an elevational view of a heat treatment installation according to Figure 3, also showing a heat treatment oven.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, we sees a drip station according to the invention, designated by the general reference numeral 1. This station 1 is intended to drain a charge 2 formed by a piece or a set of metal pieces to treat from a cooling tank 4 having a opening upwards (figure 3) and containing a bath B. The load is placed on a support plate 6 made for example in the form of a flat rigid grid dimpled.

The drip station 1 comprises an enclosure 8 suspended by suspension means 10 from a structure support 12. The enclosure 8 has an opening inlet 14 opening down and allowing the loading and unloading enclosure 8 from the below station 1, typically from the ferry cooling 4.

In the context of the invention and in the description and the claims which follow are understood to mean "pregnant" any volume in which the charge is fully received or partially, this volume not necessarily bounded by continuous walls. For example, a frame suspended from the support structure via four columns at its four corners defined an enclosure at meaning of the present invention.

In the lower part of the enclosure 8 are provided retaining studs 16 which project from the inner wall 18 of the enclosure 8. These studs 16 give the inlet opening 14 a circular outline brought in the example illustrated. The support plate 6 has a substantially complementary contour and dimensions slightly smaller than those of the opening inlet 14 so that the tray can pass without clutters with load 2 through opening 14. So, the support plate 6 provided with the load 2 can be introduced into the opening 14 via ME lifting means, for example integral with the cooling 4, while it is in a first position (shown in broken lines in Figure 2) in which the support plate is oriented parallel at the opening 14. Once the lowest part of the plate is a little higher than the studs 16, the support plate can pivot around its central axis X-X an angular distance β determined under the effect of a actuator (not shown) and be brought into a second position (shown in strong lines in the figure 2) in which parts 20 of the plate are located superimposed on the studs 16. At this instant, the means risers can lower and 20 parts can each rest on one of the studs 16. These retaining studs 16 serve as means for anchoring the load 2 and thus support the support plate 6 provided with the load 2 during the draining operation. Unloading enclosure 8 is done simply by repeating the process above in reverse.

It goes without saying that other means can be envisaged to anchor the support plate in the enclosure, we could for example plan to suspend the support plate 6 in the enclosure 8.

The enclosure 8 further comprises means shutter 22 of the inlet opening 14. These means shutter 22 are arranged in a lower part from the drip station and more particularly in part of the station which is below the charge to drain. These means 22 include a drawer 24 having a cavity in which the drip liquid is collection. The drawer 24 is movable in one direction parallel to the plane of the entrance opening between two extreme positions, respectively a closed position (shown in strong lines in Figure 1) in which the drawer cavity is located opposite opening 14 and an open position (shown in broken lines on the figure 1) in which the drawer is released laterally and frees access to opening 14.

The drawer 24 slides, by means of rollers 26 integral with the drawer, along two slides parallel 28 (only one being visible in Figure 1) which extend on either side of the opening 14. The slides 28 are integral with the enclosure 8 and can typically be formed from two cross-section profiles "C", the upper branch of "C" being fixed for example by welding on a lower wall of the enclosure 8 and the rollers 26 circulating on the upper face of the lower branch of "C".

In the illustrated embodiment, the drawer 24 is set in motion by an actuator 30. The latter can advantageously be formed by a control cylinder hydraulic, the cylinder of which is fixed to enclosure 8 and whose end of the rod is fixed to the drawer. So, the opening 14 can be released and closed without manual intervention by an operator.

The bottom 32 of the cavity of the drawer 24 is inclined to allow the draining liquid to flow to a lowest region of the bottom in which a orifice connected to a drain valve 34. In the example illustrated, the bottom is shaped like a funnel strongly flared, but it is understood that one could consider any other form of background ensuring the same function of draining a liquid towards a point particular.

In Figure 4, an installation of heat treatment as shown in FIG. 3, in which the drip station 1 is not fixed by relative to its support structure but can be moved in a direction Y-Y from a first position (shown in strong lines) in which it is located above the cooling tank to a second position (shown in broken lines) in which it is released laterally and frees access to the cooling. In this case, the means of suspension of the drip station are for example connected to rollers 36 running on two parallel rails 38 like this is shown schematically in the figure.

According to a variant (not shown) of the installation shown in Figure 4, the station drip 1 can also be movable along another axis perpendicular to the Y-Y axis above the tank cooling.

Referring now to Figure 5, we see how the drip station 1 can be integrated into a thermal treatment installation comprising a conventional bell furnace 40 having a downward opening and a cooling tank 4. As can be seen from the figure, the drip station 1 and the oven 40 are in upper position and the cooling tank 4 is in lower position. In the illustrated embodiment, the drip station 1 and the oven 40 are fixed one by relative to each other and the cooling tank 4 is mounted on casters 42 and therefore movable below of the line formed by the oven and the drip station. Of course the opposite could be envisaged. Also in this context, the mobile drip station along an axis Y-Y shown in Figure 4 and the variant in which the drip station is mobile along two axes perpendicular find an advantageous application.

The drip station integrated in the installation shown in figure 5 can be used in the way next. Load 2 is loaded in the oven enclosure 40 by conventional transfer means (not shown) in view of heating to a temperature of determined temper. The quench tank 4 is then moved below the oven 40. The oven is then opened and the ME lifting means transfer load 2 from ovens 40 to cooling bath B. As soon as the charge 2 quenching operation is completed, the tank 4 is placed under the drip station 1 so that the opening of the tank is substantially next to the drawer 24 or the inlet opening 14 of the enclosure 8. The actuator 30 of the drawer 24 is then commanded to clear the entrance opening 14. As soon as the opening 14 is cleared, the charge 2 quenched which must to be drained is introduced and anchored in enclosure 8 to using ME lifting means and anchoring means 16 as already described above. The bac cooling 4 is then still below opening 14 and collects part of the liquid dripping during the transfer of the load from the tank to the enclosure. Load 2 being properly anchored, the actuator 30 of the drawer 24 is controlled to close inlet opening 14. The drawer cavity is located then below load 2 and thus recover the quench liquid flowing from charge 2. Liquid recovered is then drained later after the completion of the draining operation by the simple opening of the valve 34. Thus, as soon as the drawer 24 is closed, the cooling tank and / or the station can be cleared to make the cooling 4 immediately available for new quenching operation.

Note that according to an alternative embodiment not shown, the drip station may include means of evacuation of the vapors emerging from the charge towards processing means such as filters, washing columns or the like.

The installation which has just been described comprises a oven 40, a cooling tank 4 and a station 1 but it goes without saying that such an installation might include several of each of these.

Claims (10)

1. Draining station (1) intended to drain charges (2) to be treated such as metal parts originating from a cooling vat (4) containing a bath, said station being characterised in that it includes an enclosure (8) having a inlet opening (14) open towards the bottom and allowing said enclosure (8) to be loaded and unloaded with said charges (2) on anchoring means (16), in that said enclosure (8) further includes means (22) for blocking said inlet opening (14) arranged lower than the anchored charges (2) and in that said blocking means (22) include a basin (24) for the draining liquid.
2. Draining station according to claim 1, characterised in that the blocking means include a drawer (24) which is moveable along a direction parallel to the plane of said inlet opening (14) and thus allowing the lateral clearance thereof.
3. Draining station according to claim 2, characterised in that said drawer (24) slides on parallel slide bars (28) secured to said enclosure (8).
4. Draining station according to claim 3, characterised in that it further includes an actuator (30) connected on the one hand to said enclosure (8) and on the other hand to said drawer (24) in order to engage said drawer in said inlet opening (14) and to release it therefrom.
5. Draining station according to claim 1, characterised in that said basin (24) includes an emptying valve (34) arranged at the bottom of said basin.
6. Draining station according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that it includes exhaust means for vapours being released from the charges towards the treatment means.
7. Heat treatment installation including at least a furnace (40) having an opening towards the bottom and at least one cooling vat (4) having an opening towards the top, the furnace and the vat being able to be brought in to a superposed position by moving one in relation to the other, so that the opening of the furnace (40) can face the opening of the vat, means for transferring a charge (2) between the furnace and the vat, characterised in that it further includes a draining station including an enclosure (8) having an inlet opening (14) open towards the bottom and allowing said enclosure (8) to be loaded, in particular from the cooling vat, and unloaded with said charge on anchoring means (16), said enclosure including means for blocking said opening arranged lower than the anchored charge (2) and said blocking means include a basin (24) for the draining fluid.
8. Heat treatment installation according to claim 7, characterised in that the draining station (1), like the furnace (40), is positioned higher than the installation.
9. Heat treatment station according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the draining station is according to that defined in any of claims 2 to 7.
10. Heat treatment station according to any of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that the draining station, the furnaces (40) and the vats (4) can be moved in relation to each other.

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