US2350611A - Charging apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1944. A, K

CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Decl 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l ALMER s, HICKS June 6, 1944. w 2,350,611.

' CHARGING APPARATUS 7 v Q Filed Deg. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Elma/whom ALMER e. HICKS Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,350,611 CHARGING APPARATUS Almer G. Hicks, Lockwood, Ohio Application December 20, 1941, Serial No. 423,779

(Cl. zen-69f 9 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for conveying and discharging material and more particularly to an apparatus which is especially suited for the handling and charging into a metallurgical furnace of metal scrap, pigs and other ingredients making up the charge of the furnace. The furnace is necessarily provided with a removable cover or top and may, in practice, be of the common top charging electric type.

In making up the charge for a metallurgical furnace it is particularly desirable to batch the charge as to analysis and weight and it is common practice to employ for this purpose a charging bucket of great strength and weight which is first filled with the charge batch and then emptied into the furnace en masse. For the latter purpose the charging bucket is provided with a bottom of special construction, as, for example, a normally hinged bottom which, when released, is operative to withdraw all support for the material in the bucket thereby allowing the material to fall into the furnace. The most common practice in this regard is to construct the bottom of a plurality of wedge-shaped segments which are hinged to the lower end of the circumferentially extending side wall of the bucket and which are provided at their inner ends with downwardly extending hooks about which a length of manila fibre rope may be coiled. When the loaded charging bucket is placed over the hot open furnace, the heat of the furnace ignites the rope thereby allowing the bottom 7 segments to swing downwardly. This method of operation is highly inefiicient since at each charging a quantity of valuable rope is consumed, a substantial amount of heat is lost from the furnace, and production of the whole plant may be delayed as long as twelve minutes while the burning through of the bottom retaining rope is awaited. While heretofore various trip devices for releasing the bottom segments have been proposed to make the dumping operation more eflicient, none have been particularly successful because of a number of reasons. First, the arrangements proposed have required a specially constructed bottom which is diflicult to construct and maintain in working order, considering the severe conditions of service encountered in the steel mill and second, such trip mechanisms have relied on contact between an element carried by the bucket and a part of the furnace being charged to effect the release and it was found that damage to the furnace or mechanism occurred frequently.

Another objectionable aspect of the present practice, and this is true regardless of the type of releasing mechanism employed, is the fact that the segments must be moved to closed position by manual labor which operation requires substantially the constant attendance of at least two workers to a difficult and dangerous task. A further object of the invention is the provision of a simply constructed apparatus which is operative to automatically move to closed positions the hinged segments of a furnace charging bucket. This is accomplished by providing a mechanism which is adapted to be engaged .by the bucket as it moves downwardly under the support of the mill crane and thus the bucket may be closed without laying it on its side as is the common practice now.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a mechanical latching and tripping mechanism for the segmented bottom of a furnace charging bucket which mechanism is readily adaptable to buckets of existing and common construction and which is not dependent on any critical interfitting of the parts for its proper operation.

" Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for the purposes and having the characteristics outlined above which is of a rugged nature and capable of withstanding the severe conditions of service encountered in the steel mill. *The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings wherein there is specifically disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a furnace charging bucket constructed according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the bucket closing mechanism of the invention;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan of the bucket of Figure 1; and

Figure: 4 is a top plan of the apparatus of Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, reference numeral l0 designates the cylindrical body of the bucket and reference numerals H, l2, l3, l4, l5 and I6 designate the segmental portions of the bottom of the bucket each of which are hinged to the lower end of the body l0 at H. In'accordance with usual practice the segments are ribbed at ill to increase their strength. Also the bucket is provided with a carrying yoke [9 which is adapted to be engaged by a principal hook of the overhead crane with which all steel mills are furnished. The latch and release mechanism of my invention is simple in design, economical to construct, and may be readily applied to existing types of charging buckets. It consists principally of a heavy disk or plate 20 which is rigidly and permanently attached, by riveting, welding or otherwise, to the apex end of one of the segments of the bottom. In the illustration the disk 20 is secured to the segment l and a latch bar 2| is slidably received in guides 22 and 23 which are rigidly secured to the diametrically opposite, segment l2. Bar 2| is urged to latching position by the spring 24 and is arranged to be moved outwardly to releasing position by a lever 25 which is flexibly connected .1 thereto by a chain 26. Lever 25 is hinged to a bracket 21. which is secured to the outer surface of the cylindrical body of the bucket. Extending upwardly from the outer end of lever 25 is an operating rod 28 guided in bracket 29 and having an eye 30 or other configuration adapted to be engaged by a minor hooked line depending from the crane aforesaid.

The charging bucket is also provided with outwardly and downwardly extending legs 3| which are circumferentially spaced as indicated in Figure 3 and which are provided for thepurpose of maintaining the bucket in upright position for filling.

Since the charging buckets, particularly of the kind used for batch charging of the larger furnaces, are large and heavy, each of the segments of the bottom are correspondingly heavy and heretofore the closing of the bottom has constituted a diflicult and dangerous task. To accomplish this operation manually the bucket is laid on its side and the segments aremoved into position by the conjoint manual effort of two or more operatives. To obviate this manual task the invention providesa simply constructed closing mechanism now to be described.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4 reference numeral 32 indicates any suitable base having a plurality of circumferentially spaced yieldable supports 33 extending upwardly therefrom and in practice, these supports may take the form of a telescoping post with a coil spring thereabout to maintain the post normally in extended position, all as shown in the drawings. If desired, suitable means, not shown, may be provided to adjust the normal vertical heighth of the respective supports. Supported on the post 33 is an annulus 34 adapted to be engaged by the downwardly extending legs 3| of the charging bucket.

Extending upwardly from the center portion of the base 32 are the posts 35 on which is mounted a ring 36 having an open section-as shown in Figure 4. Pivotally connected to the annulus 34 and having their inner ends resting on the ring 36 are a plurality of circumferentially spaced plates 3! which are adapted to engage the apices of the charging bucket bottom segments I2, l3, I4 and I6 when the open bucket is lowered onto the closing mechanism. Also pivotally mounted on the annulus 34 and extending inwardly and downwardly centrally of the'opening in ring 36 is a plate 38 having its inner end resting on a lever 39. Lever 39 is pivoted intermediate its ends to a support 40 extending upwardly from the base 32 and the end of the lever 33 opposite the end engaged by the plate 38 engages the lower edge of the periphery of the annulus 34 as shown in Figure 2.

In operation the bucket is shuttled back and forth between the charging floor or stock house of the mill and the furnace or furnaces to be charged by a principal hook of the crane as aforesaid. Normally there is no'need to vary the angular (about a vertical axis) relation of the bucket relative to the mill floor and consequently once this angular relation is established relative to the closing mechanism, which is fixed relative to the floor, the opened bucket will always be lowered onto the closing device in the same angular alignment. However, if desired, a suitable aligning and/or guiding expedient may be employed.

As the opened bucket is lowered onto the closing mechanism after its contents have been emptied into the furnace, the depending segment l5 will be vertically aligned with the plate 38 and the disk 20 carried by the segment I5 will slide down the plate 38 to an inclined position overlying the bottom portion of the plate. The apices of the remaining segments engage the plates 31 and consequently these remaining segments are caused to move to inclined positions overlying the plates 31. It will be understood that at this stage the disk 20 will be considerably lower than the inner portions of the segments ||-|4, l6. At this time the legs 3| will have engaged the annulus 34 and continued downward movement of the charging bucket will cause the posts or supports 33 to telescope or collapse which action causes the plates 31 to move first to horizontal positions-after which the plate 38 is moved to a horizontal position by a downward movement of the annulus 34 acting through lever 39. This operation has the effect of first moving all the segments except the one carrying the disk 20 to their horizontal closed positions and then bringing the segment l5 with disk 20 attached up into engagement with the segments. As this latter takes place disk 20 moves past latch 2| and the latch then locks the parts in assembled positions.

When the crane lifts the bucket from off the closing mechanism the bucket will remain in closed condition as shown in Figure 1 and it may 7 then be moved to its proper position for receiving the materials of which the furnace charge is made up. It is then transferred to above the furnace which is now opened and by means of the small auxiliary hook, with which all cranes are provided, the trip rod 28 may be engaged and moved upwardly to withdraw the latch 2| thereby allowing all the segments of the bottom to simultaneously move to depending positions. The opened bucket is then lowered onto the closing mechanism to complete the cycle of operation.

- It should now be apparent that I have provided a charging apparatus which accomplishes all the O je t initially set out. The loss of furnace time due to charging operations is substantially low; ered since the charge may be emptied as soon as the furnace is uncovered thereby avoiding the delay of waiting for any ignitable material to burn through. Also considerable time and labor is saved in reclosing the bucket since it is only necessary to stop momentarily at the closing mechanism which may, for convenience, be positioned between the furnace or furnaces and the place where the buckets are filled. It should be understood, of course, that the closing mechanism need not necessarily be placed on the floor of the mill building. It may be placed in an elevated location, being supported from the framework of the building or on independent posts.

The above specifically described embodiment of the invention should be considered as illustrative only as obviously many additions, refinements, and improvements may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Reference should be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A furnace charging bucket comprising in combination a side wall and a bottom composed of a plurality of segmental portions each hinged to the lower end of said side wall, a plate rigidly secured to the bottom face of one of said segments adjacent the apex thereof and having an area adapted to underlie a portion of each of the other segments when the bottom is in closed condition, and a. latch secured to and carried with one of said segments which is substantially diametrically opposed to the segment to which said plate is attached to prevent downward movement of the adjacent edge of said plate relative to the segment which carries said latch, and means to release said latch whereby all of said segments may fall to vertical positions.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that said means to release comprises a lever hinged to the outer surface of said side wall, and a flexible connection between said lever and latch.

3. A furnace charging bucket having a side wall and a bottom composed of a plurality of segments each hinged to the lower end of said side wall, each of said segments having strengthening ribs on their lower surfaces, a disk rigidly secured to the inner portion of one of said segments, said disk lying against a portion of the ribs of the said one of said segments and having an area sufficient to underlie a portion of the ribs of each of the other segments of the bot tom, a latch secured to and carried by one of the said other of said segments which is substantially diametrically opposite the segment to which the disk is attached, and means to release said latch whereby said segments may fall to vertical positions.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including a plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending legs secured to the outer surface of said side wall whereby said bucket may be supported on a plane surface independent of said plate and latch.

5. Charging apparatus including the bucket of claim 1 and automatic means to close and latch said bottom, said automatic means being operative to move the segments which are not attached to the plate into closing positions, and to thereafter move said plate and attached segment into bottom closing positions.

6. Charging apparatus comprising the charging bucket of claim 1 and automatic means to move the bottom segments into bottom closing positions, said automatic means comprising a normally fixed member and a normally movable member, inclined guiding plates spanning said fixed and movable members and adapted to engage and support said segments, said movable member being adapted to be engaged by said bucket and to be moved thereby whereby said plates may be tilted to move said segments into bucket closing positions.

'7. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination a base, a plurality of yieldable supports extending upwardly from said base, an annulus on said supports, and adapted to be engaged by elements extending outwardly and downwardly from a charging bucket, a circular support arranged concentrically within said annulus but below the plane thereof, and a plurality of circumferentially disposed guides having their inner portions resting on said circular support and their outer ends pivoted to said annulus.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 further including an open section in said circular support, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said base and adapted to be moved by downward movement of said annulus, an elongated guide pivoted to said annulus and extending downwardly and radially inward in vertical alignment with the center of said open section, the inner end of said elongated guide resting on the inner end of said lever whereby downward movement of said annulus will cause the inner end of said elongated guide to rise relative to the inner ends of the first mentioned guides.

9. Apparatus for closing the hinged segmental bottom flaps of a furnace charging bucket having more than two such bottom flaps comprising a plurality of circumferentially disposed radially extending and upwardly inclined guides each adapted to engage the apex of one of said flaps to move the same inwardly and upwardly relative to the bucket as the bucket is moved toward the closing apparatus, and means to tilt said guides upon continued movement of said bucket toward said apparatus whereby said flaps will be moved to bucket closing positions, one of said guides being initially inclined at a steeper angle than the other of said guides whereby one of said flaps will be moved to bucket closing position only after the other of the flaps have been moved to bucket closing positions.

ALMER G. HICKS.

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