GB2247203A

GB2247203A - Tundish supply arrangement in a continuous casting apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2247203A
Application number: GB9113756A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Takao Inoue
Original assignee: Hitachi Zosen Corp
Current assignee: Hitachi Zosen Corp
Priority date: 1990-06-28
Filing date: 1991-06-25
Publication date: 1992-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2011-06-25
Also published as: DE4121012A1; GB9113756D0; JPH0426653U; ATA125391A; JP2511600Y2; AT403669B; DE4121012C2; GB2247203B

Description

SPECIFICATION

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Tundish exchange apparatus for a continuops casting equipment FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tundish exchange apparatus for a continuous casing equipment for receiving molten steel from a ladle into a tundish and supplying it to a mold.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A pouring position is a position where the molten steel is poured into a tundish and is allowed to flow therefrom to a mold. It is most common to interpose the pouring position between two stand-by positions in such a manner that these three positions lie on a straight course. Two tundish cars movable through a traveling rail are provided so that, for example, a tundish car is moved from one side toward the pouring position, molten steel is received into a tundish from a ladle, and the molten steel is poured into a mold through a sliding nozzle. After the pouring work ends, the tundish car is returned toward the stand-by position and then another tundish car on the other side is moved to the pouring position for working. At the stand-by positions are disposed residual steel and slag discharge apparaus, sliding nozzle exchange apparatus, and preheating apparatus for the tundishes respectively, so that residual steel and slag in the tundishes are discharged therefrom to repair inner walls thereof and each sliding nozzle is exchanged and the tundishes are preheated.

In such construction, the residual steel and slag discharge apparatus is required for the respective stand-by positions, thereby creating the problem in that the cost of equipment becomes high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a tundish exchange apparatus for a continuous casting equipment for solving the abovementioned problem.

In order to solve the above problem, firstly, the tundish exchange apparatus of the present invention is so constructed that on a working floor are endlessly provided traveling rails for guiding two tundish cars which are movable loading the tundishes respectively, at a predetermined position on the travel-ing rail is provided a position where a mold is provided for pouring therein molten steel, and stand-by positions, on which the residual steel and slag discharge apparatus are provided respectively, are set at the positions different from the pouring position.

Secondly, two whirling arms each loading at the utmost end the tundish are disposed rotatably around the same axis, the pouring station provided with the mold is provided at the predetermined position on the whirling route through which each tundish moves, and the stand-by stations provided with residual steel and slag discharge apparatus are set at the positions on the whirling route different from the pouring station.

In the above-mentioned construction each tundish is moved by the tundish car or the whirling arm on the endless route or the whirling route, whereby one stand-by position need only be provided, thereby enabling the cost of equipment to be lower by half than the conventional one.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a general plan view of a first embodiment of a tundish exchange apparatus of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of a tundish car used in the firsLembodiment, Fig. 3 is a side view of a residual steel and slag discharge apparatus used in the same, Fig. 4 is a side view of a hanger used in the same, Fig. 5 is a general plan view of a second embodiment of the tundish exchange apparatus of the present invention, Fig. 6 is a sectional side view of the second embodiment, and Fig. 7 is a general plan view of the conventional tundish exchange apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A comparison of the present invention with the prior art will help make the features of the former conspicuous.

In case of the prior art apparatus shown in Fig. 7, a pouring position (a) is interposed between two stand-by positions (b) and (c) in such a manner that these three positions lie on a straight course. Two tundish cars 5 movable through traveling rails 4 are provided, so that, for example, the tundish cars 5 are moved from the right side in the drawing toward the molten steel pouring position (a), molten steel is received into a tundish 6 from the ladle 3, and the molten steel is poured into a mold 2 through sliding nozzles. After the pouring work ends, the tundish car 5 is returned toward the stand-by position W and then that 5 at the left side is moved to the pouring position (a) for working. At the stand-by positions (b) and (c) are disposed residual s.teel and slag discharge apparatus, sliding nozzle exchange apparatus, and preheating apparatus for the tundishes 6 and 7 respectively, so that residual steel and slag in the tundishes 6 and 7 are discharged therefrom to repair inner walls thereof and each sliding nozzle is exchanged and the tundishes 6 and 7 are preheated.

Next, a first embodiment of a tundish exchange apparatus of the pesent invention wil-I be explained in accordance with Figs. I through 4.

As shown in Fig. 1, a pair of inside and outside circular traveling rails 12 are disposed on a working floor 11, and on the rails 12 are movably guided two first and second tundish cars 13 and 14. Tundishes 15 are detachably loaded on the first and second tundish cars 11 and 14 respectively and revolvable in the direction of the arrow A between-the molten steel pouring position (d) and the standby position (e) of tundish 15 symmetrical with the position (d) on the traveling rails 12 (a circular route 16). Ladles 17 disposed above the pouring position (d) and stand-by position (e) are alternately used by a turret (not shown) revolvable coaxially with the traveling rails 12.

At the stand-by position (e) or between the stand-by position (e) and the pouring position (d), for example, at the position as shown by the twodot chain line in Fig. 1, one tundish 15 is prepoured 1 1 i 1 i 1 therein with molten steel and, when the pouring into the mold 20 from the other tundish 15 is finished, the other tundish 15 is immediately moved in the direction of the arrow A and thereafter the one tandish 15 is moved toward the pouring position (d) and simultaneously therewith the pouring into the mold 20 is adapted to enable the pouring to start. Thus, when such operation is compared with the conventional operation that, just after an empty tundish 15 reaches the pouring position (d), the ladle 17 provided thereat pours the molten steel into the tundish 15, a working time can be reduced to that extent.

Referring to Fig. 2, the first and second tundish cars 13 and 14 each have traveling wheels 18 guided on the traveling rails 12, and support jacks 19 are upwardly disposed at four front, back, leftward and rightward positions, thereby supporting the tundish 15 vertically movably from below. The tundish 15 is about rectangular extending tangentially of the traveling rails 12 when viewed in the plane and is provided at the bottom with a pair of left and right sliding nozzles 21 corresponding to the mold 20 and has an overflow weir extending inwardly from the central portion and being open. In addition, reference numeral 23 designates the forward moving direction of a strand from the mold 20. At both lateral ends are projected hanging shafts 24 regular-octagonal in section. The hanging shafts 24, when viewed radially of the traveling rail 12, is disposed outwardly of the center G of gravity (in Fig. 3) of tundish 15 with respect to the rails 12.

At the stand-by position (e) are disposed a residual steel andslag discharge apparatus 25, a sliding nozzle exchange apparatus 26 and a repair and preheating apparatus 27. At the residual steel and 1 slag discharge apparatus 25, as shown in Fig. 3, a pair of left and right guide rails 28 extending radially outwardly of the traveling rails 12 fr om above the stand-by position (e) are disposed on a support beam 29, a self-traveling system slanted turntable truck 30 being movably disposed on the guide rails 28. At the slant turntable truck 30 are vertically movably provided a pair of left and right hangers 31 for engageably or disengageably therewith or therefrom the hanging shafts 24 of tundish 15, at the hangers 31, as shown in Fig. 4 a retainer 33 of a hook 32 open at the stand-by position (e) ib angularly formed corresponding to the hanging shaft 24 and, at the upper portion of retainer 33, a fixing pin 34 for pressing the upper surface of hanging shaft 24 if provided at the upper portion of the retainer 33 in relation of advancing or retracting trough an engaging or disengaging cylinder 35. Also, at the slant turntable truck 30 is provided an attitude return apparatus for returning the tundish 15 from its vertical to horizontal attitude, the attitude return apparatus is not shown, but the tundish 15 is hooked to be lifted by a winch for rotation.

Accordingly, for example, the slant turntable truck 30 is moved to the stand-by'position (e) where the second tundish car 15 reaches, the hook 32 is engaged with the handing shaft 24, the engaging or disengaging cylinder 35 allows the fixing pin 34 to project by the engaging or disengaging cylinder 35 to press the upper surface of hanging shaft 24, the tundish 15 is lifted in the horizontal attitude while preventing the tundish 15 from rotation so as to be carried to the residual slag dicharge position M and retract the fixing pin 34, whereby the tundish 15 is turned by an angle of 90 " from its horizontal attitude to the vertical attitude so as to enable the slag 1 1 1 i i to be discharged from the overflow weir 22 (in Fig. 2) to a slag discharge pot 36.

On.the working floor 11 in the vicinity of the slag discharge position (f) are disposed the sliding nozzle exchange apparatus 26 and a repair and preheating apparatus 27 having a dry preheating nozzle, by which inner wall of tundish 15 is repaired after the residual steel and slag are discharged, the sliding nozzle 21 (in Fig. 2) are exchanged, and the tundish 15 is preheated to be ready for the next use.

The tundish 15 after the preheating is restored from its vertical attitude to the horizontal and the slant turntable truck 30 is moved from the steel and slag discharge position to the stand-by position so as to be reloaded on the second tundish car 14.

The second tundish car 14, when near an exchange period, is premoved to the vicinity of the molten steel pouring position (d) shown by the phantom line in Fig. 1, whereby the tundish can rapidly be exchanged so as to demonstrate the effect on the continuous casting of the different kind of steel.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, a second embodiment of the tundi4h exchange apparatus for the continuous casting apparatus of the invention is show, which is so constructed that two first and second whirling arms 41 and 42 detachably loading at the utmost ends the tundishes 15 are disposed revolvably around the same vertical axis 43, the molten steel pouring station (g) provided with a mold is provided at the predetermined position on a whirling route 40 through which the tundish 15 moves, and the stand-by station (h) provided with a residual steel and stage discharge apparatus is positioned symmetrically with the pouring station (g) with respect to the vertical ax 1 s.

In other words, a ring-like-shaped pedestal 45 is disposed around a vertical support pole 44 erected on a working floor 11, and on the pedestal 45 are rotatably supported the roots of the first and second whirling arms 46 and 47 through bearings 46 and 47 respectively. At the root of the second whirling arm 42 is formed a ring-like-shaped space 48 around the vertical support pole 44, and a second ring gear 49 is mounted at the bottom of the outer periphery of the space 48. A second driving gear 52 engageable with the second ring gear 49 is mounted to a second driving shaft 51 which is vertically provided between the vertical support pole 44 and the pedestal 45 and supported to the vertical support pole 44 through a bearing 50, so that the second whirling arm 42 is whirled by a second whirling motor 53 connected to the second driving shaft 51. On the other hand, a first ring gear 54 is mounted at the bottom of the root of the first whirling arm 41, a first driving gear 57 engageable wtih the first ring gear 54 is mounted to a first driving shaft 56 which is vertically provided between the vertical support pole 44 and the pedestal 45 to be supported to the vertical pole 44 through a bearing 55 and perforates the space 48 at the second whirling arm 42, so that the first whirling arm 41 is whirled by a first whirling motor 58 connected to a first driving shaft 56. In addition, at the upper portion of the vertical support pole 44 are disposed rotary joints 59 for supplying a drive source or the like to the respective tundishes 15.

At the steel and slag discharge position are provided, not shown but as well-known in the art, the residual steel and slag discharge apparatus which discharges the residual steel and slag while loading the tundishes 15 on the whirling arms 41 and 42 or hanging them to i 1 be slanted, and the repair apparatus and preheating apparatus for the tundish.

As seen form the above, the tundish exchange apparatus of the present invention can move the tundishes on the endless route or the whirling route by the tundish cars or the whirling arms, whereby one stand-by position need only be set so as to enable the cost of equipment to be reduced by half in comparison with the conventional apparatus. Moreover, the tundish after discharging therefrom the residual steel and slag and being repaired and preheated, when near the tundish exchange, stands by in the vicinity of the molten steel pouring position by moving the tundish car or by whirling the whirling arm, whereby the tundish can quickly be exchanged so as to be effective in the contionuous casting of different kinds of steel.

Although several embodiments have been described, they are merely exemplary of the invention and not to be constructed a:s limiting, the invention being defined solely by the appended claims.

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Claims

vhat is claimed is: 1 A tundish exchange apparatus for a continuous

casting equipment, having traveling rails endlessly laid on a working floor, two tundish cars movable on said traveling rails, a molten steel pouring position along said rails, and a stand-by position at the other position from the pouring position on said rails where a residual steel and slag discharge apparatus is provided.
2. A tundish exchange apparatus for a continuous casting equipment having two whirling arms disposed to be capable of independently whirling around the same axis and allowing tundishes loaded on the utmost ends o f sa 1 d wh i r I i ng arms to move on the same wh 1 r I i ng route respect i ve I y, a molten steel pouring station disposed at one position along said whirling route and provided with a mold, and a stand-by station disposed at the other position along said whirling route and provided with a residual steel and slag discharge apparatus.
3. A tundish exchange apparatus for a continuous casting equipment substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

Published 1992 at The Patent Oflice, Concept House. Cardiff Road, Newport. Gwent NP9 I RH. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. Cwrnfelinfach, Cross Keys, Newport. NP l 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid, St Mary Cray. Kent.

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