US2017385A - Apparatus for stripping ingot molds - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 15, 1935. p ANDERSON 2,017,385

- APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING INGOT Moms Filed Oct. 19, 1933 V 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE David P. Anderson,

The Alliance Machine Company, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 19, 1933, Serial No.

Pittsburgh, la., assignor to Alliance,

2'Claims. (01.22-95) This invention relates to a novel apparatus for stripping ingot molds, and particularly to those that are known as being of the big-end-up" type, although not limited thereto.

In the past, it has been customary in the vast majority of open-hearth steel plants to cast inmethods and apparatus gots in heavy, vertical, cast-iron molds, having a slight taper, with the smallest area adjacent the top, and which is open at both ends. When teeming or pouring the ingot, the molds are placed on flat cast-iron plates or stools which are mounted on especially adapted ingot mold cars. After a heat or ladle full of steel is teemed into a row of molds, and the molten metal has sufiiciently solidified, a train of ingot mold cars, carrying the molds and ingots, is transported to an ingot stripper for removal of the mold, after which the ingots are charged into a soaking pit or reheating furnace.

The conventional ingot stripper" is in the form of an electric overhead traveling crane under which are two or more pairs of parallel tracks, on one of which the train of loaded ingot mold cars is adapted to stand. On an adjoining track a train of empty ingot mold cars carrying stools only is placed. The stripping mechanism depends from the overhead crane, and operates in such manner as to seize on its side by means of a pair of links, lift them vertically ofi of the ingot and place them on 'the empty stools on the ingot mold cars on the adjoining tracks.

There have been several recent developments in the form of ingots and molds-which are calculated to improve the soundness of the metal of the ingots. Oneof these developments contemplates the reversal of the taper in the mold, making it what is now known as the big-end-up type. Another advance has been to provide a refractory hot-top to provide a sink-head or shrink-head on top of the ingot.

It is, of course, obvious to those skilled in the art that the acceptance of the superior big-endup mold has necessitated the provision of new for stripping and han-. dling the ingots and molds. Due to the small reduced end of the ingot, it can no longer stand unsupported for transportation to the soaking pit or reheating furnace after stripping, as was the usual practice. It is not feasible to "upend" ingots or lay them down upontheir sides,

- as the metallurgical characteristics of the ingots would be badly affected.

In view of the foregoing, it has become common practice to loosen the ingot in the mold at the molds by lugs cast 'ing the apparatus in 'The screw D may the ingot stripper and to then leave it in the mold for transportation to the soaking pit, where it is withdrawn and charged into the furnace. The conventional soaking pit cranes are provided with tongs for lifting purposes only, and it is 5 therefore necessary to convey the molds and ingots to the stripper for feeling the ingot, and to force loose what are known as stickers.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a novel apparatus for stripping ingots, 10 regardless of how tightly they may be frozen? to the ingot mold.

Another object is to provide a novel and inexpensive means for stripping ingot molds in a very rapid manner by the exertion of a camming 5 action on the top of the ingot mold, causing the ingot to moveupwardly with respect'thereto.

A further object is to provide a novel apparatus of the class described which is simple in design and may be easily and cheaply manufactured and 20 used in conjunction with conventional types of lifting mechanism forming a part of standard mill equipment.

The foregoing and still further objects will be apparent after referring to the drawings, in 25 which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation showing an ingot moldand part of the apparatus in section.- 0

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but showing the apparatus in another stage of operation.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showstill another stage of op- 35 eration.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line V-'-V of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

.the letters A indicate a pair of tracks on which 40 an overhead crane B is adapted to travel. A conventional overhead crane trolley C is adapted for movement on the crane B and supports a vertically disposed screw D and reels E and F.

spect to the overhead trolley C by means of a motor G. while the reels E and F maybe rotated by means of motors H and 1, respectively.

A pair of cables J is secured to the reel E while a similar pair 0! cables Kis secured to the reels A carriage 2 is supported by the cables 'J' and K and comprises gene an extended sleeve to which there is pivoted, as at a-pair of hoisting links 4 Milli-911888 3 surfaces 5 ontheir be moved vertically with re- 45 lower ends. The hoisting links 4 are moved about the pivots 3 by means of cables J and K, which are secured to the reels E and F.

The vertical screw D extends downwardly through the carriage 2 and has secured to its lowermost end a yoke 1 having connected to each of its ends a removable half-bearing 8 which is maintained in position by means of countersunk bolts 9 and nuts ID. A cam I 2 isprovided for each of the ends of the yoke 1 and each has a bearing surface l3 for frictional engagement with one of the bearings 8. The cams l2 are loosely pivoted to the ends 01' the yoke, as at II, and have curved surfaces l5 adjacent their lower ends and gripping teeth IS on their extremities.

An ingot mold l1, preferably corrugated, is provided with a lower portion ll of smaller area than the upper portion l1 thereof, making it as of the big-end-up" type. Suitable lugs I! are carried on the exterior of the ingot mold H for enabling its handling, and it is provided with a tapered aperture I9 extending through its bottom. A tapered plug 20 is disposed in the aperture l9 in such manner as to extend partially therethrough.

After molten metal has been teemed into the ingot mold l1 and the ingot solidified, as

, shown at 2|, both mold and ingot are transported away from the "pouring floor where it is desired to loosen them in order that they may be satisfactorily removed from the mold and placed in the usual soaking pit or reheating furnace.

According to the teaching of the present invention, the carriage 2 is lowered by means of the cables J and K in such manner as to enable the lug-engaging surfaces ,5 of the hoisting links 4' to be in. close proximity to the lugs l8, whereupon the reels E and F are adjusted relative to each other until the links are in lifting engagement. The carriage is then elevated, and the inset mold I1 is rotated in such manner as to cause.

it to descend and lower the yoke 1, bringing the curved bearing surfaces I 5 of the cams I2 in contact with the upper end of the ingot mold. The downward movement of the screw D is continuous, which causes the cams I! to fulcrum with their surfaces I 5 on the top of the ingot mold, and the teeth 16 to bite into the upper portion of the ingot II at a point adjacent the base of the hot-topfi', which has been .previously removed. Theteeth IS on the cams it are curved as at IS, in order to conform with the corrugated indentations 2| of the ingot.

Duetothei'actthatthecams liareloosely operation of the apparatus of the invention, and

while I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing'from the scope of my invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim: I I

1. Apparatus for stripping ingot molds comprising a carriage supported by an overhead crane, a pair of hoisting links. pivoted to said carriage and adapted to be moved'by said overhead crane, a vertically'movable rod mounted on said carriage and adapted for relative movement with respect thereto, a yoke mounted on said vertically movable rod, a removable bearing connected to each of the ends of said yoke, a cam pivoted to each of the ends of said yoke and having a bearing portion adapted to frictionally engage one of said removable bearings, said cams having secondary bearing surfaces adapted to fulcrum on the top of said ingot mold, and means associated with each of said cams for gripping the metal of the ingot in such a manner as to cause it to move upwardly with respect to said ingot mold when said cams are fulcrumed therein.

2. Apparatus for stripping ingot molds comprising a carriage supported by an overhead crane, a pair of hoisting links pivoted to said 40 carriage, a yoke adapted for vertical movement with respect to said carriage, said yoke being movable by said overhead crane, a freely-floating cam pivoted to each of the ends of said yoke, and means on said freely-floating cams for gripping the metal of the ingot, said cams being devoid of mechanical connection with said carriage and having surfaces adapted to fulcrum on the top of the ingot mold in such manner as to dispose said last named means in contact with the 50 ingot, whereby the ingot is caused to move upwardly with respect to said ingot mold solely by the vfulcruming movement of said freely-floating cams.

DAVID P. ANDERSON. 5

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