US3778950A

US3778950A - Removable refractory furnace cover

Info

Publication number: US3778950A
Application number: US00265192A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Philander
Original assignee: Chicago Fire Brick Co
Current assignee: Chicago Fire Brick Co
Priority date: 1972-06-22
Filing date: 1972-06-22
Publication date: 1973-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-18
Also published as: CA987101A

Abstract

A roof structure comprises a number of parallel I-beams each having a row of refractory tiles having T-shaped slots which fit over a flange of the I-beam. Reinforcing steel plates are disposed between adjacent tiles of a row. The plate has a web portion overlying a side surface of one tile with a T-shaped opening of shape and dimensions the same as T-shaped slot in the tile. The plate also has a flange at its remote edge which extends into a groove formed in the side surface of the tile. The plate retains the tile in position on the I-beam in the event that the interlocking portion of the tile is broken.

Description

United States atent [1 1 [111 3,778,950

Philander Dec. 18, 1973 [5 REMOVABLE REFRACTORY FURNACE 1,534,281 4/1925 Morgan et al. 52/484 x COVER 3,340,832 9/1967 Grigsby 52/484 X Inventor: Herbert C. Philander, Chicago, 111.

Chicago Fire Brick Company, Chicago, 111.

June 22, 1972 Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.1

US. Cl 52/483, 52/513, 110/99 A Int. Cl. F23m 5/04 Field of Search 52/483, 596,484,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1966 Lingl 52/485 X 5/1965 Darke 110/99 A 4/1968 Snellman 52/513 X 6/1937 Slaughter et al 52/487 Primary ExaminerPrice C. Faw, Jr. AtmmeyZabe1, Baker, York & Jones [5 7 ABSTRACT A roof structure comprises a number of parallel shape and dimensions the same as T-shaped slot in the tile. The plate also has a flange at its remote edge .which extends into a groove formed in the side surface [of the tile. The plate retains the tile in position on the l-beam in the eventthat the interlocking portion of the tile is broken.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 REMOVABLE REFRACTORY FURNACE COVER This invention relates to movable furnace covers for the removable roof of a refractory furnace.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention provides reinforcement for roof structures of the type that are made up of a number of refractory blocks, referred to in this art as tiles," without mortar. The arrangement provides a wall structure that can be easily assembled and one in which broken tile can be easily replaced. Because of the unique suitability of my invention to a type of horizontal wall known as a movable furnace cover, the invention will be described as applied thereto.

Furnace roofs are customarily made up from a number of tiles which are suspended from a steel supporting structure having members, referred to as suspension steel, which interlock with each tile individually. Various shapes of suspension steel and tile have been proposed including an I-beam shown herein by way of example.

As indicated above, the tiles are suspended without mortar.'lnterlocking tongue and groove configurations provide sufficient rigidity in service but permit freedom of movement for thermal expansion. The ease of replacement of broken tile makes this a desirable construction in applications where the suspended roofs are subject to mechanical damage due to movement, vibration, and mechanical impacts. Movable roofs, such as for soaking pits and some tundish designs, can be damaged in transport. In many cases workmen and cranes contact the tile, such as in placing temporary burners on the roofs. Sometimes it is necessary to walk on the tile.

Although broken tile is readily replaced in a suspended roof, it is not conveniently done while the furnace is in operation and there is normally the threat that broken tile can fall into the furnace.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to my invention, I provide reinforcing plates between the adjacent tiles, the plates having openings corresponding to those in the tile which receive the suspension steel member. The lower edge of the reinforcing plate has a flange which fits into a thin slot formed in the tile. Thus a portion of the weight of the tile is transferred to the support beam by the reinforcing plate. The entire weight of the tile will be so supported in the event that the load bearing portion of tile which engages the support beam is broken off. There is no need to replace broken tile so supported for the life of the roof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a heat bleed from the suspension steel to the furnace environs. The load bearing properties of steel beams become much diminished with increasing temperature and this is observed as an increased sagging in the center of the roof, with danger of collapse if the steel is too hot. Since the plates have a greater heat conductivity per unit cross section than the' refractory, which preferably has thermal insulating characteristics, a certain amount of heat will be conducted away from the steel to the edge of the plate, which is flush with the upper tile surface, and radiated, thus lowering the temperature of the enclosed portion of the steel. The plates are located in the upper portion of the tile and do not compromise the insulating characteristics of the refractory.

The reinforcing plates can be fabricated to engage a variety of standard structural steel members such as an I-beam, T-bar, channel, or angle, all of which have a reentrant type of cross section. The usual form is an I- beam suspension, which requires a T-shaped slot in the tile and supporting plate. Furnace applications which can be considered for suspended constructions of increased life using the reinforcing plate include soaking pit covers, tundish covers, billet reheating furnaces, slab reheating furnaces, forge furnaces, annealing furnaces, and reverberatory furnaces.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a soaking pit having a removable cover embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the roof structure showing a tile and its reinforcing plate in elevation in its normally suspended position;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and also showing a changed position of the parts;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the reinforcing plate;

FIG. 5 is an end view of FIG. 4;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. I, the reference numeral 10 designates a soaking pit and 11 designates the roof or cover which is removed by cables 12 connected'to a suitable crane or hoist, not shown.

The cover 11 comprises two or more main beams 13 plus the suspension steel 14 in the form of a number of I-beams. The I-beams 14 are connected to the main beams 13 by suitable means, such as clips 15, which have side arms 16 which are bent under the upper flange of the I-beams 14 in interlocking relationship. Weld beads 17 maintain the clips 15 in engagement with the lower flange of the main beams 13.

The refractory tiles 18 are each formed with a T- shaped slot 19 which provides a through opening so that each tile may be slid into position onto the lower flange 28 of the I-beam 14.

The tiles 18 are provided on two side surfaces with ribs 20 and on the other two side surfaces with recesses 21, each rib extending into a recess 21 on an adjacent tile. This interfitting of the ribs and recesses is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The reinforcing plate 22 comprises a main web portion 23 which overlies the upper side surface of the tile 18, and has formed therein a T-shaped opening 24 which is of substantially the same shape and dimensions as the T-shaped slot 19.

The lower edge of the plate 22 is bent to provide a flange 25 which extends into a groove 26 formed in the underlying side surface of the tile. The location of the groove 26 is preferably such that the edges of the opening 24 are flush with the interior surface of the slot 19. Thus it will be seen that the surface of the refractory material at the slot 19 is protected to a substantial extent from forces which tend to produce abrasion, chipping, and cracking, and at the same time, the block is at least partially supported along its full width at the groove 26.

It has been found, for example, that even though the overhanging portions 31 have been completely broken away that the tile, when assembled in a completed roof structure, will nevertheless be supported in its assembled position by the reinforcing plate 22.

The side surface 32 of the tile 18, above the groove 26 is relieved by an amount equal to the thickness of the plate 22 so that the side surfaces 33 at the bottom of the tile will remain in contact with each other to provide the desired thermal protection.

After all of the tiles 18 and plates 22 have been assembled onto the supporting steel 14, the four sides of thecover 11 are enclosed by a steel band 29, as shown in FIG. 1, at points beneath the extended end portions 30 of the beams 14.

In the arrangement shown, the cover 11 fits within the opening formed by the vertical walls of the soaking pit 10. The l-beams 14 extend beyond'the tiles 18 and rest on the rim 34 of the furnace opening to support the cover 11. Thus, the tiles 18 are at all times suspended from the beams 14 with the downwardly facing edge 27 of the plate 22, as well as the c'orrespondinginterior surface of the slot 19, in contact with the lower flange 28 of the beam 14. Slight discrepancies do not interfere materially with the operation, as hereinafter described, due to the fact that the surfaces of refractory material will wear away to a point where they are coincident with the plate edges 29 or 27.

In its normally suspended position, the main beams 13 rest on and are supported by the beams 14, as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows the relative positions of the

beams

13 and 14 when the cover 11 is elevated out of the soaking pit as shown in FIG. 1. Here the main beams 13 support the beams 14 through clips 15.

in a practical example, the tile 18 may be ofan insulating refractory material disclosed in Parsons U.S. Pat. No. 3,l$0,989, granted Sept. 29, 1964, the tile having dimensions of IO-A inches-by 7 inches by 4 inches, and weighing substantially pounds. The reinforcing plate 22 is of 16 gauge automotive sheet steel, point carbon having a melting point of substantially 2,750 F. The l-beams 14 may be 3 X 2-% inches mounted on lO-h inch centers.

Although only a preferred embodiment of my invention has been shown and illustrated herein, it will be understood that various modifications and changes can be made in the construction shown without departing from the spirit of my invention, as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a furnace having refractory walls and a top opening, a removable furnace cover loosely fitting within said top opening, said cover comprising a plurality of spaced steel supporting beams, a plurality of sideby-side rows of center-hung refractory tiles providing an undersurface for said cover made entirely from individually suspended tiles, each row being suspended from one of said beams, and the tiles of each row each having a through opening for receiving and interlocking with a portion of its associated supporting beam, re-

inforcing plates disposed between adjacent tiles in a row, each reinforcing plate having a web overlying the upper side surface of one tile and having an opening therein of a shape and dimensions substantially the same as said through opening of said one tile, said reinforcing plate having at its lower edge a horizontally extending flange, and a groove formed in the side surface of said one tile and receiving said flange, said groove being so located that said plate opening is substantially coincident with said through opening of said one tile, and means connecting said supporting beams to each other providing a unitary structure capable of being lifted upwardly away-from said furnace.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said supporting beam is an l-beam and in which said through opening of said tile is a T-shaped slot.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the side surface of said one tile is relieved above said groove to accommodate the thickness of said reinforcing plate, said side surface having portions below said groove which contact the adjacent tile in said row.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which said reinforcing plate is a steel plate.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said steel plate is 16 gauge sheet steel.

6. The combination of claim I in which said refractory tile is of a thermal insulating material.

7. A refractory movable furnace cover comprising a plurality of spaced steel supporting beams, a plurality of side-by-side rows of refractory tiles of a thermal insulating material providing an undersurface for said cover made entirely from individually suspended tiles, the tiles of each row being supported by one of said beams in suspended relationship and having through openings providing portions interlocking with an embedded portion of said supporting beam, and a series of metal plates, one metal plate being located between each two adjacent tiles in a row, the upper edges of said plates being exposed and substantially flush with the upper surface of said tiles, each plate having an opening therein of a shape and dimensions substantially the same as said through opening of said adjacent tiles providing a portion contacting said embedded portion of a supporting beam in thermally conducting relationship, said plates conducting heat away from said embedded portion of a beam and radiating said heat at said exposed edge portion, said plates being located only at the upper side surface portions of said tiles and the lower side surface portions of said tiles being in contact with each other to shield said plates from the heat within a furnace located beneath said cover, each plate having at its lower edge a horizontally extending flange, and a groove formed in the side surface of an adjacent tile and receiving said flange, said groove being so located that said plate opening is substantially coincident with said through opening of said adjacent tiles, and means connecting said supporting beams to each other providing a unitary structure capable of being lifted up and away from said furnace.

Claims

1. In a furnace having refractory walls and a top opening, a removable furnace cover loosely fitting within said top opening, said cover comprising a plurality of spaced steel supporting beams, a plurality of side-by-side rows of center-hung refractory tiles providing an undersurface for said cover made entirely from individually suspended tiles, each row being suspended from one of said beams, and the tiles of each row each having a through opening for receiving and interlocking with a portion of its associated supporting beam, reinforcing plates disposed between adjacent tiles in a row, each reinforcing plate having a web overlying the upper side surface of one tile and having an opening therein of a shape and dimensions substantially the same as said through opening of said one tile, said reinforcing plate having at its lower edge a horizontally extending flange, and a groove formed in the side surface of said one tile and receiving said flange, said groove being so located that said plate opening is substantially coincident with said through opening of said one tile, and means connecting said supporting beams to each other providing a unitary structure capable of being lifted upwardly away from said furnace.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said supporting beam is an I-beam and in which said through opening of said tile is a T-shaped slot.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which said reinforcing plate is a steel plate. 5. The combination of claim 4 in which said steel plate is 16 gauge sheet steel.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which said refractory tile is of a thermal insulating material.