GB1006545A - Improvements in or relating to methods and apparatus for making steel - Google Patents

Abstract

1,006,545. Open hearth furnaces; converters; charging and discharging. CALDERON AUTOMATION Inc. Dec. 18, 1961 [Dec. 19, 1960; May 4, 1961], No. 45202/61. Heading F4B. Steel-making plant comprises a row of regeneratively-fired open hearth furnaces 51 with one furnace replaced by a converter 120 tiltably mounted on a carriage 130 with trucks 155 running on rails 158 and having an exhaust hood 175 connected by conduits 176, 177 to the inlet ends 178 of regenerator chambers in the furnace exhaust system 55, conduit 176 being also connected by valve controlled conduits 181 to the firing ports of flanking open hearth furnaces 51. The exhaust hood also has a lance clamp 185 receiving a vertical oxygen lance 186 disposed between the hot metal crane 65 and the teeming crane 71. As shown in Fig. 3, the converter 120 straddles a trench in which is located a teeming ladle, the depth of said trench being such that the converter cannot be fully inverted over the ladle, Fig. 8 (not shown), but an electric switch is provided limiting the angle of tilt. Charging apparatus for the plant comprises a self-propelling car 200, Fig. 11, driven on trucks 203 on tracks 80 by a motor 204 and incorporating a platform 206 carrying a hopper 220 said platform being tilted about a pivot 207 by a segmental rack 208 meshing with a pinion 211. The bottom of the hopper is formed with steps 230, 231, 232 and 233 for the progressive discharge of scrap over a curved wall 260 into a transversely movable shoot 250 supported by a yoke 247 and propelled in a transverse notch 236 by a motor 243 through pinions 245 engaging racks 246 carried by the yoke 247. When used for charging the converter, Fig. 5 (not shown), the hopper 220 is loaded with fluxing materials as well as scrap to avoid having to provide additional flux charging devices. Use of the charging car 200 with the open hearth furnaces is facilitated by providing the latter with water-cooled doors 105 and door frames 100 extended partly over the side wall and partly over the roof, Fig. 12. Each door frame 100 comprises a closed motor-cooled loop 101 suspended by brackets 92a from roof beams 92 and supported on a refractory ledge 103. Each hollow water-cooled door 105 is lined internally with bricks 107 and suspended from an overhead box-formed arm 110 pivoted to a girder 112 carried by rear support columns 93 and actuated by a hoist 113 and cable 114. In a modification, Figs. 15-17 (not shown), the converter is tiltably mounted in a fixed position between the charging and teeming aisles straddling a transverse pit and has a removable exhaust hood mounted on wheels, being associated also with self-propelled ladle and slag pot cars. In all cases the converter is charged with molten pig-iron by ladles carried by an overhead hot metal crane above the charging aisle. Specification 1,006,546 is referred to.