Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K1/00—Lift valves or globe valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces
  • F16K1/32—Details
  • F16K1/34—Cutting-off parts, e.g. valve members, seats
  • F16K1/36—Valve members
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D41/00—Casting melt-holding vessels, e.g. ladles, tundishes, cups or the like
  • B22D41/14—Closures
  • B22D41/22—Closures sliding-gate type, i.e. having a fixed plate and a movable plate in sliding contact with each other for selective registry of their openings
  • B22D41/38—Means for operating the sliding gate
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F15—FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL
  • F15B—SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F15B15/00—Fluid-actuated devices for displacing a member from one position to another; Gearing associated therewith
  • F15B15/08—Characterised by the construction of the motor unit
  • F15B15/14—Characterised by the construction of the motor unit of the straight-cylinder type
  • F15B15/1423—Component parts; Constructional details
  • F15B15/1466—Hollow piston sliding over a stationary rod inside the cylinder
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K1/00—Lift valves or globe valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces
  • F16K1/32—Details
  • F16K1/48—Attaching valve members to screw-spindles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the technical field of continuous casting of liquid metal, for example liquid steel.
• the liquid metal is generally transferred from a ladle to a tundish, for distributing the liquid metal in casting molds.
• a regulating valve is usually placed at the bottom of the ladle.
• This control valve called the “slide valve”
• the valve is generally composed of two superimposed plates, sliding relative to each other so that the valve can take a closed configuration, during which the ladle can be moved , and an open configuration, allowing liquid to pass for its transfer into the tundish.
• a valve driving device attached to the ladle or the valve, is used when the bag arrives near the distributor.
• An example of a drive device is described in US 6 045 015.
• This drive comprises a hydraulic cylinder, provided with a cylinder temporarily fixed on the valve.
• the end of the rod of the cylinder is also coupled to one of the valve plates, to open or close.
• the end of the rod comprises a coupling jaw, into which one end of the movable part of the valve containing the movable plate snaps.
• the drive device to mount the drive device on the valve, first report the cylinder of the cylinder on the valve, then torque the cylinder rod and the plate by moving the cylinder rod in one direction , hereinafter referred to as the longitudinal direction. Later, at the end of the casting operations, to disassemble the drive device of the valve, the end of the movable plate is removed from the jaw by sliding all the drive device (thus the jaw) in a transverse direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Also, since it is necessary to disassemble the displacement drive device in the transverse direction, it is necessary to provide sufficient space under the ladle for its implementation.
• the present invention is intended to provide a drive device whose assembly and disassembly is simpler to implement.
• the subject of the invention is a device for driving a control valve for pouring liquid metal, comprising a main rod for controlling the opening and closing of the valve, and coupling means of the main stem to the valve, characterized in that it further comprises means for controlling the coupling means, able to activate and deactivate the coupling means.
• control of the activation and deactivation offers the possibility of completely automating the coupling and decoupling of the drive device with the control valve.
• the proposed control means make it easier to control the opening and closing of the valve. Indeed, when the valve is not coupled to a drive device, there is a risk of accidental opening of the valve, for example following an impact during movement of the ladle. However, accidental opening during movement can cause considerable damage when the ladle is filled with liquid metal, very hot.
• the driving device may further comprise one or more of the following features.
• the control means of the coupling means comprise a coupling piston connected to a coupling rod, the end of the coupling rod being able to activate and deactivate the sliding coupling means of the piston and the coupling rod.
• the coupling rod is slidably mounted within the main stem.
• the fact of providing the coupling rod in the main rod reduces the size of the drive device.
• the coupling means comprise at least one stud attached to the main rod, mounted movably relative to the main rod between an activated position, in which the stud extends transversely to the main stem protruding from this rod so as to couple the main stem and the valve, and a deactivated position, wherein the stud is at least partially retracted into the main rod, so as to decouple the main stem and the valve.
• an activated position in which the stud extends transversely to the main stem protruding from this rod so as to couple the main stem and the valve
• a deactivated position wherein the stud is at least partially retracted into the main rod, so as to decouple the main stem and the valve.
• the end of the main rod is intended to be received in a housing of the valve, the pad comprising an abutment surface arranged to retain this end in the housing when the pad is in the activated position.
• the stud in the activated position, provides a function of anchoring the end of the main rod in the housing of the valve. Thanks to this anchoring, any displacement of the main stem generates a similar displacement of the housing of the valve, therefore of one of the plates of the regulating valve, for its opening or closing:
• the drive device comprises means for returning the coupling means in their deactivated configuration.
• means for returning the coupling means for example, it is possible to provide a driving arm for the coupling means, which can be actuated by a spring, or else by the coupling rod.
• the driving device comprises a cylinder intended to be received in a housing integral with the valve, the device comprising a piston, called the main piston, connected to the main rod, and comprising another piston, called the fixing piston, arranged to ensure fixing the cylinder relative to the housing.
• the housing of the cylinder can be provided directly on the control valve, or on the ladle on which is mounted the control valve.
• This embodiment is particularly interesting to facilitate the mounting of the cylinder in the housing. Indeed, to fix the cylinder in the housing, it must generally be embedded in the housing, reducing as much as possible the clearance between the cylinder and the housing to avoid losses. Due to this tight fitting, mounting the cylinder in the housing can be relatively difficult to implement, particularly by a robot.
• the cylinder By providing a second piston for fixing the cylinder to the valve, the cylinder can be fixed regardless of the size of the housing in which it is received. Indeed, thanks to the fixing piston, one can adjust the size of the cylinder once the latter reported in the housing, so as to eliminate or reduce the games.
• a first step it is possible to introduce the cylinder into the housing, allowing the presence of a clearance, and in a second step, to compensate the clearance, by displacement of the fixing piston, in order to eliminate this game. By removing this game, it avoids a loss of load during the main piston stroke, while allowing automation of mounting the cylinder on the valve.
• the device comprises a hydraulic chamber delimited, on the one hand by the main piston, and on the other hand by the fixing piston.
• the fixing piston without requiring a complex structure of the drive device.
• the fixing piston is traversed by the main stem.
• the control means of the coupling means comprise a coupling piston connected to a coupling rod, and the driving device is configured so that the main piston, the fixing piston and the coupling piston can be controlled by a control unit.
• control by means of three hydraulic connections to the control unit, namely: a first connection between the central unit and the hydraulic chamber delimited by the main piston and the fixing piston, a second connection between the central unit and a hydraulic chamber delimited by the main piston and the cylinder, and a third connection between the central and a channel connecting both a hydraulic chamber defined by the fixing piston and the cylinder and a hydraulic chamber defined by the coupling piston and the cylinder.
• This embodiment is particularly interesting: only three connections to the control unit are used to control the movement of three separate pistons, where one could have used six connections, namely two per piston. The proposed device is therefore particularly compact and does not require a heavy and complicated connection.
• a return means is disposed around the main stem, under the head of the main piston.
• This return means can take the form of an elastic washer. It allows to take off the head of the main piston and allow the injection of hydraulic fluid, thus avoiding any risk of blockage.
• the valve can be locked in the closed position, and the control means of the coupling means further control means for unlocking the valve.
• the same control means can both control the coupling means and the unlocking means of the valve.
• the invention also relates to the assembly of a drive device as described above and a control valve, further comprising a guide element, comprising a receiving housing of a part of the driving device, a housing for receiving a portion of the valve, and means for guiding the coupling means during their movement.
• the invention further relates to a device for mounting and dismounting a drive device as described above on a control valve and / or a ladle, arranged to ensure assembly and automatic disassembly of the driving device.
• FIGS. 1a and 1b are sectional views of a drive device according to one embodiment, comprising coupling means respectively in the deactivated position and in the activated position;
• FIGS. 2a to 2f are diagrammatic sectional views illustrating the operating steps of a driving device similar to that of FIGS. 1a and 1b;
• FIG. 3 and a perspective sectional view of the end of a main shaft of a driving device similar to that of Figures 1a and 1b;
• FIGS 4a and 4b are schematic sectional views of a drive device similar to that of Figures 1a and 1b, assembled on a guide member;
• FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of a drive device similar to that of Figures 1a and 1b, illustrating the hydraulic connections of this device.
• a casting installation generally comprises a distributor, for distributing liquid metal to casting molds.
• This distributor is supplied with liquid metal through ladles, movable above the tundish to ensure this transfer.
• Each ladle is equipped with a flow regulating valve, often composed of a linear valve, called a "slide valve".
• the opening or closing of this control valve is controlled by a drive device 10, shown in particular in Figures 1a and 2a.
• this drive device comprises a cylinder or casing 12, intended to be received at least partially in a housing 14 integral with the valve, fixedly mounted in this housing 14.
• This housing 14 can be directly formed on the control valve, or on the ladle on which is mounted the regulating valve.
• the drive device 10 comprises a main rod 16 for controlling the opening and closing of the valve, slidably mounted in the cylinder 12, and whose end 18 is intended to be received in a housing 20 of the valve to be coupled to the latter.
• the housing 20 of the valve is formed on a movable portion 13 of the valve.
• the housing 20 is formed on the part 13 of the valve receiving the movable plate, the displacement of the end 18 a coupled to the housing 20 for moving the plate between a closed position and an open position of the valve.
• the drive device 10 is provided with a first piston 22, called main piston, slidably mounted in the cylinder 12 and connected to the main rod 16 so that any movement of the piston 22 is transmitted to this main stem 16.
• the displacement of this piston 22, and therefore of the main rod 16, makes it possible to open or close the regulation valve.
• the main piston 22 defines, with the interior of the cylinder 12, a first 24 and a second 26 main hydraulic chambers.
• the first main chamber 24 is supplied with fluid by a supply channel 28, and the second main chamber 26 is supplied with fluid by a supply channel 30, as shown in FIG. 5.
• a return means 29 is arranged around the main rod 16, under the head of the main piston 22.
• This return means is, for example, a spring washer. It allows to take off the head of the piston 22 and to allow the injection of hydraulic fluid into the chamber 26, even when the piston 22 is at the end of the race.
• the drive device 10 comprises a second piston 32, called fixing piston.
• This piston 32 is arranged to press a wall 34 of the housing 14, as can be seen in FIG. 2c, so as to lock the cylinder 12 with respect to the housing 14 more precisely.
• the second piston 32 comprises a skirt. 33, designed to form a wedge between the cylinder 12 and the wall 34 of the housing 14.
• the fixing piston 32 and the wall 34 of the housing 14 are traversed by the main rod 16, so as to let this rod 16 slide under the effect of the piston displacement 22.
• the piston 32 defines, with the cylinder 12, on the one hand the second main hydraulic chamber 26, on the other hand a third hydraulic chamber 36, arranged in the front part of the cylinder (the front direction being indicated by the arrow X in Figure 2a).
• the second hydraulic chamber 26 is delimited, on the one hand, by the main piston 22, on the other hand by the fixing piston 32.
• a common chamber is thus used to act on the two pistons, hence a gain of place.
• the third hydraulic chamber 36 is supplied with fluid by a supply channel 38, shown in FIG.
• the drive device 10 further comprises means 40 for coupling the main rod 16 to a movable portion 13 of the regulating valve, specifically for coupling the end 18 of the rod 16 with the housing 20. of the valve.
• the coupling means comprise two studs, attached to the main rod 16, mounted movable relative to the rod 16 between an activated position, shown in particular in Figure 2d, in which the studs extend transversely to the rod. main 16 protruding from this rod so as to couple the main rod 16 and the valve 13, and a deactivated position, shown in particular in Figure 2a, wherein the pads are at least partially retracted into the main rod 16, in order to be able to decouple the main rod 16 and the valve 13.
• the maximum diameter of the end 18 of the rod 16 is less than the height H of an opening of the housing 20, as can be seen in Figure 2a.
• the end 18 can pass inside the housing 20, from the position shown in Figure 2a to the position shown in Figure 2b.
• the pads each have a stop surface 44, arranged to retain the end 18 of the rod 16 in the housing 20 when the pads are in the activated position. This abutment surface 44 cooperates with an abutment surface 46 provided in the housing 20.
• the end 18 further comprises means 50 for biasing the coupling means 40 in the deactivated position, visible in particular in FIGS. 1a, 1b and in FIG. 3.
• These means 50 comprise two arms each pivoted about an axis 52, each comprising an end 54 for cooperation with the studs, cooperating with a recess 56 formed in the front wall of the studs, and one end activation 58 described more precisely in the after.
• the drive device 10 further comprises means 60 for controlling the coupling means 40, able to activate and deactivate.
• These means 60 comprise a coupling piston 62, connected to a coupling rod 64 whose end 66, opposite the piston 62, is able to activate and deactivate the coupling means 40, by sliding.
• the end 66 of the rod 64 is flared. It has a rear surface 68, which can form a ramp with the pads so as to pass them in their activated or deactivated position during the sliding of the rod 64, as described below.
• the end 66 has a front portion 69 comprising a surface, substantially flat, configured to bear against the bottom of the housing 20.
• the front portion 69 is arranged to cooperate with the end 58 of the arms, so as to recall the coupling means 40 in the deactivated position, as described below.
• the coupling rod 64 and the coupling piston 62 are slidably mounted inside the main rod 16 of the device 10. More precisely, as can be seen in FIG. 1a, the piston 62 delimits, with the main rod 16, a fourth 70 and a fifth 72 hydraulic chambers, for moving the piston 62 inside the main rod 16 under the action of a fluid.
• the rear hydraulic chamber 70 is supplied with fluid through a channel 74, shown in FIG. 5.
• the front hydraulic chamber 72 is supplied with fluid through a passage 76 communicating with the second main hydraulic chamber 26. Thus, same as the chamber 26, it is through the channel 30 that the front chamber 72 is supplied with fluid.
• the hydraulic connections of the drive device 10 to a control unit 81 will now be described.
• the device 10 is configured so that the main piston 22, the fixing piston 32 and the coupling piston 62 can be controlled by the control unit 81 by means of three hydraulic connections 77, 78, 79, namely: a first connection 77 between the central 81 and the hydraulic chamber 26 delimited by the main piston 22 and the fixing piston 32, a second connection 79 between the central 81 and the hydraulic chamber 24 delimited by the main piston 22 and the cylinder 12, and - a third connection 78 between the central 81 and a channel connecting both the hydraulic chamber 36 delimited by the fixing piston 32 and the cylinder 12, and the hydraulic chamber 70 defined by the coupling piston 62 and the cylinder 12. that the supply channels 74 and 38 are connected to each other.
• the drive device 10 is installed on a ladle at the moment when this ladle is in an intermediate position, for example a position during which another ladle is being emptied in the distributor. When the ladle reaches this intermediate position, it is filled with liquid metal and the control valve is closed. The drive device 10 is then brought back under the pocket, in the immediate vicinity or very close to the valve.
• the mounting of the device 10 begins with the introduction of the cylinder 12, or at least a front portion 80 of the cylinder 12, into the housing 14, in the configuration illustrated in Figure 2a. In this configuration, the fixing piston 32 is in the retracted position in the cylinder 12, that is to say that the chamber 36 has a substantially maximum volume.
• the piston 32 and the skirt 33 do not, or only slightly, protrude from the cylinder 12, so that the length of the cylinder 12 is relatively small.
• the portion 80 of the cylinder 12 can easily be inserted into the housing 14, thanks to a clearance 82.
• the feeds of the hydraulic chambers 24, 26, 36 , 70, 72 are in neutral position, that is to say that the pistons 22, 32 and 62 are stationary.
• the main piston 22 (and thus the main rod 16), as well as the fixing piston 32, is in the retracted position inside the cylinder 12, resulting in a certain compactness of the device 10 at the time of the fixing the cylinder 12 on the valve.
• the coupling piston 62 and the coupling rod 64 are in their extended position, the flared end 66 arriving substantially flush with the end 18 of the main rod 16, and the coupling means 40 being in the deactivated position, as illustrated in Figure 1a.
• the main piston 22 forward X Figure 5
• the main rod 16 also moves in the forward direction, and its end 18 passes inside the housing 20, as shown in FIG. 2b, until the end 18 comes to a stop in the bottom of the housing 20.
• the end 18 in abutment in the housing 20 is injected fluid into the second hydraulic chamber 26, through the channel 30, while preventing fluid from leaving the channel 28.
• This injection fluid through channel 30 has two effects.
• the increase of liquid inside the chamber 26 moves the fixing piston 32 forward, so that the skirt 33 protrudes outside the portion 80 of the cylinder 12, and comes into abutment against the wall 34 of the housing 14, which has the effect of tightening the cylinder in the housing 14, and thus to lock it.
• the passage of liquid in the chamber 26 allows, through the passage 76, to increase the amount of fluid inside the front chamber 72, and thus move the piston 62 to the rear, so as to back the coupling rod 64 relative to the rod 16, as shown in Figure 2c. Due to this displacement of the coupling rod 64, the end 66 retracts inside the end 18, which moves the coupling means 40 from their deactivated position to their activated position. In other words, the pads come out of the end 18, by ramp effect.
• the valve can be locked in the closed position, which avoids the risk of accidental opening during its movement.
• locking and unlocking means 90, 92 comprising a latch cooperating with a slot provided on the valve, in the housing 20.
• This latch is biased in the locked position by a spring 94.
• the latch is worn in this example, by a guide member 96, fixedly mounted relative to the ladle and relative to the fixed portion of the regulating valve, forming a kind of extension of the valve.
• This element 96 carries a housing 14 for the cylinder, similar to that described above, and further comprises a rail 98 for guiding the movable portion 13 of the valve, wherein the housing 20 of the movable portion 13 is slidable.
• the means 62, 64 for controlling the coupling means 40 advantageously control the unlocking means 90, 92. Indeed, before the coupling between the device 10 and the valve 13 is implemented, the latter is in the locked position, illustrated in Figure 4a. Then, once the cylinder is introduced into the housing 14 and the main rod 16 inside the housing 20, the displacement of the pads, under the effect of the sliding of the coupling piston 62, generates a displacement of the locking means 90, from their locked position to their unlocked position, illustrated in Figure 4b. More specifically, the chamfered surface 42 cooperates with a chamfered surface of the latch 92 to move it upwardly out of the slot 92 and thereby unlock the valve 13.
• the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.
• the means 50 for returning the coupling means in the deactivated position can not be actuated by the coupling rod 64, but include springs, for example acting on the to return to their deactivated position.
• the skilled person can easily transpose this teaching to any device used in the continuous casting of a metal actuated by a cylinder to be reported at the time of its use, such as a casting tube changing device, a splitter drawer, a stopper control device, etc.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Casting Support Devices, Ladles, And Melt Control Thereby (AREA)
• Lift Valve (AREA)
• Fluid-Driven Valves (AREA)
• Mechanically-Actuated Valves (AREA)
• Actuator (AREA)

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• 2009
  • 2009-02-18 EP EP09153150A patent/EP2226140A1/de not_active Ceased
• 2010
  • 2010-02-16 NZ NZ594333A patent/NZ594333A/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2010-02-16 MX MX2011008701A patent/MX2011008701A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-02-16 AU AU2010214818A patent/AU2010214818B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2010-02-16 US US13/201,952 patent/US9341271B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2010-02-16 WO PCT/EP2010/000928 patent/WO2010094447A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2010-02-16 JP JP2011549491A patent/JP5336609B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2010-02-16 MY MYPI2011003692A patent/MY162060A/en unknown
  • 2010-02-16 BR BRPI1008873A patent/BRPI1008873A2/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2010-02-16 EP EP10704759A patent/EP2398610A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2010-02-16 KR KR1020117021688A patent/KR101678708B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-02-16 CA CA2751234A patent/CA2751234C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2010-02-16 CN CN201080017116.6A patent/CN102395437B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2010-02-16 UA UAA201111017A patent/UA105783C2/uk unknown
  • 2010-02-16 RU RU2011136377/02A patent/RU2516881C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation

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