US2244671A - Coke-oven door mechanism - Google Patents

Description

I June 10, 1941. R, B 2,244,671

' coKE-pvsN DQOR MECHANISM Filed Dec. 2a, 1956 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTORS. RflG/YAR BERG, and GUSTAF EDW/IYSHLKV/SI ATTORNEY.

Patented June 10, 1941 COKE-OVEN DOOR MECHANISM Ragnar Berg and Gustaf Edwin Salkvist, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Koppers Company, a corporation of Delaware Application December 23, 1936, Serial No. 117,270

Claims.

The present invention relates to coking retort ovens and more especially to improvements in the latching means employed for supporting and retaining in the mouths of coking retort ovens the doors employed to seal the coking chambers from the outside atmosphere during the carbonization period.

An object of th present invention is the provision of a device for supporting and effecting the.

movement of the latch-bars of coke oven doors which is an improvement over those formerly employed in the art and which provides means for automatically regulating the stress that can be established between the latch-bars and the latch-hooks, and also, in consequence of such regulation, provides means for automatically limiting the. pressure with which the sealing edge of the door and the door-frame are brought into contact when said door is adjusted into operating position in the oven mouth.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the afore-mentioned type that is especially adapted to be actuated by mechanical means such as is for example disclosed in the co-pending patent of one of us applied for on May 1, 1936, and assigned S/N 77,311, said device having provisions for adjusting the position of the latch-bars in respect of the doors and other'improvements for protecting the sealing frames of doors, for example of the self-sealing type, from damage and permanent distortion which may occur as the result of employing excessive force on the latch-tightening means, and as will be evident from the hereinafter given description thereof.

Coke oven door latches are generally rotatably mounted on a pivot therefor on the door and also for a relative movement between the door and latch, in a direction inward and outward in respect of the door and in planes normal thereto in order to provide for tightening and loosening of the latches for the door. Hook means are provided to arrest them in their outward movement and the pressure established between the latchbars and said hooks is transmitted through their pivots to the door and provides the force required to move the door into sealing position against the door-frame attached to the oven face-plates. Releasing the stress between the latch-bars and the door-hooks relieves the pressure between the door and door-frame and allows said bars to be disengaged from said hooks and leaves the doors free to be removed from the oven mouth. This movement of the latch-bars has generally been provided in the prior art by means of threaded pins on which the latch-bars were mounted by means of a bore provided either with threads'that co-acted with those of said threaded pins, or the bore was unthreaded, and in this latter instance the threaded section of the latchsupporting pin eo-actedwith the threads of a supporting bracket ailixed to the door, but in both instances the stress between the latch-bars and latch-hooks resulted from pressure established between the threads of the latch-bar pins and their co-acting threads, and as is appreciated by those experienced in the art," the application of excessive torque -to this threaded pin may result in permanent distortion of the sealing edges. Consequently and more especially for those instances where it is preferred to actuate the latchbars by mechanical means, a device that will limit the amount of pressure that can be developed between the latch-bars and the doorhooks, irrespective of the magnitudeof the power source, will be an advantageous contribution to the art.

According to the present invention, the latchbars are held against the latch-hooks by means of spring pressure instead of pressure established between two or more co-acting threaded members, said spring being positioned between the door and the latch-bars and so disposed in respect of them that the resistance of said spring to compression is employed to hold the latchbars against the door-hooks, and the transfer of that resistance from the latch-bars leaves them free for easy disengagement from the latch-hooks, so that the oven door may be conveniently removed from the oven mouth. According to the present invention the latch-bars are also adjustably disposed in respect of the latch-spring so that the pressure imposed on the latches by said springs may be at all times maintained within preferred limits and excessive pressures avoided by simple and effective means. The invention has for further objects such other improvements and such other operative advantages or results as may be found to obtain in the processes or apparatus hereinafter described or claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and showing for purposes of exemplification a preferred apparatus in which the invention may be embodied and practised but without limiting the claimed invention specifically'to such illustrative instance or instances:

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of a coke oven door of the self-sealing type provided with a latch actuating means constructed inlhccofdance with the present invention;

. Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line II-JI of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken in a plane indicated bythe line Ill-J11 -of Figure l and showing a section of a cokev oven door and a latching device constructed according to the principle of the present improvement and showing a preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 4 is also a fragmentary horizontal section taken through a coke oven door and a latching device embodying the basic idea of the instant improvement but showing an alternative and more simple form thereof than shown in of the so-called self-sealing type for the purpose of the present description, although it is understood that the fundamental principle involved is applicable to a wide variety of coke oven doors, the door ID with the strengthening rib II is shown adjacent to the face plate I! that covers the jamb brick l3 of the heating wall. The face plate is supported against the jamb brick by the buckstay l4 that also serves as a vertical supporting and retaining means for the masonry of the heating wall of which jamb bricks form the end of each tier. The inner edge of the flanged face plate I2 is formed as. a plane surface l5 which extends entirely around the periphery of the oven mouth into which the refractory plug I 6, attached to the door I 0, is inserted during the carbonization period. The plane edge of the door-frame, which is separated from the refractory jamb brick by refractory packing material l1. co-acts with the flexible sealing edge I B attached to the oven door, when the latter is adjusted into position in the oven mouth. to form seal against the escape of distillation products through the space between the refractory plug and the jamb brick.

' Attached to the flange of the face plate I? is the latch-hook I 9 that is adapted to engage the latch-bar 20, and pressure established between these two members provides the force required 1 32 by bolts .35. A small section of sleeve 82 is furnished with a section having smaller diameter than the remainder, said section being cut with a coarse thread 36, preferably a double thread of the so-called Acme type. At its outer end and on the outer surface thereof said sleeve is threaded so that the threaded ring 8'! can be screwed thereon where it is prevented from turning by set-screw 38 that serves as a Dutch key. Rotatably mounted on the sleeve 32 is a shorter sleeve or ring-like member 39 that is recessed to to seat the oven door in the mouth of the cokin Figures 3 and 4 the bracket 25 is shown mounted on the door I (i by bolts 28. The pin 21, threaded at one end. is screwed into bracket 25 and is secured from turning by set-screw 28. At the inner end of pin 21 a collar 29 is provided, between which and slideable washer $0 is confined the helical spring 3| that is mounted onthe rigidly'held pin 21. The washer 30 is loosely mounted on said pin and is free to be moved under pressure of spring 3! along its lengthwise axis. That portion 33 of pin 21 between its supporting bracket and collar 29 is preferably square in cross-section. Flanged sleeve 32 is adapted to ride on collar 29 and washer 30, and is kept from turning on pin 21 by plate 36 that is provided with a square hole adapted to ride on squared section 33 of said pin. Plate at is bolted to --the flange at the inner end of sleeve receive the smaller ring 31, around which I! is adapted to rotate freely. Plate 40 is attached to the ring-like member 39 by the bolts 4| and at its center has a square hole. The crank arm 45 forms an integral part of plate 40 in Figure 3.

Within that section of sleeve 32 between threads 36 and plate 40 is positioned a short helical spring 42 having a coil diameter slightly less than the diameter of said sleeve.

The member 43 is a hollow hub-like part substantially round at its inner end where it is suitably provided with threads that are adapted to engage the threads 36 of the slideable sleeve 32 when said hub is rotated. The middle section of member 43 is of such cross-section as to pass easily through the coil of spring 42 and to travel preferably also without friction through the central square opening of plate 40. Whereas the member 43 at its inner section is essentially circular in cross-section, the middle section and outer end are square 'and both are adapted to be received into the square hole perforating plate 40 and the attached crank 45; by suitable rotation of said crank, the member 43 can be caused to travel inwardly or outwardly within the threads 36. At the end opposite that attached to the door bracket, a washer 46 of somewhat greater diameter than the adjacent portion of pin 21 is provided and held immobile against said pin by the nut 41. The fixed washer 46 serves to arrest and consequently limit the outward travel'of moveable washer 30 that is always under more or less pressure from helical spring 3|.

1 The latch-bar 20 is rotatably mounted on sleeve 32 and its spatial relationship in respect of the latch-hooks l9 and likewise its preferred position on said sleeve, may be adjusted by proper disposition of the washers 48. These washers are provided in a variety of thicknesses so that by selectively arranging them on one side or another of the latch-bar, the position of the latter relative to the oven door It) can be addusted within small limits. These washers as shown in Figure 5 are horseshoe shaped and are kept from turning by forming them each with a lug which is adapted to engage groove 54 provided for the purpose on the exterior surface of sleeve 32. as shown in Fig. 5, and shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings by dotted and dashed lines that are degrees out of the plane of the horizontal sections. In consequence of their configuration;

the washers 48 can be removed or interchanged without disassembling the latching device.

As aforementioned the crank 45 is fixedly mounted on plate 40, in Figure 3, and is provided for rotating hub 43 by mechanical means. The

- hub may however be turned by hand if preferred and by any suitably designed cranking means adapted to fit that portion of the hub extending beyond. crank 45 and provided for that purpose. The arm 49 is adapted for rotation around the median axis of the latching means by mechanical power. Rotatably attached to the arm 4! is the member 50 which is oonically shaped at one end so that in such instances as the arm 4| is brought into operating position for turning said crank 45 and these two members happen to abut each other end' to end, the conical surface of II will nevertheless guide said arm over the inclined side surfaces ii of the crank and allow the two members to come into lateral contact.

As will be noted in the accompanying fi ures. the oven door is in operating position and seals the mouth of the coking chamber, and the flexible sealing edge II is in slight pressure contact with the surface II where it is held by pressure of the latch-rod 2. against the door hooks I. which pressure in turn results from the pressure of the spring ll against washer 30 that is disposed to slide over pin 21. This pressure of the spring on 30 is transmitted to hub 48, thence to threads 38 of sleeve 32 thereby exerting a force that tends to move said sleeve outward from the by the latch-hooks forces the sealing-edge i. of "the oven door into pressure contact with the door-frame surface II. It should be noted that the latch-bar is preferably so disposed on sleeve member 32 of the invention by means of the transposable washers ll that when the oven door is in, closed, sealed and latched position, thethreads of hub 43 have preferably just been completely run through threads as of the sleeve member. With this preferred disposition of the latch on said sleeve, said hub may be subjected to any amount of further rotation without increasing the pressure between the latch-bar and the latch-hooks or between the sealing erke and frame, of the door. This feature is of great advantage when it is preferred to operate the rested while said hub is still contained within threads it if the latch-bars have been sumciently removed from contact with the latch-hooks, but for those instances where said hub is moved mechanically, it may occur that the actuating means will not always be stopped at precisely the same point and crank 65 may be rotated sui'liciently to pass the hub completely through said threads. In such event helical spring 42 will be compressed between plate ll and the hub. The pressure of spring 42 will then later operate to force and direct the threads of the hub into those of the sleeve when the former is rotated in a direction .to effect suchre-engagement. The threaded portions of the hub and sleeve are relatively short and consequently can travel only a comparatively short distance in respect of each other. Excessive compression of the springs on either side of the threaded section of the sleeve is oblatch actuating means from a power source, since it affords protection for both the latch and the sealing edge against excessive strains that might otherwise result from over-driving the latch actuating means. To relieve the latchrod of the pressure of spring ll against it so that it may be rotated about sleeve 32, and thereby disengaged from the door hooks thus leaving the door free for removal from the oven, the crank 45 is rotated in a manner to cause the hub 43 to reengage threads 36 of the sleeve 32, which operation causes said hub to move outwardly and so allows the spring ii to expand against washer .urAs the hub continues to move outward followed by Washer 30 slidingover pin 21, moveable washer 30 is eventually arrested in its movement vibusly impossible for as soon as the threaded members are disengaged from each other in either direction of travel, the hub may be rotated indefinitely without causing material damage. and the above-described improvement is therefore particularly advantageous for employment in coke-oven-installations where it is desired to operate the latches by mechanical means.

The herein described improvement is also of special utility when used in combination with self-sealing doors, since it provides protection against seating the flexible sealing edge against the door-frame with damaging or distorting pressure when closing the coking chamber. As indicated in the foregoing description, the washers provide means for adjusting the position they latch-bar will assume with respect to the latch-hooks when the oven door is seated in the ote'n mouth; in other words, these washers can be used to limit the pressure that the latch-bar will impress on the latch-hooks, and consequently the pressure of the door against the door frame. For example, it is apparent fromthe foregoing that the distance, through which the sleeve 12 and the latch-bar mounted thereon will travel, is determined by the lengths of the threaded sections on said sleeve and hub 43.

' thicknesses can be so disposed on either side of 55. the latch-bar 20 that said latch-bar will rest by washer It held rigidly against saidpin by nut pressure being applied thereto without havingestablished contact between the plate N and collar 29. In other words, the latch-rod and the supporting sleeve member should ride on the spring pressure when the door is in closed position.

The outward movement of hub 0 may be arwhen said hub has been so rotated that it is moved in the direction of the door and has completely passed through threads 36, in which position it is shown in Figure 3, the sleeve will advance no further in the direction of the latch hooks. with the sleeve and hub then in this relative position, the. washers 48 of different in only light contact with the latch hooks; or. the latch-bar can be moved further'outward along the sleeve and closer to the latch-hooks by respectively removing washers from one side of the latch-bar and inserting themon the other side thereof. In this manner much of the maximum pressure that can be exerted by the spring 3' may be used to impress the latch-bars on the latch hooks, or only a fraction thereof may be employed if preferred.

In Figure 4 is shown a latching device similar to that illustrated in Figure 3 and embodying the same basic idea but is an alternative form thereof that is considerably cheaper to construct. The 7 spring a in Figure which serves to assist huh designed for employment in combination with a limiting device which will shut off the source of power, used to rotate thecrank 45, when the threaded portion of the hub 43 will have traveled outwardly sufilolently to allow the latch-bar to be released from pressure contact with the latch-hooks. As is obvious this result can be effected without removing the threads of the hub from engagement with those of the sleeve supporting the latch-bar.

In Figure 4 the latch is shown in tightened position and the hub 43 has been so rotated as to carry its threads inwardly and completely out of engagement with the threaded sleeve section 36. The latch-bar is consequently held against the latch-hooks by the pressure of spring 3! which is transmitted through members 30, 43, 36, 32 and 48 to the latch-bar. latches the hub 43 is moved outwardly until washer is flush against the face of Washer 46, and at that moment a limiting switch may be used to cut-out the source of power used to rotate the hub-actuating arm so that said hub need not of necessity be removed from the sleevethreads 32 to provide for easy disengagementof the latch-bar from the latch-hooks. In the event that the hub is rotated sufficiently to remove it from engagement with the sleeve threads, the long threaded section at the outer end of pin 21, which is provided with a duct through which media are formed into the interior of the sleeve to lubricate the threaded members and the helical spring, will support the hub and prevent its falling out of the latching mechanism. The hub may then be re-engaged by manual means if necessary.

The invention as hereinabove set forth is embodied in particular form and manner but may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

We claim:

1. A coke-oven door-mechanism for fastening a door fitted to the end of a coking retort oven chamber to close and seal it against the outside atmosphere, comprising: a latch-bar means for supporting and pressing said door into the end of said oven chamber, and a mechanism mountable on said door and adapted to support the latch-bar means and to provide movement therefor in a plane substantially normal to the door, said mechanism comprising: a helical spring mountable on the door with its longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular thereto; housing means for said spring that are slideably mounted in respect of said door and communicably connected with the latch-bar means for simultane- In loosening the said mechanisms comprising: a helical spring mountable on the door with its longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular thereto; housing means for said spring that are slidably mounted in respect of said door and communicably connected with the latch-bar means for simultaneous movement therewith; a slideable member operative to effect expansion and contraction of said helical spring; and means for actuating said slideable member, said means comprising at least two threaded and co-acting parts of which one is affixed to the housing means for the helical spring and the other is rotatably operative from outside the latching mechanism.

3. A coke-oven door-mechanism for fastening a door to fit the end of a coke oven chamber for closing it, comprising: latching means for the door disposed to move said door against the end of the chamber to provide for its sealing, said latching means being adapted to move said door longitudinally of said oven chamber, and comous movement therewith; a slideable member operative to effect expansion and contraction of said helical spring; and means for actuating said slideable member, said means being also adapted to effect transmission of pressure of the spring to both the housing therefor and the communicably connected latch-bar means, so that changes in spring pressure occasioned by movement of the slideable member will be impressed on the latch-bar means.

2. A coke-oven door-mechanism for fastening a door fitted to the end of a coking retort oven chamber to close and seal it against the outside atmosphere, comprising: a latch-bar means for supporting and pressing said door into the end of said oven chamber, and a mechanism mountable on said door and adapted to support the latch-bar means and to provide movement there- ,for in a plane substantially normal to the door,

prising: latch-bar means mountable on said door for shiftable disposition in respect thereof so that the relative positions of the latch-bar means and the door may be altered selectively; means independent of said door for engaging the latchbar means; and a spring means adaptedto provide pressure against said latch-bar means, means to compress the spring means and to simultaneously increase the distance between latchbar means and the door, so that upon engagement of the latch-bar means and the engaging means therefor the compressed spring pressure will force said door in the direction of the coke oven chamber.

4. A coke-oven door-mechanism for fastening a door to fit the end of a coke oven chamber for closing it, comprising: latching means for the door disposed to move said door against the end of the chamber to provide for its sealing, said latching means being adapted to move said door longitudinally of said oven chamber, and comprising: latch-bar means rotatably mbuntable on said door for shiftable disposition in respect thereof so that the relative positions of the latch-bar means and the door may be altered selectively; means independent of said door for engaging the latch-bar means; and a spring means adapted to provide pressure against said latch-bar means, means to compress the spring means and to simultaneously increase the distance between latch-bar means and the door, so that upon engagement of the latch-bar means and the engaging means therefor the compressed spring pressure will force said door in the direction of the coke oven chamber.

5. A coke-oven door-mechanism for fastening a door at the opening of a coking retort oven chamber, comprising: latching means for supporting and pressing said door in said opening, said latching means comprising the combination of latch-bar means connected with the door;'

engaging means detached from the door that are adapted to receive the latch-bar means; and means for moving the latch-bar means both into and out of contact with the engaging means therefor, and comprising: a spring member positioned between the latch-bar means and the door; and means adapted to impress pressure of the spring member on the latch-bar means and to relieve the same of said pressure, said means comprising: at least two threaded members disposedfor engagement and of which members the one is communicably connected with the latchbar means and the other is adapted both to commechanism comprising: a helical spring mountable on the door with its longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular thereto; a pin-like member of lesser diameter than said spring and substantially co-axially disposed of said spring and adapted to support the latching mechanism for the door; a sleeve slideably mounted on the pinlike member and adapted for movement lengthwise of saidpin; latch-bar means mounted on said sleeve and adapted for rotation in the plane of the door; a washer slideably mounted on the pin-like member and adapted to restrict the movement of said helical spring engthwise of said pin-like member, said washer ng capable of movement within said sleeve; a threaded section on the walls of said sleeve and adjacent the outer end thereof; and a hub provided with threads that are disposed to co-act with the threads of said sleeve, said hub being adapted to compress said spring and to relieve said compression when respectively rotated in opposite directions in. the sleeve-threads.

7. A coke-oven doormechanism for fastening as claimed in claim 6 and in which the latchbar means are adiustably disposed along the lengthwise axis of the supporting siideable sleeve thereior.

8. A coke-oven door-mechanism for fastening as claimed in claim 6 and in which mechanism spring members are disposed on each side of the threaded section of the sleeve member supporting the latch-bar means, so that the threaded hub is always under spring-pressure when the threads of the hub and the sleeve are disengaged.

9. In a coking chamber having a door for closing said chamber against the atmosphere, inechanism for closing said door and retaining said door latched in closed position, comprising a latch-bar shiftably mounted by resilient means with respect to said door, the provision of a resilient compressible member, and means for compressing it, disposed in such relation to said latch-bar and said door that said member is adapted by its compression to exert pressure on said latch-bar in a direction away from said door and maintain resilient sealing pressure bea tween the door "and the frame, andadapted by its expansion, when relieved of compression by pressuresaid compression means, to relieve said on the latch bar.

- 10.'A coking retort chamber according to claim 9, in which the resilient member is a spring, the pressure of said spring on said latch-bar being increased-or decreased by two threaded members disposed for engagement the one with the other, the one being connected to said latch-bar and the other being adapted to compress or re-,

- engagement of said threaded members.

mama BERG. GUSTAE nowm SALKVIST.

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