GB1602032A

GB1602032A - Vessel-exchange truck and a metallurgical vessel for example a stellworks converter

Info

Publication number: GB1602032A
Application number: GB23709/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Mannesmann Demag AG
Current assignee: Mannesmann Demag AG
Priority date: 1977-06-03
Filing date: 1978-05-30
Publication date: 1981-11-04
Also published as: FR2392859B1; IT1095027B; IT7824075A0; FR2392859A1; DE2725123B1; DE2725123C2; AT372704B; ATA383878A

Description

(54) A VESSEL-EXCHANGE TRUCK AND A METALLURGICAL VESSEL, FOR EXAMPLE A STEELWORKS CONVERTER (71) We, MANNESMANN DEMAG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Formerly, Demag Aktiengesellschaft, a body corporate organised under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany of D-41 Duisburg, Wolfgang-Reuter-Platz, Germany, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a vesselexchange truck and a metallurgical vessel.

It is known to use a vessel-exchange truck to transport a metallurgical vessel, for example, a steel works converter, from the vessel stand to a lining stand for replacement of the worn refractory lining, and back to the vessel stand again. The truck travels on tracks which intersect at right-angles. In order to transfer the truck from one track to the track intersecting it, the truck has relatively rotatable inner and outer chassis parts, the outer part being provided with bogies. At the intersection, the truck is raised by piston and cylinder units associated with the inner chassis part, thereby to disengage the wheels from the track, and the outer chassis part rotated to align the wheels with the second track. The piston and cylinder units are then retracted to lower the truck and engage the wheels with the second track.

The outer chassis part of the known truck is also provided with at least one piston and cylinder unit for raising a hoist table by which the vessel is supported. A problem to be faced when using a truck of this type, is that the vessel may have to be lifted in guides which have become distorted in use.

The known truck therefore is provided with mechanism to compensate for this distortion, but as a result the truck is of substantial width and must travel on a track having a gauge larger than the standard gauge.

To overcome this problem, the present invention provides a vessel-exchange truck and a metallurgical vessel, for example a steel works converter, said truck comprising relatively rotatable inner and outer chassis parts; the outer chassis part being provided with wheels for supporting the truck for movement along a track, the inner chassis part being provided with means which is extensible to engage the ground and lift the truck into a position wherein the outer chassis part may be rotated to align its wheels with a second track; a hoist table (as hereinafter defined) supporting the metallurgical vessel during exchange or transport, the hoist table being supported and movable vertically by means of at least one vertically arranged piston and cylinder unit disposed within a space bounded by the extrapolation vertically of the outline of the vessel, the or each piston and cylinder unit being articulated to the upper end of a traction member which is articulated at its lower end to an intermediate member rigid with the hoist table. By arranging for the piston and cylinder unit or units used for raising and lowering the hoist table to be located within the space bounded by the outline of the vessel the truck may be of narrower construction than hitherto and can travel on a track of standard gauge. The truck may as a result also be lighter and, with minor modifications, may be used with small and large vessels.A problem to be solved in connection with the step of positioning beneath the vessel the piston and cylinder units for raising and lowering the vessel, is that of minimising the increase in overall height compared with the known truck. This problem is solved by using the above-mentioned intermediate members which form a rigid connection with the hoist table and are articulated to the traction members.

A number of different embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter in detail. The various embodiments may be divided into two basic types, namely a first type of truck having a plurality of piston and cylinder units spaced apart from one another, and a second type having a single piston and cylinder unit (or a single multistage piston and cylinder unit) located substantially centrally beneath the vessel.

Herein by "multi-stage piston and cylinder unit" is meant a device having a piston sliding within a cylinder which itself forms the piston of an outer cylinder.

With regard to the first type of construction, the intermediate members may take the form of supports which extend downwards from the hoist table at spaced apart locations corresponding to the locations of the piston and cylinder units.

The length of each intermediate member is preferably substantially the same as the length of the associated traction member so that a substantial saving of construction height is gained. With this arrangement the intermediate members are subjected to compression stress while the traction member is subjected to tensile stress.

As a result, increased hoist height may be obtained by forming the traction members as piston and cylinder units which are retracted during hoisting and which may therefore be less expensive and less heavy for larger stroke distances than units which are extended during hoisting.

Space may be saved and a contribution made to reducing the width of the truck by making each support of fork-like construction with a pair of limbs which project downwards from the hoist table and define between them a space within which is located the pertaining piston and cylinder unit.

In another embodiment of the invention having a plurality of piston and cylinder units within the space defined by the downward extrapolation of the vessel, each intermediate member consists of a Ushaped frame of stirrup for surrounding the housing of a ball joint by means of which the pertaining piston and cylinder unit is articulated to a pair of traction members.

The U-shaped frame may be provided with respective bearers, all of which taken together constitute the hoist table. The advantage of this arrangement lies in a double articulation of the hoist table and an improved adaption of the hoist table to the vessel. The hoist table should be able to deform resiliently under the load of the vessel which can amount to several hundred tons and compensation of this deformation can easily be achieved by this arrangement.

The term "hoist table", as used herein, is to be understood to mean any form of support by which the vessel is carried during exchange or transport. In the sense of this definition, the hoist table may consist, for example, of an annular bearing which may be considered to have an infinite number of bearing points, or of at least three and preferably four separate bearers. Adaption of the hoist table to the vessel may be further increased by providing each Ushaped frame in the form of a casing which is open to its underside and which surrounds the housing of the ball joint with a clearance.

An arrangement in which the bearers are provided on or constituted by such Ushaped frames but in which independent movement is not permitted, may by achieved by rigidly interconnecting all of the U-shaped frames by rods which, when viewed in plan, are arranged to form a polygon. To allow access to be gained to the space beneath the vessel, the piston and cylinder units and the associate intermediate members are preferably spaced apart in the direction longitudinally of the truck such that there is on each longitudinal side of the truck an access opening into this space.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, a vertical guide column is arranged centrally between bearers constituting the hoist table. The column is displacable vertically in a guide housing and may consist of a single or multistage piston and cylinder unit. Each of a plurality of traction members is articulated at its other end to a cross-head of the guide column and an intermediate member is articulated to each traction member. This arrangement makes possible not only the construction of a narrow truck but also a degree of horizontal displacement of the hoist table within a range of about 30 to 70 mm. Each traction member may consist of a piston and cylinder unit, one or other of the piston and cylinder being articulated to the guide column and the other to the associated intermediate member by means of a ball joint.

In the various embodiments and modifications referred to above, the hoist table may include or consist of bearers in the form of short-stroke piston and cylinder units which may be mounted on the abovementioned U-shaped frames in any embodiment in which such frames are incorporated. Finally, the overall height of the truck may be reduced by providing the inner chassis part with downwardly extending recesses for receiving the intermediate member or the piston and cylinder unit or units supporting the intermediate members.

The invention will now be described in greater detail but by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figures 1 to 5 each show a respective embodiment of vessel-exchange truck in vertical longitudinal section, Figure 6 is a plan view of the truck shown in Figure 5, Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal section to a sixth embodiment of the invention, and, Figure 8 is a plan view of the truck shown in Figure 7.

All of the various embodiments of the invention which will now be described have a number of features in common and this basic construction will now be described with reference to Figure 1. As shown in this Figure, the vessel-exchange truck has a chassis 2 consisting of an inner chassis part 2a and an outer chassis part 2b provided with bogies. The wheels 3 and 4 of the bogies travel on a track 5 having a gauge of about 4300 mm compared with a gauge of about 6200 mm for the track of a conventional vessel-exchange truck.

The inner chassis 2a has a piston and cylinder units 6a and 6b which may be extended to bear on the ground surface between the rails of the track to thereby raise the truck. With the truck in its lifted position, the outer chassis part 2b may be rotated in a bearing 8 by means of a rotary drive not shown in the drawing in order to align the wheels with a second track at right angles to the track 5.

Supported by the outer chassis part is a hoist table 12 for supporting a vessel 21, possibly by way of short-stroke piston and cylinder units shown at 24a in Figure 1. The hoist table may be raised from the solid line position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in broken lines. In all embodiments of the invention, the means for raising the hoist table comprises at least one piston and cylinder unit acting on the hoist table by way of a traction member and an intermediate member connected rigidly to the hoist table and, in each case, the location of the piston and cylinder unit or units is within a space which is bounded by the extrapolation vertically of the outline of the vessel.

In each of the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 4, the hoist table is supported upon an extensible column which is located centrally of this space on the axis of the vessel and which may include a single stage piston and cylinder unit in accordance with Figures 1, 3 and 4 or a multi-stage piston and cylinder unit in accordance with Figure 2.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the central column includes a piston 11 slidable in a cylinder 10 which is supported in the hub 9 of the outer chassis part. Connected to the piston rod is a horizontal cross-head.

Connected to the cross-head are three traction members 13 arranged at the apices of a triangle when viewed in plan. As a modification a group of four or more traction members may be employed. Each traction member consists of a piston and cylinder unit having a cylinder 1 lea which is articulated to the cross-head by means of a ball joint 14a. The piston and cylinder units hang substantially vertically from the crosshead, and the rod 10c of each piston 10a is articulated by means of a ball joint 14b to the lower end of an intermediate member or support 22a which extends upwards beside the unit 13 and is rigidly connected to the hoist table 12.

In order to raise the vessel 21, hydraulic fluid is admitted to the cylinder 10 to raise the hoist table by the stroke of the piston 11.

Hydraulic fluid in then admitted to the cylinders 1 1a beneath the pistons 10a to retract to the piston rod 10c and raise the hoist table to the maximum hoisting height shown in broken lines. An advantage of this arrangement is that the piston and cylinder units forming the traction members are subjected to tensile stress rather than compression stress.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the traction members 13 are in the form of rods, the ends 1 3a and 1 3b of which are connected by ball joints 14a and 14b to the cross-head and intermediate 22a respectively. In this embodiment, the traction members 13 serve simply to transmit motion from the crosshead to the intermediate members.

Increased lifting height is achieved by use of an extensible central column formed by a multi-stage piston and cylinder unit consisting of a piston 11 connected by a piston rod 1 tub with the cross-head 16, and slidable within an inner cylinder 17 itself slidable within outer cylinder 10. During hoisting, the piston 11 is raised in a first stage of operation, while in a second stage of operation the cylinder 17 operates as a piston and is raised within the cylinder 10.

The embodiment shown in Figure 3 is similar to that shown in Figure 2 in that the traction members are formed as rods or tubes and have no lifting action, and similar to Figure 1 in that the hoisting action is achieved by a central column including a single piston 10 and cylinder 11.

The embodiment shown in Figure 4 is similar to that shown in Figure 1 in that the traction members 13 are formed as piston and cylinder units. However, in this embodiment, the traction members serve as the sole means for raising the hoist table and the central column consists of a guide housing 19 for a central column 18 but has no provision for displacing the central column. In this embodiment, the piston rods 10c may be regarded as traction members connecting the pistons 10a to the intermediate members 22a and 22b.

It is clear from Figures I to 4 that all of the piston and cylinder units are disposed within the space bounded by the substantially cylindrical extrapolation of the outline of the vessel. In Figure 5, this space is indicated at 20. Such an arrangement of the piston and cylinder units is disadvantageous as far as operation and hoist height of the hoist table is concerned, but compensation for this disadvantuge is provided by the use of the intermediate members 22 which extend downwards from the hoist table.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A vessel-exchange truck and a metallurgical vessel, for example a steel works converter, said truck comprising relatively rotatable inner and outer chassis parts; the outer chassis part being provided with wheels for supporting the truck for movement along a track, the inner chassis part being provided with means which is extensible to engage the ground and lift the truck into a piston wherein the outer chassis part may be rotated to align its wheels with a second track; a hoist table (as hereinbefore defined) supporting the metallurgical vessel during exchange or transport, the hoist table being supported and movable vertically by means of at least one vertically arranged piston and cylinder unit disposed within a space bounded by the extrapolation vertically of the outline of the vessel, the or each piston and cylinder unit being articulated to the upper end of a traction member which is articulated at its lower end to an intermediate member rigid with the hoist table.

2. A truck and vessel according to Claim I, including a plurality of such piston and cylinder units, distributed within the said space.

3. A truck and vessel according to Claim 2, wherein the intermediate member associated with each piston and cylinder unit consists of a support extending downwards from the hoist table.

4. A truck and vessel according to Claim 3, wherein each support includes a plurality of limbs defining between them a space within which is located the associated piston and cylinder unit.

5. A truck and vessel according to Claim 2, wherein each intermediate member consists of a U-shaped frame of stirrup form surrounding the housing of a ball joint by means of which the piston and cylinder unit is articulated to associated traction members.

6. A truck and vessel according to Claim 5, wherein each U-shaped frame forms a casing which is open to its underside and surrounds the housing of the ball joint with a clearance.

7. A truck and vessel according to Claim 6, wherein the U-shaped frames associated with all of the piston and cylinder units are interconnected by rods which, when viewed in plan, are arranged to form a polygon.

8. A truck and vessel according to any of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the piston and cylinder units and the intermediate members associated therewith are so arranged that there is on each longitudinal side of the truck an access opening into the space beneath the vessel.

9. A truck and vessel according to Claim 1, including a vertical guide column arranged centrally between bearers constituting the hoist table, each of a plurality of traction members being articulated at its upper end to a cross-head of the guide column and an intermediate member being articulated to each traction member, and the column being displacable vertically in a guide housing.

10. A truck and vessel according to Claim 9, wherein the guide column comprises a piston and cylinder unit.

11. A truck and vessel according to Claim 10, wherein the guide column comprises a multi-stage piston and cylinder unit.

12. A truck and vessel according to any of Claims 9 to 11, wherein each traction member comprises a piston and cylinder unit, in which one or other of the piston and cylinder is articulated to the guide column and the other to the associated intermediate member.

13. A truck and vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the hoist table includes or consists of bearers in the form of short-stroke piston and cylinder units.

14. A truck and vessel as claimed in Claim 13, when appended to Claim 5, wherein the bearers are arranged on the U-shaped frames.

15. A truck and vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner chassis part has downwardly extending recesses for receiving the intermediate member or the piston and cylinder unit or units supporting the intermediate members.

16. A truck and vessel as claimed in claim and substantially as hereinbefore

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. It is clear from Figures I to 4 that all of the piston and cylinder units are disposed within the space bounded by the substantially cylindrical extrapolation of the outline of the vessel. In Figure 5, this space is indicated at 20. Such an arrangement of the piston and cylinder units is disadvantageous as far as operation and hoist height of the hoist table is concerned, but compensation for this disadvantuge is provided by the use of the intermediate members 22 which extend downwards from the hoist table. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A vessel-exchange truck and a metallurgical vessel, for example a steel works converter, said truck comprising relatively rotatable inner and outer chassis parts; the outer chassis part being provided with wheels for supporting the truck for movement along a track, the inner chassis part being provided with means which is extensible to engage the ground and lift the truck into a piston wherein the outer chassis part may be rotated to align its wheels with a second track; a hoist table (as hereinbefore defined) supporting the metallurgical vessel during exchange or transport, the hoist table being supported and movable vertically by means of at least one vertically arranged piston and cylinder unit disposed within a space bounded by the extrapolation vertically of the outline of the vessel, the or each piston and cylinder unit being articulated to the upper end of a traction member which is articulated at its lower end to an intermediate member rigid with the hoist table.

16. A truck and vessel as claimed in claim and substantially as hereinbefore

described with reference to and as illustrated in any of Figures 1 to 4, or Figures 5 and 6, or Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.