GB1298532A - Apparatus for hoisting and positioning ladles - Google Patents

Abstract

1298532 Continuous casting USS ENGINEERS & CONSULTANTS Inc 19 April 1971 [6 April 1970] 9926/71 Heading B3F [Also in Division F4] Apparatus for hoisting and positioning casting ladles over a continuous casting installation comprises a tower made of columns 10, 12 and 13 and cross beams 14, a conventional overhead crane 16 ladle 19 and ladle car 17, a vertically movable cage 42 supporting a trolley 53 formed with channels 60 receiving the crane spreader bar 21, retractable stops 49 and 50 limiting vertical movement of the cage, and retractable upper and lower stops on the channels 60 limiting movement of the spreader bar. With the crane over the hoist bay, conventional pulleys at the end of the spreader bar engage channels 27 in the tower or aligned channels 29 in the crane, whereas over the casting aisle channels 29 are aligned with the channels 60 on the trolley 53. The cage is held in the normal raised position by counterweights 45 attached to cables 44 running over sheaves 43 at the top of the tower. The trolley 53 has wheels 55 running on upper and lower tracks 54 and is normally held against stops 56 by counterweights 59 attached to cables 57 running over sheaves 58. Motor operated jackscrews 61 engaging nuts 63 on the cage move the trolley against the action of counterweights 59. Operation.-In operation, removable guide frames 67 are disposed in the extensions 66 of channels 60, and the crane lifts spreader bar and ladle until the bar enters channels 29. Whereupon the crane moves across until extensions 30 of channels 29 lie within said frames 67. The crane then lowers bar 21 down through channels 29 to 60 until its rollers engage the lower stops (65, Fig. 5) in said channels 60. Further lowering of the bar 21 forces cage 42 downwardly until the ladle seats on its cradle 39 on ladle car 37, the cage continuing to descend until it engages stops 50, whereupon the crane hooks 23 drop below the ladle trunnions 20. Jack screws 61 are operated to move the trolley 53 to the left clearing the hooks of the trunnions, whereupon the spreader bar is raised slightly and the ladle car 37 positions the ladle over a tundish 35. Reversing these steps removes an empty ladle. The tundish is supported by a car 36 above one or more moulds 34.