US3693960A

US3693960A - Turret for casting ladles

Info

Publication number: US3693960A
Application number: US150082A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl-Heinz Golde; Willi Simons
Original assignee: Schloemann AG
Current assignee: Schloemann AG
Priority date: 1970-06-08
Filing date: 1971-06-04
Publication date: 1972-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-26
Also published as: DE2028078A1; CA934924A; ZA713584B; SE361833B; JPS5029697B1; GB1318002A

Abstract

For continuous casting machines, a ladle turret is provided with a cantilever arm mounted for rotation above the usual tundish and casting mold. A ladle is carried on each end of the arm. A column carrying hoisting gear is also mounted for independent rotation on the turret above the cantilever arm. While molten metal is being poured into a casting mold from a ladle on one end of the arm, the ladle on the other end may be tilted by the hoisting gear to discharge slag.

Description

United States Patent Golde et al.

[451 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] "IURRET FOR CASTING LADLES [72] Inventors: Karl-Heinz Golde, Ratingen; Willi Simons, Dusseldorf, both of Germany [73] Assignee: Schloemann Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany 22 Filed: June 4, 1971 [21] AppLNo; 150,082

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 8, 1970 Germany ..P 20 28 078.8

[52] US. Cl. ..266/38, 164/281, 214/318, 222/166, 294/73 [51] Int. Cl. ..B22d 11/10, F27d 3/14 [58] Field of Search ..164/281; 214/318; 222/144, 222/166, 168.5; 266/38; 294/67 DC, 73

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Se1m an et al ..294/67 DC 1,629,673 5/1927 Bell et al ..222/144 3,193,150 7/1965 Simas ..222/166 3,552,902 l/1971 Schoffmann et a1 ..164/281 Primary Examiner-Evon C, Blunk Assistant Examiner-W. Scott Carson Att0rneySandoe, Hopgood & Calimafde [57] ABSTRACT For continuous casting machines, a ladle turret is provided with a cantilever arm mounted for rotation above the usual tundish and casting mold. A ladle is carried on each end of the arm. A column carrying hoisting gear is also mounted for independent rotation on the turret above the cantilever arm. While molten metal is being poured into a casting mold from a ladle on one end of the arm, the ladle on the other end may be tilted by the hoisting gear to discharge slag.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEnsEP26 m2 3.693.960

' SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTORS KARL- HEINZ GOLDE WILLI SIMONS SHEET 2 BF 2 NQE INVENTORS KARL- HEINZ GOLDE WILL! smous TURRET FOR CASTING LADLES The invention relates to a ladle turret including a cantilever arm which is arranged for rotating about a vertical axis, the arm being substantially symmetrical about the axis and having means at each end for .pivotally supporting a casting ladle, so that by rotating the arm the ladles can be moved selectively into at least one casting position and at least one slag discharging position.

A ladle turret of the above kind is particularly suitable for a continuous casting plant in which the liquid metal contained in the ladles is cast in a single strand for larger cross-sections and a plurality of strands for smaller cross-sections. This involves the necessity of discharging in a different position the liquid slag that remains in the ladle when all the metal has been cast while the other end of the cantilever arm has already received a fresh ladle.

It is an object of the present invention so to construct such a ladle turret that the slag can be easily removed from the ladle and more particularly that this operation can be performed in different positions.

According to the invention this is achieved by providing the ladle turret with a column upstanding from the cantilever arm the column having a projecting arm and being mounted for rotation about the said axis independently of the'rotating motions of the cantilever arm so that the projecting arm of the column can be aligned with each of the slag discharging positions, and chain or rope hoisting gear mounted in the column, the chain or rope thereof being led out through the projecting arm and being engageable with a ladle bottom.

With a ladle turret thus constructed the ladle can be transferred into a slag-discharging position from any position in which it may find itself. The casting ladle remains in its pivotal bearings at the end of the cantilever arm whereas the hoisting force applied to the ladle bottom permits the ladle to be tilted bottom up so that the remaining liquid slag can run out over its lip. The slag can be collected in a slag car, a slag ladle or the like and finally carried away, whereas the casting ladle from which the slag has been emptied is lifted off its bearings in the end of the cantilever arm and conveyed to the melting area.

To enable the projecting arm of the column to be rotated into alignment with each slag discharging position the column is preferably provided for its rotation with drive means of its own which enable the column to be turned to and fro in a horizontal plane at least within a given angular range. In order to permit the ladle turret to be rotated without affecting the column the latter may be supported on a ring bearing on the structural frame work of the ladle turret. The ladle turret and the column can therefore rotate in horizontal planes independently of each other, but the column may preferably be locked if casting always proceeds in a particular position. Locking may be effected by a horizontally disposed power cylinder attached to the base, i.e., lower structural part of the ladle turret and so linked to the column that it is capable not only of turn-v ing the column but also of locking the same. During operation the cantilever arm of the ladle turret can be turned 180 about the stationary column after the melt in the casting ladle has been discharged, the arm conveying a freshly charged ladle into casting position and carryingthe ladle stillcontaining the liquid slag into the slag discharging position. in this latter position the chain or rope is attached to the ladle bottom to tilt the same in a vertical plane while it remains in its bearings in the end of the cantilever arm, as already described.

The chain or rope hoisting gear may be of any suitable type. in a preferred construction a power cylinder may be provided of which the cylinder is attached to the column, whereas the piston rod may carry a return wheel or pulley for the chain or rope. The hoisting gear may then be designed to provide a mechanical advantage by reducing the necessary force because the column permits of the accommodation of a relatively long power cylinder witha suitably long stroke for displacing the pulley.

The invention will be hereunder more particularly described with reference by way of example to the embodiments shown in the accompanying, generally schematic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the ladle turret according to the invention, whereas FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a modified embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows the ladle turret and its cantilever arm 1. Means, not shown, are provided for rotating the arm 1 about a vertical axis 11. At each respective, end the arm l is provided with a bearing 2 or 3 for the reception of casting ladles 4 and 5 respectively. The arm 1 is substantially symmetrical about axis 11. Ladle 4 is shown in casting positionabove acontinuous casting machine 6 of which for the sake of clarity only the tundish 7 and the upper end of the curved guide means 8 for the cast strand are shown. I

A column 12 is mounted on the turret structure substantially centrally of the arm 1 on a wide ring bearing 15 which enables the column to rotate about the axis 11 relative to the structure of the ladle turret and the cantilever arm. To rotate the column, the column is provided with a downwardly extending post 13 which at its bottom end is engaged for rotation by a horizontal power cylinder 14. By supplying fluid to the cylinder 14 the column 12 can be rotated and arrested in any desired position.

Also schematically shown in the drawing is a power cylinder 16' which is connected to the column 12, and which has a rod carrying a return pulley 16 for a rope 10. One upper end of the rope 10 is anchored to the column 12 at 17 and the rope runs thence over the pulley 16, over a deflecting pulley 18 mounted above pulley l6 and over a second deflecting pulley 20 at the end of a projecting arm 19.

A hook 20' is providedat the free end of the rope l0 and is engageable with a drawbar 21 which is hinged to a lug provided on the outside edge 22 of the bottom 9 of the ladle 4 or 5.

The ladle 5 in the position shown in broken lines is being emptied of slag and'for this purpose it has been tilted about its pivot at 5' sufficiently to permit all the slag to drain out. To achieve this the power cylinder 16 has been operated to hoist the bottom 9 of the ladle out of its horizontal position intothe vertical and a certain distance beyond so that it is slightly upwardlyinclined. A slag ladle (not shown) can be positioned beneatlrthe tilted ladle 5 to receive the slag that flows out ofthe ladle 5 and for carrying this slag away. Owing to-the;

pulley and block type of arrangement of the rope any movement of the pulley 16 is transmitted with a mechanical advantage that permits the bottom of the ladle 9 to be hoisted upwards as has been described.

A chain can be provided instead of the rope 10 in which case the pulleys would be replaced by chain wheels. 7 Although FIG. 1 shows only one casting position and hence only one slag discharging position it will be understood from the previous description that several casting stations may be peripherally spaced around the path along which the ladle can be rotated and a plurality of slag discharging stations may.correspond to these casting stations. The column 12 can be rotated so that its projecting arm 19 can be aligned with any of the slag discharging stations.

FIG. 2 is a modified form of construction which nevertheless includes several of the parts already described with reference to FIG. 1 and not therefore repeated in this drawing. Only the center portion of the cantilever arm 1 is shown. Again there is a column 12 and a ring bearing which permits the column to turn. However, the post 23 attached to the column 12 is somewhat shortened so that the power cylinder 24 which rotates the column is located in a plane above the cantilever arm 1. A vertical post 25 pivotably anchors the power cylinder 24 to the structure of the ladle turret.

The crane hook 20' is shown in its fully hoisted posi- I a lug 28 which is engaged by a hanger 27. For tilting the ladle the hook 20' lifts the hanger 27 out of the lug 28.

For the attaching and disengaging the hook to and from the ladle bottom it is preferred to provide means which enable these actions to proceed automatically so that personnel are not hazarded by having to carry out this task. Conventional crane hooks which can be remotely controlled into opening and closing position are suitable for this purpose.

We claim as our invention:

1. A ladle turret including a cantilever arm which is arranged for rotating about a vertical axis, the arm being substantially symmetrical about the axis and having means at each end for pivotally supporting a casting ladle, so that by rotating of the arm the ladies can be moved selectively into at least one casting position and at least one slag discharging position, a column upstanding from the cantilever arm, said column having a projecting arm and being mounted for rotation about the said axis independently of the rotating motions of the cantilever arm so that the projecting arm of the column can be aligned with each of several slag discharging positions, and means mounted on said column and engageable with the ladle bottom for hoisting the ladle bottom to tilt the ladle.

2. A ladle turret according to claim 1, wherein the column is rotatably supported on a ring bearing, and including independently operable drive means provided for re a in the column.

3. A ladle turret according to claim 2, wherein the said drive means comprise a horizontally disposed power cylinder connected to the base of the ladle turret.

4. A ladle turret according to claim 1, wherein the hoisting gear includes a hydraulic power cylinder.

Claims

1. A ladle turret including a cantilever arm which is arranged for rotating about a vertical axis, the arm being substantially symmetrical about the axis and having means at each end for pivotally supporting a casting ladle, so that by rotating of the arm the ladles can be moved selectively into at least one casting position and at least one slag discharging position, a column upstanding from the cantilever arm, said column having a projecting arm and being mounted for rotation about the said axis independently of the rotating motions of the cantilever arm so that the projecting arm of the column can be aligned with each of several slag discharging positions, and means mounted on said column and engageable with the ladle bottom for hoisting the ladle bottom to tilt the ladle.

2. A ladle turret according to claim 1, wherein the column is rotatably supported on a ring bearing, and including independently operable drive means provided for rotating the column.