US3412904A - Thimble ladle support lock assembly - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 26, 1968 A. F. CHUPKA I 3,412,904

THIMBLE LADLE SUPPORT LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed July 21, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Auausr F. CHLJPKA W aZLM un-awe.

ATTORNEYQ 4 INVENTOR 1968 A. F. CHUPKA 3,412,904

THIMBLE LADLE SUPPORT LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed July 21, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Auqus'r F. OHUPKA ATTORNEYS Nov. 26, 1968 A. F. CHUPKA 3,412,904

THIMBLE LADLE SUPPORT LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed July Zl, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O "ice 3,412,904 THIMBLE LADLE SUPPORT LOCK ASSEMBLY August F. Chupka, 3516 Lewis St., Middletown, Ohio 45042 Filed July 21, 1967, Ser. No. 655,219 Claims. (Cl. 222166) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ladle support ring having lock means automatically moving into locking engagement with a supported ladle upon tilting of the ring to prevent the ladle falling from the ring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of ladles and more specifically, to the field of thimble-type ladies and support ring means therefor.

Thimble ladles have long been employed in the iron and steel industry for dumping slag and other materials. The conventional devices previously employed have consisted of a thimble ring mounted upon a railroad car or buggy and having a circular opening for receiving a full ladle deposited in the opening by a crane or the like. Means are provided for tilting the ladle to dump the slag upon the movement of the car to the slag dump. Unfortunately, the ladle frequently falls out of its thimble ring and into the slag dump. Since such accidents can result in a fall of 25 to 30 feet, the ladle is often damaged beyond repair. Moreover, the ladle, even if undamaged by the fall, is often out of commission for weeks while the slag pile cools to such an extent as to enable the workmen to remove the ladle. During the cooling period, the ladle is subjected to warpage due to different rates of cooling for its different parts. It is also necessary that residual slag which has hardened in the ladle be removed from the ladle at a resultant high cost in time and expense.

While certain of the prior art devices make provision for the use of manual means for locking the ladle in the thimble ring, no one prior to this invention, has been able to provide a satisfactory means for automatically locking the ladle in the thimble ring when the ring is tilted to pour the contents from the ladle and for automatically unlocking the ladle when the ring is returned to a horizontal position so as to enable easy removal of the ladle from the ring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved means for locking a ladle within a ladle support ring when the ring is tilted to pour the contents from the ladle.

The primary object of this invention is achieved by the provision of a ladle supported within a thimble ring and including a lug extending from the ladle and located beneath the lower surface of the ring. Lock plates are mounted on the ring and are normally biased toward each other to assume a position above the lug so that the ladle cannot be removed from the ring. However, a wedge cam engages portions of the lock plates to move them to an open position so that the ladle can be removed from the ring when the ring is in its normal horizontal position. Consequently, when the ring is tilted to allow pouring of the contents of the ladle, the ladle is automatically locked in position by the movement of the plates to their locking position above the lug so that the ladle cannot accidentally fall from the thimble ring.

3,412,904 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and partially broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment with portions broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of a portion of the preferred embodiment illustrating the primary parts in separated relationship;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom perspective view of a modified form of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a lower plan view of the modified embodiment of FIGURE 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated 20, is illustrated in FIGURE 1 and comprises a thimble ladle 22 which is matingly received into a generally round support thimble ring 24 which is mounted upon a railroad buggy or carriage 26.

Thimble ladle 22 normally receives molten slag or other material at a point remote from the carriage 26 and is loaded onto the carriage by means of a crane or other means represented by support chains 28 illustrated in FIG- URE 5. Thimble ring 24 is provided with a central coaxial opening 30 (FIGURE 5) and has aligned stub shafts 32 extending from opposite sides thereon. Support for the thimble ring 24 is provided by pinion gears 34 respectively attached to each of the stub shafts 32 and resting upon first and second support racks 36 as illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 3. The support racks 36 are attached to the carriage 26 in a conventional manner.

Opening 30 in thimble ring 24 is defined by a conical surface 38. Thimble ladle 22 includes a primary or body portion 40 which has a plurality of support lugs or blocks 42 attached to and extending from its midportion as illustrated in FIGURE 5. Support plate 44 also extends radially outward adjacent the top portion of body portion 40. The outer surface of support lugs 42 mates with the conical surface 38 defining opening 30 and the lower surface of support plate 44 rests upon the upper surface of thimble ring 24 so that the thimble ladle 22 is supported by the contacting portions of support lugs 42 and plate 44 with ring 24. The support arrangement enables the easy insertion of the thimble ladle into the thimble ring regardless of the expansion or contraction of the ladle due to the heat of the contents therein. A locking lug plate 46 extends radially outward from body portion 40 of the ladle below support lugs or locks 42 as shown in FIGURE 5. Locking plate 46 is spaced a distance beneath the bottom surface of ring 24 when the ladle is supported within the ring as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

Four right angle support brackets 48 extend downwardly and inwardly from the periphery of the bottom portion of thimble ring 24 to form support means for first and second look plates 50 and 52 respectively as best illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. Each lock plate has a central guide slot 54 into which a pin 56 attached to the lower surface of ring 24 extends in loose fit and a spreader lug 58 extends downwardly from each end of the respective lock plates 50 and 52. A bolt 60 slidably extends through the opposed spreader lugs as best shown in FIGURE 2. Spring means 62 surrounds each bolt 60 exteriorly of each of the spreader lugs 58 so as to bias the respective opposed spreader lugs of each pair inwardly toward each other in a manner obvious from inspection of FIGURE 2. Pin 56 and slot 54 serve to guide the respective lock plates and brackets 48 serve to support the lock plates for sliding I movement.

When ring 24 is in its horizontal position illustrated in FIGURE 3, each of the opposed spreader lugs 58 engages a wedge cam 64 which biasses the lugs outwardly against the compressive force of the springs 62. Each of the wedge earns 64 is attached to the carriage 26 in a fixed manner. When thimble ladle 22 is tilted to its discharge position illustrated in FIGURE 4, the spreader lugs 58 are lifted from contact with wedge cam 64 so that spring means 62 biasses the spreader lugs and their respective lock plates 50 and 52 inwardly so that the edges of the lock plates are located above the top surface of the locking lug plates 46 as best illustrated in FIGURE 4 so that the thimble ladle 22 cannot fall from the thimble support ring 24. Conventional means 66 is employed for rotating the ladle and the ring to the pouring position illustrated in FIGURE 4.

In operation, ladle 22 is filled with slag or other material 68 and is lowered into the empty thimble ring 24 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 5 by means of chains 28 or the like. The spreader lugs 58 are engaged with wedge cam 64 so that the thimble ladle 22 is easily lowered into position illustrated in FIGURE 3 and can also be lifted from the thimble ring 24 at any time if desired for any reason. However, when the thimble ladle 22 is moved from the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 to its FIGURE 4 position, the spreader lugs 58 are disengaged from can 64 and moved to their locking position above the locking lug plate 46 so that the titlting movement of the spring 24 and ladle 22 cannot possibly result in the removal of ladle 22 from ring 24. Nevertheless, when the ring returns to its FIGURE 3 position from the FIGURE 4 position, the spreader lugs 58 reengage cam 64 so that the empty thimble ladle 22 can then be removed from the thimble ring 24.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate a modification of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5 wherein the first and second lock plates 50 and 52 are pivotally conected at 70 to thimble ring 24, and only one pair of spreader lugs is employed as shown in FIGURE 6. It will be obvious that the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 will operate in essentially the same manner as the first discussed embodiment. The slots 54 are slanted to accommodate the rotational movement of each of the lock plates as shown in FIGURE 7.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 is primarily for use with lighter loads and smaller thimbles than is the first embodiment. This is true because the second embodiment does not provide as large a locking area of plates 50 and 52 in locking engagement with the locking lug plates 46 as is possible with the first discussed embodiment. However, the structure of FIGURES 6 and 7 is quite satisfactory for the majority of applications.

It is, therefore, obvious that this invention provides a new and improved ladle and support means combination in which the lock plates 50 and 52 eifectively lock the ladle within the thimble support ring 24 when the ring is tilted to pour the contents from the ladle. Therefore, the problem of ladles accidentally falling from the ring during pouring has been completely solved and eliminated by this invention.

Various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device comprising a support for a pivotabie thimble ring mounted for pivotable and lateral movement on the support means and a ladle adapted to be removably received in said thimble ring,

locking means associated with said thimble ring for locking said ladle to said thimble ring in response to movement of said thimble ring from a loading position wherein said ring is orientated in a substantially horizontal plane to an unloading position wherein said ring is oriented in an inclined plane so that said ladle cannot fall from said thimble ring when said ring and ladle are pivoted to said unloading position to pour the contents from said ladle.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said locking means include first and second lock plates movable to a blocking position with respect to a locking lug plate on said ladle wherein said ladle is locked to said thimble ring and wherein said lock plates are movable to a second position in non-blocking relationship with said lug plate whereby said ladle can be lifted from said thimble ring.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said thimble ring includes an opening formed with a tapered conical surface and wherein the exterior of said ladle has spaced plural blocks having outer surfaces which mate with the conical surface of said opening when said ladle is supported by said thimble ring.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said first and second lock plates are urged into their blocking position by spring means which urges said plates toward each other.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said first and second look plates include spaced spreader lugs extending from said first and second plates respectively to embracingly engage a wedge cam mounted on said support so that said cam moves said first and second lock plates to their second position against the bias of said spring means when said thimble ring is in its loading position.

6. The device of claim 5 additionally including first and second spaced coaxial stub shafts extending from said thimble ring and terminating in first and second pinion gears supported by first and second rack means to provide a support for the thimble ring and ladle structure.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said combination includes two pairs of spaced spreader lugs located on opposite sides of said thimble ring.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein said first and second lock plates are pivotally connected to said ring on one end and said spreader lugs are respectively mounted on the other end of said lock plates.

9. A device including first and second supporting means having a thimble ring supported thereon by a first and second shaft means attached to opposite sides of said ring and a ladle removably supported within said ring, an abutment on the outer surface of said ladle located beneath said thimble ring when said ladle is resting in said thimble ring; first and second lock plates supported for reciprocation between first and second positions on said thimble ring wherein said lock plates when in said first position assume a blocking position between said abutment and the lower surface of said ring to prevent the removal of said ladle from said thimble ring and wherein when said lock plates when in their second position permit removal of said ladle from said thimble ring; spring means for biassing said lock plates to said first position when said thimble ring is tilted at an angle with respect to the horizontal and cam means for overcoming the urging of said spring means to cause said lock plates to assume their second position when said thimble ring is oriented in a horizontal plane.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said first and second supporting means comprises rack means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,031,585 7/1912 Rees et al. 222166 1,749,083 3/1930 Morris et a1 222166 2,683,295 7/1954 Howlett et al 222--166 3,003,206 10/ 1961 Peras 222166 WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

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