US3458179A

US3458179A - Safety fixture for tilting furnace

Info

Publication number: US3458179A
Application number: US695496A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C O'rourke
Original assignee: JOHN C O ROURKE
Current assignee: JOHN C O ROURKE
Priority date: 1968-01-03
Filing date: 1968-01-03
Publication date: 1969-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 1986-07-29

Description

July 29, 1969 J. c. OROURKE SAFETY FIXTURE FOR TILTING FURNACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1968 INVENTOR JOHN C. O'ROURKE ATTORNEY y 1969 J. c. OROURKE 3,458,179

SAFETY FIXTURE FOR TILTING FURNACE Filed Jan. 3. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V/NVENTOR JOHN C. O'RUURKE ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 263--33 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safty fixture for use with tilting furnaces, consisting of a barrier which is pivoted to the furnace frame and movable up and down within the confines of the furnace pit and under control of the movement of the furnace. The barrier is normally spring-urged into a position to obstruct the boundaries of the pit when the furnace is tilted for pouring. The barrier surrounds three sides of the furnace pit and has an abutment which is engageable by a projecting member on the furnace wall when the latter is lowered into the pit for loading, thus forcing the barrier downwardly to the working platform level.

In the operation of tilting furnaces, there is always the danger that an operators foot overhanging the boundaries of the furnace pit will be crushed upon lowering the furnace to loading position. It is also likely that articles lying on the working platform surrounding the furnace pit will be knocked into the pit when the furnace is elevated to pouring position.

The object of the present invention is to provide a barrier which surrounds the furnace pit when the furnace is elevated, to prevent injury to the worker, as well as to avoid the dropping of tools and foreign matter into the pit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier which is pivoted to the furnace frame and includes means controlled by the position of the furnace for determining the positioning of the barrier.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a barrier of this type which is normally spring-urged into protecting position around the pit.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The drawings Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the barrier of the present invention in elevated or protecting position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view illustrating the furnace in pouring position and the barrier in protecting position;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the furnace in lowered position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the front portion of the barrier in lowered position;

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention embodying a torsion bar for normally urging the barrier into protecting position; and

FIG. 6 shows a modified furnace abutment.

Specification In the drawings, 10 represents the frame to which the tilting furnace 11 is pivotally connected as at 12. By means of the hydraulic ram 13, the furnace is tilted 3,458,179 Patented July 29, 1969 "ice from its lower or loading position in pit 15 to the pouring position shown in FIG. 2.

conventionally, the pits of furnaces of this type are surrounded on three sides by an elevated working platform 14, which bounds the pit 15 within which the furnace operates. Consequently, as previously pointed out, a workman on platform -14 might well have a portion of his foot extending beyond the working platform when the furnace is in pouring position, so that when it is lowered to loading position, his foot would become crushed. To avoid such a misfortune, the present invention contemplates the use of a substantially U-shaped barrier 16, which is pivoted at 17 to the frame 10, and normally maintained in elevated or protecting position by suitable spring means. One form of spring means embodies a pair of coil springs 18, best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, which operate in housings 19, beneath the rear portion of the barrier 16. Here, it will be seen that the barrier, which lies within the confines of the pit 15, is elevated at its rear end and around both sides of the pit, so as to prevent an operators foot from overhanging the pit.

Another method of accomplishing this result could be by the use of a torsion bar 20 which normally elevates the barrier as shown in FIG. 5.

Usually, tilting furnaces are provided with a furnace platform 21 which extends entirely across the back of the furnace and partially along both sides, being supported by braces 22 which run between the furnace platform and the furnace. As best seen in FIG. 4, the inner faces of the .sides and rear end of the barrier 16 are provided with angle irons 23 which project inwardly and are spaced from the top edge of the barrier for engagement by the furnace platform 21. Thus, when the furnace is lowered from the position shown in FIG. 2, the furnace platform 21 engages the angle irons 23 and forces the barrier 16 downwardly in the pit so that its upper edge is at floor or working level. When the furnace is elevated to the pouring position shown in FIG. 2, the springs 18 or torsion bar 20, as the case may be, cause the barrier 16 to automatically elevate and obstruct the opening to the pit.

In the modified form of abutment shown in FIG. 6, the rear angle iron 23 is surmounted by an angularly disposed plate 24 so that, when the furnace platform 21 engages the inclined plate 24 on its downward movement, the plate acts as an inclined plane over which the furnace platform moves as it continues its downward are.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a protecting barrier for the pit of a tilting furnace, which automatically moves up into protecting position as the furnace pours and is pushed downwardly into unobstructing position when the furnace assumes the down position. In other words, the position of the protecting barrier is determined by the position of the furnace.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tilting furnace pivotally supported for arcuate movement into and out of the open upper end of a furnace pit, a working platform at least partially surrounding said pit, a protector for said pit, comprising a barrier, free of said furnace and at least partially bounding the furnace pit, means supporting said barrier adjacent the upper portion of said pit, for vertical movement from a working platform level to an elevated position obstructing the boundary of said pit, means normally urging said barrier toward said last-named position, and means responsive to the downward movement of said furnace into said pit, for lowering said barrier to unobstructing position.

2. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said barrier is substantially U-shaped and bounds three sides of said pit.

3. A protector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said barrier is pivotally mounted.

4. A protector as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one inner surface of said barrier is provided with an abutment for engagement by means attached to said furnace, for lowering said barrier.

5. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means normally urging said barrier to elevated position comprise coil springs.

6. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,214,123 9/1940 Delpech 263-50 X JOHN J. CAMBY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.