GB808866A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for the remote control of electrode holders - Google Patents

Abstract

808,866. Furnace electrode holders. PECHINEY COMPAGNIE DE PRODUITS CHIMIQUES ET ELECTROMETALLURGIQUES. Oct. 26, 1956 [Oct. 28, 1955], No. 32757/56. Class 39(3) A furnace electrode is clamped between jaws moved by a system of levers to and from the electrode, and one or more counterweights 30 tend to close the jaws 14, 14<SP>1</SP> which are released by an actuating device such as a fluid pressure operated ram 25 overcoming the counterweight. The ram 25 may be single or double acting. A spring 15 between the jaws, which carry pivoted contacts engaging the electrode, tends to open them when the counterweight is overcome or takes up play in. the lever system. The-jaws 14, 14<SP>1</SP> are pivoted to two bell crank levers 16 pivoted to a link 18 between them. The outer ends of the levers 16 are connected through rods 17, 21 to a forked lever 23 pivoted on a fixed clamp arm 31. The upper end of the lever 23 is connected by a rod 24 to the piston rod 25a of a ram 25 operated by air or water and fixed by brackets 26 to the arm 31. The other end of the piston rod is connected by a cable 27 wound on the smaller pulley of a stepped pulley 28, the pulley of larger diameter carrying a counterweight 30 suspended inside a tubular column 32 carrying the arm 31. Two sets of superposed jaws are shown in Fig. 2, each set carrying rods 17 connected at their ends by vertical cross bars 20 centrally connected through rods 21 to the forked lever 23. In sulators 19, 22 prevent passage of current respectively from the rods 17 to the bar 20 and from the bars 20 to the rods 21. The link 18 and the bracket 26 are of non- magnetic steel. In Fig. 3 jaws 40 carrying pivoted contacts 42 are pivoted to arms 43 centrally pivoted at 53 to a fixed part 45 of the electrode support, the other ends of the arms 43 being connected through links 47 and bell crank levers 48 to the rods 17. In Fig. 4 (not shown) the links 47 and levers 48 are mounted on the outer side of the electrode, the arms 43 being pivoted at their inner ends to the fixed part 45 and centrally to the jaws 40. Two sets of closely superposed jaws 40 may be used. Each jaw includes several pivoted contact members 42 to engage the electrode and may have an enlarged portion 41 where it is pivoted at 50 to the lever 43 The parts of the lever system near the jaws may be thermally insulated from the electrode, which may be used in making chromium alloys. Air for operating the ram may be supplied through a three way valve to permit dust on the apparatus to be blown away. Specification 736,193 is referred to.