FR2604108A1 - Device and method for positioning the roller cages (roll stands) in a curved continuous-casting installation and for removing them therefrom - Google Patents

Abstract

Device and method for removing the roller cages (roll stands) from a curved continuous-casting installation and positioning them therein, comprising fixed guides arranged in pairs on either side of the cages (stands) and a rotary arm mounted above the cages (stands) so as to be able to be brought into the extension of the fixed guides of each cage (stand). In order to reduce the length of the arm and permit transfer of the cages (stands) from the arm to an operational travelling crane and vice versa, outside the zone covered by the casting floor, the axis of rotation 24 of the said arm 20 is located at a distance from the ingot mould which is markedly shorter than the radius of curvature of the passage 15 formed by the rollers (rolls) of the cages (stands) 14, the fixed guides 22, 220 each include a lower part 22a, 220a perpendicular to the direction of the said passage 15 and an upper part 22b, 220b directed towards the said axis of rotation 24 and the pair of fixed guides 220 which is furthest from the ingot mould 12 is located in the zone serviced by the travelling crane 34.

Description

The present invention relates to continuous casting installations including an ingot mold. a serle of caues with rollers arranged side by side to form two ransees
Parallels of rollers delimiting between them a passage for the flowing product comprising a curved portion followed by a rectilinear oortion, and a device for removing and placing the roll cages.

 More particularly, the subject of the invention is a device for removing and placing the roll cage in a continuous casting installation yes, includes fixed guides arranged in pairs on either side of the caoes and in which the qeiets are engaged mount on the side of the cages an arm rises above the cages so as to be able to float around a fixed axis.

horizontal and parallel to the axes of the hens, and be flat end-to-end with the guides of each cage and approximately in the extension of these. means to control the rotation of said arm and lifting movens to deolace the segments along the fixed guides and the arm.

 In installations of the type concerned, the axis of rotation of the arm is generally coincident with the axis passing through the center of curvature of the curved portion of the passage defined by the rollers or located in the vicinity thereof and an opening provided in the pouring floor allows to take up a cage loaded on the arm and conversely to load on the arm a replacement cage, by means of a rolling oont. In these installations the arm has a long length and, therefore, is heavy and requires pulverizing movens to rotate it. By the way, the transfer of the cages through an opening of the casting floor can carry out the work of the personnel of service especially in multi-line installations.

 To overcome these drawbacks, it has been proposed to mount the divider arm on a movable trolley on horizontal rails arranged parallel to the direction of discharge of the cast product or perpendicular to it and making it possible to bring the cages to an area where they often be taken up by an overhead crane. This solution is expensive and complicates the operations of removing and setting up the cages because it requires precise positioning of the carriage.

 The object of the present invention is to reduce the length of the arm and to allow the transfer of the cages from the arm to the overhead crane and vice versa outside the area covered by the casting floor, without complicating construction or use. of the device.

 The installation which is the subject of the present invention is characterized in that the axis of rotation of the arm is located at a distance from the mold less than the radius of curvature of the passage formed by the two rows of rollers, in that the cooperating guides with the arm each have a lower part perpendicular to the direction of said passage and an upper part directed towards the axis of rotation of the arm and in this case the pair of the most distant fixed guides from the ingot mold is located in a service area by an overhead crane, the hook of which can lead to a plumb line of a substantially vertical part of said mistletoe.

 To remove a moven cage from the device of the invention, the arm is brought in line with the mistletoe associated with this cage. the cage is loaded on the arm. we then bring the arm in the drolongation of the dan oe mistletoe of the blus far from the ingot mold, we descend the cage in these quides lusqu to what it is in their dartie substantially verticaie and rests on removable cleats dreably put in blace , and, after having detached the cap from the lifting system of the arm and removed the latter, the cage is taken up again by means of the overhead crane. To set up a new cage, the reverse operations are carried out.

The cage mounted in the last pair of guides, as well as the cages If killed downstream, are removed and put in blece only at the moven of the overhead crane.

 Other characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the description which follows and refers to the accompanying drawing which is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a continuous casting machine equipped with a device for removing and placing roll cages according to the invention.

 The continuous casting machine shown in the drawing comprises a chassis 10 carrying an ingot mold 12 at its upper part, and a series of roll cages 14 disbosese one after the other to form two parallel rows of rollers delimiting between them a basing for the poured Drodult comprising a curved portion, the center of curvature of which is located at the level of the ingot mold, followed by a rectilinear and horizontal portion. A floor 16 supported by a frame 18 is provided at the level of the 1 ingotiere.

 To install and remove the roller cages, a device is used which is made up, on the one hand, by a pivoting Uras 20 and, on the other hand, by fixed guides arranged in pairs on either side of the cages and in which pebbles mounted on the side of the cages are engaged.

 The arm 20 is pivotally mounted on an axis 24 arranged horizontally and parallel to the axes of the rolls of the cages and carried by bearings fixed to the frame 18.

The axis 4 is located approximately halfway between the mold and the center of curvature 0. The arm 20 has guide elements 26 spaced from one another so as to be able to be brought in the extension of the guides of each pair of fixed guides 22 and able to receive the rollers of the cages to allow their movement along the arm. I1 carries a geared motor group 28 provided with a pinion meshing with a circular rack 30 fixed on the frame and making it possible to rotate the arm around its ae, and a winch 32 whose cable can be hooked to the cages 14 bour les clear the lone of the guides 22 and or erax 20,
all quides 22, except for those of the upper caoe 14a. have an inferior Dartie other perpendicular to the direction of the passage 15 delimited by their rows of rollers and an upper part 22b towards the axis of rotation 24 of the arm 20. The guides 220 of the cage 14b, yes is the cage provided with guides the blus elolones of the ingot mold, further comprise an intermediate part, vertical 220c. In some cases. pars 220a and 220c must be allocated and will not then be separate.

 The cage 14b is oratiouemebnt at the end of the curved portion of the bassag e15, plumb with the center of curvature 0. This cage, thus aue the following cages found in an area served by an overhead traveling crane "4. eiclur remove the cage 14b, just hang it on the crane crane and lift it to free it from the mistletoe: you can then transport it to the desired location by means of the crane bridge. new cage the reverse operations are carried out The upper end of the vertical part 220c of the guides is open to allow these maneuvers.

 To remove any of the other cages, the arm 20 is brought into alignment with the mistletoes 22 of the selected cage. hook the cable of the winch 32 to the cage and hoist it on the arm by means of the winch. The arm is brought into alignment with the guides 220. the caoe is lowered along these which, until it is in the vertical part 220c of the latter and rests on posts 36 so finished removable on the guides. The winch cabal 32 is then unhooked from the cage and the latter is removed by means of the overhead crane 34. The reverse operations are carried out to set up a new cage.

 It is understood that all the modifications, yes, can be made to the embodiment described where the use of equivalent tefchniou movens falls within the scope of the invention.

Claims (2)

1. Device for removing and placing the roller cages of a curved continuous casting installation comprising fixed guides arranged in pairs on either side of the cages and a rotary arm mounted above the cages so as to be able between brought in the extension of the fixed guides of chaoue cage, characterized in that due the axis of rotation (24) of said arm (20) is located at a distance from the mold (12) significantly less than the radius of curvature of basement (15 ) formed by the rollers of the cages (14), in that the fixed guides (22, 220) each comprise a lower part (22a, 220a) perpendicular to the direction known as dasseage (15) and an upper part (226, 220b) directed towards said axis of rotation (24) and in that the pair of fies guides (220) furthest from the mold (12) is located in an area served by an overhead crane (34) whose hook (5) can be brought into line with a substantially vertical part (220c) of said guides. 2. Method for removing a roll cage from a continuous casting installation using a device according to claim 1, consisting in bringing said arm (20) in line with the fixed guides (22) of the cage (14) . to load the cage on the arm, bring the arm in. the extension of the pair of guides (220) furthest from the mold (12), to lower the cage in these guides until it is in their substantially vertical part (220c) and rests on removable cleats ( 36) previously put in place; ace and lifting the cage by means of said overhead crane (34) to disengage it from said guides.