US1692976A - Muffle for sintering machines - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH CHARLES DEVICK, OF HELENA, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SMELT- ING AND BEFINING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. 55., A. CORPORATION OF JERSEY.

MUFFLE FOR SINTERINGMACHINES.

Application filed August 21, 1925. Serial No. 51,562.

My invention relates to an ignition device for firing the charge of ore on a moving grate, such as is found in a sintering machine.

It is usual in such constructions to position an open bottom mufileor hood above the top of the moving charge to be fired and eject liquid fuel into the muflie in such a manner that the down draft of air through the charge on such machines willdraw the flamesfrom the burning fuel in the muffle down into the charge to ignite the same.

Such muifles have been formed with a metallic frame hung above the moving grate or conveyor and lined with fire resisting material. Care has been taken in the past to pre vent the fire or too great heat from reaching the metal frame, but the metal frame has warped and burned through at times due to] the fire resisting material being broken away and toot-her causes in spite of such care.

According to this invention a muflie is made up for the most part of fire resisting material. The only metal associated with the burner is a single. beam from which the various sections making up the mufiie are hung, and a single external clamping device for clamping the sections together. If a section of the mufll-e burns out, as will occasionally happen in practice, it can be replaced with a minimum amount of labor. Furthermore, the invention makes provision allowing parts of the muffle to expand or-contract with changes in temperature without detrimental results to the fragile refractory fire resistingmaterial. .The metal parts are so positioned that they are subjected to a minimum amount of heat and the possibility of fire directly touching them is remote.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of oneform of mechanism embodying my invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also consists'in certain new and novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and-claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one form of mechanism embodying the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a muffle showing in broken lines the, moving conveyor or grate;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof showing the opening to the burner chamber;

F ig. 3 is a rear elevation; I I

Figtt is a section on the line l4-of Fig.1 through the combustion chamber; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of one end of the muffie showing the outline of the burner chamber.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific namesfor convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. a

Referring now to the drawing, the muflie illustratedcomprises abu'rner section 1, an end closuresection 3 and a plurality of like intermediate sections 2 therebetween.

The burner section 1 is preferably made of a refractory material such as fire clay'with a flat base wall 4 and arched wall 5 surgether making up an open bottom combustion chamber 9 Whose walls are coextensive with the inner opening of the burner chamber. The lower ends of the intermediate sections are disposed above the charge on the movable conveyor 7 but preferably close thereto.

, An end closure section-3 is provided to close the end of the open bottom combustion chamber 9, and extends below the upper surface of the conveyor 7 alongside thereof in a manner similar to the burner section 1;

Each of the intermediate sections 2 is provided with a tongue 12 on one side and a groove 13 on the other extending throughout the extent of the arch wall thereof and coacting with similar cooperating grooves and tongues respectively on adjacent sections. The burner section 1 has a groove 14 and the end closure section 3 has tongue 15. 7

The upper end of each section is provided with an integral reduced attaching head 17 having an inverted T-shaped slot 18 in its top. The lower end of each section is necessarily enlarged to accommodate the comparatively large width of the combustion chamber while at the upper end of the section the size is smaller, the outer surface of each section converging upwardly.

The provision of these T-shaped slots 18 allows the sections tobe suspended by a support 19 above the conveyor which is well heatinsulated from the great heat inside the combustion chamber by the material of the sections. The T-shap-ed slots allow easy assembly of the sections on the support 19 and easy removal in case a section should become defective.

To mount the muffle in position the various sections are threaded in order on an I beam or other support 19 situated above the traveling conveyor 7, the end sections in the assembled muffle being positioned on opposite sides of the conveyor with the intermediate sections therebetween over the conveyor. To clamp the sections together and to hold them in assembled relation and also to prevent the tongue and groove joints between the sections from leaking, a clamping device 20 is provided. The clamping device comprises end clamping plates 21 located between the reduced attaching heads and the enlarged lower ends of the sections, and rods 22 embracing the attaching heads and resting against the enlarged lower ends connecting the plates. The rods may be threaded to take nuts which may bear against the outer surfaces of the end plates 21.

It is, of course, obvious that sufficient material must be provided in the attaching heads 17 to obviate the possibility of the sections breaking due to their own weight. Also, it is obvious that the T-shaped slots should be made larger than the T-shaped end of the I-beam or other support 19, so that expansion of the support will not split the sections. Furthermore, the provision of the clamping device outside of the sections results in freedom from breakage because if the clamping device expands, the sections merely will become clamped less tightly.

in operation a burner (not shown) will be provided in the burner chamber 6 and will eject suitable fuel into the combustion chamber 9. The burner chamber and combustion chamber together form an ignition chamber where the incoming fuel will be burned with suflicient air to produce intense heat which almost immediately ignites the charge on the conveyor.

It will easily be seen that the improved device can be made cheaply and is rugged, simple and eflicient in operation. The sections will be made of fire resisting material such as fire clay, and due to the design of the muffle the parts may be made very large tails of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my I invention.

1 claim: r p p 1.. A muffle comprisinga plurality of one piece arch shaped sections of fire resisting material having a fuel ignition chamber, intel-fitting means between adjoining sections around said chamber, and a clampingdevice for clampingsaid sections together including an elongated member extending between end sections. V

2. A muflie comprising a plurality of sections of fire resisting material having a fuel ignition chamber, said sections having en larged lower portions and reduced upper attaching heads, and an external clamping device surrounding said attaching heads for clamping said sections together,

3. A muffle comprising a plurality of one piece arch shape sections of fire resisting material having a burner chamber and an open bottom combustion chamber, said sections having enlarged lower portionsanol reduced upper attaching heads, said sections having tongue and groove connections surrounding said chamber, and an external clamping device surrounding said attaching heads for clamping'said sections together.

4. A muflle comprising an end burner section having a burner chamber therein, an

intermediate section having an open bottom' compartment forming an open bottom combustion chamber coextensive with said burner chamber, an end closure section for closing the end of said combustion chamber, said sections being made of fire resisting material and being provided with integral attaching heads at the tops thereof, said attaching heads being provided wit-h coextensive openings for suspension from a support, and a clamping device for clamping said sections together. a I V 5. A muffle comprising an end burner section having a burner chamber therein, an

intermediate section having an open bottom compartment forming an open bottom combustion chamber coextensive with said burner chamber, an end closure section for closing the end of said combustion chamber, said sections having attaching heads at their upper ends provided With means for suspension from a support, and an external clamping device for clamping said sections together.

6. A muffle comprising a plurality of sections of fire resisting material having a fuel ignition chamber, said sections having attaching means at their upper ends for suspension from a support, and a clamping device for clamping said sections together.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH CHARLES DEVICK.

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