US3223257A - Charging device for converters - Google Patents

Description

1965 E. J. KINKOPF CHARGING DEVICE FOR CONVERTERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1964 Edward J. Kinkopf 5/ Kai 9X22 Dec. 14, 1965 E. J. KINKOPF 3,223,257

CHARGING DEVICE FOR CONVERTERS Filed Aug. 13, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Edward J. Kinkopf United States Patent 3,223,257 CHARGING DEVlCE FGR CONVERTERS: Edward J. Kinkopf, Alliance, Ohio, assignor to The Alliance Machine Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 389,273 4 Claims. ((31. 214-48) This invention relates generally to a charging device for converters and more specifically to a charging device having dual feed material boxes operable individually to charge feed material such as scrap into converters and the like such as used in the basic oxygen process for converting iron to steel.

Multiple charging devices have heretofore been proposed for charging materials into converters, including a plurality of charge boxes that may be discharged into a converter individually and independently of the other charge boxes. Generally, however, each unit of a multiple charging device has had its own separate motor means for independent operation. The thinking has been that there would be obvious economics in having multiple charging devices each unit of which is independently op erable but yet could all be operated from a single motor means. Other attempts have been made to accomplish this but they have resulted in complex gearing and control equipment and multiple track devices that have defeated the economic purposes intended. The present invention provides a charging device having dual feed ma terial boxes that, although they are operated individually to charge the material they contain into a converter, are nevertheless each operated from the same motor means, i.e., there is but a single motor means which operates either feed material box. This is accomplished by virtue of a unique clutch means which provides a positive engagement between the motor means and box being charged and at the same time provides a positive disengagement with the box not being charged whereby it is impossible for both boxes inadvertently or otherwise to be charged at the same time. The clutch also provides a neutral position of positive disengagement of the motor means with both boxes.

I provide an improved charging device comprising a traveling carrier movable from a feed material receiving station to a feed material charging station, a pair of lever means swingably mounted on said carrier, a pair of feed material boxes disposed on said carrier, each box being selectively engaged thereon with a respective lever means, single reversible motor means operable to swing each of said lever means and the box associated therewith independently of the other lever means into a discharging attitude and back again, said motor means having clutch means adapted to operatively connect in positive engagement said motor means with each of said lever means such that when said motor means is positively engaged with one of said lever means it is positively disengaged with the other of said lever means.

The clutch means preferably comprises a pair of clutch members each axially slidably mounted toward opposite ends of drive shaft means driven by said single reversible motor means, said clutch members being keyed to said drive shaft means for rotation therewith, said clutch members each being engageable with a respective lever means, said clutch members being connected in a constant spaced relationship whereby they move together along said drive shaft means, said constant spacing being such that only one clutch member at a time may engage its respective lever means and both clutch members may be disengaged at the same time.

Preferably, the clutch members are mounted between said lever means and each have a toothed face portion adapted to mesh with a respective toothed face portion Patented Dec. 14, 1965 of said lever means. Furthermore, each clutch member carries thereon a collar member within which it is rotatable. A yoke means is secured to said collar members to tie the clutch members together at a constant spacing that differs substantially from the spacing between the lever means to thereby insure that the respective clutch members and lever means may only be engaged one at a time and may both be disengaged at the same time. I also preferably provide means operable to move or shift the yoke means to shift the clutch members into and out of engagement with their respective lever means.

Moreover, I preferably provide that the toothed face portions of said clutch members and lever means are shaped to provide a ratchet type engagement whereby the engagement therebetween is positive when swinging said lever means upwardly and permits slippage therebetween when said lever means has been swung completely downwardly and said motor means continues to operate to lower said lever means, including spring means permitting said clutch members to move away from engagement with said lever means during such slippage while resiliently urging said clutch members into engagement with said lever means.

In the foregoing general description, certain purposes, objects and advantages of this invention have been set forth. Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of my dual charging device;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view as viewed from the right of FIGURE 1 with parts removed for clarity;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view partly in section of the lever lifting drive system of my dual charging device; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded fragmentary isometric view partly in section of the clutch and clutch shifting mechanism of my charging device.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated generally my charging device 10 in association with a converter 11. Charging device 10 in cludes a carrier 12 mounted on wheels 13 and travels along rails 14 which are disposed on supporting structure 15 and generally extend from a feed material loading or receiving station (not shown) the various charging stations adjacent the converters. Carrier 12 is powered to move along tracks 14 by appropriate means such as electric motors 16 in a manner well known to those skilled in this art. An operators protective cab and control booth 19 is also carried on carrier 12.

Mounted on carrier 12 are a pair of lever means 20 (refer also to FIGURE 2). Each lever means 20 comprises a platen 21 having a pair of depending legs 22 pivoted to carrier 12 on the side of carrier 12 adjacent the converters, as shown at reference 23. Platen 21 carries a leg 24 on the side of carried 12 away from the converters which rests on a support member 17 mounted on carrier 12. Resilient cushion pads 18, preferably of rubber, are provided at the point of contact between support 17 and leg 24 to cushion the impact from leg 24 when lever means 20 is returned to rest on carrier 12, which operation will be further explained and described later in this specification. Platen 21 also carries an eye 27 disposed at the end thereof farthest removed from pivot point 23 through which a crane hook may be inserted to swing lever means 20 in case of power failure or other emergencies.

Each lever means 20 also carries cradles 25 and retaining plates 26 on platen 21 which support a feed material box 30 removably disposed on each lever means 20. Boxes 30 have ears or lugs 31 and 32 which seat in cradles 25 and retaining plates 26 respectively. Ears 31 are elongated (as best shown in FIGURE 2) so that crane hooks can be easily engaged with them which along with the hook receiving eye 33 provided at the rear of each box 30 (see FIGURE 1) permits boxes 30 to readily be lifted and disengaged from platen 21 of lever means 20 and, of course, vice versa. It should be clear from the above description that each lever means 20 may be pivoted upwardly about'pivot 23, as shown in chainline in FIGURE 1, and that in so doing; the respective boxes 30 will also be raised or swung to a discharging attitude or position and any feed material disposed in either box 30 will be discharged therefrom through the mouth 34 thereof into converter 11. It should also be clear from the illustration that each box 30 is retained on lever means 20 in this discharging attitude by the weight of box 30 urging ears 32 thereof into the receiving slots of retaining plates 26.

Turning now to the means for swinging lever means 20 and their respective boxes 30, and referring more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 3, I there show generally a motor 40, which preferably is a reversible electric motor, centrally located and mounted on carrier 12. Motor 40 has a conventional motor brake 35 associated therewith and powers a drive shaft 42 through a conventional right angle reducer apparatus 41 also mounted on carrier 12. Drive shaft 42 passes through reducer 41 and is supported at its end by bearings 43 mounted on carrier 12. Drive shaft 42 as illustrated is split on either side of reducer 41 and then coupled by conventional couplers 44 to facilitate the removal of parts for maintenance purposes.

Just outboard of couplers 44, drive shaft 42 carries a pair of clutch members 45 that are axially slidably mounted thereon and keyed thereto as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. As there shown, drive shaft 42 contains keyways 46 for each clutch member 45 and clutch members 45 carry keys 39 which key into keyways 46 and are slidable therein. From this illustration and description it is clear that clutch members 45 may be slid or moved axially along drive shaft 42 to the extent permitted by the length of keyways 46 and are also keyed to drive shaft 42 to rotate therewith. Clutch members 45 also have a toothed clutch face 47 which is engageable with the toothed face 37 of a pair of pinion gears 48. Pinion gears 48 are also disposed on drive shaft 42 and are located thereon between clutch members 45 and bearings 43. Each pinion gear 48 is suitably bushed so that drive shaft 42 can rotate within it and is restrained from any axial movement along drive shaft 42 whereby pinion gear 48 may not rotate with drive shaft 42 unless engaged with its corresponding clutch member 45. Each pinion gear 48 is engaged or meshed with a spur gear 38 keyed to a driven shaft 50. Each driven shaft 50 in turn is supported in bearings 51 mounted on carrier 12. Driven shaft 50 also carries thereon a pinion gear 52 which is appropriately keyed to driven shaft 50 for rotation therewith. Each pinion gear 52 in turn is engaged or meshed with a segmented gear 53 which is pivotally attached at its center axis to carrier 12 as at reference 54. As best shown in FIGURE 1, each of the segmented gears 53 are pinned to platen 21 as at reference 55 in a swivel type arrangement.

From the foregoing description and the illustrations it should be clear than when drive shaft 42 is rotating and clutch member 45 is engaged with pinion gear 48, that pinion gear 48 will turn with drive shaft 42 and drive spur gear 38 which rotates driven shaft 50 and pinion gear 52, which in turn pivots segmented gear 53 about its center axis 54 to swing lever means 20 up or down through the attachment of segmented gear 53 to platen 21 at swivel connection 55. It should be noted that the center axes at 54 and pivots 23 are aligned coincidentally so that segmented gears 53 and lever means 20 swing together without any shifting or binding of their swivel connections 55.

From the foreging it should also be clear that each lever means 26 and its associated box 30 may be driven independently of the other by shifting clutch members 45 together so that when one clutch member 45 is positively engaged with its respective pinion gear 48, the other clutch member 45 is positively disengaged with its respective pinion gear 48. The means by which I accomplish this movement of clutch member 45 to insure positive engagement and disengagement will be taken up next.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it is there shown that each clutch member 45 carries a collar 49 thereon which is attached to a yoke means 50 which ties the two clutch members 45 together. More explicitly, as shown in FIG- URE 4, clutch members 45 have annularly reduced end portions 51. Reduced end portion 51 serves as a bearmg seat for the inner race of an annular thrust bearing 53 which is disposed thereon and a retaining ring 54 which is suitably fastened to the end of clutch member 45 and serves to keep thrust bearing 53 in place. Collar 49 is a split collar having an annular inner groove 56 into which the outer race of thrust bearing 53 seats. From the foregoing it should be clear that clutch members 45 rotate within collar 49 and may be axially shifted along drive shaft 42 by axiallly shifting collar 49.

Each of the collars 49 carries a pair of pivot pins 57 disposed outside on opposite sides of collar 49. Pins 57 extend through openings 52 in the ends of legs 58 of a wishbone like element 59 of yoke 50. Yoke 50 includes a tube 60 to which each wishbone element 59 is secured near opposite ends thereof. Struts 36 brace the attachment of wishbone element 59 to tube 60. From the foregoing it is understandable that if tube 60 is shifted axially that clutch members 45 connected thereto through collars 49 and wishbone elements 59 will accordingly be shifted axially along drive shaft 42 together. In order to guarantee that the clutch members 45 may only engage their respective pinion gears 48 one at a time, it is very important that a certain spacing be maintained between clutch members 45 at all times and that this spacing be such that when one clutch member 45 is engaged with its respective pinion gear 48, the spacing maintained between the clutch members 45 does not permit the other clutch member to contact its pinion gear 48. With this point in mind, it will be noted that yoke 50 maintains a constant spacing between clutch members 45 which spacing is substantially different, in this case shorter, than the spacing between pinion gears 48 and thus assures that only one clutch member 45 at a time may be engaged. It should be further noted that this spacing also permits a central or neutral position wherein both clutch members 45 may be disengaged at the same time.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, I also illustrate the means by which yoke 50' is axially shifted. Tube 60 is supported on roller bearings 61 mounted on carrier 12. Within tube 60 is a rod 62 the ends of which extend through suitably bushed end caps 63 which support rod 62 in tube 60. Secured to rod 62 within tube 60 are a pair of spring seats 64 which contain springs 65 disposed around rod 62 and within tube 60 at opposite ends thereof, the reasons for which will be more fully explained hereinafter. A projecting arm 66 is secured to rod 62 and extends through an elongated opening 67 in tube 60. Adjacent tube 60 I provide a motor means 68 having a movable rod 69 attached to arm 66 as at reference 70. In this instance I show motor means 68 generally as an electric cylinder which powers rod 69. Motor means 68 also preferably includes a crank 71 for manual operation to move rod 69 in the event of a power failure or other emergency. It will be understood that energizing motor. means 68 to move rod 69 will move rod 62 through arm 66 which in turn moves tube 60 through springs 65 and thus move clutch members 45 as earlier described. In this respect, it should be noted that the axes of rod 69,

.5 rod 62, tube 60, collars 49, clutch members 45, pinion gears 48 and drive shaft 42 are parallel or coincidental with each other.

By Way of further explanation with regard to springs 65, it will be recalled that the engagement between clutch members 45 and pinion gears 48 is a toothed engagement as earlier described. As shown in FIGURE 4, the teeth 47 and 37 are so shaped as to provide a ratchet type engagement so that when drive shaft 42 is rotating to swing lever means upwardly into a discharging position the engagement between the particular clutch member 45 and the respective pinion gear 48 is positive. However, when motor means 40 is reversed and drive shaft 42 is rotated the other way to permit lever means 20 to swing down to seat on carrier 12, the ratchet type engagement of clutch member 45 and pinion gear 48 permits drive shaft 42 to continue to rotate even though lever means 20 is all the way down, by virtue of the teeth 47 slipping over teeth 37. This slippage just mentioned cannot occur, of course, unless the pinion gear or clutch members are permitted to partly back or spring away from each other at such times and springs 65 in tube 60 permit this slight movement while at the same time they constantly urge the engaging clutch member 45 forward into engagement with the respective pinion gear 48. Thus, although it is intended that motor means 40 be stopped from rotating drive shaft 42 when lever means 20 comes to rest in returning to carrier 12, the described spring arrangement does afford full protection against injury to the clutch or motor means for overtravel from any failure to stop motor means 40 at this time. Furthermore, it facilitates the meshing of teeth 47 and 37 in that if teeth 47 and 37 should meet on their high points when clutch member 45 is shifted against pinion gear 48, springs 65 permit rod 62 to make its full advancement regardless thereof and thereafter urge clutch member 45 into full positive engagement when the rotation of drive shaft 42 is commenced.

In practice, I provide conventional electrical limit switches (not shown) to stop motor means 40 when lever means 20 is swung to its upper and lower extremes so that the spring arrangement above described is essentially a safety device to prevent injury to my charger in the event the down-travel limit switch fails to operate and also because a little over-travel is preferably permitted to make certain lever means 20 is fully returned to rest on carrier 12. If the raising or up-travel limit switch fails to operate, segmented gear 53 simply runs ofi its end tooth and rides thereon in a sort of ratcheting with or bouncing on pinion gear 52. If desired, another limit switch may be added to back up the up-travel limit switch it such bouncing is believed undesirable. In the event any of said limit switches fail therefor, no harm is done and the ratcheting noise alerts the operator to stop motor means by other means provided him in cab 19. In this respect, and also in respect of the whole operation of my charging device, the operator is provided with conventional electrical controls in his cab or control booth 19, which form no part of the present invention and therefore are not illustrated or further described.

Assuming that boxes 30 have been filled with scrap and are disposed on carrier 12 in association with their respective lever means 20, carrier 12 is moved along track 14 to position one of the boxes 30 at a charging station in front of a converter 11, which has been appropriately tilted to receive a charge. The operator then energizes the motor means 68 to shift yoke 50 and engage the clutch member with its corresponding pinion gear 48 associated with the lever means 20 of the box 30 positioned in front of converter 11. The operator next energizes motor means 40 to rotate drive shaft 42 to swing said box 30 upwardly as earlier described into its discharging attitude whereupon the scrap slides out of mouth 34 of said box 30 and into converter 11. When said box 30 is thus emptied, the operator stops and reverses motor means 40 which rotates drive shaft 42 in a direction to swing lever means 20 back down. When box 30 is thus returned to rest on carrier 12 and motor means 40 is stopped, the operator energizes motor means 68 to disengage clutch member 45 and pinion gear 48 and dispose both clutch members 45 in the neutral or disengaged position earlier mentioned. The operator then moves carrier 12 on track 14 to line up the other box 30 before converter 11. He then energizes motor means 68 to shift yoke 50 the other way to engage the other clutch member 45 with the corresponding pinion gear 48 associated with the other lever means 20 and said other box 30 and repeats the cycle just described with regard to discharging and returning the first mentioned box 30 and thereafter, of course, moves carrier 12 away to the feed material loading station to refill his boxes.

From the foregoing it is clear that I have invented a multiple charging device for converters that effects certain economies and benefits with relatively few complications and a minimum of special structure.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is tobe distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An improved charging device for converters and the like comprising a traveling carrier movable from a feed material receiving station to a feed material charging station, a pair of lever means swingably mounted on said carrier, a pair of feed material boxes disposed on said carrier, each box being selectively engaged thereon with a respective lever means, single reversible motor means operable to swing each of said lever means and the box associated therewith independently of the other lever means into a discharging position and back again, said motor means having clutch means adapted to operatively connect in positive engagement said motor means with each of said lever means such that when said motor means is positively engaged with one of said lever means it is positively disengaged with the other of said lever means, said clutch means comprising a pair of clutch members each axially slidably mounted toward opposite ends of drive shaft means driven by said single reversible motor means, said clutch members being keyed to said drive shaft means for rotation therewith, said clutch members each being engageable with a respective lever means, said clutch members being connected in a constant spaced relationship whereby they move together along said drive shaft means, said constant spacing being such that only one clutch member at a time may engage its respective lever means and both clutch members may be disengaged at the same time.

2. An improved charging device for converters and the like comprising a traveling carrier movable from a feed material receiving station to a feed material charging station, a pair of lever means swingably mounted on said carrier, a pair of feed material boxes disposed on said carrier, each box being selectively engaged thereon with a respective lever means, single reversible motor means operable to swing each of said lever means and the box associated therewith independently of the other lever means into a discharging position and back again, said motor means having clutch means adapted to operatively connect in positive engagement said motor means with each of said lever means such that when said motor means is positively engaged with one of said lever means it is positively disengaged with the other of said lever means, said clutch means comprising a pair of clutch members each axially slidably mounted toward opposite ends of drive shaft means and keyed thereto for rotation therewith, said drive shaft means being driven by said single reversible motor means, said clutch members being mounted between lever means and each having a toothed face portion adapted to mesh with a respective toothed face portion of said lever means, said clutch members each carrying a collar member thereon, said clutch members being rotatable in their respective collar members, yoke means secured to said collar members and tying said collar members together on said drive shaft at a constant spacing substantially smaller than the spacing between said lever means whereby said respective clutch members and lever means may be engaged only one at a time and may be disengaged together.

3. An improved charging device as claimed in claim 2 including means operable to move said yoke means and thereby shift said clutch members together along said drive shaft means into and out of engagement with said respective lever means.

4. An improved charging device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said toothed face portions of said clutch member and lever means are adapted for a ratchet type engagement whereby the engagement therebetween is positive when swinging said lever means upwardly and permits slippage therebetween when said lever means has been swung completely downwardly and said motor means continues to operate to lower said lever means, including spring means permitting said clutch members to move away from engagement with said lever means during such slippage while resiliently urging said clutch members into engagement with said lever means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,459,035 1/1949 Lima 105-273 2,836,309 5/ 1958 McFeaters. 2,929,658 3/1960 Killebrew 298-8 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,223,257

December 14, 1965 Edward J. Kinkopf It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 46, after "(not shown)" insert to line 58, for "carried" read carrier column 3, line 29, for "end" read ends column 4, line 3, for "foreging" read foregoing line 26, for "axiallly" read axially column 6, line 58, for "hoxes" read boxes Signed and sealed this 17th day of May 1966.

SEAL) Lttest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Lttesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents

Claims (1)

1. AN IMPROVED CHARGING DEVICE FOR CONVERTERS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A TRAVELING CARRIER MOVABLE FROM A FEED MATERIAL RECEIVING STATION TO A FEED MATERIAL CHARGING STATION, A PAIR OF LEVER MEANS SWINGABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER, A PAIR OF FEED MATERIAL BOXES DISPOSED ON SAID CARRIER, EACH BOX BEING SELECTIVELY ENGAGED THEREON WITH A RESPECTIVE LEVER MEANS, SINGLE REVERSIBLE MOTOR MEANS OPERABLE TO SWING EACH OF SAID LEVER MEANS AND THE BOX ASSOCIATED THEREWITH INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER LEVER MEANS INTO A DISCHARGING POSITION AND BACK AGAIN, SAID MOTOR MEANS HAVING CLUTCH MEANS ADAPTED TO OPERATIVELY CONNECT IN POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT SAID MOTOR MEANS WITH EACH OF SAID LEVER MEANS SUCH THAT WHEN SAID MOTOR MEANS IS POSITIVELY ENGAGED WITH ONE OF SAID LEVER MEANS IT IS POSITIVELY DISENGAGED WITH THE OTHER OF SAID LEVER MEANS, SAID CLUTCH MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF CLUTCH MEMBERS EACH AXIALLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED TOWARD OPPOSITE ENDS OF DRIVE SHAFT MEANS DRIVEN BY SAID SINGLE REVERSIBLE MOTOR MEANS, SAID CLUTCH MEMBERS BEING KEYED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT MEANS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID CLUTCH MEMBERS EACH BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH A RESPECTIVE LEVER MEANS, SAID CLUTCH MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED IN A CONSTANT SPACED RELATIONSHIP WHEREBY THEY MOVE TOGETHER ALONG SAID DRIVE SHAFT MEANS, SAID CONSTANT SPACING BEING SUCH THAT ONLY ONE CLUTCH MEMBER AT A TIME MAY ENGAGE ITS RESPECTIVE LEVER MEANS AND BOTH CLUTCH MEMBERS MAY BE DISENGAGED AT THE SAME TIME.

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