GB2178124A

GB2178124A - Device for coupling together two ducts which are laterally offset from each other

Info

Publication number: GB2178124A
Application number: GB08614919A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gernot Zahs; Hans-Jurgen Wahle; Frank Hoffman; Klaus-Peter Zienke
Original assignee: Vacmetal Gesellschaft fuer Vakuum Metallurgie mbH
Current assignee: Vacmetal Gesellschaft fuer Vakuum Metallurgie mbH
Priority date: 1985-07-25
Filing date: 1986-06-19
Publication date: 1987-02-04
Also published as: GB8614919D0; FR2585442A1; IT8648255A0; DE3526611C2; FR2585442B1; IT1195095B; GB2178124B; DE3526611A1

Abstract

A device for coupling together two ducts 2, 19 and 3 which extend end to end with, initially, a lateral offset between them to provide a uniformly loaded seal between them comprises an axially slidable sleeve 5 which is moved by a fluid pressure ram 10 to move the duct 19 axially towards the duct 3. To allow for the lateral offset of the ducts 19 and 3 in an upward and downward direction as seen in Fig. 1, the duct 19 is fixed to an compensating body 8 which is movable upwards and downwards against the action of springs 18 in a frame 9. To allow for offset in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 1, the frame 9 can swing laterally about the axis of the sleeve 5 on which it is mounted. The necessary alignment movements are brought about by the pushing of a conical tubular member 22, which rigidly surrounds the duct 19, over a conical spigot 27, which surrounds the duct 3, as the duct 19 is moved by the ram 10 and the sleeve 5 towards and into sealing engagement with the duct 3. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for coupling together two ducts which are laterally offset from each other This invention relates to a device for coupling together first and second ducts which are laterally offset from each other, for example for coupling a supply duct, which forms the first duct and leads from a stationary supply to a movable receiving duct which forms the second duct.

The accurate centring of two ducts to be coupled together end to end presents great difficulties, on account of the virtually unavoidable initial offset of the ducts, such as pipes, one from the other, and of the resultant accurate alignment of their connections. This is especially so in the case of heavy, traversing plant components, such as are found, for example, in steel works on the carriages for ladles or tanks. The pipes or other ducts must be coupled together in such a way that accurate centring suitable for all the usually very rough operating conditions is possible and also lateral forces on the seal between the ducts, which could lead to leakages and considerable wear, are avoided during coupling up.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device, for example for the coupling of a supply pipe between a stationary component and a movable component, by which even a fairly large lateral offset can be compensated to provide correct centring, and also a uniform loading of a seal in the coupling can be achieved, without lateral forces that would deform the seal.

To this end, according to this invention, a device as initially described comprises a sliding sleeve which is movable along an axis, a supporting pivot frame which is carried by the sleeve and is swingable transversely to the axis of movement of the sleeve, a compensating body which is mounted on the supporting frame to which it is movable in a direction towards and away from the axis of movement of the sleeve, and a duct connecting piece which forms the first duct, the connecting piece being carried by the compensating body and extending parallel to the axis of movement of the sleeve so that it is laterally and longitudinally movable for connection to the second duct.

With this device an automatically centring coupling between two pipes or other ducts can be achieved by partly superimposed, simultaneously occurring approach and lateral adjustment movements of a movable coupling part which is formed by the first duct in two mutually perpendicular directions.

In the approach of the sliding sleeve towards the second duct, the compensating body is simultaneously moved forwards therewith by the support frame and comes into contact with the second duct which may be a pipe extension of a stationary apparatus via the connection of the supply pipe. The pivot frame, which is preferably mounted by roller bearings on the sliding sleeve, swings about the sliding sleeve when a different offset of the two ducts is present, while, the distance of the compensating body from the axis of movement of the sleeve is adjusted to provide an aligned position of the two ducts.After centring, either the first duct can be caused to project from the compensating body or the entire compensating body and the first duct, which may be mounted for example by sliding plates in the support frame, together with the first duct which may be forwardly cantilevered can be pressed sealingly against or into the second duct.

The compensating body may slide on guide rods towards and away from the axis of the sleeve and may be mounted between springs which hold the compensating body, when in an unloaded state, in a central position.

Preferably, the sliding sleeve slides on a guide bar, which may be horizontal and the guide bars of the compensating body and also the guide bar of the sliding sleeve may be provided with dust-tight sleeves or sealing bellows, which protect the sensitive sliding surfaces from dust.

A double-acting fluid pressure cylinder or cylinders for moving the sliding sleeve and on the compensating body for moving the first duct are particularly suitable for providing the approaching and retracting movements of these movable parts relative to the stationary apparatus on which the device may be mounted.

The automatic centring of the ducts in the horizontal and vertical directions or other mutually perpendicular directions may be effected by a tube surrounding the pipe connection, one end of the tube being fixed to the compensating body and the other end of the tube carries an outwardly conically diverging tubular seating member. Opposite this member there is a conical spigot, which is fixed to the second duct and over which the conical member fits. In the forward movement of the structure composed of the sliding sleeve, the supporting frame and the compensating body, the conical tubular member moves onto the conical spigot of the movable apparatus. The frame swings about the sliding sleeve through an angle which depends upon the offset of the ducts from each other.Simultaneously, the compensating body moves from its central position where it is held by the springs on the guide rods, against the force of either one of the springs depending upon the direction of its movement. The approach movement of the first duct is not interrupted until the conical tubular member and the spigot fit sealingly against each other and engage fully with each other. After the final position has been reached, the first duct is pressed against the second duct by means of a pressing cylinder, which may be carried, like the first duct, by the compensating body. To enable the reaction force generated during the pressing to be withstood, spring-splayed pawl levers may be mounted around the periphery of the conical tubular member and these levers engage an entraining ring on the spigot of the second duct.The pawl levers, which are splayed apart by springs in the unloaded state, may be engaged in the forward movement of the first duct by means of noses into grooves of the spigot and are pressed, when further pressing-on takes place, inwards towards the second duct, which results in locking.

Alternatively, to resist the reaction forces, a centring arm encompassing in a fork-shaped manner the first duct may be used. This engages behind the spigot and fitting piece of the second duct. In this case, the pawl levers can be omitted, because the fork-shaped centring arm, which engages for example into a groove between the wall of the movable apparatus and the spigot, has a centring action as well as being a counter-support for resisting the reaction forces which occur during pressing-on.

An example of a device in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of a supply line, connected to a first duct of a stationary apparatus and coupled by the device in accordance with the invention to a second duct of a movable apparatus; Figure 2 is a view from the left hand side of Figure 1 of the part of the device, including the first duct which is mounted on the stationary apparatus.

A coupling mechanism 1 for coupling a supply pipe 2 which leads to a first duct 19 to a pipe extension 3, which forms a second duct of a movable apparatus 4, for example a ladle or tank carriage, comprises a sliding sleeve 5, a member 7, journalled on roller bearings 6 of the sliding sleeve 5, and a support frame 9 which is fixed to the member 7 and carries a compensating body 8 which is movable upwards and downwards, from left to right and right to left, and perpendicular to the plane of the paper. The sliding sleeve 5 is moved by a double-acting cylinder 10, which acts on the sleeve through its piston rod, on a guide rod 13. The rod 13 is enclosed in a dust-tight manner on both sides of the sliding sleeve 5 by sealing bellows 11, for example rubber sleeves.The adjusting cylinder 10 is pivotally mounted in a bearing block 14 of a transverse wall 16, which is flanked by channel beams 15 on both sides, of a stationary apparatus, which is not further illustrated.

In the support frame 9 are two vertical guide rods 17, on which the compensating body 8 is held in a central position by springs 18 on both sides.

The compensating body 8 carries the first duct 19 which forms a pipe connection of the supply pipe 2 and it also carries a doubleacting pressing-on cylinder 20. The pipe connection 19, which projects beyond the compensating body 8, is encased by a tube 21, one end of which is fixed to the compensating body 8, for example by welding, and the other end of which carries an outwardly conically diverging seating funnel 22. Three pawls 23 are disposed around the inside of the circumference of the tube 21, and in the forward movement (that to the left in Figure 1) of the coupling mechanism 1 towards the apparatus 4, the pawls are caused by a ring-like entraining device 24, of the compensating body 8 to pivot so that nose-like projections 25 on them engage in grooves 26 of a conical spigot 27.

The spigot 27 has a connection end 28 of the pipe extension 3 disposed centrally within it.

For joining the connecting end 28 of the pipe extension 3 to the supply pipe 2, the cylinder 10 moves the sliding sleeve 5 on the guide rod 13 towards the conical spigot 27 and the seating funnel 22 slides over the spigot 27 over which its fits. Depending upon the lateral offset of the ducts 19, from each other, the member 7 together with the support frame 9 and the compensating body 8 disposed therein, swing about the axis of the sliding sleeve 5. At the same time, the compensating body 8 is pressed against the force either of the lower or of the upper spring 18 on the guide rods 17 out of its central position. When fitting engagement of the seating funnel 22 and the spigot 27 is reached, the cylinder 10 is shut off and thus the movement of the sleeve is terminated. The pipe connection 19 is then moved by means of the pressing cylinder 20 into a final sealed position in the part 28 of the duct 3. The entraining device 24 engages the pawls 23 into the grooves 26 of the spigot 27. A locking system is now present, due to the pawls 23 being connected to the pipe connection 19.

This system resists the reaction forces that occur during pressing of the part 19 into the part 28. The separation of the movable apparatus 4 from the coupling mechanism 1 takes place by a reverse sequence of operations.

Claims

1. A device for coupling together first and second ducts which are laterally offset from each other, for example for coupling a supply duct, which forms the first duct and leads from a stationary supply to a movable receiving duct which forms the second duct, the device comprising a sliding sleeve which is movable along an axis, a supporting pivot frame which is carried by the sleeve and is swingable transversely to the axis of movement of the sleeve, a compensating body which is mounted on the supporting frame to which it is movable in a direction towards and away from the axis of movement of the sleeve, and a duct connecting piece which forms the first duct, the connecting piece being carried by the compensating body and extending parallel to the axis of movement of the sleeve so that it is laterally and longitudinally movable for connection to the second duct.

2. A device according to Claim 1, in which the supporting frame is mounted by roller bearings on the sliding sleeve.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the compensating body slides on guide rods in the supporting frame and is acted upon on both sides by springs.

4. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the sliding sleeve is mounted on a guide rod.

5. A device according to Claim 4, in which the guide rods are surrounded by dust-tight sleeves or sealing bellows.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which double-acting fluid pressure cylinders are provided for moving the sliding sleeve and for moving the first duct axially relative to the compensating body.

7. A device according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which a tube surrounds the first duct and has one end fixed to the compensating body and at the other end carries an outwardly diverging conical tubular member which is arranged to fit over a conical spigot within which the second duct extends.

8. A device according to Claim 7, in which spring-splayed pawl levers are disposed around the inside of the tube, the pawl levers engaging under the action of an entraining device of the first duct, in grooves in the spigot when the tubular member is fitted over the spigot.

9. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which a centring arm, which encompasses the first duct in the manner of a fork engages behind the spigot when the tubular member is fitted over the spigot.

10. A device according to Claim 1, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.