US2433495A - Tilting induction furnace with leads extending through a trunnion - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 30, 1947. P. c. VOGEL 2,433,495

TILTING INDUCTION FURNACE WITH LEADS EXTENDING THROUGH A TRUNNION Filed' May 31 1945 Patented Dec. 30, 1947 T'ILTIN G INDUCTION FURNAGE" WITH LEADS EXTENDING THROUGH A TRUNNION Paul C. Vogel, Waukesha, Wis, assignor to Allis,- C a mers Manufact r n Co pany Mi wauice, Wis, a corpo a f D la a e Application May 31, 1945, Serial No. 596,837

3 Claims.

i inv nti n rel tes n et e l to PrQ m u in e ectr ea in evi n m p iicularly o a ead a an ement for nducti furnaces of the trunnion supported tilting type.

Induction furnaces and other electric heating devices which are mounted on trunnions are generally provided with flexible leads for connecting the heating conductor of the device with a suitable source of electric current. When the conductor :or some other element of the device requires artificial cooling, flexible insulating hose sections are .generally provided in addition for connecting the cooling circuit with a supply of water or other cooling fluid and with a drain. These flexible leads and hose sections are generally attached at some point of the device which has a substantial displacement during tilting of the device and they must therefore be relatively long. They thus become cumbersome, interfere with the movement of the device and are in the way of the Operator.

It is therefore preferable to provide the device with hollow trunnions of such diameter that the leads and cooling connections of the device may be drawn therethrough, whereby the move-v Inent of the flexible portions of the current and Water connections is considerably reduced, The connections may then be made shorter, with a lesser degree of flexibility, and may be so located as not to interfere with the movement or the device.

The connections maybe completed in Whatever manner is found most expedient in each particular instance. For example, the preferred arran ement comprises rigid'conductive pip e tions disposed side by side within the trunnion for conducting both the current and the cooling fluid. The leads are connected to fixed terminals through flexible electrical connections and are connected with a source of cooling fluid and, if desired, with a drain through sections of insulating flexible hose.

The pipe sections disposed within the trunnion may also be severally connected to the fixed terminals through flexible conductive hose, each of which serves both for the supply of current and for the supply of cooling fluid, or through flexible electric conductors encased in the flex;- ible hose serving for the flow of cooling fluid. The flexible conductors are then fluid cooled and maybe made of smaller crosssection than in the absence of artificial cooling means.

'lhe trunnion may also enclose fixed conduca tive pines arranged in side by sideor coaxial relation and rigidly connected to the fixed current terminal we as to of oo in uid The nine m y th n. e onnect d to th te minals o the trunn on sup ted device throu h an o the above m nt ned trees of fl xible. cqnu ction i It is t erei re an biectoi the re e t nventu to. p ovi e an e ectric h at n device of he. tilti ty e with flexible e ect ic urr nt nd cc ling onnect ons which (1.0. not interier with the t tin movement at the device- Anoth r o ec of the resent. iov n iqn is to provide an electric heating device of the tilting ty e in w iqhfiexi l e e tri cur ent an 9 9 me qqnne ti n h ve the east mo ement than tilt n-ec the device Anothe bje of the Pr sent inven io is is crevice lec ric tactics device of t e ilt n ype having comm n igi e ec r cu en and in K P-WUQQ and .6 9???" th flex bl l i i l fi wtre it and ceding comedians- Ob'ie and advanta es the an h seab c set forth will be apparent from a consideration of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in w c Fig, 1 is a view in side elevation of a trunnion supp r nductio m ltin f na e p ed with a preferred embodiment of current and cooln c nn t ns x endi g h g a runnion thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section through line II.,-I I of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

Reterring more particularly to the drawing by characters of reference, the induction furnace ompr se a c uc le 6 of gra hi e o r m c material associated with an inductor coil 1. The ndu tor is a s en i wo nd rom an elongated conduct r of a -.mcta1 of high conduct vity such as copper with interposition of suitable electric insulation between adjacent turns thereof. The conductor may be of solid cross section if it does not require artificial cooling, or may consist of a pipe 8 wound alone or in parallel with other conductive elements when the inductor is to be traversed by a flow of cooling water or other cooling fluid. Inductor 1 is mounted on a pair of j Q trunn ons :0 i any suit b ek own an o rmit ilting cruci le 5 w en it is d sired to our mol n me al therefrom o ex mple. inductor ma be l i n a ow rame 2 buil o asbestos lum er disposed n a asing 13 co pris ng a St u ural frame it an a cove n 10f asb stos lumbe 5- ici 6 s set within inductor land the space thenebetween 3 is filled with tamped refractory material (not shown).

Trunnions 9, l are fastened to frame M of easing I3 and are supported in a pair of overhanging bearings l1, 18 within which they are free to rotate. Downward tilting of casing l3 with respect to bearings ll, I8 is limited by suitable feet [9 provided on frame M. The casing may be tilted upward for pouring metal from crucible 6 by means of a hoist 20 suitably located with respect thereto and having its cable attached to a suitable lug 2| provided on frame 14.

Trunnion 9 is provided with a plug 22 of suitable insulating material such as fabric reinforced synthetic resin forced into the trunnion. Plug 22 is provided with two passages parallel to the axis thereof for receiving metal pipes 23, 24 integral with pipe 8 or fastened thereto and serving as current leads as well as water flow connections for the inductor. Pipes 23, 24 are associated with stationary piping outlets disposed adjacent bearing 9. Pipe 23 for example is connected with a water supply pipe 26 through a section of flexible insulating hose 21 and a valve 28, and pipe 24 is connected with a drain pipe 29 through a second section of flexible insulating hose 30. Hose sections 21, 30 are made of any suitable flexible insulating material such as fabric reinforced rubber and are chosen of such length as to reduce the current leakage through the water contained therein to the desired extent.

Pipe 23 is provided with a, terminal 3| brazed thereon and movable therewith and connected to one or more stationary terminals 32 through one or more flexible conductors 33. Each terminal 32 may consist of a copper bar bolted on a plate of insulating material 34 and connected with a suitable current generator (not shown) through the inner conductor 36 of a coaxial insulated cable 37. Pipe 24 is likewise provided with a terminal 38 movable therewith connected to stationary terminals 39 through flexible conductors 49. Terminals 39 are supported on a plate of insulation 4| and are connected with outer conductors 42 of coaxial cables 31. Insulation plates 34, 4| are mounted on a suitable framework 43 of which the outermost elements are assumed to be removed in Fig. 1 to clarify the drawing. During operation of the furnace the entire arrangement of connections of pipes 23, 24 with cables 3'! and outlets 26, 29 is preferably covered with a hood (not shown) to prevent accidental contact of the operator therewith and to prevent damage thereto by metal spilt during pouring of the charge.

It will be apparent that with the above described arrangement the electrical and cooling water connections of inductor I are remote from the inductor so as not to interfere with the tilting thereof. The electrical connections of the inductor with cables 31 are adjacent each other, whereby the inductance of such connections is maintained at a minimum value. When the charge of crucible S is to be poured, casing I3 is lifted by means of hoist 20. Pipes 23, 24 rotate with a minmum radius and flexible conductors 33, 49 are subjected to a minimum of flexure and may therefore be made relatively short and compact. While the length of hose sections 27, 30 cannot be reduced below the value required to prevent excessive current leakage between the conductor terminals, the life of the hose sections is increased by the absence of excessive flexure thereof during tilting of the furnace.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An electric heating device comprising a. bearing, a hollow trunnion rotatably supported on said bearing, a current conductor rigidly mounted on said hollow trunnion for tilting movement with respect to said bearing, current leads for said conductor extending through said hollow trunnion and through said bearing, stationary terminals disposed adjacent said bearing, and flexible conductors connecting said current leads with said terminals.

2. An electric heating device comprising a bearing, a hollow trunnion rotatably supported on said bearing, a, metallic pipe rigidly mounted on said hollow trunnion for tilting movement with respect to said bearing, said pipe defining an electric circuit and forming a passage for the flow of a fluid, electrically conductive pipe sections extending side by side in insulated relation through said hollow trunnion and through said bearing for supplying electric current and fluid to said pipe, stationary terminals adjacent said bearing, flexible conductors connecting said pipe sections with said terminals, a stationary piping outlet adjacent said bearings, and a flexible insulating hose section connecting one of said pipe sections with said outlets.

3. An electric heating device comprising a bearing, a hollow trunnion rotatably supported on said bearing, a metallic pipe rigidly mounted on said hollow trunnion for limited tilting movement with respect to said bearing, said pipe defining an electric circuit and forming a passage for the flow of a fluid, electrically conductive pipe sections extending through said hollow trunnion and through said bearing for supplying electric current and fluid to said pipe, electrical insulation disposed within said hollow trunnion for supporting said pipe sections side by side in insulated relation with respect to each other and to said hollow trunnion, stationary terminals disposed side by side in a direction transverse to the axis of said trunnion adjacent said bearing, bare flexible conductors connecting said pipe sections with said terminals, said terminals being at different heights to prevent short circuits between said conductors during said tilting movement, stationary piping outlets adjacent said bearings, and flexible insulating hose section connecting said pipesections with said outlets.

PAUL C. VOGEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,538,365 Willson May 19, 1925 1,608,801 Masel et al. Nov. 30, 1926 1,723,984 Von Henke Aug. 6, 1929 1,795.926 Brace Mar. 10, 1931 1,853,101 Von Henke Apr. 12, 1932 1,862,293 Brace June 7, 1932 2,139,528 Stansel Dec. 6, 1938 2,270,223 Galusser Jan. 20, 1942 2,277,223 Goodridge Mar. 24, 1942

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